CPO Member Spotlight- Tina0109

By CanadianParents.com Community

What brought you to CPO, or how did you find us?  

I first found CPO back when we were thinking of emigrating and I wanted more information on Canada and what to expect so I Googled "Canadian Parents" not really realizing just what an impact the site would have on my life! I have found so many people who I don't know and will never meet who's opinions I value more than I would ever have the nerve to tell them. CPO is the first place I go to in the morning! I ended up going from a lurker in England to a member in England then we emigrated and now the paper work is all filled out we just have to wait until we are able to apply for citizenship which will hopefully be at the end of May! We moved to rural Alberta right in the middle of the Rockies we are steps away from the mountains and only a half hour away from British Columbia, an hour from Montana and an hour and a half away fom Calgary, perfect!
 

Any favorite Boards?  

I am a major lurker I love green issues and although I don't post there I really get a lot from reading about them, so the Green Living board is one I go to daily, also Buds and Blooms. I also frequent the General Board, School Aged Kids, Family and Relationships and of course the Alberta Regional Board and the Camping Board (one I moderate). But on the whole I love to lurk everywhere and see what's happening around the site. 

What are your hobbies and interests?

Right now I think helping my husband renovate this house is my major interest! We bought an older property so we could put our own stamp on it. I love reading, walking the dog in the mountains, and I'm trying to get more into gardening especially growing my own fruits and vegetables. We have been watching a program called The 100 Mile Challenge about buying local food and it's quite inspiring to watch!

How many children do you have?

I feel blessed to have two beautiful children. I was fortunate that when my husband and I talked about children we said we wanted two and would ideally like an age gap of 18 months to 2.5 yrs. Well, our son Lewis who is seven came along in September 2001, followed 20 months later by our daughter Holly who just turned six.

Maybe a little something about your parenting style or parenting  philosophy...

Ok this one is a hard one as I tend to mix different styles of parenting. I think I would say I beleive in doing what works for each family and each individual child. To a large extent, parenting should evolve with the growth of the child and as each situation comes along. I am a blend of attachment parenting and the rest is uniquly me. I do my best and while my kids can be monsters at home they are mostly well behaved when we are out and about.

What are you most looking forward to this Spring/Summer?

I am really looking forward to getting out and planting in the garden though I don't have a green thumb, so wish me luck on that one! I can't wait to explore this area we have moved to better now the snow has melted. I want to go and see Waterton park which is on our doorstep too. And the best thing about summer are the long lazy days by the lakes and rivers....bliss!

Is there anything else you'd like to share with the CPO Community?

I just want to say how grateful I am for CPO. I can still remember my first posts when Canadian life was still but a dream. How could I know how fortunate I would be that a CPO member even met my family at the airport when we landed just to say 'hi'? Can you imagine the impact that had on us? She even brought gift's for us! I am looking forward to once again sharing my home with my extended family and showing them more of the Canada I have come to love.