My name is Deb

Hey, I'm not a painter, an actress or a musician.
I don't go to rich galas all subsidized by taxpayers.
and I don't know Jack, Stephane or Liz from Canada,
although I'm certain they're really really nice.
But I have a Prime Minister who doesn’t know what resonates with ordinary people.

I watch Canadian movies in English and French, not American.
And I spell neighbour and honour with a “u” because that’s how Canadian writers spell it in Canadian books.

I can proudly download Canadian music on my iPod.
I believe in Cancon, Soncan, not American Top 40,
diversity, not assimilation,
and that Leonard Cohen and Joni Mitchell are truly proud and noble songwriters.
A toque is a hat, a chesterfield is a couch (made in Canada by Canadian artists!)
and it is pronounced 'zed' not 'zee', 'zed' !!!! because that’s how I first learned it on Canadian Sesame Street.

Canada is the second largest landmass!
The first nation of hockey where Canadians sing the National Anthem on Canadian television.
and the best part of North America

My name is Deb
And I am an ordinary working Canadian!!!

My minivan is full of whale bones

My minivan is full of whale bones
from the beach where I grew up.
My son collected them on Sunday.
He liked the way the vertebrae looked
like picks and hammers.
Perfect for digging in the sand
making holes
finding lost treasure.

Tree school

I wasn't sure how FG would react with her big brother going to Kindergarten. They had both started daycare together and I was sure she would miss him. On the 2nd day of school I picked them up and she was sobbing.

I knew it. When I got her home, I took her in my arms, "You missed him today did you?"

"No," she cried. "You said I was a big girl."

"You are a big girl.'

"But I didn't go to tree school (meaning preschool) today. And all my friends went to tree school."

Ah, little one. As always, ready before your time.

Kreskin or Layton?

I swear my post was first
Layton proposes 150,000 new child-care spaces

Child care shift

Show of hands - how many people have heard anyone in this election address the working parents?

Ok, so the Conservations want to allow momtrepreneurs mat leave only when they pay an EI premium.

But what about the bigger issues of child care? (You do remember the mythical concept of publicly funded daycare, right?)

It's one thing to support moms and dads with newborns but the challenge is finding day care when you go back to work. Several friends of mine have their unborn children on wait lists for spots.

Here's my 3 point plan:
1. Support post-secondary schools in educating more Early Childhood Instructors.
2. Value them. Pay them more when they graduate.
3. Support opening more daycares in primary schools where infrastructure already exists.

Middle-aged white guys running for PM who likely never had to worry about it -- feel free to borrow it if you need to.

Kindergarten

Benjo posing on his first day of Kindergarten. Mama was fine until he was sitting at his first school assembly. No tears from him though. He was so proud! Thanks Madame T for making it a great first day.

Warning: my kitchen may contain traces of peanuts

Not those Peanuts, "the peanut" -- that highly-allergenic nut that my kids (and husband) would lick up by the tablespoonful! Now, it's a banned substance. Good grief!

Seriously though, some kids can have a scary reaction to it and I don't mean to make light of this.

But I was on Radio Noon yesterday in defense of the lowly nut.

Well, not just that nut but all banned food substances -- eggs, nuts, tuna, banana, kiwi, strawberry to name a few. Even though I would never send any of these items to school, my kitchen isn't peanut free. Traces of nuts are bound to be found on everything. So banning them only solves part of the problem.

Instead of making a growing list of banned foods, maybe we should get at the root of the problem. A little more research and a lot more education on the food allergies. The media doesn't help either. Think of the sensationalism around the Quebec teen who died of the peanut kiss only for the coroner to reveal it was asthma-related (traces of marijuana were found in her system).

Not the nut's fault after all.

A farmer called into say, that the reason why kids have so many allergies these days is that they don't play in enough dirt. I tend to agree.

Bristol's Baby...Where's Levi?

Not since Juno, have more people had an opinion on teenage pregnancy.

This isn't about lack of sex education in the school systems. Sure, we could use more straight talk. But even 20 years ago, kids were having sex in Grade 7. And I'm even less concerned that McCain picked a running mate whose daughter isn't a virgin. Who cares?

Careless, carefree teenagers have sex all the time -- some get pregnant; some don't. But there's one thing that hasn't changed since I was in school. Where's the father?

Levi should start taking a little bit of heat and 1/2 the responsibility. Even the new math says 1 sperm + 1 egg = 1 baby.

A friend told the Dad-to-be's My Space page says "I'm a f - - -in' redneck". Sure enough. He also likes to "snowboard and ride dirt bikes but lives to play hockey, go camping and hang out with the boys, do some fishing, shoot some s- - - and just f - - -in' chill."

Nice.

Maybe Levi will just have to trade his dirt bike for a Jolly Jumper and opt to chill in the sandbox. And the potty mouth? Well that will take on new meaning when he's changing diapers.

Hopefully both of these kids will grow up quick, be responsible and become good parents.

As for a 40+ Republican Grandma in the White House, let's hope we don't have to worry about that.

Dry in the night

About a month ago FG (3) said, "I don't want to wear pull ups to bed." And that was it for her. She's been dry ever since.

I have a funny feeling that's the way its going to be with her. She's just decide and do it. Mama's proud.

If a tree grows in the East End

My sister and my nephew came over for dinner tonight. Not from far, just from the West End (read: Cowan Heights subdivision). We've been in St. John's long enough now to consider the 1o minute drive from her place to mine "right across town".

Apparently on the drive over, my nephew Liam said to my sister

"Mom the trees are growing."

"What does that mean?" she asked thinking he was was observing the seasons.

"It means we're getting closer to Aunt Debbie's!"