We started running January 1. Papa thought it would be – interesting? painful? – to run every day in the month. We have a short 6.5 km route near the house that gets one good hill in and is short enough to always find time for. My reasoning is that if I have time to watch an episode of some tv show on Netflix, I have time for a run.

Well, we’re now in February. I think Papa made it every day in January, I managed 29/31 (30/31 if you count a day of hiking as equivalent to running). I can honestly say that after 29 days, its starting to feel almost normal. Almost. Now that we’ve accomplished the month, Papa thinks it would be – neat? crazy? – to try to do it every day for a year. A year!

Of course, on January 9, Papa moved up to Cape Croker for his intensive. He’s home Thursday night to Monday morning. So I lost my best running partner during the week. However, I have my second best one:

He stops more than Papa. But he makes up for it with his fuzzy good looks. He also talks less law.

Papa claims that he’s not a writer, but I think his posts prove that wrong. I took his last post and created a poem out of his words.

Running
The wind and I traded excited cries
While the waves crashed on the shore
Trying to interrupt our conversation
Who says the earth isn’t alive?
The beach, with stones scattered in jagged fragments like lies
Or smooth and round like promises
The forest with leaves that rustle like whispers
And flowers that bloom with abandon
The wind calls to me to come out
To be wild and unafraid
To feel the bones of the Mother under my feet
To run free from the books and artificial lights
That make me feel old and withered
And so I listen, and I leave the warmth of the house
And I run

Well, it’s officially the first day of summer vacation. It’s too bad that the parents are working, but we’ve tried to find some fun and interesting things for Those Johnston Kids to do this summer.  First stop, the Ontario Science Centre. Science centres – which you may remember from the blog last summer – are a popular stop for us. So what could be more fun than an entire week at one?

Well, after a nice weekend of camping up at Cape Croker parkand a late arrival home, no one was all that excited to go Monday morning. It was too early. They were too tired. It was going to be too boring. So this is what they looked like on Day 1:

But, science will always win out! When I picked them up Monday, the first thing they said was not “Hi” or “We missed you”, but “We’re going back tomorrow!” And this is what they looked like on Day 2:

Maybe I can entice them to write their own posts, but here are few things they got to do this week:

• Learn about weather and make clouds!
• Grow geodes!
• Make a volcano!
• See an IMAX movie!
• Visit the exhibits before the Centre officially opens!
• Learn about circuits and make their own light-up greeting cards!

Best. Camp. Ever. (For now.)

It seems that cross-country road trips are all the rage these days. If you haven’t gone yet, I encourage you to plan one!

I saw this article in the Globe and Mail on the long weekend: Plot a road-trip to Canada’s best child friendly historic sites, by John Lee. We’ve been to a number of those and I agree, most of them are pretty fun! However, I thought he missed an opportunity to include some aboriginal historical sites – including a few we were lucky enough to visit. Below is the email I sent to him (along with a shameless plug for our site). I haven’t gotten a reply yet, but I’ll definitely post it if I do. If you have any sites you’d recommend, add them in the comments. Those Johnston Kids will be heading east (though Holly is petitioning hard for Florida – “It’s 34 degrees in Orlando!”) and I’m sure they’d appreciate the suggestions.

Hi John– I just read your article on fun, kid-friendly historical sites in Canada (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/travel/activities-and-interests/what-are-some-fun-historical-sites-for-kids-in-canada/article25783340/). My husband and kids (7 & 9) are on a cross-country road trip, as we speak. They left from Toronto on June 29 and are currently in Banff, working their way back from Vancouver Island. The goal was to see the country, hang out with their dad and maybe have a few exciting adventures. We wanted them to feel it was as much their vacation as ours (I was only able to join for the Saskatoon – Vancouver leg) and they are keeping a blog of their adventures at http://thosejohnstonkids.ca/.

As it happens, we’ve been to a number of the sites mentioned and, while it’s nowhere near an exhaustive list, it provides a good exploration of Canada’s history. However, notably absent is anything of import around native history which is, I believe, a gross oversight. Sure you’ll find some mention of natives as an aside at many historical sites or in relation to trading at historic HBC outposts, but it does not cover the historical fact that there were people here before colonists arrived. My husband, who is Anishnaabe, takes great pains to explain to our children that the Europeans who colonized Canada were not “pioneers” as pioneers implies they were the first people here. Canada, and indeed North America, was populated long before the Europeans arrived and many parts of Canada are still unceded – meaning the land has never been surrendered – including the majority of BC. While many would say this is a small point on which to base an argument, I firmly believe that the words we use to define a people and an experience shape how we see it. Any journalist, politician or writer would tell you the same. Continually referring to colonists as “pioneers” changes how we see them – and ourselves. I would much rather say I was the descendant of pioneers, which implies adventure and hard work. Pioneers were the first to settle Canada. Contrast that with colonist and its less flattering definition of being the one  to appropriate land not belonging to them; to exploit other cultures; to settle in order to gain political control. I can see why many sites prefer to call themselves “pioneer villages” – but it is changing our history. To fully integrate and create a cohesive society, you need to acknowledge the truth of what happened and then you can move forward. Refusing to acknowledge our treatment of the culture that was here before we arrived supports the continuing systemic racism within Canada.

A rather heavy response to a simple, light article on the fun travel opportunities in Canada, I know. But important to encouraging conversation on our history and evolution as a country.  

To round out your list, I would add these attractions to your list of places to visit that will help create a truly Canadian experience:

• Xatsull Heritage Village– just south of Quesnel, the Xatsull Heritage Village provides a window into the spiritual, cultural and traditional way of life of the Xatsull people.
• Tuckkwiowhum Village – experience a Nlaka’pamux village before the arrival of European culture.
• Wanuskewin Heritage Park– located above Opimihaw Creek and the south Saskatchewan River near Saskatoon, Wanuskewin contains some of the most exciting archaeological finds in North America and provides a record of cultural development over the last 6000 years.
• Memorial for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women – The Forks, Winnipeg.
• Woodland Cultural Centre– Located in Brantford Ontario, you can arrange a tour of the last residential school in Ontario. This is a heavy – but important – one. Part of denying our history is refusing to see it. You may not consider this one  kid friendly, but keep in mind, this is where we sent native children.

 Sincerely, Stephanie MacDonald, Toronto, Ontario

I like home design blogs. Mostly for the pictures because, let’s face it, not everyone can write (unless we’re talking about my niece Phoebe’s blog) and home decorating isn’t the most compelling topic. At the same time, it’s a little like punishment because our house will never look like the ones in the picture. First, we don’t have an unlimited budget (despite what Those Johnston Kids think!). Second, we’d rather spend our limited budget on doing stuff rather than buying stuff (http://thosejohnstonkids.ca/wp/index.php/2015/07/24/call-me-ishmael/). Third, I don’t think people actually live in the rooms they show on the blogs. Really. Or if they do, they don’t have children or a dog or three cats. Or me. One consequence of living on my own this summer is that I’ve come to realize that it’s not just the kids who never put anything back where they found it.

However, another consequence of living on my own is that I have time on my hands. Which brings us back to home decorating. I still don’t have a budget, but I have time and little else to focus on other than my adoring dog.

Naturally, the long weekend seemed like the perfect time to start. Before he left, Michael removed part of the wall between the kitchen and dining room and dry walled and primed it. I painted the dining room before I headed west, but I still need to finish the kitchen.

Day 1 – Saturday

My to do list was actually pretty simple:

1. Grocery shopping (the cats were yelling at me for food)
2. Home depot (new knobs for the cabinets)
3. Clean the cabinets & replace the knobs and prep the room for painting

Number 1 & 2 were pretty easy, both are within biking distance. Number 3 proved to be the most challenging. Our house was built in 1963 and we bought it from the original owner. The cupboards are a mix of wood and veneer and were probably part of renovation project sometime in the 70’s. The cupboard doors are wood – covered in about 30 years of grease and dirt. I managed to clean four of them before I needed a break. So I made brownies and watched a movie.

I call that a productive day.

Day 2 – Sunday

My to do list was deceptively short – clean the cabinets, replace the knobs and prep/paint. How hard could it be?

I don’t remember what I did all day, to be honest.  Alison came over in the afternoon and we went to Home Depot (I saw a range hood on sale the day before that wouldn’t fit in my pack). Naturally, that had to be installed even though it wasn’t on the list. It’s a relatively simple process to replace an existing range hood, although it involved a number of trips up and down the stairs from the fuse box to the kitchen to see if I’d flipped the right switch. As it turned out, switch #14 met with success – I wouldn’t electrocute myself. Yay!

Installation complete, I finished cleaning the cabinets and changing the knobs. All of them but ONE. The previous owner of our house, Jim, did a lot of his own home renovations. Generally, this hasn’t turned out well. We’ve discovered joists that have been cut and left unsupported, walls repaired with wood and cardboard and a LOT of plaster, and dishwasher wires running through the ceiling to the basement to plug into a socket. However, he also left us a 70’s orange velour furniture set so I guess you take the bad with the good.

He also had a thing about installing stuff so that it can NEVER be removed. As it turns out, he added a towel rack on the cupboard door. To ensure the screws attaching the rack didn’t poke through the door, he added a piece of wood. He attached this wood over the screws that hold the knob on so you can’t remove the knob without removing the wood. Only I can’t remove the wood because it’s attached with some sort of industrial cement.

I don’t have OCD – but this really bothers me.

Day 3 – Monday

My to do list was now down to painting. Alison offered to come over and help. After a quick change into some of Michael’s nicest clothes, she took over painting the small front foyer, while I did two walls of the kitchen. Two coats were up in no time – as Michael will tell you, Alison and I are speedy, if somewhat lackadaisical, painters. Naturally, we had to go for ice cream.

After Alison left, I stayed up late to finish the painting because we Johnstons are eschewing bedtimes this summer!

And this is what my redecorated kitchen looks like now…

I may need to tidy up a bit before I submit this to Houzz. I can’t find the brownies.

We stayed at Goldstream Provincial Park when we got to the island. Just 16  km northwest of Victoria, it meant a short drive from the ferry assuming we could find it. If you follow Google, it will take you to the day use/picnic area, which is not where you camp. When you get there, there will be a sign telling you to go back 1.6 km. It’s really more like 2.5 km, resulting in one more turnaround.

We’ve been spoiled up until now, travelling so far North. No matter what time we made it into camp, we still had light to set up by. Not so in Victoria. Not only was the sunset earlier, camping in the rainforest means not a lot of light makes it in anyway.

All that to say, it was 9:30 pm, dark, chilly and the kids were a little strung out after a long car ride and too much candy. (Side note: travelling with Papa means that at the end of the day, the only food left in the car is candy. It’s like he’s part hummingbird.)

Tent finally set up – including arguments about Papa’s missing light -we settled down to a gourmet dinner of macaroni and cheese with hotdogs and kimchee. (Addendum to side note: Papa lives on candy AND kimchee. He brought 3 bottles.)

The next morning, we got a chance to explore the park in the light. It was much bigger than it seemed, considering its just past Langford and through the small town of Goldstream. In fact, as we entered it through a more industrial part of town and a run down trailer park, we wondered what kind of park we’d see in the light. We needn’t have worried. By day, we were surrounded by rainforest – massive trees and ferns in dappled sunlight.

Naturally, when it came time to pack up after breakfast (2 dropped pancakes, much to our chef’s consternation), the kids decided they needed to explore. Lake’s bike, having been stored in the trailer, needed its handlebars straightened and tightened. I took care of it for him and said I’d meet them up there. The route went past the showers and I thought I’d stop there first.

I made my way up a big hill, just behind the kids. I was so proud of them for riding the whole way up. By the time I got to the playground and mountain bike park, Lake had already done an endo and both were sitting in the middle of the trail. I thought maybe he’d hit his brakes too hard off a bump. But it turns out that I overestimated my bike repair skills – I’d attached his handlebars backwards so when he turned the corner, his wheel stopped dead. When I told him what happened, he looked at me with his tear stained face and said accusingly, “It’s YOUR fault.” I couldn’t really argue. He was cheered when I took a picture of his wound to add to our photo album of vacation mishaps. It’s a family tradition. 

While we do our best to minimize the amount of time in the car, there are times when its unavoidable. The kids are great travellers and are generally pretty self entertained. For other times, we play games. There’s the word game where you have to use a word in a sentence that starts with the letter the previous word ends with. Since I’ve joined the tour, we’ve added hangman. This can be challenging when you also have alternative spellings – bff (buff, the lack of vowels really stumped us), somone (someone), shool (school) and the occasional letters added when you’re not looking because they “forgot”.

And sometimes there is no game, book or other quiet entertainment that will stop the screaming and you just have to go with it.

Travelling with Those Johnston Kids(TM) is nothing if not entertaining.

On my way to see Those Johnston Kids! I spent the last couple of days preparing the Johnston B&B for Alison:

Now I sit at the airport, absurdly early for my flight because that’s what happens when you’re not travelling with Those Johnston Kids…and their father.

I can’t believe it’s already Friday and I haven’t actually accomplished anything on my to do list! I think the best part about having the house to myself is that I know it’s temporary, so I’m making the most of it. Loki and I go for long walks around the neighbourhood every night. The fridge is stocked with wine. On advice from my sister, I concentrated my cleaning in the bedroom and bathroom, so all the rooms that I use look great. Really, I’ll get to the rest this weekend.

One thing that hasn’t been as much of an adjustment as I thought is not having a car. We live in Toronto (actually, the former city of Scarborough) so we benefit from a good transit system – despite all the complaining you read in the papers. And no, we don’t need a subway. Anyway, thanks to my father and my neighbour Frank, I have two great vehicles to choose from:

1. The sports car (thanks Dad!)

2. The station wagon (thanks Frank!)

Only 1 more week to go and I will be on the road from Saskatoon to Vancouver with Those Johnston Kids! (Assuming the planes have gas.)

I found the candy.