a peek inside the fishbowl

We parents are quick to sign our kids for swimming lessons and soccer, hockey and gymnastics. Sure, some kids branch out into pottery and karate, but I wanted to share with you a little something that the eldest has been up to.

Mark’s parents are members of Hylands Golf Club and last summer they signed Emma up for group lessons.

Here is she is, learning about putting.

Despite its reputation as being a rich man’s sport, it really doesn’t have to be. Golf has the unfair reputation of being elitist, but as Mark points out (he’s the golfer here) it’s the golf clubs that are elitist, what with their pricey memberships n’all.

Most golf courses have very inexpensive junior memberships, and there are a number of golf camps in the city. Even though I’m not a golfer, I certainly appreciate it as a sport. I think it’s a great game to learn how to play, this is especially true for kids.

Kid’s clubs are relatively inexpensive. This year Emma has been wearing running shoes instead of golf shoes. Nana bought her some clothing (collared shirts only, and no denim), and the rest of the stuff somehow filters in. i.e. golf balls, golf club etc.

Speaking of clothes, golf clothes are the one thing tempting me to take the sport up myself. There is some really swanky gear out there! (But I’m sticking to my slogging for now…)

At a recent board meeting I got the true sense of how important golf is in corporate culture. There’s an upcoming charity tournament, and conversation rolls around to things like who’s going to join our foursome? etc etc. I, of course, couldn’t join anyone anywhere. My golf skills are limited to mini-putt.

There are lot of benefits to learning how to play golf. Networking aside, it gets people outdoors and active. It’s not just a young person’s sport either (how many elderly people do you see playing soccer or basketball?) but it’s about lifelong skills development.

Golf is a window into people’s hearts. It’s a litmus test. Does the person you’re golfing with exaggerate their handicap? Do they shave strokes, or play it straight? Are they a good sport? Are they able to laugh at themselves or are they competitive to the point of throwing their club into the trees out of sheer frustration?

Nowhere do you go so naked as you do when you’re playing golf.

You learn a lot about people on a golf course, after all, you are spending five or so hours together. Mark can speak to this more than I can, but he’s told me about dealings he’s had with people on the golf course that have permanently changed my opinion about them.

As for Emma, she seems to enjoy her lessons. I’m happy she’s taken an interest. There is a certain cache to being a girl who can really drive a ball down the fairway. (Although she’s not quite at that stage yet.)

Her lessons take place once a week. Last time she was out we made it a family event.

We saw her off and then hung out at the clubhouse.

Look at the fancy way they serve up a bag of chips!

The drink in the photo above is a lemon-up; lemon cordial syrup with Sprite poured over it. Oh, and three maraschino cherries. It is heaven in a glass.

We waited patiently for Emma’s lesson to be over:

And even played a couple rounds of hangman to pass the time:

On the way back to Emma, someone got to check out a golf cart:

Anyway, yes, golf! Do you golf? Do your kids?

I hope Mark chimes in here. Hylands was one of his first places of employment, so there’s a special connection there I’m sure. :)

The KMDM activity for this past week was:

Cook extra chicken, turkey or roast beef for dinner and use leftovers as sandwich fillings for lunch. Deli meats are highly processed and usually high in sodium.

I’ve been on High Sodium Alert lately, and I have to say, it is shocking to see how much sodium is packed into so many processed foods. It is beginning to turn my stomach, not to mention my tastebuds. We’re a low-sodium family, and when we eat high-sodium foods I can really taste it.

Sadly (for me) deli meats are a food we rely on pretty heavily around here. As I mentioned in my previous post, deli meats (specifically: salami, ham and bacon) are among our favourite things to eat, especially during the school year. It’s a crutch, and I’d like to reduce the amount of deli meats we buy … but it’s hard when it’s one of few proteins the girls will eat in their lunch. 

This week we BBQd chicken breasts for chicken caesar salads (one of my favourite summertime meals). I bought a larger package of chicken and we made two extra portions and popped them into the fridge for lunches the next day.

This is not unusual in itself. Mark and I often eat the leftovers. The challenge here was, will the kids accept cold chicken on a sandwich? I know this must sound crazy, but the only cold meat they’ve been known to eat is ham and salami. I feel like a bit of a parenting failure when I see that typed out. Why don’t my kids eat casseroles and cold pasta salads? Gah.

Experts insist that parents need to offer new foods 20 times before a kid will eat it. I used to balk at this, but in my experience it’s actually true. If I could share one piece of parenting advice, I would say KEEP TRYING. No matter how annoying it is. I have a great ginger chicken recipe the girls never ate, but I kept making it because Mark and I liked it. Then lo and behold, they started eating it. It happened with scrambled eggs yesterday. Sarah was suddenly eating them.

“When did THIS happen,” I said, agog with shock.
“At camp,” she said, with a nonchalance that just about made me fall over.

So you see, I had hope for cold BBQ’d chicken. And I was really hoping it could be something I send along for future school lunches.

I sliced up the chicken nice and thin, and put it on some fresh seedy bread with a good smear of mayo and some lettuce. They ate it, grudgingly. Emma ate more than her sister.

“IT’S JUST CHICKEN,” I argued. “You like bread, and mayo, and lettuce, AND chicken, why don’t you like it all together in sandwich format?”
“MOM,” said the elder, in full rationalizing mode as 11-year olds are wont to do. “It tastes different when it’s cold. I don’t like cold pizza, and you said it’s OKAY that I don’t like cold pizza …”

Sigh.

Places like Saslove’s and Piggy Market must have better-for-you non-processed lunch meat, right?

FYI – Busidoka has posted a 3-part video on making your own luncheon meat.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFgAEpLVWW4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1gWqCPUJF8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDI8sLE5YIc

Anyway, I’m not giving up. I’m going to keep trying.

The KMDM activity for this coming week is a good one, with more chance of success:

Pick out a new recipe to try this week together. 20% of families eat frozen dinners and another 20% eat pre-cooked meals.

I’m looking forward to this one!

Tell me, what colour would you choose?

This was at Mini-Golf Gardens (just off Merivale Road), in the sweltering heat. Frankly, I’m surprised I was able to keep it together.

Warning: mini-putt is not for everyone. Here’s Sarah, giving it her best shot.

There is a frog living near the 14th hole, right in there:

We had a few errands to run, which may or may not have included a visit to this place:

But we did take a short stroll along Somerset Street:

And did a bit of browsing (actually, we were looking to replace a couple of small Hamtaro figurines Piper chewed up):

And stopping for a refreshing beverage:

All in all, it was a great day. How was yours?