This Page

has been moved to new address

Parent Club

Sorry for inconvenience...

Redirection provided by Blogger to WordPress Migration Service
body { background:#123; margin:0; padding:20px 10px; text-align:center; font:x-small/1.5em "Trebuchet MS",Verdana,Arial,Sans-serif; color:#ccc; font-size/* */:/**/small; font-size: /**/small; } /* Page Structure ----------------------------------------------- */ /* The images which help create rounded corners depend on the following widths and measurements. If you want to change these measurements, the images will also need to change. */ @media all { #content { width:740px; margin:0 auto; text-align:left; } #main { width:485px; float:left; background:#eec url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/corners_main_bot.gif") no-repeat left bottom; margin:15px 0 0; padding:0 0 10px; color:#333; font-size:97%; line-height:1.5em; } #main2 { float:left; width:100%; background:url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/corners_main_top.gif") no-repeat left top; padding:10px 0 0; } #sidebar { width:240px; float:right; margin:15px 0 0; font-size:97%; line-height:1.5em; } } @media handheld { #content { width:90%; } #main { width:100%; float:none; background:#eec; } #main2 { float:none; width:100%; background:none; } #sidebar { width:100%; float:none; } } /* Links ----------------------------------------------- */ a:link { color:#9db; } a:visited { color:#798; } a:hover { color:#fff; } a img { border-width:0; } #main a:link { color:#347; } #main a:visited { color:#666; } #main a:hover { color:#68a } /* Blog Header ----------------------------------------------- */ @media all { #header { background:#357 url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/corners_cap_bot.gif") no-repeat left bottom; margin:0 0 0; padding:0 0 8px; color:#fff; } #header div { background:url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/corners_cap_top.gif") no-repeat left top; padding:8px 15px 0; } } @media handheld { #header { background:#357; } #header div { background:none; } } #blog-title { margin:0; padding:10px 30px 5px; font-size:200%; line-height:1.2em; } #blog-title a { text-decoration:none; color:#fff; } #description { margin:0; padding:5px 30px 10px; font-size:94%; line-height:1.5em; color:#abc; } /* Posts ----------------------------------------------- */ .date-header { margin:0 28px 0 43px; font-size:85%; line-height:2em; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:.2em; color:#586; } .post { margin:.3em 0 25px; padding:0 13px; border:1px dotted #bb9; border-width:1px 0; } .post-title { margin:0; font-size:135%; line-height:1.5em; background:url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/icon_arrow.gif") no-repeat 10px .5em; display:block; border:1px dotted #bb9; border-width:0 1px 1px; padding:2px 14px 2px 29px; color:#333; } #main a.title-link, .post-title strong { text-decoration:none; display:block; } #main a.title-link:hover { background-color:#fff; color:#000; } .post-body { border:1px dotted #bb9; border-width:0 1px 1px; border-bottom-color:#eec; padding:10px 14px 1px 29px; } html>body .post-body { border-bottom-width:0; } .post p { margin:0 0 .75em; } p.post-footer { background:#fff; margin:0; padding:2px 14px 2px 29px; border:1px dotted #bb9; border-bottom:1px solid #eee; font-size:100%; line-height:1.5em; color:#666; text-align:right; } html>body p.post-footer { border-bottom-color:transparent; } p.post-footer em { display:block; float:left; text-align:left; font-style:normal; } a.comment-link { /* IE5.0/Win doesn't apply padding to inline elements, so we hide these two declarations from it */ background/* */:/**/url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/icon_comment.gif") no-repeat 0 45%; padding-left:14px; } html>body a.comment-link { /* Respecified, for IE5/Mac's benefit */ background:url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/icon_comment.gif") no-repeat 0 45%; padding-left:14px; } .post img { margin:0 0 5px 0; padding:4px; border:1px solid #586; } blockquote { margin:.75em 0; border:1px dotted #596; border-width:1px 0; padding:5px 15px; } .post blockquote p { margin:.5em 0; } /* Comments ----------------------------------------------- */ #comments { margin:-25px 13px 0; border:1px dotted #6a7; border-width:0 1px 1px; padding:20px 0 15px 0; } #comments h4 { margin:0 0 10px; padding:0 14px 2px 29px; border-bottom:1px dotted #6a7; font-size:120%; line-height:1.4em; color:#333; } #comments-block { margin:0 15px 0 9px; } .comment-data { background:url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/icon_comment.gif") no-repeat 2px .3em; margin:.5em 0; padding:0 0 0 20px; color:#666; } .comment-poster { font-weight:bold; } .comment-body { margin:0 0 1.25em; padding:0 0 0 20px; } .comment-body p { margin:0 0 .5em; } .comment-timestamp { margin:0 0 .5em; padding:0 0 .75em 20px; color:#fff; } .comment-timestamp a:link { color:#fff; } .deleted-comment { font-style:italic; color:gray; } /* Profile ----------------------------------------------- */ @media all { #profile-container { background:#586 url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/corners_prof_bot.gif") no-repeat left bottom; margin:0 0 15px; padding:0 0 10px; color:#fff; } #profile-container h2 { background:url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/corners_prof_top.gif") no-repeat left top; padding:10px 15px .2em; margin:0; border-width:0; font-size:115%; line-height:1.5em; color:#fff; } } @media handheld { #profile-container { background:#586; } #profile-container h2 { background:none; } } .profile-datablock { margin:0 15px .5em; border-top:1px dotted #7a8; padding-top:8px; } .profile-img {display:inline;} .profile-img img { float:left; margin:0 10px 5px 0; border:4px solid #bec; } .profile-data strong { display:block; } #profile-container p { margin:0 15px .5em; } #profile-container .profile-textblock { clear:left; } #profile-container a { color:#fff; } .profile-link a { background:url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/icon_profile.gif") no-repeat 0 .1em; padding-left:15px; font-weight:bold; } ul.profile-datablock { list-style-type:none; } /* Sidebar Boxes ----------------------------------------------- */ @media all { .box { background:#234 url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/corners_side_top.gif") no-repeat left top; margin:0 0 15px; padding:10px 0 0; color:#abc; } .box2 { background:url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/corners_side_bot.gif") no-repeat left bottom; padding:0 13px 8px; } } @media handheld { .box { background:#234; } .box2 { background:none; } } .sidebar-title { margin:0; padding:0 0 .2em; border-bottom:1px dotted #456; font-size:115%; line-height:1.5em; color:#abc; } .box ul { margin:.5em 0 1.25em; padding:0 0px; list-style:none; } .box ul li { background:url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/icon_arrow_sm.gif") no-repeat 2px .25em; margin:0; padding:0 0 3px 16px; margin-bottom:3px; border-bottom:1px dotted #345; line-height:1.4em; } .box p { margin:0 0 .6em; } /* Footer ----------------------------------------------- */ #footer { clear:both; margin:0; padding:15px 0 0; } @media all { #footer div { background:#357 url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/corners_cap_top.gif") no-repeat left top; padding:8px 0 0; color:#fff; } #footer div div { background:url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/corners_cap_bot.gif") no-repeat left bottom; padding:0 15px 8px; } } @media handheld { #footer div { background:#357; } #footer div div { background:none; } } #footer hr {display:none;} #footer p {margin:0;} #footer a {color:#fff;} /* Feeds ----------------------------------------------- */ #blogfeeds { } #postfeeds { padding:0 15px 0; }

October 10, 2008

Embrace your Box


Free Clipart

Here it is; my promised better-than-sex-in-a-pan post.

This is important people. Life changing stuff! Everyone has a box. Some have bigger boxes. Some smaller boxes. Honestly, every single person has a friggin' box. Confession time: my box is extraordinarily snug. A box is so much more than a comfort zone.

Before you had kids; your box is wider, broader, deeper. Then after kids...it renovates itself. A bit tighter because of nap time. A bit thinner because you are too tired to go out salsa dancing on Friday night. It's still your box. You own it. However it changes -- as your life changes.


Free Clipart

Well, friends, I'm here to say; embrace your box! I am not a parent who will; take the kids to a pumpkin field, then to a restaurant, then drive for milk and have friends over for an impromptu dinner that evening. That's outside my box. My dh - his box - allows all that plus salsa dancing on Friday night. We just don't share the same box.

For years, I felt embarrassed about my box. I thought it wasn't as good as other people's boxes. My bad for deciding to keep the kids home and make pasta, rather than driving 45 min. there and then 45 min. back for dinner while we were in France (I was tired - the kids were tired - my box was tired - we needed to stay put - however, my dh's box was wide open to go to the restaurant on the hill for moules & frites - he went).

What I'm trying to say here is that; embrace your box parents!


Free Clipart

It's yours. Own it. Don't feel bad for having limits. Parents are suppose to set limits for the family. It's a big, needed, job.

Labels: ,

October 09, 2008

Parent Club


  • Two in-laws visiting from France (for three weeks)
  • One international student visiting from Mexico (for four weeks)
  • Two kids off routine
  • Many ji-nor-mus piles of laundry to be folded
  • One magazine article due soon that I haven't started
  • One upcoming road trip to the states to plan
  • One missing library book
Pick any one of the above and you'll understand why I have nothing for you. Yes you. I do appreciate your visit. I hope you come back again. But today...I've started this blog post on four different topics...and I can't muddle through a'one. Do you understand? I hope you understand.

I promise tomorrow I'll have something good. Really good. Better than sex-in-a-pan good. Come back tomorrow. {now what am I gonna write tomorrow?!- pardon? oui, je vais la trouver - c'est dans le sous sol - I should take the spagetti sauce out - oops the dryer just buzzed - now what am I gonna write tomorrow?! ...}

Labels:

October 08, 2008

Halloween Activities

Crayola has some great Halloween craft activities for you to do with your kids. This video (merci Youtube) shows how to do simple spiderwebs for decorating around the house or your trick-or-treat bag.

This is appropriate for pre-schoolers and school-aged kids. Enjoy!

Labels: , ,

October 07, 2008

Halloween Head's Up


Free Clipart

Head's Up - Halloween's coming! The scary movies are starting on the "family" channels. The witches costumes and creepy masks are popping up in practically every store. It's a good time of year...during the day.

Then at night, all those scary images become a bit more - real - for little kids. Even my big Thing 1 - gets nervous at bedtime wondering "Are ghosts real?".

In the coming weeks, here at Parent Club, we will be noting some Halloween Events, costume ideas and activities...with special notes referring to the items as appropriate for all ages, older kids or little children.

This all comes from Halloween two years ago - where we trick or treated in our 'hood. A big, costumed, man popped out of bushes to scare the living daylights out of Thing 1 and Thing 2. For the first time, ever, in my life -- I got really mad at a stranger - mad enough to speak up; "Take off that mask right now and show my kids you are a just wearing a costume. You don't scare little kids. What are you THINKING?!"

If you have a Halloween tip you would like to share email us: info@parentclub.ca

Labels: , , ,

October 06, 2008

Caroline Fernandez - top ten

Tootin' my own horn here! Attention! I am TOOTIN'!! My submission; "EVER LEARNING By Caroline Fernandez has NOT won the Mom Cafe Summer Writing Contest. Wait. No deep sighs. Take your hands away from the Kleenx box. Move away from the Kleenx!...

I have been notified that my submission ranked within the top ten and as such I'm a runner-up (and will be getting some sort of runner up prize in the mail...hmmm...crossing my fingers for an Sony Cyber Shot digital camera...or perhaps a gift certificate for a tub Kwartha Dairy Ice Cream...both would be enjoyable - in very different ways).

To make sure this wasn't a case of "every kid gets a medal" I went back to the contest (click HERE ) to see there were at least, well, 11 entries. Yes, definitely more than 11. So I actually did compete in a contest where I was in the top ten (out of a group larger than 11). My day has been made (who am I kidding - my whole flippin' week).

TOOT! TOOT!

Labels: