Yes, life is good.
But someone get this woman a tripod. For heavan’s sake! I’m sorry.
Categories
Month: May 2009
Just in case you haven’t noticed, I love my city, and I love, love, love my neighbourhood. It is a thriving, bustling, vibrant area filled with parks and schools, stores and restaurants. The Junction also rubs up against Bloor West Village and Roncesvalles Village; two other happening ‘hoods. There is one problem, though, with so many young families, so many children, living and shopping and playing here, energizing these neighbourhoods. It’s not cheap to live in such a wonderful urban setting, and the parents of these families need to work. But there is no daycare! I mean, sure, there’s some. Two-year wait lists are standard, though, and most parents are left scrambling at the end of a one-year maternity/parental leave. The demand is such that one new daycare that opened had the gall to charge over 50% more than the citywide standard for quality daycare. Because they can. The solution is obvious. We need more daycares.
We piled into the car last Saturday afternoon and drove toward the lake. We then drove right on past the beaches and boardwalks and picnic areas and pulled into a massive parking lot. To the outside observer it would seem that we were visiting the set of a post-apocalyptic movie, all concrete and aging white domes sprawled out along 96 acres of industrial harbour. But we are old school Toronto people and knew this was Ontario Place, “an internationally acclaimed cultural, leisure and entertainment parkland.” We’d been coming here looking for summer-time fun every now and again over the years and were about to visit for the first time as a young family. And, well, it was some sort of media day and Ed had scored us free passes.
Categories
News Flash
DAILY SNACK
He ran in from the backyard,
Kitchen door slamming behind him.
“Hey, Mom!”
I guess I didn’t really hear him at first.
“Hey!!! MOOOOOMMM!!!!”
“Yes?”
“Did you hear the news?!
There’s ants crawling on a plate outside.”
Categories
Full Day Kindergarten Update
A little birdie with insider contacts in the provincial government tells me that there is still some hope for the full day kindergarten plans. “Not totally dead,” were the birdie’s words. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see if the province can scramble it together.
And don’t worry. I’ll keep you posted.
Categories
More Mama Guilt
DAILY SNACK
Just now.
I sat L’il I on the floor
Beside her brother and in front of the tv.
Yeah, that’s right.
Then she fell forward and all I heard was,
THWACK!!
Baby head against hardwood.
Then the crying.
Every once in a while you find something that is enjoyable for both you and your children and good for them, too. And if you can actually enjoy it in your own home without having to shell out for “an educational program that’s fun for the whole family,” then all the better, right? Imagine if said activity could also be done with the kids tucked into their beds and then send them sweetly off into the night. Perfect.
Politicians have pulled on working parents’ heart and purse strings only to let them down hard once again. During the 2007 election campaign, the Dalton McGuinty-led Liberal government of Ontario had pledged to turn the province’s half-day kindergarten program into a full school day with before and after school care by September 2010. This would mean no more shuttling kindergarteners to and from daycare and school. It would lift a huge financial burden off working parents’ shoulders and allow even more parents to work outside the home. It would represent an institutional commitment to early childhood education and an acknowledgment of the value of families in our society. It would have, rather, because it ain’t going to happen.
Categories
Naptime
DAILY SNACK
We tread lightly into the bedroom.
I whisper in her ear, gently close the drapes, and carefully lay her in the crib.
The cry is ripped instantly from some dark and pain-filled place deep within the soul of a baby.
It fills the room and echoes through the neighbourhood.
She arches her back and thrashes from side to side.
This is our new thing, apparantly.
Categories
Charisma
DAILY SNACK
We sat at the window seat of our local family restaurant last night.
L’il I was in a high chair directly facing the window.
I kept spooning jarred green beans into her mouth.
Passers-by would stop and smile and wave at her.
Some even came in to eat because they saw my baby girl.
Every table in the place stopped to comment on how sweet she is.
It does a mommy proud.