A Wiggles Farewell Tour Giveaway

Did you hear the news? The Wiggles are retiring! (I know, I know, there’s a joke in here somewhere, but I have a longstanding and perhaps inexplicable affection for the Wiggles, and so I decided to play this one straight.) Well, not all of the Wiggles, but three of the four original members are handing … Continue reading “A Wiggles Farewell Tour Giveaway”

CBS announces Rockstar: Wiggles *

CBS and Mark Burnett will launch a new reality series that promises to find the next great rock star. ROCK STAR: WIGGLES, from “Survivor” executive producer Mark Burnett, combines the world of preschool ditties with relationship-style unscripted drama, performance competition and a weekly contestant elimination. The last singer standing will become the lead singer of … Continue reading “CBS announces Rockstar: Wiggles *”

Buyer beware: a cautionary tale on details

Before I had kids I used to be secretly horrified by the conditions of the cars of my friends with kids. How hard is it to keep your car clean, I wondered sanctimoniously. Ha. Shame on me. How hard indeed. My little Mazda 5, a car I continue to adore into its fifth year, is … Continue reading “Buyer beware: a cautionary tale on details”

Thomas & Friends King of the Railway on the “blue” carpet

My only regret about becoming a Fisher-Price play ambassador is that we couldn’t milk their relationship with Thomas & Friends when my Thomas-obsessed boy was a toddler. Thomas the Tank Engine was Tristan’s first obsession. Oh the hours we spent building Thomas tracks, pushing Thomas trains, watching Thomas DVDs and reading Thomas books. Simon was … Continue reading “Thomas & Friends King of the Railway on the “blue” carpet”

If you’ve got a dino-loving kid, you’ll love the Imaginext dinosaurs!

Isn’t it funny how each kid has his or her own unique interests and obsessions? Since Tristan had such an obsessive adoration of Bob the Builder and Thomas the Tank Engine, I assumed all three boys would have the same fascination for them. Then came Simon, who cared not one whit for Thomas, Percy, James … Continue reading “If you’ve got a dino-loving kid, you’ll love the Imaginext dinosaurs!”

Big brothers, little brother

I’m endlessly fascinated by the dynamic (trynamic?) among my boys, and the way our parenting style has changed over the years. When Simon arrived, Tristan was still less than two years old, and one period of babyness blended rather seamlessly into another. With a four year gap between Simon and Lucas, though, I was concerned … Continue reading “Big brothers, little brother”

In which we talk about Lucas’s other favourite boob

Baby’s first smile, first laugh. The first time baby slept through the night. Baby’s first food, and the first meal baby feeds to himself. Baby’s first tentative steps, and baby’s first words. All milestones worthy of marking on the calendar, of noting, of celebrating. And now, finally, after a YEAR of waiting — baby’s first … Continue reading “In which we talk about Lucas’s other favourite boob”

Another dream comes true

Around the time the boys started school in September, I started truly panicking about the idea of going back to work. It was still five months away, but I knew back-to-school season was only a quick hop to Halloween, which would start the slippery slide down to Christmas and before I knew it, February would … Continue reading “Another dream comes true”

Kids’ music: a review in three parts

Thanks to the quirks of Canada Post and Amazon, I received three new CDs in the mail one day this week. (Can we pause for a minute here and reflect that the idea of buying CDs has become vaguely anachronistic, while I clearly remember not only when the technology debuted but was an adult when … Continue reading “Kids’ music: a review in three parts”

At least they have good taste in music

For the longest time, my iPod was generally something I used only at the gym. I’m not overly fond of headphones because (and I know this is why most people like them) I don’t like being insulated from the outside world. And there is something about my ears that actively rejects ear buds. We got … Continue reading “At least they have good taste in music”