Hangin' Out on the Boppy

Why Love Matters: How Affection Shapes a Baby's Brain

I clearly remember browsing in the Waterstone's bookstore on Princes Street in Edinburgh, and having a book title jump out at me. That book was Why Love Matters: How Affection Shapes a Baby's Brain by Sue Gerhardt. The author is a therapist in Oxford, England, who helped found the Oxford Parent Infant Project, a counseling center for parents and babies. She synthesizes research in neuroscience, psychology, and biochemistry to show how babies' nervous systems and brains are shaped by their earliest relationships. Here is a quote from the book:

Well-intentioned governments have recognised the need to support family life. They have put measures in place to do so--from tax credits to parenting classes...Although such supports are vital to those who receive them, they are like occasional food parcels for the starving, or to use another analogy, it is most like pouring money into the maintenance of a badly built house. The persistent damp problems, poor heat or sound insulation, subsidence due to poor foundations, may be temporarily alleviated--but nothing can change the fact that the house is not well built and will continue to be high maintenance. Likewise with human beings whose foundations have not been well built. Although expensive repairs may be undertaken later in life, the building stage--when adjustments can be made--is largely over. For prevention to be effective, it needs to be targeted at the point when it can make the most difference. These foundations are laid during pregnancy and in the first two years of life."

I highly recommend this fascinating and relevant book!

How well do you know Canada? Try this quiz!

http://www.canadianheritage.gc.ca/progs/cpsc-ccsp/quiz/index_e.cfm

A morning outing to Moose Jaw

Here's Kate, by the Moose Jaw moose! We've gotten used to the name "Moose Jaw" but it sure is unusual, eh? (See, I'm bilingual and can incorporate Canadianisms into my speech). From Wikipedia:

The origins of the name Moose Jaw are vague, though it appears to be of First Nations origin. One local legend holds that the Indian word Moosoochapiskanissippi means "the river shaped like the jaw of a moose". The name of the settlement might come from the creek that flowed through the settlement. Another legend holds that the name comes from the word Moosoochapiskun which means "the place where the white man mended the cart with the jawbone of the moose." A third legend explains that the name came from the Cree word moosegaw which means "warm breezes". In the winter, Moose Jaw is often warmer than the surrounding communities.
Afterwards, we had to stop by Tim Hortons for a doughnut of course!
Yum! Chocolate! We even bought Eric some Tim Hortons ground coffee to help him make it to the end of his semester!

Quote

From our daughter Kate yesterday: "Guys have beards, but girls just have cheeks!"

-Eric

Our little dual citizen

New passport rules

It used to be that people traveling between the US and Canada could get by with showing a driver's license or birth certificate at the border. Not anymore. As of January 23, 2007, all air travelers into the US must have a passport, including Americans traveling home. Next year sometime, this rule will extend to the land and sea borders as well. This has fuelled worries in Canada, as well as the states that share a border with Canada, about the possible negative economic impact.

Eric, Kate, and I have passports, of course, as we needed up to date passports living in Scotland. So now, we just have to get a US passport for Will. He is actually a Canadian citizen because he was born here--yea! But all people eligible for US citizenship, as he is, must enter the US on a US passport. This will mean a trip to Calgary, Alberta, for us, as there is no US consulate in Saskatchewan. While there, we will also apply for his US Consular Report of Birth Abroad, and his US Social Security number. And, it's a good excuse to go spend some time in Banff National Park!

http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/CityandRegion/2007/03/23/3812834-sun.html

Introducing our blog!

Well, I've been so inspired by all the cool blogs people I know have started lately, that I've decided to jump right into the blogging world too! At the very least, it will be an interesting pasttime for me, and maybe a way for people to learn more about life in Canada. I'll probably talk a lot about parenting as well, and whatever else is on my mind. Eric will contribute film reviews, thoughts on ministry, and perhaps some Hebrew exegesis.

We will try not to be boring, but no promises! ;)