Be Water Wise

by Amanda This week is National Drowning Prevention week and as an Instructor Trainer with the Lifesaving Society of Canada and former trainer with the Canadian Red Cross I cannot stress enough that EVERY SINGLE DAY you should be water wise and aware!

Drownings happen, they happen more often than we would like and it's generally when we least expect them to happen.  Did you know, according to the Lifesaving Society’s Drowning  Fact Sheet, that drowning is the second leading cause of preventable death for children under 10 years of age.

Who is most at risk for drowning? Toddlers and young children are most at risk followed by men between the ages of 18 and 34.  Young children do not have the physical ability for swimming nor do they mental ability to understand the dangers of water.  They are curious, the water looks interesting or fun and before you know it an emergency has happened.  I call it an emergency and not an accident because accidents are something that cannot be prevented.  Drownings can be prevented.  In my opinion there is no reason for a drowning to ever occur. 

It comes down to the Lifesaving Society’s message “IF YOU ARE NOT WITHIN ARMS REACH YOU HAVE GONE TOO FAR”, it's a simple message that needs to be taken more seriously. I have seen many times parents who quickly leave their child by the pools edge to grab a lifejacket, favourite toy or a towel to wipe the chlorine away from their eyes. It takes a split second. I have jumped into a pool to quickly grab a curious toddler more times than I can count. If the child would have been within arms reach of an adult I would not of had to jump in for the rescue.

Teach your child a few simple rules when around the water, whether it's the local wading pool, the bathtub, cottage or community centre. Start from a young age, before they are even able to communicate with you so it becomes second nature to them. Repeat, repeat, repeat! Repetition is key to assisting your child to remember the rules of the water.  Then remember Monkey See, Monkey Do! Display water safe behaviour that you would like your child to mimic.

1. Stop! Look! Listen!  They STOP before entering the water. LOOK around to see if there are any hazards around the water and to make sure you, or another responsibility adult who they know, are right there within arms reach.   Then LISTEN for the adult to tell them they are able to enter the water.  Also make sure that the adult always enters the water first, protecting the child from any water drop offs or deep water levels.  You may also create actions of having your child STOP with their hand up making a stop sign. LOOK, make a motion of looking through binoculars or gazing around the water.  LISTEN, place your hands to your ears to show that you are listening for your name and to be told its safe to enter.

 2. Stop! Look! Go Slow!  With the same actions as above for the STOP and the LOOK, teach your child to always enter the water SLOWLY. Whether the water environment you are in is familiar or not conditions may have changed since the last time you entered.

 3. WITHIN ARMS REACH!  Your child should understand this concept so well that if you happen to forget they should remind you or follow you out of the water. 

The next time you go for a family swim and are splashing around with your loved ones please remember that even though its a fun activity its a dangerous place to be. Be safe and water wise!

Amanda is mom to Dominic, 2 months, and can be found blogging about life, product reviews & giveaways at Namaste Mommy, PTPA Panel of Moms & Tools for Schools.  When not feeding and changing diapers Amanda is busy with her company DeGrace Energetics & Little Lotus.

p.s. Amanda is having a great giveaway on her blog at http://namastemommy.wordpress.com for the PTPA Award Winning Cuddly Wrap It's a great way to keep your baby close while running after your other children around the water!

Summer of Awesome - Papanack Park Zoo

by Lynn Did everyone take July 2 as a holiday this year? We did, and we spent it at the Papanack Park Zoo.

The Papanack Zoo is small for a zoo, but provides plenty to take in on a day out with your kids. They're a family-run business who specializes in small primates and large cats, and they have several successful breeding programs that help preserve endangered species and supply other zoos around the world. It's a great place to get up close and personal with many really cool animals, and to learn a lot about animal care and preservation.

We arrived just after it opened at 10 a.m. and grabbed a feeding schedule and map right away. Following the feeding schedule is a great way to really see the animals -- several minutes before feeding time, they'll be pacing up and down right at the front of their cage; when the food arrives, you'll be able to see the animals jumping and leaping for food, while the zookeeper gives a little talk about the animal and answers questions.

For example, here we are in front of an 800 pound white tiger as he grabs his dinner from the fence:

Yeah, that's what we call up close and personal.

There are feedings between 10 and 11:30 or so, and then a break for lunch. It's a good time for you to break out a picnic - the zoo is very supportive of bringing in your own food, and you're allowed to come in and out as much as you want (make sure your hand stamp hasn't been washed off from hand sanitizer or sunscreen). We brought a whole cooler full of food - you'll need it - and kept it in the car until lunchtime. The animal cages are in a very open-sun area, so midday is the time to try to find a shady picnic table, eat, and rest for a while.

An important note about water - the zoo is on a well water system so there aren't any drinking fountains around. You can buy bottled water (as well as food, life-saving slushies, and other snacks), but it's well worth it to just bring a whole slew of refillable bottles from home. Also note that the well water system means port-a-potties, but seriously, they were the cleanest, nicest smelling port-a-potties I've ever been in, so that's good. There's a separate baby change station for the wee ones.

The lunch break in the feeding schedule is also a good time to check out the small feeding/petting zoo area. The zebras, elands, horses, and exotic breeds of sheep and goats are always active and looking for a snack. The little animals really love popcorn; the bigger ones like carrots. Both can be purchased at the zoo.

After lunch we decided to head for the nature trail area, where the snow leopards are -- the zoo's specialty. This area of the zoo is a little more woodsy and shaded, and makes for a nice trip when the sun is high. Also, they were not doing feedings in this area right after lunch, and our kids liked that idea. Although the feeding times really are the best times to see the animals, they also draw a big and sometimes-shoving crowd. Our kids liked the quiet walk and although a couple of the animals were snoozing, we got to see most of them, like this awesome Siberian Tiger:

And these cool Arctic Foxes:

We caught up with the feeding schedule in time to see the really big cats like the lions and panthers, and we also saw unscheduled feedings of the baboons, some lemurs, and best of all, the wee monkeys. There are both squirrel monkeys and capuchins at the zoo and both kinds are smart, funny, and SO adorable:

One of the female capuchins had a baby this spring, and the baby capuchin is pretty much the cutest thing you'll ever see. One of the other female capuchins is pregnant, so if you go soon, you might have the chance to see a wee capuchin newborn - if you can stand the cuteness.

By 3 p.m. we were ready to head home. Sadly, they didn't let us take home the baby capuchin. RATS.

Some final tips: it's a very sunny place, so do yourself a favour and don't go on the hottest day of the year. Try to pick a day that's a little bit cloudy, and no warmer than 24 degrees or so. Wear hats for sure, and plenty of sunscreen, and as I noted above, bring a lot of water and don't leave it in the cooler.

The directions are quite straightforward - follow the 417, take the left side at the split, keep going, and going, and going - past Orleans, past Rockland. It takes about an hour to drive from Kanata. At the very last second, turn right onto Country Road 19. We expected after all that driving to see a giant sign at the turn, but it's completely unmarked. So be sure to have your Google Maps directions handy, and when you see Country Road 19 - even though it's completely nondescript - TURN.

Lastly, be prepared for the price. It was about $65 for our family of five to get in, and that's with two kids in the cheapest two-to-five age range. It seems like a lot, but since we brought all our own food, the only other expenses we had for the day were a couple bags of carrots and a slushie. When you hear about the things the zoo is doing to preserve some of these exotic species, and see the efforts they go to give the animals a natural habitat, it seems worth it. I really enjoy this little zoo, and we plan to make it an annual event.

So yes, the entrance fee is a bit high...but it's such a family friendly place, and so interesting and heart-warming, that I have to give it a Summer Of Awesome Must Do.

Lynn is mom to three tombliboos and blogs over at Turtlehead.

Do you hear what I hear?

by Vicky What's that? Do you hear it? Faintly in the distance, the tinkling sound of bells! Is it a siren? The knife sharpening truck? No! It's the ice cream truck!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIQAsQ_P7eI&hl=en_US&fs=1]

Have you had the pleasure of the ice cream truck coming down your street at just the right moment? You really do need to be in the right place at the right time to catch it.

Why did we not have these when I was a kid? All I remember is the Dickie Dee ice cream cart, pushed by a kid on a bike. Summer just wasn't summer until you'd had a treat from the Dickie Dee - pacman ghosts with the gumballs, spacecicles, or the strawberry shortcake pop which was always my favourite.

If you're lucky enough to hear the bells and catch the truck driving down your street, why not indulge in an ice cream treat for you and the kids! It'll be a summer-time memory in the making.

Vicky is the mom to 3.5 year old son named Joel and 9 month old daughter named Mieka. You can read her blog at blog Some Kind of Wondermom.

If life gives you lemons, make lemonade!

by Brie There is nothing like a glass of lemonade on a hot summer day. Especially if it is homemade.

We have a favorite lemonade recipe that comes from our well used copy of The New Canadian Basics Cookbook. It is one of the husband's favorite party treats to make. It is also one of our favorite treats to give. This year my one and a half-year old and three and a half-year old made a big batch to give to the girl's preschool teachers as an end of the year gift. Needless to say, they loved it!

I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't as hard to make as I thought it would be with two kids. My tip is to double the batch and then each child is in charge of their own batch. They each get their own bowl, their own pile of lemons and their own sugar to dump in the bowl.

I will warn you that the sugar, and not the boiling hot water, is the trickiest part of this recipe. I kept a close eye on the girl but when I looked back at her after turning away for only a moment she had her face in the sugar cup trying to lick as much of it as possible. She maintained she was just smelling it but I could see the white sugar crystals on her lips!

Here is our favorite lemonade recipe!

In a heatproof glass jar or a bowl, combine:

- 3/4 cup lemon juice

- 2 tbsp grated lemon rind

- 3 cups granulated sugar

- 2 cups boiling water

Stir well until the sugar is dissolved. Cover and refrigerate. For each service, mix 2 to 4 tbsp concentrate with 3/4 cup cold water, or to taste.

 Then enjoy some yummy lemonade. Or, set up a table out front and teach the kids how to run their own lemonade stand!

Brie is the mom of a 3.5 year old daughter “the girl” and eighteen month old son “the boy”. You can read her blog at Capital Mom.

Day tripping : Smiths Falls

by Lara We were invited to a house warming party in Smiths Falls this weekend and I decided we'd make a bit of a trip of it and see some of the sights.  I'd heard about the Railway museum there and I figured we could make a stop on our way into town.

The museum is small...  one room with a little playroom to the side, and another small room with some artifacts. I definitely would have to say that the inside of the museum isn't a big highlight for kids (although Kiernan LOVED these wooden animal cutouts which were found all over the museum and in the trains!)

BUT

Getting to explore the trains they have on site was a lot of fun (not to mention great photographic material!)

And the biggest highlight... the hand car!  For $1 a person you get to pump the hand car up and down the track. Kiernan loved it, and I admit, so did I!

The museum itself cost $4.50 per adult, $2.50 for kids under 12 and free for kids under 3.  For under $15 we all got in and all got to ride the hand car - pretty affordable.  They also had a multi museum pass for $32.50 for (I believe) a trio of Smiths Falls museums.

Smiths Falls is on the Rideau Canal and there are other museums to visit, not to mention parks and the Rideau Canal locks.  I only wish we'd had time to explore some more as we drove by on a gorgeous day! Only an hour out of town, it makes the perfect day trip!

Lara is the mom to 3.5 year old Kiernan and 1 year old twins Quinn and Juliette. You can find her at her blog Gliding Through Motherhood.