Being a mom of twins.....

 

Being a Mom of Twins

People have told me that if you can survive the first year of mothering twins than the rest is easy.  I disagree.  Being the mother of 20 month old twin boys is not getting any easier.  For the first six months they ate what I served (breast milk).  Now it is ever changing what they will and will not eat.  I know that this is typical for toddlers but with two it is twice as fun.  What one will eat one day the other will not eat and then the next day they will switch.  One will eat the leftovers and the other twin will not touch it. 

When they where infants I always knew where they were.  They were where I put them.  Once they started moving it started getting more complicated.  I am actually lucky that my boys started walking quite late (fully walking around 18 months).  But once they did it is almost impossible to keep track of them.  I guess it is partially my fault (and my 3 year old daughter) for taking them to the park almost every day.  As soon as they could stand they would climb to the tallest apparatus they could, stand and say “jump”.  Usually one was on one side with the other twin as far away from the other one as possible.  I am almost certain that my blood pressure is not as low as it used to be. 

My twins are actually really great boys and a joy to be around.  I do look forward to the day though when (as my mother said – she had twins 44 years ago) I can only really remember the fun we had.  “I must have blocked a lot of the other things out”

Jeannette Raskin RMT,CST practices at Family First Chiropractic and Wellness, 142 Erickson drive
403-347-3261
www.family1stchiro.ca

A parents night before christmas

A parent's night before Christmas- Brought to you by the parents of Family First Chiropractic, 142 Erickson Dr, 403-347-3261 www.family1stchiro.ca
 

'Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house
I searched for the tools to hand to my spouse.
Instructions were studied and we were inspired,
In hopes we could manage "Some Assembly Required."
The children were quiet (not asleep) in their beds,
While Dad and I faced the evening with dread:
A kitchen, two bikes, Barbie's town house to boot!
And, thanks to Grandpa, a train with a toot!


We opened the boxes, my heart skipped a beat....
Let no parts be missing or parts incomplete!
Too late for last-minute returns or replacement;
If we can't get it right, it goes in the basement!

When what to my worrying eyes should appear,
But 50 sheets of directions, concise, but not clear,
With each part numbered and every slot named,
So if we failed, only we could be blamed.

More rapid than eagles the parts then fell out,
All over the carpet they were scattered about.
"Now bolt it! Now twist it! Attach it right there!
Slide on the seats, and staple the stair!
Hammer the shelves, and nail to the stand."
"Honey," said hubby, "you just glued my hand."

And then in a twinkling, I knew for a fact
That all the toy dealers had indeed made a pact
To keep parents busy all Christmas Eve night
With "assembly required" till morning's first light.

We spoke not a word, but kept bent at our work,
Till our eyes, they went bleary; our fingers all hurt.
The coffee went cold and the night, it wore thin
Before we attached the last rod and last pin.

Then laying the tools away in the chest,
We fell into bed for a well-deserved rest.
But I said to my husband just before I passed out,
"This will be the best Christmas, without any doubt.

Tomorrow we'll cheer, let the holiday ring,
And not have to run to the store for a thing!
We did it! We did it! The toys are all set
For the perfect, most perfect, Christmas, I bet!"

Then off to dreamland and sweet repose I gratefully went,
Though I suppose there's something to say for those self-deluded...
I'd forgotten that batteries are never included!

 

T'was A Chiropractic Christmas

T'was A Chiropractic Christmas

By Author Unknown (let me know if you know who it is) brought to you by Family First Chiropractic and Wellness, 142 Erickson drive, Red Deer www.family1stchiro.ca 403-347-3261

T'was the day before Christmas, but there was no cheer.
No jingle bells jingled, no sound of reindeer.
The word had gone out that Santa was sick.
There would be no visit from jolly St. Nick.

The people were sad; no gaiety sounded.
For Christmas had come, but Santa was grounded.
He drove down the road, and what should he see?
But a sign for a doctor, who was a D.C.

Now Santa was not one to like a new tactic,
But all else had failed, so he tried Chiropractic.
He entered the office and saw at a glance,
in a place such as this, illness hasn't a chance.

The office staff smiled, the music was sappy,
with all of the patients contented and happy.
In a very short time, to judge by the clock,
he was in the adjusting room, talking to Doc.

It must be the hurry, the tension and all,
I simply can't seem to get on the ball.
Life used to be easy; just kids, toys and whistles,
now I dodge smog, spaceships and missiles.

And Doc, take a look at the size of this pack!
Have you any idea what it does to my back?
Poor Santa was miserable and just barely able,
with the help of the Doctor, to get on the table.

The Doctor was gentle; without a fuss or a tussle
he examined the vertebrae and relaxed every muscle.
He spotted trouble and then with a click,
started aligning the spine of old St. Nick.

Santa felt aches and pains slipping away
and in no time at all he began to feel gay.
The air was a tingle with new fallen snow
and a healthy Kris Kringle was rarin' to go.

As he went out the door, he threw them a kiss;
why, it had been centuries since he felt good as this!
Then once more he shouldered the bag full of toys,
his heart overflowing with true Christmas joys.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Chiropractic Christmas Survival Guide

The Scottish Chiropractic Association’s Christmas Survival Guide

The Christmas message from the Scottish Chiropractic Association is: “Keep it simple and choose a retro Christmas experience”. “Christmas is meant to make us feel good, but it increasingly does the opposite. We need to look at the festive season as a time when we can improve on our health and well-being, and that of our family. That means taking positive steps to look after your spine by exercising in fun ways with the whole family instead of sitting still for hours on end” says Dr Ross McDonald, President of the Scottish Chiropractic Association.

One in five people get stressed over the Christmas period* and suffer ill-health and relationship strain as a result. It is no coincidence that there is a significant rise in demand for a range of therapeutic services, including chiropractic care, early in the New Year. Back and neck problems occur over the festive season because people push all of their boundaries with a range of intensive behaviours from compulsive playing of new computer games to sitting for many hours at a time.

The Scottish Chiropractic Association offers its top tips for having a happy Christmas:

Keep it Simple:
To avoid stress, headaches and neck or back pain, ensure that your expectations of Christmas are realistic. Resist the notion of perfection: there is no such thing as a perfect Christmas, despite what the “family around the fireside” adverts imply. Opt instead for a relaxed atmosphere in which everyone shares tasks and agrees that “good enough” is the yardstick.

Revisit Christmas Past:
As more and more people suffer from back problems, we need to proactively move away from our sedentary habits. Encourage the whole family to take Christmas walks (they might even enjoy it!). Give children and young people Christmas presents which will prompt everyone to be more active: skipping ropes, space hoppers, hula hoops, Frisbees, balls etc.

Shopping:
To avoid undue strain on your spine you should
• Warm up before you start with stretches
• Balance the weight of shopping bags evenly in each hand or use a shopping trolley – these are fashionable for all ages now!
• Have a break regularly and keep hydrated
• Use mail-order or home delivery services where possible
• Where sensible, flat, supportive shoes
• Do several small trips rather than one large over-loaded trip

Everything in Moderation:
Eating and drinking:
Drink plenty of water, avoid excessive eating or drinking as both of these impact negatively on your health and well-being. Nearly a third of Britons have injured themselves so badly while drunk that they have had to seek medical help**.

Sitting:
Sitting glued to the television for prolonged periods may cause your spine to go into spasm. Move around and stretch regularly. Ensure your chair has good spinal support and that you are not slouching.

Gaming and Electronic Gadgets:
Officially Britain’s most popular pastime now, a range of persistent back and neck problems has emerged from these screen-based activities. If sedentary, you should take regular breaks and move around. If using a Wii, warm-up exercises will help to avoid injury. Repetitive strain injury from text messaging, using Blackberries and iPod use are increasingly common. Ensure that teenagers do not spend prolonged periods at any of these activities – they need to exercise and move around too!


Background:

Chiropractic is a primary health-care profession that specialises in the diagnosis, treatment and overall management of conditions that are due to problems with the joints, ligaments, tendons and nerves of the body, particularly those of the spine. Chiropractors focus on the relationship between the structure and function of the human body, primarily coordinated by the nervous system. Treatment consists of a wide range of techniques designed to improve the function of the nervous system, relieving pain and muscle spasm and improving overall health.

Brought to you by Family First Chiropractic and Wellness, 142 Erickson Drive 403-304-7980
www.family1stchiro.ca
 

Christmas Baking Elbow injuries.....

Christmas baking Elbow (tennis elbow or Lateral epicondylitis)

So you have been busy baking all those holiday treats and now you are experiencing

• Pain on the outer part of elbow (lateral epicondyle).
• Point tenderness over the lateral epicondyle – a prominent part of the bone on the outside of the elbow.
• Gripping and movements of the wrist hurt, especially wrist extension and lifting movements.
• Activities that use the muscles that extend the wrist (e.g. pouring a jug of Santas milk, lifting with the palm down) are characteristically painful.
• Morning stiffness.

You may have some Christmas baking elbow.  This is an overuse injury.  Massaging the arm above and below the elbow, as well as the attachment points in and around the elbow can help ease the pain you are experiencing.  So come in from the cold, you deserve a break after all that baking, and get a relaxing massage. 

 

Come and try our massage therapist at Family First Chiropractic and wellness, located at 142 Erickson drive, Red Deer
call 403-347-3261 to book an appointment
www.family1stchiro.ca

40 Christmas Family Ideas

1.      Decorate Christmas cookies.
2.      Decorate their room.
3.      Make Christmas cards.
4.      Sing carols for a cause.
5.      Volunteer at local area projects.
6.      Hunt for a Christmas tree.
7.      Trim a Christmas tree.
8.      Make tinsel-filled ornaments.
9.      Make ribbons and sparkles ornament.
10.  Sell Christmas trees with a youth group.
11.  Have a Christmas Specials and Movie marathon.
12.  Send a Christmas card and letter to a soldier.
13.  Journal this quick list: My Ten Favorite Christmas Specials.
14.  Journal this quick list: My Ten Favorite Christmas Songs.
15.  Journal this list: Top Five Gifts I've Received of all Time.
16.  Think about and journal what Christmas means to you.
17.  Make a Christmas wish list.
18.  String popcorn for the tree or mantel.
19.  Read a holiday story.
20.  Say this tongue twister 5 times: Snow slows Santa's sled.
21.  Write a poem about Christmas.
22.  Write a poem about snow.
23.  Make a music video using Christmas Carols.
24.  Wrap your bedroom door like a present.
25.  Organize a local coat drive.
26.  Make Christmas wrapping paper.
27.  Learn to make a traditional family Holiday dish or dessert.
28.  Adopt a grandparent or visit a nursing home with a group of friends.
29.  Take your younger sibling to see Santa.
30.  Offer to babysit for a Christmas shopping night for a family with younger kids - for free.
31.  Put your name in glitter on a Santa hat. Wear it.
32.  Make Puzzle Piece Ornaments.
33.  Make a gingerbread house.
34.  Make Candy Cane Fudge.
35.  Track Santa online.
36.  Make a holiday journal.
37.  Make a CD of your favorite or new this year Christmas songs.
38.  Write out Christmas cards for your friends.
39.  Learn something new about Christmas in a different culture.
40.  Sit in the room with your Christmas tree with all the lights out but the tree lights. Enjoy your Christmas.

Merry Christmas from all of us at Family First Chiropractic and Wellness, 142 Erickson drive, Red Deer. We hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday
www.family1stchiro.ca
403-347-3261 to book an appointment today!