We Are Canadian!

It feels so strange to be living in the USA.

When we lived in Switzerland, it felt, different somehow. We were very obviously not Swiss, and we always lived a bit on the fringe of the culture. We knew it was temporary, we didn't have a complete grasp of the language, and we had a lot of expat friends who also spoke english as their first language. It may have been British english, or American english, but it was english just the same. Our Canadian identity felt intact; it didn't feel threatened in any way while we lived overseas.

Now that we are in the USA, it feels different. Others often don't realize that we aren't American...we are expected to be American. I feel more of a need to hang onto all things Canadian. I wan't people to know that we are Canadian. We are proud of it. As patriotic as Americans are, Canadians are proud people too.

Noah has come home singing 'Three Cheers for the Red, White and Blue'. He is learning the Pledge of Allegiance at school. We have received return address stickers in the mail from charities that have the American flag emblazoned on them. It all makes me just a little bit sad.

Then, not too long after all of these things occured in close succession, I heard Kevin with Noah in his room getting ready for bed. Kevin was singing 'O Canada' to him. :)

I don't want to nulify the fact that we live in the USA now. I am eager to improve my knowledge of American history and geography (I'll skip on the politics though!) and I want my children to learn these things too. I also want them to learn the history and geography of Canada and the world too. It is shocking to me how little Americans, as a whole, know about their Canadian neighbours. I think if we want our children to know about Canada, it is going to be up to us to teach them.

Here is Bekah, giving a nod to our heritage (although she has only lived in Canada for three weeks of her life!).

For now, we will continue on this path we are on.....learning all things American at school, and singing O Canada while in the bathtub at home. :)