Advent Calendar - Math game and positivity game for young kids.

Monthly positive projects for the year

I have been casting around for a way to combine a few crafty and parenting ideas I have seen on Pinterest in original ways. I was really inspired by the 'Harmony Jar' someone pinned. I have been finding that this past year the age difference has been making my oldest (6) less patient with her brother (3) and making him more persistent in his teasing of her. In our day-to-day lives we have been missing a team building kind of thing which takes us to a fun place where we are working together and being kind. So I came up with the idea of doing positive project from now until next year. This is my first project - and I will use this blog to track my progress - let's see if I can stick to it.

Christmas is just around the corner so craftiness is here...

Advent calendars...ah the chalky/waxy goodness of the rank chocolate that may or may not be more than a year out of date. Or the million dollar, Made in China knock off of that charming one you saw on the hand made page last year which is now on sale at Target or Pottery Barn. What to do? This year I thought I would do an inexpensive but handmade version with package for each day kind of a theme. Me being a graphic designer means I immediately thought of ways to print something for the packages. So the labels were extra fun and easy for me to make - different types of fonts on them and in festive colours! So down to the craft store I went to find some small brown paper bags to put my labels on. This is an easy craft to make if you own a computer and colour printer and depending on the size of goodies you are putting in the packages - you can forgo craft store bags for their cheaper friends from the grocery store. I did buy some of these but felt that their size committed me to filling them with larger size objects - which brought me away from the idea of something simple.

As I was working on them I realized that my kids are both in different stages of learning to read numbers and the oldest is being taught about odd and even numbers at school (teachable moments seized  = good parenting points in my book) so coloured the even numbers in red and the odd in blue.

Adding a twist

Getting back to the positivity thing at the top - whilst sitting at the table cutting out and sticking on 24 numbered labels for my advent bags it occurred to me that we have been having a lot of 'correcting bad behaviour' and 'refereeing fights' type of stuff going on of late. With all the lessons and activities where the kids are learning and being taught how to do things the right way, I think there is an underlying feeling that the scales are tipped in with them feeling corrected and wanting a lot of the time (which is ok because you have to learn and this is the time to do it - however, when they are also behaving like monkeys and getting in trouble a lot the feeling could be . Sometimes it feels like all you are doing is steering the ship away from the rocks (my son recently decided to take a ride to the sky on the automatic garage door - managing to get 2 feet up whilst my back was turned). It has been no fun for anyone. I got the brainwave to add a little fun, silly or loving activity in 14 of the 24 bags. This way it isn't every day that we get to do an activity and some days there are only two small pieces of candy - because part of the lesson is also to teach a bit about not being entitled to things ALL the time. The rules of the game are going to be important to how well this works.

So here are a few of the types of cards I put in the advent bags. Silly, loving, and fun!

The rule of the game

In the interest of team building the rules are as follows:

1) If the kids don't work as a team Mummy and Daddy get to eat and do whatever is in the bag
2) The numbers have to be found together and agreed upon
3) They can either take turns to open the bags (alternating days) or rip them open at the same, but if they argue they will forfeit the contents
4) The kids have to tell me if the number is odd or even
5) We ALL have to do the card in the bag - so that might mean that we get to do it twice if Daddy isn't home

I will update this blog to show how the kids get on with the game. Can't wait to see what their reaction will be!


UPDATE:

Well the kids really enjoyed this - not in the way that I thought they would - you know that Pinterest magical boasting way - but in their own way. They worked together - mostly - and my daughter was able to read the numbers really well. It is a project I would repeat with even more emphasis on the positive reinforcement side of things because the kids really liked those even more than the silly ones (which were the ones I would have guessed they liked more).

Campbell/King Christmas Note 2009

As an exercise to prepare myself to write this year’s edition of the Campbell/King Family Christmas letter I had a look at last year’s missive. I think in keeping with tradition I will now exclaim at what a difference a year can make, especially when you have a young child.



Last year at this time Madeleine was just cruising around the furniture, enjoying the world from the crawling vantage point. Today, as I write, she is enjoying the company of a little friend by running and chasing around the furniture and shouting ‘go’ after counting to three to set the race in motion! But let’s not skip too far into this year’s story or vital nuggets of information will be missed out and the whole plot of the story will be lost!

Gentle reader, this time last year in the unfolding adventures of the Campbell/King saw us setting off on the first leg of their Canadian adventure: ‘Christmas 2008 in Montreal’. I would not normally mention last year’s festivities but there are some significant events that bear mention.

The first wonderful experience of Christmas 2008 was having the opportunity to meet and spend time with my Father’s partner Janet. She is a lovely woman he met in his walking group and is now on my list (pretty much at the top) of favourite people. It is lovely to see my Father so happy and to know he has someone so special in his life.

The second event was a suprise I organised for my Father: Madeleine Anne’s christening at Montreal West United Church. Janet helped me keep this a surprise (no mean feat when my Father is on the committee approving all services at the church). Madeleine, dressed in her fabulous finest, was very well behaved and it was a wonderful present to give my Father – who didn’t even guess when we were sat in the very front pew and read ‘Christening’ in the order of service!

Moving on… and speaking of moving: if you know one thing about me it is that I am not one to shirk duty. While I may moan about it (a lot, frequently and vociferously) I get on with it. So while planning a surprise christening, Christmas with an under one-year-old child in a different country, and a bit of freelance graphic design, I was also organising our move to Edmonton, Alberta.

Ah, Edmonton, land of the frozen north – location of scary numbers below zero on the weather channel… and scene of the next part of the Campbell/King story.

We arrived in Edmonton to a furnished flat kindly organised for us by Darren’s new employer PCL Construction. It was a large suit in a converted hotel right near Jasper Avenue in downtown Edmonton. It was quite cold in Edmonton those first few weeks. To say that it was cold here compared to what we were used to in Market Harborough was to understate things significantly! The weather hovered around -40 for the first few weeks and we were sure we would turn our child into a human popsicle!

Madeleine was a pretty good sport about putting on the absurdly thick snowsuit we got her in Montreal – but looked a bit like the blob out of some horror film (only with a button nose and a really cute hat on)!

In late January our shipping container arrived and we were able to move into our rented house in a lovely part of Edmonton known as Glastonbury. It was wonderful to be reunited with more than a suitcase full of clothing and be able to do some proper cooking and baking.

Our house backs on to some walking paths overlooking a large pond which doubles, in the winter, as a full-sized hockey rink and has water features spraying in summer. Some of the local families put nets out on the ice and have matches most weekends. Great fun to watch from our upstairs windows and a complete novelty for my English husband (who is one step away from becoming a binocular toting anorak while trying to get a better look at it).

The house itself is only a few years old and is very modern in style – with an open concept great room downstairs combining living room, dining area and an open kitchen. It is done in neutral colours throughout so we pretty much have a blank canvas. When we arrived in Edmonton we were introduced to a new architectural feature unique to the area: the bonus room. A bonus room, for the uninitiated, is a room extending over the two-car garage. It is a bonus in that it provides an additional reception area, or in our case a television come play room for Madeleine. While the builders mean ‘bonus’ to be extra space, I see it as a bonus not to have every toy strewn throughout the house and out of the public eye.

When we moved in to our new home one thing we did notice is the difference in space between our Edwardian terrace and what is a small- to medium-sized home here. The dimensions of most North American furniture look like older brothers on steroids compared to what we had known in England. This bonus room presented us with another room to furnish and so off we went to look at couches and tables. This time there was no dissuading me from getting a leather suite as our last cream coloured linen was not exactly the most practical of choices when considering how active Maddie can be (incidentally she drew in brown crayon on one of the couches in the summer – and I mean all over it – so my choice has been more than justified)!

Meeting people in a new town is always an interesting process. It is made all the more difficult in an Edmonton winter during a cold snap. People here hide in their homes, driving straight into their garages, and never even setting foot outside unless absolutely necessary. Finally, a warm day with lots of snow got the neighbourhood out and shovelling and making snowmen. A rather saucy snow-penguin who bore a striking resemblance to Pamela Anderson being built gave me my first introduction to one of our neighbours (Saskia, Aidan and not forgetting Erasmus). From this meeting I have been introduced to a book club, and taken up running, Darren has found a fellow Brit to have the odd beer with after a weekly workout and Madeleine has found her first hero to worship – other than ‘Super Dad’ that is.

While reading the ingredients on the labels of various children’s yoghurt I met another friend. Kim’s name is one of the first Maddie could say – and boy does she like to say it. Kim’s daughter Megan ( Meggy as Mimi calls her) is a regular at our house, as we are at hers and we attend both swimming lessons and the same playgroup together. Kim has been one of the main reasons I didn’t jump back on a plane to England or under the wheels of a bus during the long, long, long, long wait for spring and summer. What is also nice is that Darren has found a buddy in the family too – golfing with Meggy’s daddy, Eden, has allowed him to see much of the local courses and enjoy many a beer cart too.



Summer finally came to Edmonton. Just when all hope was lost and it had snowed in May; suddenly the heat and sun were there like an apology for the hideously long wait! An interesting thing happens here, and very convenient too, it rains at night and is sunny all day. Fabulous!

The fine weather had people coming out of hibernation and saying hello. The walking paths behind the house were teaming with people pushing prams and walking dogs.

We spent time chalking up the sidewalks with a group of neighbourhood sisters (four girls live next door and Maddie loves watching everything they do).

Amongst the walkers with prams we met Jenny and Lorna. Madeleine has learned a few interesting things from Jenny (who is slightly older than her): like how to hop, how to say ‘Elmo’ and that running up and down, and back again is great fun. Lorna and I enjoy this activity from the sidelines while chatting – a sensible division of labour I think!

The summer whizzed by with various weekend outingsto keep us busy. We visited some local museums and parks as well as some of the nearest national parks. We even had a chance to see some buffalo roaming around free at Elk Island National Park. As I love buffalo this was a huge treat for me.

Madeleine enjoyed the summer splashing in the garden-hose and blowing bubbles in the shade of the patio. Lots of barbecue was had (it would have been unbearable to cook anything in the oven in the kind of heat we had). I actually managed to get a tan (by accident) from bicycle rides to the gym with Madeleine, trips to the park and generally staying outside as much as possible.

The end of our summer saw us meeting some friends in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Chosen as the midway point between ourselves and our friends in Utah (Brian, Nola and their daughter Geneva) it is still eight hours by car to get to: quite an experience with a child under two (my ears are still ringing from the screams of boredom from the car seat). We spent a lovely few days cycling in the area, and playing poker and ‘Taboo’ in the evenings in the hallway by the lifts at the hotel so as not to wake our babies.

Our journey there and back took us through some of the most breath-taking National Parks in Canada. Scenery so beautiful it didn’t seem real and wildlife that you could reach out and touch (including a bear running out in front of our car) made us long to get back as soon as we can. On our return journey we even managed to stop and walk up the Columbia Icefields – an UNESCO World Heritage Site.



This last year Madeleine has been growing and changing from a baby into a toddler. She walks, runs, and jumps. She speaks in sentences, jokes with us and plays hide and seek. She laughs a lot and is a genuinely fun person to be around (when not having one of her rare but spectacular ‘moments’). She loves to read books and is a lovely cuddly type who gives loud kisses and tight hugs. Mummy really enjoys dressing her up and Daddy (although he will be cross for my saying this) loves to brush her hair (he says because he has none himself!). The tenderness between she and Darren is something I cherish and every evening his arrival home from work is an event, celebrated by her shout of ‘Daddy-Daddy!’. We are very proud of her and we enjoy her more and more each day.

Life in Edmonton has taken on a nice rhythm and is pretty good. We have recently purchased the house we were renting and are making plans to decorate it. Darren is enjoying the perks of a different work culture which is both family oriented and seems to involve a lot more golfing and social opportunities than the UK. Madeleine and I have made some more friends in the neighbourhood and get out frequently to play groups, indoor play parks and play dates.

It all flies by in a blur and I am sure I will be stunned by what changes occur between now and the next Christmas letter. We both hope that you and your families have had as exciting and interesting a year as we have and we look forward to hearing your news. And we wish you all the best for this holiday season and for 2010.

Watering down of foreign policy language

In a recent article appearing in Embassy magazine by Michelle Collins indications of some not so subtle shifts in the foreign policy emerged.


Read on here and the follow up article here which indicates that some in the Department of Foreign Affairs are not too happy with this new direction.


Speak no evil


Photo credit:
clarita
from morguefile.com

Notes from Edmonton

It has been a while since I wrote to any of my friends with a quality status update, so I thought I would remedy that right now!!!

After the moaning (subtle or not-so-subtle) about the weather in my previous updates I have to say that summer in the Chuck almost makes up for the months and months of cold that are a typical Canadian Northern winter. We have really been spoiled as most of this summer has been sunny or at the very least not raining (this is a distinction that only a person from the UK can truly appreciate) – don’t mind putting on a jumper but hate to put on a Mac!

This improvement in the weather has meant that we have been able to get out and about more and have thus met some new people. For those of you who are not on Facebook and have not been following my updates there – I have become a big fan of the gym and amongst my new friends have found a running partner. A lovely woman named Saskia who is a neighbour has been encouraging me to run – and has managed to get me out running a solid 30 minutes twice a week. Needless to say with all of this activity my bottom and some other wobblies have shrunk (much to my delight) – although there is still room for improvement.

Another thing which has improved with the weather is my attitude. I think the shock of a new country (new part of it in any case) added to being confined by the weather was getting me down. Being able to walk out without having to wrestle myself or a baby into any mad layers of clothing really does help make a girl smile! I am feeling more settled here and so are Maddie and Darren. They say ‘happy Mummy, happy household’ and I don’t think that is too far off the mark! I even have a bit of a tan (although it is hilarious when you see the tan lines (nothing sexy here - just above my ankles and anything that would show above the chest in a tank-top is lovely and brown…the rest is sort of a doughy white!).

We have had a chance (especially of late with Darren taking a week off work) to explore a bit more of the city and surrounding areas. Edmonton is not missing its beautiful parts – most of which are to do with the natural beauty of parks in Canada. We had the chance to visit Elk Island National Park – which has two types of Bison (plains and woodland) roaming around the park. We even have some photos of one old fellow just after he had a dust bath which involved him rolling around like a dog on the ground in some dry mud! Although we didn’t get onto any of the walking trails there – we did enjoy our recce of the area and have plans to go back at the end of the summer or in the autumn.

The Saskatchewan river flows through Edmonton and is surrounded on both sides by some lovely parks which we explored on both foot and bicycle – Madeleine has a new seat at the back of Darren’s mountain bike which she rides while wearing her pink and purple flame bike hat (helmet in Canadian lingo) all the while giving a fine imitation of the Queen in a golden barouche! Very cute! This seat is a fabulous addition to our lives because walking with an 18-month-old child can be like removing ones own teeth with a pair of tweezers!!

One of our favourite places in Edmonton (well mine anyway as I am a history junkie like my Dad) is Fort Edmonton. This is a really cool place which has helped to preserve the history of the city of Edmonton by reconstructing and preserving historic buildings of the area. There are three main streets set in different eras and a reconstruction of the original fort which was found at Edmonton. The park has reenactments, in the form of employees in traditional and historical dress, which occur daily - with special events throughout the summer. It is a great place for a Sunday wander - and as not all the buildings are open each time you go, there is always something different to look at. They also have loads of horses there - and Maddie is a HUGE fan - loves to pet them and, as with any living creature, she likes to shout at them (I guess this is her way of showing them how much she cares)! Hopefully, the next time we go we can get to ride the ferris wheel, or the street car(circa 1920), take a trip on the train (circa 1850s), or even a coach or buggie ride (circa 1850 and 1900 respectively)!

The new pace of life in Edmonton really seems to suit Darren – and his handicap is improving all the time. His new company likes to get its employees involved in events and quite of few of those involve either golfing or playing poker. I think this suits him down to the ground!

Madeleine is enjoying trying out everything – and I mean everything – around her. She is constantly pushing the boundaries – but luckily she is not too much of a Diva to get wound up when we put limits on her. Although her temper is coming along nicely! Every week brings a new fetish with her so if you don’t like some of her behaviour then wait a week and something else (also annoying) will take its place!

Well as she is currently wrestling in my lap I should sign off and hope that I will get some meaty update replies!

Lots of love!

Marjorie (Darren, Madeleine & Othello).

Harper shows up late for G8 photo

Now we know where the wafer went...



The international press is speculating that Mr Harper was late due to an ill-timed bathroom break!

Campbell / King Christmas 2008

So there we were – Christmas 2007: me with a bump that was tingling and itching and a tummy that was desperate for some decent nosh…dreams of paté, Stilton and a glass of something nice dancing in my head… and Darren desperate to get a good night’s sleep and not be woken by an ever-loo-visiting wife…

What a difference a year makes! Or in some cases, not so much (read on, dear friend, and see)!

Our little bump has turned into a lovely Madeleine girl, I have gone off Stilton completely, mostly given up drinking, and now am up to sort out someone else’s nocturnal bathroom activities! Ah, parenthood!

Through-out our pregnancy Darren and I had a strong feeling that our baby would be a boy. So strong was this feeling that we began referring to Peanut as “Jack”. It was quite a surprise for us, therefore, when on February 17th at 5AM the doctor told us: “Your Jack is a Madeleine!”.

I cannot explain the fear and relief with which little Miss Madeleine was greeted. “Wow – babies are small!” is constantly on your mind. And you treat them like crystal as a consequence.

Now, in month ten, we are quite confident and happy parents adoring our beautiful girl. She is crawling at the speed of lightening, exploring her surroundings, playing with other baby friends… and generally getting into the mischief little ones do – and yet still making us smile. Every day she is a revelation and joy to be around!

The big adventures of 2008 have been of a very different nature to those of 2007.

In January of 2008 I went on maternity leave – having worked up until the last moment (or so I thought) giving myself two weeks before my due date to get ready and nest. [Little madam decided that the conditions in the spa being so lovely she would need coaxing at ten days past my due date before she would make her appearance.]

Part of the nesting process was to attend ante-natal classes (where they show you various implements that require years of psycho-therapy to overcome the sight of).

The classes were really great – mostly because I met a group of women I expect to call life-long friends. Fabulous, mad ladies who do things like sing-along to Abba tunes at the movies, dance in time to Grease videos at house parties, and generally prevent all forms of insanity in one another by the sharing of the burdens of new motherhood. Our mottoes are: “Let them eat cake – often!” and: “Fancy meeting at Starbuck’s?”

The other themes of this year were visiting and introductions – or even better a combination of both!

In the visiting category – Mimi’s Grandpa came from Canada to meet her in late March. Big and interesting is how she describes him – calm and fascinating is also what she said. We have some lovely memories of seeing tiny wee Mimi in Alexander’s arms having only eyes for each other. We took Grandpa around to see the local sights, which included Foxton Locks (and it’s fabulous pub) as well as a day trip to see Lincoln Cathedral.

Spring also brought the other half of her Montreal family in the form of her Auntie Christine, Uncle Cameron, and her cousin Lucas. We had a really great visit – if a bit chaotic (as only the worlds of two such mini-titans could bring – children’s schedules are a delicate balance and must be respected!).

It was during this visit that we heard the fabulous news that the Daviault-Campbell clan were off to New Zealand to pursue a doctorate (Christine), to join the fellowship of the rings (Lucas – he is hobbit size after all!), and to become an All Black (Cameron – because her knows the Hakka off by heart!)! The latter being a joke but the former making her family exceedingly proud!

Through-out the summer the mummies group was going strong – meeting once a week for tea and biscuits (lots, and lots of both!). Much sage advice and quite a bit of therapeutic gripping being exchanged while the little ones moved from lying prone to sitting up and taking notice to beginning to crawl and cruise. Many bits of health and development information was shared and we realised soon enough that the mysteries of baby malaise have not been cracked by the medical profession any more than it has been by any of us. Baby paracetamol seemed to be the general cure for all ailments!

Late August saw us off to for our first family camping trip to lovely Cornwall. In typical British camping style the weather was fine on the drive home. Madeleine enjoyed camping the tent was cause for much hilarity and she slept very well indeed. Ensconced between her frozen parents, who were too afraid they would roll over and crush her, to actually take some of the bed back from the tiny tent hog! We did, however, manage to get some beautiful photographs of waves and this mad Canadian took a dip in the water (no wonder they were all wearing wet suits – it was blooming freezing – even by my standards!)!

August also saw us anticipating news regarding an on-going job offer from Canada and in September we finally went to give Edmonton the once-over as our final step before agreeing to take the plunge.

September saw another stamp placed in Mimi’s passport (jet-set baby!) when we went to visit Grandma Shirley in Tunisia. Madeleine loved her Grandma’s laugh, bobbly hair and is obsessed with a little train toy she was given by her. Darren and I enjoyed some time at the beach while Mads was whisked away for some “show off time” by her Grandma who brought her to see some of her work colleagues – everyone agreed she was gorgeous and so well behaved!

The final theme of 2008 has been new opportunities and moving house.

Ever the proud wife, please forgive what may sound like shameless boasting regarding Darren… be warned!

Darren is often the subject of head hunting and in most cases these contacts come to nothing – with offers not being able to match the package his current employer was giving. So when a firm from Edmonton, Alberta expressed interest in him and he went along to an interview I thought nothing of it. But with every interview the offer kept getting better and better until we felt we had to give the company and Canada a try.

We have decided, as a compromise, to keep the house in Market Harborough on and will be renting it – as we may wish to come back here at some point and it is always best to keep a foot on the property ladder as bricks and mortar are the most popular form of investment in the UK and prices are likely to shoot up again.

So in two days time we will all get on an airplane (Othello on his own flight direct to Edmonton after a stay at a cattery down south) for ten days in Montreal and then it is off to Edmonton for New Year and our new life.

We are very much looking forward to snow, and skiing in Canada (an experience we have yet to enjoy), and camping in summer – we will admit to being a bit amazed/perturbed/scared by weather reports showing -34.2C but being of stiff-upper-lip stock we will prevail with the “mustn’t grumble” attitude which made both our native countries great, soldier on and buy plenty of long underwear!

Look for us both on Facebook - by searching marca1971@hotmail.com to keep up with our latest news and for our new postal address.

Darren, Madeleine and I wish you Merry Christmas and all the best for 2009.

Heh Baby! Or where will the baby be and in what insane Cirque du Soleil-esq position will we find her...

When Madeleine first arrived she was placed in a gorgeous white cotton covered moses basket with a little white sun shade on top. She seemed so impossibly small and delicate that we laid her in the bassinet like she was a porcelain doll made of eggs.


Eventually we could not ignore the fact that our little girl was getting too big for this starter bed. We went out shopping for her cot. It seemed impossibly large compared to our little baby. She was down at one end and a vast expanse of snowy (and rather expensive I might add) sheet was at the top (1/3 baby 2/3 sheets). Now she is growing into this bed and we are all getting used to it.

These days Madeleine is getting more and more mobile (she is nearly crawling). It has become incredibly interesting to go in and check on her - as she is almost always in some strange pose that is different from the last time you checked.

Currently, she is favouring a sort of prayer-like position kneeling with her bum in the air, face on the mattress and her little arms tucked under. She will be found like this on any part of the cot - often up in the corners at the top.


This morning my little chirpy girl was chatting away in her cot and so I went in wondering what to expect from the little acrobat and there she was sitting up cross legged in her bed smiling at me. I had to laugh and was thinking...it's all over now...we will never have a moments peace from now until she can walk properly...I think THIS weekend we should buy her a helmet!