Our family has fallen out of our school day routine over the summer. We were ready far too quickly this morning and ended up arriving 25 minutes early for my children’s first day of the new school year. I’d forgotten what time we needed to leave the house. The funny part is that students go back on the first day just for an hour.
Liz Stockwell
Liz Stockwell has a PhD in zoology from the University of Washington and lives in Burnaby, British Colombia. After experiencing the hectic pace of combined teaching, parenting, and academic life, she decided to be home with her two young children full-time. In her off-hours, she squeezes in writing projects (occasionally!) and enjoys exploring the forest and seashore with her family.
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Most Recent Articles
August 21, 2012
It hit me this year that someday I’ll be one of the elders in my family. My parents are ageing gracefully, and both are still in fairly good health. However, I realized that in the not too distant future my sister and I will be responsible for passing on our family lore. We’ve heard many stories and cherished bits of wisdom from both my parents, but to be honest, the details tend to blur.
July 24, 2012
During a rare stretch of warm, sunny weather in our waterlogged Vancouver region, I look for every excuse to be outdoors. While I could be parked at the computer inside, trying to write, and staring distractedly at the cabbage white butterflies flitting around my patio garden, I’m more productive in the long run if I give into temptation and head outside for a break. What works particularly well is combining my outdoor time with a chore that lets my mind wander.
July 10, 2012
On the last day of school, my daughter’s grade one teacher invited parents to attend a class awards ceremony. Each of the twenty-one children in her class was presented with a unique award. Although my attention was at first fully focused on my daughter (a writing award!), I was especially happy for a boy who received recognition for his ability to identify more bugs, birds, and reptiles than the teacher. It made my heart soar that she’d singled out the importance of the boy’s identification skills, especially in a world where people increasingly place little value on knowing what lives around them.
June 5, 2012
About two years ago my then nine-year-old son discovered that the public radio station I regularly played in the car was not cool. He wanted to have his own radio so he could listen to the commercial pop station the kids at school talked about. I wasn’t ready for him to listen to the station on his own, but I agreed to tune in for short car trips when I could monitor the music selections.
May 22, 2012
Sometimes I can become so engrossed in a project that I forget to take a break. Or I don’t realize that I’ve been sitting with terrible posture at the computer and have neglected to stop and stretch. Before I know it I have an aching neck or back and can no longer work effectively. Why can’t I just remember to take a break?
May 1, 2012
News of the unexpected death of a former collaborator has me thinking about my own life and my legacy. Where have I come from, where I am now, and where am I going?
April 10, 2012
Disney princesses got the boot from my seven-year-old last fall. It wasn’t long after she found she could read her giant pink Disney princess book all by herself that she declared it was stupid. “None of them wear pants,” she exclaimed. “Except Jasmine and Mulan. They’re OK.” Note to self: the princess phase only lasted a few years with no major repercussions, at least as far as I can tell. I’m glad I ignored every instinct to fight it and let her be. It was fun and no harm done (at least I hope not).
March 27, 2012
This is the time of year when the blahs set in. Winter is technically over, but teaser spring days followed by dreary rain, rain, then more rain make it hard for me to find my get-up-and-go. I shouldn’t be surprised because it seems to happen every year about this time. Somehow this year is a little tougher than usual, though; 2012 has been a long year already, and it’s only just begun.
March 13, 2012
An ongoing labor dispute between teachers and the government in my province of British Colombia came to a head last week with a teacher strike. Although teachers were only out of the classroom for three days (after giving a few days’ strike notice), parents were sent scrambling to juggle schedules, arrange for childcare, and keep their kids occupied.
