Being Canadian
Being Canadian I am proud to be Canadian but even more so as a parent I am grateful to be Canadian. Raising my kids in a peaceful, democratic country where my children can be kids and enjoy a childhood of exploring the world around them, have an education and healthcare with an abundance of…
The Back Arching Ninja
When my son was 18 months peeling a banana the wrong way would set off a tantrum with the most adverse affects. Okay it wasn’t the end of the world but it felt like it at the time. There was nothing I could do to calm him down. It was a mystery to me. I…
Halloween
Every year Halloween creeps up on me like poison Ivy. The month usually starts off with a conversation that would go something like this. “What are you going to be this year?” My 6-year-old daughter would reply, “A princess” I’d say, “Again?” But not the same princess as last year or the year before that,…
Summer Vacation
Summer Vacation As the school bell rings and the screams of joy come bellowing out through the doors into the playground it dawns on me, even though I knew it was coming, that another school year is over. I started stressing about the summer early April. What will I do with them for 2 months,…
When Kids Ask Big Philosophical Questions
Kids are unknowingly Zen Masters. They teach us patience with their Why? Why? Why? They say profound things that make you question your very existence or inspire you. My Daughter once said to me when she was about 7. “What if life is a dream and what if what we dream is real.” I didn’t…
The Show
So there I am back at work nine weeks after I had given birth to my beautiful (you always have to throw in that adjective even if your baby is ugly) baby girl. I was doing a standup comedy show out of town and when I say out of town I think it was more…
Kids addicted to TV
When we were kids we would wake up early Saturday morning, head for the kitchen cupboard, pour ourselves a large bowl of cereal and sit in front of the TV for Saturday morning cartoons after a week long wait. Sure we had stuff after school, Commander Tom and after school specials. At lunchtime we would…
Accepting Where you Are
When I first found out I would be writing this column, what came to my mind immediately was Carrie Bradshaw from “Sex In The City” and that I would have to buy some new shoes. I should start by introducing myself. I’m a mother of three; I have a 12, 11 and 6 year old…
Kids and Pets
My daughter was six when she really started wanting her own pets. We had had a cat for years but it was too independent to be called her own. Christmas was around the corner and her mission to convince me that I either get her hamsters or she might die was bestowed upon me. I…
Bedtime
I need more sleep! Got to get more sleep! I didn’t get enough sleep. How can I get more sleep?! How much sleep did you get? I sound more like a drug addict than a parent! Yet getting kids to go and stay in bed is a challenge at the best of times, they’re excited…
