Mother’s Day is just around the corner! That’s why teamed up with The Drake this year for an adorable Mother’s Day photo shoot with Drake Moms + their little tots.

Drake Mom Rachel Yeager is truly a wonder-mama, balancing her position as Drake’s Sr. Marketing Manager and 4 ½-year-old TWINS, Isaac and Ellie. POWER, WOMAN!

Time with the kids at this age is so precious that Rachel and husband Mark never take it for granted. They love using their weekends for family walks, going to the park, and getting ice cream. Also, at 4 ½ years old, these twins are teaching mom a few things about what ties a family together.

unspecified-17

Your best advice for a new mom:

You’re doing a great job! Hang in there. Also, it’s a controversial subject, but crying (aka crying it out so they learn to fall asleep on their own) will not cause permanent damage. It’s not for everyone, but because I had twins, crying was pretty common. Attending to all their needs at once was impossible when I was by myself. Eventually it was a means to an end for “sleep training,” and it was well worth it. It was that or my sanity. Four years later, they are happy kids (though they don’t look it in these photos, lol).

What is one of the greatest lessons your mom taught you?

Be kind to others. She insisted we treat others as we would like to be treated, and I try to do that every day, to the best of my ability.

What have you recently learned from your children?

My son recently told me about the concept of the “invisible string” that ties him to me, his father, and his sister; that it’s a string that can never be broken. He learned about this concept in school. Hearing him explain it practically had me in tears. And of course every day, they teach me to be more patient, to yell less, to be more mindful in my interactions, that our time together is precious. Having kids is a very humbling experience.

What family activity do you really cherish?

Saturdays and Sundays are, for the most part, family time. We love going for walks, going to the park, getting ice cream. We’ll go to our local pub for lunch or dinner. We have a lot of fun together and Mark (my husband) and I often acknowledge that this time is really precious – soon enough they won’t want to hang out with us on the weekends!

If your kids are old enough to talk, what do they say about the Drake?

They know that I have to go to work to get money to buy them stuff (lol). We’ve done a few day trips to the Drake Devonshire, which is very family friendly. They love going there and buying Pop Rocks from the front desk tuck shop for dessert, and playing on the beach and skipping stones into the lake.

What is a recent accomplishment that you’re proud of?

My kids are really good friends with each other. When they are kind to one another, help each other out, sacrifice something for the other (whether it’s giving up a toy, sharing a treat), I feel really proud.

Which children’s books are favourites in your home?

I read the twins Goodnight Moon every night for the first year. Now we love Robert Munsch books. I still can’t get through Love You Forever without crying.

How do you introduce your kids to cool culture?

That’s funny because my kids are in a phase where they ask me if everything is cool. They did a somersault – “Mom, was that cool?” Jump off a piece of furniture – “Mom, was that cool?” I’m also doing my best to instill a love of music and art – they’ve been in guitar lesson for two years!

What is your recommendation for families looking to enjoy life at The Drake?

The Drake is surprisingly kid friendly. I see parents and kids here and at the Dev all the time. In fact, we’re about to introduce a new program, Highchair Hangouts, for parents and babies. We’ll have weekly guest speakers and Chef de Cuisine Alex Feswick will be making baby food for our littlest guests!