SW; THE BRAVE TELLS OF OUR TRIP TO OTTAWA

INA'S INTRO
So we took a two day trip to Ottawa. it was our first hotel trip as a family (all our trips are visiting family and camping at powwows). So this was a big deal. We went Saturday morning, arrived around noon. We spent the first day around our hotel (which was near parliment buildings and Byward market) and swimming. The second day was spent at the museum. Each of the three middle children wrote an essay about a different part of the trip. SW did his without assistence as he is working towards being able to do a full essay. The younger ones had me assist by either asking lots of questions or taking dictation, depending on their strengths.

SW'S ESSAY

The Museum

We went to Ottawa on the weekend. On Sunday we went to the Museum of Civilizations. At the museum we went to the Canadian Children's Museum. Someone who worked there gave us a passport to collect stamps. We put on Costumes. Ko-Ko, Runner & Sunny Not were playing with the crane. I went on exploring and finding lots of stamps for my passport, this was my favorite part. Soon we went to a section about post offices and postage stamps. My siblings and I found a part that lets you ding to the people in that poirtion of the museum. Then we went to the cafeteria and ate our lunch. After lunch we went to the Native section. We saw a fake jungle like in B.C. and Ko-Koloved it! I really liked this cool rock bed that we all lied down on. We looked at the Native portion of the museum. Then we went to look at the treasures of Afganistan. Sunny Not and I accidentally set off an alarm Mom and Dad said. I don't think so because we didn't touch anything we were just really close to this cool thing. After that we left.

NEW REALIZATIONS

INA'S VACATION


about a week ago I went with Grandma Claus to Trent University's Elder's and Traditional Peoples conference. I have not been somewhere without at least one child since baby Indy was born....actually I think no since my honeymoon a few years ago. (yes we waited until we could afford to get married).

We had a fantastic time and listening to Elders and teachers speak opens your eyes. I think we all learn something different, something we needed to learn. Yes we may gain further understanding of a teaching. Begin to learn a new one but the big things are the personal things you realize.

One thing I realized is that I want to partially homeschool my kids in highschool. This had occured to me, but due to pressure and self doubt I kept saying they would go to highschool. But I realized that there is SO SO much I need to teach my children and homeschooling gives me the oppertunity. I do want they to take some courses and get involved in sports and clubs. But if a child is in school all day they come home, have homework, play, there is not much time left, unlike homeshooling. So bringing more traditional knowledge into our day is one of my decisions. I am not doing feathers and beads, that is traditional crafts, good to know, but there is so much more. Also we are learning my language. French was never gonna happen. Right now we are working on the alphabet. This way we will start speaking with proper pronounciation...very important.

Also we need to travel more. We are taking our first hotel trip next month and going to go to a museum and skating. But we need to visit Aunties and Uncles. Both as a family and one on one. Kids learn so much from Aunties and Uncles because they are not Mom & Dad. Traditional and plain commen sense knowledge is often learned this way. Plus everyone gets a break...kids need a break from us sometimes too.

Also it is time for some of my children to start bringing together their own bundles. I am preparing at this time to help them start. There is much to teach before they grow up and I have to be ready.

I also realized (with Grandma Claus' help) that there is a big market for my sewing skills. Everyone is selling wraps with applique (like what I have made for myself) except they are appliqueing basic designs where mine are more like a picture...a detailed picture. I could definatly corner the market...just ned to have the cash to pull it off...income tax return i guess.

Febuary Activities.

We have had a good busy midwinter season. We have been skating with local home schoolers and un-schoolers. We have also done plenty of skating and sledding on our own.

We made valentines cards with some other homeschoolers and we will send them to a group of home schoolers in the states. I spent hours setting up a valentines craft for my kids. It is a mosaic heart. You cut up hundreds of squares of colour from a magazine. The wish book is perfect and the kids are done drooling over it. I separate all the colours into sandwich bags (red, pink, purple, black). Then you glue the squares on a heart with thin spaces between the pieces. Punch in 2 holes (when dry) and stick a valentines sucker through the holes like a heart. One child made one of these, the rest of the valentines were their own creation. regrettably no pictures cuz my phone was dying. It was a good fun day.

We also went down town to go skating. Usually we skate at the rink at our local park (it's easier and I don't drive). Down town in front of city hall the community college, military college and University were working on snow sculptures, they were making mini bobsled runs (for crazy carpet use). The ollege one was finished with decorative detail being added. The one from the military college collapsed. The University's was a big pile of snow. Apparently they were researching. I think it said alot for the practical education college offers. The college students let the children try it out. The skating rink had a hot dog stand and beaver tail stand. If you haven't had beaver tails I suggest you find some. Yummy yummy treat. They also had ice sculptures and free hay wagon rides around downtown. We had an excellent day. I hope it is still around on our next trip downtown.

AVATAR...THIS NDN'S PERSPECTIVE.

Well we took the whole family (minus baby) to see Avatar.

I have heard from my fellow NDN's that it is a great movie! I have read online (non Natives I think) that we are stereotyped, typical dances with wolves etc. Not surprising, non-Natives like to tell us when to be offended.

Now keep in mind this will be an unedited NDN view, so if it causes white guilt...deal.

We all thought the movie was great. Runner said it reminded him of the Greasy Grass (Whites call it the Little Big Horn, or Custer's Last Stand). I think that it says a lot that a 7 yr old saw that. My kids favorite parts were the scenes of the final battle. They liked "when all the white people went home in the end, except a few good ones" This is particularly funny because the same thing happens in Disneys Pocahontas (except then there is Pocahontas 2). Sunny Not laughed and said..."and did you notice they were all white?". Someone pointed out that the Woman who flies the helicopter is brown but she joined the NDN's...yep the kids keep referring to the as Omaticaya as the NDN's, and yes we refer to ourselves that way to (pc readers are just gonna have to deal with that too).



Another white hero?...Another white herp?; not quite. Jake Sully's Avatar is mixed white and Omaticaya; so I see it more like the scouts of old who were mixed bloods working for the army, he was just a futuristic version of a mixed blood, with a similar reaction, accepted by some, but not others.

Tree huggers? yep, but this is interesting. The deity is only referred to as a deity by the humans, not the Omaticaya . The Omaticaya talk of Mother, connection and ancestors and they also do not worship or pray in a typical christian fashion. This is interesting cuz we do not worship a god or many gods (like some think). We honour creation, spirits, ancestors and we believe in a circle of life etc. The Na'vi see life as energy you borrow and return. Only Jake prays and he is told that the Mother does not take sides. I have to say I was shocked that James Cameron got their spirituality so close to our sense of spirituality. Our concept of spirituality without worship is difficult for many to grasp as it is so not what they have grown up with. It is not the same as our spirituality being a movie and all (and the tree thing unfortunately reminded me briefly of Pocahontas), but the style is similar. This was not something he read in a book because if you read books about our spirituality you will read a lot of BS.

Savages? Damn this one made me angry. It made me more angry after seeing the movie. I think the only people who would see the Omaticaya as savages are the same types that are currently taking Native land to mine for Uranium and other similar manifest destiny ideals, and of course our very own hang around the fort NDN's. These are the types that all wish we would assimilate, love money and just shut up already. I personally thought the army were the savages in this movie...matter of perspective I guess. I am sure there are those who didn't see either side as savage. So here are the two sides as I see it:

Omaticaya are seen (by some people) as savages cuz they:

• are half naked
• use bows and arrows
• don't go to school
• growl
• don't live in structured housing
• hunt
• believe in a nature based spirituality

correct me if I am wrong but there are people who still live this way...
are such people calling them savage too?

Army is seen as savage (by people like me) cuz:

• they murder without conscience
• destroy for profit
• to narrow minded and ethnocentric to see another point of view
• will blow up a village with babies, and children in it.
  

Go see the movie, enjoy it, cry with the Omaticaya (I sure did). Cheer when the army loses. And take away one really important lesson, this is not just a movie about past events, but also currant events. Make sure it doesn't become about future events...and (political statement)unless Canada, The United States, Australia and New Zealand all sign the UN's declaration of Indigenous rights,it will continue to be about our future. And (educational moment) watch it with your kids. Use it as an opportunity to discuss the world wide issue of colonialism, Native issues and mining issues. Not sure about mining issues? che k out my following links.

MIDNIGHT SKATE ON XMAS EVE

Ko-Ko and I went for a midnight skate on xmas eve. I have included pics but I am not the photographer...perhaps Sunny Not will get us some pics soon.

On xmas eve Dad took the kids shopping for my gifts (Any surprised Women?, No eh?). I enjoyed a bit of time at home to myself and got ready to head off to my brothers for some time with my side of the family and a small gift exchange. It was getting close so I told Dad to meet me there and I walked over (it's a 15 minute walk). On the way I noticed that the rink I had seen in the fall (we are new to the neighbourhood) had been filled in and was now an ice rink. I was thrilled because I was not expecting anything till the new year...if ever.

I spent the rest of the walk thinking about going skating. Only the girls and I skate. Runner & SW have decided to give it another try this year, and we will find some second hand skates for them. Sunny Not is growing non-stop and needs new skates....desperatly so she would not be skating with me unless we had a plan. So at my brothers house I asked around. No one has her shoe size...figures, however my sis has a pair that will fit SW.

So Ko-Ko and I will skate. Good. Often she and I skate together...well often being relative. We skate a handful of times a year but with a rink at so very close (1 minute walk tops) I hope that changes.

My brother and I skated all the time at that age and up through high school. We skated well enough for pond hockey and a family game called fox and goose. I realize that is from practice because age, and less practice and I am not the same skater. I am a basic skater and so is Ko-Ko. She is happy enough with that but opportunity & practice will make a huge difference.

So we skated on a mild (-2C) xmas eve. We laughed and talked and skated. It was a perfect Mother - Daughter evening. Being midnight made it seem special and magical. how often do you do midnight things when they are young? Well maybe some do all the time but I am a firm believer in limits and bedtimes; It's what makes nights like that special. She brought up Santa, but I assured her that as family we have an inside scoop on arrival time. After that we were good to go. She has always been a happy skater. She falls, she gets up and keeps going as hpapy as she was before. When I fell...the night ended. It hurt and I am not as young and resilient. We had been out for a little over an hour. It did not seem like it though. It was a good end to the night. We slept well waiting for xmas day.

THE GOOD THE BAD & THE UNGLY (Ina's Toy review)

Well the children received some nice things for the holidays, and we are very thankful for them all. . Toys, electronics, books, gift cards ans of course clothes. Clothes are clothes. we all have our own opinions there, and gift cards are the same, they are great if you buy the right ones for the right person. Books are generally the same, it's personal taste so for the most part I won't include them...so on to the rest...cuz reviews are helpful.

THE HAUL OF SUNNY NOT:
Well 13 yr old Sunny Not did get what she asked for. We purchased her a Kodak z16 pocket camcorder (also takes still pics) and santa gave her the required SD card. She loves it, it works great. As for the ease of upload to youtube (as advertised) that will depend on her reading the online instructions and tips. Some things are simple enough that a teen can skip instructions (having a basic idea of the tech world)...this isn't one of them. But for a teen wanting a video camera and parents not wanting to spend hundreds...perfect choice...and they should read instructions. Her Dad and Granny celebrated with her on xmas eve. They gave her an ipod touch and nintendo DSi. Sunny Not prefers the perfect single gift over quantity. The ipod barely left her hands allthough she did mention that lots of stuff cost money to add. However she was going to look into what she could download to her computer for free and then upload to the ipod. The DSi she left at her dads...enough said I think.

Some Thumbs Up for the Kodak z16



SW: THE BRAVES GREAT GIFTS:
11 yr old SW finaly has a DS lite. We decided not to get a DSi based on price and reviews of the new features. Santa gave him an R4 card. The DS appeared under the tree last yr for Ko-Ko so I knew I liked it as a game system for the kids. In general I like Nintendo. They have a wack load f games that are fun and suitable for all ages and always have. The other systems seem to have more mature games. The R4 card is brilliant. It requires a micro SD card (which I only discoverd by researching them on the net) we got a 4 gb. A friend had a portable hard drive full of nintendo DS games for us to download. it took hours for my husband to format them correctly and weed out the euro games and asian games since each region has a different format and an american system can't play a game from another region. I can not imagine how long this would have taken if we had to do it all from scratch. Once done the download of 150 games took 10 minutes. And another 10 minutes for Ko-Ko's R4. He also got a nerf dart gun. This was Dad's choice. big hit, minimal play because it's an outside toy and it's winter here.

Multiple Thumbs up for Nintendo DS lite



KO-KO'S GIFT EXTRAVAGANZA:
She also recieved an R4 card...again, not easy for the parents to prepare but when all is said and done...oh the money we will save. She also received the classic easy bake oven...requires adult supervision but yeah...she has already tried it on her own. I am not sure how I feel abou the easy bake. Sunny Not had one when she was younger and the adult supervision (she listened) ment that it ended up in a garage sale cuz in a large family there is limited one on one time, and most of it is one on one plus baby. My plan is to teach her to use on her own. I know, I know...but hey most girls do anyway...I did, her Aunts did. it is what it is. Santa gave her a Camnex game 2 go. In my mind this was the best bang for the buck $50 toy (if your interested...at walmart). It has 10 built in games. It is an mp3 player with super simple upload (I figured it out in seconds), it also takes pics and basic vids plus you can voice record. She loves it and so do I.


R4 and easy bake are 2 thumbs up and one down


. . .Camnex game 2 go; all thumbs up



RUNNER'S BEST TOYS:
Runner recieved mega block streetz. This is way better priced then lego city. The buildings are great, need some adult help. The instructions are step by step pic instructions (easy to follow...more so for dad) The street pieces attach together like hot wheels tracks making for a smooth ride. The set went together fast enough that there was time to play. I definatly vote this as a better set then the competitors. Santa brought runner race o rama (Disney cars) for the wii. It starts a one player. You have to acheive certain goals for a second player to join. As a Mom of 5, you can guess this is a thumbs down from me. But the game is fun, and just the right level of difficulty for 7 yr old Runner. He also got some new matchbox planes. We were always a hot wheels family but Runner prefers matchbox. These basic cars and planes are still priced in everyone's price range (under $5 although there are biggger ones) and they still entertain boys.

Runner's toys all receive multiple thumbs up.




They were given a box for then all of the seasons hottest zhu zhu pets. 3 hamsters and accessories. The hottest toy of the season is all hype. (yep I fell prey to the hype). It entertained them briefly. Electronic pets are not the same as the real thing even with the same accessories. This is a total thumbs down from me. Seems like a neat idea, but didn't pan out in the long run. Also the hamster ball is so hard to put together that the hamster has stopped moving . Also Uncle and Aunty from North of 7 gave the 4 of then the new Super Mario Bros for the Wii. Big fun, Big hit and 4 players, playing all at the same time...just what a Mom always wanter...4 siblings playing together without fighting. So toy of the season...No. Wii game of the season....Yes.


All Fonze Thumbs down (thats bad) for ZhuZhu

...Big Thumbs up for New Super Mario Bros (Wii)


BABY INDY LOVED HIS TOYS!
Santa brought him the Elmo that sings "elmo loves you so so much". He loves it. He loved it in the store and he loves it still...Aunty however is out to kill elmo but if your a Mom you learn to tune out stuff. Playmobile replica of the old farm house is as fun down as it was then but the hit of the season was Playmobile's crash and spin race way. All three boys have been having hours of fun with this. Baby Indy loves it. the only negative is the C batteries (I think we will get some rechargables) and trying to get the older boys to back off and let Indy play. If you have a little boy it really is a great toy. Indy was gifted many books as he is a big fan and they were great as books tend to be. I said I wouldn't review these ...for the most part. But there is one a set that I will comment on. Indy received a play-a-sound set of baby einstein books and sesame street They include 3 cute books each and one sound pad with buttons that comes off one book to go on another. They get lost easily and can not be used with another set...better to get the kid that has the sound pad attached.

Multiple thumbs up for baby Indy's toys,




except books with losable parts, that's one down.

9 DAYS TILL CHRISTMAS

A WORD FROM INA

Well it is getting close. I am done my shopping (hubby was last...to hard to shop for). The gifts will soon be under the tree. Wondering how big a pile? Then ya got the wrong house. Our children receive 2 gifts from us and 1 from Santa, plus some little things and batteries in their stockings. I don't spend a whole lot wither. I have a budget and if their hearts desire exceeds that then they can choose that as their one and only gift. Sunny Not often does. In our house it's a few things you most want. It does not take long to open the gifts, the little ones do not have a melt down due to being overwhelmed and the afternoon can be spent doing family activities: board games, puzzles, cookie making, ginger bread house decorating, sledding, fort building or skating, and if we are really lucky (snow wise) a good game of fox and goose. But that day will come soon (9 days actually). So on to the last few days.

Well this year we decided to have a tree full of edible ornaments. We have of course candy canes. But also ribbon candy, gummy rings, chocolate bells and ginger bread. We are still working on gummy bear and popcorn garlands. I made a candy wreath (we will be making more with the kids now that I found the easy way to do it). I expect we will all have our winter layer of fat on by the time our tree is undecorated and ready to take down...or the baby will. He has discovered the decorations are edible. He doesn't get waiting for christmas day.

We also took Indy to see Santa at the mall. I don't know what I was thinking. i have learned that the best pics with Santa happen around age 4 when risk of crying on the strangers lap is all over. But I did. I dragged the three youngest on the bus, bundled up to the mall. Took off all the winter gear. Found Dad's gift and stood in line for Santa. Ko-Ko (being 9) held our place in line while I got us smoothies. Yep I got big smoothies while we stood in line. Amazingly only I was dancing by the end. We pointed out Santa to Indy, got him excited as we watched toddlers and babies one by one scream and cry on the old guys lap. When it was our turn Indy ran up to Santa and said "Hi". Santa asked if he could pick him up and Indy just stood there while he did...still no tears. Santa talked with him and he was just thrilled. even though the only other words he said were "yup" and "bye" (he is not a big talker). I could have chosen a picture of him smiling at the camera but the one of him smiling at Santa was a better reminder of the day. I gotta say I was some proud that I had the baby that didn't cry.

KO-KO'S ESSAY "Indy meets Great Great Great Great Uncle Santa"

Runner, Mom, and I took Indy to the mall to see Santa, except the real one is in the North Pole....unless he moved to Hawaii. Indy was happy and excited waiting in line. Some of the babies were screaming, other kids were excited while they were waiting. We got to have smoothies to drink. They were really good. We had banana and Strawberry except Indy had blueberry banana because he is allergic to strawberries. Indy's smoothie made his face all messy from the blueberry and Mom had to clean it up with her sweater, good thing it was black. Indy he was trying to crawl through the fence and then we got him playing with the fake snow which was covered in glitter. That was fun and Runner and I put the glitter all over each other. Indy saw us doing that and so he did it too. My mom yelled at us for making a mess and doing something all the little kids might try to do but they didn't...except Indy. Mom had to keep trying to get the glitter out of his hair.

When there was just one girl in front of us Indy played with the hand sanitizer, because I taught him how to use it. Then when it was our turn Indy ran up to Santa and Santa put Indy on his lap. Indy loved sitting on his lap and talking to Santa. Santa also talked to Runner and I. Then he gave us each a bag with activities and we left and got our picture of Indy and Santa. It was a good trip.