We arrived in Manitoba last Thursday. It’s where I grew up, or — more precisely — where I started to grow up. I’m not fully mature yet. The good people of Toyota lent us a Sienna. My son nicknamed it Redman. Then my husband informed me that I shouldn’t shout that name out in the […]
travel
Thing 1 and Thing 2 Do The Netherlands
Thing 1 and Thing 2 continue to enjoy the European leg of their worldwide tour. Their latest stop was The Netherlands. After their first ever appearance on television with Myfawnwy, they voyaged across the English Channel. Feisty Broad and her brood hosted them in absolute style. They even got all dolled up for Queen’s Day. […]
A Tale of Two Toilets
This piece originally appeared in The Globe and Mail on April 12, 2008, eighteen months before I started blogging. Since I own the rights and since I have journals filled with similar travel stories, I thought I’d share it. Enjoy. ~ We choose Ambalangoda with care. It is, after all, the final destination of our […]
Thing 1 & Thing 2's Excellent Adventure
Today, I have an announcement. But in the tradition of the Academy Awards and long drum rolls, I’m going to delay making it. First, some history. THING 1 & THING 2: THE TIMELINE 2004: I’m pregnant with twins. My husband and I refer to our unborn babes as Alpha and Omega, Leftie and Rightie, and […]
The Art of Entertaining Children on a Road Trip
It’s Spring Break, or as I called it last year, Spring Break-down. So far, after four consecutive full days with my kids, I’m still remarkably composed. I haven’t been overly tempted to lock them in the closet, at least not for a long period; I’ve also locked myself in my walk-in closet only once during […]
5 Tips For Traveling Without Children
A long time ago, I posted 5 Tips for Traveling with Children (#1 was “Don’t”), but now it’s time to move beyond that (since my spawn can walk and talk), to something a lot more relaxing: traveling alone. Recently, before my trip to Hollywood to abduct Colin Firth attend Oprah’s After Oscar Party, I did […]
5 Great and Not-So-Great Memories of Our Family Vacation
Memory 1: Seeing the Ocean My kids haven’t seen salt water since they lived in Thailand, and that was before they could walk upright. Because we now live in a landlocked province, they’re not exactly sea-savvy. We’ve grown tired of them asking “Is that the ocean?” every time we drive past a slough in a […]
5 Tips for Traveling with Children
Tip 1: Don’t. So what’s wrong with vacationing in your house? There’s nothing wrong with it, besides the fact that your kids want to kill each other because they’re routine-bound and besides the fact you’ve started to wax poetic about the lives of your childless friends. Take it from someone who took her twins on […]