Change your links!

The blog has a new address... http://www.stjohnskid.blogspot.com/ so please update your links.
This is all part of the transition from toddlerhood! :)

Kickboxing kids

I received an email from a local martial arts school about a really neat class and I wanted to share it with you guys :

My husband and I have been running a martial arts school for 10 years, 8 Limb Muay Thai & Kickboxing Club

We have a 2.5 year old and he has inspired us to start a new Parents and Toddlers Kickboxing Class. The class runs Sunday mornings until December 11th from 10-11am. The cost is 10 classes for $115, 5 classes for $65 or single pass for $15. You can use your passes all in a row or to drop in.

The class is designed to introduce toddlers to physical activity, help develop coordination and playing with other toddlers.
The gym is located at 45A Blackmarsh Road. I am a fully certified Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer through Can Fit Pro, and a Muay Thai Instructor through the Canadian Muay Thai Council. Come on October 9th and you can try the first class for free, but please register with us by emailing as space is limited: KruCat@8limbmuaythai.com

- Posted from my iPad

LLLC Breastfeeding Support Group

LLLC Breastfeeding Support Group
Monday, October 3, 7pm
Sobeys Community Room (Torbay Road & Highland Drive)

Realistic Expectations: A New Baby in Your Family
- For pregnant women & nursing moms
- Babies welcome
- Please feel free to invite other moms
- Healthy snacks are always welcome

For more information
- Jane 722 5815
- Jan 739 9368

The Petit Cadeau guest post

A grand *Hello* to St. John's Toddler readers!

I'm Alison, and I blog over at The Petit Cadeau, a blog about thoughtful gift giving. Many thanks to Erika for inviting me to guest post - we are planning some more guest posts for the future...so stay tuned!

Today's post is on creating "memory" gifts for your children - things that do not necessarily have a lot of monetary value, but that they can keep, save, and have to look back at over the years.  I started a memory box for my daughter Norah (and also one for my Niece but shhhh she's getting it for her first birthday!) The box doesn't have to be expensive - I wanted Norah's to be large enough to hold a newspaper (more on that in a minute), so I shopped around for a box that was suitable.

Here's Norah's memory box!

I saved the newspaper from the day she was born and purchased acid-free archival storage bags to preserve the paper. If you've missed the "birth date", no worries, pick another important milestone and save a paper from that date instead!

I also wanted to make hand and footprints - I thought this would be a lot of fun to look back at. If you have a toddler, this would be a great rainy-day activity, as they can help with the process. I used homemade dough, with great instructions found from The Imagination Tree and then painted the impressions.

Here's what Norah's hand and footprints look like at 2 months old...they already seem so tiny!

I also love this idea of writing a letter to your child each year. I got this inspiration from the Web site How Does She; I'm planning to jot down little memories and at the end of the year, write a letter to Norah to be tucked into her memory box.

If you're more on the tech savvy side, an alternative to writing a letter would be to photoshop a photo of your child each year, along with some text of milestones and memories, much like this one found on Flickr - I love it!

...and my final inspiration idea for today's post - do you gift books to your children for special occasions? Christmas? Birthdays?  Why not write a small note or dedication on a bookplate in the front? They can look back at these special books and know exactly what year and special occasion they came from. There are some great, free, kid-friendly printable bookplates here to get you started perhaps?

Do you have a great idea for creating memorable gifts for your children? Please share with us!

Alison
The Petit Cadeau Blog

PS. Watch for Erika's guest post on my blog with thoughtful and unique loot bag ideas for kids... coming soon.

Get the stink of house off ya

"We need to get out and get the stink of house off us!" Is something my husband says when he feels that we need to get out of the house and get some fresh air. I don't know if this is a Newfoundland expression or soemthing he made up, regardless I like the sentiment. Getting outside is good for you.

As we get back into the routines of fall I started thinking about some of the ways we enjoyed the summer, as brief as it was. Our son got to take his first canoe ride with his grampy and watch (and listen) to the loons on the pond as they reared their young.  We lay on a blanket in the backyard and he gazed at stars, maybe for the first time come to think of it. These experiences were good exercise for body and brain.

Now that the days are getting shorter and cooler I have been thinking about how to continue getting our family out of the house.  I have said before that I have made it my personal mission not to let the St. John's weather get the better of my family. I have tried to make sure we have the right gear and clothes for all seasons and all types of weather so there is no excuse for not getting outside. I have also bought a couple of books with ideas for outdoor activities you can do with children for inspiration. Many of the ideas are common sense, but sometimes I find I am just too exhausted to have common sense, so I find the books helpful.

Over the next few months, when the outdoors is a little more 'challenging,' I thought I would share some of the ideas to help you get your family out the door too.

One of the simplest ideas I read in the book  is just to try doing things you normally do inside, outside. For example:

• Do storytime outside
• Have a breakfast or dinner time picnic
• Walk somewhere you would normally drive

What simple ideas do you use to get your kids outside to play? Leave a comment or write me a guest post... and send it to me by email.

Watch for more 'outside the house' ideas in the coming weeks...

- Posted from my iPad

The doggy circus

This past week we had to have our old dog euthanized. He was sick and his quality of life had deteriorated significantly. So I came to the point in every parenting career where you have to decide how you are going to explain death to your child. Pets are often their first experience with grief and loss of this nature and perhaps that is a good thing. It teaches both parents and kids coping skills and is practice for inevitable and much more difficult losses to come.

We always hear about people telling their kids some variation of "she went to live on a farm" or "he joined the doggy circus." But even kids know there is no doggy circus and if there was, why on earth would your parents just let your dog run off and join it? Most experts agree that as much as we'd all love there to be a magical doggy circus, the best approach is age-appropriate honesty. They say that children cope better when they are told the truth and that real terms such as 'died' are used rather than euphemisms.

Given our son is only three, I chose to tell him that our dog was feeling sick and that he was going to have to go somewhere else so he would feel better. My little boy and I were petting our old dog as we talked and it was a very meaningful and touching moment. I think my son really 'got it'. He asked if our dog would be coming back and I said, "no, he needs to stay where he will feel better". My son then said, "I am a little bit sad." I told him that I was too and we cuddled for a few minutes. 

Our dog was a good dog. I like to say I got him and my husband the same week. That was almost 10 years ago now. He was obedient, gentle, smart and tolerant when our son arrived and took over centre stage. He came house trained and kennel trained. He never ran off.  Of course he wasn't perfect, but neither are we.

It was about a week after I spoke to my son about it that we said good bye to our dog. He wasn't home when we took the dog to the vet. My son has not asked about his absence yet. I am waiting for that and when he does we will tell him the same thing: that we had to take him to the vet because he was sick and that the vet helped him go to a place where he will feel better. I guess in a way this is not unlike the doggy circus or doggy heaven story, but given my son's age, this feels like a gentler approach. I hope we made the right decision.

We sure will miss our dog. I hope he has a lot of fun on the flying dog trapeze.

Cozi Family Calendar

I love this! If I was Oprah, you'd all be getting one, free! Wait, it is already free... so I command you to sign -up. If you have kids, and I assume you do if you are reading this blog, you need this family organizer. You can create a family account and add calendar items, create grocery lists, to do lists, and have all of it synchronized between everyone who is part of your family account. In my case, it's me and my husband, our son doesn't have internet access... yet. The awesome part is that you can set up reminders, email lists to each other, schedule family activities and colour code each person so you can quickly identify yourself and everyone on the calendar. You can also use this on iphone, android phones and ipad and your home computer.

I have added garbage day, recycling day and set up email reminders to my husband one day before. So not only does it remind him, but it relieves me of the task of reminding! See? LOVE!

I am also able to set up shopping lists - and separate them by store - for example we have a Costco list and a grocery store list. So now my husband can see what I have added to the list using his Iphone as he walks around Costco, and he can remind me to pick up his favourite ice cream by adding it to the grocery list.
You need to check this out, and be sure to let me know what you think of it.

Find it online or at the App Store of your choice.


- Posted from my iPad

Cannot live without list

I am reposting this - because I can't believe that no one had a 'can't live without' item to share. I think when this originally posted it was one of our few sunny weekends... so that is an excuse for not contributing, but I would really love to hear some tips, products, clothes, food... things that you just can't live without.

Just for fun, I have made a list of things I cannot live without. Obviously family and friends go without saying...

• Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything cookbook or app
• My Bogs
• My IPhone
• Basil
• Almost Any Red Wine (as long as it is not named after an animal)
• Fleur de Sel
• Simon and Garfunkel
• This American Life podcasts
• Black turtleneck sweater

 Have you got anything you 'can't live without' that you'd like to share?

- Posted from my iPad

The X-word (Xmas)

It might be too early for some of you to even think about, but because these sold out so quickly last year I wanted to share: This arrived in the mail from Playmobil today. I love advent calendars and this is pretty cool one. You can find them here if you are interested.



- Posted from my iPad

Cool kids event - Festival of new dance

I received this email today and couldn't wait to share:

I came across your blog because I’ve been trying to get the word out about the Festival of New Dance (Oct 11-16). Part of the Festival includes performances from Toronto dance company, Corpus. They’re known to lots of kids across Canada as the stars of Treehouse TV’s 4-Square and they’ll be performing free shows in public places as part of the festival. On Friday, October 14th they’ll be at Atlantic Place at 12:30 and 2 and then on Saturday and Sunday they’ll be performing at the Avalon Mall at noon and 1:30.

Corpus will be doing two pieces, and I’m sure they’ll both appeal to children. They’re funny, slapstick romps – in one (Les Moutons) the dancers do a studied impersonation of sheep complete with being shorn, a wolf attack and lots of bleating. The other, A Flock of Flyers, has the company performing aerial feats as if they were planes but, of course, without the planes.

Here’s an example of Les Moutons: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CC2Qd3isCuA

And Flock of Flyers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Urp2SIJhJJ4&feature=related

I think that these events will be really amazing for children, they’re free and it’s an unexpected and really funny introduction to the world of dance. Corpus have performed all over the world and we’re really lucky to have them in St. John’s for the festival. I hope if this interests you you will consider mentioning it in your blog!

Thanks so much!



- Posted from my iPad

Physical Literacy is back for 2011

From the MUN website:
The Physical Literacy Experience is designed to promote parental participation as children explore a variety of movement experiences. Parents should provide assistance and encouragement to their children when necessary, but should allow the children to freely engage in movement exploration. Students, undergraduate or graduate, will provide supervision throughout the sessions and will ensure that the program environment is challenging and safe. Parents must be present for the duration of each session and are responsible for maintaining their child/childrens' safety, along with the students.

The program is open to all children between walking and their 5th birthday. There is no cost, but registration is required on the morning of sessions. Three sessions are offered - 9:30 - 10:25 am, 10:30 - 11:25 am and the third session from 11:45 am - 1:00 pm which is open only to children registered with Special Olympics Newfoundland and Labrador. Registration is in the main
lobby of the PE Building. For more information, please call 864-8130.


- Posted from my iPad

CBC Open House

Here's something you can do to help with your children's media literacy: CBC's Open House on October 1st, 2011

Family Calendar

My friend Tracey taught me this trick, each year she takes her old calendar and transfers all the birthdays and occasions from the previous year to the new one. Simple enough. Maybe because I am just new to the whole 'keeping a calendar' thing (I mean, who needed a home calendar before they had kids?), but  I never thought of this before. Anyway, I have started doing this now because I am terrible at remembering birthdays. I thought I would share the idea with you in case, like me, you are suffering mommy memory loss due to chronic multi-taking, distraction and sleep-deprivation. 

I also saw some cool calendar apps for smartphones and Ipads that I am going to check out - I'll keep you posted.

If you have organizational tips, I'd love to hear about them.

- Posted from my iPad

St. John's Kid

Over the next few months I will be making a few changes around here. I will be renaming and redesigning the blog. As my son, the inspiration for the blog, grows, so too must the blog. It will be called St. John's Kid. The new name will mean I can expand my content and continue to grow. I didn't know I'd still be blogging when I started this whole thing three years ago!

The Facebook page has already been changed to St. John's Kid - so you'll need to like the new page to continue following me there. I'll be shutting down the old Facebook page on October 1st, 2011.

Twitter and the blog will follow soon. The blog is going to take a bit longer as there will be a whole new look too!

I hope you will like the changes and continue to come along for the ride as we head into the preschooler era.... And beyond!

- Posted from my iPad

Sandbox

This is a front end loader in my son's backyard sandbox.  For me, this sandbox is more than a child's backyard activity, it is a symbol of life's changes. You see, I am kind of an obsessive-compulsive person about cleanness. I like things just so. As a child I cleaned my room weekly. As a teenager I redecorated monthly. In my twenties I worked as a housekeeper at a resort and honed my cleaning skills to a five-star standard. Now, as an adult, I find Marxian satisfaction in cleaning my house. When you work at a computer all day; seeing the product of your labour in the form of a tangibly clean house brings a weirdly therapeutic satisfaction.  I cannot sit down and relax in the evening until everything is in its place, dishes done, counters cleared... you get the picture. This behaviour extends beyond my home and in to my garden. Weeding, mowing, pruning, these are all a part of my madness.

So, when we bought this sandbox for our son, I had to get over the fact that it sits unmoving on our lawn creating a huge dry patch where no grass will grow. I had to just let it go that a half bag of sand has been transported by tiny tractors and front end loaders well beyond the boundaries of the box itself and onto the lawn.

You know what? I did get over it. In fact, I don't give a damn about it.  Instead of seeing an imperfect lawn and a mess that needs cleaning up, when I look at the sandbox in my backyard I see the joy my son takes in playing in it and how he has claimed that space as his own little corner of the world. Now I think about what it would mean to look out the kitchen window at a perfect lawn and garden and not see that sandbox and that is not a place I want to go. For me that sandbox represents how parenting changed my priorities... for the better.

- Posted from my iPad

Book Club

For those of you who are in the book club, I just have to say : You people who voted for The Help must love to have your heart ripped out as part of your reading experience. Neglected children! Racism! Geez... not exactly relaxing reading at bedtime, ladies! :) 

For anyone who is not in the book club, but wants to join in on the heartbreak from home, here's a link to the book at amazon.ca - you can also find it for e-readers.  If you can't committ to the book club meeting, you are more than welcome to discuss it by way of the blog (comments) or St. John's Toddler Facebook page.

The tough stuff

Have you got your will done? Have you identified your child's legal guardian? Have you got enough life insurance? It's important to think about these things so that any illness that debilitates you or your passing won't burden those around you financially or otherwise, and will ensure your spouse, loved ones and children are looked after. It is also very important to have your wishes on paper.
These are critical questions for any adult and especially for people with kids, but I am always suprised at how many of my friends (and me included) have let these things slide. We did get our will done, we also named a legal guardian and I am planning to bump up my life insurance before Christmas. After posting about the 72 Hour emergency kit  last week and now this topic, I am starting to feel a little like Scaredy Squirrel... but better safe than sorry never rings more true than when there are children involved.
One thing I haven't done is made a record of all the important information that someone would need if my husband and I were no longer here or somehow incapacitated (knocking on wood now). This record would include information about your assests, accounts, passwords... everything someone would need to be able to settle your estate and provide for your children.

Our lawyer told us to do this two years ago and I stared to do it and never finished. The I heard about the Virtual Shoe Box on CBC the other morning and now I am motivated to finish this project this weekend. I thought I would share the link.

- Posted from my iPad

World Breastfeeding Week Celebrations

Come join us for a morning of FREE family fun snacks, prizes, music, displays. Take part in the Breastfeeding Challenge. Learn how to wear your baby with a sling/carrier.
Saturday, October 1, 2011 from 10:30 AM-12:30 PM
Avalon Mall, Main Floor near the Gap
11 AM Baby-Wearing Workshop
11:30 AM Breastfeeding Challenge
For more information:
Facebook WBWC NL
www.BabyFriendlyNL.ca

- Posted from my iPad

National Tree Day

Picking out and planting a tree with your child is a great fall activity and learning experience, you could do it at home or attend this event as a part of your plans.

 

Join the City of St. John’s for National Tree Day on Sept. 21 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will include a ceremonial tree planting, barbecue and demonstrations throughout the day on how to care for your trees by City of St. John’s Staff and representatives from Landscape Newfoundland and Labrador. This event is brought to you by the City of St. John’s, Trees Canada, Newfoundland Power, St. John’s Clean and Beautiful, Bowring Park Foundation, Grand Concourse and TD Green Streets.

Story time

FREE Preschool Storytime at Michael Donovan Library, for children ages 3-5, Wednesday mornings 9:30-10am, Sept 28 - Nov 2. Register by Phone @ 737-2621




- Posted from my iPad

Banana Bread redux

I posted this fabulous Banana Bread recipe before, but have made it several times since and I am now convinced that these modifications make it better, so I thought I would share:

• Halve the sugar
• Use 2 or 3 bananas not four
• Go mad with chocolate chips

My husband says this is the best banana bread he has ever had. He is a renowned authority on the subject.


- Posted from my iPad

Little Gym Open House

Families with children ages 4 months - 12 years are invited to an OPEN HOUSE at The Little Gym at Coaker's Meadow Plaza on Torbay Road on Saturday September 17th from 3:30-5:30pm.

We will have lots of games and activities in the gym and will also have some prizes! This is a great opportunity to check out what we do and meet some of our awesome instructors!

- Posted from my iPad

Salmonier Nature Park ...jackpot!

We made our annual trek to Salmonier Nature Park on Labour Day Weekend and we hit the jackpot. We arrived at about 10:30 AM and were there in time to see many of the animals at feeding time. Apparently this is the perfect time to go as the animals come out of hiding to chow down. We saw two lynx, the Newfoundland Marten, the Snowy Owl, the Bald Eagle, the Great Horned Owl, the Moose, the Caribou, the Geese, the Arctic Fox... we did not see the Beaver, maybe next year!

Clothing Swap

For all of you who might be wondering if I gave up on this idea, I have not. I have just been trying to find an alternate venue. Oddly, both Dominion and Sobey's told me their community rooms could not be used for this purpose, because they can only be used for non-profit events - meaning you can't exchange cash and then I saw an add on Facebook for a Cloth Diaper Sale and Swap at the same community room I had called. Not sure how they swung that?  Anyway, I still hope to figure something out.

Fruits of my Labour Day

We've been growing raspberries in our backyard for three years and this year, whether it was due to the rainy summer or the maturing of the plants, we have had a bumper crop. My son LOVES them. If he didn't eat so many each day I might have had enough for a pie. Growing something edible is a really nice way to enjoy your garden with your child.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Chirp!

You know how fun it is to get mail that isn't a bill? Well, with that in mind, I decided to subscribe to a children's magazine for my son. I remember getting Chickadee in the mail when I was a child and how excited I was when it arrived each month.

Here's the link if you are interested in checking it out for your kids. The web site looks like it has good activities for children too.

Storm Season

Hurricane season is here and snow storm season is close behind it. If you haven't already done it, you should consider pulling together your 72 hour emergency kit. You can find out what should be in it here. It's one of those things you always think about doing, but don't always get around too... but if you needed it one day, you would be really glad you took the time.

With a small child in the house I am much more conscious of ensuring we have a stash of food, water, and other necessities if the power were out or if roads were inaccessible from fallen trees and such. I have heard that Newfoundland, as an island, is vulnerable because if ships and planes were unable to deliver food there would only be enough food on the island to supply the population for a few days. Labradorians on the coast are well aware of how it feels when the supplies can't get in due to broken down ferries or ice blocked harbours. I am not paranoid, but I am a firm believer in 'better safe than sorry.'

Having been through an earthquake while on my honeymoon (no jokes please) in a place susceptible to tsunamis, I can honestly say that I don't know how I would have handled it with a small child. It was incredibly frightening even though everything was fine in the end. It put in perspective how a little preparedness could make the difference in a difficult situation.  I am sure people who went through Igor in some of the more impacted parts of the province have put emergency preparedness higher on their priority list too.

As a child I loved power outages and snow storms because school was closed, we played board games by candlelight, and ate junk food because the stove didn't work. I think a little preparedness could help make the best of a bad situation.

Book Club REMINDER

Just an update and reminder to send me an email if you want to be a part of the book club!

I am going to pick a St. John's Toddler book club book using a vote on my Facebook page. (Https://www.facebook.com/pages/St-Johns-Toddler/101308723293183) you have until Friday to vote. The books on the list to vote one came from reader suggestions and one from me:)

On the weekend I will pick the book based on the votes and let you guys know what it is. We will have the first book club meeting from 8:00PM to 10:00 PM on Thursday, October 20th at a location to be determined based on the number of people who sign up.

I haven't been part of a book club before, the last time I talked intelligently about a book I read was in a university English class, so people who have; I need your help in structuring the evening and discussion points.

If there are only a few people interested in joining the book club, that's okay... large or small group, it will still be fun to meet you guys in person, maybe drink a glass of wine, eat some chocolate and have a grown-up chat.


- Posted from my iPad

Tots Sports

Fall programs start September 17th at My Tots. If you are planning on registering, you should do this soon to secure your desired time/location. Go to the web site to register .

Fluvarium Fall Kids Club

Saturdays & Sundays at 1:30pm
September 10 - 25, 2011  Program runs approx. 45-60 minutes 
Preregistration is recommended

Have you heard? Kids ages 5-10 and their families are invited to join Fluvarium Kids! Receive updates, collect stickers, and earn a Fluvarium Kids Fresh Water Friends certificate
when you attend sessions in four different months!
This Fluvarium Kids program is Family Fun and includes an outdoor component, game, story and craft!
Fluvarium Kids programs are complimentary with admission.
Ask about our Annual Family Pass for only $35!  

 

Register today with Denise or Tracy: 754-3474 or dhennebury@fluvarium.ca

   

Book club survey

Here's the link to the book club survey on Facebook if you want to get your pick in...
Send me an email if you want to be on the mailing list for the book club. Only the votes of people who are actually on the book club mailing list will be counted. We need to make sure that the people who voted for a book are actually going to come to the book club meeting on October 20th. :)

You have until Sunday to vote and send me your email.


- Posted from my iPad

Literacy Day

Today is Literacy Day and September is Literacy Month. We read to our child every night and I feel like it is a really important part of bonding and learning. I have to admit though, that sometimes when I read to him I am tired from a busy day, distracted by my long to-do list, or bored from reading the same book over and over again. Toddlers do love repetition don't they? I try not to beat myself up about this, parenting is hard and we all try our best.

So today, in honor and celebration of Literacy Day, I am going to try and give my son my full attention at storytime tonight... Even if I have to read "I Love You Stinky Face" 6 times in a row.


- Posted from my iPad

Old-fashioned birthday

I thought I would share what we did this year for my son's third birthday party. I often get requests for birthday ideas and would love to hear some from you guys too.

This year we had a picnic in our neighbourhood park and we went old school. What I mean by 'old school' is that we didn't rent a bouncy castle or hire a magician, we didn't have fancy custom cupcakes or a cake that looked like Lightening McQueen and Mater in a field tipping cow-tractors (not that it couldn't be done, yes, I am looking at all of you wildly creative local bakers! ). It has been a busy summer for us personally and work-wise, so we wanted a fun party, but we didn't want it to be over-complicated. Besides, our son is only three and we didn't want him to be overwhelmed.  We decided on a picnic party, actually this is our third picnic party so it has sort of become a family tradition. Of course a picnic is weather-dependent and in St. John's that means having a flexible date and pulling the party together on-the-fly.

To keep it simple here's what we did:
I used Facebook for the invites since that would allow us to let people know if we had to change the date at the last minute if the forecast wasn't good. We asked parents to pack a family picnic, bring a blanket to sit on and we would supply the fun, the cupcakes, and the drinks.

On the day of the party we set up at the park with some foil helium balloons tied to the folding table we brought. For food we bought a bucket o' chicken from KFC for ourselves with enough to share. It was the first time I have eaten KFC in about 10 years. It was delicious, we will probably do it again in another 10 years.  We put drinks for both children and adults in a big bucket of ice for people to help themselves as they pleased. We had mini cupcakes from Sobey's that were perfectly toddler-sized. They were cute and tasty enough for our purposes, but no comparison to some of the local, specialty ones we have had. It was a trade off for cost and convenience. Oh the sacrifices we make for our kids!

For entertainment I dumped a Rubbermaid container full of balls, bats, skipping ropes, bubbles and Frisbees on the grass and said: "have 'atter!"  I had purchased them all in the summer clearance aisle at Dominion. At the end of the party we gathered them all up to store away for next year.

As an alternative to loot bags, I gave every kid an age- appropriate musical instrument I found at Michael's. I handed these out as they arrived instead of as they left, just in case there was an opportunity for a parade or a jam session!

It was a beautiful day, the kids had a great time and had lots of room to run and play and interact as they chose. We parents got to enjoy the party too.  As we drove home my toddler said, "I want to go back to my party."  That was all I needed to hear.

Have you got any birthday ideas to share? Have a loot bag tips or interesting location or activity idea? I'd love to hear about it.

- Posted from my iPad

Snack time

The most comprehensive child-friendly snack list ever!  Got a snack idea to share?

Super mom?

One day last week when my husband was gone all day and all evening I got my kid up, dressed, fed and out the door to preschool and managed to get myself to work on time too. On the same day I also picked him up from preschool, got his supper and mine, cleaned the kitchen, gave him a bath, put him in his pajamas, stuck him in the stroller and pulled on my rain coat and we took the dog for a walk. When we got home I put my son to bed and did some laundry before going to bed myself. I felt pretty accomplished and proud of myself that I did all that, but then I remembered lots of moms (and dads too) do this stuff everyday when their partners are away working in Alberta or at sea or because they are single parents by choice or circumstance.

So once again, I offer those parents my sincerest respect...

Parenting is hard work, but worth every minute.

- Posted from my iPad

Cars, Cars, Cars

Targa Newfoundland Multi-Region Various Locations An annual 2,200-km motorsport event featuring a passing parade of priceless classic, sporting, grand touring and historic autos. See hot cars and international class drivers at Targa Newfoundland!


10 Sep 2011 - 17 Sep 2011

Toll Free: +1 (877) 332 2413

melissa@targanewfoundland.com

www.targanewfoundland.com

Bannerman Park refugees

More of a heads up, than a recommendation for a place to take your toddler. If you frequent Bannerman Park you might wonder what is on the go:

"From Sept. 8 to 11, Bannerman Park in St. John’s will be the site of a nearly 1,000-square-metre reconstructed refugee camp. Visitors to the Refugee Camp in the Heart of the City exhibition will be able to experience what challenges both refugees and aid workers face. Doctors, nurses and technical staff will guide visitors through a free interactive tour and talk about their experiences."

This would probably be a great experience for older children though!

Tots Program at the Rooms

The weekly tots program begins again on October 4th, 2011.

Fall 2011 Story Time Registration

From the Library Web Site:

Fall Story Time Registration@A.C. Hunter Children's Library

Location: A.C. Hunter Children's Public Library

Start Date: Wednesday, September 14, 2011

End Date: Friday, September 30, 2011

Event Details:
Registration for our Fall Storytime sessions will begin on Wednesday, September 14th at 10AM and will continue until all sessions are full.  You may register in person or by phone.    Once programs are full, a waiting list will be compiled. Names will be accepted on the waiting list until September 30th.
All sessions begin the week of September 28th run for 6  weeks. 
You may register your child(ren) for 1 of the following sessions:

Tots Time:  A love of books and reading is a gift that lasts a lifetime.  It's never too early to introduce your child to this wonderful world!  Together we will explore short picture books, rhymes, finger plays, lap rhymes,  felt stories and songs. The group setting provides a fun, social experience for you and your child.  A good introduction to storytime for our littlest participants and their grown-ups. For children under 3 and their parents/caregivers.   Offered Wednesdays or Fridays from 11:00-11:30. (20-30 minutes)

Family Storytime: Do you have more than one child to bring to storytime? Do you have a child who is not quite ready to go to Pre-School Storytime but is too old for Tots Time? Then Family Storytime is for you.  This session is intended for families with children ranging in age from 0 to 5 and their parents/caregivers.  These sessions involve longer books, felt stories, rhymes and finger plays and songs. Offered Wednesdays from 10:15 to 10:45 or Thursdays from 11:00 to 11:30. (30 minutes)

Pre School Storytime:  Our pre-school storytime is a gentle introduction to early literacy skills for children who are ready to be on their own in a group.  This is an interactive presentation of books, action rhymes, finger plays, felt stories and songs.  For children aged 3 to 5, no caregivers.  Child must be able to go into the storytime room without their caregiver, but caregivers are asked to stay in the library while the program is in progress. Offered Thursdays or Fridays from 10:15 to 10:45. (30 minutes)

For more information about this Event, Please contact: A.C. Hunter Children's Public Library at
(709) 737-3953

Check the web site for other library's activities and story time registrations

Cats!

For all you musical fanatics: Cats is being performed at the Arts and Culture Centre September 13-17, 2011
See the Arts and Culture Centre web site for details.

Doctor's orders

We bought a Fisher Price doctor's kit for our son to play with and thought it might also help him be more comfortable with the idea of going to the doctor. I am also going to take him with me when I have an appointment so that he won't always associate doctor appointments with needles or not feeling well. My doctor even suggested bringing him in when he is well for just this purpose.  

I think it is important for children, and in particular boys, to be comfortable with going to the doctor. Over the course of women's lives we have many occasions to go to the doctor for routine check-ups and tests. Men, not so much, (which is probably why they are so reluctant to go). Just as the treatment of many diseases and ailments can benefit if caught early enough in women, there are many for men too. Testicular cancer is most common in men aged 15 to 40, for example, yet unlike girls who are encouraged to get an annual PAP test, how many people have heard of encouraging boys to have an annual medical visit?  

I intend to make sure my son has a good relationship with our family doctor and has regular check ups.

- Posted from my iPad