Review - Disney On Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy

December 21 was a very exciting day for my child. It was pyjama day at school; it was the last day of school for the year; and she was going to Disney On Ice presents World of Fantasies with her best friend that night (granted, I suspect that she was just excited that she was allowed to stay up late with her friend).

My daughter's review of the show.

According to my daughter, the show was GREAT, so much so that she asked when she can go again. My kid watched most of the show like she was watching television, which is actually a great compliment. You see, when my kid watches television, a unicorn can come prancing around her, and she would not notice.

About the show.

The show itself was about two hours long, including a brief intermission half way through.

The 'plot' was essentially Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy going on an adventure to different worlds of fantasy. The four characters were not actually in the different worlds, but were there to introduce the segments of the show.

The first 'world' was located in Radiator Springs from "Disney/Pixar Cars" . The kids were not very impressed with this part. My daughter had not actually seen the movie, though she knew some of the characters from her friends, so she really could care less when a bunch of talking cars driving around on the ice. I, on the other hand. kept thinking that I could really use a set of their tires for my car this winter....

The next world was when the show really started for the kids. The show entered an underwater kingdom to meet Arial, Sebastian and friends as the skaters performed an incredibly condensed version of a Little Mermaid. The kids were completely enthralled by the costumes, which included a giant sea horse, and the troupe of skaters doing all sort of tricks to the very familiar songs from the film.

After, the audience was taken from the bottom of the sea to an enchanted forest where a flying fairy introduced us to Tinker Bell. Once again, the kids were enthralled by the large production numbers, the brightly coloured costumes, and they really liked fairies. Though my daughter (as far as I know) was not overly familiar with the Tinker Bell story series, she nevertheless loved it.

Then there was an intermission, where we avoided buying ridiculously expensive souvenirs or $10 cotton candy (it did come with a hat...).

After the intermission, the rest of the show was essentially a shortened version of Toy Story 3. Though my daughter had not seen this movie either, she still loved the second half. Now keep in mind, the second half started around eight, which was usually the time when my daughter should be tucked in bed. As she was not very familiar with the movie, I was worried that this part of the show would not hold her attention, and most parents know that a tired, bored child can turn a good time to an extremely unpleasant experience in the blink of an eye. However, my fears were completely unfounded. She loved watching Buzz, Woody and friends dance and skate around to various pop tunes. I kept thinking about the person, who after years of skating training is now the back of a pig (Hamm).

My impressions.

As mentioned earlier, my daughter and her best friend loved the show (except for maybe the “Cars” section), and I am pretty sure if your children likes skating, and loves Disney they will probably enjoy the show as well (especially if they are under eight years old).

However, I always think that it is also important to mention if grown ups might like the show, after all you have to sit there for two hours too.

I thought the show was not bad. It kept me fairly entertained. The costumes were great, and considering it was an ice show, the sets were pretty impressive, especially the Toy Story section, with its giant book cases, and shelves – it kind of did make the audience feel 'toy' sized. The music mainly came from the films and cartoons, so if you are familiar with them, it should be pretty recognizable.

The skating on the other hand was not spectacular, but I did not expect to see Kurt Browning (insert famous skater name here). On the other hand, I think even Browning would had some trouble doing jumps and spins with a giant foam 'jet pack' strapped onto his back like the skater who was Buzz Lightyear had to. There were a few slips, falls and missed tricks; at one point, the Prince dropped the Little Mermaid on her bum while trying to do a lift or a spin – I think he should be doing a lot more than just 'kiss the girl' to apologize for that one – I am thinking jewellery. All the skaters did recover well whenever there was a slip, and the show continued without missing a beat. I don't think my daughter ever noticed the mistakes. Another saving grace for the show, was that there was usually a lot of skaters on the ice at any one time, so unless you happened to be looking directly at the skater making the mistake, you would probably miss seeing it. Note: if your child is really into figure skating and can tell a Lutz from a Salchow (I had to look those terms up), perhaps this may not be the show for you.

Overall though, I think the experience was pretty fun. It was a good show, maybe not great, but I definitely did not feel like I lost two hours out of my life – two hours better spent doing last minute holiday prep...

I did spend a lot of time during the show enjoying the look of happiness and concentration on my daughter's face, instead of the activities on the ice. I do not think she spoke a single word to me during the show, that is how much she loved it. And in the end, if my daughter is happy, I am happy.

Fine Print - Feld Entertainment provided me with complimentary tickets to this show, in exchange for my time and efforts in attending the show, and reporting my opinion within this blog. However, the opinions about the show, and everything else are 100 per cent mine.


DISCOUNT CODE for Disney On Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy

I really do not know how Santa does it... I am close to pulling out all my hair trying to get one toy for only ONE kid...

Anyway, as I am feeling like a complete failure as a parent right now – really, why is it so hard to find one stupid doll – maybe I can feel a bit better by sharing this discount code for Disney On Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy. At least I can try to give someone a gift....

The show will be at Rogers Centre in Toronto from December 21 – December 30, 2012. For more information please visit http://disney.go.com/disneyonice/

Discount offer – 4 tickets for $44 on WEEKDAYS and $4 off per ticket on weekends.

Promotion code – MUM4

Fine print - Excludes Front Row, Rinkside, and VIP tickets. No double discounts. Additional Fees May Apply. Weekday is defined as Monday thru Thursday and Friday Matinee. Weekend is defined as Friday evening and Saturday and Sunday. Please put the code in the box for “promotions” NOT family pack. The promotion price does not include fees from Ticketmaster. 

Feld Entertainment may be providing me with complimentary tickets to this show, in exchange for my time and efforts in attending the show, and reporting my opinion within this blog. However, the opinions about the show, and everything else are 100 per cent mine.


pictures courtesy of: Disney characters and artwork, © Disney. Disney/Pixar characters and

It is that time of year again.... time to play Santa...

At our house, we started this little ritual a couple of years ago. I give my daughter the toy catalogues, (the ones that seem to come daily this time of year), then she goes through them all, cuts out her favourites and glues them onto one piece of paper to be sent to Santa.

This project accomplishes a few things. It gives me a clue as to what she wants for Christmas. It helps with her planning and future thinking skills – she can only fit so many toys on a page, so she must figure out which toys she really wants, and plan how to fit as many toys as she can onto a piece of paper (spatial reasoning skills?). It helps with her motor skills (the cutting and glueing). This year, we plan to work on her literacy skills as she must also write a letter to Santa. AND most importantly, it keeps her busy while I cook dinner.

Nevertheless, no matter what toy we get her, and no matter how much effort we put in trying to find some gender neutral, educational alternative to the Barbie doll and nail polish kit that she glued onto that sheet of paper, the toy will inevitably end up on the floor somewhere to become a tripping hazard or end up jabbing me in my foot.

So for her birthday this year we tried something different. Instead of a big expensive toy, we got her an experience. The whole family went to see the live production of Beauty and the Beast. We still got her a little toy to open on her birthday, even I realize that it would be difficult to explain to a five year old why there is nothing to unwrap, but her actual present, which happened about two months later, was the show.

Even though she did not completely enjoy the show (long story, maybe I will save it for another post), it did start me thinking that maybe this is the way to go for presents. Instead of another toy (more crap for me to clean up), why not do something fun as a family. Something that will leave very little physical presence (nothing for me to stub my toe on), but at the same time, something that can be enjoyed by all and leave a lasting memory.

To help you give a gift of an experience, here is a discount code for Disney On Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy. The show will be at Rogers Centre in Toronto from December 21 – December 26, 2012. For more information please visit http://disney.go.com/disneyonice/

Discount offer – 4 tickets for $44 on WEEKDAYS and $4 off per ticket on weekends.

Promotion code – MUM4

Fine print - Excludes Front Row, Rinkside, and VIP tickets. No double discounts. Additional Fees May Apply. Weekday is defined as Monday thru Thursday and Friday Matinee. Weekend is defined as Friday evening and Saturday and Sunday. Please put the code in the box for “promotions” NOT family pack. The promotion price does not include fees from Ticketmaster. 

More Fine print - Feld Entertainment may be providing me with complimentary tickets to this show, in exchange for my time and efforts in attending the show, and reporting my opinion within this blog. However, the opinions about the show, and everything else are 100 per cent mine.


pictures courtesy of: Disney characters and artwork, © Disney. Disney/Pixar characters and artwork © Disney/Pixar.

A song for my girl

Question: If you can pick a song for your child what would it be?

If I have to answer that question right now, it would have to be Short Skirt Long Jacket by Cake.

I kind of hope that my little girl can grow up to be a bit like the girl in this song.

A girl who can embrace her femininity, sensuality (and even sexuality, though, I would really rather not think about this for many, many, many years), beauty, and also be smart, confident, resourceful, and a girl who definitely will not take crap from anyone.

I love some of the dichotomy in this song, the yin and yang of it all. And that is what I want for my girl. I want her to be able to be and to do everything and anything; to have all possibilities opened to her. I want her to be both the princess and the knight; to be a model and a doctor; to be a ballerina and a scientist...

So as the song says....

"I want a girl with a mind like a diamond

I want a girl who knows what's best...."

and...

"She's playing with her jewelry

She's putting up her hair

She's touring the facility

And picking up slack"

and...

"I want a girl with uninterrupted prosperity

Who uses a machete to cut through red tape

With fingernails that shine like justice

And a voice that is dark like tinted glass"

and

"I want my girl with a short skirt and a lonnnnnnggggg jacket."

What song will you pick for your son and/or daughter?

Going to the Theatre... sort of...

When I was a little girl, my parents took me to see Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats, and I fell in love.

Now, I am by no means a theatre buff; I had been to Stratford and Shaw Festivals only once in my life - basically if you can compare to my theatre going experience to books: I am more of a Jane Austen girl as compared to War and Peace, more Dan Brown than Umberto Eco. I like theatre lite.

However, I still feel there is something quite magical about a live production; for one thing, you are watching something in actual 3D! And, it is always fun to dress up and go out on a special occasion.

So, I would really like to share the experience of going to musicals, concerts, theatres and other extravagant live shows with my little one. I think it is good for her to experience different sorts of art and culture and entertainment, and to learn to sit still.

Now, just because I want to bring my daughter to a show, does not mean I can just pick any show, buy tickets and just go. There are very important considerations.

• We have to consider subject matter – I have a five year old, so the show has to be family friendly, and for us, MUST have a happy ending. Hopefully it will be entertaining for adults as well.

• There should be a easy to follow plot – i.e. no time paradoxes, weird soap opera like subplots, or anything else that will require me to spend the entire time of the show trying to explain what is happening to my daughter.

• Colourful costumes, and cheerful characters – once again, my kid is five, and she likes colours and cute things. She is also terrified of the dark, so I doubt we will be seeing a show like Phantom of the Opera anytime soon.

• Stuff should happen (besides plot) – people or things should move, and talk/sing, and do stuff, to hold her attention. There is no way my child can sit through anything slow and cerebral, nor do I expect her to.

• Length of show - the show should not be too long, unless the show is spectacular with lots of special effects, my child cannot sit still for more than an hour at a time.

• Price – I am hoping that it would not be too expensive. I just do not want to feel bad if I have to leave in the beginning or middle of the show, or feel that I have to force my kid to stay for the entire thing even if she is not happy (“mommy and daddy paid a lot of money for this so you are staying and you are going to like it”). I understand this is not always possible, but one can hope.

So, when I saw the Disney on Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy, I thought maybe this will be a good continue introduction to live shows. Last year she saw Disney Live! presents Three Classic Fairytales and loved it.

Let us see if it can meet my pre-show checklist:

• Subject matter – it is a Disney show, and since I see nothing that would imply Old Yeller or Bambi's mom will be involved in this show, I think we are good.

• Plot – there are cars, toys, mermaids, fairies and of course two very famous mice. I think she might be happy even if there is no story.

• Colourful costumes – we are talking about cartoons coming to life, so the costumes are probably going to be pretty spectacular.

• Stuff should happen – it is an ice skating show, pretty sure there will be lots of action, spins, jumps and tricks. And, I believe there will be cars on ice (granted, I can always watch cars driving on ice by looking out my window in January...)

• Length of show and price – I am not sure how long the show is, and the tickets are not cheap, but not unreasonable either (okay, I think the top tiered seats are a little bit much, but they are supposed to be the best seat in the house).

I think my kid might really enjoy this show. Hopefully, if she has a great experience, she will be more open to other kinds of shows (the only show she likes so far is the ballet the Nutcracker, and I can only watch the Nutcracker so many times before I go nuts, and my wallet empties)

And maybe, when she is older, we can do a family trip to Stratford or Shaw.

For more information about the show, please visit Disney On Ice .

Fine Print:
Feld Entertainment may be providing me with complimentary tickets to this show, in exchange for my time and efforts in attending the show, and reporting my opinion within this blog. However, the opinions about the show, and everything else are 100 per cent mine.
pictures courtesy of Disney characters and artwork, © Disney. Disney/Pixar characters and artwork © Disney/Pixar.    

Halloween Costumes...

My daughter wants to be yet another Disney princess this Halloween.

I am not thrilled about it (she is a bit obsessed with princesses), but it could be worse. For one thing, I have a rather large collection of princess costumes given to me by various family members and friends, so I neither had to pay for nor make a costume. So YEAH! Also, the princess costumes we own pretty much covers her from head to toe. Double YEAH!

Nevertheless, I am still starting to worry about the age appropriateness of costumes, so much so, that I am starting to dread Halloween (or sometimes wish I had a boy around this time of year). Every year as I look down the aisles of Halloween costumes, all I see are hemlines going up and necklines going down (I also realize that I am becoming a prude). It almost seems that children costumes go from fully covered and 'cute' for the six and younger crowd and then jump right to skirts that barely cover their thighs for the seven plus crowds – almost like for every year, the skirt gets shorten by an inch. I understand that Halloween is a time for dress up and to pretend to be someone or something you are not, but I really do not want my five year old to play dress up as some little lolita.

Even if I ignore the fact that I find a lot of these costumes not age appropriate, these costumes, with minimal amount of material, is highly impractical... most kids still trick or treat. And where I live, it is bloody cold at the end of October; who the hell wants to stop getting free candy to go home because you are freezing your ass off? And, what is the point of wearing a costume if you have to cover the entire thing up with a ski jacket or risk hypothermia?

Yes, you can argue that I can always make a more age appropriate costumes for my little one, and allow her to help and to use her imagination. But I do not always have the time, have no crafting skills whatsoever, and frankly, I am lazy...

So dear retailers and costume makers, I am willing to give you my hard earned cash, but please have something available that I would want to buy my little girl – something that will allow her to still look like a little girl and not some tiny twenty year old.

Is it okay to ask? Or is it too late?

There is a park near my house that my daughter and I love to go to. The park is just the right size, I can see her from one spot, there are lots of communal toys in the sand box, and there is a set of monkey bars (my daughter's favourite playground apparatus).

We especially like to go, because we have a set of 'park friends'. Yep, my daughter has her own posse of little people, and I have a group of moms that I can talk to while the kids play.

Now here is my problem. There are a couple of moms that I see on a fairly regular basis; I know what they are going to have for dinner, I know what their kids like to eat, how fast their kids eat, their kids' extracurricular schedules, if people in the family are sick, heck, I even know about their kids' bowel movements (which is surprisingly quite a common topic of discussion for parents...).

HOWEVER, I have no clue what their names are, and I have known these women for years! I am pretty sure, at one point, we introduced ourselves, but at the time I was probably staring at my kid making sure she was not going to break something.

So how does one re-introduce oneself (I use to have dogs, and we had the exact same problem)? Is it too late to do it politely? Should I just keep my ears open and hopes someone else use their name? Or should I just suck it up and say 'look, I am so sorry, but I have no clue what your name is'?

And, my worst case scenario, which has happened more than once, occurs when my husband drops by. The group of us usually stand around and chat for a bit, and then everyone suddenly quiets down and stares at each other, waiting for me to make introductions. But I can't!! Because I do not know anyone's names.

I swear I am not being rude, I am just incredibly forgetful. Can I blame mental incompetence?

The only good thing I can think of... even if they think I am being rude ... they probably do not know my name either.

Is there fun in fundraising?

It is that time of year again... and I do not mean Fall... It is the time of year that I start receiving emails and letters asking for money, donations, and volunteer time from my daughter's school. I believe in helping to enhance my kid's education, and think getting involved is a good idea... but...

I am a lazy person. There, I said it. I also procrastinate, and have a great talent for being able to accomplish nothing for long periods of time (but that is another story).

Anyway, being lazy means I do not always like to help out at school, and when I do help, I would like to do the least amount of work as possible. I also complain, as in bitch, a lot.

However, despite the complaints/bitching, I think deep down I do kind of like volunteering. I really like hanging out with some of the mothers (and nannies) at the school, and volunteering means that I can talk, okay gossip, with them for more than the five minutes we have during drop-offs and pick-ups, and who knows, I may actually get to meet new people.

And, last year, I volunteered once every two weeks in my kid's class. It was a great opportunity to see her at 'work' and to meet her little friends; and I can now match faces to names (my daughter likes to call every kid she meets 'friend' so we have lots of 'friends' but no real way to tell them apart, which makes scheduling play dates challenging – here is our typical conversation: daughter, “My friend invited me to her house.” Me, “Great, what's her name?” Daughter, “I don't know... my friend, the one with the hair...”). Being in the class was actually a lot of fun, as long as I armed myself with lots of headache medication prior to entering the classroom...

So, I guess I really should stop whining and just embrace helping out more. I want to teach my daughter that helping others and being involved in your community is a good thing.

On the other hand, as one the other moms suggested, I am also quite happy to just write the school a cheque at the beginning of the school year and forego this fundraising stuff.

Now, if you please excuse me... I have to go bake some cookies...  

Filling notebooks - I really should write more

When I was little, I loved blank notebooks. Okay, I still love pretty notebooks and journals, especially the leather ones. This is the reason why I own a small collection of notebooks (it is now small, because I am more fiscally responsible, and I managed to actually, but reluctantly, give some of them to my little one – I hope I am not turning her into a notebook addict as well).

I love blank notebooks because they are aesthetically pleasing. Who doesn't love the smell or a feel of a soft leather covered journal?

But mainly, I love notebooks because of the potential and promise they contain.

I love to write. So I see each blank page as a new story, a new adventure, a new emotion, a new thought, a new idea, that is just waiting to be pulled out of the ether, to become something concrete.

Unfortunately, as much as I love to write, my crappy time management skills, combined with my advance procrastination skills, leaves me little time to actually put pen to paper, or in this case, fingers to keyboard. And, I am not the kind of person who likes to listen to the sound of my own voice, so usually I do not write unless I feel like it is something that should be shared. This leaves me very little to actually write about, and thus the blog is so rarely updated.

So now, I hope those of you who read my blog is willing to be patient with me. I am going to actually try to write more, sometimes it may be thought provoking (I hope), sometimes it may just be silly, sometimes I may just babble nonsensically (I hope not), and though it will mainly be about life with a kindergartener, maybe I will also just write about me.

I know I need the practice; I realize just because I like to write, does not mean I am any good at it. It is time to actually start filling and using those notebooks.

... and I am glad that I am not obsessed with something more expensive... like cars...

picture courtesy of: Paul Preacher

a walk in the park, followed by a smack in the face with reality...

During a walk home from the park with my daughter, my little one started to talk about her best friend, AND how the two of them decided to get married someday (she told me he already asked and she replied yes, but he has not asked for my permission yet...)

I, of course, looked at her and smiled, and told her she would not be getting married for a number of years, and maybe she, or he, may change her, or his, mind before then.

She has plenty of time to think about when, and who, she is going to marry. Also, if her father has his way, she will not be marrying until she is at least 40.

I then took her little hand in mine, looked at her, and said, “Besides, you cannot legally marry until you are at least 18 years old, that will be 13 years from now.” (I skipped the part about getting parental permission or getting yourself declared an adult.)

As soon as I said the words '13 years', I immediately felt a sense of dread in the pit of my stomach. Though I know logically that 13 years is a long time from now, it really does not feel that far away. In a little more than a decade, my little baby will be legally a grown up!

Where did the time go? And how in the world can I stop her from growing up, or at least, prevent her from becoming a teenager...

Then she looked up at me with her big innocent eyes and told me 18 is very old – if she thinks 18 is old, what am I? Some sort of ancient hag?

She then shrugged her shoulders, and told me yeah, maybe he or she will find someone else. And, she happily skipped off to play.

It made me kind of want to freeze her at this age forever.

from this...

to this in a blink of an eye... sigh...

ring picture courtesy of Johanna Ljungblom

Another school year is over

It seems like only yesterday when I held her little hand, walked her up the steep hill, and then let her go with, well, essentially a stranger. And now, I am a little reluctant to let that former stranger, now beloved teacher, return my child back to me.

Ah... summer vacation... days off for little ones (and big ones), but more work for mom. It is once again my job to entertain her.

I love spending time with my daughter, but I also enjoy and need my time, alone, away from her. Sometimes my ears just need a break (my little one is, as my husband likes to call her, a “constant stream of consciousness”).

I am so going to miss my morning breaks when I can do things like clean, go grocery shopping, have some peace and quiet, stare at Youtube videos, and yes, even occasionally blog!

At least I am better prepared for it this year. We signed her up for three weeks of camp, spaced throughout the summer (one at the beginning, middle, and end). Last year, I was still booking her for August camps in July (late July)... And, I am smart, or evil; I put her favourite camp (ballet) last, so that I have something to threaten her with during these long months... the 'if you do not behave, I am going to cancel ballet camp!'

I think camp will be good for both of us. I like the idea that she will meet new friends, and maybe even learn something; and being away from me should hopefully help ease the shock of going back to school in September.

And for me, I think camp will allow me to keep my sanity, and would probably make me a happier, less bitchy mommy, which should make everyone happy.

Now.... how many days are there left until September....

What are your summer plans?

To correct or not to correct...

I know it is my job as a parent to teach my child, and to 'correct' her when she is doing something wrong.

However, sometimes I find it very hard to do that; especially when it comes to the way she speaks.

My little one is getting older now, and she is losing the last vestiges of her 'baby talk', so I am finding it more and more difficult to correct her pronunciation of certain words (I do try to correct grammar, though that might actually do more harm than good).

I just REALLY miss hearing her say lellow (instead of yellow).

We are trying to help her communicate better with words so that other adults have a chance of understanding her, and are actively trying to remove the 'likes and okays' from her sentences to try to avoid the “like okay mom, like okay, you are so like not cool...”

However, I just cannot let go of her cute little 'words'. It feels almost like I am saying goodbye to my baby, and I am not sure if I am ready to say hello to my little big girl yet.

So, the only thing I have left these days are my “isgusting's” (instead of disgusting), and I plan to protect them as long as I can. And, I do not care who it 'isgusts'.

I am a procrastinator...

I have been meaning to write this post for about two weeks now...

I do not think I am too bad. I will get the things that must be done, done; like our bills are paid on time; I am rarely late handing work in; the kid generally gets to school on time (and if we are late, it is her fault and not mine...); meals are usually on the table on time (give or take 30 min...), gifts are bought and wrapped before the party (sometimes just before the party, or on the way to the party, but they get there wrapped), and the house will get cleaned, or made to look like it is clean before the guests come (even if it means stuffing things under the couch).

Unfortunately, for things that I think are not that important, I tend to put it off until it bites me in the ass.

This was one of those things...

My husband and I had been talking about giving a spare house key to our neighbours, or just to hide it somewhere. Okay, the actual conversation happened four years ago (our parents have an extra key, but it can take up to 40 min for them to get to our house, on a good day).

And then it happened. I locked myself out of the house. And to top it off, it snowed. In April. And, all I had on was a sweater. So yes, there I was, freezing in front of my house, thinking I did this to myself; why did I put these things off?

It was not like we were putting off building an extension on the house, which requires money (that we do not have) and planning; this was a stupid extra key, I should be able to pay for it with the change in my pocket (if I had the key on me).

My next thought was, why couldn't it be my husband who learns this lesson, after all, he could have given the spare key to our neighbours without me.

So that very weekend, we got the extra key cut. It took no time at all to get it done and set up. So now I am prepared for the next time I lock myself out of the house. And I learned my lesson about putting things off... or did I...

I really should sort through that bag of clothes and sign my kid up for summer camp, but maybe I will just make myself a cup of tea first, and maybe think of my next post, or plan dinner...

Making the Magic Last

My little girl is convinced she is a fairy. I believe she is sometimes a evil little gnome... but most of the time, I have to agree, there is something quite magical about her, at least to me.

Since school started, she has convinced herself that with the help of some magic words usually “Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo; Abracadabra,” she is able to change red streetlights green.

I thought about explaining to her that the light is going to turn green whether she says the words or not, or that magic spells work about as well as repeatedly pressing the crosswalk button... but then I stopped myself. Why stop her from seeing magic everywhere?

I am going to try and keep my little magical fairy for a bit longer.

Travelling with a little one.... part 2

A couple of weeks ago I started a list of tips on travelling with little ones. I also realize that I said the next blog would be a continuation of the list, but life happens and I got distracted (sadly, it happens a lot). Ironically though, this is sort of related to this set of tips...

I only have a few tips on what to do during the trip.

1. Plan and research BEFORE you leave. There should be no one standing there going 'okay, what do you want to do now...' or even worse 'I'm BORED!' These complains should be restricted to weekends at home.
   
   
   With this wonderful world at your fingertips, literally (what did I do before Google?!?!), do a quick search of your destination, and highlight some places where you would like to visit. This is a great activity to do with the kids too, and it might get them excited for the trip.
   Also note where these fun activities and places are relative to where you are staying... i.e. if everything is far away, maybe it is worth considering renting a car, or be prepared to take transit.

       Finally, there are lots of sites that list activities for specific age groups.

2. Now that you have plan, be prepared to throw your plan and schedule out the window. I think I may have mentioned this in one of my previous posts; I am a obsessive planner. Sometimes, I think I must had been a train conductor in my past life, because I like things to happen on schedule (okay, my schedule). I learned on this trip that staying on schedule is both difficult, and frankly, not fun.

It was probably my fault for trying to pack way too many activities into this vacation. We had a limited amount of time, and I wanted to see as much as possible. So instead of enjoying myself and allowing others to enjoy themselves, I found I was always rushing people (okay mainly my little girl) to the next thing on the list.

Children will mess with your schedule. I do not think young children understand the concept of time at all. They seem to have their own funny little internal clocks, and decide on things like: 'today, I am going to take 2 hours to eat my lunch,' and 'I need to use the bathroom for the fiftieth time'. It is impossible to plan a day around interruptions like that.

Also, over planning and obsessively sticking to a schedule will prevent you from doing spontaneous things. So, the two hour lunch prevented the afternoon museum visit. Maybe we can go shopping instead (maybe I will treat myself to something nice because of my distress over the scheduling crisis...), and hope that we can do the museum another day... I guess what I am saying is just breathe if things do not go as planned, who knows, it may turn out to be more fun. (And one day, I will actually follow my own advice).

3. Decide on what to do about your normal routines before the trip. Speaking of scheduling... since my little one was old enough to eat solid foods, lunch was at noon, nap at 1:30, dinner was at six and she should be in bed by 8:30.
   On vacation, we decided that schedule was almost impossible to meet, so we just winged it. I am lucky, my kid is pretty flexible, and she is four now, so she no longer has an afternoon nap, (though she still occasionally needs one).

You should decide prior to the trip (do no really want to argue about this during the trip) whether you want to maintain their daily routines, or just say screw it, for a couple of days. Granted, you must also be prepared to deal with the consequences after if you choose this route; it took us about a week to get her back to going to bed early again.

You can also try to maintain their daily routines. We did that for our first vacation when she was very little. Meal times were pretty much the same, give or take 30 min, and everyday we went back to our hotel room, and we all took a little nap before going out to play again. Though we spent more time in a hotel room than I would like, I was willing to live with it because my husband and I decided that our daughter was still very little, and needed both a little rest and the consistency.

And once again, be willing to change depending on how your child behaves. Like, if my child started acting like she was possessed after missing a nap or two (she is like that sometimes)... you can bet that I would have said screw shopping, we are going back to the hotel for quiet time.

I guess what I am trying to say is plan, be prepared, but also be flexible. AND don't be like me... take time to breathe and to just enjoy this special time together. At least take a moment before rushing off for the next thing.

I am sure I will be adding to this list as I travel more, and I really hope for the opportunity to travel more with my family. I also hope that my little one will remember these trips fondly, like I remember my childhood trips with my parents (we will just pretend the fights never happened...).

Gotta go dream about my next trip.

I would love to hear about your vacation tips.

Pictures courtesy of: Dragan Rusov  and  Jean Scheijen

Conquering one fear at a time...

So we made it. She made it back from her field trip alive and well (see last post), and she had a wonderful adventure.

I made it too! I dropped her off at school without any incident, and I did not even hang around to watch them get on the school bus.

I find it very hard to not impose my fears onto her. So while images of lost little children and car crashes danced through my head, I continued to put on my happy face and told her that she will have a great time. I do not think she noticed my fears, at least I hope not; she was smiling and excited the entire time.

Okay, there was one little cloud that crossed her face.

I decided to put a note with her school's name and phone number, along with her father's and my contact information into her pocket. Of all the crazy scary scenarios, the losing her school group was the most likely. Even my husband agreed that this was not an unreasonable safety precaution, after all, she was going somewhere filled with other little kids, and my child is (A) quite little, and mainly (B) gets distracted very easily.

I do not think the idea of getting lost ever crossed her mind until that point. I reassured her that this was a just in case thing, and we had a quick talk about finding another teacher, or a police officer if she could not find her group. Then I told her to stick to her friends like glue.

It is hard to do these safety talks without scaring and scarring her, because like me, my little one tends to jump to the worse case scenario. So, when I said quick safety talk, I meant it. I did not want her to dwell on it too long, and we quickly moved right back onto how much fun the trip is going to be.

I want my daughter to be curious, strong, brave and confident. I want her to explore the world without fear (but cautiously, of course). Now if only someone can help me be strong, brave, and confident and tell me how to let her go.

Oh! the added plus for this trip; she had half an hour more of school! Maybe field trips are a good thing after all.

Fighting my Fears

I always thought of myself as being one of those parents who allowed their kids to explore the world with minimal supervision.

Helicopter parent, I am not. I am kind of surprise that the school has not called the cops on me considering how many bruises my kid has on her sometimes – there are times when my kid's love of climbing exceeds her ability to climb that something, and yes I let her fall. BUT, I do make sure that she will not get really hurt, i.e. break anything.

I always believed that giving my child a sense of freedom and the ability to make her own decisions (within limits), and thus the opportunity of making and learning from her own mistakes is important. She has so far mastered the making mistakes, but is a little slower on the learning from it part.

And, I always thought that I was pretty good at controlling my fears and not letting the possibility of something going horribly wrong to affect my decisions.

Well, now all that is about to be thrown out the window... the nearest bus window... you see, my child is about to go on her first school trip; on a school bus; without me. Yes, she is going in a vehicle, with someone else watching her (and a whole bunch of other four and five year olds), and the vehicle does not have a five-point-harnesses system, or some other form of restraining device built in.

I know logically that the chances of something going wrong is very slim. And, there are other adults keeping an eye on her. BUT the other adults are not me.

I am currently trying very hard to ignore all those horrible scenarios that just keep popping into my head (we are talking everything from bus accidents, to the kids being taken hostage, to my little girl getting lost during the trip). So now, I am fighting my urge to just keep her at home with me, and maybe covering her up in bubble wrap and locking her in her room.

The thing is, I am not even sure where this fear and sense of dread is coming from. Until now, I have never been worried about leaving her somewhere. I was never one of those parents who got teary eyed at school/camp drop offs. I was the one who quickly waved and then ran to enjoy my couple of hours of freedom.

Maybe I am afraid this time because I am being forced to acknowledge that she is no longer a baby. This time she is going somewhere without me.

So, I hope my nerves will hold up, as I keep telling myself that everything will be fine, and it will be great. She will have a wonderful time.

And, I will keep in mind that at least I will not be trapped in a metal box with a bunch of excited four and five year olds.

What do you do when you feel scared, but know logically that there is nothing to be afraid of?

picture courtesy of Sam LeVan

Travelling with a little one

My family, including my in-laws, recently took a short weekend trip out of town.

So you might be thinking that I am a very lucky girl to go on so many trips (see this post and this one ), but the truth is, I usually blog post trip, but as I so rarely blog, it just seems like I go on a lot of trips. Still, I admit I am lucky to have the opportunity to go on these trips.

The trip was fun! The weather was not great, but it did not dampen anyone's spirit even if it literally soaked us one day. I consider any trip that does not result in me wanting to kill my travelling companions a great trip (my family usually had one major blow-up per family trip – I think it was because we were just not use to being together, in such close quarters, for such an extended period of time).

However, this post is not about the trip, but some lessons I have learned about I thought I will take this travelling with a small child:

Part one – from home until the plane.

1. It is okay to over pack (for the kids), but do not go nuts. I am a huge believer in being prepared, maybe it is reminiscent of my old girl guide days, but I have a tendency to pack for all four seasons. I have learned to restrain myself to packing for only three seasons by packing clothes that can be layered. I know over stuffing your luggage can be very expensive these days, but children clothes really do not weigh that much, so pack a couple (NOT DOUBLE) extra outfits and definitely extra underwear, and socks. Even if the kids are toilet trained, you never know if they will get themselves soaked or really dirty – my child has yet to meet a puddle that she does not like. Also, the one and only time I did not over pack, it SNOWED, in late APRIL!

Having said this, keep in mind that for the most part you should be able to buy what you forgot or do not have enough of at the destination. Also, if you are planning to buy a souvenir t-shirt anyways, maybe pack one less than.

2. Bring entertainment, and be prepared to make/be entertainment. You never know if the plane will be delayed (we were stuck at the airport for TEN hours, and were down to our last diaper), or if the weather really sucks, you may be stuck in your hotel room. I like open-ended toys, so it has the potential to keep my kid occupy for a bit longer. I bring things like play-doh, a notebook, things to draw with, a doll or dolls. Once, between the stuff we had and the stuff we found at the hotel, we could had set up a pretend restaurant and store in the hotel room (take out containers from the restaurant, plastic cutlery and cups etc...). We also usually go and buy her some little (and cheap) new toy for the plane. I find anything new will usually keep a child occupied for 15 minutes.

3. Electronic devices are sometimes our best friends. I found my iPad a great source of distraction. For one thing, it weighs next to nothing, and I can load a whole bunch of children stories onto it, along with games, and movies. We packed books once, and they weighed a lot, so we could only bring about three. No one wants to listen or read the same three books for a week, now we have dozens of books on my iPad, and the machine can even read them to her. I am not too thrilled about letting my kid play with my electronic gadgets all the time, but hey, it keeps her happy waiting for and during the time on the plane, so I am willing to live with that.

4. On the plane, sometimes you may have to throw some rules out the window. At home we have a pretty strict television watching time limit, however, on the plane, we allow her to watch all the television she wants (assuming we were lucky enough to get one of the planes with the little personal television systems). Yes, I admit I let my child watch almost three continuous hours of television on a flight to Florida. I figure there are very limited amount of activities she can do on the plane, it is not like I can ask them to stop the plane so I can take her to the park for a run, and I am not really comfortable letting her play in the aisles; it seems like the attendants are always serving something or collecting something and I am sure the other passengers might appreciate not seeing an excited kid play like a monkey in the cabin. Sometimes, in these situations a little bending of the rules is probably good. Like, so what if we give her an extra piece of candy if it can help keep her distracted from her ears hurting during take off and landings, or that she gets an extra cup of juice because it makes her feel this is extra special, and keeps her hydrated in the very dry cabin.

Do you have any tips?

Next post will probably be about what I learned during the trip.