Cirkzilla

Wonderbolt Cricus has a new event planned for the summer. Visit their web site to find out more about Cirkzilla and see the info on the circus summer camps too.

Time Capsule

We are repairing an old stone wall in our backyard and installing a new flagstone patio. We are doing the work ourselves.  The work requires a lot of digging which has been a great way to get an upper body work out, but it has also been a fun activity for our kid. He has been enjoying the bugs and worms we are turning up and the area of the backyard that has become a gravel pit and quarry for his toy trucks and cars. One of the most fun things has been the treasure we have been finding. We live in an old part of St. John’s and wth every shovel full of dirt we are finding broken china, glass medicine bottles, and marbles, lots and lots of marbles; clay ones, glass cat eyes and solid coloured ones.

Finding these treasures gave me an idea. We are going to create a time capsule with our son to bury in the ground behind the stone wall. We haven’t decided on all the contents yet, but we will be including a penny (since this is the last year for pennies), a photo of our house and family, a newspaper story of relevance, and a letter from us to the future finder.

I thought I would share this idea since so many people will be working in their gardens this summer.  If you decide to do this, let me know what you will include in your time capsule.

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Balance

I think a lot about how to balance my work and home life.. It is one of the ongoing challenges of a busy life. I read something recently; I think it was in The Happiness Project, which we read for the most recent St. John’s Kid Book Club, the gist of it was that we need to live the life we have, not pine for the life we want. I read this to mean that we need to enjoy our lives now and not put that off until we achieve the life we dream of, because that dream may not materialize. We also need to analyze whether the life we want really is the life we want, for example, if you want a house, a cabin, a fancy car, an annual vacation… are you willing to make the tradeoffs required to achieve these things? Are you willing to work 12 hour days? Are those things the things you really want or is what you want more intangible such as more time with your family?  No two people are the same and there is no right or wrong. I think the important thing is just to think about it once in a while.

We have recently been considering these things at my house and have been trying to prioritize our personal goals and objectives and make them align with our professional ones. One of the most interesting approaches I have heard to this process is having an Annual General Meeting with your partner. You make a date night of it and sit down and assess how things are going, what is working, what isn’t and set clear tasks and objectives for the next year. This AGM can be about your relationship, you finances, your life goals or all of it. I think with older kids it would be interesting to include them in the discussion, or at least in a ‘subcommittee’ meeting! We haven’t fully instituted this at our house, but I like the idea.

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Helping in the kitchen

I have talked about ways of getting my kid involved in cooking and cleaning and other household chores. Here’s an idea: Mashing is something all kids love. Whenever possible I get my kid to do the mashing in our house. In this case it is bananas for banana bread. Other mashables are potatoes of course and avocado for guacamole. What things do you get your kid to do in the kitchen?





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La Leche League Canada - June

Breastfeeding Support Group
Topic: Baby Arrives: The Family and the Breastfed Baby
Monday, June 11, 7pm
Sobeys Community Room (Torbay Road & Highland Drive)
Pregnant Women, Nursing Moms and Babies Welcome
Members & Non-Members Welcome (Free of Charge)
Info: Jane H 722 5815 Jan H 739 9368

Supporting Breastfeeding Families Since 1961

Family workouts

My husband and I both work and so our time with our son is limited on weekdays. He is 3.5 years old, so when you add supper and a bath to the after work mix, bedtime comes pretty quick. The morning rush to get to him to childcare means mornings are a right off. We treasure our weekends and guard our time closely.

All this leads me to the conundrum we have around signing him up for various kinds of classes and sports. I, perhaps selfishly, do not want to spend Saturdays driving him to activities where we once again send him off with other people. I have even read some books that talk about how the lack of time parents spend with their children is a contributing factor in some behavioral issues. These studies say we are losing out on critical bonding time and it undermines our influence on our children as they get older and forces them to turn to their under-qualified peers for guidance because they are more closely bonded with them than us. The constant affirmation of peers provided via social media doesn’t help our cause as they get older and more tuned in to these forms of communication. Anyway, I digress, and whether or not I buy in to all that is a moot point, because right now what I am concerned about is just getting to spend some quality time with my kid.

One of the things we have talked about doing is signing up for things we can all do together as a family. Not all the time of course, he’ll want to do things with his peers, but trying to balance his activities so that there is a nice mix. With this in mind, this Family Surge Class really sparked my interest. Our son is way too young, but I thought I would share it with you guys in case you were looking for a way to get fit with the whole family and spend some quality time together too. I would love to see more stuff like this available. It really solves the problem of trying to get a work out when you have a busy work and home life. No need for sitters or gym-based childcare! It is also a great way to model good health and fitness habits for your kids and show family support for kids struggling with weight issues. If anyone has tried it I would love to hear.

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Smoothies

Have you gotten hooked on smoothies yet? They are an easy milkshake like treat that can be as healthy as you want to make them. I started drinking them to get more fruit and calcium in my diet. I like fruit, but don't tend to reach for it when I need a snack. I also thought it might be a way to get more green vegetables in my kid.
The ingredients are mix and match: Frozen or fresh fruit, almost always add a banana if you like them thick, and milk or/and water. Directions include: put in blender and drink.
You can be adventurous with the types of milk. Try plain or chocolate and milk alternatives too. I have used almond milk, coconut milk, soy milk for subtle flavour changes. I also have added spinach and kale to some of my smoothies and the smoothie was still tasty enough that my kid drank one.
If you don't like cleaning your blender, try a hand blender (I use one) or a Magic Bullet.
I have been pinning some smoothie recipes to Pinterest lately if you are looking for some new ones to try.
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Spring Clean Up

This Spring has been amazing in St. John's. The only thing marring the beautiful weather is the incredible amount of trash blowing around the streets. Every year the CBC 15-Minute Clean Up offers a way to be a part of the clean up of our community. This year it takes place Tuesday, May 29th, at 7:15 a.m.

This is a great way to show your kids how to be good citizens and keep their community clean anf get the City looking ship-shape. Even if all you do is clean up the sidewalk in front of your own property that is something. Imagine if everyone did that? Now all we have to do is get the big box stores to do the same thing!

If the 15 Minute Clean Up doesn't work for you, there are lots of other initiatives or start a neighbourhood clean up of your own.


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Motherhood wrap up

Thank you to all the moms who read my blog and especially to the ones who were generous enough to spend some time answering the questionnaire and being a part of my local moms celebration. I have always wanted my blog to be more about the community than about me, so I am thrilled when people want to participate. I think we all enjoy hearing what other moms have to say and seeing their perspective as it helps reaffirm and challenge our own ideas and practices. I love that doing this blog has connected me with so many interesting moms and dads too. It may seem funny, but social media such as Facebook, Twitter and my blog has really helped me connect with people not just virtually, but in the real world as well. A few people emailed me to ask if I intended to fill out my own questionnaire. So here are my answers:
Occupation: Public Relations Professional
Age: 42
Children: one, a boy, 3.5
When you were a teenager and you thought about your future life, what did you think and how does the reality match up?
I had absolutely no biological clock. So children were not in my fantasies about my future life. As a teenager I envisioned being some kind of adventurous world travelling journalist. A girl TinTin perhaps. In reality, I don’t like flying much and I am pretty content to stay close to home. I do have a journalism degree so I guess I partially lived up to my dream.
6. What is the hardest thing about being a mom?
For me it is all about time and giving my son my full attention. I struggle with it daily. I realize he can’t be the centre of the universe all the time and that it wouldn’t be good for him anyway, but with work and housework and cooking dinner and finding time for exercise and time for my husband; trying to give my son quality time with me is something I am constantly working on. Sometimes it is only 5 or 10 minutes in the morning before I head off to work, but I know if my heart and head are in it 100% for 10 minutes, it is better than 30 minutes with him if I am distracted the whole time.
7. What is the best thing about being a mom?
Joy and laughter. Since our son was born there has been a lot more laughter and joy in my life. It isn’t that life wasn’t good before, it is just that with a child you are able to express it more freely and more often. I don’t think I have smiled and laughed this much since I was a child myself. You see the world in a whole new way through your kids and they remind you of the happiness and wonder in even the simplest and smallest things.
8. When you think about your parenting style, what words would you use to describe it?
Erratic? Seriously though, we are learning as we go. We are not perfect. I read parenting books which are as annoying as they are helpful sometimes. I try to use my gut instincts. If it doesn't feel right, it probably isn't. Our son is a joy. He is even tempered (most of the time) and he is loving. If his behavior and temperament are an indication; I think we are doing a pretty good job.
9. Best advice I was given is something I pass on as well, it is more of a mantra than advice: The days are long, but the years are short. It may be a cliche, but this helps remind me to make the most of each day and helps me get through the tough days.
10. What is the one thing you wish someone had told you before you became a mother? I don't think there is anything anyone could have told me that I would have believed or understood until I went through it myself. I was given lots of advice and some of it was good, some was not, but when I meet new moms or mothers to be I try not to give them patronizing advice and try instead to be supportive and empathetic. There is a lot of grey area in parenthood, so I don't think there is any one piece of advice that applies to everyone.
11. What kind of grown-ups do you hope your children will become?
I hope he is happy, fun loving, fearless, and able to adapt well to change.
12. How do you keep a sense of balance in your life?
For me balance is not something you achieve, but something you continually strive for. Some weeks I do better than others in terms of balancing family time with my busy schedule. Family dinners, making sure I maintain my friendships, and getting outdoors whenever possible help me feel more grounded. I think it is important to try to have some things beyond motherhood and work, things that are just for you to help you feel balanced. For me those things are yoga (when I find time), my book club, and gardening.
13. What is your guilty pleasure?
I have a soap opera that I have watched for about 25 years. And no, it isn't Coronation Street. That is too highbrow for me ;)




Happy May 24th weekend, everyone !

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Family Hike for a Good Cause

The Tele Hike looks like a great family activity to try, especially with older kids. Here's a link to information.

Discovery Sports Camp

Another email I recieved I wanted to to share from the Tots people:

We're going to be running Day Camps during the Summer for children between the ages of 6-14! The name is " Discovery Sports Camp". We're located at the Gushue Sports Complex in Mount Pearl, our camps will be on the Upper Smallwood soccer field. We also have access to the Smallwood Fieldhouse ( formerly the Smallwood Hockey Arena) which has a new indoor artificial soccer turf. We'll be in the Fieldhouse on rainy days and lunchtimes.

We start July 3rd and end August 24th. Two weeks are focused on soccer, two weeks are focused on rugby, one week is focused on lacrosse, one week is focused on baseball, and two weeks are multi sport camps ( ultimate frisbee, flag football, ball hockey, athletics) . Each week we have a technical director who will have a large amount of experience in the sport that the week is focused on. All of our coaches are awesome with kids and are experienced athletes.

You can drop your child off between 8:30-9:00 a.m., and you can pick them up between 4:30-5:30 p.m.! The cost is $200 per week.

You can view our schedule and register online at http://www.smallwoodfieldhouse.com/discovery-sports-camps/ .


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Celebrating Motherhood: Katie

Today's featured mom is Katie:
Occupation: Public Policy Director (currently on maternity leave)
 Age: 28
Number of children and ages: Thomas, almost 9 months
When you were a teenager and you thought about your future life, what did you think and how does the reality match up? When I was a teenager, I only thought about my future in terms of a career - I was going to be a current affairs journalist. These days, I work to support government decision making that often gets reported by the very sort of journalist I'd expected to become.
What is the hardest thing about being a mom? Waking up every hour to nurse on demand.
What is the best thing about being a mom? Seeing my little guy smile and flap his arms when I enter the room or when he hears my voice.
When you think about your parenting style, what words would you use to describe it? Tucked - my son calms down instantly when I cuddle him next to me and he always sleeps best when lying next to me. You could say I loosely follow attachment parenting principles, but my husband and I really just try to do what feels best in our hearts.
All new mothers get lots of parenting advice, sometimes more than they want! What was some advice that you appreciated and would pass on to others, or alternatively, what was the worst piece of advice you ever got? Best -- buy a Nose Frida Snot Sucker. Worst -- just put him in his crib, he'll settle down and sleep through the night. 
What is the one thing you wish someone had told you before you became a mother? That buying a crib is a waste of money!
What kind of grown-ups do you hope your children will become? Friendly. Caring. Supportive. Strong. Independent. Well-educated.
How do you keep a sense of balance in your life? Walking around the neighbourhood while baby naps in his stroller. Blogging about motherhood. Fostering friendships with other new moms. Taking every opportunity to enjoy a dinner out with my husband. Accepting help from my family.
What is your guilty pleasure? Buying dresses, eating chocolate and drinking smoothies.

Bug

There's a stomach bug making the rounds, so today's Celebrating Motherhood post won't be up until tomorrow and there are a couple more to come including mine. Hopefully the bug will pass through quickly and we'll all be right as rain in time for the long weekend.


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Celebrating Motherhood: Michelle

Today's featured local mom is Michelle

2. Occupation: Stay at home Mom

3. Age: 32

4. Number of children and ages. Eloise - 4 1/2, Adele 3 1/2 and a new baby due any day!

5. When you were a teenager and you thought about your future life, what did you think and how does the reality match up?

I found this question really interesting because it forced me to stop and think about my life, and how it compares to what I had envisioned "back in the day." I was quite pleased to realize that my life right now is exactly what I had hoped it would be - We place a lot of emphasis on the time we spend together as a family, I am very happy to be home with my girls, and have a very loving and supportive spouse. I was nicknamed "Suzy Homemaker" and/or "Suzy Secretary" by my Mother growing up (I don't think it was meant as a compliment necessarily) but I truly feel fulfilled in the domestic sphere. I am sure women's lib and my masters supervisor would be horrified, but I've come to realize over the last year and a half that it's true, and also that this is a perfectly valid choice.

6. What is the hardest thing about being a mom?

The Mom guilt! No one really warns you about it ahead of time, but I find there is always something I feel I could have said or done better when it comes to parenting.

7. What is the best thing about being a mom?
Getting a big hug and kiss from my kids, having them look to me for support and encouragement and knowing that they trust me to be there for them when they need me,

8. When you think about your parenting style, what words would you use to describe it?

Consistant, affectionate, discipline with follow through. Dominic and I are on the same page, and back each other up when it comes to our approach to discipline and parenting, and I think this is really important, I didn't have a lot of consistency growing up, and that was a big priority for me with regards to my own kids. Also I am much more of a disciplinarian than I thought I would be. While I try to always be fair, I also have come to realize how important follow through is - it takes more work, but when I say something I have to mean it!

9. All new mothers get lots of parenting advice, sometimes more than they want! What was some advice that you appreciated and would pass on to others, or alternatively, what was the worst piece of advice you ever got ?

The best piece of advice I got was that all of this passes far too quickly, and to really appreciate what you have while you have it. The worst piece of advice was that I would never be happy just being a Mom, that I would need to have something else as well. When I finally did some soul searching to try and discover what would make me happiest I realized that, however politically incorrect it is to want to stay home and be "domestic" this is truly what fulfills me the most. I have a masters degree and it took me a long time to get over feeling like I needed to be doing something with it, and following this advice regarding having something external in addition to "just" being a Mom. I finally realized that the individual telling me this was giving the advice from the perspective of what would make THEM happy, and that it was not an appropriate fit for me.

10. What is the one thing you wish someone had told you before you became a mother?

That it's ok to let things go, and that you don't have to feel responsible for doing everything right all the time. If you slip up from time to time that's ok too!

11. What kind of grown-ups do you hope your children will become?

Responsible, independent, ethical and caring individuals.

12. How do you keep a sense of balance in your life?

I make my family my number one priority, that takes precedence over everything else. I used to have an insane amount of external commitments, and it wasn't until I let go of a lot of that that I started to actually find some balance in my life. I stopped trying to please everyone else and thought long and hard about what was most important to me and what would make me happiest, I also try hard to carve out time for myself, either with friends or on my own, be it to take a walk, read a book or do some kind of craft activity. I find I am a better Mom and partner when I do so.

13. What is your guilty pleasure?

A warm bath, hot cup of tea and a really good book!

The picture was taken by Malin Enstrom, Happy Fish Photography

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Celebrating Motherhood: Stephanie

Today's featured local mother is the blogger behind Ecoblogical, Stephanie
:

2. Occupation: SAHM

3. Your Age: (if you want to share? :) 31


4. Number of children and ages. If you want to give their names you can. That’s up to you: Grace-2 3/4
5.

5. When you were a teenager and you thought about your future life, what did you think and how does the reality match up? I thought I was going to have more kids and earlier-not happening!!!


6. What is the hardest thing about being a mom? Not being able to sleep in.

7. What is the best thing about being a mom? Having someone love you unconditionally


8. When you think about your parenting style, what words would you use to describe it? Authoritative 


9. All new mothers get lots of parenting advice, sometimes more than they want! What was some advice that you appreciated and would pass on to others, or alternatively, what was the worst piece of advice you ever got? People always said don’t hold your baby too much and don’t rock them to sleep and so on but I did the opposite-co-slept until 12 months, breastfed on demand, rocked and cuddled all day and I have the happiest and most secure child who puts herself to sleep and sleeps through the night consistently since she was 1.


10. What is the one thing you wish someone had told you before you became a mother? I wish someone told me to enjoy my free time and not to take it for granted because when you have a child your free time is still spent worrying about them.

11. What kind of grown-ups do you hope your children will become? To be respectful, open-minded and regardless of career choice-to be good with money!

12. How do you keep a sense of balance in your life? Having girls night, having date night with hubby and exercising.


13. What is your guilty pleasure? Chocolate


14. This last question is an open one – if you feel there is something you’d like to add:

Happy Mothers day to all the wonderful moms out there, I hope you all have a wonderful day with your families.

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Celebrating Motherhood: Alison

Today's featured local mom is Alison, the person behind the Petit Cadeau blog:

1. Name: Alison

2. Occupation: Outreach Coordinator for the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association - Newfoundland and Labrador, Creator of The Petit Cadeau Blog

3. Age: 30
4. Number of children and ages. 1 daughter - age 1!

5. When you were a teenager and you thought about your future life, what did you think and how does the reality match up?

I think it matches fairly well. I always thought I would have a family
6. What is the hardest thing about being a mom?

Trying to find balance between being an engaged and present parent, having time to myself to do things I enjoy, spending quality time with my husband, getting things done around the house, having a social life etc! As my little girl is small, I'm still working on these things, and imagine I will be for quite a long time....maybe forever!

7. What is the best thing about being a mom?

The total love and joy that you feel toward your child, no matter what

8. When you think about your parenting style, what words would you use to describe it?

Calm (most of the time), Adaptive - but I'm also a worrier to some extent. There are always "what if's"??

9. All new mothers get lots of parenting advice, sometimes more than they want! What was some advice that you appreciated and would pass on to others, or alternatively, what was the worst piece of advice you ever got ?

RELAX and enjoy your time with your baby. Other things can wait. Your house does not have to be spotless. You don't even have to get dressed every day. They are tiny and small for such a SHORT period of time - don't waste that precious time. Cuddle, go for walks, interact, be together!

11. What kind of grown-ups do you hope your children will become?

I hope that she develops her own sense of identify, surrounds herself with wonderful friends, that she will be creative, thoughtful and caring, that she will be open to new ideas and experiences and that we will have a close connection as a family.

12. How do you keep a sense of balance in your life?

Lists, lists, lists, meal planning, exercise (running and yoga), date nights with my husband, and finding time for my own personal creative interests

13. What is your guilty pleasure?
Magazines. The glossier, the better!

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Celebrating Motherhood: Janice

Today's featured local mom  is Janice and her answers are short and sweet... she makes great cupcakes :)
The questions she answered are posted here.
1. Janice
2. Esthetician
3. 35
4. Katie - 2 years old
5. I believed I would be a psychologist and be married but not have any kids
6. Learning how to do the job as you go and not having any experience of training beforehand
7. Giving life to another person who will be your friend and carry on your beliefs and traditions
8. Sympathetic, humorous, structured, active
9. Give her a pacifier to stop her crying(she got addicted to it)
10. That I don't have to be perfect and that is totally okay
11. Self confident, intelligent, disciplined, ambitious, dedicated
12. I decided to be a stay at home Mom
13. Shopping for clothes and shoes for myself
14. Hardest job ever! I often doubt myself but keep on trying my best every day.

Folk Festival... yes, already

The Folk Festival isn't until August, but you get cheaper tickets if you order early. This is a great family event and we always get weekend passes. Kids under 12 are free! I have mine and I am crossing my fingers for nice weather this year.

See the Folk Festival Web Site for Details.

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Celebrating Motherhood: Andrea

Today's featured local mom is Andrea, you can read the questions she answered here.
Occupation: SAHM
Age: 35




Children: Sadie 5, Calum 3, and Lucie 15 mos
When you were a teenager and you thought about your future life, what did you think and how does the reality match up?
As a teen, I always pictured being married with children as an adult. I also envisioned staying at home with them until they were school aged and then resuming a career outside the home. As I got older I envisioned having four children specifically - this was after a wonderful summer spent looking after 4 siblings while their mother was having her first round of chemo for breast cancer. Today I am married and have three children, am a stay at home mom at the moment....and have no idea what the future holds as far as career outside the home later in life. I would say my reality matches pretty close to what I envisioned...but had no idea how wonderful kids of my own would be...
6. What is the hardest thing about being a mom?
The hardest thing about being a mom for me is keeping my patience...and making the effort to follow through with the discipline strategy I am trying to use consistently! But I think this also is tied into patience. Sometimes exhaustion (or laziness, depending) can lead to cutting corners on consistency, and I have found kids can smell it a mile away when they know you will not follow through! Having patience with them will help them to learn to have it, and this is a very important quality to be modeled in my opinion.
7. What is the best thing about being a mom?
The best thing about being a mom is seeing them learn and grow....becoming their own person is an amazing journey I feel blessed to be able to witness firsthand. I also have found it really cool to see my kids who are in preschool come home with knowledge - a song, a fact or even an opinion - that I have not given them. It just reconfirms the fact that they are their own independent people.
8. When you think about your parenting style, what words would you use to describe it?
I would say my parenting style is experiential. I think the more diverse and rich and numerous the experiences my kids can have, the better! We love to travel, and I would consider our extracurriculars and friendships to be quite diverse as well. "The more you know, the more you grow" is a saying I agree with!
9. All new mothers get lots of parenting advice, sometimes more than they want! What was some advice that you appreciated and would pass on to others, or alternatively, what was the worst piece of advice you ever got ?
Best advice is easy: enjoy it because it goes by so fast. Even the middle-of-the-night feeds, or the every-hour-after-midnight feeds as it sometimes went were to be cherished...hard to do for someone who loves their sleep so much. But during those quiet moments in the dark, I always tried to remember that I would hopefully one day look back on those times with love while I was a worried wreck at home pacing the floor, wondering where my teenager is and what they are doing. Much rather be woken up for a few minutes in the middle of the night for a nice, cozy cuddle was the way I tried to look at it!
10. What is the one thing you wish someone had told you before you became a mother?
I can't think of anything yet I wish I had been told....lots I didn't know but am enjoying learning it along the way.
11. What kind of grown-ups do you hope your children will become?
I hope my children grow up to be open minded and fair. With patience :)
12. How do you keep a sense of balance in your life?
Balance is something I strive for, but won't admit to having just yet. The toddler years are quite time-consuming. But I really enjoy my hour or so of reading in the night! Looking forward to getting back to the gym in the next year though...this will go a looong way towards the balance thing.
13. What is your guilty pleasure?
My guilty pleasure is definitely shopping.
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Mother’s Day Scrapbooking

Create a special scrapbook page all about mom! It could be the beginning of a family heritage scrapbook that tells your family’s story. Bring along a photo to include on your page.
This Sunday May 13th at the Rooms from 2-4 PM

Sportfest

This looks like a great event for active families or families that want to get more active.


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Mother's Day Series

A year or so ago I featured a series of local moms on the blog as a way of recognizing Mother's Day. You can see that series by clicking on Local Moms in the left hand column. This year I decided to continue the tradition. For the next few days I am featuring local moms who were brave and generous enough to share the answers to a series of questions about motherhood. I love the diversity and the humour of these moms. I hope you will enjoy reading them.

If you want to take part, you are more than welcome to send in your answers as well. You don't have to answer every question and I only use first names. Some people included pictures and some did not. You will also see that some people were short and sweet while others wrote longer answers.

The first one will be posted tomorrow.


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Screen Free Activities

Here's a link to some activities you can do with your kids that down't involve TV or video games... sometimes we can all use a little inspiration.

I also saw a great idea on Twitter the other day which was to freeze toys in a block of ice and let your child chip and melt them out. I know my son would like this game if the toys were dinosaurs as it would be a sort of archeological dig activity.



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Kids Expo

Someone sent me this notice about the Kids Expo:

The 2012 NL Kids Expo will take place June 9-10 at The Remax Centre. The first of it's kind in the province, it promises to be a weekend filled with family, friends and fun! Dozens of exhibitors will showcase their products and services so whether you are looking for that creative birthday party idea or educational tools for your kids - this is where you will find us!
http://www.facebook.com/events/368130236540091
http://nlkidsexpo.com/


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La Leche League May

La Leche League Canada -- St. John's
Breastfeeding Support Group
Topic: The Advantages of Breastfeeding to Mother & Baby

Monday, May 14, 7pm
Sobeys Community Room (Torbay Road & Highland Drive)

Pregnant Women, Nursing Moms and Babies Welcome
Members & Non-Members Welcome (Free of Charge)
Info: Jane H 722 5815 Jan H 739 9368

Supporting Breastfeeding Families Since 1961

Fluvarium Kids May

From the Fluvarium:

Hello
We hope you and your family are enjoying the nicer weather and shedding your winter coats! How are you celebrating Spring?

We have two great events are happening this month! We have Fluvarium Kids Club every weekend, but ALSO on MAY 5th 10am - 12pm Nature NL is hosting a Long Pond Clean Up!

Come by as a family and join in on the clean up and do your part to tidy up after the winter thaw.


Fluvarium Kids Club
May Program
The 3Rs in Nature

The month of May is here and mother nature is making a guest appearance. Lots of animals and plants are coming out to play.

Did you know that they use the 3R's everyday to improve their own environment? Learn how caddisflies, worms, ducks and squirrels reduce, reuse and recycle in their habitat.

Please take a moment to share this program with others through and keep in touch with Facebook and Twitter.

https://www.facebook.com/Fluvarium
https://twitter.com/Fluvarium

See you at the Fluvarium Kids Club!

See You Soon!
Denise

The 3R's in Nature

There is no such thing as garbage in nature
plants and animals can recycle everything they use!

Discover how caddisflies borrow from the plants to make their homes, how worms turn old plants into soil and how nothing goes to waste in nature.

Saturdays & Sundays at 1:30pm
May 5 - May 27, 2012

Program runs approx. 45-60 minutes
Preregistration is recommended

Fluvarium Kids Club Weekend Programs

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 usually 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


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Summer Recreation

If you haven't gotten your summer rec guide yet you can see the PDF here, but it takes forever to download. It is chock o block with activities and programs for your whole family from tots to nanas.

Children's Book Week

Children's Author Joan Marie Galat readings: Location: Ross King Memorial Public Library

Event Details:

To celebrate TD Canadian Children's Book Week (May 5-12), author Joan Marie Galat will visit Newfoundland. Ms. Galat introduces astronomy using storytelling to excite young children.
Everyone Welcome.

Mount Pearl
Thursday, May 10
10:45am - 11:45am
Joan Marie Galat
Mount Pearl Public Library
65 Olympic Drive
Mount Pearl, NL A1N 5H6
T: 709 737-3508

St. John's
Friday, May 11
4:00pm - 5:00pm
Joan Marie Galat
AC Hunter Public Library
Arts and Culture Centre
125 Allandale Road
St. John’s, NL A1B 3A3
T: 709 737-3974

Letters and Art

This Sunday, May 6th, 2011 at the Rooms from 2-4PM
Letters & ArtIn celebration of the 60th Annual Arts & Letters Competition, create with words, paint, paper and poems in this family fun program that will inspire everyone.