Bunchland

Robyn Knickle shares stories from Hamilton, Ont.

March 3rd marked five years of wedded bliss for my husband and I. By bliss, I mean chaos, with two babies, two houses and two new jobs, so we thought we would treat ourselves to a week in Jamaica without the kids. It seemed like the best idea ever when we booked it – a week in paradise with nothing to do but soak in the sun while lying by the pool and swimming to the bar.

The few days before we left, however, I panicked. How could we leave our children? Were we heartless and cruel?! My husband reassured me that they would be fine. They were staying with my mom afterall, and a week at Nana’s house meant that our kids would enjoy an all-inclusive vacation of their own, with all-you-can-take snuggles and 24-hour access to junk food and TV.  Read more...

What we’re reading today:

1. Single documentary filmmaker Jamie Kastner took his 3-year-old son to Jamaica and had a blast. Should someone do something about single parent travel packages? Via The Globe and Mail

2. The Dog Whisperer = The Kid Whisperer? Some parents are taking Cesar Millan’s discipline philosophy and applying it to their kids. Yeah, take that, 2-year-old dictators. We think this means some houses just got themselves a new pack leader. Via The New York Times

3. Ten-year-old Winnipeg Youtube star Maria Aragon appeared on Ellen. Wow. Via The Brandon Sun

4. Sarah Hoffman says that random moms on the playground are always asking if she thinks her feminine son will grow up to be gay. Hoffman doesn’t care. And she knows that a kid’s gender preferences don’t necessarily indicate sexual orientation. To her surprise, she found that Dr. Phil agrees with her… but Dr. Phil also advises taking the “girl things” away and buy “boy toys.” Via Salon.  Read more...

Our travel blogger Corinne shares three wildly different family holiday ideas

Corinne and crew

Every December 26, we say the same thing: “Next year, we’re going away!” Of course, now that the holidays are looming, we’ve not yet made any plans. But there is still time to escape, with the next question being, “Where the heck are we going to go?”

Here are three ideas, ranging from the budget-conscious and totally doable to the crazy-expensive-and-totally-wild-but-fun-to-dream-about-and-maybe actually-do-one-day.

Up North

If you can’t stand the thought of cooking the turkey but perish the idea of a hot and sandy festive season, hop in the car and in less than two hours later you’ll be in a magical winter wonderland, where meals are provided without extended family drama (unless, of course, you invite them along). Enter the Fern.  Read more...