I first read the writing of Angie, of still life with circles, last summer, during my first tentative steps into the baby loss blogosphere. I was very moved by this post I read of hers at Glow in the Woods, a blog for babylost parents of which she happens to be the editor. Last year…
Tag: children
What makes mothers?
It’s interesting, the things that kindergartners say about their mothers. I recently overheard a fragment of conversation at kindergarten snacktime, involving one of the kids I like to call “pop-up children” (teachers, you know the ones I’m talking about). This is what I heard: “…and then she punched me! In the face! My mom!” Wise…
Who would you have been when the Titanic sank?
Last night at about 2:30 a.m., the wreck of the Titanic turned 100 years old. There were four of us talking about it in our kitchen yesterday evening, and again this morning – about how there were boats travelling to that very spot in the Atlantic Ocean, to commemorate the centennial… and about what an…
The Gaza Doctor shall not hate – even if he deserves to.
Last week I attended a talk given by a man named Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish, also known as “the Gaza doctor”. Before I went, everything I knew about this man came from the flier advertising the event: “Distinguished physician Izzeldin Abuelaish MD, MPH was the first Palestinian doctor to receive a staff position at an Israeli…
Toddler Tracks in the Snow
Finally, there was snow! And now it’s melted. Sigh. We’ve only had little bits of snow this winter, and it’s UNSATISFYING. Not very much fun for my little guy – who is so ready with his red snowpants/coat/hat combo. I should probably admit two things: 1) On a visceral level, I do still love snow….
Thinking about Jesus’ Mama
I was brought up Quaker, Christian in a mild sort of way. We didn’t talk lots about Jesus, but we knew what Christmas was meant to be about. We did Christmas pageants, we sang carols, we read the Bible story of the birth of Jesus every year. (Of course, we also read ‘Twas the Night…
The Christmas Conundrum
When I first started thinking about the Santa Claus myth in relation to my own child, I wasn’t sure I liked the idea. A bit of a bleeding-heart “How can I lie to my child?” thing. Why would I bother with this farce, this deception? Now that my child is old enough to start getting…
Mini-Di’s Kindergarten Moments (1983-84)
Today, I was whooshed back in time to my own kindergarten experience – twice. I was a homeschooling kid. I went to public kindergarten, but only a couple weeks of Grade 1 between that and Grade 9. My memories of kindergarten are few, but seminal. I often wonder which are the moments my students will…
Why I Vaccinate My Child
I first became truly aware of vaccination when I was about eleven. I’d had my standard (Ontario) childhood vaccinations, but didn’t remember them, and hadn’t actually thought about them. Then I read a story about Edward Jenner in Cricket magazine – and I never forgot it. As you may know, Jenner was the English scientist…
BANG Movie Review: The Muppets
After seeing it, I would say the Muppets movie is less of a movie, and more of a feeling. Not that it doesn’t have a plot – it has a solid (albeit predictable) plot, with suspense and buildup and characters and a climax and everything. It’s just that when you combine the bright colours, the…