Hi all.
My daughter's school pool is being closed down. The Toronto District School Board is shutting 19 pools down. They say the pools are too expensive, even though school swim programs provide students with water safety and swimming lessons. Many of these students will have very little access to swimming or water safety programs. The city of Toronto, who really should support the pools, are also claiming that they can't fund or support school pools. The clincher is that if the pools are closed down, this will create a need for pools in many areas (most less affluent areas), which the city will likely address by building community centres with pools. Your average community centre pool will cost up to 12 million dollars (each) to build.
This seems ridiculous since pools and community buildings (schools) exist. The pools will be drained (most are fully functioning and recently repaired)and filled in with cement.
If you have a moment please go to http://www.avivacommunityfund.org/ideas/acf2904 to vote to save Toronto School Pools.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Libretto
I stumble down
Nassau’s footway, pursued by the
carnival of street noise to
where rosedale glows.
I alight on the doorstep
and push open
the sound
breathless
save
for Dylan
and the thickness
of the silence acoustic
shelves lined with volumes
the
drift of my finger's
tip
over ridge
over face over spine
each awake now
silently mouthing their words to me
in language I finally can understand.
Nassau’s footway, pursued by the
carnival of street noise to
where rosedale glows.
I alight on the doorstep
and push open
the sound
breathless
save
for Dylan
and the thickness
of the silence acoustic
shelves lined with volumes
the
drift of my finger's
tip
over ridge
over face over spine
each awake now
silently mouthing their words to me
in language I finally can understand.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Fire FIGHTER
I volunteered to help chaperone Olivia's kindergarten class visit to the local fire hall. yes, I know what you're thinking, but that's not why I went. anyways, the tour consisted of two, well muscled fire men explaining all the cool (read: macho things about fire fighting, axes, shovels, ladders, big loud lights, sledge hammers)
although, perhaps I should re think my delimiting those things to being macho...but anyways. The tour and show and tell took about an hour...at one point the student teacher had her picture taken in the fire truck with a fire "mans" hat on. That's their term not mine. The firefighter asked if I wanted my picture taken in the truck.
I declined. although I should have had one taken, Did you know that the firefighter's hats are decorated with a brass/metal figure of a beaver.
The firefighter's ended the little talk with the usual "does anyone have any questions". Well I did. I wondered, since over half the class were girls, if there were any women fire FIGHTERS. Besides the sideways glances that he gave his colleague, he also responded by saying that yes, there were women who were firefighters, and that the fire department accepted people of all shapes and sizes, not just big strong men...they both looked annoyed and sort of sheepish.
About a minute later the alarm bell sounded...a real fire to put out I guess.
although, perhaps I should re think my delimiting those things to being macho...but anyways. The tour and show and tell took about an hour...at one point the student teacher had her picture taken in the fire truck with a fire "mans" hat on. That's their term not mine. The firefighter asked if I wanted my picture taken in the truck.
I declined. although I should have had one taken, Did you know that the firefighter's hats are decorated with a brass/metal figure of a beaver.
The firefighter's ended the little talk with the usual "does anyone have any questions". Well I did. I wondered, since over half the class were girls, if there were any women fire FIGHTERS. Besides the sideways glances that he gave his colleague, he also responded by saying that yes, there were women who were firefighters, and that the fire department accepted people of all shapes and sizes, not just big strong men...they both looked annoyed and sort of sheepish.
About a minute later the alarm bell sounded...a real fire to put out I guess.
the systematic girling of my daughter
My family is engaged in an non-organized (they don't meet as far as i can tell) but systematic plan to girl the mae mae. Her second birthday is coming up and I think that it has some tripped some kind of girl alert alarm in the grandparents genetic make up.
Apparently, the following items are dangerously lacking in her life so far (but are arriving regularly): Diapers with princesses on them, girlie panties (2 year olds aren't allowed to wear boy boxers, though they seem way more comfortable and easier to get on and off), barbie dolls (SHE'S TWO!!!), and pink everything.
Along with these items i also get a little lecture, finger wagging and other indications that I am failing to teach mae to be a girl by providing the proper girlie merch. I've also noticed that compliments of her prettiness and niceness are amping up.
To be fair, they also organized to boy Dru because I suck at that too. No one seems to remember (or respect) that I'm purposely aspiring to gender neutral parenting.
Apparently, the following items are dangerously lacking in her life so far (but are arriving regularly): Diapers with princesses on them, girlie panties (2 year olds aren't allowed to wear boy boxers, though they seem way more comfortable and easier to get on and off), barbie dolls (SHE'S TWO!!!), and pink everything.
Along with these items i also get a little lecture, finger wagging and other indications that I am failing to teach mae to be a girl by providing the proper girlie merch. I've also noticed that compliments of her prettiness and niceness are amping up.
To be fair, they also organized to boy Dru because I suck at that too. No one seems to remember (or respect) that I'm purposely aspiring to gender neutral parenting.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
michelle obama on motherhood
michelle obama's statement about motherhood fits so well with the discussions we've been having on this blog.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Princess Barbie Fairytopia
Olivia and I were talking about a particular movie she has: Barbie Fairytopia.
I didn't buy it for her, some well meaning relative or her dad likely did. Once something like that is in the hot little hands of your 5 year old, it only sets you up to be the meanie. So, due to the lack of co operation I have from other adults who are part of Olivia's life, I've decided to use these artifacts as a way to instill critical thinking and encourage questioning the world around you.
Case in point: We discussed why mom doesn't like the fairytopia movies, and Barbie in particular. I tried to do this in as factual as a way as possible, you can imagine my objections to the unrealistc portrayal of feminitity, of beauty, of good and evil, of dichotomies, of the marketing ploy of it all... so we talked about this for a time, and then I said "but probably you can watch those shows and it won't hurt you, as long as you try to understand what you are watching", to which Olivia replied "no mom, it can hurt you because it tries to tell you something that isn't real, and when you're little you might believe it".
Powerful.
I didn't buy it for her, some well meaning relative or her dad likely did. Once something like that is in the hot little hands of your 5 year old, it only sets you up to be the meanie. So, due to the lack of co operation I have from other adults who are part of Olivia's life, I've decided to use these artifacts as a way to instill critical thinking and encourage questioning the world around you.
Case in point: We discussed why mom doesn't like the fairytopia movies, and Barbie in particular. I tried to do this in as factual as a way as possible, you can imagine my objections to the unrealistc portrayal of feminitity, of beauty, of good and evil, of dichotomies, of the marketing ploy of it all... so we talked about this for a time, and then I said "but probably you can watch those shows and it won't hurt you, as long as you try to understand what you are watching", to which Olivia replied "no mom, it can hurt you because it tries to tell you something that isn't real, and when you're little you might believe it".
Powerful.
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