Canada Moms Blog

A Canadian Christmas Requires Snow

I have lived in Canada my whole life, and save for three years spent in Ottawa, Ontario as a child, the entire time has been in Saskatchewan.  That means that snow and Christmas, for me, go hand in hand.  I am an expert at complaining about winter, how could I not be after 35 years of practice?  However, it's not the snow that bothers me.  Oh sure it makes driving more challenging but I get used to that.  In fact, I kind of enjoy driving right after we get a huge dump of snow. I feel powerful and mighty maneuvering my van through the drifts (Murphy, you didn't hear that did you?).  I am woman, hear me roar, a little snow isn't keeping me down. 

Yes, I am in therapy, why do you ask?

Traditions Are The Stuff Memories are Made Of

My mom has always been big on traditions.  For each holiday there are designated dishes that must be prepared, there are decorations to put out and always, the family must be gathered together.  As I kid, I loved these traditions.  Come about the middle of November I would begin anticipating the Nanaimo bars, scuffles and butter tarts that I knew she would bake for Christmas (yes, it was all about the food).  As an adult, I appreciate all the hard work that my mom put into making the holidays special with each of her traditions.  And I still anticipate my first bite of Nanaimo bar, despite the fact that I have now taken over responsibility for preparing that delectable treat.  Honestly, it would simply not be Christmas for me without each tradition created by my mom.

Now that I am a parent, I want to create these same memories for my boys.   They already, at age eight and five, appreciate the traditions that each pair of grandparents offer up as well as the ones we have created in our own home. 

Cutting the Apron Strings

Earlier this year, I wrote about the next stage of motherhood, the one that I could never see because I was too deep in diapers and potty training and temper tantrums.  At that time I was a bit anxious about the transition.  Those days of anxious anticipation have now passed.  My boys are now both in school.  Dare I say I have adjusted to this new stage?

Isn’t that always the way with motherhood?  It’s really a series of stages, each one presenting its own set of challenges.  Some challenges we know are coming (potty training, everyone’s favourite), and many surprise us out of nowhere (picky eater times two).   All give us ample opportunity to worry, fret, plan, revise plan (anyone have a plan F?) and then we come out the other side with a big sigh of relief (not there on the picky eater thing though, seriously, plan F, anyone?), a few thousand more grey hairs and some sense of pride that we made it through another battle.

Harvest Time on the Prairies

The leaves are falling and the weather has turned from summer heat to crisp autumn chill.  On the Prairies that means the combines are in the fields racing against time and the weather to get the crop into the bin.  Both my grandfathers emigrated from Eastern Europe in the early part of the last century and spent their lives toiling in the unforgiving climate of the Saskatchewan Prairies.  I won’t lie, I would love to ask them why not California but I am guessing it has something to do with differences in cultivating grapes versus cereal grain, blah, blah, blah.

They etched out a life here, clearing land to grow most of what they needed right on the farm.  I don’t envy the excruciating hard work they endured not to mention being at the mercy of Saskatchewan’s unpredictable weather.  I am immensely proud and grateful to them.

No One Said Kindergarten Would Be Easy

My baby has been in Kindergarten a grand total of fourteen days and we've already settled into a routine.  The routine involves the normal things you might expect, breakfast, getting dressed, brushing teeth and packing a snack before he happily goes off to school.  It also involves me wondering what the day will bring.  Will today be the day?

He is my second son and is very unlike his brother in numerous ways.  On the other hand they have both inherited from me, some of the very traits I would have banned from being passed on, if, you know, God had asked me.  He didn't.  As such, they both have inherited my shyness.  It is beyond difficult to watch them struggle with the very same things I struggled with.  Partly because I understand but partly because I have come out the other side.  If only I could impart the knowledge that I have to them without the painful lessons I had to endure (mostly out of my own stubbornness).

Grocery Store Re-Org

Dear [insert grocery store name here],

I have shopped at your store for the past eight and half years.  As such, I know the store like the back of my hand.  I know it so well I can whip in and out in under a half hour if I hoof it while still managing to get what I need.  I have perfected my system over these past eight years (the first half a year I was preggo, there was no system, only waddling) such that it’s akin to a well oiled machine.  I even have a favourite check out that is always open and never busy.

I know it’s considered progress to change things. 

I know new management comes in and thinks they can do it better.

Smooth Salesman Equals No Sale

There is a reason I don’t work in retail, especially when there is commission involved.  First and foremost, I don’t have the ability to talk out my ass.  Now don’t get me wrong, many salespeople are wonderful and full of helpful advice, and then there is the other kind.  Like the guy we had the pleasure of dealing with at the music store the other day that used a fast food analogy when discussing the purchase of a keyboard.

Yes, that’s right folks; apparently buying the keyboard without the stand is like buying a hamburger without the bun.  And he didn’t stop there, oh no, the dude was on a roll; he went on to tell me that the keyboard without the pedal was like getting the burger without fries.

Is Common Courtesy Lost?

It's spring, and naturally, as one is apt to do as the flowers begin to bloom and the sun starts emitting it's fabulous warmth thought turn to deep topics, such as common courtesy (no? just me then?  Okey dokey).

Is common courtesy lost?  Are we not teaching our children the art of being aware of their surroundings and others in it?  Further, to actually be considerate of those that surround them?

To, for example, move the lickety split out of the way when I pass them on the sidewalk.  I know, I know, who do I think I am the bloody Queen of England? 

Or is it just that when a kid hits age thirteen all form of courtesy goes out the proverbial window?

I know I sound like an old lady here, droning on (and I am totally looking down my nose too) about how kids today are nothing like the kids of my generation but gall darn it, I really think it’s true.

Are song lyrics too explicit?

I am going to sound old.  And like your parents.  I know this but yet, I have to get this off my chest.  Song lyrics have become like soft porn.  It’s ridiculous.  Lady Gaga goes on about riding a disco stick for goodness sake.  Last time I checked disco was a 1970’s phenomenon and I don’t recall any “sticks” being involved.  Okay, so I was five, whatever.

But don’t songs (and TV shows and movies) just keep getting more explicit?  I remember singing  Olivia Newton John's “Let’s Get Physical” when I was a kid and my mom admonishing me.  I had no clue what that meant.  I think, because she was wearing a leotard in the video, I thought it meant exercise.  But I can guarantee the dialogue with my mom about it, got me thinking.

Violence and your kids, where do you draw the line?

My husband loved Star Wars as a kid so when the movies were re-released in the 1990’s  he received the trilogy set, in VHS.  Actually he received two sets, one is still in the cellophane (I kid you not) because it might be worth something some day (still not kidding).  Our boys, almost 8 and 5, had seen the videos on the shelf and had been asking repeatedly to watch them.  A few weeks back, we instituted Friday night movie night and started with Episode I.

First of all, I was shocked to actually find I was enjoying the story lines but secondly, a little surprised by the violence.  I shouldn’t have been, I knew that there were light sabers and slaying but in my naïveté, I thought the slaying consisted mostly of robots or droids as they are referred to in the movies.  When we got to the scene where Anakin Skywalker loses a good portion of his body to subsequently become Darth Vader in Episode III, I asked my husband to fast forward. It was pretty graphic, considering my 8 and 5 year olds were watching it with us.