• family

    Day Camp Rules

    July 5, 2009 - By 

    I recently read in an article by the excellent old colleague of mine Randy Richmond of the London Free Press of the city of London’s new day camp policy. So I was not surprised when a London YMCA day camp counsellor called to advise me I would need photo ID to pick my daughter up from camp next week. The policy has recently been changed as a direct result of the tragic abduction and murder of Tori Stafford from Woodstock. Stafford, 8, was taken from her school before Easter weekend. A massive search and media outpouring went on for months as parents held their children…

  • family

    Our Canada Day

    July 4, 2009 - By 

    I wholeheartedly, unabashedly love Canada Day. The first of July every year heralds summer here and we typically go out of our way to make this celebration of our country a fun family experience. Maybe it’s the fireworks. Or maybe it’s because it is the day before my eldest daughter’s birthday. Maybe it’s because I grew up in a time when we moaned at length through high school and university about the lack of a true Canadian culture. The lack of a Canadian identity. Entire careers and courses were made or taught on the topic. But somewhere in the last 10 years I…

  • family

    Garage sale kid’s project

    June 29, 2009 - By 

    There’s something about a Garage sale that gets kids excited. Unless of course they are being dragged to one for shopping purposes. My kids ask for a garage sale most years actually. I think they figure it is a get rich quick idea. In reality it’s often a lot of hard work. But here is what happened when my guys held a garage sale. I have never been a fan of garage sales. From the time we had our first sale back in the 80s I developed an extreme distaste for these seasonal events which we, as a family who…

  • parenting

    Junior Kindergarten Graduation Poem

    June 23, 2009 - By 

    Updated – one of my kids is starting university in September so when this sweet junior kindergarten graduation poem popped up in my memories this morning, I almost cried with how sweet this memory is. Also, seems like maybe five years ago and it’s been almost 12 years!! This Junior Kindergarten Graduation Poem came inside the booklet that my daughter’s teacher helped her prepare this year cataloguing all of her Junior Kindergarten achievements. Kindergarten Graduation is Special Kindergarten graduation is a special and emotional time for MOMs and DADS too. This year we are extending our daughter’s school at the…

  • Parenting - special needs

    An Ode to Toes – Siblings of Special Needs Children

    June 20, 2009 - By 

    Parents of children with special needs live on a planet most other people wouldn’t even want to visit, not even for a stopover flight. So constant are the stresses on these families that many break down. It’s hard to stay healthy when a child consumes everything, financially and emotionally. Stresses on siblings of special needs children run high too. Stresses on Special Needs Families I ran across a statistic recently that indicated 85 % of families who have children with special needs break down. It’s a stunning statistic that ought to make everyone – including government, social services and education…

  • school_board_adventures
    family

    Mommy’s school board adventures

    June 15, 2009 - By 

    This is the story of Mommy’s school board adventures. If you know me, you know I am an advocate and I use my voice for good whenever possible. So I have been gathering ideas on how best to use that locally to help adoptive families and those struggling with demands of special needs adoption. I mean it’s not always enough just to have a loving family. You have to also have a family of champions willing to stand up for you. Anyways enough serious stuff – this is the story of Mommy’s school board adventures. Ever have one of those…

  • Health - parenting

    Sick days and Parenting

    June 11, 2009 - By 

    Why is it that as soon as you call in sick to your child’s school she makes a miraculous recovery almost instantly and starts bopping around the house looking for craft projects? Sick Days This morning Payton woke up looking rather green and I caved so that is why I now have two little girls dancing around my living room making paper dolls and snowflakes and generally leaving a big mess of paper confetti everywhere. Well it’s better than the time they tried to make baking soda volcanoes in kitchen with eggs. So happy to have sick child home (…

  • family

    Happy Birthday Hubbie!

    June 8, 2009 - By 

    Happy Birthday to my husband, the wonderful father of our two kids. Because he just phoned and left his wallet at home and his gas tank is so low he’ll be pushing the car home on his rainy birthday. Because I will now drive the wallet out to you at work. Because you are the world’s biggest procrastinator, but I love you anyways. Because I recall our fourth or fifth date when the Trans-Am – yes, that’s right – Trans Am actually did run out of gas and foolish me I didn’t run for the hills at that point. Because…

  • Parenting

    London International Children’s Festival

    June 7, 2009 - By 

    Another June and another series of great London festivals set to unfold. One of the greatest draws of living here in this other London – the many festivals that dominate the summer parks and outdoor spaces. My five year old and I hit the 19th Annual London International Children’s Festival yesterday on its final day. My kiddo, as always, enjoyed it, but I have to say this year although it’s still worth the trip I was more disappointed than usual. And it wasn’t just me. Thriftymommastips talked to half a dozen other parents at the festival who all said the…

  • parenting

    Brownie Camp and Where Have Seven Years Gone?

    June 6, 2009 - By 

    Well one week worth of packing and running around hunting for labels for my daughter’s belongings and Brownie camp appears to have gone smashingly. We dropped my seven-year-old off at Brownie Camp Friday night together. The whole family gave her a send off and wished her well, even if it was only for a very short weekend away. There’s a small camp site just outside London, close to St. Thomas that the local Brownie camp uses every year just outside London. She has been looking forward to this for weeks, so we worked hard to make sure it would happen…