Archive for January, 2009
Win Kids Gear with the Click of the Camera
M and I just spent an hour or so watching the gorgeous sunrise this morning and, while we were busy telling stories about unicorns in the clouds and watching them change lovely, mid-Winter shades of pink and orange, she belted out “This needs a picture mommy. Go get the camera.”
While I passed, wanting more to [...]
Learning to Live With Loss – Together
Down a Friday post, Ken and I hashed through a whole whack of topics that seemed a perfect fit to jump into while we all piled into our bed for movie night with the kiddo yesterday.
Taking a look at your water usage and how critical it is to start reigning ourselves in terms of consumption [...]
Family Literacy – Caldecott Award-Winning Style
Good morning. For the last few days, I’ve been meaning to pull something substantial together as a part of Family Literacy Week in Canada. But, my mental idea bank wasn’t letting me withdraw much in the way of anything labeled “substantial.”
Thankfully, there are brilliant people out there who are great at lending a hand in [...]
Enjoy A Local Chinese New Year Feast
With the Lunar New Year starting Monday (January 26), what better time to gather the family and celebrate by creating a local feast to commemorate the Year of the Ox.
In Chinese culture, food prepared during this celebratory season is meant to bring luck as many dishes have symbolic meaning in relation to their appearance and [...]
Family Craft – Paper Robots
Another snowy morning in the Valley means another day at the craft table for us. The cold and our daughter have no issues. As for me, I prefer a cozy blanket and a cup of tea (actually, back to coffee) right now – and she’s currently very accommodating.
When we got back from Victoria, she immediately [...]
Deepa Guides Us Through Loss
This is for Robin and her family and all of those who are grieving a child who died inside the womb.
It was Autumn last year, although the sun warmed us like it was mid-day July. The kids were jubilant after seeing, feeling, choosing, and weighing pumpkins at the Shamrock Farm. It was another [...]
Sad News
In the midst of what we now know were profound challenges, Ken and I learned Thursday that our baby has died in utero at 19 weeks.
At a thin place beyond any comprehension, we find ourselves struggling right now with the events of the last few days. While we never met this tiny person – never [...]
Winter NeighbourWood Walks Registration
Good Morning.
If you all are anything like us, this crazy Winter of snow, snow and more snow followed up by freezing, fog and more fog has left us a bit less active outside than usual.
I always need a bit of group motivation to get me outside when the weather looks much more suited for a [...]
Restaurant Review – Sushi Kobo, Takeout Goodness
Growing up in the Rocky Mountains, sushi wasn’t exactly on my list of favourite foods as a child. Actually, it wasn’t until I moved to the West Coast in 2001 that it even showed up on my radar.
For our tiny person, though, sushi and the yummy sides that go with it is one of those [...]
Family Craft – Your Animal Family Genealogy
As my belly gets bigger, there are TONS of questions about how families are made and our ongoing “Family Tree” project expands, I found myself a little stumped recently when working out age-appropriate ways to talk with our 3.5 year old about families and who goes where.
Traditional genealogy – packed full of research and hunts [...]
Sunday Morning Walk – Courtenay Riverway
Good Morning. Hopefully, the strange fog that’s been dominating our days is headed in a different direction as we look forwarded to a bit of sunshine. But, in the mean time, checking out the cool effects of light and clouds – all while getting a front-row seat to hang out with some of the most [...]
Winter Nutrition From The Grocery “Garden”
Another new year! But with the remnants of snow it is hardly a time to be gardening. So I thought we’d take a look at a few common foods available at the grocery “garden!”
Typically the new year ushers in new year’s resolutions, and eating healthier is a common goals after the onslaught of Christmas [...]
Kid’s Mental Health Effected By Heavy Metal Toxicity
During this time of environmental uncertainty, we’re all doing our part as parents to protect our kids against pesticides, hormones in our food, plastic by-products and heavy metals from various sources.
Because our children’s bodies are smaller and made up of fewer cells, equal amounts of pollutants and chemicals are exponentially more toxic to our little [...]
Sir Ken Robinson – Creativity, Crux of Education
A few weeks ago, as he often does, Ken slipped me a link to a www.ted.com talk on creativity in education. Ted, Ken and I have developed a long-standing mutual affection. So when I saw the link wasn’t a Saturday Night Live skit from Youtube (Ken likes to send those along too), I snuggled up [...]
Local Fresh Bread – Wheat- & Gluten-Free
Eating wheat-free or gluten-free doesn’t mean you have to give up foods you love! It seems these days.
Many families have to eliminate wheat products from the household grocery list because of intolerance or allergy. Bread lovers (myself included) find it hard enough to curb this staple from our daily diet (who can resist carbs!), and [...]
Family Craft – Glitter Mushrooms
We are having more than a wee bit of trouble getting our rears out of bed the last few days, and this morning was no exception as all of us rolled over at about 8 a.m.
But, the one thing that seems to get us over the perpetual mist and gray is our “Family Tree” project [...]
Mom-P-Inc. – Karen McKinnon of McKinnon Photography
Motherhood, it changes you.
While there’s a whole list that involves sagging and wrinkled, exhausted and emotional that can be wrapped in there, for many women becoming a Mom takes life to a whole other level.
It brings out our genuine loves, forces them into places creatively and personally that reveal talents and ingenuity unrealized until that [...]
Book Review – Jan Brett’s Winter Fun
There are a few truly great children’s book authors – storytellers who can take a piece of imagination and bring it alive with the touch of a pen.
They’ve got that magical touch, mesmerizing children (and parents too) for generations. Jan Brett is one of those greats.
Maureen over at Brooklyn Elementary Strong Start first introduced us [...]
Beating The Winter Blues
Editor’s Note: Registered Clinical Counselor Esther Kane is here with us again today to talk about one of the hottest Winter topics – Seasonal Affective Disorder.
For me, Winter is a real challenge – and families definitely go through it together. So if the cold and gray is getting you down, try a few of [...]
Nature Journal – Family Listening Walks
Good morning. Between sickness (mostly mine), insane amounts of snow and the general hibernation-like blah blahs this Winter, it’s been a tough sell to get us out the door every day and into the fresh air lately.
It’s not that we don’t want to (in fact, we all well know how squirrely each of us gets [...]
Product Review – Bambu Utensils for Kids
We have de-plasticed. From cups and bowls to forks and spoons, the melamine and other kiddo plastic gear that has dotted our house is gone.
There’s lots that says melamine (hard plastic) and the #5 is fine. But, I totally admit that my reading and a certain relative who shall go un-named scare the hell out [...]
Family Craft – Waldorf-inspired Winter Birds
I am a bit of a Christmas scrooge when it comes to taking down the decorations. The pile of pine needles on the floor and the clutter from the holidays send my brain into crazy mode and generally everything comes down within 24 hours of the big day.
This year was just the same, and we [...]
Homeschooling – Car School
Editor’s Note: I am sad to announce that this is Rosina’s last homeschooling column with Our Big Earth. Life is a busy, happy, complete place for her and balance is the key to anything good and true in life.
So, she is off to pursue more homeschool, family-focused goodness and we’ll all be looking forward to [...]
Top 10 Valley Nature Spots for 2008
We did a heck of a lot of discovering of new outdoor spaces last year – friends clued us in to not-so-secret spots that we’d just never gotten the scoop on before and we made our way out to some cool locales that became serious favourites.
The tiny person and I clued in to the [...]
Best Children’s Books of 2008
Being there to watch stories spark a remarkable imaginary universe for our daughter has been, by far, one of THE BEST and most amazing things that has come from the last year.
I am a story junkie, always have been, loved ‘em so much I made a career out of telling them.
So, discovering amazing books has [...]
Welcome to 2009
We are taking a much needed sleep day around here watching the snow fall again.
If you were party animals like us last night, everyone was asleep by 10 p.m. and the closest we got to ringing in the New Year was a sleepy kiss at midnight.
But, for those of you who actually hit the town [...]
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