A 1970s Summer, But With Helmets and Seatbelts and Sunscreen

It's hard to believe that one week ago today was the last day of school. It feels like much, much longer, but not in a bad way. We just got back from three nights at my parents' lake house and it was wonderful. But of course! How could it help being … [Continue reading]

School’s Out!

Almost all my "last day of school" photos feature the kids wearing fleece-lined, windproof jackets and jeans because this is Calgary, and goddamn if Mother Nature is going to listen to anyone bitching about the "heat". You don't like the "heat", … [Continue reading]

Christmas came early!

You probably know this already, but I pride myself on my organizational skills. Meal planning? Yes. To-do lists, long and short term? Yes. School and activity schedules? Yes. At the beginning of the year I take the Important Dates To Note handout … [Continue reading]

What do Count Almasy and Elaine Benes have in common?

You know how some pop-culture moments stay with you for many years after their relevance has dissipated? Nothing dates a person faster than saying something like "Where's the beef?" or "How YOU doin'?" and yet, I find myself unable to stop. If I'm … [Continue reading]

The 2010 Olympic Mascots, Four Years Later

Approximately fifty-two months ago, something magical happened; that magical thing was the 2010 Olympics. The kids at the time were in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, and they were extremely interested in the Olympics: the events, the location, … [Continue reading]

Friday the 13th and the Full Moon. Luckily no PMS.

Today was the school's annual Stampede Breakfast; it's a proud tradition, this end-of-school wrap-up, although technically there are two more weeks left of school and three weeks until the actual Stampede hits the city, when we can all feel free to … [Continue reading]

Maybe Bed, Bath, and Beyond. I don’t know. I don’t know if we’ll have enough TIME.

Did you know that Father's Day is THIS WEEKEND? I know! First the May long weekend is "early", now Father's Day is on the 15th, and I feel like I'm in some weird time warp. Which means, of course, that my father-in-law's card will be late - as usual … [Continue reading]