Earlier in the month I wrote about how I see "Secret Santa" as a gateway drug to no-buy, no-receive. As I lobby to push my agenda forward I'm encountering quite a bit of resistance from members of my immediate family. It seems some equate love with presents. The giving of
For the second year in a row, my daughter changed her mind with less than an hour to go before venturing out trick or treating. Last year, she was all set on being a baby butterfly and then decided to go as Cinderella at the last moment. This year she
Michelle thinks the Jack O'Lantern we carved this morning is the scariest one ever. I don't have the heart to tell her I was drained from a long day at work and essentially mailed this one in. Here are previous, better pumpkins. At least Michelle is happy with this year's
I voted last weekend, but my wife didn't vote until this morning. I've just learnt that we're a house divided. In a too-tight-to-call fiercely competitive battle between the incumbent NDP MP Peggy Nash and the popular Liberal challenger Gerard Kennedy, we're on different sides of the fence. The results will
As the baby of the house prepares for her first day of kindergarten next week, it's time to check in and see what she's up to these days. She loves to sing, she's more articulate than I am and she's created this strange fantasy world for her many dolls. The
I've spent the week in a charming little cottage we rented in Meaford, Ontario. It's right on the Georgian Bay which meant lots of swimming, trips in the paddle boat, hikes on the Georgian Trail, visits to Meaford, Thornbury and Owen Sound, a daily BBQ and a round of mini-golf
My son has lost both top front teeth over the past week. Please mind the gap. And yes, it's too late for the poor boy, I've successfully brain washed him into rooting blindly for the blue and white. I've warned him this will be our worst team yet and he
My mom had a birthday last week and I told her I'd take her downtown today for lunch and a movie. I still have a few passes to the AMC 24 at Yonge and Dundas, so I told her to pick a movie playing there. Dear mom picked Mamma Mia.
The baby of the house is now four. That's no baby, that's not even a toddler, that's a bona fide school-going big girl age. I'll never forget the details surrounding Michelle's birth because I blogged the crap out of it. The July 2004 archives are full of memories like this
For a girl turning four later this week, Michelle knows exactly what she wants. For example, when it came time to bake her birthday cake, she was very clear with her request. She wanted a vanilla cake with vanilla icing. There was to be no chocolate on or in her
Holy crap! My little brother is 30! Here we are in simpler times. He's the fashionable dude in the middle. Man, the 80s were cool.
I'm raising a couple of awesome hikers. James is just 6 and Michelle is not yet 4 but when we hit the trails we go whole hog. They don't tire, they don't back down and they actually prefer to lead. The official trails at Pinery aren't intense enough, so we
I've just returned from The Pinery Provincial Park where I've been recharging my batteries for the past three days. It was my third visit to Pinery, and my second in row. Last year around this time I was raving about Pinery's sandy beaches. We had a very full first day.
By the time I wrapped up my fifth ball game in 30 hours, I could hardly walk. In addition to the sprained left calf muscle this pale Irish guy got too much sun. TGIS. I've got my marching orders and the kids are demanding WALL-E, or Johnny 5 as I
If bloggage is a little slow today it's because I'm busy accepting well wishes. It started when my wife brought me a steaming hot cup of coffee in bed, continued when the kids buried me in kisses and hugs and then I logged on to find this email from my
My sweets is celebrating a birthday today. Happy Birthday, Taryn! This woman is a saint. She's lived and breathed me for 13 years now. Heck, that ain't sainthood, that's a miracle unto itself! I love ya, babe.
James had the better first game. Back in 2004 I took him to his first Blue Jays game. We won big that day, I caught a foul ball and future Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke was sitting only two rows in front of us. Today Michelle got to her first
My Father's Day gift this year is three tickets to the Toronto Blue Jays vs. Chicago Cubs at the ballpark formerly known as SkyDome. I honestly can't think of a better way to spend a day than at the diamond with the two greatest kids in the world watching my
I talk to fathers of older kids and they're constantly at soccer tournaments or soccer practices. It seems they spend most their weekends during the summer driving their kids to soccer and watching them play. Here's a glimpse into my introduction to soccerpalooza. This morning I woke up early to
As my kids grow older, I find myself becoming more conscious of the unwritten equal time law. I've got a son and a daughter, and when I find myself spending a significantly greater amount of time with one over the other, I make an effort to balance it out. This
The girls had plans today so James and I scored some guy time. We started our hot Sunday with an intense morning bike ride. With my bike fully operational and James making up for lost time now that he's finally shed his training wheels, we go on these super fun
It looks like Daniel Cleary might be winning his first Stanley Cup tonight. When I think of Daniel Cleary, I think of the 15 year old kid from Carbonear, Newfoundland who played with my cousin Mark Gowan on the Belleville Bulls in the OHL. While I watch and root for
Camp Woodland Trails has 19 campsites which are spread out over 275 acres of breathtaking landscaping. This weekend, my son and I stayed at Hickory Hills with his Beavers troop. I remember these trips from when I was a Cub Scout, and it was as fun as I recall. The
James had something he wanted to tell me tonight. "I know what the f-word is," he said. For a moment I thought maybe he knew another f-word. He's only six years old and still in senior kindergarten, so how could he know the f-word? I asked him what the f-word
I have a mother I love very much and I want to wish her a very happy Mother's Day. My two angels have a mother they love very much and I want to wish her a very happy Mother's Day. My mom has a mother she loves very much and
