playdate

All I Really Need to Know About Labour I Learned in Theatre School

OK, so I've been doing a lot of reading lately about labour.  With the Big Day coming up next month, I figured it was about time I got down to business.   After all, this may be my second child, but since I had the Dreaded C last time, I didn't actually go through the whole labour experience.  More importantly, I feel the need to arm myself with information, as doctors in these here parts ostensibly support VBAC (vaginal birth after Cesarian), while simultaneously jumping ship whenever something doesn't go exactly according to plan.

Banning Smoking In Cars With Children

The Ontario Medical Association (OMA) have lauded the bill signed in California on October 10 of this year, which bans smoking in cars when children are occupants. Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty has said that this ban is a slippery slope that could infringe on people's rights, leading to a ban in apartments and houses.

"Your freedom to move your arm ends where my nose begins."
-- Anonymous

Private or Public?

I have a problem.  It's not Earth shattering, and it isn't a life or death decision.  Nonetheless, it's been weighing on me for a while.  I have to decide where my oldest boy is going to go to school next year.  He'll be in Junior kindergarten, and, I have to determine his future. 

Will he go to the local public school?  Will he go to the almost local public school?  Will he go to private school?  Which private school will he attend?  Will it be a faith based school, or not?

Scooped

Well pour some sugar on me.

I was a proud rocker, all teased hair and black eyeliner, when I attended my small-town high school in the 1980s so when I encountered this little number I couldn't resist hopping aboard the crazy train for a little trip down memory lane.

Family Medicine

According to a poll commissioned by the College of Family Physicians of Canada, two million Canadians failed to find a family physician last year.  Also of note: that statistic only counts those who tried to find one; the College estimates that there are five million Canadians who do not have a regular family doctor.

The article states that there are insufficient family doctors, and speculates that the reason behind this is a financial one: family physicians make less money than specialists.  The College added that the problem is also the Canadian health care model, which has a focus on episodic (or quantity of) care instead of the quality of care.  For their part, the College is recommending the implementation of a nursing system to help the doctors provide improved care, which would theoretically make family medicine more attractive.

After School Special

guest post by sex kitten

I once thought that the entire notion of men being turned on by the iconic schoolgirl uniform was a sick thing. Grown men, lusting after teenage girls? Ewwwww. And that thought, yes, is still repulsive to me, but I have come to know this particular fantasy from another angle since meeting my husband. Here's the thing...

Livin' la vida Diego

OK, so I've spoken before about my mommy-crush on Diego.  Nothing to be ashamed of, right?  It's a good show!  If you're into kiddie cartoons.  I'm not, actually, but my son is, so what's a girl to do?  What I didn't realize is how much Diego has infiltrated our lives.

jitter juice

One of my favorite places to grab a quick lunch and a killer latte is at B Espresso.
It's located on Queen East between Church and Jarvis in a beautiful old building that is also the home to Verity and George.
The decor is simple and authentic.
Whenever I get the chance to come here I instantly feel like I could be in Milan and not Toronto.
nothing against the big smoke- but it's a nice change of pace from the usual run of the mill coffee and sandwich shops around town.

Reviewed: The Little Black Book of Style

When Nina Garcia first introduced herself I was not optimistic.

Garcia, the fashion director at Elle magazine and a judge on Project Runway, is the author of The Little Black Book of Style which is being marketed as a practical resource for attainable elegance.

And it really is, if you can get past the author's note subtitled Where I'm Coming From, which discouraged me so much I actually put down the book in disgust and commenced with the sighing and eye rolling.

A Father's Rights

Last week in BC, a court ruling was made that, according to some, undermines the rights of fathers in the adoption process in that province.  Previously, a judicial master (a lawyer lawyer appointed to adjudicate the matter) had rejected the adoption application because the biological father (who was not identified by the birth mother) was never notified of the proceedings.  The decision was overturned by the BC Supreme Court, and the adoption was allowed to proceed.

The argument used to justify the decision was that in cases where a birth mother is either unwilling or unable to disclose the identity of the biological father, a child should not be denied the opportunity for a better life with an adoptive family.  According to the report, adoption agencies are required to make "reasonable efforts" to locate and notify the biological fathers.  However, if the mother refuses to co-operate, there is little legislation to compensate, leaving the potential for a birth mother to effectively shut out the father from the process if she so chooses.