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Archive for August, 2010

August 31st, 2010

Saguenay Series, Part 1: It seemed like a good idea at the time

Once upon a time, I was an adventurous girl. I travelled with a backpack, I slept in forests unknown, and brought big souvenirs home from countries that I loved (my hubby!). I look back at photos from those times and I don’t recognize that girl at all. Not one bit.

If I look around, I can see that most of my fellow adventure seekers from that era have also mellowed out considerably too. I guess it’s simply the passing of time, I suppose. But a car accident, two children, sports injuries, countless hours at a computer desk and 15 years have not just mellowed me — they’ve made me middle-aged.

I can accept that I am no longer going to wear clothes in single-digit sizes and definitely not a bikini again in this lifetime. (Granted, I accept it begrudgingly, with a smidgen of bitterness).

But to be perfectly honest, I think I could skip the wild and crazy and enjoy settling into a chubby, cushy middle-aged existence if not for the fact that my husband has not aged one bit. This is him:

Mountain climbing. July 2010.

He’s just as adventurous, just as fit (maybe more, even!) and just energetic as when I met him back in 1994. He has a real zest for life and it makes me think, “Huh, how come I don’t feel like that?” Or “Wow, he sure looks like he’s having fun, maybe I should try it, too.” You might recall that these same emotions got me roped into my “Winter Resolution” this year, not to mention all this tent-trailer shenanigans.

And now I’ve done it again. Way, way back … I received an email about a trip to the Saguenay region in Quebec. Around this time, my hubby was planning his big summer adventure (pictured above) and I thought, “This can be my adventure!”

Silly me, I forgot that I don’t do adventures anymore.

Now I am locked in — and I need to leave on Monday night.

Not only is it the worst possible timing with the kids staring school, but I’ve also started a new job recently too. But, like I said, I’m locked in.

At this point, I’m still a bit vague on the details (I like living denial) … something about kayaking, hiking, biking and black bear observation. All in four-day time span! Mentally, I’m already exhausted from the new-job thing. So now I’ll add physical exhaustion to the menu, and give it a taste too I guess!

Like they say, it seemed like a good idea at the time.

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August 27th, 2010

The Dreams We Have For Our Children

I overheard this conversation last night:

Father #1: My kids are going to be on the Yearbook Club. For sure.

Father #2: Oh, were you on the Yearbook Club when you were in high school?

Father #1: God no! That was for losers.

Me: *laughing hysterically*

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August 24th, 2010

Like a girl

I grew up in a household that did not tend abide by gender stereotypes. Both of my parents pursued careers. But both of my parents also spent time at home as full-time caregivers. In some ways, I was aware that not all households were like this. That not all Dads took their girls outside to learn to throw a ball properly. And that not all Moms gave their girls Adventure People instead of Barbies. But in many ways, I was oblivious. I think the same could be said for how my husband was raised. I wouldn’t imagine that it was the norm for a country boy to know how to cook, clean and sew, and yet his mother taught all three of her sons these skills.

I can see now that what our parents gave us was a gift. Because in raising us in this manner, it is now possible that I, as mother, can teach both my daughter and son how to throw a ball properly. I’ve been armed not with just the desire to do so, but with the actual skill. (Sometimes I do still find myself ill-equipped, but in those instances, I fake it for the sake of my kids.)

Most days I really feel that the world has changed and that our generation is at the forefront of turning over any remaining gender stereotypes once and for all. Like when I heard a documentary about stay-at-home-fathers this morning on CBC radio.

But then there are other days. Days when I end up “crying like a girl.” I really hate those days.

What are the most common gender stereotypes that you run into? Are there common phrases that irk you, like “Oh, boys will be boys?” Do you ever find yourself acting out gender stereotypes (consciously or unconsciously)?