- Passports? You can download Canadian Passport applications and renewal forms online. (Bonus: they now mail passports to you so you only have to go to the office once!)
- Drugs. (not the illegal kind) Always take your medications with you on the airplane. When travelling with kids it's helpful to carry along your trusted kid-pain/fever medication (Tylenol, Advil, etc). Other helpful drugs: kid antihistamines (to reduce swelling for bug bites) and gravol.
- Pens & Paper. No mother ever said "geez, I wish I hadn't brought those pens and paper". Bring them! They are great bordom busters (think: tic tac toe), teachable moment tools (think: travel journal for the kids) and important for leaving notes for your spouse as to why they are waking up alone with the kids (Think: went to the gym)
February 08, 2010
Packing List for Family Trips
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February 03, 2010
Family February Get-Away
We are heading out on a family February get-away next week. Why? Because of THIS, also because it is my prince's birthday (a big one) and some family time sans blackberry is very much needed.We knew we wanted an island -- a warm Spanish island. I had some other family requirements too:
- Location - not a long plane ride from Canada
- Activities - no shooters in the pool thank you
- Accomodation - comfortable yet kid friendly
- Entertainment - (see no shooters above)
- Budget - friendly
We've had our Hep A & B shots, I've got bug spray to ward off malaria-mosquitos and sun hats are at the ready.
Oh, and as you all know - I'm compulsive at making teachable moments (seriously, there should be an intervention). So I created my own crossworld puzzle (click the link to go to the cite - bookmark it for your next trip) and made an english/spanish vocab. sheet (phrases for Thing 1 and cartoons + words for Thing 2).
Aside: one year we went to France, the teacher sent homework to do on the plane. The last thing I wanted on my vacation was to cut and paste (as IF the airline would let us bring sissors on the plane!). However, my crossword puzzle and vocab. list are specific to what WE will be doing, seeing, celebrating on our trip. (and for those who know me "where are the bathrooms?" is, of course, one of the translated phrases - along with a picture of a toilet).
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January 30, 2010
Parent Club Winners
Here are your random winners for the: "E is for Ethics" - by Ian James Corlett (published by Simon & Schuster Canada)
Loukia
Sarah S.
billiondollarprincesss
vivaglampink
Congrats to all! Please e-mail info(at)parentclub.ca with your mailing information to have the books delivered to your door. (remember to tweet @ParentClub that you won!)
January 29, 2010
Keep Reading
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January 27, 2010
Blaming January
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January 26, 2010
P.D. Day Activities
This Friday is a p.d. day (which some of us realized just yesterday). For working parents p.d. days are a bit of a crunch because child care (the paid or unpaid kind) needs to be sourced out.
If a parent is at home (or choses to be at home) that day we've come up with a few activities to enjoy:
- Grocery shopping for lunch (not your whole week's grocery shopping - just for lunch - give kids a list [give pre-readers pictures] of what to buy for lunch. It can be a fun activity of giving your kids the opportunity to find and seek healthy foods.
- Indoor playplace (actually should be last on the list because they get so busy on p.d. days - but the kids like them)
- Movie date (what is more of a treat than having a friend come over, eat popcorn and watch a movie...in the middle of the day?!)
- Skating (public skating rinks = FREE)
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January 22, 2010
January 21, 2010
Field Trips: Discuss
Field trips: Good? Bad? Discuss amongst yourselves (or comment below - because comments make our day - really comments and chocolate.
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January 18, 2010
Parent Club Giveaway: WIN "E is for Ethics"
Armed with years of children's television experience, a seasoned knowledge of how children and parents interact, and a knack for lively storytelling, Corlett offers an inventive, whimsical book to help parents navigate important issues of ethics and morality that all kids are sure to enjoy as they learn.
Simon & Schuster Canada wants to give 5 lucky Parent Club readers a copy of "E is for Ethics".
To Enter:
Leave a comment to this post naming a ethic or moral you are teaching your kids and share how you are doing that
Rules (because life has rules)
* you can comment once per day
* Tweet the contest once per day: @ParentClub using the #Simon&SchusterCanada hashtag (comment that you did so) = an additional entry
* Blog about this giveaway once with a link back to Parent Club (comment that you did so) = an additional entry
* Giveaway only open to Canadian residents.
* Giveaway runs until January 30th.(*winner will be randomly drawn)
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January 15, 2010
Haiti hits close to home base
January 13, 2010
Just listen the 1st time
Last night, as I was making dinner - my prince decided to start playing guitar. At the kitchen table. Then gave guitar to Thing 1 to practice. At the kitchen table.
(the kitchen table is our eating place, homework nook, craft area, reading corner and all around bowling alley).
My prince then started to dust-bust the various and sundry specs of dust/hair/snack crumbles on the floor. I plated dinner. Then put dinner on the table.
(1) "dinner's on the table" said I gently (and stating the obvious)
Still guitar and vacuuming.
(2) "Dinner is on the table"
Still guitar and vacuuming.
(3) "DINNER is on the table"
Still guitar and vacuuming.
(4) "DINNER IS ON THE TABLE"
Still guitar and vacuuming.
(5) "DINNER. IS. ON. THE. TABLE!"
(and I would like to note to my mother, children's services and the spirit of Michael Jackson that I resisted the great urge to swear)
Perhaps the obvious of me making dinner, setting the table, plating dinner and serving it was not so obvious...perhaps one of my superpowers is invisibility and I just hadn't realized it before. I am SO using my invisibility the next time I hear "there's no more underwear in my drawer!!!"
People - if I have to invite you to the table 5 times again...dinner will be self-serve...out of the garbage can.
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January 12, 2010
Today's Parent Post
Read my post on how "I broke up with my gym" over at Today's Parent...
Dear Gym: I'm just not that into you anymore...
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January 11, 2010
Accomplishments
Funny how something like clearing out your spam folder makes one feel powerful and accomplished (just did this morning!). Same thing goes for cleaning out the kitchen cupboards (which I did this past weekend - and not-so-funny - found some pickled beets - good ghandi!? in what YEAR did I make pickled beets?!).
I am one that gets all flustered at a barrista counter..."um...can I have a small...no make that a medium...um...tea...oh, regular tea...sugar please...um double sugar...milk too...oh, um...triple milk?" I am well know for making simple decisions very complex.
Which is why - simple accomplishments thrill me. Like tossing the beets. I also gave up seeing New Moon* with my bud bc of THIS (which started off the massive accomplish frenzy this weekend - ironic THIS was dated around the same time last year).
Spam folder = empty. Kitchen cupboards = purged. Laundry = beast in progress.
*I gave up seeing New Moon because of the invasion visit of the extended family over the holidays, and now again this past weekend...dear magical creatures and deities alike - don't I deserve a little Team Edward after all this?!
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January 06, 2010
What's S'new since last
Forgive my pause in Parent Club over the holidays...it was I call could do to post the Visa Gift Card winner, the Flip in the Family episodes and moderate the, loverly, 211 comments to the Flip Camcorder giveaway (every comment brought a smile to my face!).
Above and beyond the school break and usual holiday excitement - we had to find sleeping nooks for 14 people in my house. That's a whole lot of corners to clear! Yes, my prince's entire extended family decided to visit - CANADA - this year. We had 6 kids under the age of 13. My in-laws dressed in +5 layers of clothing. We spent a lot of time hearing about the religion of expresso and why North American coffee is disgusting.
I was tempted to send up the bat signal a few times (though I wonder if batman, the laundry fairy or any other magical creature could have really, really, helped). Being a fairly anglosaxon type of person...I am not used to having a latin family around...all...the...time.
How ironic the night they all left...Thing 2 projectile vomited 4 times in the course of 2 hours. (Didn't Alanis Morrisette write a song about irony?! I think she forgot to include projectile vomit).
However, getting back to routine. Read my guest post on wondermoms.ca "New Year, New Leaf" about how "This year, instead of making resolutions – become resolute – in celebrating the good."
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