What Not To Do

Parenting is such a sweet challenge. I have my share of blessing being the father of 4 sons. I shall never complain...because...it's good. There are plenty of rules and regulations in place to keep some semblance of order in the house.

The boys earn 'time' that they can spend on the computer mainly by practicing their music or doing some sort of chore. We give them "Mum Bucks" that they collect and redeem here at home. It's their idea - and it seems to work fine.


Chris, my oldest boy at 13, is usually bankrupt. He's always out of "Mum Bucks"...so imagine my surprise to find him parked in front of the computer the other morning.

Me: "What are you doing on the computer?"

Chris: "You forgot to tell me what not to do."

That's rich eh? I forgot to tell him what not to do. I love how he shakes off the responsibility and throws it back on me as if it's my fault he's out of line. He's a smart cookie.

I laughed loud and hard.

Thoughts on Winter

Thankfully there is a bit of snow, otherwise, the immediate landscape would appear dreadfully dull in Nova Scotia. Looking out to the ocean is another thing.

I see my way through this time of year but many do not. It’s rough. No question, January is a hard month but it is also a great month for new beginnings. I am not making any specific resolutions for 2009 but am simply looking for a little sharper discipline in my life. There’s a lot to work on. Running will pick up again soon - maybe tomorrow.

Some people love winter. For the record, I am not one of those people. Winter is, however, a favourite time of year for my boys. They love digging and floundering in the snow, seemingly oblivious to the wet and cold.

The older I get the more I believe that winter is really a gift for kids. I've got proof as you'll soon see. We had the great pleasure of visiting with friends over the weekend just outside of Lunenburg. They work a beautiful piece of land right on the ocean. It's unbelievable!

We warmed up afterwards with some sausage soup, a wood fire, guitars and fiddles!