Sunshine-y Days

I took the big guys to Leslie's (Early Literacy Centre) the other week. There is SO much to do there! Dea ended up choosing the water table while Thomas and Leila opted for the play kitchen.

During gym time, there was a special bean bag toss activity. It was suggested that the kids stay behind the white line when they throw their bean bags, but these guys were not going to take any chances!

Later, the kids returned to the classroom and chose learning materials. Thomas sat at a different table and wooed another parent. He's such a charmer!

Last week, we went to the drop-in at the library. It was the first time we brought the babies. I thought it was the right drop-in for them to start at since it's a little more low-key. Amadea spent about 20 minutes straight, focused on this activity. Blue sand! Blue is her favourite colour, so that was a bonus for her.

Marcus is very social. He knows how to work the room. He would confidently crawl over (or walk! - more on that in a bit) to any adult and smile. Parents would melt. A charmer like Thomas for sure!

Leila and Thomas had a blast with the dress-up clothes. I wasn't sure exactly what either of them were (though I'm pretty sure Thomas was a viking doctor who worked at a Chinese restaurant - doctor bag not in shot) but they certainly had a lot of gear! I didn't get a picture of Maryam but I can tell you that she was absolutely delighted with the parachute activity at the end of circle time!

Here is my little hipster upon returning home from school one day.

Handsome guy! Oh, and let me boast that he has learned to do 3 things this year, completely independently: skate, swim, and bike. I am very excited for him, and so proud as well!

And here's the littlest handsome dude! I keep laughing at his onesies that are uncovered when I have to remove his dirtied outer shirts. This one says "Most Eligible Bachelor". I think it's bang-on! Another one says "I Run the Show." Yep. Pretty much!

I love this picture of pretty little Amadea! AND eating her dinner like a champ, to boot!

Sweet, sweet Maryam. She has a special place in everyone's heart. She is just so happy and friendly. I can't tell you how much I love her spirit. Everyone breaks into laughter every time she expresses herself in baby talk. It's just so darned cute. The intonation is completely there. In her mind, she is speaking perfect, coherent sentences. She keeps everyone's spirits high, because she keeps us laughing. But she is also incredibly smart, and adventurous. Actually, a little too adventurous at times. Let's just say she's been trying to (and at times succeeding) climb to places that she shouldn't. I see her enjoying extreme sports later on in life. :)

Because I can never show too many pictures of Leila in a princess-y dress. My husband Dan said this week, "Isn't this the 3rd day in a row she's been wearing a blue princess dress?" Why yes. Yes it is. Her closet is stocked with princess dresses. As it should be. And she chooses her own clothes EVERY day.

But princess also get get dirty. I'm sure the dresses will all be ripped and ragged by the end of the summer. Again, as it should be. :) (Hey, think how far we've come. Last year she was wearing PJ's EVERY day!)

Thomas is a little too good at hiding in this bush.

At one point I panicked because I couldn't see him. He was right beside me. In the bush. Sneaky guy!

As we were gearing up to leave the park one day, Thomas and Leila told us they had to put on a show for us first. We took a seat on the park bench.

Amadea joined in the show and performed her own song! It is customary for all of them to run in circles when performing.



Marcus was a little subdued on this day because he was getting sick. He still managed to give his own little drumming performance using measuring cups and chairs. He honestly does have the urge to drum a lot of the time. Little budding musician!



I just loved seeing the kids enjoy this beautiful spring day, feeling so free with their jackets off. Notice that Tom is absolutely the creative director in the group. At one point, as I was re approaching them after grabbing some water from the wagon, I heard his voice bellowing out, "They're not windows! They're SKY LIGHTS!!!" I believe he was speaking about the holes in the fence. Oh, and on this note, just for the record, another funny thing he screamed about was when Leila threw his stuffed monkey out of the wagon. He turned to her and shouted, "This is NOT okay!" It was just exactly how a very angry adult might sound, so I couldn't stop laughing at that one. And when he yelled about the sky lights, it really reminded me of a temperamental big time director on a movie set. These kids are too funny! (Don't worry. I'm not crazy enough to think they're funny when they're really really mad. Or when my daughter is trying to bite my ankle. No, that's not so funny. But the moderately angry things are a little funny.)



Dea had fun playing with the gravel in the baseball diamond. I know these pictures are basically the same, but you know me - I never have a picture I don't like! She just looks so sweet and peaceful enjoying this solitary play.

And here they are, working together to make their "cake".

On this day, we were playing in the upper part of Lithuania Park. And in this picture, the kids are looking down at the playground below.

So, Marcus learned to walk last week! Maryam's at about 7 steps in a row now, so she's not far behind! Actually, it's not even right to say, "He learned to walk last week." They've actually both been taking a few steps for a couple of weeks now. But it's a progression. Marcus kept building up his step count daily, and then one day decided that yes, this was a more efficient way to get around. Maryam is not convinced yet, that she should use this technique of getting around, over crawling. But she is very close. And like I said, she seems more eager to work on her climbing skills. I am very impressed, and a little terrified - okay, maybe wary is a better word - of the fact that she thinks she is Spider Woman. Aaaannnyway.....here's Marcus!



This video doesn't showcase his walking skills like the video below does. (He was still under the weather.) But what I love about this video is how Amadea cheers for him. She really adores him and is so loyal to him!

Here's the better video!

Here's another Spider Woman! Maybe she is Maryam's inspiration!

We got this circus tent from Emily and Jacob's (Noah and Leila's older sibs) grandparents. It was very thoughtful, and it is awesome!

Here's what goes on inside the tent. ;)

I leave you with an intense conversation I had with Maryam. YOU might not have a lot to say about corn on the cob. She does.