Being one of the few people that are actually from Toronto, I find certain local attractions comforting because of a familiarity acquired during my own journey from childhood to adult (debatable). St. Lawrence Market, the Ex, the Beach, all are places I visit quite regularly and have since moving here from Newmarket when I was 4 months old - ok, not born in Toronto , but let's just say the Newmarket influence quickly fell away during my infancy, (although I still get cravings for Kelsey's wings and Glass Tiger songs). Another locale of great familiarity is the Toronto Zoo, which I... More »

I remember when it was just the three of us.  I was nine or 10, coming home at lunches or after school by myself because she had to work and my sister was doing new, teenage things.  I remember her coming home, in her blouses and skirts, and hustling to make us dinners, meat loafs, mac and cheese, rice puddings.  It was a difficult time for her, newly single, broken hearted, trying to find someone to spend time with and care for two growing children.  We lived in an apartment building with other similarly schemed families, all relying on one... More »

Coach Jay. That's what the boys will call me on Monday and Thursday nights and on Saturday and Sunday mornings for the next two months. It is spring soccer season and this is my sixth session coaching Hud's team and my third coaching Tasman. For the next eight weeks, my life is riddled with mesh ball and equipment bags, line up cards, snack sign up sheets and daily emails to the parents reminding them of game times and locations. While this all may sound like the cusp of complaint, I actually totally dig it. We were never a hockey family... More »

I am consistently baffled by the never ending struggles of trying to raise a child to be a good person. Everyday a new, twisted piece of the puzzle is presented and I am left scratching my bulbous noggin and thinking what was he thinking, where did I go wrong and how can I quickly correct this. This of course is quickly followed by the stop being so dramatic you big oaf, this is what parenting is all about, fall back on the consistent messaging you always talk about  and stop taking everything so freaking seriously.  There. Confused yet? Let me... More »

One of my core beliefs in creating a valuable life is experiencing many different aspects and angles to create a rich tapestry of memories that can be reflected on later in life.  Does that mean the rocking chair and stick whittling will include me thought bubbling the time when I was 42 and I had my franks and beans waxed?  I sure hope so, because that memory, however absurd, is part of my own growing tapestry.  Other major memories that have not been erased through teenage years of brain abuse are the times when I was kid and I finally... More »

I look at parenting like a team. Not specifically in an us versus them mentality (no matter how combative it sometimes feels), but as an effort that takes a bit of strategy, lots of communication and sometimes pure, dumb luck to be successful. And like other teams, sometimes the members can disagree on certain objectives, goals or tactics, and things can go freaking awry and turn ugly pretty darn quickly.Don't get me wrong. I did not come up with a parenting plan, hovering over a deck trying to decide which funky transitions or cool bullet points to use. But in... More »

So it finally happened.  No, not the itching from my recent foray into hair removal.  But my eldest son is starting to emerge from the hoodie and track pant culture to actually start to think about how he looks in other clothes!  Huzzah!  Oh wait, hoodies and track pants are easy.  Now comes the hard part.We have a wedding to attend this weekend.  Our second event where our boys can actually attend and participate in the romance and fervour of a two people dedicating their lives to each other in front of drunken friends and family. The last wedding they... More »

You know how when hear a specific song and it will immediately bring you back to a time and place leaving you with a warm feeling of whimsy and nostalgia?  Well, I will never hear the song Telephone Line again by ELO without thinking about the gobs of warm wax being smeared on my perineum while I lay on my back, pulling my knees to my chest, wondering how I managed to find myself in pretty much the most vulnerable position in my entire life.  So I went for it.  The full Manzillian. And the back for added smoothness and... More »

I was going to write a long, effusive summary of a great trip to Chicago with my wife and without my two sons. On how great it was to reconnect in such a creative and fun city and how these little getaways, that seem to happen once every five years, actually make us appreciate the role we play in our kids lives and gives them the opportunity to spend some quality condensed time with their grandparents.  But mostly I am thinking about my 5pm appointment today at Fuzz Wax Bar, Toronto first wax bar dedicated entirely to waxing services for... More »

Thursday April 26, 20125:00pmFuzzbar.#nohairdownthereWhat the hell am I thinking?  Stay tuned.... More »