Things Ariel Hates Me For #1 – Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada

When I was working at SimplyCast, one of my coworkers actually followed my blog. He was a dad and enjoyed reading about what I was up to. Ariel (his name) upon learning that I was moving to Toronto, suggested with true British wit, that I start doing posts about all the fun stuff he can’t do in Halifax. Since I am always looking for new ideas for content, I am taking him up on his offer. That is where “Things Ariel Hates Me For” came from. I hope you (an Ariel) enjoy these. 

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Things Ariel Hates Me For #1 – Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada

When preparing to move back to Toronto, I got excited at all the new places to take the boys, go for a bite and simply to just explore. Having already lived in Toronto, I had a solid idea of what there was, but never got to do it as a parent. Everything is a lot different when looking at it through the eyes of a child.

One such place that was high on our radar, was the new aquarium that was built down by the CN Tower. Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada looked amazing and was something that was lacking in Toronto, and Canada for that matter.

We have been to the aquarium in Boston, so we knew that Harry would love it.

It was put on the back burner as we settled in and since we also had heard it was crazy busy on weekends, there seemed no hurry for us to go.

But, with my mother-in-law being home for the week, we suggested that we all go. I think she wanted to see it just as much as the boys.

So the plan was set. While Katie worked (sorry), Casey, the boys and myself would hit the aquarium for the morning.

Toronto Move Stories – Three Days in the Car With Kids

Traveling with children under five can be hard. But if you are prepared and have some luck, you can get through it without too much pain.

We have driven to Boston before and to Ontario before with one kid. Harrison did great on those trips. The first one he was in diapers, so it was easy to keep rolling down the highway. The second time there were many more stops as Harrison just started toilet training, but it all worked out.

This trip, it was going to be three days in the car with two boys. One four, one 18 months. There would be pit stops, hotel stops, sanity stops, a lot of snacks and hopefully a lot of naps.

Charlie has only been in the car for three hours at most for one trip, so we did not know what to expect. Spoiler alert, he was amazing.

We left Halifax on Wednesday morning with the goal of being in Toronto by Friday afternoon.

Toronto Move Stories – A Suitcase With Value

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We have been in Toronto for almost two weeks and I am just now starting to get into a groove. The boys are settled into their routine and that means I have some time again to write in the afternoon. I was thinking to myself that our move from Halifax to Toronto went pretty smooth, but there were some great stories to share.

So that is what I will be doing over the next little while. Catching you up on the whole move, the packing, the road trip, how the boys did and of course how we are fitting in back in Toronto.

The first story I need to share was almost a horrible situation (mostly for me) and it occurred before we even started the drive.

We needed to pack up our house for movers on the 13th. They were coming early, so we had to be ready. For two days Katie and I were going non stop. Tired, hot, annoyed, stressed and 27 other feelings. It was a big job and it never seemed like we were getting anywhere.

Katie had a helpful plan of attack for packing. It was pretty simple. There were three piles.

Finding the Perfect Babysitter

This is a guest post by Rachael Cherry. Rachael is passionate about helping connect families in need with high quality caregivers.

When it comes to finding a babysitter, you don’t want to worry about second-guessing your choice. You need to have a great deal of trust in this individual for he or she is responsible for the most important aspect of your life while you’re away. You don’t want to spend time at work or a night out worrying if your children are safe with the person you hired as a babysitter. What can you do to help ensure you find the perfect candidate to care for your little ones?

1. Use a Reputable Agency – Nearly every babysitting and nanny agency provides screening for candidates. Many of these organizations will go to great lengths to help you find the best person for your particular needs. Personal bio, profiles and more can be obtained prior to meeting the individual allowing you to choose which you would like to interview for the position.

All Settled In and Back to Full Time Dadding

Today is the first “normal” day for the family. My wife started her new job (the reason we are here) and I am home with the boys. Back to being a SAHD at least for now.

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The plan is to look for work and only take something that is exceptional. You see, we don’t want to do double daycare. With Harry starting school in September, it makes sense to get to then and do the single daycare.

So I get to basically have my second summer in a row at home with the boys. How lucky am I?

Like A Dad To Move Office and Kids To Toronto

Halifax, Nova Scotia, May 15, 2014 – Like A Dad, a parenting blog focused on the life of one dad and his family, is excited to announce that it will be relocating its office to Toronto, on May 14, 2014.

Like A Dad was started in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in November of 2012, after the birth of the owner’s second son. The blog is relocating it’s staff (family) to Toronto due to job changes and to be closer to family and friends. All day-to-day operations will begin in the new office on the Tuesday after the Victoria Day weekend.

Like A Dad is written and managed by Michael Cusden, a digital marketer, who excels in creating engaging web content for several properties. He will also be leaving his day job of 5 years at SimplyCast, to pursue bigger challenges in Toronto, where he once worked in the television industry.

A Dad’s Life: Moving With Kids

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This post was first published on Urban Parent.

Who likes to move? Anyone?

Moving is certainly not an ideal way to spend a weekend. We have all roped our friends into it at some point with the promise of pizza and beer. It is a lot of work and something I have accepted as something you pay others to do if possible.

But there is more to moving than the boxes. There is the mental side of it that I have never really thought about until now.

That’s because we are moving for the first time with kids.

Yes, we are packing up the place, grabbing our two boys and hitting the road for Ontario. Toronto in fact.

But how do you break it to your kids that you are picking up the only life they have ever known and taking it elsewhere?

Well for our 20-month old, he really has no opinion. As long as we bring him, he is happy.

Our soon to be 5-year old however, that is a whole different psychological experiment.

The Importance of Dads

This is a guest post by Ashley Hardway

There is nothing quite like the love of a dad. Mom’s love is so comforting and nurturing and lets us know we are loved unconditionally. The two loves are hard to compare and are equal in their importance. So many times today we see children left with only one parent and generally it is the mom. The importance of dads and the benefit of having them in children’s lives cannot be replaced by any other love.

In no way am I trying to discount the position or importance of a mother in a child’s life. Mom cannot be replaced any more than dad. So many mothers today are trying to take over the role of mom and dad because of absentee fathers and that is an impossible thing. Women are just not able to be men no matter how hard they try. Dads give us a sense of security and of strength and safety that is so much needed in the world today.