Category Archives: Holidays

I Swear These Answers Were Not Planted

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OK, so first off, please don’t call CAS.  The boys do actually know that they cannot commit GBH with hockey sticks.  Secondly, I swear I did not plant the flattering answers.  They boys sucked up all on their own.  Thirdly, though I asked them these questions independently, when I told them that I was asking them because May 24 is Brother’s Day, they all asked, “Will we get presents?”

Littlest G (5)

What is the most important thing about being a brother?

Being nice.

What is the hardest thing about being a brother?

Being really nice.

What is the best thing about being a brother?

Playing with my brothers.

What’s the best thing your brother(s) taught you?

Big G taught me how to play hockey, and R taught me how to play soccer.

How are you like your brother(s)?

We all love to play hockey.

How are you different?

I’m smaller and I have curly hair.

What is the most annoying thing about your brother(s)?

When they interrupt me.

What is the worst trouble your brother(s) got into?

The worst trouble I got into was when I hit R with a hockey stick.

What is the best advice your brother(s) gave you?

R taught me how to be James Bond, and G taught me how to do a snap shot.

What is your favourite thing to do with your brother(s)?

Play hockey.

What is one of your favourite memories of your brother(s)?

Playing Memory.

What advice would you give to someone who is about to become a brother?

Don’t be mean, don’t annoy your brother, don’t shout.  If they do something you don’t like, say “stop” three times, then get a teacher or a grown up.  Have fun.  Play with him a lot, take care of him, and give him lots of toys and stuff.

285R (nearly 8)

What is the most important thing about being a brother?

Having fun.

What is the hardest thing about being a brother?

Not arguing.

What is the best thing about being a brother?

Having family time with my brothers.

What’s the best thing your brother(s) taught you?

Big G taught me how to play hockey when I was 3.

How are you like your brother(s)?

We all like to play hockey, baseball and soccer.  We are all boys.

How are you different?

Big G thinks he’s the best, but Mom and Dad are the best.  Actually, Mom you are the best when we are snuggled up reading together, and Dad’s the best when we are playing at the park.

What is the most annoying thing about your brother(s)?

Ugh!  When they keep doing the same thing over and over and over again.

What is the worst trouble your brother(s) got into?

Big G broke a window with a tennis ball, and Little G snuck candy into bed.

What is the best advice your brother(s) gave you?

Big G taught me how to raise the puck.

What is your favourite thing to do with your brother(s)?

Play hockey, soccer and baseball.

What is one of your favourite memories of your brother(s)?

Playing on the beach at the cottage and splashing in the water and digging in the mud and pretending to be characters from a game.

What advice would you give to someone who is about to become a brother?

Be kind, let him do what he wants sometimes, give him lots of hugs.

Big G (nearly 12)

What is the most important thing about being a brother?

Helping your little brothers.

What is the hardest thing about being a brother?

When they don’t respect me.

What is the best thing about being a brother?

Your little brothers look up to you and look to you as a role model and even though they don’t always show it, they respect you.

What’s the best thing your brother(s) taught you?

That being an older brother is harder than it looks.

How are you like your brother(s)?

We are all ticklish.  We all share the same amazing mother and father.

How are you different?

I am so much more awesome.  (See R’s response above!)

What is the most annoying thing about your brother(s)?

When they take my stuff and get into my space.

What is the worst trouble your brother(s) got into?

When R and I played with matches.

What is the best advice your brother(s) gave you?

I dunno.

What is your favourite thing to do with your brother(s)?

Play hockey.

What is one of your favourite memories of your brother(s)?

When G was born and R was the first to hold him, I remember the look of pride on R’s face.

What advice would you give to someone who is about to become a brother?

Make your decisions wisely; your brothers look up to you.

Brother’s Day

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May 24 is Brother’s Day, a day to celebrate brothers in your life.  This week, 4 Mothers and guest Meg Gardner will be posting interviews with our sons about their brothers.

In the mean time, if you are looking for some ways to mark Brother’s Day, here are some new and classic children’s books about brothers:

2142_cv3Andrew Larsen has a fabulous new picture book out called In the Tree House, and it is beautifully illustrated by Dušan Petričić.  It’s the perfect book to read for Brother’s Day because it touches on the inevitable moment in brothers’ lives when one brother migrates more towards his friends than his little bro.  This book tells about that separation, and about how the brothers reunite in their tree house one dark night.  My boys (5 and 7) love this book, and they were fully entranced both by the story and by the illustrations.  (In one image, the brothers are playing War, and the boys always examine the illustration to see which brother has the best cards and is likely to win.)

from-the-mixed-up-files-of-mrs-basil-e-frankweilerSpeaking of War, a classic book with a wonderful brother-sister pair is From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg.  Claudia and her brother Jamie run away from home on the funds Jamie has made playing War and saving his allowance.  Claudia has other siblings she could have asked along on her escape from her parents’ ingratitude, but this one is rich and she is nothing if not practical.  They camp out at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, solve a mystery about a sculpture there, and befriend the anonymous and prickly donor.  It is a fabulous urban version of a desert island tale, and the kids navigate survival in the civilized centre of the urban jungle.  I have to say that, while I remember this book fondly from childhood, when I read it aloud to my 7-year-old recently, my fascination was with Claudia’s grammar.  She knows that it’s wrong to have dangling prepositions and corrects her brother when dangles them.  I’m not sure most high school university graduates could tell you that today. O tempora!  O mores!

Other books you might try:

The Great Brain, by John D. Fitzgerald (this is how I found out about the holiday)

Mercer Mayer’s Little Critter series

The Sam and Stella books by Marie Louise Gay

The Weasley bothers in the Harry Potter books.

The Hardy Boys series written under the collective pseudonym Franklin W. Dixon.

Siblings: You’re Stuck with Each Other, So Stick Together by James Crist

Can you suggest your favourites?

Mother’s Day Best of the ‘Net

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Here is an interview sure to bring on tears.  Myra and her mother, who is intellectually disabled, interviewing each other for NPR’s Story Corps.  Have a hanky ready.

This is darkly hilarious: After Happily Ever After, a take on what happens to Disney Princesses after the end.  It ain’t pretty.

And this, this might make you pee your pants.  It might also give you nightmares: Creepy Things My Kid Said.

Last, but not least, check out our new media page, a list of where the 4 Mothers are published and quoted.

Enjoy!  And have a very happy Mother’s Day.

First, We Take Manhattan, Then We Take a Nap

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Do you plan out an itinerary obsessively before you travel?  I’ve spent days and days planning a three-day trip with the kids to New York.  Pretty soon, I will have spent more time planning the trip than I will spend being there.  And the itinerary: it’s nuts.  I have us visiting six museums in three days.  This is clearly super-human and not at all desirable (we do actually want to see what’s in the museums, after all, and not just run through them).  But my eyes are so very much bigger than my stomach.

This is one of our days:

Midtown

Grand Central Station

Library Way (East 41st St @ 5th Avenue)

10:00 New York Public Library (5th Ave & East 42nd St)

10:30 Morgan Library (225 Madison Ave @ East 36th St) $45

12:00 Lunch @ Dean’s (pizza, 2nd Ave between 42 and 43rd)

1:30-3:00 Meet at MOMA Sculpture Garden

MOMA ($25, kids free)

FAO Schwarz

Nintendo World

LEGO store

Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art?

Dinner?

Times Square after dark

I’m exhausted already, and I haven’t even begun to pack!

Toronto Staycation – A March Break Round-up

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For those living in Ontario, next week marks the start of March Break and parents everywhere will scramble to entertain their children.  Some children will go to day camp or maybe a babysitter to while away the time before school resumes.  The lucky will escape the dreary winter weather and head for sunny skies. Everyone else will be passing off a “staycation” as the next best thing to Disneyland.

One of the greatest perks about living in Toronto is that it is an incredibly family friendly city.  Activities abound and cater to a variety of interests and more importantly price points!  Toronto is chock-full of things to do for free and on a limited budget.

If you live in Toronto bookmark this post and use it as your March Break go-to-guide and if you don’t, well, bookmark it anyway and be sure to refer to it when you visit the city.

For the Thespian

Toronto has a theatre community that rivals London and New York.  Children’s theatre is no exception.  Whether it is a show-stopping musical of the highest caliber (Mirvish’s The Wizard of Oz) or something lower key, you will not be disappointed.

The Cat in The Hat – Young People’s Theatre

Magnificent Munsch – The Solar Stage

Stinky Kids The Musical, Pinkalicious, Freckleface Strawberry The Musical – Lower Ossington Theatre

The Elves, A Shoemaker and His Wife – The Little Red Theatre

The Berenstain Bears Live!, Potted Potter – The Living Arts Centre

Scooby-Doo Live! – The Sony Centre

For the Screen Junky

Perhaps you have a Spielberg wannabe on your hands and only the silver screen will do.  While the Cineplex and Famous Players are sure to have crowd pleasers, why not try suggesting something on the indie side?  Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has all sorts for kids.  The weekend of March 16 & 17th, TIFF will offer FREE screenings of The Magicians, Lotte and the Moonstone Secret and Elenor’s Secret.

If video games and media is your child’s thing, consider a visit to digiPlayspace where kids get hands-on experience where technology and art meet.

For the Naturist

It’s time to harvest the maple syrup and surrounding the city there are many conversation areas that host demonstrations, wagon rides, and other family-friendly activities (especially for the littlest ones).  A word of caution, some of these wooded areas can be quite muddy so be sure to dress appropriately and if outerwear does get caked in mud, Carol has the easiest way to get those garments clean without even bringing them into the house!  Many of these areas are free or have a minimal cost making it the perfect way to spend a day outdoors.

Purple Woods

Kortright Centre

Bruce’s Mill

Riverdale Farm

Bronte Creek

Evergreen Brick Works (does not have a maple syrup shack)

For the Budding David Copperfield

While the hand may be quicker than the eye, these programs are guaranteed to keep little eyes (and bums!) captive.  Mark Lewis’s Magic Show can be seen at Lower Ossington Theatre while Casa Loma is hosting breakfast with Houdini March 14-16.  Get tickets fast – they are disappearing!

For the Hockey Fanatic

Skaters can enjoy the many FREE skating rinks around the city including the Natrel Rink at Harborfront, The Evergreen Brick Works and the kid-friendly loop at The Shops at Don Mills.  For deeper pockets, The Hockey Hall of Fame never fails to impress young Wickenheisers and Crosbys.

For the Lego-Junky

Indigo Kids has all sorts of activities running throughout the week at 11 a.m. but Wednesday’s Lego theme would be a hit with our boys.  Not every location is offering these activities so be sure to check before making any promises.

Vaughn Mills is home to the newest Legoland Discovery Centre and while tickets are $18 for those over 2, I can’t promise that you won’t need to dig a bit deeper at the gift shop.

Do you wonder how little pieces of plastic can be so expensive?

The Heavy Hitters

Toronto is also home to a variety of Internationally acclaimed museums and attractions, including (but not limited to):

The C.N. Tower

The Royal Ontario Museum

Art Gallery of Ontario

The Ontario Science Centre

References

Still stumped?  Check these tried, tested and true websites:

Savvy Mom

Toronto 4 Kids

Help We’ve Got Kids

After compiling this list, I have to say that I am looking forward to spending some time in the city.  What are your plans for March Break?

Guest Post: Carol Pitre: To Road Trip or Not to Road Trip

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To Road Trip or Not To Road Trip 

Sorry Will, old friend, but that is the question.

Well, that becomes the question when you’re facing an entire summer month with no plans, a husband who has used all his vacation time, and three children otherwise known as the Bickersons.

I should mention, I do adore a good road trip. In the past, I have always been the first passenger in the car and ready to get outta Dodge at the mere mention. Of course, being the sole driver did give me pause… I paused long enough to put on my rose-coloured glasses and imagine that those magical ipods and DVD players would save me in an hour of need.

That said, let me paint a picture of my three Bickersons… My first born, 11 years old at the time, is happy to travel but states very clearly: “I love road trips! Except for the road part.” My middle child, nine years old and whip smart, can’t quite generate any excitement at the idea but he’s willing to “play along”. (For the record, he did include air quotes and a wink of the eye.) Finally, my six-year old daughter brings up the rear with plenty of happy, bubbly energy.

With the children (mostly) on board, there’s only one decision left to be made… Where to?

While I’m pondering destination ideas, I fall upon an unusual stroke of genius: tie the trip into a good book. Three out of three Bickersons love a good story; two out of three Bickersons are redheads; and one out of three Bickersons wishes she had a sister. Anne of Green Gables it is.

PEI or Bust! Done.AnnesHouse

Prior to the trip, we spend our evenings reading chapter after chapter of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s famous novel. I do my best to give the characters unique voices so the children stay engaged. The plan works as I sometimes hear chuckles at the funny bits and cries of woe when one of the kids misses a chapter due to another commitment. Despite the varied crowd, Anne is loved in our home and now we are ready to visit hers.

A brief look at our road trip stats:

- Eleven days

- Four provinces: ON, QC, NB, PEI – and back

- Three children and one 15-year old niece (the world’s best road trip assistant)

- Forty-two hours of driving

- Twenty-one movies watched in the car

- One dead car battery in Quebec

- Spotted in the St. Lawrence: one blue whale, several belugas and many, many seals

- Anne’s house was a highlight right down to the bottle of raspberry cordial in the pantry

- My children do NOT like lobster

- My children LOVE the ocean

- My children LOVE hotel pools slightly more than the ocean

I could write endless stories about our experiences and the intensity of spending eleven days and nights together. Rather, I would summarize it as such… The Bickersons will always be the Bickersons, but amongst the endless hours on the road, the spectacular vistas, visiting new provinces, trying new foods, and tasting the salt of the ocean water, I was able to understand my three Bickersons just a little bit more. It was sometimes difficult, but a priceless adventure leaving us all with fantastic memories.

Road trip? No question.

Addendum: The day after returning home, my oldest asked: “Mom, can we go the other direction next summer?”

Alberta or Bust? Hmm, I need a good novel…

::

Carol Pitre is a mother of three; seeker of adventures on the road and otherwise.

Valentine’s Day Advent Calendar?

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I pretty much swore that I would never, not ever, do another season of three boys’ home-stuffed advent calendars after this Christmas, after struggling to fill 72 pockets with meaning and fun at little expense in 24 days, but what can I say?  I’ve got the countdown bug, and, God help me, I’m thinking about it again for Valentine’s Day.

6a0105349b1e5c970b0147e1687be6970b-450wiThe spark was Beth-Anne’s post on Tuesday, with the link to EAB Design’s printable templates for a dozen cards to count the ways you love your loved ones, and now I’m in a countdown frame of mind again.  We could spend February 1 making our individual mail boxes, and then send each other a dozen notes, one a day, until Valentine’s Eve on the 13th.  I love the idea of us all “mailing” each other little love notes for all the days leading up to Valentine’s Day.  Much better than roses.  I love the idea of collecting 48 messages of love in the days leading up to what is, let’s face it, just another candy fest for the kids.  The appeal is the even dozens.  The image of the kids diligently writing their ever-so-thoughtful messages to each other and to us each night.  The structured distribution of cards.  One a day.

Like vitamins.

And that’s the crux of the appeal of countdowns for me: they are structured, predictable, easy, orderly and neat.  Unlike my life.  The ideal image of the kids putting thoughtful messages down on paper with clockwork predictability each evening is nothing like the reality of how much work it would take to get bums in seats and pens to paper.  Sigh.  The ideal image is nothing like the enormous effort it takes to even approximate structure, predictability, neatness.  So I drive myself crazy trying to create neatness and order with calendars and trying to tame the force of chaos that is inherent in a family of five.

So I guess I am still debating whether to subject myself to this particular brand of self-flagellation for yet another holiday.  I know that the boys would be thrilled to wake up each morning to a new clutch of notes, and I know that I will never manage to get them to write them without a battle with the forces of chaos.

Valentine’s Day Round-up

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It’s that time of year again.  Whether you think Valentine’s Day is a Hallmark holiday better left uncelebrated or a reminder to tell those closest to you how much you love them, February 14 will be here before you know it.

If your plans include track pants, take-out and a bottle of wine (my dream evening!), I say enjoy!  However, if you are looking to add something extra special to your Valentine’s Day be sure to check out this round up of easy-peasy, simple ideas.

Martha Stewart always offers a variety of crafts and recipes that appeal to all skill-levels.  These crayon-melted hearts are an easy craft to do with children and would add some much-needed colour to gray and gloomy windows.

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This simple to construct candy and tulip bouquet would make any special lady smile this Valentine’s Day.

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Karissa Goss of Piece of Cake Events by Karissa, was featured on Salem County Woman.  Her marshmallow lollipops are simple to create and an instant favourite with the kids.

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Jennifer Hallissy of The Write Start dedicates her blog to exploring literacy in the everyday.  I am a big fan of her blog and often look to her for inspiring ways to engage the boys in fun, creative activities where they get to flex their reading and writing skills.  This Valentine card was created by Jennifer’s daughter and would be a fantastic activity for a quiet Saturday afternoon.

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Every night I tell my boys, “I love you, I love you, I love you.  For now and forever to bits and pieces, more than you will ever know.”

My middle-son always responds, “Do you love me to bits and pieces of poo?  Because that is the most you can love anyone.”

And I always say, “Yes, to bits and pieces of poo.” 

What can I say?  Love is strange.

EAB Designs is a visual delight and this year they are offering readers a free download of their elegant tags inspired by Browning’s “How Do I Love Thee?”  The download comes with 12 tags for you to write 12 individual messages to the one you love.

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If you are not into the craft or creating, why not just add some heart-shaped food to your table?  At our local salumeria, salami d’amour is always available and makes for an instant Valentine’s Day treat.

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image courtesy of Chef-Girl

In The Wake of The Christmas Tornado

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Christmas hit this house like a tornado leaving in its wake a mess of wrapping paper, boxes and lots of new toys.   Before the holiday my boys purged their nest to make room for new loot and to give new life to their old favourites.  The boys readily donated their gently used toys to a local charity that was seeking donations.

The two weeks between Christmas and the return to school passed in a peaceful blur.  With no schedules dictating what to do, we enjoyed spending time together as a family and indulged in several pajama days playing with new toys, reading new books and over eating delicious food.

Some of our favourite gifts from the holiday:

Lego, Lego and more Lego . . . and some Playmobil too!

We spent several hours tediously arranging and re-arranging Lego and Playmobil sets.  The four-year-old has a vivid imagination and readily integrates the sets to create complex battles between swashbucklin’ pirates and the Queen’s knights.  It continues to amaze me how a set of plastic cubes can be the catalyst for learning about medieval history.  Together we spent many more hours thumbing through books about castles, catapults and cannons as well as searching Google for answers to the many, many questions that were sent my way about pirate life, scurvy and Egypt (because the natural transgression from Medieval life is mummies, tombs and pyramids!).

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The Boogie Board

A gift from Nana, these Boogie Boards have seen lots of use since being unwrapped on Christmas Day.  The Boogie Board is an LCD writing tablet that erases with the click of a button.  The four-year-old practiced his printing while the 6-year-old played Xs and Os with any willing (and some not so willing) participant.  I wrote the boys a goodnight message on each of their boards that first night, and since then they have been asking for one every night.

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Two Greedy Italians

I bought this book for my husband for Christmas – a fantastic cook who needs no help in the kitchen.  Tired of all the reality-based Food Network shows (where are you, Nigella?), we started watching Two Greedy Italians on TLN.  The pair criss-cross Italy, highlighting local fare that extends beyond spaghetti bolognese.  The beautifully photographed book makes a welcome addition to our collection of cookbooks (that I rarely use but love to admire).

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Cleaning Set

Remember the saying: the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree?  My two-year-old son lives up to my university nickname of “Monica” (the cleaning-obsessed, neat-freak character on the 90’s sitcom Friends).  This adult-like cleaning set comes with all the fixings required to give a home a good clean but sized perfectly for little hands.  This gift from his aunt and uncle are the perfect addition to his vacuum.

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Wii

Santa spoiled the boys (and cashed in his Shopper’s Optimum points) with the Nintendo Wii.  Is it wrong that the grown-ups in the house have gotten just as much satisfaction from this gift as the kids?  I never thought that I would say “family time” equals “video game time” . . . but a little bowling and some Just Dance 4 is a guarantee for lots of laughs.

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