Few people make me laugh the way my family members do, especially my sister. Sometimes all it takes is a look or a single word to remind me of something from our childhood, and we break into hysterical laughter. We’re doing a lot of that these days, having converged at my parents’ house for a family reunion. These gatherings have become increasingly infrequent since I moved to the west coast and she moved to Europe. However, we do our best to make up for lost time, and just as the adults do, our children, who are close in age, pick up where they left off.
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
July 20, 2011
Perhaps it’s because I’m a parent and have a deep-rooted desire to keep my offspring well fed, but I still find it interesting that I’ve become a hoarder. Right now I have five buckets of raspberries (17 pounds before we gobbled up a few bowls full) sitting on my kitchen counter waiting to be washed and set out on trays in the freezer for later packaging in freezer bags. Two weeks ago I processed six pails of strawberries. The best of the crop went into the fridge to be consumed fresh or made into tarts (my husband’s specialty), while the rest went into our winter freezer reserves.
July 6, 2011
Last weekend I treated my six-year-old to a mother-daughter shopping date in downtown Vancouver. She was on a quest for a fancy summer party dress, the kind that poofs out when the wearer twirls around. It was a beautiful sunny afternoon, and before hitting the big sale at a department store we sat on a park bench in the sun-dappled shade to eat hotdogs from a street vendor. “This is the best day ever,” my daughter said, and we both smiled, caught up in an idyllic moment.
June 15, 2011
My son and I recently found a new interest to share. It’s not something artistic such as singing, or athletic such as tae kwon do. No, instead my son and I both enjoy battling zombies together.
Little did I suspect what would happen when I sat down next to my kids six weeks ago to watch them play a computer game. I didn’t understand the appeal; what could possibly have them so sucked in they couldn’t stop when their screen time was up for the day? I wanted to understand why they were so hooked, and I wanted to know what they were talking about.
May 25, 2011
For the past several months I’ve been stewing about balance and life goals. It seems to be my favorite topic for inner reflection as I ponder whether I’m being true to myself and to my family. As someone who left academia to care for my children full-time, I also question at times whether my views are relevant on this site devoted to higher education.
May 4, 2011
A few days ago I ran into a friend at a coffee shop, and as we waited in line for our drinks we chatted about the Canadian federal elections that were held on Monday this week. Having recently become a Canadian citizen, he was thrilled to vote in Canada for the first time. I was at first a little taken aback when he asked me if it was obligatory to vote in Canada (it’s not), and I wondered what it would be like to vote in a country where one was compelled to do so by law.
April 20, 2011
As a parent I think a lot about keeping my children safe. When they’re with me I do what I can with safety tips, always hoping that I’m teaching them lessons they’ll remember when we’re apart. Though I’m not sure how best to do this, I try to help them develop good “antennae”, to know to get away from a situation when it doesn’t feel right. I can only hope that, without making them fearful and suspicious, they’ll get it. But sometimes that’s not enough.
April 6, 2011
Ah, spring break! No school lunches to prepare, no early morning breakfasts to make, no lightning launches out the door to catch the bus, and no shuttling to piano and karate lessons. We joined the throngs of people crowding the airport for holidays in the sun. Our travel plans were less exotic, but we were just as excited to spend 10 days at my parents’ house.
March 16, 2011
Illinois decision to decouple IT chain of command from the academic one, and resignation of a displeased CIO, sparks debate on "centralized" technology.
February 23, 2011
Ok, maybe mad is a little strong to describe how I feel about the Hogwarts hero and J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books. But they’ve thrown a wrench into our bedtime reading routine. What can we possibly read now to replace the excitement of the Harry Potter saga? Is there life after Hogwarts?
