Tag Archives: family

Traveling With Kids: Marrakesh

28 Mar

Time for another of my Traveling With Kids columns over on the fabulous creative parenting blog Classic Play.  This time I write about our time spent in the city of  Marrakesh during our recent trip to Morocco.  Marrakesh is a charismatic city full of so much colour and culture.  After our calm time in the Atlas Mountains it was quite a culture shock to arrive in this busy and charismatic city full of everything from monkey tamers, to donkey carriages to vendors selling everything under the sun.  Pop on over to Classic Play to read (and see) more!

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Have you ever been to Marrakesh?  What was your favorite spot in the city to visit?

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Morocco

19 Feb

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Hello! We’re just back from an amazing trip to Morocco in North Africa.  We got to explore some lovely areas in the Atlas Mountains and in the city of Marrakesh and had the most perfect weather the entire time.  We’re all feeling relaxed and re-charged and are even a little bronzed.

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The kids were so happy and enthusiastic about everything we did, the places we saw and the people we met.  They have all decided that we should visit Morocco every year for the February break (I guess we should start saving now).1-IMG_6261

They loved the hikes in the mountains, the day-long camel trek, all the new Moroccan foods they tried, the fact they could practice their French, the little kids they got to know and just the fact that the five of us were together experiencing all these new and exciting things together.

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A pretty perfect trip for all of us.   

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I’ll be writing more about our travels in my Traveling With Kids column over on the blog Classic Play in the coming weeks so stay tuned!

1-IMG_6054ps…this is more painful than it looks.

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A Kid’s Life: France

31 Jan


Time for another A Kid’s Life interview.   Over the last year I’ve interviewed families about from Italy, Japan, America,  The Philippines, Australia (Tasmania), New Zealand, Canada, Holland, Germany, Colombia and Belgium about their daily life and family routines.  They have all been really interesting and quite eye-opening.  I’m still thinking about the fact that school starts at 7:20 am in Colombia, that they eat fish for breakfast in Japan and that you have the option to learn Chinese in Tasmanian schools.

For this interview I talk with a family who is living in France.  I stumbled upon Nicola’s blog ages ago and became enthralled with her gorgeous photography and stories about life in France.  Nicola has 4 lovely daughters including twins.  Being a mother of twins myself, I always have an instant connection with other mothers of multiples.  Nicola is also a sewer and crafter and expert Lady Gaga hair-bow maker.  Go check out her blog cover photo…absolutely gorgeous and self made!

I love Nicola’s comment, “so far our philosophy is to educate rather than restrict”  in regards to their children and the amount of screen time they get.  I think we could use that philosophy in so many areas of our parenting..  And I relate to the month of May being “Swiss Cheese Month”.  We have the same problem here.

So, let’s meet Nicola and hear about her family and French style of life!

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What country do you live in?

We’re currently living in France in the western suburbs of Paris, not far from the famous Château de Versailles. Before being posted to Paris, we spent ten years living in California. We love living in France, but our experience here is definitely that of expats. We are not a typical French family.

Are you and your husband the same nationality?

Yes, we’re both British born and raised. Our eldest daughter was born in London but the younger girls were born in the USA which entitles them to dual nationality. We always travel with a ‘tower’ of passports!

Do you both work? Or does someone stay at home?

My husband works very hard outside of the home and has to travel a lot for work. I work less hard inside the home and try not to feel too guilty when I get to go into Paris for a museum visit and a long lunch. It doesn’t happen that often!

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How many languages are spoken in your house? What one(s)?

English; my husband and I with a British accent and the girls with an American accent! However, our two year old is learning English and French simultaneously which is fascinating to watch. I still can’t figure out what kind of accent she has!

How many kids do you have? What are their ages?

We have four girls. India is almost twelve, Georgia and Savannah are nine and Florence is two and – the all important – three quarters.

At what age do kids start school in your country?

The older girls are enrolled in an international school which begins with a preschool class at four and Kindergarten at five which is the same as the United States. Florence currently goes to a French Halte Garderie (non-compulsory nursery school) two full days a week and will start Maternelle (the formal and free beginning of a French school career) when she is three.

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Click to read more of interview… Continue reading →

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A Kid’s Life: Colombia

15 Jan

I’m really excited to have a new A Kid’s Life interview on the blog today.  As I’ve mentioned before, this is a great way to see how families from around the world live their daily life.  We get a peek into a different culture by seeing what an average family’s daily grind is like.  So far we’ve had interviews with families from Italy, Japan, America, The Philippines, Canada, Belgium, Germany, Holland, New Zealand and Australia (Tasmania).  I’ve loved all the families I’ve interviewed and I hope to meet some in person in the future. Today we have a visit from a wonderful Colombian family.  I was put into contact with Andrea through Giova who did our Holland interview.  Andrea lives with her family in Bogota, Colombia.  She’s an architect who is currently at home with her daughter and an avid and passionate crafter (check out her hair accessory line here on Facebook).  Andrea is a hands-on mother who spends every afternoon with her daughter and beloved dog Niebla going to parks, playdates or doing something artistic. After reading the interview I am in shock at what time school starts at Andrea’s daughter’s school.  I won’t be complaining about our 6:45 am wake-ups anymore.  And I can relate to the birthday parties that she talks about attending so often. We also seem to have one every other week.  Oh the joys of having popular and well liked kids! So read on and find out what life is like for this Colombian family.

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What country do you live in? We live in Colombia, in Bogotá, the capital city. Bogotá is huge, and it´s hectic and beautiful at the same time. Are you and your husband the same nationality?  Yes, we are both Colombian, and we are also Spanish.  Do you both work? Or does someone stay at home?  I stay at home and sometimes work from home. How many languages are spoken in your house? What one(s)?  We speak Spanish. My husband and I also know English. And my husband knows German because he attended a German school as a kid. Now our daughter is attending that same school and is starting to learn German too. I wish I spoke German, but I’ve tried and it’s not easy at all!

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How many kids do you have? What are their ages?  We have one girl, Gabriela. She is 5 “and a half”, as she would say. Click to continue reading interview! Continue reading →

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Traveling With Kids Column on Classic Play! (Affordable Travel)

10 Jan

My newest travel column is over on Classic Play! today.  This time I wrote about making traveling as a family as affordable as possible.  Believe me, it is possible.  I list all my top tips on how to save money on transportation, accommodation and entertainment.  I also included my top way of saving spending money in the months leading up to a trip.  Pop over and take a look and I’d love to hear if you have any tips of your own.

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A Kid’s Life: Germany

11 Dec

Time for another interview in my A Kid’s Life series.  This series is a way for all of us to see how families from other countries and cultures live their daily life.  It’s surprising how similar some of our daily habits are around the world!

This time we chat with Petra who lives with her family in Germany.  Petra is one of my all time favorite people .  We met in university a long time ago and have kept in touch all these years.  She’s kind, down to earth and so hilarious.  And the fact we both ended up in Europe is such a bonus.  We’ve caught up in person a few times over the years and it was wonderful.  When together we revert back to our young (and slightly immature) selves.  Petra is super creative and spends lots of time doing amazing crafts and art with her kids.  I have many fond memories of sewing evenings with her in snowy Quebec City during our university days.

After reading Petra’s interview I’m in shock at one particular aspect of German culture.  People, school ENDS for the day  at 11:50am.  How do parents manage? And it’s amazing to think that the German kids get only 6 weeks of summer vacation while the Italian kids get 12 weeks of summer vacation.

Petra talks about her multi-lingual and multi-cultural household with such humor and let’s us in on daily life in Germany.  Enjoy!

What country do you live in?

We live in southern Germany, near the French border.

Are you and your husband the same nationality?

No, I am Canadian and my husband is French. We found each other in Germany.

Do you both work? Or does someone stay at home?

We both work. My husband works full time and I work part time in a kindergarten. I work mornings 4 days a week and one afternoon; that way I can be home for the kids in the afternoon.

How many languages are spoken in your house? What one(s)?

I speak to the kids in English and my husband speaks to them in French. My husband and I speak French with each other because, well, his English is just not as good as my French. The kids speak mostly English with each other, but German is becoming more and more used. We all speak German fluently.

How many kids do you have? What are their ages?

We have 2 kids. Alexis, our son, is 7 and Nellie is 5.

At what age do kids start school in your country?

Kids start school at 6. Kindergarten is not obligatory, but most kids start going at the age of 3. In the state where we live, kindergarten is free of charge starting when the child is 2 but in other states, such as in the one where I work, one must pay the kindergarten fees.

During the school year what time do your kids usually wake up?

The kids get up at 6:30 and then the race begins. Usually they are fed, dressed and their teeth have been brushed by the time I shove them out the door at 7:20. There is, however, no extra time for such frivolities such as fancy hairdos nor last minute homework corrections with this schedule.

What do your kids typically eat for breakfast?

Alexis normally eats about a half a loaf of bread (good, grainy, German bread) with butter and jam in the morning and drinks cold milk (Germans don’t like the cold drink thing, but I’m Canadian, eh, and grew up drinking stuff cold). Nellie always starts off by trying to get some candy (yeah right) and when that doesn’t pan out she ends up eating a piece of cheese, a piece of fruit and drinking cold water. There is a morning snack at both kindergarten and school (prepared by yours truly) so there she gets some bread (who are we kidding, it comes back with the jam licked off and I can see where she scraped the butter off with her teeth) and Alexis eats another 2 pieces of bread and probably eats the leftovers from any classmates who are not big eaters.

Click to read the rest of the interview…

Continue reading →

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A Kid’s Life: Holland

1 Nov

Time for another interview from my A Kid’s Life series.  Over the past months I’ve absolutely loved doing these interviews and learning about what families from around the world are up to on a daily basis.

Today’s family lives in Holland but is by no means the “average Dutch family”.  Both parents are from Colombia and have lived all over the world over the last 20 years.  Giova (the Mama) told me that she has adopted traditions and customs from all these different cultures and integrated them into their daily life.  I can relate to that!

Giova is one of the writers behind the charming blog One Bunting Away (the other is her sister who lives on the other side of the ocean).  She’s a creative soul and sweet as can be.  The sisters write about their lives and what they find beautiful and inspiring.

Giova is the also the proud mama of two boys of very different ages.  As you’ll see from her photos that there is nothing cuter than a big brother holding his little baby brother’s hand.  Heart melting really.

Now let’s hear a little about their daily life….

What country do you live in?

We live in Holland, but we are not Dutch.

Are you and your husband the same nationality?

Yes, we were both born in Colombia. We left 20 years ago.

Do you both work?  Or does someone stay at home?

We both work from home

How many languages are spoken in your house?  What one(s)?

Spanish is what we speak between us, but we all speak English, even the little one has started.

How many kids do you have?  What are their ages?

Two. One is 11, and the other is 2

Continue reading →

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“Traveling With Kids” Column on Classic Play! (House Swapping)

31 Oct

Time again for one of my Traveling With Kids columns on the wonderful blog Classic Play!.  This time I write a bit about our house-swapping experiences.  We’ve done three so far and they have all been very positive.  It’s a great way to “live like a local” and save some serious cash.   I talk about the pros and cons of swapping and the fact I’m still on the fence about what I really feel about it.  I’ll be honest, it’s weird having strangers in your house and using your things.  Take a look and let me know what you think about house-swapping and your experiences.

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“Traveling With Kids” Column on Classic Play! (Yangshuo, China)

18 Oct

It’s that time again.  If you pop over to the Classic Play! blog you can read all about our time in the Guilin/Yangshuo area in Southern China.  It was full of beautiful cycle trips, downriver rafting, making tofu and autograph signing sessions.  A seriously beautiful time with my family.  Even despite the 45 degree heat.  If you’re planning a trip to China with your family this area is a must!

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Naviglio

11 Oct

Last week-end the weather was beautiful, the kids were keen and our bike wheels were full of air so we decided to do a beautiful bike ride along the Canals of Navigli.  The Navigli Canals run from the north all the way down into the city of Milan.

We started our ride in the small town of Nosate which is about a 30 minute drive from our house. We loaded all five bikes in and on our cars and off we went.

We started off on our bike ride mid-morning and cycled a few hours before stopping for a picnic on the lawns of the Villa Gaia in the town of Robecco Sul Naviglio.

The car-free cycle paths are beautifully maintained and wind along the canals through lush forested areas.  We were lucky with perfect warm weather and blue skies (without any mosquitoes!).

Every so often you have to cycle through an old town many of which have quaint little restaurants and bars in which you can stop to eat or have a drink.

Along the canals you come across many of these old abandoned Renaissance villas.  Who on earth abandons a mansion such as this?

It’s possible to ride along the canals from Lago Maggiore (Sesto Calende) all the way into Milan.  This time we managed a little more than 40 km but we hope to do the entire ride into Milan next year.

I really do live in a beautiful place.

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