playdate

Homework Reform

Two trustees for the TDSB (interestingly, the two student trustees) are calling for homework reform in the board.  According to the article, some students as young as nine (fourth grade) are forced to work until 11pm to complete their tasks.  Parents are complaining about a lack of family time for their kids, not to mention the loss of any free time to play.

Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign

One of the skills that children need as a foundation for literacy learning is what is known as "print awareness," or seeing words in print and understanding that letters and words have meaning that can be decoded through reading. Parents who are looking to foster this skill in their children can help by pointing out print all around them and noting what it says and what it means for us. Particularly in an urban environment, signs are a great opportunity to talk about words. They are designed to be simple and clear, and to say what they need to say in a minimal number of words. They are all around us, so we can seize any moment to talk about words. And, with the right storybook, we can continue the conversation at home, consolidating what we have seen on our daily travels. Here are a few that I have recently enjoyed.

All Shook Up

By Racy Red

Yesterday, my handsome husband surprised me with a little gift.  There we were, behind a locked door, while our children were being entertained by a computer nannie, in the throws of passion, when he suddenly presented my gift.

have a cava

If I could, I would go out for lunch far more often than I do. It's such a treat, and a great way to catch up with a girlfriend and relax in the middle of the afternoon. Lucky for me, I had that opportunity yesterday and decided to take my gal pal jb for a little birthday lunch. We ended up at Cava on 1560 Yonge st. I had been before, but only for dinner, and I was impressed. But never for lunch.

Breastfeeding In Public

Earlier this week, the Board of Health for the City of Toronto held its fifth meeting of the year.  On the agenda for that meeting was the subject of breastfeeding in public.  Specifically, the topic was breastfeeding on property controlled by the municipality.  An existing policy supported breastfeeding, but was directed at employees of the City, not visitors and the general public.  The decision document (PDF link) from the meeting (the official minutes have not been published yet) includes the following:

The Brightening Glance

I have been eyeing this book for a long time now.  It's sat on my Amazon Wish List for about a year.  I'm really reluctant to buy books online, but there are some that you just can't get in the store.  I'm SO glad I bought this one.

I'm sure I've mentioned several times now how much I am a proponent of fostering young imaginations, and The Brightening Glance: Imagination and Childhood by Ellen Handler Spitz was so right up my alley, it's ridiculous.  A lot of the books on childhood development end up reading as very scholarly, much as if the author wants to impress her colleagues instead of reaching the people who ultimately benefit from the research:  the parents.  Spitz manages to convey a lot of useful information in a very informal, accessible tone that makes you eager to read more.

Is it Better To Give or Receive?

by hot mama

Racy Red's post about the art of the BJ was inspiring, wasn't it! Sometime in the near future I'll surprise Hot Daddy with a nice hummer, when he's not expecting it.

As for technique, Racy's covered it very well, far better than I could have. I have only one more tip to add--try putting your little finger up his butt while you're down there.

early bird catches a table

One of the great things about having a child who wakes up somewhere between 5 and 6 a.m. on the weekends, is that you can actually get stuff accomplished and maybe even get up and out the door in time for brunch without having to wait in line for a table.
(at least this is how I am trying to make myself feel better for my sorry ass being prematurely ripped from bed every morning)
Before we had Lulu we used to eat out for brunch quite a bit. But I have to admit, it did get to a point where I was so hungry by the time we got a table, and finally got served, that I actually got tired of going out for brunch all together.
Instead I felt it was much easier (and cheaper) to poach a couple of my own free-range eggs at home, with some Cobb's bread lightly toasted, a side of cumbrea's breakfast sausage and some greave's chili chutney on the side.
Then again, there is something to be said about letting someone else whip up a bit of breakie for you on  a Sunday morning.

Social Promotion

Over the weekend, The Globe And Mail ran a piece about social promotion, or the practice of promoting a student with their peer group instead of forcing them to repeat a grade, even when they are academically unable to perform at that level.  They also ran a follow-up Q&A session with the author where they took questions from the public.

Tales of Friendship

I love a story about friendship, and there are plenty of great ones around for young children, who are busy learning the ins and outs of this kind of social interaction. Myself, I particularly like stories of sticking together through thick and thin, and that involve acceptance of the quirks of our friends because, let’s face it, people are quirky. Here are a few of my favourite kinds of stories – sweet, but not sappy.