Wednesday 28 November 2012

Work-Life Balance Is a Misnomer

Back in the 1930s, famous economist John Maynard Keynes predicted that by the end of the century we would be working a three hour work day.  "He figured we would no longer need to work long hours to earn enough to satisfy our material needs. Instead, we would be preoccupied with “how to use freedom from pressing economic cares” that accompanied societal prosperity" (Globe & Mail, 09 2012).

So how's the working out for you?

I am a big proponent of a healthy work-life balance.  I buy into the whole idea of "working to live and not living to work."  My raison d'etre is not my career (shhh...don't tell my boss) but rather my family.  I like the idea of spending more time with the fam jamming at whatever we get up to. I don't think there's anything wrong with that even if "work-life balance" is a dirty word in the private sector.  I dig my job - I work hard at doing it well, to the best of my ability.  But to be honest, when I'm home with the family or out doing something, I'm not lamenting the fact that I'm not working.  I don't think I'm unique in that respect.

Though I support the essence of work-life balance, I consider to be a misnomer.  The idea that work is separate from our life is a misconception.  It's all life.  Here's what I don't like about using that term, it gives the impression that the two things are distinct entities that have little effect on each other.  Do you realize that you will probably spend the majority of your prime living years working?  A large portion of your life is spent at work.  It's not like you can take the portion of time used for work and add more years to your life because it was just work and didn't really count as life...as living.  But it does count...you don't get that time back, ever!

That's why we better make sure that what we do for a living is meaningful to us.  If I'm going to trade so much life - so much time that could be spent with family - I want to make sure it's worth it.  I want the return on my investment to make a difference and have a purpose beyond paying my bills.  We better believe in what we're doing because we are giving up an awful lot to be able to do it.

It's funny - I think where Keynes miscalculated was in our greed and lust for more than what we need.  As our ability to make more money increases, so do our material "needs."  Our material needs cannot be satisfied so we work more and more and more. 

I guess what I'm getting at in this rant is this - time does not equal money.  Time is life...how are you spending yours?  Are you getting your desired return on investment?

Tuesday 27 November 2012

What's In Your Fridge?

Just watched Food, Inc. and let me tell you, it was eye-opening.  Now to be honest it really just reinforced a lot of the views I already held, but perhaps will give fresh legs to the action that admittedly is lacking on my part. 

One of the more poignant points that one of the farmers raises is how little thought most of us give to something as important as what we put in our bodies on a regular basis.  How many of us stop and think about the processes that must take place in order to get a slab of beef from the side of a cow onto the side of you?  Yes I mean the processes that breakdown the meat (and everything else they put in the meat) once it's ingested and transforms it into energy, muscle, fat or waste.  How often do you stop and think about where that tomato, that you just threw into your spaghetti sauce, has been?  We city-folk are often so removed from the source and the process that we lose touch with the actual cost of our lifestyle.  And by cost I don't just mean what we pay for our food but the sacrifices that we and others are making (some which are forced on them) so that we can sustain our indulgent lifestyles.  There are sacrifices on the front end (the farmers) and the back end - not just the growth of the back side but there are health and nutritional sacrifices we make as consumers when we choose cheapness over quality.

Do I resent paying fifty cents more for a cup of coffee?  Sometimes, yeah...but then I stop and think, maybe it is what's fair...maybe that's more representative of the cost of getting me my fix in the morning.  Maybe I shouldn't be able to get a coffee and a muffin for under a buck fifty.  You know?  Perhaps I should ask myself, what had to happen in order for me to get such cheap sustenance?

I'm worried about all the implications of such a question.  I am concerned about the quality of nutrition my family is receiving.  I don't like the thought of turning our food into another industry where the bottom-line is the dominant driver in decision-making.  I think approaching food in such a way has serious socio-economic, environmental and health ramifications.   I worry about the people producing our food, the animals, the land and seeds that are the source of our food and my family who consume food...on a daily basis, usually three times a day (or more!).  I don't like the idea of a corporation owning a patent on seeds or the molecules that make up the seed...that's bad news.

There's a lot I don't like about this situation.  What I do like, is that we are not powerless.  We can choose what we eat - if need be we can plant our own food, forage and hunt (a little extreme, but I did say "need be," I don't think we're there yet). 

But what I am saying is that we're going to be more deliberate about what we eat.  Shop local...shop organic (second mortgage on the house may be needed)...eat fresh produce that is in season.

Mmmmmm...just a little food for thought.


Monday 26 November 2012

Thoughts on Alberta's New Anti-Bullying Law

Yeah, there's a problem with today's youth.  Perhaps it's not a problem limited to youth but definitely the ramifications of the problem seem to be magnified and compounded by the highly emotional state that youth find themselves in.  Bullying.

In the past the solutions were pretty simplistic.  The notion that "sticks and stones may break some bones but names will never hurt me" was a popular refrain among my peers.  The Berenstain Bears taught us that though it's not very nice, teasing is a part of life...and that we shouldn't be too sensitive.

All very sensible advice focused on encouraging the victim to toughen up, roll with the punches and let things slide.  Problem is, it doesn't work with everyone.  There are those that have the right disposition for this approach which I thinks takes a certain amount of internal strength and confidence combined with positive external influences (like parents and friends to some extent).

The sad thing is I'm not sure we're fostering the time environment that builds relationships and community cohesiveness.  Back in the day teasing was just as much a part of life - though I think we were able to get away from it easier - the internet and social media weren't so pervasive.  The thing is I remember my friends having my back and me theirs when need be.  Many kids don't have a support system - they feel alone which is a shame. And so we try to legislate kids to do the right thing and stand up for each other.  In the void of real relationships we attempt to create the defense mechanism that comes so naturally when you're part of a cohesive community.  

Alberta, in the education act, has a section (31) that if interpreted literally, would hold bystanders liable for not getting involved.

I just don't think it's going to work.  I believe we should look out for one another.  We need more people to get involved when they see something not right going down.  But I think we need to do more to build those relationships and that community, then we will see the desired results.  We'll see people standing up for one another.  We'll notice that we aren't as alone as we thought. 

We need to tell our kids to put down their devices and start to build real relationships.  They need to understand that knowing everything about someone is not the same thing as knowing them.  Heck, maybe we ought to start at home and unplug while the family is around.  Revolutionary, I know.

I see the new part of the education act as simply treating a symptom while ignoring the main issue.  Until we treat the issue, bullying is just going to get worse.  The more disconnected we become, the easier it is to trash someone and the easier it is to walk on by when someone else is getting trashed. 

It's a sorry state of affairs and I worry about my girls but know that they'll at least have a good home to take refuge in.  Is it the answer to bullying?  Maybe...it's a start I think. 

A little more of the golden rule, a little more turning the other cheek and a lot more love for one another would go a long way.


Sunday 25 November 2012

Ice, Ice Baby

Funny thing about life - it often defies your expectations and plans, for better or worse.  In this case I think for better.

I never imagined having a hockey family.  I never pictured myself spending hours at arenas, teaching my kids how to skate and cheering them on as they play.  Not that there's anything wrong with hockey.  It's a great game.  It's exciting and fast paced...it's Canadian.  Heck I'm from the hometown of the Great One...It's just that I was never the hockey player. 

I played football.  I love football.  Watching it, following it, and playing it (though the opportunities to play it are few and far between now).  Tonight I watched the Grey Cup...now I'm watching the Packers vs. Giants game...I'm in my glory tonight.  Back in the day, I would have spent most of Grey Cup Sunday focused on football, watching all the pregame and post-game festivities and maybe even finding the time and peeps to play a game.

To tell the truth, I'm not sure I thought much about what my girls would be into.  I suppose I thought maybe they would humour my love of football and maybe grow to enjoy watching it with their old man.  There's not much opportunity for them to play it...not much to aim for long term and no real role models for them in the world of women's football.  Sorry all you LFL players...models you may be, role models...maybe not.

Hockey on the other hand...well maybe one day we'll see "Gideon" on a Team Canada jersey...it could happen.  But more importantly they are enjoying the game now, having fun now and being active and healthy.  I also like the fact that their coaches are all girls (young women I guess I should say) that they can look up to.  Evie thinks it's awesome when the local universities' women's hockey teams come out and help coach.  I think it gives her a sense of being a part of something bigger than the ordinary...a community.

This afternoon we spent two hours at the rink skating around.  Most of that time I was squatting helping Noli skate around the rink.  My thighs, butt and back are toast right now (I'm getting old...or maybe just out of shape).  Last winter we were lucky to spend half an hour on the ice.  Today was our first family/public skate of the year and the girls didn't want to get off the ice.  I know I wrote about Evie and her mad skating skills last week, but I'm still amazed at how she's taking to the skating.  She was cruising around today like it was just what she did all the time - and she was lovin' it.

Noli...well today was her first time on single blades (she was bobbin' it last year) and let me tell you, she is a go getter.  I shouldn't be surprised; their mother was one heck of a hockey player herself.  If today is any indication, then today was just the tip of the ice berg and I can expect to be spending a lot more time on the ice and early mornings in arenas sipping my double-double and watching my girls do their thing.  If they take after their mom in other ways, they'll be doing well for themselves.




Friday 23 November 2012

Black Friday Indeed

Every year we hear in Canada about the legendary "shopping holiday" Black Friday. The deals the steals, the longer store hours, and of course a few people being trampled to death in a mob of shoppers bent on getting a deal. In my mind this is what Hell might be like. A mindless mob.

Of course retailers in Canada want a piece of that action too. But I for one am very grateful that Black Friday has not yet seeped into the Canadian culture entirely; although I think it won't take too long. It's not that I don't like sales or shopping or any of that, it's just that when it comes at the expense of an actual holiday it makes me cringe. It seems ironic to me that Thanksgiving and Black Friday are even in the same month.  Thanksgiving is a holiday that symbolizes contentment, peace, sharing, love, family, and plenty. Black Friday can be characterized as one big pushing, shoving, buying, lending, debt-bacle.

I would urge my American brothers and sisters and any Canadian defectors not to be lulled into such a silly marketing scheme, and to instead rest and let the thanksgiving coma take hold until Black Friday passes over.





Wednesday 21 November 2012

It's Hard Being a Kid

As I watch my girls grow, try new things, struggle and finally "get it" I am reminded about how hard it can be, being a kid.  I started to think about this on Saturday as I watched Evie skate around at hockey practice.  She has come so far in her skating in the past two months and it is a joy to watch her enjoying finally cruising along the ice.  She often looks to see if I'm watching her, beaming and full of pride at her accomplishment.  I'm always sure to give her a big thumbs up and a smile. 

She has worked hard for weeks trying to get the skating thing down.  Week after week she would attempt the proper technique in vain.  But she didn't give up and now she's starting to reap the rewards.  To be sure she's not Gretzky out there, not yet but she's come so far.  The funny thing is that almost as soon as she got the forward motion working properly, the coaches started teaching her backwards skating.  And she did it all with such a positive attitude and a smile.  I'm a proud papa.  Sometimes it's so hard to sit and watch your child struggle - but it's essential to remember that they're getting stronger because of the struggle.

Evie works hard at everything - piano, swimming, hockey, speech, school work - and there just doesn't seem to be any let up at this age.  Everything is so new and just when they think they've nailed something, they discover the next step.   It's no wonder that every now and then kids meltdown as if they just can't handle expelling another iota of effort.  Like on Monday when we were getting ready for school Evie freaked out because she was having trouble zipping her coat up.  Her reaction seemed somewhat disproportionate to the situation.  We as grown-ups sometimes forget just how much learning our kids are doing on a daily basis - the things we take for granted are still struggles for them.  Learning takes a lot out of you.  I'm going to try to remember that and maybe be a little more patient with the girls next time they're struggling with something.  Definitely not excusing or condoning freaking out - but maybe I can understand where she's coming from and look for a way to circumvent her "learning fatigue" and frustration before it results in a meltdown. 


Tuesday 20 November 2012

More Ranting - The Daddy Voice

I have noticed more and more as the people of my generation become parents (us crazy generation Y's) that there is a sharp decline of yelling going on during parenting hours. Now you might be saying to yourself  "yay for us, we are above losing our tempers with our children and we will only discipline using gentle fairy sounds forevermore!" Hang on! Before we congratulate ourselves too much, I want to give some credence to the art of yelling in parenthood. Yes it is a fine and practised art. When my kids are bad, I yell at them. Not in a scary way but in a way that makes it clear that I expect their respect and obedience - I call it, the "Daddy Voice."  And no it doesn't always work.

 When I was little, adults were not afraid to raise their voice to their children or for that matter other children. I remember countless times being yelled at by strangers usually for good reasons. And I think this instilled a good amount of respect for my elders, something really lacking from children today. Yes perhaps it sometimes went a little far but judging by how children behave now versus how they did when I was little I think our parents might have had the better plan.

I don't see and have never seen much point in reasoning why the three year old is not allowed to smack the 2 year old, it is confusing for them and takes up much more time than simply yelling "NO HITTING"!!! Any three year old can understand that statement, and odds are they will be less likely to reoffend because being yelled at is understandably annoying.

I'm not advocating going around screaming at kids all day, but I would tell parents that it is OK to raise a little old school discipline a bit more often, if for no other reason than because I am tired of listening to the fairy discipline voice.


Here is some additional "parenting advice" from one of my favourite comedians. It has some foul language, but its still so funny.


Sunday 18 November 2012

Lasso the Moon

I was driving home from swimming lessons with the two oldest girls this weekend when Noli noticed the moon.  She's quite fascinated by the moon and has been for a few months now.  Evie also found it quite interesting how the moon seemed to follow us when we moved but stayed still when we stopped.  I think we spoke about the moon for the entire car ride home, which suits me just fine as I've always been rather fond of the moon and other things space related.

The funny thing is that part way home, Noli asked in all seriousness, "Daddy, will you try to get the moon down for me one day?"  (To my knowledge, she hasn't seen It's a Wonderful Life yet).

It never ceases to amaze me how much confidence kids exhibit in their parents - especially their fathers.  Whether it be capturing the moon or fighting a bear to protect them, my girls don't ever seem to doubt that I can do it.  We fathers have great expectations to fulfill and sometimes lack the means to accomplish them.

It's sometimes hard to balance the desire to give to the girls and the need to withhold so as not to spoil them.  I sometimes think that if it is within my means to give them somethings simple, why wouldn't I?  Does any father want to hold back any good gift from their child?  But surely there is a time to restrain from giving our children all their hearts' desires even if we could.

I guess it's a matter of balancing their wants and their needs and determining what is good for them.  Momentary, temporal goodness doesn't necessarily equate long term or big picture goodness.  For example...for an extreme example...if it was within my power to get the moon down for Noli, it doesn't mean that it would be the good thing to do.  In fact it would be bad, very bad for Noli and everyone else.  Can you imagine the havoc that would wreak on tides...among other things? I understand the desire to give but it isn't always the good thing...or the right thing to do.

So I guess Noli will just have to keep enjoying the moon in the sky, where it belongs, where all the world's children are free to share in its beauty and mystique.  Something tells me that she'll be good with that.


Wednesday 14 November 2012

Christmas is Coming...Are You Ready?

Ah...another Christmas season is upon us.  The radio announcer told me it is now less than six weeks until Christmas.  Stores' shelves are filled with Christmas merchandise while the air is filled with Christmas tunes and holiday "cheer" is finding room in people's hearts.  Ah yes, the Christmas spirit...the hustle and bustle of the shops, the hob-knobbing of the office Christmas parties, the rushing to and fro to get things just right, the endless baking and gift exchanges, "Merry Christmas" after "Happy Holiday" and "Festivus for the Rest of Us!"  And on it goes until we collapse on Christmas morning ever so glad the season is behind us for another 364 days.  SERENITY NOW!!

I say not this year, we can do better.  We can spend so much time trying to build some prefabricated experience  of Christmas that we end up missing the point of it all.  My family wants to step back and do something different but are often compelled to participate lest we rob our children of some essential memories of childhood.  And before you know it we are swept away...I'm saying let's get ahead of the Christmas bustle this year.  Let's pause now, before the inertia of the holidays carries us away.  Let's take back Christmas, reshape it and recast it so that it's no longer another hallmark holiday and rather it becomes a Holy day once again.

We do the whole gift thing in our family and we spend tons of time together over copious amounts of food.  Our kids like getting presents and you know what, I really like giving presents and that's okay.  But we try to be deliberate in making sure our focus is more on Jesus than on us during Christmas (and ideally throughout the whole year, no?).  For us this means that our giving comes from the desire to bless each other, because we love one another.  Therefore we try not to get caught up in how many presents we got each other, how much we spent, or if we got the "perfect" present.  Which I'm glad for because I have to admit I used to get stressed out if I didn't find the right gift that conveyed how important my wife was to me and how very much I loved her (in retrospect I think that's asking a little much from a gift).  We spend less on us and give more to various charities.  We want to give more of our time...admittedly we guard our time closely now but I think as the girls get older we'll be able to devote more of our time serving others.  In short, we try to pay tribute to Christ's incarnation by putting that love that we are supposed to have for one another (neigbours and strangers and all) into action.  Again, it would be ideal to do this year round...but it is good to have a touchstone date to remind us of that which we ought to be doing all the time.

The thing is, if you try to live that love out throughout the year, it takes a lot of the pressure off of getting it "right" at Christmas.  You know, if you try to be a blessing to others, through gifts and especially through other means, spend quality and quantity time together and serve others a little bit more throughout the year then it's like having Christmas all year round without the stress of having to do it all in a 4-6 week window.

So in light of the coming Christmas, here is a little video to inspire you to raise the standard Christmas and a link below the video if you want to know more about such stuff.



Monday 12 November 2012

Heroes They Were and Heroes They Are

We took the girls downtown yesterday to see the Remembrance Day ceremony at the war memorial.  They were very proud to see Grampa up on the memorial as one of the WWII veterans present.  I believe it was a significant moment for them and one that I hope they remember.  John, my father-in-law, is the second veteran that I've been close with.  My own Grampa was a WWII vet as well and I have clear memories of proudly watching him in a Remembrance Day ceremony.

I've benefited greatly from my relationship with my father-in-law.  One very tangible way is in the wisdom and perspective that he readily passes down to me.  He will be the first to say that he doesn't have it all figured out but I'm not sure he gives himself enough credit.  I believe that age should speak wisdom and the young listen closely and hopefully learn.  One topic that John readily discusses is the war - which has given me a whole new perspective and even greater respect for the men and women whose efforts and lives were given to the war.

It's so important for us and especially the next generation, my kids, to remember the horror of war.  The farther we get from the last great war, the less impact it seems to have on us.  Whether it's because we have become desensitized to the terrible aspects of war due to the constant barrage of violence as entertainment or the ubiquitous coverage of contemporary conflicts (covered in such a way that often casts it as an uber-reality show), the devastation of WWII seems to be slipping into the history books.  Sometimes I forget that the consequences of that war are still being felt.

Just from a physical, literal stance - the wounds of the war are still wreaking havoc.   My father-in-law still has trouble sleeping some nights because of the bullet fragments left in his arm that he collected running across a field in Holland.  On a whole other level he questions what it was all about...he's still coming to terms, wrestling with the things he saw and did in the war.  He often talks about the boys on the other side of the war, how they were probably just like him.  Here they were, trying to kill each other...why?  Because they were ordered to.  For freedom and democracy.  To defend those who could not defend themselves.  Sure.

Sure...all of that.  But often it came down to the fact that they were boys trying to stay alive. I've heard John say time and again that it doesn't make any sense.  He ponders the notion that during the war, him and I (if I were older) could have been shooting at each other (due to my Finnish heritage).  But here we are...now...family.

The Remembrance Day ceremony is something else.  It's a great tribute - but let it not be just in remembrance of those things done and gone.  Sometimes I think that on Remembrance Day, it's easy to go through the motions...it's easy to wear a poppy and say the right things.  We remember the bygone sacrifices and are grateful for the freedoms we enjoy.  But sometimes I think we do it all on a very superficial level that does a disservice to the depth of the sacrifices made (past and present) by our men and women in the Forces...many of which have resounded through the generations and are still being and will continue to be felt.

Heroes they were, and heroes they still are - lest we forget.


Friday 9 November 2012

Pop Culture Daddy Hall of Fame III: Cubs Over Bears

Charles Tillman, cornerback of the Chicago Bears made some minor news this week by voicing his intention to be at his wife's side for the birth of their baby - even if it meant he would miss this weekend's game against the Houston Texans.  Apparently, according to the writer, there were some detractors who claimed that he had a duty to be on the field since players only play in 16 games a year.  "Rubbish," I say. 

The fact that there is even any debate as to where Tillman should be is ridiculous.  We're talking about the start of a new life that he helped create.  We're talking about being by his wife as she goes through one of the hardest things a living being has to go through.  How many times has she probably stood by him as he goes about his "business" of playing a game?  How many times has she picked up the slack that enables him to pursue excellence on the grid-iron?  How can anyone expect that her needs at a time like this would be relegated to second fiddle because football's fan base takes the game a little too seriously?

I say, way to step up and be a man Tillman, despite the pressures of your marketplace. Good on you for choosing to be a husband and a father first before being a football player.  Truth be told very few people will remember Tillman the football player in 50 years...sure he'll probably be part of some nice montages, maybe even make it to the hall of fame.  But really...can you name the top cornerback from 50 years ago?  How about QB's?  That's a little easier, but tell me, do you remember the games that Unitas or Tarkenton missed?  I can't...it doesn't make a difference to their legacy as a football player.  But I bet you their families would be able to tell you the things they missed because of football.

My point is, for all of us, we have to measure our legacy against things and people that actually matter - against those that our choices really have an effect on.  That's why it has been easy for me to take parental leave for each of my kids - two years out of a 35 year career isn't going to be missed, at the end of it all.  But 2 years given to my family now has had a tremendous effect now and will be remembered down the road possibly through the next generation.  Tillman's kids and grandkids will be talking about him long after crazed football fans have shifted their attention to the next generation of Bears...they'll share stories of Tillman the husband and father that surely will eclipse the memories of Tillman the cornerback held by the masses.

So here's to Charles Tillman and his family as they prepare for their new arrival!  May they be blessed for making the right decision and for being an example and an inspiration to the masses.




Tuesday 6 November 2012

Ryan the Tool Man?

I love home ownership.  I'll tell you why, because it forces you to become a handy-man.  It's great being able to work on something in the house and know that I can do whatever I want to it because it's mine.  I woke up one morning in the spring, felt a little restless and so I decided to knock a wall down.  Not just any wall, the first wall you see when you enter the front door. Since I've moved into this house, I've done my fair share of painting, plumbing, electrical work, wood work, demolition, construction and all around general labour.  Before this summer when I built my own fence, the last big woodworking project I undertook was when I was six years old and built a toy helicopter out of scrap pieces of wood. 

I'm not saying my craftsmanship is top notch, definitely not at a professional level, but I generally get the job done - even if it doesn't always look the prettiest.  Then there are other times that I'll work a couple of days on trying to solve a problem - like the clogged basement sink that I took the completely apart including the plumbing - only to have to end up calling in a pro.  But even then, I end up knowing a lot more than I did when I started.

I love the projects that I don't even know are coming.  Like the other day when my wife and I went to Ikea to buy a shelf and ended up walking out with a new ceiling light for the dining room.  I didn't even know we were considering replacing the 40 year old chandelier that was hanging in the dining room...I thought we liked that ol' thing.  Well, now we have a little more modern "pendant" light.  Very chic.

As I sit here and feel good about my ability to play with electricity and hook up a light, I realize just how much more needs doing around here.  Yes - owning a house is great blessing...a privilege.  And like all privileges it comes with a lot of responsibility.  Sometimes we let our blessings become burdens - but it's all perspective.  I'm blessed with a house - work and all.  I'm also lucky that once in awhile that work includes taking an axe to a wall or a chainsaw to the logs in my backyard...fun stuff!

GRUNT GRUNT GRUNT!!







Monday 5 November 2012

Someone Tell the Kids

Ahh...fall back time.  The end of daylight savings...when we gain an extra hour.  The best part about it is the extra hour of sleep gained on this day.  That is of course unless you have kids who are young enough that time is still kind of an abstract concept to them.

Even on regular days the girls don't seem to care about what time they wake up at.  All they care about is that they're awake and ready to go and no amount of rationalizing with them will do.  I've been woken up at four o'clock or before at times by a kid who is convinced it is time to wake up.  And you would think that it's a treat when you tell them, you don't have to get up for another 4 hours...but it's not.  They're just excited to be awake and see what good things the day has for them.

I wonder when that excitement ends?  I suppose it's when you stop getting the proper amount of sleep required to feel rested in the morning.  It would help not to be woken up multiple times through the night for various reasons from needing a drink to wanting a back rub.  I don't know why kids don't seem to be affected by late nights or rough nights.  And I don't know why they don't coordinate their rough nights.  It'd be nice if both decided to sleep through the night on the same night - or if both decided to sleep in on the same day.  But they don't.  One of them usually sleeps in while the other one gets up and gets everyone else up.

Ahhh...to be young and carefree again.  If I knew then what I know now, I think I would have slept more...but then again life is grand and too good to spend in bed...unless you have young kids, then a day in bed sure seems as good as a month in paradise.

Thursday 1 November 2012

Post-Mortem: Halloween




Well it turned out to be a perfect night for trick or treating.  No rain, nice and warm...fantastic.

Despite being a bit sick, we decided to take the girls out for a quick tour of the neighbourhood to see what we could scour up.  I'm very impressed with my girls tonight.

Noli made it for about a block and a half, maybe two blocks then she decided that she had enough.  So she hopped in the stroller and lounged for most of the rest of the night.  Evie was raring to go and demonstrated such empathy and consideration for Noli that I couldn't help but be impressed.  At each stop, she advocated for Noli, her poor little sister who wasn't feeling well and of her own initiative collected candy for her.  Then when she decided her bag was full enough, she took Noli's bag door to door as she felt Noli didn't have enough on account of her stopping after a block and a bit.

She pretended to be Balto, the heroic sled-dog who braved harsh conditions in 1925 to deliver diphtheria antitoxin to Nome, Alaska, who badly needed it to save some of Nome's citizens, particularly its young people.  Of course Noli was the sick child and the candy the serum.  Evie bravely trudged along though her legs grew tired and her arms weary from carrying her burden...until she decided that Noli finally had enough candy.  Then it was time to go home.

We weren't out very long at all...my wife and I had to confirm that they in deed wanted to go home.  It surprises me that they have the wherewithal to know when they've had enough - despite the availability of untold amounts of candy.  There's often the temptation to project our own thoughts and feelings onto a child (don't they know we could have gotten so much more candy?) but to what end.  I was worried that they would miss out...but really how wise of them is it to be content with the amount that they deemed enough without spending time on extra candy that they don't want and certainly don't need?  Ah, lessons learned from kids...if only we could always be content with "enough" without constantly striving for more.  How much more at peace would we be?  It's something to think about.