Holiday Fun

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy, James. He forgets where he puts his book. He's really old. He was the second Canadian to get off Noah's Ark, you know.  I have to look after him. Oh. Wait! Chance lives with us, too. He's a newborn cubby someone left in a basket on our doorstep. He's a wee little thing.

Know what? We cooked chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast. I covered mine in peanut butter and maple syrup. I ate six pancakes. James said, "You must be as hungry as a bear." Now you know why I have to look after him. Of course I'm hungry as a bear. I'm a growing bear cub. I sure hope I grow pockets and thumbs when I grow up. I have a tail but Chance doesn't have one yet. He's too little. He doesn't even have teeth! Chance drinks condensed owls' milk out of a bottle.

After breakfast we washed the dishes and then we played Hide & Seek. Chance thinks if he closes his eyes I can't see him but I can. Know what? I got spiders for Christmas. I scared Chance with them. He makes squawky noises when he's afraid. He thinks they're real spiders. They are real, they're just not alive. I said, "I'm sorry, Chance. I didn't mean to scare you, my son." Maybe I just wanted to scare him a little bit. Good think I don't have to sit on the Time Out Chair. I don't like the Time Out Chair. When I'm there I have to think about what I did. I hate thinking. It's hard work.

Okay. We're gonna go play Hide & Seek some more. This is me, Charles the Bear Cub saying, "Have fun today! Be good citizens. Don't scare anyone with plastic spiders. If you're not on your best behaviour you might have to sit in the Time Out Chair. Over and out!"

Piggy Back Riding

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy,  James. He forgets where he puts his sox. He's old. He was the second Canadian to get off Noah's Ark.   I have to look after him. Oh. Wait! Chance lives with us, too. He's a newborn cubby someone left in a basket on our doorstep. He's a wee little thing.

Know what? This is our buddy, Peter. He drives a big bus for Transit Windsor. When I grow up I could be a bus driver, you know. When Peter comes to visit we like to play Piggy Back. He carries us around on his shoulders. When I'm way up here, I'm really tall! I can see everything! I holler, "Who's the tallest bear cub?" That's me, Charles. Then it's Chance's turn to ride Piggy Back. Chance makes little squeaky noises 'cuz he's happy. I holler, "Who's the tallest bear cub?" It's Chance. I sure hope you have a friend who can take you Piggy Back and make you tall.

James is making mushroom soup for lunch. I l-o-v-e mushroom soup. I put crackers in it and I eat it all up. It sure smells good in the kitchen. We'd better go and eat lunch. Oh, wait. We say grace, first. Grace means 'thank you.' That's 'cuz we're thankful for mushroom soup with crackers. Know what? We're thankful for good buddies like Peter and James, too. Okay, this is me, Charles the Bear Cub saying, "Be tall and eat all your mushroom soup! Over and out!"

Christmas Toques

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy,  James. He forgets where he puts his shoes. He's really old. He was the second Canadian to get off Noah's Ark. He must be at least 20 years old.  I have to look after him. Oh. Wait! Chance lives with us, too. He's a newborn cubby someone left in a basket on our doorstep. He's a wee little thing.

Know what? We get to wear our Christmas toques when we play! We play Santa Tag. I holler, "Ho! Ho! Ho!" and chase Chance around the coffee table and the Canadian Tire Christmas spruce. Chance makes little squeaky noises. That means he's having fun. Sometimes his toque falls down over his face. Then he can't see. Chance thinks he's invisible but he's not. "Look out, my son! I can see you!" I shout and chase him around the chesterfield. I holler, "I'm gonna get you!" When we're tired of playing Santa Tag we sit on  James' lap in the big green chair and he tells us stories about the olden days and sings songs until we all fall asleep.

When we wake up we get to cook cocoa. We cook it on the stove. I l-o-v-e cocoa. It's yummy and sweet. That's two of the four food groups in the Canada Food Guide. James tucks us into bed after our prayers. He kisses our noses and whispers, "Good night my Sons of Windsor. Good night my Princes of Ontario." This is Charles the very sleepy bear cub saying, "Sleep tight. Don't let the bedbugs bite. Over and out!"

Gingerbread Beings

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy,  James. He forgets things. He put Jell-O in the oven! He's really old. He was the second Canadian to get off Noah's Ark!   I have to look after him. Oh. Wait! Chance lives with us, too. He's a newborn cubby someone left in a basket on our doorstep. He's a wee little thing.

Know what? We get to help James make gingerbread beings today. Chance and me get to stir. I'm the MiniSTIR of Cookies. Chance is the Deputy MiniSTIR. I l-o-v-e to help cook. I know how to cook toast. Here is the recipe.

There is an art of knowing when,
Never try to guess.
Toast your toast until it burns,
And twenty seconds less.
THE END

When we take the gingerbread beings out of the oven we can decorate them with icing. I get to lick the spoon. Chance will try to eat some icing but he really only drinks condensed owls' milk. We're going to give gingerbread beings to our friends and neighbours 'cuz it's Christmas time.

James is hollering, "Who's a handsome bear cub? Who is a Son of Windsor? Who's a Prince of Ontario?" That's me and Chance. We're gonna find him and let him tickle our ears and make us laugh right out loud. This is Charles the Bear Cub saying, "Be good citizens! Make gingerbread beings and share them with your friends and neighbours. Over and out!

Boxing Day

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy, James. He forgets where he put his teeth! He's really old. I have all my teeth, you know. James was the second Canadian to get off Noah's Ark!  I have to look after him. Oh. Wait! Chance lives with us, too. He's a newborn cubby someone left in a basket on our doorstep. He's a wee little thing.

These are some pix of us with our buddies Doreen and Rob and Debbie. We had Christmas dinner with them.  I'm staying far away from that bowl full of brocollis. Can you see them? Brocollis taste yucky. They smell yucky, too. Yucky is one of the four food groups in the Canada Food Guide, you know.

Know what? Yesterday was Boxing Day. That's the day we give a present to someone we forgot. This year I'm giving everyone big bear hugs. I like them. Hugs are nice. We should be able to eat hugs. They'd be sweet and that's one of the four food groups in the Canada Food Guide. There are brocollis in the fridge. They're nasty. I hate them. I sure hope we don't have to eat them. I ate one on Christmas Day. I had to hold my nose and swallow real fast. I was very brave.

I'm gonna go play with Chance. We got fire trucks and helmets as presents. This me, Charles, saying "over and out! Oh! Wait! Know what? There are only 364 days until Christmas!

Merry Christmas is Here!

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy, James. He forgets which house we live in. He's really old. I think he must be 20. He was the second Canadian to get off Noah's Ark.  I have to look after him. Oh. Wait! Chance lives with us, too. He's a newborn cubby someone left in a basket on our doorstep. He's a wee little thing.

Know what? When Chance and me woke up yesterday morning it was Merry Christmas! Santa and Merry Christmas and Frosty the Snow Person and Rudolph the Nasally Challenged Reindeer and Mary and Joseph and the Baby Jesus and the flock of shepherds and the the wise guys who followed the OnStar, they were all here and left us presents.

James made us porridge with red and green Christmas-coloured gummy worms. Then we opened our presents. Chance got a space ray gun so he can hunt lions with me! We got green scarves from Auntie SusanJ. We got Smarties and licorice, too. I l-o-v-e Smarties and licorice. They're yummy and that's one of the four food groups in the Canada Food Guide, you know. I got a fire truck and a red helmet. Chance got one, too. James opened our presents to him. We got him  light bulbs and Crazy Glue. We saved up our allowance so we could surprise him. He was sure surprised! He hugged us and kissed our noses and tickled our ears. He said, "You're the best. I love you my Sons of Windsor. I love you, my Princes of Ontario."

Then we went to Rob and Debbie's house. We ate all kinds of good food. Know what? I know a new food. I like devilled eggs. I like them a lot! We had brocollis. I hate brocollis. They're nasty but I was a good cub and ate one. Sure hope Santa saw me do that. We met new friends. We played with Star. She's a puppy. We played with Buffy, too. She's a cat. We played Hide & Seek.

We fell asleep and when we woke up were home and tucked into bed.

Today is Boxing Day. We're going to take some cans of food to the food bank. That's helping others and that makes us good citizens. Good citizens get to eat wallermelons and drink root beer.

This is Chance's first Christmas with us. He likes Christmas. He makes squeaky noises 'cuz he's happy. This is me, Charles the Bear Cub saying, "Merry, merry Christmas! Happy Boxing Day! Happy New Year! Over and out!"

Christmas Eve, the Time Out Chair and the Lympic Torch

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy, James. He forgets where he puts his keys. He's really old, too. He was the second Canadian to get off Noah's Ark. I have to look after him. Oh. Wait! Chance lives with us, too. He's a newborn cubby someone left in a basket on our doorstep. He's a wee little thing.

Know what? I'm not supposed to have anything to drink when I'm on the computer. It's a rule. I'm only supposed to drink out of my sippy cup with Spiderman on it. That's another rule. I forgot. I spilled my apple juice all over the computer. It wouldn't work anymore. I had to sit on the Time Out Chair and think about what I did. I don't like to think. It's hard work! I feel bad and I'm sorry. What if Santa takes me off his list? Oh! No! James sat me on his lap. We had a little talk. I promised to be remember better. He tickled my ears and my tummy and made me laugh right out loud. He kissed my nose.  James forgave me. I'm glad. He's a pretty good buddy.

Know what else? We saw the Lympic Torch. It came right past our house! It's big! The Lympic Torch is going to Sarnia next and then to London. We go to London on the train. I love VIA Rail. The Lympic Torch is going to Vancouver for the Lympic Games. We could go there and the train would take us.

Chance and me put another sticker on the calendar. When we wake up tomorrow it will be Christmas! I can hardly wait! This is Charles the Bear Cub saying, "Merry Christmas, everybody! Merry, merry Christmas! Over and out!"

Merry Christmas is a Real Person!

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy, James. He forgets which house we live in. He's really old. He was the second Canadian to get off Noah's Ark. I have to look after him. Oh. Wait! Chance lives with us, too. He's a newborn cubby someone left in a basket on our doorstep. He's a wee little thing.

Know what? Last night I had a dream about Merry Christmas. She is a very pretty lady and she wears a red dress and a red coat. She  took Chance and me to visit her Christmas House. We rode in a one-horse open sleigh. Merry Christmas lives in a real big house. She lives with Santa and Frosty the Snow Person and Rudolph the Nasally Challenged Reindeer. We all sat under the Christmas tree. Merry Christmas gave us licorice and Smarties. We sang a song for her. Well, I sang a song. Chance doesn't sing. He doesn't even talk yet, he's so little. He made squeaky noises 'cuz he was happy.

We love you Merry Christmas
We love you Merry Christmas
We love you Merry Christmas
Have a Happy New Year!

That was our song. Merry Christmas clapped her hands and tickled our ears. She kissed our noses and told us to be good cubs and to be kind to everyone. We fell asleep under the tree.

When we woke up. We put another sticker on the calendar, today. Know what? It's only three more days before Santa and Merry Christmas come to our house!

This is Charles the Bear Cub saying, "Merry Christmas, everybody! Over and out!"

Our Yule Log

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy,  James. He  forgets where he put his hat. He's really old. I think he must be at least 20. He was the second Canadian to get off Noah's Ark.  I have to look after him. Oh. Wait! Chance lives with us, too. He's a newborn cubby someone left in a basket on our doorstep. He's a wee little thing.

Know what? Today is the shortest day of the year. We get nine hours and five minutes of sunshine. We got a Yule Log. We will watch it burn all day. It will be on TV cuz it's a DVD. James says this is better than a real log. There's nothing to clean up afterward. Tomorrow the sun will stay longer than today. Oh! Wait! We get to eat Yule log cake. It's chocolate inside and out. It will still be chocolate when it's in my tummy, too. I think we should have Yule every day.

We put another sticker on the calendar, today. Know what? It's only four more days before Santa and Merry Christmas come to our house!

This is Charles the Bear Cub saying, "Happy Yule, everybody! Over and out!"

The Christmas Story

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy, James. He is very forgetful. He is really old, too. He was the second Canadian to get off Noah's Ark. He must be 20 years old! I have to look after him. Oh. Wait! Chance lives with us, too. He's a newborn cubby someone left in a basket on our doorstep. He's a wee little thing.

Know what? This is us with Wes. He is the big boss at the Dominion House. That's across the street from our house. Wes is nice. He knows how to make deep-fried dill pickles. They're yummy and that's one of the four food groups in the Canada Food Guide. Wes has a Christmas tree. They have good food to eat at the DH.

Look at Chance! He thinks his Santa hat is a sleeping bag!

I'm telling Chance the Christmas Story. Hark! Once upon a midnight clear Mary and Joseph have to go Ottawa and pay taxes. When they get there they couldn't find a TraveLodge so they sleep in a barn. Then Mary had a newborn baby. His name is Baby Jesus. Newborns don't have any teeth, you know. A flock of shepherds come to see the newborn king. Then the three wise guys followed the OnStar right to the barn. They have three birthday presents. They bring gold and frankysence and Mir. I don't know why they brought gold. They can't go shopping cuz all the stores are closed on Christmas Day, you know.  James says frankysence smells good. I know what Mir is. It's dish soap. We get it at Westside Foods. It's in aisle four.

When Jesus grows up he will die on an old rugged cross and save us all from Satan's power, comfort and joy. One day he'll come and get us and take us to his house. Jesus lives in Heaven. Special Ed James says we can't go there on VIA Rail. We will fly. Then we will have Christmas at his house! I hope Jesus will make gingerbread being with us. That is the end of the Christmas story.

Chance is asleep. I'm sleepy.

We put another sticker on the calendar, today. Know what? It's only five more days before Santa and Merry Christmas come to our house!

This is Charles the Bear Cub saying, "Good-bye for now! Pay your taxes so you don't have to go to Ottawa and sleep in a barn. Be good citizens! Over and out!"

Riding in the Ambulance

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy,  James. He is very forgetful and old. He was the second Canadian to get off Noah's Ark.   I have to look after him. Oh. Wait! Chance lives with us, too. He's a newborn cubby someone left in a basket on our doorstep. He's a wee little thing.

Know what? We got to ride in an ambulance! James was sick. He couldn't talk.  I called 911. That's a good number to know. An ambulance come to our house. I know what an ambulance is. It's a truck for sick people. The nice paramedics put him on a stretcher and took him to hospital. Chance and me went, too. The siren is really loud!

Hospital is a busy place with doctors and nurses and lots of other good citizens who help. I could work in a hospital. I'd be Dr. Charles. I know how to put the steadyscope on my ears and tell people to take a deep breath. All the good citizens helped James feel better and then we all went home.

We get to put another sticker on the calendar, today. Know what? It's only six days before Santa and Merry Christmas come to our house!

This is Charles the Bear Cub saying, "Good-bye for now! Be good citizens! Don't get sick, okay? Over and out!"

Merry Christmas is Everywhere!

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy, James. He forgets where he put the peanut butter. He's really forgetful and old, too. He must be 20! H was the second Canadian to get off Noah's Ark.  I have to look after him. Oh. Wait! Chance lives with us, too. He's a newborn cubby someone left in a basket on our doorstep. He's a wee little thing.

Know what? Merry Christmas is everywhere! Chance and me went to the Dominion House for lunch. It's really old.  James says it is 134 years old. That's way older then me. I'm five, you know. The DH has a Christmas tree with presents under it!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominion_House

We put on our best company manners and were on our best behaviour 'cuz we got to eat lunch with our buddy, Chris. Chris is smart. He writes stuff about Paula Ticks. I don't know who she is exactly but Chris is a good citizen and he writes a lot about her at http://chrisschnurr.wordpress.com/

Chance tried to order some food but he doesn't have any teeth, yet. He drinks condensed owls' milk out of a bottle. I'm too big to drink out of a bottle. I have a sippy cup with Spiderman on it. I ate deep-fried pickles. They're yummy and yummy is one of the four food groups in the Canada Food Guide. I wanted gummy worms for dessert but Wes, the owner, says "Sorry my son, We're fresh out of gummy worms."

We get to put another sticker on the calendar, today. Know what? It's only eight days before Santa and Merry Christmas come to our house! I hope they bring Frosty the Snow Person and Rudolph the Nasally Challenged Reindeer with them. Oh! Wait! We're gonna have more visitors! The baby Jesus is coming, with a flock of shepherds and the three wise guys!

Chris tickled our ears and kissed our noses. He made us laugh right out loud. Chance doesn't really laugh but he made lots of squeaky sounds. That means he's happy. I like to laugh, don't you?

This is Charles the Bear Cub saying, "Good-bye for now! Be good citizens! Eat all your deep-fried pickles! Starving children in Belgium would be glad to eat them. Be extra good, 'cuz Santa is watching us on Anik satellite! Over and out!"

Our Christmas Tree

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy, James. He was the second Canadian to get off Noah's Ark! He must be really old. I have to look after him. Oh. Wait! Chance lives with us, too. He's a newborn cubby someone left in a basket on our doorstep. He's a wee little thing.

Know what? We got a Christmas tree. It's different from a family tree. We hang relatives on the family tree. We hang lights and tinsel and pretty decorations on a Christmas tree. Our tree is 60 centimetres tall. James says it is a genuine Canadian Tire spruce. Chance thinks he's helping but he thinks the balls are to play with. I show him how to hang them on the branches. Look at him! Chance climbs right into the tree! He makes little squeaky noises 'cuz he's happy. "My son! You're not a decoration! Come down here and help me."

I hear James hollering, "Ho! Ho! Ho! Where's my handsome bear cubs? Who wants some gingerbread beings?? That's me! I'm a handsome bear cub! Chance is a handsome bear cub, too! We l-o-v-e gingerbread beings. They're yummy! We helped make them, too.

We're gonna put another sticker on the calendar. It's only nine days before Santa and Merry Christmas come to our house! The baby Jesus is coming, too! This is Charles the Bear Cub saying, "Good-bye for now! Be good citizens! Eat gingerbread persons! Be extra good, 'cuz Santa is watching us on Anik Satellite! Over and out!"

Porridge with Gummy Worms

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy, Special Ed James. He rides to school on a short bus, so I have to look after him. Oh. Wait! Chance lives with us, too. He's a newborn cubby someone left in a basket on our doorstep. He's a wee little thing.

I l-o-v-e breakfast. That's 'cuz I get to eat porridge with gummy worms. Sometimes I eat Red River Cereal or Cream of Wheat. They're yummy too, and that's one of the four food groups in the Canada Food Guide. Chance climbed up here on the table. He wants to eat some of my breakfast but he can't 'cuz he's too little. He doesn't have any teeth. Know what? He doesn't even have a tail, yet! Chance drinks out of a bottle. He drinks condensed owls' milk. Chance bangs the spoon in the bowl and gets us all sticky. Then we need a bath! I l-o-v-e bath time. It's fun. We got bathtub toys to play with. Oh! Wait! We got purple bubble bath soap, too.


I hear Special Ed James hollering, "Ho! Ho! Ho! Where's my handsome bear cubs? Who needs a bath?" That's me! I'm a handsome bear cub! Chance is a handsome bear cub, too!

We're gonna put another sticker on the calendar. It's only 10 days before Santa and Merry Christmas come to our house! I hope they bring their friends Frosty the Snow being and Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer! This is Charles the Bear Cub saying, "Good-bye for now! Be good citizens! Eat porridge! Be extra good, 'cuz Santa is watching us on Anik Satellite! Over and out!"

Chance Takes a Bath

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy, Special Ed James. He rides to school on a short bus, so I have to look after him. Oh. Wait! Chance lives with us, too. He's a newborn cubby someone left in a basket on our doorstep. He's a wee little thing.

Chance climbed into the kitchen sink. He wants his bath. He wants me to get in with him. I used to get my bath in the sink when I was a wee little cubby but now I'm too big! That's 'cuz I'm five. I'm a growing bear cub. Bear cubs need to eat lots of good foods to be strong and healthy. I know the four food groups in the Canada Food Guide. There is yummy, sticky, sweet and nasty. I don't like broccolis. They're nasty. I hate sauerkrauts, too.

Know what? I like porridge with gummy worms in it. That's yummy! Chance doesn't have any teeth. He drinks out of a bottle. I don't. I have a sippy cup with Spiderman on it.
When I grow up I want to be a superhero. I know! could be Bathman!


It's fun to help Chance take a bath. I hear Special Ed James hollering, "Ho! Ho! Ho! Where's my handsome bear cubs? Who needs a bath?" That's me! I'm a handsome bear cub! Chance is a handsome bear cub, too!

We're gonna put another sticker on the calendar. It's only 11 days before Santa and Merry Christmas come to our house! This is Charles the Bear Cub saying, "Good-bye for now! Be good citizens and take a bath! Over and out!"

100 Elephants

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy,  James. He forgets things. He's really old. He was the second Canadian to get off Noah's Ark.   I have to look after him. Oh. Wait! Chance lives with us, too. He's a newborn cubby someone left in a basket on our doorstep. He's a wee little thing.

Look at us! We're playing Hide & Seek. Chance is "it." He has to hide his eyes and count to 100 but he's too little. I count for him. One elephant, two elephants, three elephants. I can count to 100 elephants you know. I'm five, now.

I'm gonna hide someplace Chance won't ever think of. I'm not sure where but I will. I know! I'll hide behind him! Know what? Chance thinks if he closes his eyes he's invisible but he's not.

James and me are Internet Poem Stars. We know a poem about elephants.

Once there was an elephant,
Who tried to use the telephant -
No! No! I mean an elephone
Who tried to use the telephone -
(Dear me! I am not certain quite
That even now I've got it right.)

Howe'er it was, he got his trunk
Entangled in the telephunk;
The more he tried to get it free,
The louder buzzed the telephee -
(I fear I'd better drop the song
Of elephop and telephong!)

-- Laura E. Richards

I wish I had an elephant friend. We'd have lots of fun! I wonder what elephants get for Christmas. I'll ask  James. I can hear him hollering, "Ho! Ho! Ho! Where's my handsome bear cubs? Where are the sons of Windsor? Where are the Princes of Ontario?" That's me! I'm a handsome bear cub! I'm a Son of Windsor. I'm a Prince of Ontario. Chance is, too! We're gonna put another sticker on the calendar. It's only 12 days before Santa and Merry Christmas come to our house! This is Charles the Bear Cub saying, "Good-bye for now! Be good citizens! Count 100 elephants! Over and out!"

Chance & the Table Saw

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy,  James. He forgets things. That's because he's old. He says he's older than dirt. That's really old! He must be 20! I have to look after him. Oh. Wait! Chance lives with us, too. He's a newborn cubby someone left in a basket on our doorstep. He's a wee little thing.

Oh! My goodness! Chance climbed up onto the table saw! He doesn't know it can hurt him. "Come down from there right now, my son!" The saw is sharp it could cut Chance in half. That would be awful! Chance is lucky I spotted him and pulled him down before I had two half brothers. That is a pun. I'm five. I know what puns are.

Know what? Every day we put a sticker on the calendar. It's only 13 days until Merry Christmas comes to our house. Chance and me are getting ready. We had a present for Merry Christmas and Santa, too. We made them gingerbread beings but we ate them all up. Now we need to make some more. My job is to stir. James says I'm the MiniSTIR of Cookies. I could be an MP in Ottawa, you know. Oh! I get to lick the spoon, too.

Did you hear that? I hear James hollering, "Ho! Ho! Ho! Where's my handsome bear cubs? Where are you my Sons of Windsor? Where are you my Princes of Ontario?" That's me! I'm a handsome bear cub! I'm a son of Windsor. I'm a Prince of Ontario.  Chance is, too! This is Charles the Bear Cub saying, "Be good citizens! Santa and Merry Christmas are gonna find out if we're naughty or nice. They watch all of us from Anik Satellite. Good-bye for now! Over and out!"

I'm Gonna Get You!

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy, James. He is forgetful. He forgot what bus takes us home! He's really old, you know. He says he remembers the invention of Saran Wrap! He must be 20 years old!   I have to look after him. Oh. Wait! Chance lives with us, too. He's a newborn cubby someone left in a basket on our doorstep. He's a wee little thing.

Know what? We're playing "I'm Gonna Get You!" It's a fun game. I'm sneak up on Chance from behind. When I catch him I holler, "I'm gonna get you!" Then I tickle his ears and his tummy. Chance makes little squeaky noises when he's happy. Chance thinks that if he closes his eyes he's invisible. He can't see anything with his eyes closed but I can see him. He's not invisible!

Merry Christmas is coming to our house. We can hardly wait. We got a present for Merry Christmas and Santa, too. We made them gingerbread beings. I wanted to make cookies for the baby Jesus but then I remembered he's a newborn and doesn't have any teeth, yet. James says the baby Jesus would rather have a hug than cookies. I can do that. I will give him my biggest, bestest bear hug!

Did you hear that? I hear  James hollering, "Ho! Ho! Ho! Where's my handsome bear cubs? Where are you Sons of Windsor, you Princes of Ontario?" That's me! I'm a handsome bear cub! I'm a Son of Windsor. I'm a Prince of Ontario. Chance is, too! We get our ears tickled and get hugs and we get kisses on the nose. We're going to Story Hour at the Sandwich Library. We get to hear the story of Frosty the Snowman and his friend Rudolph. Rudolph is a reindeer. He has a red nose. James says he is nasally challenged. My nose is black. I'd look funny with a red nose, wouldn't you? This is Charles the Bear Cub saying, "Come over to our house and you can go to the library with us. Okay! "Be good citizens! Santa is watching all of us from Anik Satellite. Good-bye for now! Over and out!"

Looking for Chance

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy, James. He is old and forgetful. He says he was the second Canadian to get off Noah's Ark.   I have to look after him. Oh. Wait! Chance lives with us, too. He's a newborn cubby someone left in a basket on our doorstep. He's a wee little thing.

Know what? Chance and me are playing Hide & Seek. I hide my eyes and count to a hundred like this: one elephant, two elephant, three elephant all the way up to 100 elephants. It is Chance's turn to hide. Most of the time He's easy to find cuz he doesn't know how to hide very well. Today I couldn't find him at all. Then James told me to look on the kitchen counter. Chance is hiding in the slow cooker! It took me a long time to find him. I was surprised. I said, "My son! How did you get in the slow cooker?" He can't talk but he makes little squeaky noises. That means he's happy. Chance may be a wee little cubby but he's pretty smart. Maybe he had some help.

We're gonna make Christmas cookies today. I get to stir.  James says I'm the MiniSTIR of Cookies. Chance is the Deputy MiniSTIR of cookies. Oh. Wait! I get to lick the spoon, too. When we take them out of the oven we will give Christmas cookies to our friends and neighbours. We will give some to Santa and to Merry Christmas, too!

Did you hear that? I hear  James hollering, "Ho! Ho! Ho! Where's my handsome bear cubs? Come here you Sons of Windsor! Come here, you Princes of Ontario!" That's me! I'm a handsome bear cub! I'm a son of Windsor. I'm a prince of Ontario. Chance is, too!

Okay! We gotta go. We'll get our ears tickled and get hugs and kisses on the nose. We're gonna sing Christmas songs and make cookies. I sure hope we can make licorice cookies and wallermelon cookies! This is Charles the Bear Cub saying, "Come over to our house and you can make Christmas cookies with us. Okay! I'm saying, "Be good citizens! Santa is watching all of us from Anik Satellite. Good-bye for now! Over and out!"

Sitting in the Time Out Chair

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy,  James. He forgets lots of things. That's cuz he's really old. He says he's older than dirt. Wow! He must be 20! That's really old.  I have to look after him. Oh. Wait! Chance lives with us, too. He's a newborn cubby someone left in a basket on our doorstep. He's a wee little thing.

Know what? I'm sitting on the Time Out Chair. That's because we ate peanut butter and crackers in bed. I l-o-v-e peanut butter and crackers. They're yummy and yummy is one of the four food groups in the Canada Food Guide. We're not supposed to eat crackers in bed.  James says I didn't obey the rule. Chance had to have a bubble bath cuz he got all sticky. The bed had to be changed. Now I have to sit here and think about what I did. I don't like to sit here. I don't like to think. Chance should sit here too but James says Chance doesn't know any better and I do. I have to be a good example. That's not fair. I have to sit here for five minutes cuz I'm five, you know.


James sits in the chair and puts me on his lap. He says, "Okay, Charles. Five minutes is up. What did you think about?" I tell him I'm sorry and I won't eat peanut butter and crackers in bed any more. He gives me a big bear hug and tickles my ears. "Oh, Charles, you're a real handful." He kisses my nose and says, "Be a good citizen and go play." I want to be a good citizen. Good citizens get wallermelon and root beer and oh! wait! We get presents from Santa and Merry Christmas if we're on our best behaviour. Okay! I gotta go. This is Charles the Bear Cub saying, "Be good citizens. Don't eat peanut butter and crackers in bed! Over and out!"

Crackers and Peanut Butter

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy,  James. He forgets lots of things. He says that's 'cuz he's old. He remembers the invention of time. That's a long time ago! He must be 20!   I have to look after him. Oh. Wait! Chance lives with us, too. He's a newborn cubby someone left in a basket on our doorstep. He's a wee little thing.

Know what? We got peanut butter and crackers. I l-o-v-e peanut butter and crackers. They're yummy and yummy is one of the four food groups in the Canada Food Guide. We're eating crackers in bed. We're not supposed to eat in bed unless we're sick. Chance doesn't really eat. He's too little. He has to grow some teeth. Chance drinks condensed owls' milk out of his bottle. I'm five, you know. I'm too big for a bottle. I have a sippy cup with Spiderman on it. Crackers and peanut butter taste better in bed.


Oh. Wait! I hear James! He's hollering, "Where's my handsome bear cubs? Where are you, Sons of Windsor, my Princes of Ontario?  Oh! My! Who's eating crackers and peanut butter in bed? I'm gonna get you! Oh! No! We might be in trouble! This is me, Charles the Bear Cub saying, "Be good citizens. Eat crackers and peanut butter in the kitchen. Bye for now!"

Tanner and Chance Play Piggy Back

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy,  James. He's old and forgetful. Sometimes he wears sox that are two different colours. I have to look after him. Oh. Wait! Chance lives with us, too. He's a newborn cubby someone left in a basket on our doorstep. He's a wee little thing.

This is Chance and Tanner. Tanner was my firstest, bestest friend. He was a big 'ole yeller dog who lived with his friend Cassidy the bunny rabbit. Tanner got real sick with cancer. He died yesterday. He was five, just like me. He was my very bestest friend.

I'm gonna miss Tanner a whole lot. Know what? Cancer is not our friend. Cancer is even meaner than hornets! I remember when  James got cancer inside his head. He was real sick too, but he didn't die. I'm glad he's still here. I love all my friends and buddies. I don't like death. Death is mean.

Now that Tanner is gone it's my job to take Chance piggyback riding. I can do that! It's fun. Chance can't talk but he makes little squeaky noises when he's happy. I have to watch out when he makes squawky noises. That means he's hungry or he made poo in his diaper. That's yucky.

This is me, Charles the bear cub...Oh! Wait! When I take Chance piggyback riding, am I a pig? If I'm a pig will I get swine flu? I gotta go ask James! "Over and out!"

Saying 'Good-bye' to Tanner

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy,  James. He is forgetful and old. He goes outside without his shoes, sometimes.   I have to look after him. Oh. Wait! Chance lives with us, too. He's a newborn cubby someone left in a basket on our doorstep. He's a wee little thing.

This is Chance and me with Tanner. He's a big 'ole yeller dog who lives with his friend Cassidy the bunny rabbit. They live with their buddies Jay and Shaun. Tanner is five, just like me. He's my very bestest friend.

Tanner was really sick. He went to sleep yesterday and stopped breathing. His life is finished. Grownups call it death.

Know what? I don't like death very much. Death is mean. It makes me hurt really bad inside. I wanted Tanner to get well and he couldn't. I cried. Chance cried.  James scooped us up on his lap for big hugs. We all rocked in the big rocking chair and cried together. We used up a whole box of tissues.

James says Tanner is at rest and the cancer can't hurt him anymore. I'm glad for that 'cuz he was real sick. I'm going to miss Tanner a lot. We can't play together but  James says as long as I live I will always remember the fun Tanner and me had digging holes or climbing maple trees, eating Smarties, marching proud down the avenue in our rainbow colours or racing our bikes up and down Sandwich Street. I will tell new friends and buddies about Tanner.

When spring comes we're gonna plant some flowers in his honour. Tanner would like that. Know what? I'm gonna plant a box of Smarties for him, too.

This is me, Charles the very saddest bear cub on Sparkle Road. Tanner will always be my first bestest friend. Good-bye, Tanner. I'm glad you were my friend. I won't ever forget you, honest!

Nap Time with Tanner

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy,  James. He's old and forgetful. Sometimes he puts dirty dishes in the fridge! I have to look after him. Oh. Wait! Chance lives with us, too. He's a newborn cubby someone left in a basket on our doorstep. He's a wee little thing.

Know what? We're playing with my friend Tanner. He's a big 'ole yeller dog who lives with his friend Cassidy the bunny rabbit. They live with their buddies Jay and Shaun. Tanner is five, just like me. He's my very bestest friend.

Tanner is sick. He gets tired real fast, so we take naps together. He has to lay down a lot. Know what? We don't have to do anything to have fun. It's fun to be together, even if we're not digging holes or climbing maple trees or racing our bikes up and down Sandwich Street. Taking a nap is just as much fun. I'm glad Tanner is my friend.

Talk to you when we wake up. Tanner will feel better when we wake up. We're having peanut butter and licorice sandwiches later. They're yummy and yummy is one of the four food groups in the Canada Food Guide.

This is me, Charles the Bear Cub saying, "Take a nap and you'll feel better. Over and out!"

Playing with Tanner

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy, Special Ed James. He rides to school on a short bus, so I have to look after him. Oh. Wait! Chance lives with us, too. He's a newborn cubby someone left in a basket on our doorstep. He's a wee little thing.

Know what? I'm playing with my friend Tanner. He's a big 'ole yeller dog who lives with his friend Cassidy the bunny rabbit. They live with their buddies Jay and Shaun. We play games like Roll Over. We play Hide & Seek, too. Tanner is five, just like me. He's my very bestest friend.

Tanner is sick. He takes lots of meds. He has to lay down a lot. He has trouble breathing sometimes. Special Ed James says Tanner has cancer and he can't get well. That makes me sad. I want Tanner to feel good so we can dig holes in the back yard. I know! We can play Doctor and I will give Tanner Smarties to eat. Then he will get well and we can play! That's helping! Okay! I'm gonna get Special Ed James and Chance. We can go to Mac's Milk right now and get some Smarties! We'll get a really big box!

This is me, Charles the Bear Cub saying, "Help your friends. That's what good citizens do. Over and out!"

Rock Band

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy,  James. He is old and forgetful. I have to look after him. Oh. Wait! Chance lives with us, too. He's a newborn cubby someone left in a basket on our doorstep. He's a wee little thing.

Know what? We're rock stars. We got our own band. Pots and wooden spoons make good instruments. I sing songs and Chance makes squeaky noises. We know lots of songs like Sally Go 'Round the Sun, The Prune Song, The Smarties Song and the Army Song Oh! Wait! We can sing it for you!

They say that in the army
The food is mighty fine
A pea rolled off the table
And killed a friend of mine.

Oh I don't want no more of army life
Gee Ma, I want to go
Back to Ontario
Gee Ma, I want to go home.

They say that in the Army
The Jeeps are mighty fine
They go around the corner
And leave the wheels behind.


Oh I don't want no more of Army life
Gee Ma, I want to go
Back to Ontario
Gee Ma, I want to go home.


Did you hear that? It'sJames. He's hollering, "Attention all handsome bear cubs! Attention all Sons of Windsor! Attention you Princes of Ontario!  Roll call!" He means us, Charles and Chance. We're gonna go find him and let him tickle our ears and kiss our noses. James gives the bestest hugs. Know what? We're having Red River Cereal for breakfast. I l-o-v-e Red River Cereal, 'specially with gummy worms in it.

This is me, Charles the Bear Cub saying, "Eat a good breakfast so you can be good citizens all day long. Eat all of it. Starving children in Belgium would love to have Red River Cereal!  Over and out!"

Writing to Santa

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy,  James. He is old and forgetful. This morning he put his shirt on wrong-side-out!   I have to look after him. Oh. Wait! Chance lives with us, too. He's a newborn cubby someone left in a basket on our doorstep. He's a wee little thing.

Know what? I'm being a very good citizen. That's 'cuz Santa is watching me. He brings toys to good bear cubs. Santa watches us from the Anik satellite. I'm writing a letter to Santa. I want Smarties and I want a green scarf. Oh! Wait! I want a red fire truck for Chance so we can play with it in the bathtub and make siren noises. Chance needs a green scarf and a space ray gun, too. Then we can go lion hunting together. Should we ask Santa for a lion? I'm gonna fax this to Merry Christmas and to the baby Jesus and the shepherds and the three wise guys, and oh! I'll fax it to my Member of Parliament, too.

I know where Santa lives. He lives at the North Pole. That's pretty far from here. He lives with Rudolph the Nasally-challenged Reindeer, and elves and Merry Christmas. I know Santa's Postal Code. It's HOH OHO. Oh, wait. I want snow for Merry Christmas and peanut butter. If it's okay Santa, can you bring us a lion? Not a real big one, though. If you can't bring a lion, could you bring us a wallermelon?

Did you hear that? It's James. He's hollering, "Ho! Ho! Ho! Where's my handsome bear cubs? Where are the Sons of Windsor and the Princes of Ontario?" That us, Charles and Chance. We're gonna go find him and let him tickle our ears and kiss our noses. He gives the bestest hugs.

This is me, Charles the Bear Cub saying, "Get ready, good citizens! Be on your best behaviour. Keep your hands in your pockets at Zeller's! Merry Christmas is coming! Santa is coming, too."

Merry Christmas is Coming to Our House

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy,  James. He is old and forgetful.   I have to look after him. Oh. Wait! Chance lives with us, too. He's a newborn cubby someone left in a basket on our doorstep. He's a wee little thing.

Know what? Merry Christmas is coming. I l-o-v-e Merry Christmas. There's the baby Jesus and the flock of shepherds and the three wise guys and Santa and Rudolph the Nasally-challenged Reindeer, Frosty the Snow Person  and the elves. Elves are smart. I know what elves learn in school. They learn the elf-abet! That is a pun. I'm five. I know what puns are.

We got a lot to do to get ready for Merry Christmas. We put a green sticker on the calendar. There are 25 days until Merry Christmas. That's a long time. Know what?  James and me are gonna make gingerbread cookies to put on our tree. We got lights for the tree, too. Chance can help us make cookies. He can stir. He's the Deputy MiniSTIR of Stirrring.  I hope he doesn't fall in the bowl! He would get all sticky. Chance thinks he's helping by sitting in the microwave oven. That's not helping! Come out of there, my son! We sing Merry Christmas songs while we cook. After we make a whole lot of gingerbread persons then Chance and me are gonna climb the sugar maple and holler 'Ho! Ho! Ho!' and 'Merry Christmas!' to everybody walking down the sidewalk. Oh! Wait! What if we see a lion? I know! We'll holler, "Merry Christmas Mr. Lion!"

This is me, Charles the Bear Cub saying, "Merry Christmas, good citizens! Ho! Ho! Ho! Over and out!"

No Bears Out Tonight

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy, James. He is old and forgetful. He was the second Canadian to get off Noah's Ark. He is really old! I bet he's 20!  I have to look after him. Oh. Wait! Chance lives with us, too. He's a newborn cubby someone left in a basket on our doorstep. He's a wee little thing.

We're really sleepy. We brushed our teeth and said our prayers and  James read us our bedtime story. We had a lot of fun today. We had gingerbread pancakes for breakfast with peanut butter and honey on them. I l-o-v-e honey. Chance is too little to eat pancakes. He drinks condensed owls' milk in his bottle. Then we dug holes in the back yard and climbed the sugar maple. It doesn't have any leaves on it, now.  James says the leaves go south for the winter but they'll be back in the spring. I hope so.

When the leaves go away that means Christmas is coming. I l-o-v-e Christmas. We have a Christmas tree. We put presents under it. Our presents are homemade. Know what? I think I am going to make a paw painting of our family for  James. Me, Chance and  James. I will paint with peanut butter. Then he can look at it and eat it, too!

We sang our nighty-night song together. Do you know it?
No bears out tonight.
No bears out tonight.
No bears out tonight.
We've all gone to s-l-e-e-p.
This is me, Charles the Bear Cub saying, "Nighty night, see you in the morning!"

Watching the Fire

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy,James. He is old and forgetful. Today he lost his bus pass. I found it. It was in his pocket!   I have to look after him. Oh. Wait! Chance lives with us, too. He's a newborn cubby someone left in a basket on our doorstep. He's a wee little thing.

We're watching the logs burn. I know why there's glass on the TV screen. It's so the fire won't fall out on the floor. That would be terrible. Fires are very hot and they can burn us. That's why I don't let Chance climb up on the kitchen stove. He could get hurt. I don't want Chance to catch fire. He tries to eat everything. He shouldn't try to eat fire. It's not one of the food groups in the Canada Food Guide.

Oh! Did you hear that?  James is hollering, "Where's my handsome bear cubs? Where are my Sons of Windsor? Where you you Princes of Ontario?" That's us! Charles and Chance! We're gonna run find James so he can kiss our noses and tickle our ears and make us laugh right out loud. We're going to Mary Ann's Bake Shoppe for brownies. I l-o-v-e brownies. Okay. We gotta go. This is me, Charles the Bear Cub saying, "Be good citizens. Stay away from fire! Over and out!"

Chance Forgets

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy,  James. He is old and forgetful.  Today he couldn't find his sox. I found them. They were in his pocket!   I have to look after him. Oh. Wait! Chance lives with us, too. He's a newborn cubby someone left in a basket on our doorstep. He's a wee little thing.

My son! What are you doing in here? Chance is in the fridge, again. I tell him it's not a good place to be but he's such a wee little cub he forgets. I don't forget. I'm five. If the door shuts, he might get very cold. I know how to make a cub into a cube. Add the letter "e"! Chance is hungry. I think he's looking for his bottle. He doesn't have any teeth, yet. He drinks condensed owls' milk, you know. As soon as I get Chance out of the fridge, we can dig holes in the backyard. Yeah. That is fun and it's safe, too.

Oh. Wait! Our neighbours and friends in the Knighted States are eating all kinds of good food today. That's' cuz it's Thanksgiving Day for them. I want pumpkin pie and Smarties and licorice pie, too. Those are good to eat and they're in the Canada Food Guide, too.

Oh! Did you hear that?  James is hollering, "Where's my handsome bear cubs? Where are the Sons of Windsor? What happened to the Princes of Ontario?" That's us! Charles and Chance! We're gonna run find James so he can kiss our noses and tickle our ears and make us laugh right out loud. Okay. We gotta go. This is me, Charles the Bear Cub saying, "Be good citizens. Don't climb into the fridge! Over and out!"

Red River Cereal

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy,  James. He is old and forgetful. I have to look after him. Oh. Wait! Chance lives with us, too. He's a newborn cubby someone left in a basket on our doorstep. He's a wee little thing.

Know what? Sometimes we don't have porridge for breakfast. This morning we got Red River Cereal. I l-o-v-e Red River Cereal. It is yummy and yummy is one of the four food groups in the Canada Food Guide. I like gummy worms in my cereal, don't you? I know something else. Red River Cereal comes from Manitoba. I'm gonna go there one day and eat lots of Red River Cereal.

Oh! Did you hear that?  James is hollering, "Where's my handsome bear cubs? Where are my Sons of Windsor? Where are the Princes of Ontario?" That's us! Charles and Chance! We're gonna run find  James so he can kiss our noses and tickle our ears and make us laugh right out loud. We're going to the park on the river and watch the boats go by. Okay. We gotta go. This is me, Charles the Bear Cub saying, "Be good citizens. Eat your Red River Cereal. Starving children in Belgium would love to eat Red River Cereal. Bon voyage!"

Have Suitcase Will Travel

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy,  James. He is old and forgetful. Sometimes he forgets where he put his teeth!   I have to look after him. Oh. Wait! Chance lives with us, too. He's a newborn cubby someone left in a basket on our doorstep. He's a wee little thing.

Know what? We climb in the suitcase and eat licorice. I tell Chance stories about when I went to like Cub Camp in Quebec. I tell him stories about places we wanna go, like Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. They're far away. I tell him about Florida and Oregon. Florida and Oregon are in the Knighted States. Chance can't eat licorice. He doesn't have any teeth. I let him suck on a licorice stick. He likes pineapple licorice the best. It's fun to go on trips, even if it is just a make-believe trip in a suitcase on the living room floor.


Oh! Did you hear that?  James is hollering, "Where's my handsome bear cubs? Where are the Sons of Windsor? Where are you my Princes of Ontario?" That's us! Charles and Chance! We're gonna run find James so he can kiss our noses and tickle our ears and make us laugh right out loud. It's time for our nap. Chance is already asleep and I'm getting sleepy. Okay. We gotta go nap. This is me, Charles the Bear Cub saying, "Be good citizens. Travel. Bon voyage!"

Our House

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy,  James. He is old and forgetful. He was the second Canadian to get off Noah's Ark. He must be 20 years old! I'm five you know. I have to look after him. Oh. Wait! Chance lives with us, too. He's a newborn cubby someone left in a basket on our doorstep. He's a wee little thing.

Know what? Chance and me are looking at a map. Our house is on the map. I know what maps are. They are drawings. They show where things are, like houses. Our house is on Sparkle Road. That's by Sandwich Street. The park is on the map. It's next to the river. It's a big river. We can lay on our blanket and eat Smarties and watch the big ships sail by. Some of them are Salties and some of them are Lakers. Some of them are full and they ride low in the water. Some of them are empty and they ride high in the water. I want to ride on a ship. I could be a sailor, you know. Sailors make the ship go where it's supposed to.


Oh! Did you hear that? James is hollering, "Where's my handsome bear cubs? Where are the Sons of Windsor and the Princes of Ontario?" That's us! Charles and Chance! We're gonna run find  James so he can kiss our noses and tickle our ears and make us laugh right out loud. Okay. We gotta go. This is me, Charles the Bear Cub saying, "Be good citizens. Learn how to read maps. Ship ahoy! Over and out!"