Murphy's Laws for Moms

Today, I've made an important realization that is changing the way that I talk to my children.  I am no longer going to tell them to have fun. Don't get me wrong, I desperately desire that my children find joy, happiness and laughter through numerous experiences and adventures.  But, my children's definition of fun and mine have two VERY different meanings. I'll give you an example. My almost four-year-old son loves to destroy things.  He's like his dad - a man who just wants to learn how things work, as well as cause and effect.  So, he takes apart toys, sister's dolls, kitchen appliances, and more.  He tears books because "the story was in the wrong order."  He pushes buttons - both literally and figuratively.  He colors on walls, floors, computer monitors, furniture, carpet and more because he wants to create maps and "building plans" for his Duplos.  This is his idea of fun . Do you see my dilemma?  His idea of fun is so completel

For a long time, I have had the desire to visit Vancouver Island in British Columbia.  I've heard so many stories of how beautiful it is and how much there is to do there.  So, when given the opportunity to travel there with my family, I jumped and I was not disappointed! Rathtrevor Beach in Parksville, B.C. While many people had told me that Victoria was the place to see on Vancouver Island, I was a little timid at taking my children there.  After a very busy couple of days in Vancouver, I wanted a place where we could just chill.  So, we drove north off the B.C. Ferry that brought us into Nanaimo and ended up in Parksville - otherwise known as The Canadian Riviera .  Warmest water in Canada at Rathtrevor Beach in Parksville, B.C. This quiet, beachside town was just the place to unwind and let our kids run free.  We drove to Rathtrevor Beach where the tide was low and the water was the warmest in Canada.  Despite the cool air and chilly breeze, our children enjoyed

Recently, my husband and I decided to take a last-minute trip up to British Columbia.  In over a decade of living in the Pacific Northwest, this is one place we have never been.  Since there were so many things we did and saw, I've broken this post down into question you might have about visiting Vancouver. What do you need when crossing the border? Because this was a last minute trip, we did not have the time to get our children passports.  So, we were very excited to learn that children under 15 do not need passports when driving across the border.  You only need to have their birth certificates.  As adults, we did need to bring our passports. Note: If you fly into Vancouver, then you and your children will all need passports. What about your auto insurance? We almost forgot to check on our auto insurance coverage when driving into another country!  So, we were very grateful to learn that our coverage was still valid as long as we did not stay in the country for over 9