Bunchland

Megan Pettit shares stories from a new mom

I like to think of myself as a social person. I have no problem chatting with strangers at a party. Stick me at the wedding table with the randoms and I’ll be busting a move to Beyonce with my new friends before the bouquet toss. But talking with other parents while I’m out with my toddler is something I haven’t quite mastered yet.

Some might think that having a child makes you less social because you’ll be staying in a lot more. Sure, you probably won’t be bar hopping with your friends every weekend, but you will be going to the park an awful lot, and you will be talking with other parents.

Jr. loves seeing other children and has no problem going up to them. His version of being social is squealing and flapping his arms around. While this goes on, I talk to the adult that is accompanying the child my son is flapping for.  Read more...

Cynthia Kinnunen and her family drove from Toronto to Orlando

Our drive to Orlando (from Toronto) was long but was not without a few interesting (or questionable) sights to see along the way. Aside from endless reams of the standard vacation/travel-type photos, we caught a few other shots.

The view at New River Gorge Bridge in West Virginia. OK, this is a typical travel shot right off the bat but it was one of the most beautiful mornings on our drive.

The hotel’s sign caught our attention first but then the kids wondered about the message on the board beneath. What if your dog isn’t super? Do you need to find another hotel?

Sweet Savannah bicycle.

Bikini top in fountain. The kids wondered if some poor woman was walking around Savannah topless.  Read more...

Eden Hertzog is now a mom… and still hungry

Vacation?

Last week, me and the boys (that would be baby Cedar and husband Brian) packed up and went to a cottage for a few days. We rented a place we found online, and shared it with another family we are friends with. Was I crazy to have fantasies of lounging by the lake? Putting my feet up? Doing that thing people do, you know, when they’re not busy and wound-up – what’s that word? Relaxing! Sorry – I’ve kind of forgotten…

There were some relaxing moments, but mostly it was kind of comical: accidentally using the hot tub with the chemical tabs still floating in it, discovering thick marshy vegetation in the lake – making it very unappealing for swimming, a return of my insomnia, and co-habitating with a 4-year-old, 2-year-old, and our little 11-month old. Sounds relaxing, huh?  Read more...

What we’re reading today:

1. JC Penney was selling the above t-shirt in the little girls department. Because it’s always a good to instill the idea that girls only have to be beautiful little fools and nothing else matters. If you click on the item listing, you can see it’s no longer available.

2. Bummed about the end of summer? Us too. Here are some suggestions to beat the end of summer blues.

3. Are traditional playgrounds contributing to childhood obesity?

4. The Guardian looks at the bond between fathers and daughters.

5. Go Planet!

A mom, some kids and a trike.

Today’s Postcard from Bunchland comes from carfreedays in Seattle.

At this California school, kids participate in growing and preparing their food.

Last week we asked Bunchlanders what makes for an awesome school. Sasha suggested that a canteen with fresh, healthy and subsidized food would be a step in the right direction. Sounds awesome! So we looked around for schools doing cool fresh food things and found this article about The Edible Schoolyard Project at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in Berkeley, California.

The Edible Schoolyard (ESY) has been around since 1995 when the Chez Panisse Foundation wanted to bring its good, clean and fair food to schoolkids.

Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School’s ESY is a full acre (or 4 square km) of fruits, veggies, herbs and flowers. All of the school’s 1000 students spend time in the ESY kitchen and learn about healthy, seasonal food. Teachers and garden staff link garden experiences to the students’ science lessons so the kids not only read about something in a book, but see it played out in real life.  Read more...

Krista Rao blogs about crafty adventures with her kids

Growing up I was very particular about my crayons. I loved the box of 64 Crayola crayons with built-in sharpener and protected them with my life and a very specific set of rules. I kept them organized by colour, refused to allow people to colour “hard” with them (especially the metallic ones as they were very soft), and tried to use them evenly on all sides so that they were kept to a point at all times.

My children on the other hand, do not have the respect for crayons that I did; they love to break them. The snapping sound of a breaking crayon seems to send them into a violent rampage breaking all crayons in their path. Not liking anything to go to waste, I have found a use for all of these little bits of crayons laying around. We melted the bits down and made easy to hold chunky crayons. The process was very easy and rewarding for the kids as they were able to help with almost every step.  Read more...