Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Cottage Resorts are Great for Twins

Recently, there have been a few postings on the Toronto Parents of Multiple Births Association (TPOMBA) Facebook page about how to prepare for taking their twins to the cottage, and even whether or not to do so. We have been doing this since our now six year old twins were 15 months old (and were still crawling!) We do not have our own cottage, but instead of renting someone else's, we discovered how great a cottage resort can be for kids, including twins. A cottage resort is a vacation resort that is usually located on a lake, and has several self-catering cottages along with other facilities, and equipment for use of the guests. There could be as few as a half dozen cottages up to about 30, and they range from one-bedrooms to four-bedrooms usually. Most will be of the two or three bedroom variety. My home province of Ontario has many of these and a good place to research them is at Resorts Ontario and their website. My wife and I have stayed at a few different ones in Ontario, both before and since we had kids. The one that we have settled on for the past four years is called Beauview Cottage Resort, located near Huntsville, Ontario on the beautiful Lake of Bays. It is run by a lovely couple, Gord and Nancy Bell, and has only six cottages. We stay in a two-bedroom cottage. There is a full kitchen, a full bathroom, a satelite television, a fireplace and a deck with a barbecue. Some of the other cottages have an outside hot tub, but ours has a jacuzzi tub in the master bedroom. Every year we go, Gord takes out furniture that we don't want and provides us with bed rails. You won't get this kind of service or help from an absentee cottage owner. There are so many things to do at Beauview, and other resorts too. But Beauview is particularly good for the really young kids. There is not much of a natural beach but Gord and Nancy bring in two giant piles of sand for the kids to play in, one in the playground and another at the water. He also provides many sand toys to play with. There are lots of other things for the young kiddies including a play kitchen and a fort. Gord usually places the play kitchen and some toys next to our cottage for our arrival so that the kids have something to do while we unpack the car. There are pedal boats, row boats, a variety of kayaks, canoes, individual small pedal boats for the little ones, inflated innertubes, water noodles, many life jackets, and even fishing rods for the use of the guests. There is also a variety of sports equipment including frisbee golf. Gord has a motor boat and will take you out for a boat ride on Lake of Bays or the older kids and adults can try water skiing or tubing. For rainy days there is a large selection of DVDs to watch in your cottage. They also will provide you with a parking pass for A|lgonquin Park for the nature lovers out there. The thing to consider is that being at a cottage resort offers you and your twins and other children so many choices. A singular cottage could not have so many things on hand. The cottages are usually smaller but the rates at Beauview and many other cottage resorts are quite reasonable when you consider what your are getting. Some even offer children's programs during the summer. At Beauview Nancy organizes bingo and arts and crafts, and there is also a welcome barbecue for the guests. So if you are considering renting a cottage, think about a cottage resort. It should be a fun and relaxing time for your family. To check out more about Beauview, go to www.beauview.com.

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Doing Some Things for Myself for a Change!

There is little doubt that parenting twins is a full time job. It takes a great commitment and effort, and often times, as with any parent, you need to put your children's needs first. With twins, finding any time for yourself, especially when they are younger, and especially if you are working a full-time job, seems next to impossible.

But lately, now that my twins are a bit older, I am making time for myself, and my wife Lisa is doing the same. My writing is something I do because I enjoy it. But writing my articles and/or my blog has been done in short snippets of time, whenever and whereever I can - during my son's hockey practice or daughter's dance class, or after they are in bed, or are playing on the weekends. But scheduled activities are more difficult. My wife has finally been able to return to Pilates, on a weekly basis, at a time that works for us. And now I am returning to play in a slow pitch softball league for the first time since before kids. It is only one night of the week, and the game times are very consistent, which is a big help to a parent of younger children.

I am determined to pursue my main interests, as well as keep up with my friends, while at the same time being the involved father, my wife and kids have come to expect--and that I expect of myself. During the first couple of years or so, having my own interests and finding time for them seemed overwhelming. But know I am doing some things for myself for a change! Yes, it is possible my fellow twin parents!