Library Rant

After an indoor picnic lunch date with Trevor, I took the kids to the downtown library because we were downtown already and it was raining (not conducive to the park). There was so much I wanted to say to the other mom who was there with her 3 girls. Thus, the rant.
Dear Lazy Lady at the Library,
Taking your kids to the library on a rainy day is a great idea. I love that the library is free, has thousands of cool stories and a plethora of toys to share. However, there is a sign that asks that all children under 10 years old be supervised by an adult. Supervision, my dear, means paying attention to the antics of your children instead of watching YouTube videos on your portable media player. That way, when your oldest daughter forbids a 2-year-old from entering the LEGO castle because he's a boy, you'd be aware of how awkward it is for his Momma. And then, when his Momma tries to reason with your little lady, she is sassed. (Really - who sasses a stranger holding a baby?) Also, when your 3 snooty little girls start taking toys away from the cute little 9 month old sitting so nicely, you should discipline them and not smirk at her Momma as she cries. Lazy lady at the library - you suck!

End of rant - now I feel better!

City Parks Review - 2011

One of the best parts about teaching is that I will always have my summers. One of the best things my kids and I have found to do in the summer is to hit up parks. Here's my review of our more frequented (or less frequented due to a poor review).
Candy Cane Park
A lot has changed here since I was a kid. Gone is the grungy wading pool and unsafe candy canes to climb (who's idea was that?). There is a snazzy new goose but, the slides are a little too steep for my kiddos. Simon LOVES the bus and the slide area. Claire LOVES the baby swings. Both kids can be highly entertained for hours here. This park often requires the use of Claire's Bjorn so that I can chase after Simon. This is by far one of our most favorite park. We're giving it 5 out of 5 stars.

Kinsmen Park
We spend a lot of time at this park because it's a good walk. We also get to go by Auntie Andrea's and visit with her if possible. Simon LOVES the spray pad. We wish it had softer turf (like Rick Hanson) because the asphalt hurts when you fall. Claire likes it when we let her meander through the puddles but, she's not a big fan of the actual splashes. The equipment is great. Both kids have things to do. Simon loves crawling up and sliding. He's also a big fan of the little house and teeter-totter. Claire is our little swinger and she also feels pretty important when we let her stand in the little house. It'll be interesting to see how often we get to this park once we move. It's a definite 5 out of 5 stars.

Kiwanis Park
We went here once to check it out. The equipment was much to challenging for my toddler and I was nervous carrying Claire up the play structure. The slide was too steep so, we didn't stay for long. We did, however, enjoy the Mac's across the street and the waterfall nearby. Right now, it's a 2 out of 5 but, it has potential for when my kids are older.

School Parks
Since kids have been out of school, most school parks are pretty empty. We've taken advantage of their slides. Most school parks we've been to are pretty good but, they lack baby swings. They are a good option when we need a change. Most school parks rate a 3 out of 5 for us.

Rick Hanson Park
We did venture north this summer and we checked out the RH Splash Park. Simon really like holding on to the hose but, he was frequently pushed out of the way by bigger kids. It was really busy and, the play structure was fun to climb up but, Simon didn't LOVE it. It was such a large play structure that I had a hard time keeping track of where Simon was while carrying/entertaining Claire. Once again, I think this is a great park but, I don't think I'd like to go back until the kids are older. It's a 4 out of 5.

Marina Park
The park at the Marian has a super location. The kids both loved hanging out by the fence and watching the geese. The play structure was pretty good and I really liked the rock formations. We'll probably go back as the kids get older. I'll give this a 3 out of 5.

We've been to other parks but, these are the ones that really stand out to us. I'm sure things will change up a lot by next year when I have 2 adventurous movers.
What's your favorite park and why?

Peeky eyes in Toronto

I felt excitement radiating from my children. Their eyes reflected the beam of the flashlight as we stood in Simon's closet, which he was referring to as Toronto. As we searched for "peeky eyes" in Toronto (the closet), I realized we were entering the wonderful world of imaginative play.
Simon spent most of the evening "flying" to Toronto (where the Rider game was). He asked me to come along and then pulled me into his closet. He was kept babbling about "peeky eyes"in Toronto and needing a flashlight to see them. We laughed so hard together that my sides hurt. Claire was thrilled (because she was included).
Finally, we're starting to leave behind the world of chewing, and emptying containers and getting to the good stuff: the world of imagination. As a drama teacher, a former improv participant and avid daydreamer, I have been longing for this since Simon was in utero. Bring on the search for peeky eyes, the random trips to other places, make-believe and anything else Simon (and eventually Claire) can imagine. I am pumped for this kind of play.
I remembered my improv rules and, rather then say no to or re-direct Simon's ideas, I prompted him to build and explore. This led to even sillier ideas and even more laughter.
Who knows where we'll go tomorrow...
(By the way, the Toronto idea was inspired by the Rider game. I'm sure that Simon, Claire and I were the only happy prairie people talking about Toronto tonight.)

9

Claire,
You're 9 months old today. You're an incredible little lady. You eat solid foods with wild abandon (resulting in raspberries and banana always in your hair). You want to go, go, go even if that involves dragging your poor Momma around by her hands. You want to be a part of everything and feel hurt if you think you're being left out. You can sit and play by yourself for chunks of time (which comes in handy while I run Simon to the potty or administer time outs). You show your tongue when we ask you to, you give me hugs and kisses when I ask you to and you do this great hand dance when you hear music.
You think you can walk with your walker (I hold your shirt from behind) and your goal is to either chase Fergus or Simon. You love walks in the Bob. You're starting to pester your brother by touching him to get a reaction (and boy, do you get one - I can see the entertainment factor). You're a stinker when it comes to naps because you LOVE to be held but, your night sleep is pretty stellar.
I love to dress you up in dresses and girly clothes. I love putting your hair in piggies and sticking in pretty little clips. (Our biggest fights tend to come from me doing your hair or you trying to eat your clips. I think hair fights are common for Mommas and daughters.) I love your giggle and your ready smile.
You're a lot of fun, little lady!
Love, Momma

Tresspassing

Last night, we went exploring with the kids. We drove out to our "Someday House", climbed into the frame and toured the main floor and peered into the basement. Trevor and I drove away feeling so pumped. We both dreamed of the house in our sleep. I know it probably won't be until next summer when we make our big venture to the north west but, it sure is fun to see our dream becoming reality.

Generous

We have an overproductive crab apple tree in our backyard. I don't do a thing to it (except pick the weeds at it's base) and it always wants to give me a million little crab apples.
One year, I made some desserts with the apples. Most years, Trevor has lawn mowered them. Some years, I pick them up so as to not attract the wasps.
This year, however, Simon has discovered them.
"Simon pick apples."
"Simon eat apples."
"Simon is super apple man."
"Simon give apples to Baby Claire."
"Momma pick apples off tree for Simon."
"Momma say Gross."
"Simon Gross."
He eats so many apples (rotten and not rotten) that some of his diapers have been atrocious.
Claire likes to bite hard and suck. She's teething and this seems to make her happy.

I get to pick weeds in peace.
Thanks, crab apple tree. I'll miss you, your blooms and your fruit when we move to the Someday House.

Little Gangster

When we picked Fergus (our cat - I know, it's been forever since he's shown up in a blog post), we chose him because he's beautiful. We ignored the snuggly little female who purred on my lap. Instead we chose the Ferg; his reaction to this was to hiss at us. We thought that was cute. We should have taken it as a sign.
Fergus is an alpha male. He's aggressive and he likes to dominate.
We've finally given up and we allow Fergus to wander the mean streets to his heart's desire. This has lead to a very contented, snuggly and sleepy cat when he's home and inside. Outside, he's a beast to be reckoned with.
Other cats in the neighbourhood totally kowtow to him. He's the alpha male on our block and the other kitties tuck in their tails and skirt around him when he's lounging in our front yard. The other day, he was carrying a nearly dead adult bird in his mouth. Fergus had caught a bird?
This is my confession - I let my cat wander. (We've all been a lot happier about it.)

Yuck!

Last year, when I introduced Simon to food, I couldn't get over how GROSS he was. Claire is now at the GROSS stage. I hate, HATE, hate the floor cleaning that I do daily. Sticky fruit, star puffs and who knows what else all over. There's two of them and, they team up against me.
(Someday, I'm going to miss this!)