First day back at school for my three darling daughters (grades 2, 8 and 12) and all I have to show for it this morning is a picture of a dead snake. I forgot to take first day back to … Read More
The secret lives of other species never cease to amaze this human being. Lately, I have been completely smitten by the intelligence of the crow. Crows are common birds in Western Canada. For centuries, humans have gaged the changing of … Read More
In my backyard, I have a large lavender garden that is a decade old. In its blossoming splendour, there are hundreds of bees and dozens of butterflies fluttering about at any given moment. Here is a peek at a day … Read More
Chickie Wow-Wow Raising a sensitive child is always joyful and sometimes challenging. Often, sensitive children develop anxiety at school in an attempt to adjust to the rigourous and overwhelming social demands. My daughter Pip is a sensitive child. She notices … Read More
Tea has been a relaxing ritual for human kind for centuries. A cup of tea commands attention. One must sit, be still with one’s thoughts and sip it slowly. Savouring a cup of tea is a great way to encourage … Read More
Time for yourself is nonexistent when you’re a mom. The more children you have, the less me time you have. What I’ve discovered is a workout just isn’t going to happen unless it’s the very first thing you do each … Read More
You know your kids have compassion when they spend their recess saving worms from drowning in the wet school yard. You know your kids are Canadian when they decide the two large worms are lesbian mothers and the short worm their … Read More
Cleaning the house seems anything but mindful. The word drudgery makes more sense. But what I’ve discovered, is that by making house cleaning a weekly family event, the drudgery is transformed into team building. On a deeper level, each family … Read More
An activity that you can do with your children (from about age 3 up) is take a walk through nature with a sketch pad in hand, looking for signs of spring. Give each child her/his own sketching pencil and small … Read More
If you’re looking for a quiet, enjoyable time to connect with your children, take a walk through a graveyard. Graveyards are often in beautiful park like settings–quiet, with no traffic and provide interesting historical information to activate your imaginations. Children, … Read More