HRM Parent Blog

This has been the most enjoyable winter I can remember since my son was born.

We fully embraced winter sports this year, he both learned to skate on the oval and learned to ski on our NS hills. I've always been a fan of skiing and think that it's a great winter family sport. Many a spring break in my family was spent on a mountain or hill and I learned first-hand this winter that the more activities you can do out in the snow the more you don't want it to ever go away! I also learned that a child that skis all day sleeps like a log all night.

 I had no idea how my son would like skiing and I didn't want to push the envelope if he wasn't interested. So we headed out to Martock one weekend to try it out. They have a great package for little beginners, $75.00 gets you a lift ticket for the day, a one-hour private lesson and full rental (helmet included). I highly recommend Jimmy as an instructor, he was phenomenal. The patience of a saint, great with kids, and he intuitively knew when to plop down in the snow for a bit of a break. After a one-hour lesson O was sold and we haven't looked back.

We've done a few more private lessons, the rest of the time we just wing it on our own. We've tried both Martock and Wentworth and I can honestly say that we are very lucky in HRM to have pretty easy access (by car) to both.

Martock is a good place to start, simply because it's the closest at about 50-60 minutes from downtown. There's a nice bunny hill with a rope tow, it's strong so beginners definitely need help with it. There are lots of great runs on the rest of the hill but the easiest skiing is from half way down the hill so you need to get off the t-bar half way up. The chairlift will only take you to the top where your only choices are intermediate runs. 

Wentworth is a great place, a much bigger hill overall with a vertical of 815! They have a brand new magic carpet on the bunny hill which is really easy for a 4-year-old to get on and off on their own. But it is a longer drive, about 1.5 hours from downtown. Their beginner package is $47.00 for a full lift ticket and rental (helmets also included here) and a one-hour private lesson is $55.00. If you choose to teach your children yourself it's just $15.00 each for a magic carpet pass for the day (same price for both adult & kids). One of the best things about Wentworth is that there are really easy runs right from the top of the chairlift. Chickadee is a gentle, fun ride for a new skier and will take you about a half hour to get down. And a word to the wise, once they try the chairlift they ALWAYS want to take the chairlift. Anyone at Wentworth hearing cries of "Wooowee look out below" from a small child on the chairlift, ummm, that wasn't us!

If skiing is something your family has been thinking of trying, this might be a good time to do so! The weather is warmer and there's still lots of snow on the hills. So head out and carve it up!

Just because the Canada Games are over and our vacations are a thing of the past, that doesn't mean you can't still have a lot of fun this weekend.

Only in HRM could you visit a world famous dinosaur, see Peter Wolf, sample food cooked on an open hearth and attend a free baby shower all on the same weekend!!  Check out our events calendar for more details on all these great events.  

Not up for staying inside?  Why not take a trip to Martock or Wentworth for a ski or grab the snow shoes and go for a trek around your nearest park or golf course.  Not to mention that our beloved Oval is open with public skating scheduled throughout the weekend.

Whatever you and the kids choose to do this weekend - hope it's safe and happy! 

by Sarah W of HRM Parent 

Who doesn’t love a good snow day?  Growing up in Newfoundland, my childhood was blessed with more than few of them. I still remember anxiously waiting in my bed for the radio announcer to include my school in the list of closures, then snuggling back in for a little extra sleep.  It was even better if it landed on the day of a big test! 

To the working parent of course, snow days aren’t always met with as much excitement. Having to re-juggle the day, move meetings and keep the kids occupied.  But why not make the most of it and treat snow days like power outages?  Take a little break from the normal weekday routine and enjoy some unexpected family time to brighten up the week. 

To help you out, here a few ways to make your next snow day a little more fun: 

A backyard canvas: Snowmen are always fun but why not brighten up the backyard a little more?  Mix a few drops of food coloring to containers of water then give your little Picasso a big paintbrush and let him go.   There’s no better canvas than a yard full of bright white snow to let the imagination run wild. 

Snow Castles: Since you’re probably dreaming about the beach…try pretending you are for a moment, and create a snow castle. If  the beach toys aren’t handy, a quick search around the kitchen for plastic containers, an empty milk carton (with the tops cut off) and metal bowls will all do the trick to help build a castle fit for any little prince or princess.  For even more beach time fun, pull out the lawn chairs and kick back to enjoy your hot chocolate or blow up the beach balls for a game of catch in the snow! 

Ready Set, Snow: Stir up a little friendly family competition and create a backyard obstacle course for everyone to race through.  Pile mounds of snow around the yard to jump, crawl or slide over.  Making them different sizes and shapes, only adds to the fun.

The Classics: Don’t let the snow stop you from enjoying some of the good ‘ol fashioned outdoor games like tug-o-war, three legged race, potato sack, tag or a balloon toss…they will be harder in the snow but that’s what will make it all the more fun!  

So, when another snow days hit – bundle up the kids and enjoy!

by Sarah Williams from HRM Parent 

Facebook, Twitter, iPods and Texting.  They have changed the way we communicate, network and stay in touch with our friends and families.   Of course on the other side they have significantly changed the way we write.  Our sentences are shorter, we use more symbols and our spelling isn’t the same as b4.  What would William Shakespeare say if he had to fit a monologue into 140 characters?  Would he be worried that we’ve lost the age old art of letter writing? 

Are you?

If so, then fear no longer as Jan 8-14^th is Universal Letter Writing week.   There’s no better way to keep the art alive than to celebrate along with us this year.   I have committed to put pen to paper this week and encourage you to do the same.  Write a letter to your son for him to read when he’s older. Write your local MP with those ideas or issues you have. Write a solider. Write the friend you’ve lost touch with. Write your spouse.  Write yourself.  Just write. 

I’m challenging myself to write at least one letter a day this week.  I’m going to write my parents and thank them for all they’ve done for me.  I’m going to write my 5 year old nephew in Ottawa to say hello, cause we don’t see him nearly enough and he LOVES to get mail.  I’m going to write my best friend's newborn baby to tell him what a great mom he has. I’m going to write my husband…although it won’t be a surprise for him since he’ll read this post before he receives his letter! 

I’m still narrowing down my list but hope to get on a roll and write to everyone on it before the week is over.  It doesn’t have to be long.  It doesn’t have to be on fancy paper.  It doesn’t have to be profound.  It just has to come from the heart.  The mere fact that you have taken the time to sit down and put pen to paper will mean more than you know to the person you are writing. 

Thank-you, I’m Sorry, I Forgive You, I Love You - whatever you want to say and whomever you want to say it to,  now is the time.  So grab a pen and dig out some paper and let the writing begin!  Who knows, you may find you get more out of it than you think, even with just one short note. It’s worth a try, isn't it?

Happy Letter Writing Week!

Sarah