It’s been two Christmases without Aunt Pat – which means it’s been two Christmases without Aunt Pat’s inevitable January email aptly entitled “Merry Bitchmas”. In this email, she would vent unabashedly about all the petty annoyances that had plagued her throughout the holidays: the lineups at the mall, the overcooked turkey, the chipping of favourite…
It was December 1995 and Mark McNaughton was focused on finishing up the last of his teacher’s college exams at the University of Windsor. Across town, a young woman named Cindy Farris*, a stranger to Mark, was about to succumb to massive head trauma inflicted by a horrific car accident. As her parents confronted the…
Last month, my daughter proclaimed my blog posts boring. Of course she softened the blow by ending her pronouncement with ‘No offence” which everyone knows makes everything all better. According to her worldly 14 years of wisdom, my posts are on boring topics that sometimes start off interesting but inevitably turn boring. In order to…
Once upon a time, Katie Stewart had a vision for her future self. Hers would be a normal life – comprised of work and love and maybe even parenthood. Over the years – as a teenager and young adult, this vision would dim at times. Yet at others, it would snap into clear focus as…
As anyone who knows me will attest to – I ask a lot of questions. Not because I’m annoying (although that is definitely a part of it) but mainly because I’m curious – and typically very interested. I mean – how else do you come to learn about other people – than by asking them…
I won’t go so far to say that I have this parenting thing figured out — but I do believe I have a handle on it for now. My three are coming along quite nicely if I do say so myself. Every time I peek into the oven, they seem to be browning up just…
If you are a parent reading this – then you know what it feels like to be judged by perfect strangers. You understand the public shame associated with a child’s temper tantrum. Then you, unfortunately, have fallen prey to undisguised scorn and derision for events beyond your control. If you are the parent of an…
There’s this mean girl who won’t leave my daughter alone. When she’s at school, this girl follows her around, criticizing her every action, mocking her every word. She laughs at her and teases her and makes her feel anxious and insecure. When my daughter is talking, this mean girl is snickering and whispering about how…
I hate to be judgemental – but I can’t help it – I just AM. Everyone has specific idiosyncrasies or behaviours that just bug them, rub them the wrong way, that they prefer to steer clear of. When it comes to other parents in my midst – these are the four I do my best…
Several years ago, I took notice of a new Toronto Star columnist – Uzma Jalaluddin. In her bi-monthly column “Samosas and Maple Syrup“, she wrote (and still writes) about the daily struggles, annoyances, observances and hilarity that she encounters while raising her kids, going to work and attempting to write. Her life seemed to be…
