In a previous post, I compared my daughter, Vivian, to Tigger. Like Pooh’s psychotic sidekick, Vivian does not so much sit as vibrate. She even moves when she sleeps, kicking imaginary bandits and wrestling with blankets. But now she’s sick. Not seriously ill, but sick nonetheless, either with a nasty flu, an ear infection or […]
children
Selective Memory, TV, and Children
My son has the ability to forget just about anything. So far, in Grade 1, he has forgotten his boots at school in a blizzard (he wore his indoor runners as mules through drifts of snow), every detail of what he did in class yesterday, and where he put the remote control to our brand […]
Imagination, Logic and Magic Wands
I can see how a few centuries ago, it was common belief that fairies and spirits came out in the dark. Little Pucks, Peaseblossoms and Mustard Seeds flitting about, one moment blessing beds, the next causing mischief. In our household at least, the crazies always seem to happen after sunset. If it’s not the full […]
Music, Playlists, and Children
Because we are masochists, we bought both Vivian and William a portable stereo for Christmas. These two gifts were even new. My husband purchased them for $10 each in some industrial area. I’m hoping they weren’t stolen from under someone else’s tree, but my husband assured me the place looked “pretty legit.” We also bought […]
Children and Yoga in the Kitchen
We have one of those open style kitchens which means when I do bother to cook, I can watch Vivian and William body slam each other into couches and walls in the adjacent living room. Sometimes, however, my kids are not so violent. They like to do yoga. With their Gumby spines, they make up […]
Advice on Table Manners from a Hypocrite
I’ve written before about kids’ eating habits, including heads on plates and chewing etiquette. No doubt I’ll write about this again, because it’s a work in progress. Until then, I’ll gripe publicly. Someday, I’d like to get through a meal without instructing my kids on table manners, but that seems as likely as baking chocolate […]
How To Use Manners To Get What You Want
When William was a toddler, he mastered using manners to get what he wanted. He’d wander over, raise both of his hands like a referee signaling touchdown, and say, “May I please have some pick-me-up?” This phrase has become part of our family lore, one of those stories that our twins love hearing over and […]
Children, Skating, and Body Parts
Vivian and William are taking skating lessons, as in the beginner, I-can’t-stand-up kind. They may be the only 6-year-old Canadians who don’t know how to skate, which is rather embarrassing since both my husband and I are rather proficient on blades. I grew up on a farm that had two natural skating surfaces, a pond […]
5 Childhood Milestones I’m More Than Thankful For
When you have twins that are your Alpha and Omega, every stage of child rearing is not only a first, but also a last. There is no need to keep anything for the next kid, because there is no next kid. It’s an all-or-nothing approach to parenting. While there are some developmental stages I might […]
Children, Swearing, and the Middle Finger
When I was young, I remember watching my older sister and mom bake a cake. I got into a fight with my sister and called her a bastard. My mom froze, beaters in hand, and said in a tone I rarely heard, “Where did you hear that?” “School,” I said, eyes downcast, tears threatening to […]