Category Archives: Making Memories

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.

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!

The Benefits of Being a City Kid

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027One of the benefits of being a city kid is that it is not beyond the realm of possibility that you may one day play in the big leagues.  Well, on the big league’s turf, anyway, which is what happened for my middlest son this weekend.  His house league team sold the most tickets to a Toronto Marlies Game, and their reward was to play their house league game on professional ice at the Ricoh Coliseum.  With his dad on the coaching bench, his mother in the front row, and his brothers watching and cheering his every play, our star player had one of his best games ever.  See that Goal #2?  That was his, along with three assists to help his team to a 5-3 win.  A beauty of a game that not only made me a proud mother but a proud city-dweller, too.

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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…

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

He Who Laughs Last, Laughs The Hardest

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From the 6 year-old:

A rose by any other name would be a tulip.

A chain is only as strong as metal.

A fool and his money are teamwork.

A good man is a nice man.

A leopard can’t change its name.

A penny saved is in the piggybank.

A picture is worth at least $2.

A poor workman always blames it on the other workmen.

A problem shared is sharing.

A rolling stone gathers snow or dirt.

A thing of beauty is beautiful.

A watched pot never drops.

A woman’s place is a nail polish store.

All good things come to your heart.

All that glitters is sparkly things.

All you need is happiness. (This makes my heart swell!)

An ounce of prevention is worth a dollar.

Ask a silly question and you’ll get a silly answer.

You’ve made your bed so neatly.

Beauty is only a funny word.

Behind every great man is a woman. (What a smart little guy!) 

Boys will be big one day.

Don’t bite the hand that you have on your body.

Don’t count your chickens before they are laying their eggs.

Don’t cut off your nose to smell anything.

Don’t put all your eggs in a pan.

Don’t put the cart somewhere else.

Don’t teach your Grandma to play tag.

Don’t throw the baby she’ll crack her head!

Every cloud has big puffy white stuff.

Everything comes to him who sits down.

He who laughs last, laughs really hard.

By 4 year-old:

A rose by any other name would be another flower.

A chain is only as strong as cement.

A fool and his money are rich.

A good man is a nice man.

A leopard can’t change its self.

A penny saved is lots of money.

A picture is worth 2 pictures or more.

A poor workman always blames a lady.

A problem shared is still a problem.

A rolling stone gathers more stones.

A thing of beauty is a rose.

A watched pot never drops.

A woman’s place is in a tower. (He had just finished playing a video game where he was trying to rescue the princess in the tower.)

All good things come to princesses . . . .or me.

All that glitters is glue.

All you need is good things.

An ounce of prevention is worth lots of money.

Ask a silly question and you’ll get many more silly questions.

You’ve made your bed, neatly.  I did.

Beauty is only mommy.  I guess.

Behind every great man is a woman.

Better the devil you know than smovel. (a made-up bad guy)

Boys will be a boy. 

Don’t bite the hand that you are wearing.

Don’t count your chickens before they are are lined up nicely.

Don’t cut off your nose to smell.

Don’t put all your eggs in a basket.

Don’t put the cart under a car.

Don’t teach your Grandma to jump in the lake.

Don’t throw the baby on the floor.

Every cloud has puffy stuff on it.

Everything comes to him who is nice to others. (Proof that he does listen to my sermons!)

He who laughs last, is funny.

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

Quotable Quotations for 2012

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Throughout the year, I collect my kids’ amusing quotations, and I send them out as our Christmas letter.  Every year, I wonder if I am too much of a dinosaur with the whole paper and stamp thing, but it’s a ritual I truly love.  Here is a selection of the boys’ Quotable Quotations for 2012.

Little G (4), while on a summer stroll through the forest:  I love my life.   I love my legs and my walk.  And I love my curly hair.

Little G: See, R?  There’s a pattern.  We are brothers.  We are both boys.  We look the same.  But I look better.

Little G’s request for a bedtime story: Can you tell “Red Riding Hood” with farts?

Little G: I’m proud of my farts.

Little G (Who else?!): I’ll fart to save the world!

Ted: G, will you stop with that bathroom talk?!

Little G, exasperated with hands in the air: But Da-a-a-d, we are in a bathroom!!

Big G (11) got a phone this year, and when it came time to choose the last four digits of his phone number, he wanted all 6s (his hockey jersey number).  So far, so predictable.  6666 was not possible, so he chose his birthday numbers.  Four down, three to go.  A selection of possible numbers came up, and the man in the store told him to choose something that would be easy to remember.  He chose 961.  Why? “It’s a perfect square.  961 is 31 squared.”

R (7), to Big G during some family debate, suspicious: Why are you taking my side, G?

Big G and R arguing about what to serve for their joint birthday lunch:

R: It’s my birthday too!

G: Yes but I get to choose because I don’t have as many years left in me.

Grandpa: Goodbye, G.  Be good.

Little G: You too, Grandpa.

Father Christmas

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Raymond Briggs’ 1973 portrayal of a decidedly human Santa Claus, Father Christmas gets 71PDRDWHJVL._SS500_.gifmy vote as my favourite Christmas book ever. In this graphic novella, Briggs turns the traditional stereotypical view of Santa — jolly, benevolent, good natured — on its head.

Awoken from a dream about sunning himself on a tropical beach, Santa greets Christmas Eve with a mild curse: “Bloomin’ Christmas here again!”. This a very modern Santa, who grumbles about the weather (“bloomin’ snow!”) his herd (“bloomin’ deer!) and the demands of his work (“gettin’ a bloomin’ cold, now!”).  He’s a one-man show: with only a couple of reindeer to help him, and no mention of Mrs. Claus, we follow our man as he readies himself for the biggest day of the year: Christmas.   He flies around the United Kingdom delivering presents, visiting cottages and caravans, and ending, appropriately, at Buckingham Palace.  Gifts delivered, he settles down to a nice dinner, a lovely nip of brandy, a cigar (I know!) and peruses travel catalogs for warmer climes,  which is just what you’d probably want to do too, if you were in his boots.

There are few words in this book (and most of them are the word “bloomin’!”) but Briggs’ colourful and evocative illustrations more than make up for the absence of text.  I’ve blogged about this book before, at least in its movie form, so great is my affection for it.  Father Christmas appears to be out of print here in Canada, but it is available from Amazon.com.uk. and abebooks.com