As the youngest of nine children, I was
often accused of being the "spoiled baby" of the family. I have never understood
why my siblings would take it out on me, though, since I had nothing to do with
either being the last born or having (alleged) extra attention paid to me.
Whatever their reasons, I think I now understand why parents might dote
on their youngest more than the others. It's not because the baby is smarter or
better looking than the older sibs (well, that may have been the case in my
family, but anyway...) It's because getting older means life gets more
complicated. And so too does the teen or young adult going through those awkward
stages. We parents are simply trying to cling to the innocence of the younger
years. Let's face it: while it might be sweet to hear your 4-year-old tell you
about all the boys who kissed her at recess, it's not cute anymore when it's
your 14-year-old telling you the same thing. And the schoolyard problems of the
8-year-old have far fewer long-lasting consequences than the teen whose
highschool is in the downtown core and across the street from a methadone
clinic.
I now have one kid fully entrenched in the drama and hardships
of adolescence and another banging on its door. So it is understandable that I
might indulge my not quite 10 year old and her childhood whims. "Mom, will you
colour with me?" Absolutely! Break out the crayons. "Can you build a snowman
with me?" Let me get my boots on. "Mom will you lie down with me when you tuck
me in tonight?" I would love to, the laundry can wait. "Mom, will you watch 'Dog
With a Blog' with me?" Okay, so maybe not all her whims.
Anyway, before
she left for school this morning, Willa didn't ask but told me I had to look
after Mabel. Is Mabel her sick guinea pig or pet goldfish, you ask? No, she is
one of Willa's many baby dolls. Not just any baby doll, Mabel is the one that
Willa fell in love with the moment her sensor-embedded bottom touched her
sensor-receptive potty and made a tinkling sound. Bob and I have been charged
with Mabel's care before and since she is an exceptionally well-behaved baby
doll, I agreed to look after her again today. And so I find myself with Mabel.
When Willa asks me to look after her baby, I don't just put it out of my
mind until she walks through the door after school. Nope, this mom brings Mabel
with her around the house to engage and stimulate her tiny mind. We read
stories, do laundry, wash dishes, maybe have a playdate and occasionally get
some work done at the computer. You may wonder if I actually accomplish anything
on these days. Well, no, not much really... But I document what I've done with
Mabel so Willa can have a good idea of how Mabel's day went. (All the best
daycares do this, I'm told.) Besides, Willa loves to see the pictures of Mabel's
day and I love to see the smile on Willa's face when she looks through them.
After all, if I am trying to hang on to the sweetness of my baby's
childhood for as long as I can, what's the harm in indulging in it myself? I
can't keep her from growing up and all too soon she won't be so eager to play
with me. So I will revel in it while I can. I will colour with her, play
hairdresser, make snow angels and drink hot chocolate with marshmallows. And if
my kids can't stay young forever, I suppose I will always have Mabel!
You can check out Mabel's day here.
Happy
sweeping!
Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.ca
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Benny (not-so)Goodman
Music runs deep through my family tree. My maternal grandfather was a violinist and I will always have wonderful memories of my grandmother, and later my uncles, my sisters or me, accompanying him on the piano, while everyone else in the room sang along. The talent carried through my family: each of the nine of us took piano lessons; several of my siblings taught themselves how to play the guitar; we have sung in choirs and for weddings, taught piano, performed in bands and school musicals and I did my undergraduate degree in Music.
How is it, then, that my children appear to have so little musical talent? Neva refused to practise when she took lessons years ago and Willa shows next to no interest in lessons at all. But let's look at 11-year-old Milo. The boy, as much as he loves to sing and dance, is completely tone deaf. So when he chose the clarinet as his instrument in music class last year, I was less than excited. He squeaked and squawked his way through Grade 5 and eagerly brought his clarinet home every other weekend. (I was always relieved when his interest in practising vanished as soon as he walked through the door.)
Fast forward now to Grade 6. He is a "role model" for the younger students in his split class and was asked to demonstrate, with another classmate, what he has learned in music so far. But he had to brush up over the holidays. So Milo arrived home that last day before Christmas with his clarinet and his music book. He immediately went to his room and began to play. And play he did - seemingly non-stop, for days leading up to Christmas. His excitement was admirable, even if it did frequently interrupt conversations. (As in, "Who wants to hear me play?" or, "Mom, Mom! Listen to this!") Not only did he practise the two songs he was assigned, he also moved forward in the book teaching himself new notes and new songs. And on occasion he managed to produce a lovely tone amid the cacophony.
Bob and I were quite pleased to see this enthusiasm for practice, given our previous experience. Those squeaks and squawks leading up to Christmas were his and he was proud of every one. And we were thrilled. We were even more thrilled, of course, when the excitement of Christmas arrived and he traded in clarinet practice for playing board games and visiting with family.
Ahh... Peace on Earth!
Happy sweeping!
Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.ca
How is it, then, that my children appear to have so little musical talent? Neva refused to practise when she took lessons years ago and Willa shows next to no interest in lessons at all. But let's look at 11-year-old Milo. The boy, as much as he loves to sing and dance, is completely tone deaf. So when he chose the clarinet as his instrument in music class last year, I was less than excited. He squeaked and squawked his way through Grade 5 and eagerly brought his clarinet home every other weekend. (I was always relieved when his interest in practising vanished as soon as he walked through the door.)
Fast forward now to Grade 6. He is a "role model" for the younger students in his split class and was asked to demonstrate, with another classmate, what he has learned in music so far. But he had to brush up over the holidays. So Milo arrived home that last day before Christmas with his clarinet and his music book. He immediately went to his room and began to play. And play he did - seemingly non-stop, for days leading up to Christmas. His excitement was admirable, even if it did frequently interrupt conversations. (As in, "Who wants to hear me play?" or, "Mom, Mom! Listen to this!") Not only did he practise the two songs he was assigned, he also moved forward in the book teaching himself new notes and new songs. And on occasion he managed to produce a lovely tone amid the cacophony.
Bob and I were quite pleased to see this enthusiasm for practice, given our previous experience. Those squeaks and squawks leading up to Christmas were his and he was proud of every one. And we were thrilled. We were even more thrilled, of course, when the excitement of Christmas arrived and he traded in clarinet practice for playing board games and visiting with family.
Ahh... Peace on Earth!
Happy sweeping!
Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.ca
Thursday, January 09, 2014
New Year's Reflections
This time of year is one of reflection and
hopefulness. We look back on the year that was, sometimes with pride and joy or
perhaps sadness or even relief that it's over. And we look forward to the year
that will be: full of promise, like starting that book you've been wanting to
read.
People often refer to the new year as a blank slate or book of blank pages waiting to be written by you. It's about turning over a new leaf and making resolutions to "be better", whether that means losing 30 lbs or quitting smoking or planning the perfect wedding. But a friend of mine described the coming year as "an incredibly complex puzzle" that she has to "decode". For her, it's about hanging on to what did work last year and getting rid of what didn't. Her musings really spoke to me because it's not about setting lofty and unattainable goals. Or "getting it right" and being perfect.
This view comes from the realistic perspective that we are fallible, imperfect and always changing. There is no absolute when it comes to life plans. Oh, maybe for a very determined few, but not the vast majority of us. We will always be learning. We will always need to adapt and change. There will always be both great happiness and great pain in our lives. And choosing to be "okay" with this is probably the best resolution any of us can make.
So as I very gratefully, but respectfully, shut the door on 2013, and take a good look at the puzzle that is 2014, I wish you and your families "Happy Decoding"!
Happy sweeping!
Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.ca
People often refer to the new year as a blank slate or book of blank pages waiting to be written by you. It's about turning over a new leaf and making resolutions to "be better", whether that means losing 30 lbs or quitting smoking or planning the perfect wedding. But a friend of mine described the coming year as "an incredibly complex puzzle" that she has to "decode". For her, it's about hanging on to what did work last year and getting rid of what didn't. Her musings really spoke to me because it's not about setting lofty and unattainable goals. Or "getting it right" and being perfect.
This view comes from the realistic perspective that we are fallible, imperfect and always changing. There is no absolute when it comes to life plans. Oh, maybe for a very determined few, but not the vast majority of us. We will always be learning. We will always need to adapt and change. There will always be both great happiness and great pain in our lives. And choosing to be "okay" with this is probably the best resolution any of us can make.
So as I very gratefully, but respectfully, shut the door on 2013, and take a good look at the puzzle that is 2014, I wish you and your families "Happy Decoding"!
Happy sweeping!
Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.ca
Monday, January 06, 2014
Happy New Year!
Well, the holidays are officially over. Gone are
the days of Baileys in my coffee and extra cookies at lunch. (And tea time. And
dessert. And before bed snack.) Decorations and fruit cakes have been boxed away
for another year and children are back to school.
Wait... No! Both London school boards have declared a Snow Day and that means parents are frantically trying to arrange child care and employers are facing a morning of delayed commuters and called-in personal days.
We here at ContestHound, however, are seeing first-hand the benefits of owning a family-run home business: no child care or work panic. We just have to contend with three kids that we would rather have had out of the house today, after two and a half weeks of non-stop "Can you take me to so-and-so's?" and "Will you play with me?" and "Go to your room and leave your sister alone!" and "MO-OM!!"
Don't get me wrong - I love my kids like crazy. But this extra "holiday" I've been given is really pushing the crazy part!
Happy sweeping!
Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.ca
Wait... No! Both London school boards have declared a Snow Day and that means parents are frantically trying to arrange child care and employers are facing a morning of delayed commuters and called-in personal days.
We here at ContestHound, however, are seeing first-hand the benefits of owning a family-run home business: no child care or work panic. We just have to contend with three kids that we would rather have had out of the house today, after two and a half weeks of non-stop "Can you take me to so-and-so's?" and "Will you play with me?" and "Go to your room and leave your sister alone!" and "MO-OM!!"
Don't get me wrong - I love my kids like crazy. But this extra "holiday" I've been given is really pushing the crazy part!
Happy sweeping!
Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.ca
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