THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP, This survey and website are now closed

New Website and Evaluation Survey

Good afternoon! If you have finished reading my blogs I would very much appreciate it if you could have a look at my new website! I have attached the link and would ask that you complete the evaluation of the website: thoughts, ideas, information, ease of navigation, etc. by Saturday, January 1, 2011. I would like as much input as possible from as far away as possible so feel free to send to your friends and acquaintances!

Have a great day! Now go grab a coffee and take a peek!

How did your trip end Sarah?

 

The year 2010 is coming to a close and 2011 is on the horizon. I realize that I must finish the saga I started to tell and left off with us escaping Saskatchewan.  I sit here in my kitchen in the overstuffed chair, watching my fire, listening to the winds whip by my house, enjoying the snow falling and relax through my first New Brunswick blizzard. I am sipping on a strawberry margarita with Fireball Whiskey in place of the tequila  as I reflect on the year that has gone by I realize that I never finished the story of how we finally arrived in New Brunswick. So please, get your coffee and Bailey's or grab a beer and pull up a chair to sit comfortably and learn about the trip that almost ended before we got through the fourth province. It is a bit long so perhaps have a quick pee first!

I shall do my best to tell a truthful tale of what transpired as we pioneered across this great country, Canada. Knowing that we got off lucky in Saskatchewan we approached the Manitoba border and decided to spend the night in Saskatchewan and hit the road early the next morning. Based on my Google map search it should only take about 6 hours to travel through Manitoba. This meant that we could drive as far as Brandon,  stop at a travel trailer sales and service centre, get the new axle on the trailer greased and torqued and carry on our merry way! Easy!

We arrived in Brandon just before noon and had to wait about an hour and a half for service. All was done, on time, on budget and we proceeded on our trip. I was a bit concerned about driving the truck and trailer through Winnipeg but had learned that there was a "ring road" that virtually bypassed the city. I know that Winnipeg is not even close to the size of Vancouver where I have driven many times, except it was more precarious with the trailer behind me and changing lanes could be troublesome and scary. I was happy to go by Winnipeg and stop on the outskirts of the eastern side of the city. It was only 4:30 but I suggested we stop at the Humpty Dumpty Restaurant to have an early dinner and then motor on until we hit Kenora, Ontario and stop for the night.

As we pulled into the parking lot I noticed the trailer had a lot of black dirt on the hitch end. I said mildly "The trailer sure looks dirty". My loving husband looked at me and said "It's a trailer, who cares if it is dirty? You girls! Geesh!" I was suitably quieted and took no more notice of the dirt. We went into the restaurant where Rachel was happy to find they had her favourite, Eggs Bendedict and Jessica was disappointed that having traveled half way across the country she could still not find a simple bowl of tomato soup. I just relaxed. After driving all day I liked to take about an hour at dinner, sit, relax, have some coffee and prepare for the next leg of our journey.

We ate, fueled up the truck, got the kids settled and plan to drive the next 3 hours or so before stopping for the day. I couldn't wait to get to Ontario! It felt like a milestone in our journey. We would see family there, Len's daughter, son-in-law and brand new grandson! We piled into the truck, got to the traffic lights, pulled into traffic and away we go! NOT! (Remember, this is OUR story right?) Throughout the journey I had been watching the gauges and levels carefully. After running low on oil and running out of anti-freeze near the beginning of our expedition we were very cautious. 

We had no sooner started down the freeway when I looked and saw the oil gauge drop drastically until it said empty. This happened in literally seconds! Len yelled "PULL OVER! Pull over!" I screamed back "I can't there are cars behind me. I have to get to the road up ahead!" The kids groaned "NOT AGAIN!" Len kept urging me to get to the side road before I blew the whole motor. Panic set in! There was no way we could possibly afford another $2,000 in repairs. What happened? What would we do???

I managed to exit safely and turn the 38' rig around. I had a pretty good idea we would be needing a tow truck and figured while the truck was still moving I could at least help the driver out by positioning the truck for hook up and departure. By now we were getting used to tow trucks, drivers and knew what to say. I was happy to know I had just bought a new phone card and topped up my Virgin Mobile pay as you go phone so I had lots of minutes available to call for help. NO! (Remember, me?)

I attempted to use my cell phone to call for help. I had learned by now to first get out Maggie (remember her? My GPS unit?) search for businesses and numbers close, then use the phone to call for help. My phone was dead. Finished! Kaput! Unresponsive! Exhausted! Obsolete! Goodbye! Well, there was $25 down the toilet! No! Wait! It is ok, because I bought Rachel and I the same plan, same phone, same company so I could just transfer the minutes. No problem! As I was going through this mental process Len, my 68 and 3/4 year old husband with the bad back and weak hip, was lying on a piece of cardboard under the truck on a gravel road with oil dripping on him attempting to figure out the problem.

I called the GOOD PEOPLE at Virgin Mobile. You know, with the slogan "You Rule." OK here's a heads up, You DON'T rule! Nope! Not at Virgin as I was about to have a 20 minute argument, wheedling, whining, lying, manipulating conversation! My phone didn't work but had minutes. Rachel's phone did work but was almost out of minutes. My call to Virgin went something like this:

Me: Hello! I am so glad to get through to you! You have no idea what kind of a day I have had! OMG! My truck just broke down in the middle of a big dangerous city! It is night time and I have young children with me. I don't know what to do! Can you help me? I am sure you can! Cuz, I rule, right?

Them: Hello Mum! May I help you? I would very much like to help you. Please tell me what you need.

Me: Thank you so much! Yes, what I need you to do is to take the minutes I just put on my pay as you go phone and transfer them to my daughters pay as you go phone. I have all of the account information and it should be easy. You see we are stranded and just need some help. I need to call a tow truck before it gets dark and the gangs come out. I am very afraid to be stranded here with my family! So, Yes you can help me, right?

Them: Oh Mum! I am sorry Mum! But we cannot do such a thing. We cannot transfer the money and the minutes. No Mum, I am sorry Mum!

Me: No, I think you can. You see I have seen Richard Branson on TV and he is a very nice man with a very large empire. I am sure you know he is your boss right? So you see, it is nothing to him. He is not out any money, if you could just transfer the money I already paid that I can't use because my phone is broken and put it on my daughters phone account so I can get help. Thank you so much, I know you can help me right?

Them: Oh No Mum! I can't possibly do that. However, have I helped you with everything today? Is there anything else I can do?

Me: Excuse me? Helped Me? You must be kidding you have not helped me at all yet. Now, I would like to know your name?

Them: Renan. R E N A N. Renan.

Me: Well,  Renan. R E N A N. Renan. This is not ok. I am stranded. My poor family has been through a terrible time. Do you know how big Canada is? We have caravaned across the country. We have broken down every few days. Do you have any idea how steep the mountains of British Columbia are? Then we broke down again and again. My poor children are starting to think we will never get to the other side of the country. Well, we are just distraught I tell you, distraught! Renan R E N A N Renan, I NEED you to help me. Please. 

Them: Well Mum, I am not sure what to do. 

Me: Renan. R E N A N Renan. Where do you live? Are you even in Canada?

Them: Oh No Mum. I am in the Philippines. 

Me: So you are completely clueless to what I am going through? I want to speak to Richard Branson please.

Them: I can get you my supervisor.

Me: Thank you! (I shall save you the remaining details but we did finally get SOME service!)

Now, keep in mind, during this entire exchange, the sun is setting, Len is sweaty and oily and Rachel is laughing hysterically next to me while I try to reason with RENAN! AAAAHHH! Finally they gave me 5 free minutes to try to get help.

Upon calling the tow truck, I didn't completely know where we were but I gave the GPS coordinates. I also asked the driver to have room for the four of us in his truck so we could get a ride to a hotel. The driver finally found us an hour and a half later but he brought his wife. However we were very fortunate because you know what? Friendly Manitoba IS FRIENDLY! People kept stopping to help us. One man and his wife had 20 acres next to where we broke down and lived in their motorhome. They offered to let us stay there for free for the night, but it was too far from town and there was no power or water. They did let us leave the trailer though which helped drastically with the towing bill. Another man from up the road came and offered to drive us to the city. We followed the tow truck and were dropped at a hotel.

We ended up not leaving Winnipeg and staying for the night downtown at a hotel. We were very happy that the truck was dropped off at Midas Muffler because 1) they prioritized our truck and got us out of there by mid afternoon and 2) they had the best magazines yet in a waiting room! In fact, Rachel even jacked a Lou Lou magazine which I would normally say no to, but I kind of figured my $600 in repairs paid for it!

WE FINALLY LEFT MANITOBA!

To be continued... 

One more time!

Boxing Day ... what does it mean?

I have always been under the illusion that boxing day was in reference to the clean up required after Christmas. The boxes to be emptied, disposed of, general organization and straightening up required to absorb the gifts of Christmas into your home and to empty the stores so they can put out new items. In the last few years Boxing Day in Canada has become a day of shopping. Deals to be had, product to be disposed of by retailers that was not sold before Christmas. My late husband used to call Boxing Day "The I just didn't get enough for Christmas" shopping day. Now it seems that many people just give gift cards and let their loved ones go pick out the item themselves. I was never big on this idea, however, now having a teenager, I definitely see the merit in this plan!

It appears from my research via the world wide web that Boxing Day has nothing to do with boxes left over from gifts or great sales by major retailers or a bank holiday. The origin of the day dates back to the 10th century when the Duke of Bohemia (please remain focused, do not start humming the Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen!) was surveying his land on the day after Christmas  when he saw a poor man struggling to gather wood for his family during a fierce winter storm. The Duke helped him and brought boxes of food and gifts to the man to help him during his time of need. The Duke later became the King of Wenceslas as in the song (you may hum the tune "Good King Wenceslas" now) and the tradition of giving alms to the poor during the day after Christmas began. Leftover food, clothing and money was boxed up and delivered to the poor. 

Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the feast of Stephen
When the snow lay round about
Deep and crisp and even
Brightly shone the moon that night
Though the frost was cruel
When a poor man came in sight
Gath'ring winter fuel

Lyrics and Audio - Good King Wenceslas 

Having attended church just about every Sunday for the first 18 years of my life, having volunteered in hospitals, charitable societies, schools and more, I never knew the true reason for Boxing Day. As I sit here typing and listening to one child beg for food (yes I starve her, the cupboards, freezer and fridge are full but sadly there is nothing to eat) and another sleep, sleep, sleep... I think of those who are alone, cold, depressed, poor and basically just waiting for this season to be over.

Maybe while you are out grabbing those deals today you can buy some extra food and put in the food bank box or buy a cup of coffee for someone who looks lonely, some expression of kindness in addition to the great deals you might get today. I was reminded by an elderly man last week as I complained about poor service at a local grocery store, how demanding the job can be, how we might not realize the pain the cashier is in, how they may have had to leave their family to come to work when they would like to be with their children.... So please practice patience today.

What am I doing this Boxing Day? I am enjoying the excitement my 9 year old has for her gifts. I watch Jess open her art kit and start painting the Disney Princesses, she has a photo to follow and is very intent on getting it right. I am rather impressed so far with her ability to remain focused. On the other hand it is noon and for the 7th time I have told my teen to get up. I know there won't be much for her to do when she does get up so I have let her sleep in a bit and as she slept I Googled "Teenagers and Sleep". I learned the following which may dispel the the "Teens sleep because they are lazy myth". (They do sleep because they are lazy but there are also physiological reasons to keep in mind!)

1. The average teen requires 9.5 hours of sleep and only gets 7.4 hours per night. Note: 9 and 10 years olds only require 8 hours a night!
2. The difference is linked to the critical growth hormones and sexual maturation hormones released during slumber. Note: Teen not getting enough sleep = too horny or just not knowing what to do with it?
3. Sleep deprivation in teens can cause moodiness, depression and car accidents due to weariness. Note: I think I will send my teen to bed at 6pm to decrease the moodiness which is making me depressed!

Teenagers and Sleep/Health 

So, this Boxing Day I let my teen sleep in. My tween pull out the crafts and make a mess and I sit here and type. I must go now to haul in some more wood, pull out the candles and make sure I fill the tub with water in case of a power outage. Perhaps I can grab my husband and go for a walk before we are stranded by the elements. Good news is: I checked the winter storm watch warning which has been canceled! Bad news is: It has been upgraded to a full on blizzard with about a foot or more of snow!

Happy Boxing Day and remember those with less as you wind through the malls!

And So This Is Christmas....

To quote the lyrics of the immortal John Lennon...

So this is Christmas.
And what have you done ?
Another year over
and a new one just begun.
And so this is Christmas.
I hope you have fun,
the near and the dear ones,
the old and the young.
A very merry Christmas
and a happy new year.
Let's hope it's a good one
without any fear.

And so this is Christmas...

REALLY what have you done? I hope that we have all done something this year to make the life of another better. Whether it was giving throughout the year or just during the season, I hope that everyone has done something they can be proud of to improve the world of another   if only for a brief time.

Whether you have randomly acted with kindness in the supermarket line up to pay for someone's items if they are short of money... Whether you have held a door longer to let a shopper with their arms full get by or assisted an elderly or disabled person with their chores... Whether you have been honest when shopping and let the sales clerk know they have made an error at the till so that it will not come from their meager pay at the end of the day... Whether you have smiled and said Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays to someone that everyone else might ignore... Whether you donated time and energy to a worthy cause... Whether you gave to a homeless person with a smile and without judgment... Whether you taught in a class and gave extra time and care to a child who may not have any other kindness in their day... Whether you have completed a true philanthropic act where you expected NO recognition, you did not tell anyone and you just made a donation or payment without expecting praise so someone   or a group could participate in an activity... Whether you were one of the wonderful people who touched MY life this year... There are so many ways ALL year long to help those in the world around us. 

Enjoy the holidays, your time off, treasured moments with family, the expressions of joy and happiness on your child or loved ones face and cherish these interludes. Remember, when you are being harassed by a bored or over excited, nagging child that they can't help themselves. They are still in the process of learning the shut off valve in their brain to not express every thought in their head! I say this as my daughter nags me " MOM MOM MOM " and " I AM HUNGRY " and "CAN we Wrap NOW???" ...

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to EVERYONE! I am so grateful this year for all of the love and support in my life. The family and friends who have given me a year of wonder, excitement, anticipation and terror at making one of the biggest changes in my life. I now sit here in Fosterville, with my little family whom I love with all of my heart,  you are all over the country and some parts of the world and wish you the best year to come and remember everything we go through is a learning experience. 

And so this is Christmas - The War is Over - John Lennon Video

And so this is Christmas
for weak and for strong,
for rich and the poor ones.
The road is so long.
And so happy Christmas
for black and for white,
for yellow and red ones.
Let's stop all the fight.
A very merry Christmas
and a happy new year.
Let's hope it's a good one
without any fear.

So this is Christmas.
And what have we done ?
Another year over
and a new one just begun.
And so happy Christmas.
We hope you have fun,
the near and the dear ones,
the old and the young.
A very merry Christmas
and a happy new year.
Let's hope it's a good one
without any fear.
War is over if you want it. 

The Mom Whole Stole Christmas aka The Grinch!

I just wonder when how much we spent, how many gifts are under the tree and who has the latest gadget, became so important? I never tried to teach my kids that. I thought I avoided this whole dilemma. I guess not.  Parents of young kids, I highly recommend that you start to think now about what you want the month of December aka Christmas to mean at your house. Whether you believe in God or Christ, or whether you celebrate as it is now the event of the year, tell me why do we put our selves in such distress? It only gets harder as they grow older.

 I can honestly say I want to give my kids everything... BUT... whether it is a year where I have the money or a lean year when I don't, I don't think WHAT is given should determine how loved my child is. Apparently I am mean, withholding, selfish, I don't care, poor, etc... I don't think so. I hate that those thoughts happen, I am sorry that it comes across that way, but that is NOT it....

 I think that it should be ok to give what is needed, some of the wanted items, but that we should not all be in such a competition. It worries me that people go into debt for Christmas when it seems to me that a month later kids NEED something else...and parents are still trying to recover from 'the season'.  Want versus need. Nope this is not a popular thought. Nope I don't expect good feedback. I do just want you to think about the following things:

 1) If you give your child everything they want, what will they still have to work towards?

2) If you give as much as you can and go into debt, will that hurt your family later in the year?

3) If you give everything, the latest, most expensive, labels, etc... What happens if in the future if you can't? Does that mean you no longer love your child? Does it mean that you don't care? Or did you teach them the wrong value?

4) Does your child having every wish and want fulfilled have an impact on others? Is your child able to return to school and brag excitedly about Christmas and not hurt someone who got less? Who got nothing? Who lost someone? Who is alone?

 I am rambling. I am frustrated. I will never let my kids go without. I will always do my best to provide for them. Give them love - without a doubt. Give them a warm home - absolutely. Fill their bellies with all the sights, sounds and smells that create lasting memories - YOU BET! Give them their want list - no. Some items, hopefully, all - never.

 Love is not measured in what you give but how you give it.

 Have you ever gone hungry so your child could eat?

Have you ever gone without clothes, haircut, etc. so you could provide for your child?

Have you ever given up something you wanted to do so your child could do something important to them?

These are things that measure true love. You don't have to be poor to give up something to provide for your child.

We do however, I believe, need to give up the concept of 'stuff' to show that we are meeting their 'needs'.

 If you want your child to remember something, don't think that a present will provide it. They will remember how you held them, the way you tucked them in at night, the good memories that you created for them. They will remember baking cookies, giving to others and feeling special. They will forget disappointment at not getting an item they 'had to have'. They will remember they could count on you to teach them right from wrong.

I guess today I am feeling let down in this way. I am excited for Christmas. I want the smells, warmth, decor and love to permeate my home. I want to give too my children. I don't want to feel that I have let them down by not providing gifts, gifts, gifts.... Even though my husband thinks I still over do it, I do it because I want to. Even though I have threatened again this morning not to give all the gifts, the kids know I am bluffing.

I guess it is a hard time of year for everyone. As fun as it is. There is so much to fit in. School events. Last minute shopping. Families get together (not for us this year!) and anticipation! I know my girls are not trying to drive me crazy, even though they are!

 I wish everyone a warm, happy, loving season filled with memories that last a life time.

Parents Pestered for Presents