The wait for meeting Tinkerbell was lined with lost things. We found the TARDIS!
Jen Desmarais
Chaudière Falls
As part of Canada’s 150th celebrations, Chaudière Falls is going to have a sound and light show honouring the Algonquin people who used to live in Ottawa.
“Mìwàte is a tribute to Indigenous people, created in collaboration with the Algonquins of Pikwàkanagàn First Nation. Representatives from local Métis and Inuit communities were also consulted.”
The experience starts just north of the Canadian War Museum, with panels that represent the history of the area. Then, continuing on foot on the new viewing platform, you travel towards the falls.
“The 10- to 15-minute production will repeat in a loop. The entire experience, including viewing the panels and walking to the viewing platform, will take 30 to 40 minutes […].
When & where: Oct. 6 to Nov. 5 at Chaudière Falls, 3 Booth St., just north of the Canadian War Museum
Show times: 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. from Oct. 6 to 22; 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. from Oct. 23 to Nov. 5”
Are you interested in travelling to Ottawa? You can contact me Jennifer Desmarais through AJ Travel. jenniferd@ajtravel.ca
Happy Thanksgiving
Happy (Canadian) Thanksgiving! We are thankful for family, friends, and (mostly) good health.
Team Rocket and Umbreon
One half of Team Rocket has his very own Umbreon!
A simple yet unique and clever cosplay (I like that she even has the gold bands on her wrist in the form of bracelets!). Love these two, both as cosplayers and people!
Pumpkinferno
Upper Canada Village holds a special place in my heart, and even more so during the month of October. Why, do you ask? Because it hosts the largest pumpkin attraction ever!
7000 carved pumpkins line the streets of this Confederation town, and it is absolutely stunning.
Are you interested in travelling to Upper Canada Village? You can contact me Jennifer Desmarais through AJ Travel. jenniferd@ajtravel.ca
Time stamp
Sometimes the cast members will ask you to carry a time card from the entrance through the line. This gives them the approximate wait time. I told them that the TARDIS has problems with time, but they didn’t seem to mind.
Part of your World
Ariel has no idea what she’s getting herself in for when she wishes to be part of the Doctor’s world!
I love the choices made for this cosplay, from the netting to the design of the skirt, all the way to including a dinglehopper.
Blush: Consent and kids
Last week we went to a family birthday party (five celebrated at once, from the ages of 1 to 70!) and a lot of fun was had. However, it definitely brought to my attention that our daughter has no concept of personal space, boundaries, or consent.
She’s 1 years old. This is normal.
Normal it may be, but consent is something she needs to learn. And now that she’s walking and able to chase down other kids, she needs to learn it fast.
Fortunately, there are some pretty great resources to help us. I encourage everyone to read at least this guide (it’s 4 pages) if you have any children in your life, whether they belong to you, your family, or your friends.
My sister is already really great at respecting my daughter’s limits. Every time she visits, she asks “Can I pick you up?” before touching her. I know that if she ever says “no”, it will be respected.
As adults, we need to be aware that a child’s “no” to hugging, kissing, or being held, is not them casting any aspersions on our character. They’re just not in the mood to be touched, and we should respect that. Offer an alternative, like a high five, a fist bump, a blown kiss, or a simple wave.
Along a similar vein, if the child has agreed to be touched, and then wants to stop, they should be listened to.
This is all common sense, and easy to follow because we’re adults. We understand the reasoning. How do we teach it to children?
Part of teaching consent to kids is modelling it. Showing that they have agency over their own bodies is a big step to understanding that others are also to be respected.
She walked up to the only other person her size and tried to hug them. She kept her balance (and grip) quite well as he tried to wriggle away… I feel like I dropped the ball at this point. I should have taken her aside and explained that he wasn’t interested in being held, just like she didn’t want to be held by the strangers at the party. I might not have gotten through to her, but I should have tried, multiple times if necessary.
Teaching them empathy is another part. Our daughter also pulled the his hair. He cried, understandably. But she doesn’t seem to understand that having hair pulled hurts – she does it to herself all the time, and doesn’t seem bothered by it. She thinks it’s funny when she pulls other people’s hair. I made her apologize to him (I held her while I apologized for her because she is non verbal) and told her not to pull other people’s hair. I don’t think it has sunk in yet. She pulled mine the next morning.
It’s a work in progress. Suggestions are welcome.
References
https://goodmenproject.com/families/the-healthy-sex-talk-teaching-kids-consent-ages-1-21/
http://www.parents.com/parenting/better-parenting/advice/how-to-teach-your-children-about-consent/
If you’re enjoying the Blush blogs, consider learning more with Blush: The Card Game from Renaissance Press.
Hive mind
While waiting in line for the Winnie the Pooh ride, there were these little hives that you pushed a bee through on a metal bar. It was really cute.