Last year, we lost Riley. Riley was our family dog. The puppy my husband and I adopted the summer we moved into our first home together. We had Riley for five years before any children came along. And in total, we had Riley in our lives for a decade. For anyone who’s had a pet, you know what kind of grief I’m talking about here. And my seven-year-old daughter Stella took it hard. She grieved. And then her grieving turned into a guilt-inducing … [Read more...]
The Winter Resolution series: I did it!
March 1, 2010 by 11 Comments
The last item on my winter resolution list was: "Go on winter hike in the Adirondack mountain range." It certainly seemed a lofty goal for a book-worm gal like me, but hey, I put it out there in writing on my blog and while I don't mind being a private wimp, I don't like being a public wimp. So off we went to Lake Placid this weekend! I'd had the weekend booked with the grandparents for months but somehow it crept up on me. Friday was a … [Read more...]
Forgiveness
February 26, 2010 by 8 Comments
My daughter celebrated the sacrament of first reconciliation this week. This is one of a series of sacraments that one progresses through in the life of a Catholic, which start with baptism and continue on to marriage. For this sacrament, one confesses their sins and then one receives forgiveness from God. Although I find myself unable to believe in a God or the church, my husband is a strong believer and we have decided to raise our children … [Read more...]
Olympic dreaming? Not a chance.
February 17, 2010 by 62 Comments
In a world where parents are increasingly beginning to question the benefits of overscheduling their children in organized activities, the Olympics reaches right into a parent’s heart and makes you want to fire up that mini-van and start signing cheques. Almost. {read more} … [Read more...]
That was kinda sucky, wasn’t it?
February 13, 2010 by 12 Comments
I hate to say it, for fear of sounding unpatriotic, but Canada's opening ceremonies for the Olympics was kinda, well, sucky. Starting with the snowboarder entry that was cheesy and far too long. In fact, most of it just seemed like it went on too long for its own good. So much so that when K.D. Lang launched into crooning her melancholy lyrics: Your faith was strong but you needed proof You saw her bathing on the roof Her beauty and the … [Read more...]
The “Vacation”
February 9, 2010 by 7 Comments
I’m currently sitting in a beautiful suite in a resort hotel with access to two of my favourite things – but luxury version. The first, high-speed internet access – but in a quiet space that is not full of unsorted laundry, sippy cups and mountains of toys. The second, sleep – but in an enormous bed with high-quality linen and fluffy pillows and absolutely no chance that any little person will interrupt the snoozing. For these reasons alone, I … [Read more...]
Hyper Parents & Coddled Kids
February 5, 2010 by 18 Comments
Did you catch this CBC documentary yesterday? I got a heads-up from Ann Douglas' blog at parentcentral.ca that it was coming and I was intrigued. In her review, Douglas concludes that this "hyper-parenting" phenomenon is largely a thing of the past: The documentary is worth watching, if only as a reminder of where we've been and how far we've come in rejecting the consumerist parenting style that views parents as manufacturers and kids as … [Read more...]
An Interesting Human: Dr. Basil Donovan
February 4, 2010 by Leave a Comment
For my new gig over at Life As A Human, I have my first in a series of "interesting human" profiles posted today! It features Dr. Basil Donovan, who was a member of a committed coalition of medical professionals, homosexuals, sex workers, nuns, drug addicts and politicians that “broke the law, offended everyone, and saved tens of thousands of lives” when AIDS first hit Sydney, Australia in the early '80s. You can check out this short … [Read more...]
The Winter Resolution series: The Shilly Shally
February 2, 2010 by 3 Comments
Ah, the infamous Shilly Shally. Stella has been raving about the charm of the Shilly Shally for years now. I'm not sure if she goes on about it unconsciously or as a conscious attempt to convince me to go cross-country skiing with her and hubby. Either way, I have always responded with something along the lines of "Have a special time with Daddy, while Mommy does some reading." But that changed on Sunday. Why? Oh, because of that damn … [Read more...]
Life As A Human has launched!
February 1, 2010 by 1 Comment
![laah_sm_bb[1]](http://d3826520.u488.hspheredns.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/laah_sm_bb1.jpg)
So, today is the big day! Life As A Human, the Canadian-based e-zine I was telling you about in my last post has now launched. I really had no idea how it was all going to come together or who the other writers were -- it was a bit of a leap of faith to sign-on as a contributor. As you can imagine then, I was super keen to check it out first thing this morning. The result? I'm thrilled! And honoured. Because the editorial team selected … [Read more...]
My head is really big
January 29, 2010 by 11 Comments
My head is so big, it's practically toppling off my neck at the moment. Here's why: An unexpected shout-out! I like to poke around Girl about O-town's blog because she always seems to know what new funky things are going on around Ottawa. Not the same ol' stuff -- fresh, interesting stuff! I love admiring great design -- paper, home, web -- and as it happens, not only does she as well but she also creates a lot too. So much so, she just … [Read more...]
A pelvic exam without my consent?
January 28, 2010 by 13 Comments
As you know, I am now bopping around in Twitter checking it all out and making new friends, er, followers. Today I started to notice some tweets about women having pelvic exams done to them while they are unconscious in the hospital. Like many bits of way too information that I let into my day, I let it go into my line of sight and then right back out -- I easily dismissed it as something pulled from a trashy magazine or something. But the … [Read more...]
An Ode to a Teacher
January 28, 2010 by 9 Comments
If you live in Ontario, you still have a few days left to submit a nomination to the Premier's Teaching Awards for Excellence. Just being nominated means the world for a hard-working teacher! Below is my nomination and a public shout-out to a special teacher in our daughter's life. Please feel free to use my comments section to share your thoughts or memories of teachers that have made an impact in your life or the lives of your children. … [Read more...]
I buzzed over to Montreal this weekend
January 24, 2010 by 5 Comments
To push myself up into the higher ranks of the Mother-of-the-Year contest, I took Stella to Montreal this weekend. Yes, we went shopping and got Mommy & Me pedi's & mani's! Did I have you convinced -- even momentarily -- on that one? Okay, okay. We know my Stella would never entertain such notions. But I did go to Montreal. And I just may be up for Mother-of-the-Year, too! Because, surely, spending the weekend looking at tarantulas, … [Read more...]
Julie visits the ER
January 21, 2010 by 11 Comments
![greys-private-crossover[1]](http://d3826520.u488.hspheredns.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/greys-private-crossover11-150x100.jpg)
It's not too often that one gets to do something for the first time after 38 years on this earth. But through a combination of good luck and conscientious avoidance, I have never had a visit to the ER. Yesterday, however, I was initiated to life in the ER. I spent from 7 am to 3 pm there -- 8 hours of my life I will never get back (or get paid for, for that matter). I started getting abdominal pains on my right side at dinner time on Tuesday. … [Read more...]
I’m a twit
January 16, 2010 by 14 Comments
I've been curious about Twitter for a while now. Although I'm completely captivated by social media, I've been holding off on joining because it just seemed like one more way for me to suck time out of my day. But this week I joined. My brother's response was "It was inevitable." My husband's response was "Just be careful what you 'put out there'." My response? I'm still undecided. On the one hand, it is really fun to exchange quick little … [Read more...]
I did my homework on homework
January 13, 2010 by 12 Comments
As a follow-up from this post/rant, I did a bit of digging on this homework research I've heard people reference. And like most things -- or at least most research data -- it can be interpreted in a few different ways. Since the topic sparked a bit of interest, I thought I'd share what I'd found. Kind of like a Coles Notes version (come on, you used Coles Notes at least once, didn't ya?). Okay, so in one corner of the ring you have the more … [Read more...]
Your homework is interrupting my day
January 9, 2010 by 20 Comments
If you hang around with parents of young children long enough, you're bound to hear complaints about homework. I've been hearing this kind of chatter well before I had a child who was in school and I think I've finally hit my threshold on it. (And so I shall inflict my rant upon my unsuspecting blog readers. Evil laugh.) ******** Here's the scene: I'm at a playdate/get-together at a friend's house. I don't know any of the other parents … [Read more...]
Invasion of the vibro-bots
January 6, 2010 by 7 Comments
The favourite after-dinner storybook at our house lately is this: Basic Electronics by McWhorter & Evans Remember how you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover? As if! Judge away! I think this cover says it all, actually. As my mother-in-law would say, "boring as batshit." But not to hubby and Stella. The dining room has been covered with all sorts of mechanical pieces and manuals and tools. I've been keeping my distance, but … [Read more...]
Lucky number 13
January 4, 2010 by 6 Comments
It was a magical day, as they say. Thirteen years ago. The day that I married the boy I loved. Now the boy is no longer. And a man stands in his place. I never imagined then, that my love could be deeper. Could be stronger. More powerful and intense. If he weeps, I weep harder. When he rejoices, my hearts goes into flight. A new experience is nothing, if not shared with him. I love this dear man. Who used to be the boy I loved. Thank … [Read more...]
Recent Comments