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Survey Moratorium
Okay so this is me saying I’m quitting surveys for at least one month because damn if I haven’t had it. I’ve been surveyed to death lately and even on the train home from Toronto tonight (with me registering a full six on a scale of one to five with five being dead exhausted and six being near comatose and one being super crazy about surveys) the Via Rail lackey shoved a survey in my face before turning to person across from me and sticking his ass a wee bit too close for comfort. And frankly I am a polite person – for the most part, so you know I’m going…
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H1N1 and courage
The most horrific thing imaginable to most parents is the death of a child. Perhaps that’s why so many of us were deeply saddened and worried by the death of Evan Frustaglio, a 13-year-old hockey player who fell ill and died of H1N1 shortly after visiting London last weekend for a hockey tournament. The handsome looking young Toronto boy, scarcely old enough to have been called a teenager fell sick so fast and deteriorated quickly, then he began to come around again – only to die in his father’s arms during a bath at his home. Today was the funeral for the young man named Evan. Such a sad spectacle, impossible not to feel…
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National Adoption Month – Food by Wendy’s, Underwear by Jockey and a Speech or Two
I did a quick search on twitter this afternoon for something called the NaNoWriMo because there was so much chatter on the topic and I found out that this is a rally call for National Novel Writing Month. This is, for various reasons, not something I will partake in. I have a bit of trouble with the let’s write as fast as we can just to spit a novel out school of writing. Call me uncool. Don’t care. There is also a NABOPOMO in reaction to this which is national blog posting month. Closer to my heart is what I am now dubbing NaNoAdMo. See November also is National Adoption Month.…
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Disney’s New Cruise Ship
What could be cooler than a Disney Cruise? A Disney Cruise on a ship with an onboard waterpark. That’s essentially what Disney’s newest cruise ship Disney Dream is offering. Beginning next month cruise ship lovers and Disney fans (count me in) will be able to experience this latest adventure courtesy of Disney. While I’ve not been on the ship and may frankly never be able to afford this I had to show thriftymomma’s fans this amazing creation, the first time a waterslide has ever been done on a cruise ship. This one is dubbed the AquaDuck and as you can see it wraps right around the deck extends out over…
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Character Is The Key Book Review
Very few could argue with the title of this book, Character Is The Key, by Sara Dimerman. It is to many parents an obvious goal of good parenting, teaching a child moral fibre and building great people, leaders and compassionate adults. But how to get there? It is so easy to get caught up in the daily ins and outs of parenting that character-building could easily be a topic that is neglected or placed on a backburner. For this group, Character Is The Key, subtitled How To Unlock The Best In Our Children And Ourselves, could be a worthwhile guide causing one to reevaluate old parenting styles and strategies for ones that focus…
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Tales From the PTA – involvement vs. engagement
I sat through an interesting parent conference the other day intended for those who are in their school parent teacher associations or home and school associations or parents seeking to become more involved in education. The topic at first seemed cut and dry but the speaker from Saskatoon got me thinking about the role of parents within their child’s school and how best to spend my time within the various committees, boards and non profits with which I am involved. Dr. Debbie Pushor, of Saskatoon, told a cafeteria full of parents attending the Thames Valley Parent Involvement Committee’s yearly gathering there is a key distinction between parent involvement and engagement. It…
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London roundup this weekend
This is a super quick Friday roundup of events in and around London, Ontario this weekend. I don’t usually do this but as I tallied up all the things happening here this weekend I began to get really excited and wondered what I will have to forego as a result of a jam packed social schedule. So here it is: a very big craft show starts today at Western Fair and runs all weekend. Also there at the same time in the special events building is the annual London public library Friends of the Library book sale. I have never been but apparently you can buy a bag for $3…
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Halloween roundup and another giveaway
I was never really a huge fan of Halloween until I first became a homeowner and then became a mother. Now, I know what all the fuss is about and I truly enjoy the decorating, the leadup, the choosing little costumes, sometimes even sewing them myself. And what’s not to like about candy. The best part of the night for me is handing the candy out. I adore seeing the neighbour’s children all dressed up and find there’s something fun and magical about the whole affair. So from the start when my tots were young I looked for ways to have fun with Halloween, even some that weren’t so traditional. The…
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Apple Land
One of our favourite annual fall pastimes is a visit to the apple orchard to handpick a fresh batch of apples. Luckily just outside London, near Thorndale, we are blessed with the amazing Apple Land, a pick your own orchard with train ride, pumpkin hollow, a store and small petting barn. This year’s weather has been dicey, but Saturday we risked the cold temperatures and were rewarded with a wonderful sunny day. For anywhere between $20 and $30 a family can spend an afternoon on site enjoying the sunny brisk fall day, have a train ride, enjoy the animals and play on the dirt mountain children’s play area and leave with either…
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Crowne Plaza Toronto DVP
Last month we had the opportunity to visit family in Toronto and not wishing to impose we opted to stay at a family hotel. Toronto’s Crowne Plaza Don Valley Parkway has served us well a couple of times now. This year we timed it just right with the weather and both indoor and outdoor pools were of use. The outdoor pool is relatively shallow and easy to reach on the street level of the facility. There is a conference centre, great breakfast buffet on site and service was fantastic. A couple of weddings took place here over the weekend. The best part of this particular spot is its location, almost…