Chronicles of Po-Ho: A new gig?

So, I got an email from Today's Parent last week, in which it proclaimed that is was "calling all parent bloggers". Hmmm... I think I'm one of them!

I decided to look over the requirement to see how I fit into it. They asked all the applicants to write a blog post on the topic of 'what makes you unique'.

Oh baby, if they want unique, they've come to the right place.

Okay, let's break it down.

What makes you unique? Do you live in Canada and
 have a life story that would appeal to Canadian parents? I want to hear
 from parents in the north and in the towns and small cities outside our
 biggest cities. I want to hear from parents who don’t have the ordinary
 cookie cutter life that we so often see everywhere. What’s different 
about your life? What makes it great?

Alright. I do live in Canada. Port Hope, to be exact. Before this I've live in Ottawa, Toronto, Peterborough and (briefly) Montana. And traveled all over the place.

Small town life, a year into it, is all that we hoped for and more. The disadvantages of leaving the city are completely overshadowed by the fantastic life we've carved out in our small town. We have made great friends, taken on an immense renovation project and created a really healthy environment for our kids.

Let's see. Okay, let's look at the line where the editor writes that she wants to hear from parents "who don't have the ordinary cookie cutter life".

My life includes the following:

A writer husband who travels all the time and works from home the remainder. He writes for a couples magazines, works on books and screenplays on the side, and forgets to shave for months at a time. He's a bit crazy, like all good writers.

Two kids. Charley is 5, loves trains, asks a million questions a day and is autistic. Sam is 3, a computer freak, a burgeoning tyrant and reads like a 7 year old.

A completely insane old house that we're slowly renovating. It looks like a cross between every scary, haunted house you've ever seen. And the reno costs are even more frightening.

A very simple dog, who looks like a bat and a gargoyle had a baby. But more ugly.

A close relationship with my extended family, who all live relatively close-by. I spend as much time with my 93 year old grandmother as I can.

Nothing about my life is cookie cutter. I don't resemble the so-called typical mom, but I don't know many who do. I'm just chugging along, trying to work out the details as I go.

I'm a big fan of the honest parent; the one who will admit that things get tough. I believe in cultivating a group of friends who work as a team to support the others.

I'd rather do stuff than buy stuff. I love libraries, DIY and great food. I've been blogging since 2006, written almost 900 posts and had over 35 000 page views without any promotion. (My previous blog can be accessed from the link on the sidebar).

Today's Parent asked for links my three best blog posts. That's a tough one.

How about the recent one where Charley defines 'irreverence' in the graveyard?

Maybe the one where we took the kids to the train show?

And, what the heck, the one where Sam relents to a haircut.

I mean, it's possible they're not the best ones, but your pretty sure to get a laugh out of at least one of them!

Finally, a couple photos that define my family life. I've got 6479 photos in my 2011 album so far, so I'll cull drastically.