I meant to write on Saturday to wish you all a sensational International Sword Swallowers Awareness Day but Reid and Ken and I got so busy doing nothing that I forgot. I certainly didn’t want to miss the opportunity to say, “Happy Square Root Day.” It’s a rare occasion, definitely the sort that you want to share with your family and friends. If you’re wondering, it’s square root day because the month’s number and the date are the square of the year. We won’t have another one until April 4, 2016. Following the Square Root Day recommendations in Wikipedia , we’ll be having root vegetables with our supper. Ken is excited about this completely non-commercial holiday. I think he is sad that I didn’t tell him early enough that he could have baked a cake – square of course. (Okay, that may be overstating things. His “excitement” may have been exasperation at my ability to find such special days.)
Archive for the ‘Holidays’ Category
Happy Square Root Day!
Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009Give Something Big … at the last minute
Saturday, December 20th, 2008I received a comment last week on the post that I wrote last year about gifts that warm the heart of the recipient and also the giver. Samantha McGavin, the commentor, invited me to check out the site Give Something Big. The site helps visitors to make a donation to Interpares, a social justice organization. The process to make the donation is straightforward and secure. The minimum suggested donation is $50 but you could easily specify a lower donation by entering a different amount in the text entry box. The thing that I most liked about the donation process was that you can send up to 10 cards electronic or paper-based for any given amount. I’m most used to the World Vision catalogue and site where there seems to be a one-to-one correspondance between the gift of a piglet or the education of a girl and the card. It’s easier to cover off a number of people with a single transaction throught the Give Something Big site.
I’ve been searching for something that would be appropriate for Ken’s grandmother. You know the type: she needs nothing; she wants nothing; and she is so sweet and loving that you want to honour her presence in your life with a gift. I’ve donated to the Snowsuit Fund in her name in the past and also bought World Vision blankets. I selected the social equality card for her. It depicts a woman holding up the world and, really, if Grandmama isn’t a woman who has had her turn holding up the world, I don’t know who has.
Charities need our support more this year than ever, even though most people are looking for ways to save money this Christmas. When you Give Something Big, you save others from some measure of social inequality and injustice and that’s a savings that may count just a bit more. And, if I step off my soapbox for just a bit, I would remind you that last minute online donations are great for my fellow procrastinators out there. I made my donation at 6:10 am while sitting in my pajamas. The e-card that I’d selected arrived moments later (but could have been scheduled to arrive at a later date). The paper cards need time for mailing. If you’re thinking of this Christmas, I think you’re too late.
My only advice to Interpares would be to prepare a printable certificate to compliment their e-cards and print cards. There are some of us out here on the Internet who procrastinate until it’s too late for the print cards to be delivered but who want to give a card to a non-wired loved one.
Disclosure: Samantha offered to publicize my blog in exchange for me writing about Give Something Big. I’ve decided not to take her up on the offer in the spirit of the season but thought you might want to know it was on the table.
Advent calendar activities
Monday, December 1st, 2008Andrea over at Peek inside the fishbowl wrote a few days ago about creating an activity-based advent calendar. She made little envelopes to contain the activity statement. I’m planning to reuse the advent calendar that I got from Starbucks last year. It has a box for each day. I love it and had planned to refill it with candies but, really, Reid isn’t that keen on candy and I don’t need the candy tempting me. I had started scoping out what we’ll do a few days ago but didn’t get finished until this evening. Rather than marking myself down for missing the first activity, I changed it. I love being in charge! Here is what I have planned for the next 24 days:
1. Read 1st of Christmas stories in Children’s Rhyming Bible Finalize the activities for the advent calendar
2. Make photo ornaments with Melissa and her kids from the Oriental Trading Company kits that I bought 2 years ago only to discover they were too complicated for Reid.
3. Read 1st of the Christmas stories in The Rhyme Bible Storybook
4. Decorate the house
5. Shop for a client of the Shepherds of Good Hope homeless shelter. I received a bag and wish list from my Curves.
6. The Story of the Nutcracker by Orleans Young Players Theatre School
7. Make fudge for cookie exchange at Mama’s work after E’s birthday party
8. Write a letter to “Any Canadian Forces Member”
9. Decorate a picture to include with the letter to Santa that Reid and Ken wrote a week or so ago
10. Read the 2nd of the Christmas stories in The Rhyme Bible Storybook
11. Visit Taffy Lane in Orleans (a street that goes all out to decorate) to see the Christmas lights
12. Bake shortbread for cookie exchange with Mama’s friends
13. Attend the Bare Naked Ladies “Snacktime” concert with a school friend and her mom
14. Attend the Humpty Dumpty pantomime put on by the East End Theatre Company OR visit Ken’s parents
15. Take a toy to Toy Mountain and have supper at A&W in the mall
16. Visit the reflecting ball at National Research Council. Take hot chocolate in a thermos. It’s about 3 minutes by car from our house and we’ve never went gone to look at it up close. It is particularly beautiful in the winter as this photo (not mine) shows.
17. Read the 3rd of the Christmas stories in The Rhyme Bible Storybook
18. Reid’s Christmas school concert (thank goodness my French exam is on Tuesday and I’ll be able to attend!)
19. Take the train to Grandma Joyce’s house. Dylan will join us in London
20. Attend storytime at the Leamington Library for a reading of The Polar Express
21. Attend Sunday school at the Wheatley United Church
22. Decorate Christmas cookies at Grandma Joyce’s house
23. Picnic under the Christmas tree
24. Have pictures taken of all of the kids in matching pajamas and go to Uncle Roger and Auntie M’s for a pizza party
25. Give Christmas kisses to everyone we see
I didn’t find a date for volunteering, something that I really want to start doing with Reid, or a visit to see Alight at Night at Upper Canada Village but I think that we could do these after Christmas. I didn’t write what book we’ll read when, but I did unpack a bunch of Christmas books this evening – I try to keep them collected together because Christmas stories in July seem a bit odd to me. We have more than enough books to do an advent calendar of only books but I like to read and re-read the same books throughout the month. Ken would probably support a one-a-day schedule for Christmas books, though ;+)
To read how some other people are tackling these activity advent calendars, visit Andrea’s post on the activities she has included and read all the way through the comments, even follow links to folks like Porter at Porter’s Ponderings and Lynn at Turtlehead.
Photo with Santa Claus
Wednesday, November 26th, 2008Reid and I went to the mall last night to see Santa. I noticed last Tuesday that there was no one on Santa’s lap, let alone in line, and wanted to get a photo under the same conditions. Reid was excited by the prospect of seeing the Jolly Old Elf and telling him what she wants for Christmas – still a dolly and a house for the dolly – and even talked about getting her picture taken in positive terms. Until we started up the ramp to St Nick’s stage, that is. Midway up Reid stopped and said she didn’t want to get her picture taken with Santa unless I went with her. I had outsmarted her, though – I was prepared for the request and already wearing a red shirt. Last year I was wearing nothing special, or maybe something worse than that, and so I had to buy a sweater before we got our picture taken.
We walked right up to Santa’s throne, or rather, I walked up dragging Reid who was clinging to the leg that was farthest from Santa. Place d’Orleans has a throne that seats Santa and another adult or maybe two kids. I’m glad for this foresight since I don’t think Santa wants me on his lap! I got Reid on my lap, again as far away from Santa as possible, but couldn’t convince her to speak to him. He was a handsome and authentic-looking Santa who could have spoken with her in English or French – I love that about our neighbourhood. Reid and I had discussed the fact that we’d be seeing a “helper Santa” since the real one is busy with the elves at the North Pole. I thought that she might be less intimidated but it doesn’t seem to have helped. Once we were done, Reid did accept a colouring book from Santa. We’ll have that to build on for next year ;+)
Unlike all previous years, Reid seems to be smiling during the picture. We have pictures of her crying outright, just plain unhappy and looking at Santa like he’s an alien or maybe just a freak. I joked with Ken that I figure Reid will let me stop appearing in her pictures with Santa once she has a husband to take my place. Really, her fear of strange men dressed in red is probably healthy. We tell her not to talk to strangers but it’s okay to snuggle with them for pictures?
If you’re thinking of a picture with a mall Santa, go soon and avoid the crowds. You’ll also find out what your kids want while there is still a chance that a store might have it in stock. If you have a story about taking a kid to see Santa, I’d love to hear it.
Vigil 1914-1918
Friday, November 7th, 2008We went to the Vigil 1914-1918 last night. There wasn’t a ceremony leading up as I had thought there would be, but it was a worthwhile experience nonetheless. We arrived in time to take the kids to look at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and at the National War Memorial itself before the projection started. We didn’t know any of the names that were projected while we sat there but we did have time to speak about the sacrifices of the soldiers, about Dr John McCrae (writer of the poem In Flanders Fields), and the importance of remembrance. At supper we did the math: 68,000 Canadians died in the First World War; each name will be projected over 7 nights; each night lasts for 13 hours and the names are projected at the top of the memorial in pairs (they remain on the lower part of the memorial afterward as well). As you watch the pairs appear at approximately 8 second intervals, you get a sense of the massive loss of life, particularly since the total Canadian population according to the 1911 census was only 7.2 million.
The Vigil continues from dawn to dusk each night leading up to Remembrance Day and finishes at dawn on that day with the name of the soldier who died just 2 minutes before the Armistice went into effect at the 11th hour of the 11day of the 11th month in 1918.
Trick or treat – Wordless Wednesday
Wednesday, November 5th, 2008
View More Wordless Wednesday Participants, look at my previous Wordless Wednesday entries, or check out the Wordless Wednesday HQ. Youll find lots of cute babies and kids at 5 Minutes for Mom.
Remembering
Tuesday, November 4th, 2008Dani over at has already posted her list of Santa parades – and a good thing since the first one takes place this weekend – and there are many churches having their Christmas bazars but I want to talk about remembrance for just a bit before moving full swing into Christmas. Starting tonight and continuing until dawn on Remembrance Day, the names of those Canadians who gave their lives fighting in the First World War will be projected on the National War Memorial in Ottawa and in a number of other cities in Canada as well as on Canada House in London, England. The names will also be visible via webcast. Dubbed Vigil 1914-1918, this event will allow people to remember the sacrifices in a war that ended 90 years ago. I found a schedule of events on the National History Society Vigil site which promises the following for Ottawa on each of the 7 nights:
4:00 National Capital Commission site interpreters provide students with a tour of the National War Memorial
4:30 Official ceremonies begin
- Community leaders invited to share remarks
- Area cadet corps read letters from First World War soldiers
- Area students and classrooms will be invited to:
a) place maple leaves on wreaths and lay the wreaths on the cenotaph (Grade 4-8 program)
b) light votive candles and place them on the cenotaph (Grade 9-12 program)
- musical tribute
5:00 The visual projection begins
5:15 The first of the soldiers names appears on the monument
Halifax, Fredricton,Toronto, Regina, and Edmonton will have different ceremonies. In London, the Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh will attend the opening ceremony at Canada House, Trafalgar Square.
I don’t think that Reid is ready for the ceremony at the National War Memorial on the 11th. There would be far too much waiting involved if we were to get close enough for her to see but I think that this might be do-able for her. Given the unseasonably warm weather we’re experiencing, it seems wrong not to at least bring her for a bit. We’ll colour a poppy and bring it with us, too.
If you lost a family member in the First World War, you can search for their name and attend/watch at the appropriate time.
The National History Society Vigil site has a lot of good information for starting a conversation with children, even small ones, about Remembrance Day, as does the Veterans’ Affairs Veterans’ Week site.If you’re interested in attending, here is the key information from the Vigil 1914-1918 site:
The Names The vigil will commence November 4th 2008. More than 9,700 names will appear each night. Each individual name will appear only once during the seven nights. These include those killed in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, the Canadian Merchant Navy and the Canadian Army Medical Corps.
A scary crew
Saturday, November 1st, 2008
Compared to the two vampires Reid was trick or treating with, her skunk costume didn’t seem so scary. She was a hit with the people at the doors – it helped that most of the other kids were bigger.