Prioritizing Is For Me - How About You?

Everytime I watch my kids play with an overflowing bin of Barbie dolls, I can't help but be amazed on how they put the different dolls in order. My girls talk with each other with some degree of seriousness in it; are they going to place the dolls according to the length of its dresses? Or, are they simply going to arrange the dolls accoriding to the length of the dolls' hair? As simple as it looks, my girls surely know what they're talking about. They decide between themselves which goes first; which goes next; and which goes last.

As someone who is obviously older in age and more mature in experience, prioritizing becomes more of a necessity rather than an option. Growing up, I have learned to set my priorities straight. If I wanted to do well in an exam, I have to prioritize my studies first before anything else including watching television. But that was way back then when prioritizing is simpler and less complicated. As a doting mother of two wonderful and active children, I learn to juggle my time and prioritize these many different responsibilities and obligations in my life. Since I went back to school last year and got accepted in the 'most coveted' program in the city (yes, I'm referring to Creative Communications), I soon realized that if I were so organized in my life prior to that, I've got to be more 'extra' organized when in school. Since last year, I never thought that I could be one 'Wonder Woman' (minus the tight-fitting & body-hugging 'flag' costume). I meticulously organized my life at home, at school and at church. Starting next week, my life would go back to its usual pace of 'breathing CreComm-sleeping CreComm-eating CreComm- living CreComm'. My notebook-sized planner will help me keep organized and somehow, help me keep on-track of things. But there are unwritten reminders that I breathe in and out on a daily basis which include parenting and housekeeping. I am so glad and very fortunate that I have a husband who also shares in my daily struggles of being a student, a mother, a wife and housekeeper (and of course, being a community service volunteer).

My final year in the Creative Communications Program will definitely mark 'success' on my part personally. Setting my priorities straight (and to excel on each one), is no easy task; there are 24 hours in a day and to purposely give my best on every single thing is a feat in itself.

Steinbach- Experiencing The Mennonite Story

It's already May and it is expected that we'll be getting more rainshowers soon! Not bad after all since it will make the grass greener and a lot of gardeners happy with their flowers about to bloom. I am pretty sure that you've started making plans of going somewhere else but if you're sticking around especially this spring and during the summer months, why not make a trip to nearby Steinbach? The Mennonite Heritage Village is one great place for families and school groups alike. There are so many things to do and see that everyone will surely love! To get a glimpse of The Mennonite Heritage Village, here is a write-up that I've written for my journalism class last winter. I had the privilege of speaking with really interesting and helpful people, and you'll soon find out who they were when you read my article below. I hope that you'll be inspired to make plans and visit this wonderful place.

(The Write-up)

Visiting the City of Steinbach is like turning back the hands of time. It’s knowing the pioneers who tilled the lands and raised generations of hard-working people.


Walking around in a 40-hectare land laden with snow may not be the kind of activity you want to do on a cold winter day. At the Mennonite Heritage Village, outside buildings are temporarily closed for the season but the doors of the Village Centre and Artifacts Building are wide open to welcome visitors far and near.

Greeting you at the front desk is the warm smile of Evelyn Friesen, a volunteer of over 20 years. She welcomes guests with local hospitality and considers meeting tourists as a “benefit” because she gets the chance to share stories with them. “They’re curious about the (Mennonite) story, we tell it and it’s my story, too so I love to tell it. Not so much personal, certainly not. But the history of the people and who they were.”

The Mennonite story started back in 1874 when eighteen Mennonite families from Russia founded a small town with only one distinguishing feature, a stony brook or Steinbach in German. A few years later, the number of settlers increased to more than 3,000. The growth of the community is attributed to the Mennonites’ faith, resourcefulness, and hard work. These values and the city’s rich historical past are still apparent at Steinbach’s Mennonite Heritage Village—a family-oriented museum where history comes to life.

Stories about the Mennonites are seen throughout the museum’s galleries. The artifacts on display will give you insights to their faith, culture, and rich heritage that have spanned through the centuries. These include a 125-year-old tablecloth; a large grinding stone used to sharpen knives and scythes; and authentic Mennonite clothes.

Dr. Roland Sawatzky, the museum’s senior curator, gives interesting details on their displays. A woman’s hair made into a wrist chain can only be made by someone who knew her. Other human hair artifacts include a brooch, a necklace, and a hair extension dating back in the early 1900s.

Another artifact is a clay oil lamp from the Roman-Byzantine era which belonged to a Mennonite woman from Russia who worked as a missionary in Egypt in 1800s. She bought the oil lamp in a market as a souvenir and brought it back with her to Russia. When she moved to Canada, she gave the lamp to somebody in Manitoba. Later on, the lamp ended up at the museum.

“Things often come here because there’s a connection to Mennonites,” says Dr. Sawatzky.

The museum has 14,000 artifacts in its collection. Each year, the museum holds an average of three to six exhibits. After the winter months, hundreds of people will again flock the grounds, buildings, and galleries.

Barry Dyck, the museum’s executive director says, “We engage overtly in tourism to get people in the gates here, to sustain this organization and so they can experience that story.”

Admission to the Mennonite Heritage Village is $10 (adults) and $5 during the winter season. For complete information on admission rates and hours of operation, visit their website at http://www.mennoniteheritagevillage.com/. It is located at 231 on Highway 12, north of Steinbach and an hour drive from Fermor Avenue in Winnipeg.

The City of Steinbach has a population of over 11,000 and is one of Manitoba’s fastest growing cities. To know more about Steinbach, visit www.steinbach.ca.

Helpful Links for Young Families

Spring is finally here (and very soon, summer)! Everywhere we look, there's a tinge of green!

Now that my school term is finally over (at least for me), it's time to do some yard work and seed planting. But what's more important is doing some activities with my family like biking, swimming, painting, and simply going around the city to see a few attractions.

There are many websites that can help you and your family keep moving. Whether it be for some physical activities or simply doing some sightseeing!

Here are a few links which you can visit and find one that can really be helpful. If there's any other site which you'd like to share with other families, please don't hesitate to comment on this post and we'll share that information to others.

Have a wonderful spring and summer, everyone!

Things to do or places to visit in Winnipeg:

Manitoba Children's Museum

Assiniboine Park Zoo

The Manitoba Museum

The Forks

IMAX Theatre Winnipeg

Tinkertown

Fun Mountain Water Slide Park

What Really Is A Bearhug?

Everytime I hear my daughters say, "Mom, kiss and hug!" I would reply back by saying, "Wait a minute!". This happens on a daily basis before my daughters would go to bed every night. Well just to be fair on myself, most of the time I would readily walk over to their room to give them their much deserved kisses and bearhugs without making them wait even for a second.

But what really is a bearhug? In my Writer's Craft class yesterday, we started analyzing a few poems and one of them was a poem by Michael Ondaatje. It gives an explanation on what a bearhug is, as well as evaluating the feeling of hugging his child.

A bearhug is a grappling clinch hold and stand-up grappling position where the arms are wrapped around the other person. A line in the poem says, "Why do I give my emotion an animal's name, give it that dark squeeze of death?" To better understand this line (or the poem as a whole) is to know that an actual hug from a bear can actually kill you. People use this term to define that a tight squeeze hold on another person. For most of us (even everyone), we think of bears as 'cuddly,' 'soft,' 'adorable,' and 'lovable.'

So whenever I hug my kids, it's always a sign of affection, of loving, and of bonding. For your pleasure, here is the poem 'Bearhug.'












Bearhug by Michael Ondaatje


Griffin calls to come and kiss him goodnight

I yell ok. Finish something I'm doing,

then something else, walk slowly round

the corner to my son's room.

He is standing arms outstretched

waiting for a bearhug. Grinning.



Why do I give my emotion an animal's name,

give it that dark squeeze of death?

This is the hug which collects

all his small bones and his warm neck against me.

The thin tough body under the pyjamas

locks to me like a magnet of blood.



How long was he standing there

like that, before I came?

Sleep Well, My Child

Children need to sleep well so does everyone. During school time, children use up their energy more. A lot of physical and mental activities take place and to get enough sleep each night is just the proper thing to do.

But how much sleep does a child need? According to the National Sleep Foundation, children age 5 to 12 need 11 hours of sleep every night. Yes, 11 hours. But it seems like in today's world, more and more children get distracted with a lot of things in the evenings that sleep becomes a last priority. But this can be remedied. By going back to the basics and learning about sleep, we can help our children be successful in this area. We do have to remember that a child who is well slept functions better the next day. That child will be able to focus well in school and will be able to think creatively.

So here are a few methods which may help put your child to sleep:

* Reduce stimulation, light, noise, and activity
Oftentimes we overlook the fact that we have too many distractions at home. If you really want your kids to go to sleep early, try to lower down those volumes on your TV, CD player, etc. At the same time, switch off strong lights and leave lampshades on.

* Avoid giving your kids heavy snacks or meals right before going to bed
It will be best to simply give your child a glass of warm milk before bedtime.

* Be consistent with bedtime routines
Children learn best if they follow a certain routine, until they grow accustomed to doing it and make that activity a habit. In this case, have your kids prepare for bed. Children can put on their pyjamas, comb their hair and brush their teeth. After brushing, children can go to their beds and hear a bedtime story (children still love bedtime stories!). Should there be any night wherein it's impossible for your kids to go to bed early (because of weeknight activities or lessons), you may veer away from your original plan. But make sure to go back to it on other days.
Best of all, if your child is having trouble getting to sleep, try to count sheep with your child.This method still works!

On Brownies and Bob

In one of my previous posts, I talked about making brownies and how my kids played a vital part in making their favourite treat. This afternoon, my kids spent the time drawing and just making creative stuff. One of my kids drew Bob The Tomato from the VeggieTales series on an inflated white balloon and it turned out really good! She's a very good artist by the way, and exploring her creativity is a daily thing. With the other balloon she has, she drew Larry The Cucumber on it. What turned out were two puppet balloons! She drew them so well that it looked like the original characters.

This long weekend, we'll be spending more time exploring their creativity on top of our regular routines. Maybe next time, we'll create sceneries on balloons to complete our puppet balloons and tell a wonderful story!

If you have kids, try something ceative! Something new! You'll be amazed on what you can come up with!

Move Over Spider-Man, Rock Climber Girl Is Here!

A rock climber trying out inside an indoor rock climbing facility. (photo courtesy of ebow.com)

This feature article was an assignment I did for my journalism course this semester. It's also one of the four main articles in our self-produced magazine Arete (ahr-i-tey) which means excellence in Greek. Arete is a sports and healthy lifestyle magazine for teenage girls in Winnipeg whichh along with other interesting and original magazines will be launched in a magazine trade fair on April 1st at the Atrium of the Red River College Princess Street Campus from 1:00-4:00 p.m. .

Come on down and have a peek at the many magazines showcasing the design and communications skills of the creative communications students. To give you a taste of my group magazine's unique flavour, here is the article worth serving! Read on and enjoy!

When we think of a superhero that clings onto surfaces and scales the sides of tall buildings, we think of Spider-Man. With his web-shooters, Spider-Man need not use a harness nor a climbing rope anchored from above to keep him safe. In the real world, people who rock climb know how important this equipment is.

Lowering herself down from the wall with a harness wrapped around her body, 15-year-old Lauren Bailey is soaked in sweat but her sweet smile and laughter make her climbing attempt seems like an easy task.

“I went for fun,” says Lauren of the two months since she joined Vertical Adventures, an indoor wall-to-wall climbing facility along Paramount Road.

The grade 10 student from Westwood Collegiate had her first taste of indoor rock climbing at the age of 11 while still living in Scotland with her family.

“Ever since I was little, I’ve always loved climbing things and I always climbed trees. I found it interesting and exciting, like an adventure,” Lauren says excitedly.

In the book Gym Climbing: Maximizing Your Indoor Experience, rock climbing expert Matt Burbach tells that gym climbers get into the sport because “it’s fun.” According to the author, the attraction stems from the physical, mental, and even social benefits that gym climbing provides.

Indoor rock climbing isn’t new to Lauren’s family. Her parents have rock climbed even before she was born, and her nine-year-old brother Jack climbs as well.

Lauren’s mom Tina, an employee at the 17 Wing Winnipeg sees her daughter as a ‘comfortable person’.

“She’s not a very academic person so coming here and showing to herself that she can actually achieve has really made her go back to school and then work harder and believe in herself and what her abilities are,” says Tina.

Flying in from Scotland in 2007, the Baileys arrived in Barrie, Ontario where they first lived. In 2009, the family moved to Winnipeg. So far, rock climbing has been Lauren’s constant companion where she meets new people while developing important skills in climbing.

Aricelle Mateo, a 25-year-old indoor rock climbing instructor at Vertical Adventures prides herself in seeing student climbers like Lauren feel challenged and don’t easily give up.

“They learn what they’re capable of. When they’re up there, it’s the best feeling in the world because you’ve succeeded something that you didn’t think was possible but you’re capable of doing it now on your own,” says Aricelle.

Indoor rock climbing is a sport that requires practice and knowledge which needs solid, clear instruction in all of the necessary skills. For Lauren, this sport has not only taken her to the summits of physical challenge but as well as to the peaks of her mental ability. Burbach reveals in his book that indoor climbing challenges both the body and mind. Every major muscle group in the body contributes to the physical demands of climbing. The full body aspect of climbing develops muscle stabilization, increases strength, and can also improve joint flexibility and range of motion. For sure, the physical aspect of climbing is just a tip of the iceberg.

For two hours every Tuesday night starting at 6:30 p.m., Lauren climbs the steep walls of the gym with the help of an instructor. As in any sport activity that involves a lot of body movement, stretching is a must before one begins. But Lauren forgets to do her warm-up exercises because she’s too excited to start climbing.

“You’re supposed to but I just get right onto it, and just get on the wall but it will be better if I stretch,” admits the 5′5" teenager as she shrugs her shoulders and gives an impish smile.

The fun and excitement of rock climbing brought Lauren to greater heights. As a member of the gym’s competitive team called Wall Rats, Lauren has proven that she knows what it takes to make it through the competition.

On January 9, Lauren placed second in the youth category of Tour de Bloc, a competition aimed at promoting vertical climbing in Canada. Climbers who came from as far as neighbouring Saskatchewan and Ontario competed on the challenging steep walls of the Vertical Adventures gym. The prize Lauren won was a pair of new rock climbing shoes which she was wearing during her interview for this magazine article.

“I got these!” beams the proud youngster as she holds her balance on the stool.

If there is anything else that Lauren’s mom sees apart from her daughter’s newly found self-confidence is the fact that Lauren has learned to be a team player.

“When I saw her in the competition, she was supportive of other people around her which was great to see as a result of coming here,” remarks Tina.

Truly, Lauren has mastered the basics of indoor rock climbing. From a girl who loves climbing trees, Lauren admits there is more to this sport than having fun.

“Rock climbing is fun but serious, too. Like my coach says, ‘serious fun’—keeps you in shape, fit and very healthy,” remarks Lauren.

Fastening the harness around her waist, our young climber ascends the wall with confidence. Unlike Spider-Man, Lauren doesn’t wear a mask to show the world what she can do.