Monkey Goes to Japan
It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out of your door. You step into the Road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to. - Bilbo Baggins, Fellowship of the Ring …
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Dear Monkey
61 posts tagged with this topic.
Monkey's First Day of University
I’m still reeling from your 18th birthday, Monkey. An adult. It’s a big change, I think more for me than for you. But today, you started university. When I went to university, Nana and Granddad drove me up to …
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Happy 18th Birthday, Monkey
I’ve thought of how to start this post so many times over the last few months and I’ve still not figured it out. The regular platitude of “happy birthday” just doesn’t cut it. This …
Monkey's Graduation
Whenever I take a day off from work, I write an Out of Office (OOTO) message. Most people write fairly boring OOTOs, along the lines of: I’m away from the office today. If you have an urgent needs, please send them …
The End of Childhood Adventures
When you’re a parent with young children, you can see possibility, opportunity, and endless field of options. That’s part of being a parent, it’s being freed of expectation and looking towards the best …
A Last Halloween
Tonight, Monkey, you had your last Halloween. I don’t mean you last last, just the last one being at home as a … well, as my child. I, by and large, avoided being around because you had your friends over and …
The Last First Day of School
And suddenly, it’s the first day of school. But it’s a landmark “first” – it’s Monkey’s last first day of school, today she enters Grade 12. I don’t really remember my …
Happy Birthday, Monkey!
I find the end of August creeps up on us far too quickly and suddenly, it’s your birthday and I’m not even sure what happened to summer. Such as it is this year, and we’re in Banff. It wasn’t even …
Happy 16th Birthday, Monkey!
Years ago, at the height of your time in the Spanish program, Mommy and I thought you might want a Quinceañera. That never happened, we didn’t press for it, and you certainly didn’t ask for it. And I imagine …
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Return to the United Kingdom
Last year, when we were trying to determine if were going to go somewhere for Spring Break, we make jokes about going to England. And then we did. It was, easily, one of the best trips. It had it’s harrowing …
How Quickly They Grow Up
As a result of COVID, it’s been a bit hard to do some of the things one should regularly do as part of a healthy regimen. Like, say, getting an annual checkup. (I, in particular, am several years out from my last …
The Last Days
Ten years. A decade my kids have been going to school. And up until the last year, it was a central part of my life. I’m the morning parent: get kids up, shepherd them through breakfast and lunch-making, get them …
Another Apology to my Kids
Hey kids, I hope you’re looking at this blog, especially at the two tags I’ve created to help you find all the things I’ve written for you, and you find this. Because I’m assuming you’ve …
The last tooth has been lost
Well Monkey, you’ve hit a milestone: today, you lost the last of your baby teeth. You told me you pulled it yourself (rather brave, if I do say so myself), and presented it to me like a strange kind of trophy. Your last …
10 Years a Monkey
Dear Monkey, Ten years. A decade. Where do I start? Not the beginning. I’ve done that nearly every year for the last nine. Truth is, and as much as it’s hard for me to accept, you’re not my little baby anymore. You’re …
A birthday hike
Well, Monkey, you’re seven. Like, seven. I’m having trouble really saying that. It’s just weird that you’re so much older than I always feel like you should be. You’re growing up a little more every day, and flit between …
Happy 6th Birthday, Monkey!
Six years ago from about now, I had come home, a newly-minted father, without the slightest clue what you were about to do to my life, Monkey. I had no idea what awaited me, not a hint of what things you would make me …
Monkey's Lost Tooth
Dear Monkey, I don’t know if you’ll remember today by the time you read this, but today you lost your first tooth. Literally. In both ways you can take that sentence. And man, is Mommy sad about that… First off, …
End of Monkey Summer
You’re 5 now, Monkey, which means a pretty big change for all of us. You won’t be around all day long, anymore. Day camps and whatnot aside, you’ve been a major presence — especially in Mommy’s life — since the moment …
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Happy 5th Birthday, Monkey
Today was a big day, Monkey. A milestone — yet another of many to come. Another year has passed, but it’s an important one. You’re past infant, toddler, and now preschooler. You’re a real kid, now. You’re going to school …
I hate you leave you in the morning, Part 2
Where once there was one, Now there are two. But the patterns remains the same. Wakened by one, though with hugs from both. We sit. We eat. We chat. Stories, changing of clothes and preparing for the day. Teeth brushed. …
A walk in the (amusement) park
Kids, we missed the Calgary Stampede this year. That was partly intentional, to be honest. Yes, it was the 100th anniversary, and Choo Choo was old enough to actually do some of the things there, but … well, it …
Vacation 2012, Day 2.5
Well, kids, this vacation is certainly having some ups and downs. I’m taking that as a good thing, by the way, since without variation things can get a little dry. That’s also a joke, incidentally — “dry” …
Vacation 2012, Day 1
Hey kids, You’re both sleeping right now. Soundly so. You’ve both had a big, exciting day, and I’m frankly amazed you made it as long as you did. You normally don’t pack this much into a few days, let alone a few hours. …
An apology to my kids
Dear Monkey and Choo Choo, Yesterday, I worked from home. This is not the first time I’ve done so. The reasons for working from home are also largely irrelevant. The point is that I was there, even though I really …
Happy 4th Birthday, Monkey!
My big girl just got a little bigger. You turned 4 today, Monkey. You’re now so old that I’m having trouble remembering when you weren’t in my life. I’m also having trouble remembering when you were a wee babe, which …
Monkey's First Stampede
Perhaps the title’s a bit misleading, Monkey, but I suspect this will be the first Stampede you actually remember. And you have reason to remember it, too. You’ve listened to marching bands, eaten pancakes, ridden …
The Super Secret Monkey Surprise
For at least the last couple of years, Heritage Park finds a way to bring in Thomas the Tank Engine for the kids. (It’s a fake engine, but the kids don’t care.) The big thing is to ride the train behind Thomas, and …
New Year's Tea, 2011
I gotta tell ya, kids, 2010 was a pretty wild year. I know a lot of people who keep telling me that the years “just fly by” and before you know it, another year’s gone. The year past was definitely a change …
The end of summer vacation
Well, kids, I’m not sure if you’re going to remember this August a few years from now (well, Choo Choo, I’ll be impressed if you remember today, tomorrow), but this has been a fantastic month. It’s been a long month, …
Happy 3rd birthday, Monkey
Well, Monkey, despite all your best attempts to drive Mommy and I to the brink of toddlericide, you made it to be three. It was your first birthday in Canada — your previous birthdays were both in Costa Rica. It wasn’t …
The Great Family Roadtrip 2010, Day 8
We were up perhaps a bit earlier than I’d thought we’d be up, but I’d also forgotten we were stopping in Redcliff to visit Marnie and her kids. Thankfully, Grandpa had enough sense to jumpstart us for the day. That …
The Great Family Roadtrip 2010, Day 7
Despite the nice appearance and newness of the hotel, the Canalta has stiff beds that are really meant for only one person — any movement is felt by the other person on the bed. The pillows are massive and overstuffed …
The Great Family Roadtrip 2010, Day 6
We were all slow to rise today, but we made quick work of breakfast. You said goodbye to your Great Uncle Ken and Great Aunt Marilyn before we headed to the car. Our first stop was to drop off Granny at the airport. She …
The Great Family Roadtrip 2010, Day 5
We were supposed to go out to a lake near the Ontario border today, but Mommy and I threw up the white flag and declared us all “done”. We need a break. Monkey, you’ve been very patient being trapped in the …
The Great Family Roadtrip 2010, Day 4
Wow, I wasn’t kidding, was I? It was a long day. A really, really, really long day. We were up and running and gone by just after 8:15 this morning, trucking our way up to an RV park just north of downtown along Main …
The Great Family Roadtrip 2010, Day 3
At least we didn’t have to get up too early today, Choo Choo, and you let us sleep a bit longer. That helped rest away the many kilometres behind us. We hit breakfast, also at the Chicken Chef (there ain’t a lot of …
The Great Family Roadtrip 2010, Day 2
Choo Choo, I don’t think you yet have a real understanding of time. And certainly, you don’t understand the idea of letting Mommy or Daddy sleep in. Today, I’ll admit, that wasn’t something we would fault you for, since …
The Great Family Roadtrip 2010, Day 1
Well, kids, today was a slow start to our cross-prairie adventure. The morning was otherwise ordinary, rising and having breakfast and dressing. But then I climbed into the car and took Asia away to her hotel for the …
Four fun-filled days
I sit here at my kitchen table, rubbing the weariness from my eyes. Not the things you’d normally hear from me, mind you — I haven’t been working too hard as of late (as you know, my big project is done). No, this is …
Monkey, Lost and Found
Well, Monkey, you gave us perhaps the greatest scare of Mommy’s and my parenthood today. Sure, we’ve seen you really sick with a couple of nasty colds, you’ve cut yourself in a couple of nasty falls, and definitely given …
My Big Monkey
Hey Monkey! You’ve been a big sister now for over two weeks. It was a period of time in which Mommy and I were worried about how you’d treat your little sister, Choo Choo. There’s always that fear that you’d hurt her …
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Choo Choo's first Easter
Maybe I should actually have titled this: “Monkey’s last Easter where she gets all the eggs for herself”, but that just seems a little long. But it’s true, Monkey — next year, even if Choo Choo isn’t walking …
Torches and waterslides
Well, Monkey, it’d been over a month since the last time you swam in a pool, and I thought it high time we went for a swim. In fact, it was so overdue that I felt it was also a good time to go for a Surprise Weekend. And …
There and back again, a Monkey's tail
This is a joke you might not understand until you’re older, Monkey. For now, it’s one many of my friends will have a good chuckle at… You’re asleep right now, in your own room, on the mattress from one of our sofa …
The trip home
Well, Monkey, we’re home now. I know it doesn’t seem like it to you, because you’ve lived in three different homes since you were born. But this house, the one in Calgary (where we’re currently adjusting to serious …
Our last weekend away
Well, Monkey, we’re down to less than a month before we’re back home again. In fact, a month today you’ll (hopefully) be sound asleep in a bed in our home in Calgary. It’s hard to believe that this is actually ending. It …
Brother or sister?
Well, Monkey, today we’d hoped to find out whether or not your sibling-to-be will be a boy or a girl. At this point, we don’t know if you’ll have a little sister or a little brother. All we do know is that whatever the …
Some time in the Caribbean
Hey Monkey! Almost a year and a quarter ago, I brought you and Mommy so we could all be together here in Costa Rica. In that time, we’ve had the opportunity to do some travelling, but until this past week, we hadn’t ever …
I hate to leave you in the morning
The smile on your face outshines the sun as I walk into your room the sweet sound of “daddy” you tell me of your dreams in a language I don’t speak but the wonder is clear Changed and ready for the day to …
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Day of the Ya Ya
Well, Monkey, today was your Ya Ya day. In case you don’t remember what “Ya Yas” are when you get around to reading this, this is your name for The Backyardigans. And a couple of weeks ago, Mommy noticed …
Los Terribles 2
Well, Monkey, you’ve hit the period of your life that Mommy and I kind of hoped you’d side-step. Until recently, you showed every sign of being a Perfect Angel and not following lock-step with most other children. But …
Happy 2nd birthday, Monkey
Today, you turned 2, Monkey. It’s almost hard to believe that it’s been two years, and yet those two years seem to have disappeared in a blink. You’ve spent just over half of your life (to date) here in Costa Rica, and I …
Snot and coffee
Well, Monkey, the last week’s been quite the slog. Last Saturday, you started showing signs of being sick, having caught something from one of your schoolmates. It basically turned you into a bonafide snot factory. (One …
Parenthood, round two?
Hey Monkey, today is an auspicious day. Today, with some luck, you’ve officially started being a Big Sister. Today, Mommy and I found out that we’re going to be parents again. Well, not that we aren’t already parents. …
Diversions at Parque Diversiones
Well, Kiddo, today was a really fun day! Plans don’t always go according to plan, but there are those times when one plan ends up giving who new plans that are possibly even more fun than the original ones. I’d like to …
Día del Padre en Costa Rica
Hey kiddo, Today was Father’s Day. Not just here in Costa Rica, but in many other places around the world. Today was a special day in many ways, notably in that you and I got to spend a lot of time together (sadly, …
A visit to the CIMA ER
This weekend past was not one of your healthier ones, Mi Pequeña Niña. On Saturday, we noticed your nose was running, and you were coughing again. We’ve almost come to expect this since you started going to school a few …
Guanacaste Weekend
Hey Kiddo! You probably won’t remember any of this when you finally get around to reading this, so I’m going to slide you a few details of the weekend. 1 May in many parts of the world is known as “May Day”, …
On your first days of school
Hey kiddo! I know I haven’t written to you since your first birthday. That’s not good for me to do, but sadly your father has been a very busy person in the last few months. That’s not an excuse — there is no excuse for …
Happy first birthday, my daughter!
Hey kiddo! I know you’re not reading this on your first birthday — you can’t quite walk on your own right now, let alone read anything. So I have no idea how old you are now that you’re reading this. You could be 4, 14, …