Down the Bog

I’d like to build a pond in our back garden but two things put me off. One, we have two small children and we feel that it’s a risk to have a pond and small children. Although thinking about it I guess that we maybe could still go ahead and fence it in. Second, the Canadian winters. Once the ice forms it’s here for a long time and I suspect that for the pond and fish to survive the pond would have to be dug deep.

So for now we have a little water ornament that we put together with items from The Home Depot. A large pot, some large stones and a friendly looking garden gnome with a pump surgically attatched to him!

I love the sound of the water trickling through the stones and it really can soothe away the troubles that I manage to load onto my shoulders.

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Not long after moving over here we bought a Dodge Caravan. For readers in the UK that’s not an actual caravan that you pull along but a minivan, a people carrier, a seven seater. It’s been okay as a vehicle. Maybe a bit too thirsty on petrol but we bought it when it was already six years old and it’s proven to be reliable and a good starter through those long and oh-so-cold winters. Last year we used it to drive over to Alberta and back again and there were no real problems.

Anyway here in Ontario we have to pay $75 in a vehicle tax every year and for that you get a small sticker to put on the registration number plate to show that you’re good for another year. But it doesn’t stop there because every other year the car has to have an emission test done on it. Yesterday was the first time we had to get this completed and I’m very pleased to report that it passed with flying colours. Actually I don’t know if it was a close run thing or not. All I know is that it passed and I can continue to drive the car in the knowledge that it’s not fouling up the air anymore than it’s allowed to and that I’m on the right side of the law.

A couple of weeks ago I went into Walmart and bought some gunk to pour into the fuel tank and it’s claim was to give the fuel system a good, proper clean out for the emission test. Then before going for the test I filled up with the ten cents more per litre super performance, extra clean burning petrol (gas as it’s known over here) rather than the cheaper normal regular stuff and as I say everything turned out fine.

In the UK cars have to go through a very vigorous M.O.T test every year and I used to always approach that time with trepidation. It’s far more than just an emission test with everything mechanical being checked along with lights,rust, seat belts and even number plates. It was so unusual to take a car in and have it pass the test the first time.

These days I don’t have that to worry about but do I feel good about it? Well, who is keeping an eye out on the condition of cars here in Ontario or indeed Canada? When a car is bought in Ontario it has to have an emission test and a safety check but after that unless the police get involved the car relies on it’s owner for handling the situation responsibly. And those on a tight budget or just don’t care? Or even just procrastinate. Well, maybe the cars brakes can be checked next year and if not then the year after that….screeeeeeeeeeeech….crash…bang…wallop!

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As already mentioned on this blog Jake was recently identified as being autistic so with professional guidence we are teaching him PEC’s. ie Picture Exchange Communication System.

The idea is that Jake uses photo’s or pictures to tell us what he wants. The first step is to have Jake hand us the appropriate picture in return for an item being given to him. He’s doing very well and in this video he’s being offered cucumber. We’re very proud of him.

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We moved to Canada in 2004 and that has meant for me a significant change in so many ways. One of which has been the absence of an annual holiday since getting here. Every year for as long as I can remember I’ve always been able to enjoy a holiday away from it all. From travelling with my Mum and Dad as a kiddie to taking my own growing family it’s something we’ve always done. It was always within the UK and with the exception of the Lake District it was always by the sea. I miss the sea so much and there’s plenty of water around here but it ain’t the same!

My favourite destination was always Devon and although to others it might have not been all that spectacular we always had a soft spot for a place called Teignmouth on the south coast.What am I saying “not spectacular”? It absolutely is! A charming little town on the estuary of the River Teign with a small village called Shaldon straddling the other side of the river mouth. What wouldn’t I give to be back there for a holiday right now. A cream tea or maybe a cornish pasty or both…. 

Ah well back to the pictures for now…

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We were extremely thrilled with Jake yesterday. Jake was recently identified as being autistic and along with his therapist we’ve been trying to work with him on helping his communication by offering him a treat (such as cheesy cheetos) and he responds by giving us a photograph of the item. Then he gets the treat. It hasn’t been that easy because Jake’s enthusiasm for anything can depend a lot on his mood and it would be fair to say he’s “laid back” on practically everything!

The routine originally started a few weeks ago with one of us physically moving Jakes hand with the photograph as he reaches out for the treat. We then went through a stage of him just not being bothered in wanting to reach out for anything. After that we had a spell of where he would petulantly throw the photo to the ground. A bit of rebellion maybe? But yesterday, at last and completely unexpectedly he started to offer the photo in return for the snack. As you can imagine we were overjoyed and so proud of him.

The plan now is to broaden the items offered so that he can understand that this is a way of communicating. So eventually he’ll simply go to a library of photo’s and pick the appropriate one to show us what he wants. And who knows what next? Obviously we are hoping one day to hear our little boy speak. 

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I was just reading the latest news about Knut the baby polar-bear who lives in the Berlin Zoo, Germany. He was abandoned at birth by his Mum and incredibly despite thriving under the care of the zoo there were some over zealous animal rights campaigners claiming that for his sake he should be put to sleep. It wasn’t natural for him to be raised this way. For his sake put him to sleep? Yeah, right.

Anyway they needn’t have worried because baby Knut is growing up now along with sharp teeth and claws. He doesn’t like to play so much and it seems that despite having a human “mum” nature is taking it’s course and he’s gonna be a real polar-bear.

It’s like having children really. I have three grown up daughters along with a 7 month old baby and a three year old. I still wonder at the change that takes place between baby to child to teenager to adult and all of the tribulations in between. Just like Knut they seem to grow their own sharp teeth and claws and I learnt many times it was best to keep out of their way!

You can read the latest about Knut here.

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A couple of months ago I downloaded a very handy program called Stickies from here. It’s just like having some post-it notes on your computer screen but much tidier and easier. I find it so useful for reminding me to do things that my tiny and lethargic brain would otherwise let me forget.

I was just looking at my little reminders and I had a note to “phone Bill”. I couldn’t figure it out. Why was there a note reminding me to call my daughter’s boyfriend? I looked at it and looked at it before the penny finally dropped. It was a reminder to pay the phone bill!

So now I’ve got a new little stickie on my computer screen reminding me to be more specific with my reminders. 

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I’ve been following a discussion recently on an internet forum of the merits of school uniform. When I was in primary school way back when we used to have a kind of uniform that consisted of a brown or grey jumper and brown or grey shorts/long trousers . Once I got to age eleven and started at senior school the uniform was much more rigid and enforced. I didn’t especially like wearing a uniform but wasn’t all that opposed to it either.

As an adult having watched my daughters go through the same thing I’ve been fairly indifferent to the concept although I’ve certainly cursed under my breath at the cost of it all. It’s things like the blazer having the school logo specially printed on the breast pocket so that it had to be purchased from the school shop rather than at a high street store that could be a little less costly.

Anyway the more significant points that were made by others in favour of school uniform are as follows:

Maintains discipline
Less pressure on parents for designer labels so in theory less expensive
Less pressure from peers for designer labels
Less worry for children as to what to wear each school day
Enables the student to focus on lessons better

With regard to the above list I certainly can’t see how uniform helps maintain any discipline. Discipline surely is very much down to how the school is run and also dependent on the students themselves and their upbringing. I can think back to my own school days and I remember “the good, the bad and the ugly”. Wearing a uniform didn’t make all that much difference.

When we got to Canada my youngest daughter (at the time) was fourteen and she was very happy not to be wearing a uniform. She went from grey pleated skirt, blazer and black tights to jeans and sweatshirt or t-shirt. She was much more comfortable for a day of school. Not once did I feel any pressure from her over clothes although she did harass me a few times over shoes and I’m not sure if that was due to peer pressure or just her desire. Perhaps she’ll add a comment to this blog entry to let me know. She certainly didn’t seem to suffer too much anxiety in the morning’s over what to wear.

Wearing a uniform helps the pupil focus more on their lessons rather than what they are wearing? Nah! I can’t see that one.

When I think back to England and school uniform I think to how I would sometimes see the kids come out from school looking a terrible mess in a scruffy grey uniform. Often the uniform was modified to tailor to a personal preference like a boy’s tie being tied into a massive knot or a supposed knee length girls skirt being hoisted up as high as it could be so it became a mini. I’m just not convinced by school uniform.

Here in Canada there are plenty of schools that have uniform and plenty that don’t. As I say I’m not convinced of the need for it despite coming from a country that has a big tradition for it. But what do you think?

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Day two of my diet is nearly at an end and so far so good. I feel better for it mentally if not physically!

I’ve just added a new link to my blogroll that I think is a good read. It’s a new blog of a UK landlord and what appears to be a tenant from hell. It’s well worth a look I think. The word “landlord” can conjure up somewhat negative feelings but they have their problems too you know. My brother had a house to rent out and it was a very problematic experience and they lost a lot of money over it. But the tenant mentioned in the blog…it just makes you wonder about people sometimes…

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You may recall that I attempted to start a diet last month. It was a complete failure as I’d already lost my self control by the evening. I haven’t tried since but I spent a while looking at my tummy last night and I can’t say that I was all that happy. Well I wouldn’t be would I? After all nothing had changed since my mid-June examination and I wasn’t pleased then.

The thing is I’ve had a few weak minded attempts over the last couple of years and I think I was half hearted last month not really believing that I could do it. So now I’m adopting an “I can do it” attitude. Can you feel my commitment? It’s really there you know.

So I’ve just completed my first day of calorie counting and this time I’ve stayed on track. The end of day one and one day at a time, right? I’ve set myself a goal of losing thirty pounds over the course of the next twelve months. That represents a target of just two and a half pounds per month and I’ve calculated that if I consume 2050 calories a day then I’ll be heading in the right direction. Of course the problem with weight loss is that as you lose weight then the daily target has to be recalculated because being lighter technically means not so many calories are burnt. There’s also the consideration of metabolism and exercise and…oh there’s too much to think about. But anyway the tummy has to go or at least retreat a bit and I’m about to enter day two. Eeek!

Out of all the websites that there are on the subject I frequently return to this one. I find it very useful for it’s calculators.

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