High Park Home Daycare

Then and Now

2018-03-14T21:19:00.002-04:00

Having Riley for a sleepover last night made me think of how much she and Leila have grown.

This is them the summer when Riley joined the daycare, and below is a pic from last night's sleepover. We still keep in contact with most of the daycare kids, and have play dates together. I have taken a million more pictures of the daycare kids since I have closed the daycare. Now and then, if I have the time, I will try to throw a few on here, because they grow up so fast, and the memories are so sweet!

Keeping the Daycare Family Bonds Alive

2016-12-28T12:22:00.000-05:00

This fall has been quite an adjustment for me. In September I returned to teaching. Teaching grade 4 is a little different from running a daycare, but surprisingly not as different as I thought it would be. Haha! Anyway, the Friday evening after my first week back, we had a play date with the daycare kids. We missed each other so much in that one week!

Maryam's mother ordered Swiss Chalet for all of us. It was delicious!

Marcellus and Drew were already making strange with me because a week, in a baby's life, is like a lifetime. :)

In September I took Thomas and Leila to the Castle Playground in High Park.

They had a nice healthy dinner of hot dogs, and of course ice cream for desert!

How sweet are they?!

Later, they reflected on their lives thus far, and pondered the deeper mysteries of life, while watching ducks swim in a quiet pond.

We had another play date in late September.

Maryam couldn't make it, but we took Thomas and Amadea to Dairy Queen.

Later, we met Drew at the park!

In October we took Thomas in our car to Chudleigh's Apple Farm. We met Amadea and her parents, and Maryam and her mother, there.

Chudleigh's is always a great venue for a play date!

The kids had fun on the playground, and climbing on and around the bales of hay.

Well, hello beautiful!

We took a tractor ride to pick some apples.

There were lots of apples to choose from (as opposed to last year when we visited too late for apple picking).

We had a great time picking and eating the apples.

Then we took a walk through the forest to see the beautiful fall colours. All friends have arguments sometimes, as evidenced in the picture below.

But in a flash, all is forgiven and they are all best friends again. :)

They hung out in a teepee for a while...

They took turns riding the tree swing...

...and enjoyed some snacks.

In October we had a Halloween party. We invited Oscar, one of our older daycare alumni! It was so ice to see him again!

The kids played "Ghost Toss", which involves throwing lollipops dressed as ghosts into a (clean) waste basket dressed as a big ghost.

A few of the kids played a Halloween game that Noah and I had made when he was younger. The kids themselves are the pawns, and they throw a big die to move. First one to make it to the haunted house wins!

Here are the ladies proudly holding their Halloween loot bags.

Next, we wrapped some of the kids up as mummies, using (clean) toilet paper!

In early November, we made time for jumping in the leaves. Aidas, our very first daycare member (and Noah's oldest friend), met us there, as did Thomas and Drew!

A week before Christmas, we had a cookie decorating party. It was so nice to have everyone together! Actually, we were missing Maryam (who had another party to go to - she's a popular woman!). But we had B. here (one of the first daycare members), and also Katie, Leila's friend from school, and her big brother Danny.

After decorating their Christmas cookies, some of the kids cuddled up on the couch to watch Christmas movies.

Others engaged in pretend play that I would title "Santa's Workshop".

Amadea, always a die-hard creator and art lover, came back to our hurricane table to decorate a little more.

Later, Amadea's mom came over with Marcellus. Actually, Drew came with Thomas's parents too but I actually forgot to take photos. It was really sweet to see the babies.

They are growing so fast! Isn't he the cutest little Santa?! I hope everyone is having a great holiday season, and I wish everyone the best for the new year. I hope you like this post daycare update on our daycare family. The daycare may be closed, but our friendship is forever. And so is my love for all the kids who have come into my home. You are always welcome!

Visit to Fire Station 423!

2016-08-25T15:26:00.000-04:00

We took another trip to the local fire station on Monday. The last time we went was during the March Break. Drew was away with his family at that time, and missed our trip. Since then, fire trucks have become one of his favourite things ever. He calls them "wee-oos" (because of the sound of the siren).

Drew was very shy at first, so I held on to him and we did everything glued to each other. We all climbed aboard the fire truck.

The firefighters are always so great. The protocol for visits is just to drop in during certain hours. You can't make an appointment. Still, how would you like it if a group of people dropped in to your work and asked you to give them a tour? You might be thrilled some days. But other days, you may feel tired, and simply not in the mood. This is always on my mind when we drop in to see them unexpected, so we are very, VERY thankful for their hospitality!

Noah got to hold, and (lightly) spray the hose! They were very good at showing Noah around (realizing he could comprehend more information than the others).

I love these pictures because Drew looks incredibly tiny in front of the huge fire truck.

Here they are, showing us the 'jaws of life'. I've probably said this before, but I have the utmost respect for firefighters...the things they must see, not to mention the danger they put themselves in.

Fire station visit - summer 2016, yo!

We stopped off at Baird Park on the way home.

This is the first time I have seen Noah fully appreciate the end of a child's stay at the daycare. All week (this being the last week that Drew is in my care), he has been following Drew around, trying to get his fill.

How sweet is this? There's no way to tell who's getting the most from this interaction. Or perhaps it's me, the onlooker, seeing the daycare love in action. :)

Let's pause for a Drewbie photo shoot. He's got to be the Jays' cutest little fan!

We passed by Amadea's house. Of course, she had things to show us in her garden.

Loove these photos.

This little dude was happy having snacks and beverages in the wagon, after having slept through the whole fire station visit.

Time for some jumping practice, led by Amadea.

Drew and I peeked in to Leila's room one morning this week, to see if she was awake. She was just starting to wake up. I put a little happy Drew in her bed, just to make sure she started the day off right.

Yes, she does have a toddler bed, and should be in it. But since we have kept the bed for daycare use she regresses often, and opts to sleep there.

Good morning, sunshine!

Leila and I got started with her morning routine, but somebody didn't want to come out! It's cozy in there!

Check out this video. I was trying to get Marcellus's giggle on film. Unfortunately, I can only hear my voice. I'll try to get his giggle again (and try to quiet down myself, so you can hear it). It's the sweetest thing. Still though, the visuals in this video are more than enough to brighten your day.

Earlier on this day, at the wading pool, Marcellus gave himself a fat lip. He was semi-walking/crawling, to get a ball around the edges of the wading pool. However, he missed putting his right hand down, and his face caught his fall. It was surprisingly wounded for such a slight fall. I mean, he was already so low to the ground. Concrete can be so mean.

Look at him though, rocking the scraped lip! He is too adorable!

And here's Marcellus today after the wading pool. Wow, was it stinkin' hot today!

When you're 1, and it's this hot, and you're changing back into your regular clothes and diaper after the wading pool, you don't necessarily have to bother with shorts. Enjoy it, kid!

These girls keep playing "baby" together. Amadea is always the mommy, and Leila is always the baby. This works out well for their personalities at this point in their lives, since Dea wants to do everything herself, and Leila wants others to do everything for her.

You can get a sense of how hot it was, just by looking at the picture below. Noah was with us today too, but I find that as he gets older, I'm tapering off the never-ending photos of him, somewhat. It just seems like a natural progression. Don't hold me completely to that though. I did say, somewhat. (Let's remember who's talking here - the photo junkie.)

I gotta finish the post with this dude. If your heart does not instantly melt, you might want to get yourself checked out. This. Just, this.

Daycare News and Nostalgia

2016-08-19T15:29:00.001-04:00

It wasn't pretty, but we made it through the heat wave last week. Unfortunately, my air conditioner stops working in intense heat (when you need it most), so the wading pools were pure and utter bliss.

During our visits to the wading pools and splash pads, it was mandatory that the children got cool water on their heads (this has to be done especially delicately for some). Leila is one who will be completely overheated, and yet resist the opportunity to cool off. Last week, cooling off wasn't a choice.

It wasn't even a choice for me, but that was okay. I was happy to get soaked. Amadea and Leila love to pour buckets of water on my head, so this worked out well.

After daycare hours one night, we headed to our big pool. We invited Amadea, Marcellus, and their dad along. We have to share our pool whenever we can! Have I mentioned yet that Amadea can swim completely on her own? At 3 years old! She can also do fancy jumps off her daddy's shoulders. Leila's not yet inspired by her friend to step up her swimming skills by practicing bobs or anything. Leila's like, "Yeah....you do you." She'll get there in her own time. :) Actually, one of her water wings leaks out air at a slow pace, so that is the extent of her swimming lessons this summer. In the fall, Noah and Leila go back to official lessons.

This week, the temperature was much more manageable.

And we got Noah! He's done with camp for the summer.

I just thought Amadea looked especially cute this day; hence the extra photos of her.

She can jump a whole 3 steps, and I got the picture to prove it!

This little guy...always monkeying around!

Noah and the girls were playing Hide and Seek. Drew is picking up parts of the game and trying to join in. Cuteness!

One of the days, we had a rainy walk. I heard a few grumbles about going out in the rain, but I'm trying to teach them that there is nothing bad about warm summer rain, with no thunder or lightning present.

I want them to embrace it (though I did add, "only if the person taking care of you says it's okay, and I'm more than okay with it", lol). It's different if they have to stay dry because they're going somewhere special, or their school teacher doesn't have time to change their soggy clothes. But with a small group of kids, I have the time.

We always end up playing a little while in this bus shelter. It's just how we roll.

Noah was very impressed by Drew's strength in pulling his buddy in the wagon. He persisted for quite a while, too!

Noah and Leila got to go with Dea and her dad to "Sky Zone" on Wednesday morning. It's a place with lots of trampolines and I believe, a foam pit. So, that left me with the babies. I decided to go drop some of our children's books off at the library. As we dropped them off, I realized that they were running a "baby time" program in the basement. Well, with these two babies, we qualified! :)

Drew and Marcellus have been in this room numerous times for the drop-in program, but this was a bit different. They were both shy. Drew especially was very unsure of the situation. Okay, let's be frank: he was terrified. As you can see from the above pictures, it was true horror. Haha. In Drew's defense, this man had a very loud, deep voice. Anyhoo, I ended up getting tons of cuddles out of it. ;)

We stopped to buy some lemonade from 5-year-old Margot, who was running the business with her dad. It was delicious!

We stopped off for some fun at the playground. These two are becoming such good friends.

I just love them so much. I hope they can come for lots of visits in the fall.

I took care of Noah's friend Hugo and his little brother Enzo yesterday, to help their parents in a pinch. It was great for Noah to get an extended play date!

Here's Enzo, posing for a pic with the girls. He was so good, really. He doesn't know us too well, so he was shy. Big brother Hugo helped make him feel more comfortable.

Lunch time was super busy!

Last night, we had Aidas for a sleepover. Remember, Aidas was the first child to ever come to the daycare, starting roughly seven years ago (from age 1-4). We have never had him for a sleepover before, so it was pretty exciting for them. Leila was just as excited as Noah. She is super-social these days, which bodes well for the beginning of her school career.

How lucky were we to hear the ice cream truck?! LOL I told the kids we were going to get ice cream, and went to grab my money from my bag. When I caught up, Aidas was already talking to the man in the truck, placing his order. Don't need to tell him twice! :)

Aidas was yearning for a ride in the wagon, like the good ol' daycare days. I pulled them most of the way home, but when the wagon started to make a funny noise I panicked and told the big boys to get out. :)

Watching the boys play at Lithuania Park was surreal. I kept seeing flashes of the two of them playing together as babies. Take a trip with me down memory lane...

I could go on with more photos but I'll stop for now, in the interests of finishing this post. ;)

So anyway, they were about to settle in for bed, but Aidas was getting a little home sick, I think. When I realized that I had forgotten their waters at the park, I invited them to walk back with me to get them (even though I could have left them with Dan for a minute, and ran over to the park myself). I thought it would be fun to bring some glow sticks outside, and have a little fun; help ease Aidas's nerves.

They happen to have the same P.J.'s. That's because these pajamas are awesome, and Aidas's mother and I both have great taste. :)

We got the waters, and headed straight back home. It was a nice diversion, and nice to go for a little walk on a hot summer's night.

Today they've had an extended play date. I'm so glad we've been able to maintain the friendship of these two!

Blue Skies

2016-07-28T14:11:00.000-04:00

Oh how quickly the pictures do add up, when you are a compulsive photographer!

So these were taken a couple of weeks ago, when Amadea and Marcellus's parents had us over for some more gardening. The last time, they had helped the kids to plant. This time, it was all about picking some vegetables to bring home!

We got to pick and take home cucumber, zucchini, green onions, peas, beans and peppers. It really is so nice of them to let my children participate in the gardening experience. I am very grateful for this.

The kids also enjoyed eating cherries (not grown in the garden). Here, Amadea instructs Leila how to eat the cherry, but not the pit. :)

So, I never talked about Maryam leaving the daycare. She left at the end of June in anticipation of me closing the daycare to go back to teaching in September. Since I had not yet found a teaching job at that time, I was not absolutely certain I would be closing the daycare. I certainly felt (and still do feel) conflicted. I do so love these children, and it is very difficult for me to break the bonds that I've built with them, even though I desire to return to the classroom. So, in the back of my mind, I kept thinking "Well, maybe this isn't good-bye", and I had a vision in my head of me with my arms open, and all the children running back to me. I have since accepted a position teaching grade 4 students in the fall, and am very excited! Still, I want to maintain connections with these kids, whenever my schedule, and the parents' schedules, permit. I am even hoping to continue throwing those festive parties for the daycare alumni. Maybe a Halloween party? Of course, I have to see what sort of work/life/daycare-reunion balance time I can manage, once the school year begins.

Anyway, we are working to keep the friendships going. We had a play date at High Park with Maryam a couple of weeks ago. It was fabulous. :)

Maryam was so brave in the frigid wading pool water!

She even fell in at one point, and inadvertently went under water. Still, after a moment of regaining her composure, she was right back in there. That's the daredevil Maryam I love.

After the wading pool, there was a game of tag.

And then ice cream. Ice cream just seals the deal on a wonderful summer's day. Ice cream with friends trumps all.

This little cutie had a wonderful time hanging out with the big kids! Isn't he scrumptious in his wet suit? Adorbs.

We worked on our Reading Club books from the library. We had some accomplishments to fill in. Actually, I changed some of the expectations. The pre-reader booklet was too easy for these girls, but the higher level book was a bit too complicated for them. For example, they aren't ready to "write a poem with chalk outside" yet. We changed some to things like "Read a word on a sign outside", or "Read a word that Charla writes in chalk outside".

We explored a different area surrounding our buildings on this day.

I got the girls to read some of the words below. Amadea became overwhelmed when I asked her to read "Elsa", because they are used to me giving them 3 letter words. I showed them how to break the word into smaller parts. I covered up the "sa" and Dea read "El". Then I covered up the "El" and she read "sa". She easily read the word once she had both parts.Way to go, Dea!

I also showed them how you can use the exact same letters from one word to make a different word (gas, sag).

Drew was intent on holding Leila's hand the whole way home.

He refused to hold Dea's hand. He was focused on Leila. So they worked it out.

Here are the kids at one of our many picnics this summer, by the side of the wading pool. Leila and Dea were pretending to take pictures of me with their water bottles.

Now this is love. :)

We also had a play date last weekend at Vine Parkette with Marcus, Thomas and Drew!

Marcus loves the wading pool, and is talking like such a big boy now, at 2.5 years old! I'm not sure if he remembered us...perhaps somewhere in his mind we seemed somewhat familiar. Still, it's great fun to reconnect, and the daycare kids still talk about him all the time.

It's so nice to see Thomas too! He's quite the cool school boy now!

We went to the library drop-in this week. Amadea, always very focused on creating art, spent quite some time at this table, painting her pine cone.

I was mostly busy with Drew and Marcellus. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Amadea had made perfect little shapes with the play dough all by herself. When did she learn this?! Geez, these girls are more than ready for school. Really, the daycare cannot give them the amount of stimulation their minds are ready for. Kindergarten will be wonderful. I do think it will be a little difficult at first without naps. Leila especially seems to need her naps. I guess it will be very early bedtimes for her in the fall, while she adjusts, and grows a bit older. We can already name about 10 kids they will know in kindergarten though, maybe more. They've made a lot of friends/acquaintances during our travels in the neighbourhood. They are very excited about playing with their new friends.

Red sand! Drew's into it.

A rare moment when they are all doing the same activity. :)

We had some fun with my camera phone while having our picnic by the wading pool the other day.

I wanted to get the blue sky behind them.

I also love playing around with the sunshine in photos.

I took a whole bunch in succession and hoped for the best. I often can't see the details of the photos I'm taking outside on a bright day. There is too much glare on my phone.

I really love these photos though. Little summer sunshines. :)

My last summer as a daycare provider. Bitter sweet. Maybe I'll take on some kids next summer when I'm off from teaching, just for fun!

So far, the summer with the kids has been a blast! Here's to the 2nd half! We hope to work in a Fire Station visit (especially for Drew, who missed our last excursion but is absolutely crazy about fire trucks, or "wee-oh"'s, as he calls them), and the High Park Train.

The Value of Child Care Workers

2016-07-18T22:08:00.000-04:00

I was briefly a nanny in my youth, but before I opened my home daycare in 2009 I had mostly worked with school-aged children. I love to teach and care for children of all ages, but I also knew I could make a better living in teaching than in child care (not that teachers don’t deserve higher salaries, too!). Not working with children was not an option. I need to do what I love, and I need to make enough money to survive. Teaching satisfied those needs.

It wasn't until I became pregnant with my first child that I even considered opening a home daycare. I couldn't bear the idea of sending my baby to someone else; I LOVE caring for children, so caring for my own during these early years was a given, at least for me. I have plenty of respect for others who, with the utmost love for their children (and no more or less love than I have for my children), nonetheless need or want return to their careers. I’m not smug or self-righteous about my choice. It was my choice. It wouldn’t be everyone’s. And although it may seem like I am writing this post simply to boast about my skills, I want to clearly state that that is not my objective here. I will speak with pride about my skills, but my objective is to advocate for those working with children, and for children themselves. It is the pride and morale specifically of those caring for children that needs boosting. Right now, it is sinking.

In my earlier teaching days, I was considered effective, patient and kind with the children. I realize now, that while I generally thought of myself as a patient person, I did not really know patience. Being a mother of two, and a child care provider working, for the most part, completely on my own, I learned that patience can always be stronger. In fact, it's even trickier than that. You see, for a child care provider, knowledge of patience can always be stronger, but that very patience itself needs to be pulled on constantly.

I would like to return to this skill of patience, but first, let me further explain my motivation for writing this. You see, my second (and last) child will be starting kindergarten this fall. It was always in my plan that, once my children were in school full-time, I would return to the teaching profession. Although I have cherished the past 7 years as a home child care provider, I am excited to go back to teaching.

It was, however, during my job search that I fully realized what a dire state the Canadian child care sector is in. A couple of weeks ago, while looking through job listings, I came upon a position for an ECE. While I wouldn't normally think of applying for this type of job (I don't have my ECE degree, and there is that low-pay aspect I mentioned before), this particular provider – a chain of for-profit childcare facilities - looked promising. They seemed to value their employees, and even had programs for toddlers and preschoolers that were educational. Perhaps, I thought, my teaching degree could come in handy here, and bring in a higher salary. On a whim, I applied.

I received a response to my email that contained several screening questions. One of the questions was my expected rate of pay. I answered "$20 per hour." I realized this might be a little high for what ECE's are normally paid, but also realized I couldn't undersell myself too much; not at this point in my life, not with children to help support. Maybe they would talk me down in price a bit. Perhaps I could go as low as $17 per hour, at least to start.

The next day, I received a response from the day care centre. My salary request of $20 per hour, they stated, was far higher than they pay their ECE's. The starting rate for ECE's, they informed me, is $11.44 per hour. This translates to $20, 000 annually.

Twenty thousand dollars. In Toronto. In 2016. Do you want a few moments to digest that? It's about the same salary as that of a cashier, or a gas station attendant. To care for tiny, vulnerable, particularly shape-able humans.

Sure, it's not like I made a huge amount more as a daycare provider. In one of my best years, I made about $28, 000, but at least my husband and I were saving money by not sending my own two children to daycare. And, a crucial element - no, an essential element - in me being able to run this home daycare was my husband's comparatively high salary. If he couldn't pay the larger chunk of the rent, I could not afford to live in our spacious 3-bedroom apartment; and a 1-bedroom apartment would not be fit for a home daycare - certainly not a quality one. So, my experience as a child care provider felt far more successful than it would have, had my occupation been an ECE in a centre.

It's not that I blame the daycare centres for the low pay of their staff. They have to pay overhead, and can't substantially increase staff wages without increasing the daycare fees for parents (which, as we all know, are already sky high). No. I think it is the responsibility of the provincial and federal government to ensure that all daycare workers are paid a decent wage; one that reflects the very important job of caring for our young. Within the past year, the provincial government has increased the hourly rate by $1 or $2 per hour. While certainly a step in the right direction, this is not enough. Furthermore, the money is given through a complicated system in which the individual daycare centres need to apply for, and wait for, this money.

The media's attention regarding daycare is largely focused on two aspects: lowering the fees for parents and creating more licensed spots. I feel that while these are very important issues, the discussion must be broadened. Here's what I think the items for discussion need to include:

Lowering daycare fees for parents
Creating more spots
Paying child care employees with proper training and experience MUCH more
Making it more advantageous for quality home daycare providers to become licensed
Working toward the formation of close bonds between caregiver and child

All of these items are for the betterment of the child. Infants' and toddlers' healthy development largely depends on forming close bonds with caregivers. They cannot form these bonds if the staff turnover rate is high due to job dissatisfaction. Young children need to develop trust. Again, this cannot happen if they do not have the time to develop close relationships with their caregivers due to constantly changing staff. They need to be loved, yet the staff-child relationship is not supported enough for this to happen either. Do we think that lack of attachment, trust and love in the youngest members of our society will not have repercussions later in life? This is, at the very least, naive.

I am leaving the child care profession to return to teaching this fall, but I will never forget my years as a home daycare provider. I have had the chance to have a hugely positive experience in the field of child care, and through this, I have learned an invaluable skill: patience. This patience was fundamental to creating a safe and loving environment for the children in my care. This patience helps to nurture a loving relationship between caregiver and child. It is ultimately this loving bond, I believe, that creates the greatest emotional, social, and intellectual potential for the child.

Don't tell me love shouldn't exist in child care. We are not robots. Do you want your baby's physical needs only to be cared for, with some sporadic hugs from a variety of daycare staff? Or would it be better for your child to feel securely attached, and loved by a few? If we care about the social well-being of the planet, we need to invest in the latter. We need to invest in children.

Summer Spirit

2016-07-15T16:00:00.001-04:00

We made a trip to the Toronto Public Library last week, specifically to get the Summer Reading Club booklets for Noah, Leila, and Amadea.

Marcellus absolutely loved the library.

Though pictured quietly reading here, most of the time he was exuberantly running up and down the isles in the children's section, gleefully vocalizing. You can do this when you're 1. Even at a library.

The girls found a graphic novel of the movie, Frozen. This type of book would be far beyond their ability, even to understand me reading it to them. But not with Frozen. They know that story like they know their favourite colours. We checked it out, and I have been reading it to them. Amadea's focus with books is always excellent. She often chooses longer stories. Leila, on the other hand, has trouble, at times, remaining for the duration of a story. Her attention span wanders and she leaves the couch to play. I have to say, that has not happened with this book, and I have even been reading it for much longer periods of time than with other books. They are mesmerized. :)

One night, we took a massive amount of water balloons to the park. It was stinkin' hot, and I didn't think we could make it through the evening without them.

Amadea, Marcellus, and their mother joined us for the fun!

They were so much fun. Still, they didn't last long; water balloons never do.

We played out back a few times this week. Pictured below is Leila on Noah's roller coaster. Noah has always enjoyed pretending to take one or more of us on a train or roller coaster. It dates back to when he was about three years old. I can remember a few meltdowns brought on when I, for whatever reason, could not ride his roller coaster, or had to get off his roller coaster. :)

Since we don't have our own backyard, we have to enjoy the right of passage that is running through sprinklers when we spot them! Dea and Drew are both trying to take a drink here.

Marcellus, at only 13 months, is extremely brave! After I took this shot, the sprinkler slowly turned right, spraying his belly with cold water. It was a surprise for him, but he took it all in stride. He is a darling.

I believe Noah is talking to the girls about rides again here. He and Leila were very much into this pretend play, due to their resent excursion to Canada's Wonderland.

And then there were the puddles that the sprinklers created.

Sassy girl trying on big brother's old hat. It kind of suits the outfit!

Another day, another sprinkler out back. This time, it was planned. Our landlord put it out especially for us.

Noah and Dea absolutely love the water. The other three are a little shy. I wish Leila would just get in there, but she just does not care for cold water. When I sign her up for swimming lessons this fall, I'm definitely choosing the warmer pools. Otherwise, she's just miserable.

Marcellus has a love of textiles. He likes to drag random clothing items around the apartment.

Practising their gymnastics skills.

Every day is a day for either a freezie, or a home-made Jello Popsicle. We make a different flavour every week.

We also made pizza this week!

Tasting the ingredients is Leila's favourite part. We had it for dinner, and shared it with Noah and Leila's Oma and Opa! It was yummy!

I had brought the little guys to the splash pad at High Park already, but this was their first time at a wading pool this year (with me, anyway).

Clearly, they hated it. lol

Amadea could not fall asleep for nap time one afternoon this week, so she painted instead.

She is such an artist. She really enjoys any kind of art.

She accidentally got a smudge of purply-blue paint combination on her leg. She requested that we leave it and let it dry. See? She is open to using any canvas. Creative. I love it.

The next day, Drew had a turn painting at the easel.

He is all about making verticle lines. It's his signature style. If he would have limited it to one single vertical red stripe or something, I'm sure we could have sold it to the AGO and made a fortune. :)

He then moved on to painting a fire truck.

We took a walk around the block yesterday morning, as it was a little bit rainy. I let Drew and Marcellus come out and walk when we got to High Park Avenue. It's safer for them on this street, with the large boulevards between the sidewalk and the road.

The photos below are some of my favourite recent photos. Little Drew in the big wide world. You got this, Drew.

Even though Marcellus had the option to walk, he made it clear that he would like to remain in the wagon, eating his snacks.

Dea collected some rocks. We are finally going to paint a collection of rocks we have amassed in the past few months. We are going to wait until Leila is back to do this activity with Dea. (My kids are currently at my parents' place, spending some quality time together.)

I had to get this sign in the picture, because Dea read the world "sold". We then, of course, had to talk about what "sold" means. I am very impressed with Amadea's reading ability as of late. She is really coming along, blending words far more easily. Most importantly, she takes the chance of getting it wrong. I think that's the hardest part for kids when they are learning to read - the fear of being wrong. She's delighted to see just how often she is right!

We fed some birds and squirrels on the way home.

I had to get Marcellus with his bags. He is so adorable.

This is how I found these two after nap time. Their playpens are kept side by side for nap time, to make Marcellus feel more secure with his big sis by his side.

Marcellus got a turn to paint too! It was short-lived, but he did produce, and we will display his first masterpiece!

That's the update for now. Enjoy the weekend!

Sunnyside Beach

2016-07-07T15:10:00.001-04:00

Because of the extremely high temperatures yesterday, I decided to take the kids to Sunnyside Beach. Usually, it's a little cooler by the water. On this day though, it was exactly the same. We made sure to keep ourselves cool with the lake water and wading pool water!

After the walk through High Park, everybody was ready for a picnic. (It was just Noah and I who walked; I pulled the rest of the kids in the wagon, of course. But I was very proud of Noah; it was his first time walking all the way from our home on Glenlake, to the beach and back. And he did it in what felt like 35 degree Celcius heat! Poor guy barely made it home. But everyone was revived by freezies, and of course by our lovely air conditioners. :) I think we all slept well last night.)

Anyway, back to the beach talk! We noticed a large black fish encircling a circle of rocks. We figured out pretty quickly that it was a mother protecting her eggs. At one point, I had forgotten about it, and waded maybe within a few feet of that area. Boy, did she come after me! haha Can't blame her.

The kids had a great time playing in the sand. The girls were a little grossed out by the seaweed, and wouldn't wade in the water much. Such city girls!

Marcellus loved collecting rocks and mud in his bucket. He was a happy camper.

And by the way, we checked with the life guards. The water was safe for swimming. No e-coli problems for us! ;)

My handsome Noah, nearly twice the height of the girls!

It's a tough life, running the daycare, at times like this. (But I made up for the relaxation by pulling the kids up a huge hill in scorching temperatures. That's how running a home daycare is. Moments of ease, and moments of extreme work or mini crises.)

Oh my goodness. God love him.

Noah was busy with a rock formation. I think he was actually building walls of a castle. He was very engaged with this. I love when kids can get so creative all by themselves.

This is Marcellus, attempting the impossible task of picking up two big bouncy balls at once. (Dea sparked the idea for him.)

That'll work, Marcellus!

We played a little at the playground.

But we couldn't get the idea of going to find ice cream out of our heads, so we went on our way.

Marcellus? You coming?

This was also Noah's first time climbing this dinosaur. Way to go, buddy!

Marcellus is SO sweet. He is overjoyed simply to have a ball. Always. He might be fussy and irritable, but you give him a ball and his face just lights up, like this.

You will go SO far with a smile like that, kiddo. It's amazing.

We finally made it to the ice cream truck.FYI, there is a reason why the "Cartwheel" is $5. It is massive. So even if your kid likes ice cream sandwiches, this is probably the wrong choice! I got Marcellus a Sponge Bob Popsicle like Dea, but he doesn't like holding onto the stick.

With a spoon, however, he happily helped Leila eat her huge ice cream sandwich (we all did).

Noah checks out the menu on the truck. It's always good to plan for next time.

These two passed out on our walk back through the park to go home. Amadea was very close to passing out, but perked up when we reached the High Park Zoo.

Noah understandably needed a few breaks along the way. It was an awesome trip. Thanks for the wonderful memories, kids!

Capybaras Back Home At High Park Zoo

2016-07-05T14:21:00.001-04:00

Amadea has been bringing delicious snow peas to the daycare, fresh from her garden at home! She picks them herself before she comes to daycare. How lovely is that?!

We visited the High Park Zoo last Thursday. (Well, some of us. Marcellus was home sick, and Noah and Leila were at the Metro Toronto Zoo with their older siblings.)

Drew was very interested in the animals. Here the kids are, looking at the reindeer.

They spent the longest time watching the Bison. It's obviously much more fun when the animals are active, and the bison sure were. That's because the calf was pestering the adult bison. The calf kept nudging one of them until the adult tried to kick him away. The calf would back up, but playfully and repeatedly came back to irritate some more. It got to the point where the calf was being chased around the pen, in a fruitless effort to deter him from annoying his elders. Bison calf win.

Maryam brought Dora with us too. She has such a great imagination. She had Dora climbing up trees, and was showing her all the animals.

The photo below is evidence that the capybaras are indeed both back where they belong. What adventures they must have had! ;)

Drew walked almost the whole way back; I kid you not!

I love walking along the path at the eastern end of the park. It is so beautiful, and definitely my favourite part of High Park.

Maybe it's Drew's favourite too. Maybe that's why he had unlimited energy for running and walking such a long distance (especially for such little legs!).

Dea practised mindfulness while Drew helped push the load. He did this for quite some time too, which got him a multitude of "awwws" and heartfelt smiles from passersby.

They enjoyed peeking over at the waterfall just before the big hill on Spring Road.

They even walked up the hill. (I appreciated this. I have experienced pulling 4 kids up this hill in the wagon many times, so I had crossed it off my bucket list long ago. So, I didn't need to do it on this day, though I would have had no choice if they insisted. Then again, these kids are my gym, so it's all good.)

They had so much fun exploring! We can't wait to spend more time at High Park over the summer, and are hoping to ride the train!

Ice Cream Cuties

2016-06-30T14:35:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was Noah's last day of Grade 2, so we all went to pick him up from school to celebrate!

He was pretty excited about a break from school. Can you tell?!

We had mac and cheese for dinner (a very early dinner) in the park beside the school.

Marcellus is already getting the hang of using a fork. He's brilliant!

Noah played soccer with his friends, and Drew was fully into the game.

Most of the kids ate their dinner, and some grapes, and watched the soccer game.

This photo was taken as we were waiting in line for ice cream. The kids were getting very excited!

The only kid who wasn't into the ice cream was Marcellus. He's not sure about it yet. He didn't want it, so I reluctantly ate it. ;)

I love our gang...

Sweet princess...

Sweet prince...

I cropped the picture of Drew. He's just so adorable!

And this is my favourite touch-up. An idyllic summer's day. :) Here's to the start of summer!

High Park Splash Pad

2016-06-28T14:31:00.001-04:00

These were taken one evening at the park last week, after daycare hours.

But guess who we did have as a special treat after regular daycare hours?! Yep, that's Maryam on the ground. What is she doing, you may ask? She has stolen the ball from Leila. Leila, of course, ran after her to get the ball back. But, (and this is Maryam's technique under similar circumstances with other children), Maryam realized she could not outrun Leila. Therefore, her best course of action is to lie on the ball and hope for the best. It's actually a pretty good strategy!

Leila and Maryam helped out a bit with baseball. Their catching skills were pretty good, but they clearly lack knowledge of the rules. Their idea of the game is to catch the ball and run away with it. Actually, they know darn well what they are doing, and the girls were definitely on the same team in that respect. The increase in Noah's agitation was directly related to Leila's glee. She loves attention from her brother, any way she can get it!

This was the state of Maryam after a day with us in her new princess dress (hand-me-down from Leila). She seems to like to roll in things. She rolled in the gravel at the baseball diamond. She rolled in the grass, and down the hill. She lay in the sand box and shimmied around a little. She crouched in a mud puddle, getting the skirt of her dress, and her legs mucky. She was a mess from head to toe. That's the way to do it, Maryam! It's a right of passage. Enjoy being a kid, kiddo!

And omg, this was her the next day. She chose the glasses, and she chose to don her hat backwards. I love that she has her own style!

Noah stayed home from school with us one of the days. He really did look pale and quite ill. About an hour later, he looked far better. But, of course, he didn't think going back to school was a good idea. ;)

Don't they look like a tough little gang? They are.

Blue Jay princess.

My handsome boy. :)

Yesterday we went to the splash pad at High Park. It was a great day for it, since it was to be a high of 31 degrees Celcius (which would feel like 35 - yikes!).

Marcellus quickly got into it.

Drew still shied away from it, for the most part. After playing at the playground area for a while though, I brought him back to the splash pad and gradually cooled him down by scooping some water onto his head, neck and arms. He was okay with that.

And Amadea, as usual, was right in there! She put her head directly into the water, as did I. Leila was even inspired to do a little of this. Like Drew, she doesn't realize how much better it will make her feel on such a hot day.

The Yogurt Party, The Public Bookcase, and Father's Day Crafts

2016-06-22T15:21:00.001-04:00

Well, it wasn't a formal party, but the babies certainly did have fun!

I swear that yogurt is like candy to babies; they all seem to love it!

I caught Drew with the yogurt bowl on his head, exclaiming, "Hat!" At least he had finished most of the yogurt. Dea and Leila used to do this with full bowls of yogurt. Still, his hair was of such a consistency as to cause his mom to ask him what happened, when she came to pick him up that evening. Oh Drew, such a rebel! :)

The girls are so persuasive in their arguments (and I a pushover). They asked to bring umbrellas out, for the sun. How could I deny them? Quick! Everybody run for cover under Leila's umbrella! I think the sun is reemerging from behind the clouds! Yeah, the umbrella excitement was over by the time we reached the next block, but that's to be expected.

Maryam loves rolling down the hill!

Holy cuteness.

It was SO hot on Monday. We brought out spray fan bottle outside and used it a lot (even me). In the background of this picture, you can see Leila spraying Marcellus with it.

We have been borrowing an lending/donating books to this corner book cabinet. These are becoming quite common in some neighbourhoods across Toronto. They are so fun!

I cannot keep up with how fast babies change. This little guy is motoring around now, getting faster on his feet by the day!

Girl's club.

Here were our Father's Day crafts for this year. The kids decorated their chosen colour of construction paper.

When they were finished and dried, I laminated them and taped them to cans. They are a little large to put pens and pencils in, but I'm sure the daycare dads will find some use for them!

Bubbles

2016-06-17T15:22:00.002-04:00

We took a trip to No Frills this week to get both instant coffee and freezies; I know, an odd combination

The kids are always climbing and exploring as we walk.

Leila was scared to balance on the edge of the planter box alone, so Amadea, being a true friend, held her hand. <3

Who's growing from toddler to beautiful little girl way too fast?! Maryam is!

As she was walking beside me, she asked where we were going. I replied, "To the grocery store." She excaimed, "Ooooo, the grocery store?! I LOVE grocery stores!"

Guess who was let out to walk a little, under extremely tight supervision?

Yep, this little monster!

It's ALL about the conveyor belt. There was much anticipation about pushing the buttons for the conveyor belt before getting to the store, and when it came time, there was panic among these two. Amadea ran to push the button for the freezies, and Leila became very agitated. "Oh no! She's gonna push the button! But I - " Before I could even respond, the nice cashier told Leila to take the other conveyor belt. That's it Leila. Reel mommy's coffee in. ;)

The girls saw a cat in the window on the way home. :)

Here are some pics from a regular visit to Lithuania Park.

All of the kids are bananas about bubbles.

What a contrast in the photo below. Pretty little princess in a mud puddle.

Drew's two favourite words are "daddy" (that one's been a fave for a few months) and "Noah". Noah is becoming quite fond of Drew. Noah's now at an age where he can really appreciate how adorable babies are. In the photo below, Drew chats with Noah while Noah eats his breakfast. A great start to the day for both!

Again, every day is a bubble party.

Dea loves going through our hair accessories bag, and decorating in her own creative way.

Look at this angel who passed out on the way to the park today. Oh my gosh. He is sweet. I have really grown close to this guy in such a short while. Words can't even express...

And this photo was taken after Maryam grabbed Leila's rice cake, breaking it. See the mischievous smile? She was in that sort of mood this morning. Very playful, even if her peers didn't always appreciate it.

Have a great weekend all! And Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there! Here's our daycare choir singing "Twinkle Twinkle." I hope you enjoy it. :)

Marcellus Turns 1!

2016-06-15T15:27:00.000-04:00

Keele Street Public School Fun Fair: 2016 = AWESOME.

These photos make me smile. This group has become family to me. And they are all ridiculously cute. :)

The kids pose, while waiting in line for their wrist bands. They are ready for a fun time together!

It takes some concentration, at a young age, to master the thumbs up sign.

The kids started off with the bouncy castle, and then moved on to some in-school activities. This one below, which looks like Musical Chairs, is actually called the "Cupcake Walk". Music plays while the kids circle around the chairs. When the music stops, every child needs to sit on a chair. However, there are enough for all. (I have also shied away from the traditional Musical Chairs at the daycare. I am absolutely positive it would turn violent.) A number is drawn, and the child sitting on the chair with that number wins a cupcake.

None of our kids won a cupcake; not for any of the five times they stubbornly demanded to stay and play the game. They were convinced that one of them would win, and then they could then share a cupcake. Eventually, we had to drag them away so that we could enjoy the other activities at the fair. No one was more bothered by this loss than Noah, who is by nature uber-competitive.

But...the "dance party" room, as my kids call it, cheered him right up, especially because it is run by his favourite teacher, Mr. Simone.

We played some other indoor games. Here, Tom throws a ball to knock over a stack of cans. With each activity the children participated in, they got a sticker on their wrist band. Five stickers earned them a prize, which they could choose, themselves, in the library. Even though the prizes were just hand-me-down toys, the kids loved it. It is exciting for a kid to "buy" something of their choice.

Amadea and Thomas enjoyed the face-painting. Actually, this is what Thomas was most excited to do.

He was pleased that I found his spider scary.

If I could figure out how to put a string of hearts to communicate my feelings about the photo below, I would. Look how big and handsome he has become! From a little 1-year-old baby that used to peek out from my curtains and say "Pee-pee-o" before he could enunciate "peek-a-boo", he has come so far! He's cool. He's smart as a whip. He's kind. He's funny. And let's not forget, handsome. He's awesome!!

You bet I'll be looking through these photos when I'm a little old lady, and finding such joy from them! These are priceless.

Life is ALWAYS better with ice cream.

Leila had gotten one, but she's in that lovely stage that some kids go through, where she takes a few licks, and then announces, "I'm done". I can't deny that I have been happy to hear these words, and finish her ice cream for her, on more than one occasion (and yes, even after having had my own. Ice cream is my fave.)

We hit the new splash pad at High Park, for the first time, on Friday.

Only Dea and Noah were brave enough to go in, but we had predicted this. Actually, it wasn't even that hot outside, so it wasn't that tempting for most of us.

Amadea did some exploring in the bushes, by the back of the playground, with some new friends (not pictured).

Leila joined Noah, who had also made some new friends.

I love Drew's laugh so much. It is very similar to his big bro, Tom's. And I just had to get that laugh on video, for everyone to share.

Marcellus LOVES playing with any kind of large ball he can find. Often, he carries around this beach ball. Other times, he finds one of our soccer balls in the closet and walks around our apartment with it. I'm thinking rugby or football may be in his future. ;)

Drew signals the beginning of a ball game with Marcellus.

Marcellus turns and heads to the south side of the field, away from his opponent.

Sensing the takeover, Marcellus makes a final attempt by picking the ball and holding on tight.

He turns and heads north field, but in a strategic move, Drew pops the ball out of his hands from behind. A good play by Drew.

Drew is now in possession of the ball, and Marcellus resorts to his old movement style of crawling from 2 weeks ago, to see if it will prove to be a faster mode of travel.

Drewbie turns back, taunting his opponent...

Marcellus resumes his initial strategy of walking, but it looks like this is a win for team Drew. Well played, boys.

Really though, I think Drew is the best little soccer player I have seen! He is very good at dribbling the ball. He does it around the apartment all the time. I had no idea a 16-month old could get such skills, so early! Must be all the soccer practices he saw his big bro participating in. He was watching! I tried a game against him. He's a tough match!

And then this happened in the wagon.

In the pic below, I swear that Drew pinched Leila's nose, and said "beep". I remember Thomas doing this with his parents way back when he was this age.

The girls made a couple of new friend in the park. One girl, not pictured, was instructing these 3, as if it were some sort of gym class. They were eerily following all of her instructions. On the left is Katie, the little sister of David, who attended the daycare last summer. Man, is she adorable! She's dressed up as Sheriff Callie here.

So THIS is what I discovered when Maryam awoke from her nap the other day: two Hello Kitties, and a Mickey Mouse, all nicely tucked in, with Maryam at the other end of the crib.

We all found it quite funny. I left HER tucked in nicely, but she's obviously up to things when I leave the room. Noah thought it was particularly funny and said, "It's like she sacrificed herself for them." Oh Maryam, we love you!

Amadea requests to be in photos. This is a cute one!

Marcellus turned 1 year old!

We made cupcakes for him and sang Happy Birthday.

He was the least enthused one of the bunch! Haha. Oh well. Poor guy is battling a cold, which is not fun, especially on your special day.

There's a lot going on here...

Do you like the icing, Maryam? :)

Pretty sure she was up to no good here, because as I was going to take this photo, she turned around and walked calmly back to her own chair. She's a sneaky one!

Drew = Drewbalicious. He loved the lasagna. He loved the cupcake. I have more photos to add from other days this week, but I'm going to have to wrap this blog post up for now. Happy birthday, Marcellus!

Cinderella's Wardrobe

2016-06-09T14:38:00.000-04:00

Yes, my daughter just had to wear her extravagant Cinderella dress to the playground. Actually, we are at about 4 unnecessary wardrobe changes per day, for that kid. She will use any excuse to change.

One night at dinner, she announced, "I spilled some water on my dress." It was only a few drops, and I told her it was fine. "Yey! I get to change!" she announced. I was confused. "What? No, it's fine Leila. It'll dry in a minute." I heard the groan, and I knew I would. Win for Leila. She changed dresses.

Another time, as I was getting her off the potty, she said, "Did I get pee on my dress?" "Nope," I responded. "It's fine." Another groan, another win for Leila. "You can change outfits," I sighed. "Yey!" she exclaimed.

Amadea likes to layer her clothes. If Amadea comes in with a long sleeved shirt over top of her dress, and later takes the shirt off because she's hot, Leila will demand to change outfits, "because Dea did." "But she didn't change outfits - " I begin, and realize there is no future in discussing it. It is far easier to change her clothes than to be firm on this one, and it's not a battle I want to pick with her. Leila win. She needs to be a model one day. Then she'll get more wardrobe changes than she can handle (On the side though, Leila. On the side.)

Aaaanyway, back to business.

I will never tire of seeing Maryam's proud face as she follows the big girls down the hill. It is delightful every. Single. Time.

We bought kites from Dollarama, and on this day it was windy enough to try them out. We didn't have much success, though. There was a lot of strings getting caught around legs, or under toddling or crawling babies. I'm thinking those old fashioned plastic shopping bag kites might be the way to go! They won't be as pretty, but I bet they will work better. I'll report back on that one. ;)

Cinderella tripped on her dress, and realized herself that it limited her freedom of movement at the playground. So, guess what we did? Yup. We changed her clothes.

Super Girl, and her partner in crime, Amadea.

Drew is TOO darned cute. Maryam is really warming up to him now. At first, she was too cool to be seen hanging around a 'baby'. But Drew is coming along so much intellectually and physically that she is starting to view him almost as an equal. (Almost.)

It has been a little chilly this week! It's all good though!

Well hello, handsome! Marcellus loves the sand box.

I let Drew climb on the smaller of the two playgrounds, and then watch him like a hawk by the openings. He really is a great climber, but alas, is still only 16-months, so I have to pull him down every now and then to calm my nerves.

We had Noah again with us, Monday! He was ill again (it's been a very rough spring!). I would be concerned about him missing so much school, but he really is a great student.

She always finds those puddles.

I wasn't willing to let them get too into it on this day though. It was just a little too chilly to get wet and mucky. Next time, guys!

I've been meaning to get a video of Marcellus walking, but every time I start to film, he seems to plop down. I finally got it. Over the past week or two he is walking more and more! Way to go, Marcellus!

We went for a walk yesterday. Yes, we like to borrow people's front lawns, and such. I'm not even sure what the kids are doing in these photos. Maybe just 'living the life'?

Being silly?

Napping?

Again, not our residence. ;)

Marcellus was nodding off in the wagon, so we made him a pillow of unused diapers, topped with spare clothes. Aren't we creative?! :)

How handsome is Drew?! Growing so fast...

This trip around the block seemed to be mostly about appreciating different plants and flowers. People really have done a great job with their gardens, and each one is so unique. The girls are very gentle; they do love to touch and smell the flowers.

Walks around the block are a great time for nature appreciation and exploration. They are also great for working on climbing, balancing and jumping skills. So fun!

Daycare News

2016-06-03T15:30:00.001-04:00

It seems much easier to get these short and sweet daycare posts up. As you know, my pictures of the kids seem to accumulate very fast.

This is the front area of a house we pass on our daily walk to the park. I've met the man who lives here, and he says he decorates it like that for the neighbourhood children. And they do love it. There are lots of pin wheels, and pretend birds with pin wheel wings that spin in the breeze.

Here the kids are looking excitedly behind me, at the sprinkler across the street. Maryam was waving and saying "Hi sprinkler." She was not pleased with me when I told her we would visit the sprinkler later, on our way home. She was ready NOW. :)

Fast-forward to our way home. There you go, Maryam. :)

I have to end with this picture of Marcellus. It will help you on your way to having a wonderful weekend.

Uh-Oh, Spaghettio!

2016-06-02T15:35:00.000-04:00

I just love pics of kids enjoying their spaghetti! (I also love "Spray N' Wash.) Isn't Maryam a little ray of sunshine?!

Drew ate a mountain of spaghetti (and that's taking account of all of the noodles that fall onto and beside his lap). Every kid seems to love spaghetti! (Except for Noah. It would be too good to be true if ALL the kids liked the same dinner meal!)

I finally woke this sleepy-head when dinner was ready, and he dove right in. Go, Marcellus!

Today, as we were walking to the park, I stopped the wagon to give Drew more snack. Amadea and Leila ran a little ahead, towards the corner. Maryam, standing by the wagon, held up her hand and said, "Stop, guys!" She sounded and looked like I do, when I'm alerting one of the kids to a potential danger. No doubt she did this because I am very serious about her safety around the road. Leila and Dea have graduated the sidewalk safety course; they know to ALWAYS stop at the corner, far back from the road, and wait for me before we cross. Maryam, at 2 and a half, is obviously still in training, although she is learning all the rules well. The girls are so great with helping to show her the rules for street safety. And Maryam is so proud that she is becoming a big girl.

And she keeps Mickey safe too. ;)

Book club, in the shade of the trees...bliss.

These two little guys are becoming great friends, even if Drew hugs him a little too much sometimes. Marcellus grabs at Drew's face, in delight, so there are no innocents here. lol

Marcellus is wonderful. I'm not sure if I've said that yet. He is extremely clever for a not even 1-year-old. Today, I couldn't find his other shoe, so I had only put one on him. A few moments later, I see him walking around with his other shoe in his hand. ?!!! His heart is warm, his giggles are sweet. And then I look at Drew, and I melt. And then I see Maryam talking to Mickey Mouse. She's got him on the swing, and she's asking him if he wants an underdoggie. I melt more. And the way the big girls (I always call them the big girls, but they are still so little too) were dancing today to one of our cd's. The attitude and passion in their dancing was far beyond adorable. I love them. I love them ALL.

Parasol Carousel

2016-06-01T15:17:00.002-04:00

Today, Leila asked if she could bring her "carousel" outside, for the sun. Of course, she was talking about the parasol big brother Jacob bought her last year, from San Francisco.

So the big girls shared her parasol, and the umbrellas.

At one point, Leila explained to a friend, "Mommy calls it a parasol, but I call it a carousel", as if it was a potato - potatto difference of style. Love it.

Sprinkler Fun!

2016-05-31T15:29:00.000-04:00

We played out back yesterday, mainly because Noah was home from school, and not feeling top notch. Poor kid has had a cold of some sort for a week and a half.

We had a picnic, and ate cheese sandwiches and blueberries. Marcellus loves them, and took as many as his little hand could hold, each time. This concerned Maryam, and she made many attempts to block his hand from the container. ;)

They pretended this was their house. Noah was very insistent on which was the inside part and which was the outside part.

Mondays are always a little tiring, aren't they? :)

Noah was home again with us today. He's definitely starting to feel better though.

On the way home, the kids ran through the sprinkler.

Noah and Amadea are very much into it. Noah especially worked hard to encourage Leila and Maryam to come in.

He eventually succeeded. Both Marcellus and Drew remained in the wagon. Drew ate crackers and watched the show, while Marcellus caught up on his sleep, using two discarded princess dresses as a pillow. Yep, nothing but satin sheets in the wagon, at this daycare!

I was thinking maybe the cold sprinkler water might not be good for Noah's cold. But I felt better when I realized joy probably is helpful.

I'm so glad they got Leila to go in a little this time. I'm hoping that by the end of the summer, she'll realize just how fun it is to get wet, and will end up soaked, like Noah and Dea.

And Maryam, at only 2.5 years old, is super-brave.

I have no more words. The pictures say it all.

Our Wild and Wacky Daycare

2016-05-27T15:27:00.001-04:00

Maryam wanted to be Snow White again on this day....and her wish was granted.

She's not particularly into hats (none of the kids are), but I had no complaints whatsoever upon placing Noah's Mickey Mouse cap from Disney World on her head. Of her own volition, however, she switched it around, so it faced backwards. And of course she so often requires sunglasses. So it was an amazing look. I was so glad to get the photo above, because she so often looks at us over the top of her glasses. She just emanates coolness. :)

And from the back. How wonderful is she?! Oops, we better catch up to the big girls up ahead!

And again with Drew....my heart!!

I can't handle the cuteness. I am always overwhelmed by it, with all of the children. I think it is what gives me the energy to do my job. They are just. So. Sweet.

He's so tiny!!!

And his little legs are just so cute. I keep telling him I'm going to eat up his cute little legs, and he just smiles. He knows he's too darned cute.

And when I speak of cuteness, please know that I'm talking about much more than just appearances. It is more about the way that they embody their little personalities.

Maryam and Marcellus are quite fond of the sand box. Marcellus is a happy little guy about 99% of the time. It's just the way he is. We are blessed to have this little angel with us!

And you see? In the picture below, Maryam peering at some friends over the rim of her glasses. It's kind of authoritative, like the look the librarian gives me when I haven't paid my fines yet.

I swear, Drewbie was awake one moment, and I walked over to push Leila on the big girl swings. I couldn't have been more than 10 seconds, but this is what I returned to. Sleepy Drew. He looks like one die-hard Jays fan.

Leila Jane....she refuses to wear anything but dresses....she is a princess to the core...

The girls like when I bury their feet. They keep asking me to cover more of them up with sand, and if I have time, I do. Sometimes I gotta chase after the others though! Looks so much like they're suntanning on the beach. lol

Are rare moment, when we are ALL in the sand box at once.

Small talk at the teeter totter...

Marcellus was on the other end of the teeter totter, but could not be let go of, and so could not be in the picture. He does really love the teeter totter though!

"What? It's okay that I do this, right?"

Yep, no problem Drew. YOLO

Noah was too snotty to go to school one day, so he stayed with the rest of us, who were also snotty. This is the last cold for the group until September, I'm sure of it! ;)

They had fun playing hop scotch. Even Drew tries to jump off the ground, but can't quite make it yet. It is the sweetest thing.

We passed by a sprinkler today, and Dea was so into it. Maryam thought it looked like fun. At first she started to cry; the sudden cold water is a little startling!

But then she decided that Dea was right. This was the stuff.

And you gotta love Dea. She is so fun! She couldn't convince princess Leila to go in yet, but she will. I'll say it again. Leila's lucky to have such an adventurous friend!

The babies were wondering what was going on. lol

We brought a picnic blanket, crayons and colouring books to the park. The girls want to make pictures for Riley, and send them over to her in Israel.

His smile can light up the universe. He is working his way into my heart at lightning speed.

And again with the puddle. If there is water, they will come.

Tea, anyone?

Boy, did they ever get mucky today! At one point, Drew sat smack dab in the middle of the puddle. It was SO fun for them.

Marcellus passed out on the way home, and had a little nap in our living room upon our return. The other four had a quick bath as a fun way to get most of the mud off. It's always a big clean up, but well worth it. The other day, a lady was slightly alarmed when she looked at Drew playing in the mud. She told me he had a little bit by his mouth, and she truly thought I didn't know what he was up to, She was kindly trying to help me out by alerting me to the mud he was getting into. It made me chuckle. I smiled back warmly and said, "Yeah, I'm fine with that." Have fun playing this weekend, and get messy if ya can! ;)

Climbing Mountains

2016-05-20T15:27:00.000-04:00

Drew has been upgraded to a booster seat, and sits at the table. This past week, he has been climbing up on ALL the chairs (especially Maryam's booster, cause that drives her crazy, and he loves to get any attention he can from her).

Clearly, Drew was born cool, and gives the "rock on" gesture to his peers.

Leila demands to sit next to Maryam for every meal, and Dea demands to sit next to Leila. So they sit like this always, squished in like 3 peas in a pod.

Moving out of the high chair is good for one's ego. Look at this big shot now! :)

One of Maryam's favourite activities is to trash the bedroom. lol Really, she just wants to get into the bin where the stuffed animals are kept. She always says, "I'm in the bath!" Leila, in this photo, has just requested that Maryam cover her with the stuffed animals (one of Leila's favourite activities).

Playing in the tents....

Books in the tent...

Marcellus has had a stellar adjustment so far. He is really very easy-going, except when it gets close to nap time. But who can blame him? He's not even 1 yet, and moving into only afternoon naps.

This is how we do it in the spring, summer and fall. The big kids use the path to get to and from the park, part of the way. We call it "going over the mountain". I walk, with the babies in the wagon, on the sidewalk below.

Guess who's big enough to climb over the mountain with the big girls now?! Yup, Snow White (A.K.A. Maryam).

I've been coaching her from below to take this hill SLOWLY, lest she pick up too much momentum and finish with a face plant.

And she has been listening well. As she's coming down the hill she always gets this delighted face, and exclaims "I'm doing it!"

Aaaannnnd, travelling back home after a good visit to the park.

I had to take these photos, because it just looked like Snow White in the woods or something. ;)

Random lunch time shot...

Random post-lunch shot. You know how it is....

I painted Leila's face in the princess design shown in our face-painting book, yesterday. So fun!

Amadea wanted to be a bunny. This was done after nap time, and when Leila woke up, her princess paint had mostly worn off, so she asked for a rainbow instead.

I think Dea's favourite part was the carrot finger!

I LOVE this shot. They were playing pretend. I have to keep asking Noah to tone down the death in his make-believe play, when he's playing with the 4 and under crowd. They're not ready.

Oh glorious sunshine. We are definitely into sunscreen weather now. Drew won't keep his hat on, and it's him I worry most about, but at least he's good about the sunscreen.

Leila went home from the park with her daddy today, since it was his birthday, and he gave himself the day off. We stayed to play longer.

Hard to get a pic of Maryam - she's always on the move!

Maryam loves to sit on this log. Here, Dea puts on a show for her. I heard her singing about Mickey Mouse, so she really knows how to cater to her audience.

Marcellus really loved watching me blow the fluff off the dandelions. He loves bubbles too. His face just lights up. ALL kids love bubbles though. You should see the kids that come running over when we bring the bubbles out. It's a party!

Dea wanted to be in the picture too. I always love when I can get pics of siblings. It's nice for parents to have.

Aren't they great?

Amadea showed Maryam how to climb up on this rock today. Maryam was so proud of herself!

Have a fantastic long weekend. I'm sure everyone will, because there promises to be lots of sunshine!

Questioning Colours

2016-05-19T15:08:00.003-04:00

So, SO sweet.

Our New Group!

2016-05-13T21:41:00.001-04:00

Pinch me - am I dreaming? Or are we finally out of snow suit season?! Yessss!

Maryam was having so much fun on the swings, I tried to capture a few shots of it. They didn't quite work out the way I thought they might, but they are artsy anyway, so I'll keep 'em! (That's a sticker, by the way - one of a few that Amadea helped decorate her face with.)

Drew doesn't take any chances on the hill at Lithuania Park. He turns around and starts backing up a few feet from the edge of the hill. I am delighted with this commitment to safety! Okay, it's not quite "commitment", because every 5th time or so he'll head for the hill straight on, just to keep me on my toes.

The kids still love to play Hide and Seek, especially Leila. Amadea, as always, was working on her climbing skills.

I love that she inspires Leila to try new things. She really tries to help Leila to learn new athletic skills. I just love seeing this, because I had a friend just like Dea when I was little, and it made my life so much brighter. Good, close childhood friends are essential to happiness, in my personal opinion. Oh, and speaking of personal opinions, I have grouped all my 'thought pieces' on caring for children together in my "Pages" section of the blog. As I went back through the old posts, I had to leave some out; my opinions have changed a little. For example, I don't think time-outs are as effective as I once thought they were. Don't get me wrong - they are necessary at times. In that "Time-out" post I also recommended 1 minute per age of the child. Leila has blown that protocol out of the water, as her little 4-year-old self sometimes requires 30-40 minutes to calm down. Meanwhile, the other kids barely ever need a time out. Anyway, that's just an example. One of my posts was about breast-feeding a toddler (Noah). I included this, since I still hold the same views, but it is a little strange to get taken back to that time!

Anyway, back to this post. Leila reflects.

I LOVE seeing all the dandelions! I know people hate them in their gardens, but do they ever look beautiful on the green grass! It causes some visceral reaction in me that takes me back to my own happy childhood.

Some random shots of us at Lithuania Park...

I know I could have just chosen one of the following photos to post, but again, there is something slightly different, and worth posting in each pic; it's Maryam's variety of gestures. :) She looks like a star on a stage, appeasing her many fans.

And Dea is growing out her bangs. Doesn't it look so pretty on her? She looks so ready for kindergarten.

Drew found this one little puddle. I was too late to stop him (which I only would have done because I didn't have him in the proper gear). So, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em (or take a few photos).

Maryam is sporting Leila's old dress. She looks lovely!

My husband asked me what I wanted for Mother's Day, and I asked for a new diaper bag, since my old one is broken. My own children are no longer in diapers, but a few of the daycare kids obviously are. Besides that, it's really a life saver when you're running a daycare. I love all the little pockets and compartments, so I can easily find things when I'm dealing with children who want or need something NOW. (Like, a quick change of clothes for Drew after he played in that puddle.) Anyway, here is the box it came in.

Leila is a robot, from planet Purolator.

Marcellus (Dea's little brother), is slowly being phased into the daycare!

He is WONDERFUL. He thinks life is AMAZING!

How can you not fall in love with him?!

He is adjusting shockingly well. He cries once in a while for his mom, but he's easily comforted by a hug. It doesn't hurt that he has his big sister at the daycare, looking out for him!

Another one of those experiences when I'm cleaning up after snack, and hear "Look, Charla!"

Yup, this is what they were up to!

In the past week or two, I feel like Drew has turned another corner. He is deliriously happy, almost all of the time. It's so great to see him so confident and content in the daycare.

I brought all 5 kids to Lithuania Park the other day, without my helper, and with some vehicles, because I love challenges. Also, when it's a beautiful spring day, anything is possible!

We started out back of our building, but decided to switch venues since some major yard work was going on near by. Leila pulled her baby in the little wagon, Maryam pushed Mickey Mouse in the stroller, and Dea rode the tricycle with Minnie Mouse on her lap. Drew and Marcellus bonded in the wagon. Before long, Maryam was also put in the wagon. She was livid with me about this, but whenever I get that even slightly nervous feeling that things are getting a little unsafe, I gotta act on it. Always better to have an angry child over one that's not completely safe! She got to walk Mickey again once we got to the park.

This little guy is so easy-going!

And don't even start me on Drew again, because my love for him just keeps growing; I feel about to burst! I've never seen a baby act so kind to another baby. They're either mean, or indifferent. And that's cool too, because that's completely normal. But Drew is special in his own right, and welcomed 'the new kid' in.

Drew gave Marcellus lots of hugs to make him feel welcome.

I think Marcellus was fond of him too. ;)

These guys are going to become best buds, I'm sure!

Leila and Noah's older siblings' mother, Joanna, gave some tiaras to Leila to share with her friends. Any time you compare Maryam to a princess, she will correct you, almost before you finish your sentence with "I'm the queen". She's awesome.

Remember those foot prints we made a month or two ago? We finally made them into birds. (It took me a while to find the craft feathers I had!)

Oh my goodness. Drew's little yellow foot print made the cutest little bird! He couldn't do much of this craft, (mostly me) but I wanted to involve him because of his increasing vocabulary, and the fact that he is interested in birds (among many other things).

They turned out great!

Today on our walk...

And I realized, this is our new gang!

So I took a few group shots of our new group. I don't know about you, but I have a good feeling about this. :)

Have a wonderful weekend!

Happy Mother's Day!

2016-05-07T22:36:00.001-04:00

The Rice Cake Princesses (and other stories)

2016-05-06T15:09:00.001-04:00

Oh sweet, glorious spring, you are finally here!

I brought three beautiful princesses, and the one and only prince charming to High Park yesterday.

Today we went to borrow books from Annette Street Public Library. We took our time getting there though. It was like summer!

Taking time to smell the flowers. Drew would love to walk too, but he won't always hold my hand and that's a deal-breaker.

We got a tonne of books, and a few videos from the library. We took care of business quick, as Drew was very curious, and also scattering books around the library. We left with what I considered minimal destruction. ;)

He is getting sweeter by the day! Such a happy little guy, with lots to say!