Goodbye to Tough Cookies!

So here it is: the last post of Tough Cookies: Hintonburg Style!

After almost six years, writing posts once a week, without fail, it just feels like the right time to put my "pen" down. And maybe part of the reason that I feel that way is that today was Margot's Grade 6 graduation day.

It was certainty a day of high emotions. When Margot first entered the ceremony room wearing high heels (that she chose), her fancy new dress (also her), and full of confidence, I couldn't stop smiling. Later on, seeing her walk on stage to accept her little diploma, definitely pulled on the heartstrings a bit.

As a nice bonus she won the Prix D'Excellence (tied with two other kids but we'll forget about those jokers!), which is super cool as it not only recognizes her marks but her genuine kindness towards other children in her class.

She's come a long way since she started École Saint-François-d'Assise, that Margot.

• Grade One: getting over the shock and worry of a brand new school;
• Grade Two: sharing her laughter on our weekly Daddy-Daughter dates;
• Grade Three: developing big emotions faster than I anticipated;
  
• Grade Four: banding together as a family to keep learning even when stuck at home; 
• Grade Five: taking her horseback riding passion to the next level;
  
• Grade Six: proving nothing will stop her from doing her homework because it matters to her.

Our lives here in Hintonburg has involved many things other than school of course: travelling; fluffy cats; renovations; and a little global pandemic. But looking back on the past six years I think helping Margot along on her journey, with Glosette Girl of course, is something I'll cherish the most. I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to be a real father to her, and not one who just checks in when it's convenient.

I hope I've given you a sense as to what it's like to be a dad living in this little corner of the world. I'm not sure what exactly the next years will hold, but I'm excited to see what happens next. If they were anything like the past six, they will be tough yet fun. They will have tears and laughter. But, no matter what, they will always be honest and heartfelt. 

The End.

Parenting... it's just Getting Started

The weather around here has been gorgeous lately; sunny days, blue skies, and cool breezes - what more could you ask for?

So yesterday Glosette Girl, Margot and I headed off to Dow's lake to take full advantage. It's one of our regular walking trails/hang out spots, along with the Arboretum, where we can enjoy a bit of fresh air, without driving more than a few minutes away.

...Well, Glosette Girl and I took advantage. Margot was in a bit of a grumpy mood and didn't really want to go. At the same time, she didn't really want to stay at our house either. She didn't really know what she wanted. That's sortof a regular theme these days, which I suppose is to be expected now that she is 12 years young.

At Dow's lake Glosette Girl and I were hoping to settle by the water, read, and just soak up the atmosphere. In the end though, we ended up sitting behind a bush without any view of anything particularly interesting as I think Margot felt that was the next best thing to sitting at home.

What we were hoping to do...

I was a little perturbed by Margot's attitude and towards the end of the time at Dow's Lake decided I would walk home (about 25 minutes away). But guess who joined me? MARGOT! I think she just wanted to extend an olive branch and spend time with me. We ended up walking up Preston Street hand-in-hand while she lightened up and regaled me with stories about who-likes-who in her class. It was a surreal, but perhaps to be expected, change of mood that I thoroughly enjoyed.

As I prepare to wind this blog down (this will be my second last post) I'm starting to think that the challenges of parenting are just getting started. Long gone are the days of Daddy being a hero simply for showing up. Now comes the hard part of helping someone along who may feel lost in the world even though they don't know why. I think (I hope) I can be the kind of parent who makes things better. One thing is for certain though, it is going to take patience and empathy.

Sweet Cheat Treats

Sometimes I am in awe of how creative children can be. Take Margot for instance. Lately she's been doing a lot of assignments that require her to film a video about a particular topic. I'm pretty sure that the teacher would be satisfied with a basic presentation that explains the subject matter in a clear and concise way. In some cases, the subject matter is actually even irrelevant as what is being graded is the grammar and ability to explain complex ideas clearly. Again, you don't need to come up with anything too fancy to do that.

But little Margot - wow she always wants to go the extra mile for Madame (her teacher). Check out what she did for her latest English project entitled "Sweet Cheat Treats":

Pretty good! Amazingly she put this all together in one evening (Glosette Girl and yours truly helped with the filming).

There is something poetic (beyond the obvious poetry!) about how she did that assignment. I can't quite put my finger on it but I think it's a result of her being completely bilingual. She just explains things in a way that isn't quite how someone who is purely anglophone would do it. 

But I like it! Get me some of those Sweet Cheat Treats!

Look How Far We've Come

How much do you think about Covid-19 these days?

For me it barely registers in my mind anymore. I still follow any mandatory protections, but wow is it amazing how much it doesn't dictate my life. And from what I see on a daily basis, I'm guessing more and more people feel that way.

Need proof? I participated in a 5K run in the Ottawa Race weekend last Saturday along with...oh 4000 or so other participants.

I'm the one in the back wearing the racing shorts.

I haven't been in a crowd that large in forever. And it wasn't just the number of participants. The whole route was lined with spectators. Fortunately I had my cheer squad!

I normally prefer smaller races, but it was still a fun and festive (and hot) atmosphere. And did I mention how hot it was? I was not looking or feeling very pretty by the end of the run but I made it.

Ah there I am. Hey, get outta the photo, red top!

I really do get a sense that despite all the ups and downs, we've put covid-19, in the sense of something that dictates how most of us live, behind us. It probably has a few tricks left under it's sleeve but if thousands of maskless people running at the same time isn't noteworthy anymore, I have a positive feeling about the future.