Bright son

The start of a new school year is still a week away, but already I can sense the anxiety building in my sensitive little boy's mind. Amidst the leisure and laughter of late summer days are outbursts and tears and quiet, heartfelt refrains of "Mom, I'm not ready to go back to school." As difficult as Will can be in these moments, my heart feels so sad for him. I really do appreciate how very deeply he thinks and feels about everything in his young life.

We have always known there is something different about Will; in many ways, he has never been quite like other children his age. I've thought deeply about this fact for years, and have expressed some of my impressions of my wonderful, challenging youngest boy before (especially in my favourite post here). It dawned on me about a year and a half ago, in a lightbulb kind of moment based on something I stumbled upon in a parenting book I was reading to help me relate to Will better, that he might be intellectually gifted. Anxious to uncover any information that might make raising Will easier, I began to read everything I could find about giftedness in children, and learned that in addition to thinking about and understanding the world in complex, creative, unique ways, gifted chidren also often have heightened emotional and physical sensitivities. The pieces were starting to fit together.

After helping Will manage some school anxiety last year, Matt and I decided to get a clear picture of his cognitive abilities by having him privately assessed by a psychologist this summer. Our hope was that with a detailed understanding of his special talents and abilities, we might be able to ensure a more stimulating and enjoyable school experience for him, especially since our board does not formally provide enrichment programming until grade 5. Will thoroughly enjoyed the testing process (he loved the mental challenge!), and while Matt and I were not surprised at all by the results we got back this week, we feel a strange sense of awe, and a great responsibility to help both of our gifted sons, now, find experiences and challenges that are exciting, novel, and useful in helping them grow into the amazing young men they have the great potential to become.

Many people have the impression that you don't have to worry about gifted kids; because they're "smart", they'll do well no matter what. What happens when gifted learners become increasingly bored and disillusioned with their school experiences, though, and lose their motivation to strive to be their best? How do you keep a seven year old boy whose language and math abilities are years ahead of his actual grade happily learning something new on a day-to-day basis? How do we, as parents, make sure that we provide our boys with enrichment activities in their life outside of school? These are all questions that I will need to answer in the coming weeks, months, years.... It is a responsibility that I do not take lightly at all.

Receiving these test results for Will has provided us with another piece in the puzzle to understanding our amazing young son. They don't change the challenges we face with him, but they've given us a new glimpse into who he is, one that allows us to see him a little more compassionately when we realize that the world must be an awfully frustrating place sometimes for a boy who has the life experiences of a seven year old and beautiful, complex, grown-up thoughts.

I am incredibly excited for both of my exceptionally bright boys.... and I hope I will be able to be an exceptional source of support and guidance for them as they navigate their ways forward from here. I hope, above all, that their journeys are happy ones.

Sticking to it (or how to use up all of your mom's Scotch tape)

Parents can invest a lot of time, energy, and money into ensuring their children aren't bored over the long weeks of summer holidays. Sometimes, despite summer camp sessions, family vacations, interesting outings, and plans with friends, kids can still find an opportunity to complain (to their parents' dismay), "But there's NOTHING to do!!". It is in precisely these times that a good ol' roll of Scotch tape comes in handy. I learned yesterday that the cost of a spool and a half of the sticky stuff, plus just a little help from me, equals one entire day of creative fun.

Noah has been talking for months about building a zipline from the roof of our house to the giant willow tree at the back of our yard. (And because I don't doubt his ability to actually accomplish this feat somehow, I am a little hesitant about the fact that he's old enough now to be left home alone for short periods of time!) Anyway, talk of the zipline resurfaced at the breakfast table yesterday, and before I knew it, the boys had dashed off to the family room and were pulling out craft supplies and empty cardboard boxes from storage in earnest. What resulted was a highly involved process of cutting, tying, and lots of taping, along with planning, measuring, hypothesizing, and trial runs. The boys managed not only to build a working model of a zipline complete with transport vehicle for moving Lego people from the top of our stairs to the front door (with padding at the bottom to prevent injury), but also a rock-climbing wall, a bouncy castle, and a bowling lane (Will's imaginative creations), and a carefully designed and well-tested ramp for daredevil dinky car runs.









(You can see clearly now where all of my Scotch tape went.)

With the exception of an hour or two for swimming and bike rides, and a couple of meals, the boys worked diligently and happily on this project all day! It was so nice to see them so engaged together in a cooperative project of their own devising.

I may not have had any Scotch tape left this morning when I needed to wrap some gifts for Matt's upcoming 40th birthday, and I may have had to try to avoid injuring myself on the zipline string stretched down our stairwell (because the boys begged me to PLEASE not make them take it all down yet when it was time for bed last night). These minor inconveniences didn't bother me, though -- they were well worth the boys' smiles and sense of accomplishment as they basked in the glow of their good day's work.

On a side note, I plan to start buying Scotch tape in bulk.

Turning ten

Ten years ago, as I gently cradled my brand new, beautiful first-born son in my arms, I was filled with a deep and instant love and an incredible sense of wonder. I marvelled at his ten tiny toes, his soft, sweet-smelling skin, the way his little baby fingers curled so snugly around mine. I wondered how this precious little being would change my life, and more importantly, where the coming years would take him as I helped him make his way through the big, wide world.

In the ten years that have passed since Noah was born, my life has become better in profoundly meaningful ways, and the path he has thus far taken through the big, wide world has been a source of delight for all of us. I've marvelled at Noah's endless curiosity and the way his mind so deeply ponders the many ideas that interest him. His gentle heart has made him a caring son, brother, and friend, and I've appreciated his calm, thoughtful approach to life's more difficult situations. I've laughed along with Noah and his marvelous sense of humour, shared in his enthusiasm for his many creative projects, and have been amazed by his great drive and determination to try new adventures and to succeed in whatever he puts his mind to. Ten years have been filled with tens of millions of moments where I've looked at this wonderful boy and felt as though I might burst with happiness. I never could have imagined ten years ago that I could ever feel so proud.

As Noah enters the double-digit numbers in age tomorrow, I marvel at the fact that it has already been ten years since I first held him in my arms, and my heart is once again filled with deep love and an incredible sense of wonder when I think about what a confident, bright, engaging, accomplished, and kind young man he has grown into. I am awed by the remarkable good fortune that smiled down on me the day he came into the world.

Happy tenth birthday, Noah! May the coming years return to you tenfold the joy you bring to all those who know and love you.

Summer evening

The crickets chirp softly in the background of a summer's evening as I swing gently back and forth on one of the boys' swings. Across the yard, my three favourite fellas are playing an after-dinner game of baseball; they are throwing, batting, catching, running, and laughing in the soft light, and I am caught in a moment of simple happiness that I wish would never end.

There is something bittersweet about a lovely evening in August. The relatively cooler temperatures make the after-dinner hours just perfect for enjoying outdoors, and life seems easy, relaxed, carefree in the tree-sheltered comfort of our backyard. The hours are ours to enjoy while they last, and there is no pressure to be anywhere else. The feeling of contentment that fills these times lulls me into believing summer will go on indefinitely... yet something about the feel of the August air and the look of the evening light wistfully reminds me that our sun-kissed days of leisure will soon be winding down.

Some parents arrive at this point in the summer and long for the return of school and routine, but I am not there yet. I drink up all these happy moments of freedom with my family like a tall, cool glass of lemonade. The memory of them will be a welcome refreshment when the summer sun sets and our swings once again sit empty in the evenings.

Kale salad

The four of us spent this past weekend up north, visiting and having fun with Matt's family at his parents' house on the lake. When we arrived, Matt's mom was keen to show me her vegetable garden with its enormous crop of kale. The hearty green leaves were growing enthusiastically along an entire row of the garden bed, and Matt's mom said they'd been eating it like crazy all summer long. I've decided I definitely need to plant some kale next year (and that I will definitely need a bigger vegetable garden to do so!)

Kale is a wonderfully healthy food to eat, so it's a good plant to have lots of! The leafy green is full of antioxidants, vitamins K, A, and C, and fibre, and can be enjoyed both raw or cooked. (We like to saute it with a little olive oil and fresh garlic, and then sqeeze a bit of lemon juice over top before serving.) This past weekend, I made a crunchy, raw kale salad (with a dressing recipe I found in Chatelaine magazine) that was a big hit with Matt's whole family.

Kale, Cabbage, and Carrot Salad

1 bunch of kale leaves, washed, dried, and thinly sliced
1/4 head of shredded red cabbage
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds (or an amount that's to your liking)

Add kale, cabbage, carrots, and sunflower seeds to a salad bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together the following ingredients to make the dressing:
2 tbsp cider vinegar
3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp honey

Pour dressing over salad and toss all ingredients until well mixed. Let salad stand in fridge for about an hour to blend flavours before serving.

With its vibrant colours, this kale salad is as visually appealing as it is delicious. What a tasty way to put more health-boosting greens on your dinner plate!

Making the switch

I often find myself getting compliments from people I know, and even from random strangers (like kind grocery store employees), about how healthy our family's diet is. Eating the way we do has been a work in progress for awhile now, a choice that was triggered by health issues, and then fuelled by an enthusiasm to learn more about food and about how what we eat impacts our lives and the planet. One of my favourite food bloggers, Alexa Croft of Lexie's Kitchen, has recently started a wonderful new series on her site called "Making the Switch", a collection of stories written by regular people about how they've changed the way they shop, cook for, and nourish themselves and their families. This week she is featuring my story! (You can read it here.) I hope that sharing my family's experiences with making the switch will somehow inspire others to make their own changes to improve their well-being.

Here's to real food and good health!

A bookworm's breakfast -- 11

The boys have been having a summer full of adventures, with family vacations, trips to visit relatives, summer camp programs, days in the pool, hanging out with friends, and various projects of their own devising that are keeping them busy and happy. When they're ready for some down time, both of them seem to really enjoy finding a quiet nook somewhere and settling in for awhile to discover the adventures of characters in good books. I can't really think of a much nicer place to read than outside, in the shade of a green tree while swinging in a hammock. Can you?

In this (long overdue) July edition of A bookworm's breakfast, I hope you'll find a title that will appeal to your own children, wherever their favourite summertime reading spot might be!

3-5 year olds: I Love You, Blue Kangaroo by Emma Chichester Clark


This gentle story is wonderfully appealing to any child who has a special affection for a favourite stuffed toy. Lily dearly loves her Blue Kangaroo, but when she receives a whole zoo of other animal friends as gifts, Blue Kangaroo begins to worry that there is no longer a place for him in Lily's bed, or in her heart. When Lily must make a decision about which of her beloved animals to share with her little brother, young readers will both cheer for and be reassured by her decision. This is a lovely book that is perfect for winding down with your small children on summer evenings.

6-9 year olds: Stop Bugging Me! (But that's what friends are for.) by Daniel Cleary


Smudge, a grumpy dog on a mysterious mission, does not want anyone following him, least of all a guinea pig, a couple of worms, or any of the other creatures who line up behind him to see what he's up to. His friends don't seem to be put off by his crusty comments, though. In the book's laugh-out-loud conclusion, Smudge grudgingly comes to realize that friends stay with you always, even in the most embarrassing of times. Cleary's delightful book relays a meaningful message through simple artwork and text that is genuinely appealing to newly independent readers.

9-12 year olds: The Fire Within by Chris D'Lacey


This book review was written by my soon-to-be-ten-year-old son, Noah, who is developing some serious arm muscles as a result of lugging home ridiculously heavy bags of books from the library this summer.

Tenant David Rain thinks he's renting a normal house with a nice lady and her daughter until he starts to notice strange things. Liz (his landlady) is sometimes up in a mysterious room, and when David tries to open the door, the knob is locked and burning to the touch. Then David becomes aware of odd flurries of movement out of the corner of his eye. It turns out Liz and her daughter Lucy believe in dragons. If you're a fan of the Harry Potter series, you will absolutely love this book. When I read it, there always seemed to be some sort of hidden detail that made me wonder what exactly was going on. Chris D'Lacey has made up an interesting array of characters with quirky traits such as a smiling squirrel named Snigger and Henry Bacon, the grouchy do-it-yourself fix-it neighbour. This book was one of my favourite fantasy books ever because it was so intriguing. I just had to keep reading. (Thanks, Noah.)

As the adventure-filled weeks of summer fly by, I hope that families everywhere are finding time for encouraging a love of reading together. As always, I'd love to hear about what books your children are enjoying -- feel free to share in the comments section below!