T is for Truck

We have had the good fortune of seeing (on more than one occasion)  a total of 3, yes THREE cement mixers busy at work on Pacific Avenue. The kids always stare at the trucks and the workers in awe. I still remember a couple of years ago, mentioning to a construction worker that the kids thought of them as gods. The man turned to the kids in the wagon and said, "Stay in school kids. It's not as fun as it looks." No kidding! I don't envy them, working out there for such long hours on the coldest and hottest days of the year!

B. came out of school the other week with a paper Chinese lantern he had made in class. Noah was envious and begged to make one at home. B. gave us the general instructions. It was super easy! Here they are proudly showing off their work. (B. made a new one after someone sat on his original.)

We got the dress-up bin out one day. Oscar enjoyed trying on the backpacks, and then we switched the bag to the front so he could wear a baby carrier. He thought it was pretty cool that he was carrying his baby the same way I carry "La-la". 

Thomas is always donning our firefighter hat, but he found a firefighter jacket to go with it, in the dress-up bin. How adorable is he?!

Noah was king for a day - oh who am I kidding?! Noah is king EVERY day! 

On the March Break, we had the flexibility to do some different things. One day we went to Chapters book store in Bloor West Village, where they have a huge Thomas the Tank Engine train table. The kids also had fun looking at books and playing with other toys in the store. Oscar especially loved riding the plasma car down the ramp again and again. When it was time to give someone else a turn with the ride-on toy, he still enjoyed running up and down the ramp. We stopped for a little treat at Tim Hortons on our way home (a great incentive to finally leave the book store). 

Another adventure we had on the March Break was going to the High Park Zoo. On our way we encountered gigantic snowflakes. It was the best part of the trip, in my opinion! The other day I had been reciting "We're Going on a Bear Hunt" when we were trudging through the mud. This time we did the part about the snowstorm. B. kept asking me to say it again and again. Here are a couple of our little adventurers. If you're wondering where Thomas is, he is actually enjoying quite different weather, in a warmer climate, just for the March Break. 

The zoo was surprisingly not busy, considering it was the March Break. The kids enjoyed seeing the animals, and Noah is a lot braver than he was the last time I remember taking him.

Oscar enjoyed his view from the wagon.

When we got to the Llamas, there was an employee of the zoo feeding them through the fence. He let both B. and Noah feed them peanuts and carrots. The boys were excited to help out!

It didn't take long for the worker to pick up on Oscar's affinity for trucks (Oscar makes this quite clear wherever he goes). He proceeded to dig out a pile of photos and found a picture of the zoo tractor to give to Oscar. He asked B. and Noah what their favourite zoo animals were. B. said "bison" and Noah said "Wallaby", and the man gave them each a picture of their choice. This man really made their day. Apparently Oscar's parents had to post the picture of the tractor up in his crib, he just loved it so much. Whatever gets you through the night, Osc!

Since we were one man down (no Thomas) and I had my help with me, we let the boys go on the castle playground (with my helper shadowing Oscar). I hadn't seen the playground since it had been rebuilt. Wow! It reminded me how great playgrounds used to be before they tore them all down and put in those generic, plastic structures. This playground was one of the few that was better - wooden ones are, in my opinion. But the new section is even better than the old one because there is much more space; it used to be very narrow and a bit of a hazard for the very little ones.

Another day we went to Lithuania Park. It was fun but frigid! And yet another day, which was not as cold, we were able to enjoy one of the other playgrounds in High Park.

It was Leila's first time on the swings. I think she liked it!

Oscar kept going down one of the big slides. He'd get to the bottom, and then say "'gain!" (Again)

Here's to hoping things warm up with Spring officially arriving next week!

Little Valentines

Well, it has been a cold, cold winter. Our family was fortunate to warm it up a little with a trip to Hawaii (and San Francisco on the way there and back). But now it is back to reality, and we at the daycare are trying to enjoy the bearable days when we can. 

Thomas an Oscar have been playing in the schoolyard after we pick Noah and B. up from school. Noah and B. travel back and forth from the yard to the playground, but the little ones know that they are allowed in the front yard only. Oscar could probably try out the school playground in the spring, when he's not wearing big boots and a snowsuit, and when it isn't too busy. It can get pretty wild on there when the kids are first let out for the day!

Anyway, they (Oscar and Thomas) don't seem to mind their limitations at all. Oscar at 2, is very skilled at befriending the school-aged kids, and he does so with minimal conversation. He always seems to understand what the game is, and jumps right in. He doesn't know that he isn't 4, and the other kids don't seem to realize it either!

Thomas is much more comfortable toddling around in his boots and snowsuit than he was at the beginning of the winter. He is more confident at getting around, and fusses when it's time to get back in the wagon to go home. Some days are slushy, and some days are a little icy. When it's a little icy, he may fall about 20 times, but this does not deter him. With his puffy snowsuit, he is not able to get himself back up, so my job is to set him back on his feet, and off he goes like a wind-up toy!

The kids made heart-shaped butterflies for Valentine's Day decorations. Doesn't our front door look beautiful? They also did other Valentine's crafts, but most importantly, all of them made a big Valentine's card for their parents.

We also made heart-shaped cookies. I made a batch with Oscar in the morning, when the older boys were at school, and Thomas was asleep. Leila is very clingy to mommy these days, and she insisted on "helping" by being attached to me in the carrier.

I could tell that Oscar does a lot of baking at home, since he really seemed to know what he was doing! He had flour all over him by the time the cookies were in the oven. I tried to capture his physical state in the pictures below, but he just would not, or could not, stand still!

The next day we iced the cookies and put sprinkles on them. I did the same activities with the older boys in the afternoon, when Oscar has his nap (and Leila and Thomas go down for at least a half hour too, if we're lucky!). I made some more batches of cookies at night, and we ended up with a lot of cookies!

When the icing had dried we put them in Valentine's treat bags and gave them to friends and family. They were so delicious!

 I loved how all the parents brought Valentines and treats for their child to give to all their daycare friends. We had a special Valentine's lunch when we had returned from retrieving the boys from school. I put their Valentines gifts from me and from their friends at their usual spots at the table.

They each got to have one of their treats before lunch.

We had Valentine's juice (fruit punch) and used Valentine's cups, plates and napkins. I would have gone all out and made heart shaped pancakes like last year, but Noah said he would rather have cheese on a bun, and after all the cookies we made, I deemed that a good enough reason to save myself the work. :)

After lunch Noah decided to open his bag of Valentines from his classmates. Boy, was that a trip down memory lane. Nothing had changed. Still a self-decorated paper bag, filled with little cards from so many friends. I know some people balk at Valentine's Day and call it a Hallmark Holiday, but who cares when you're 4 and it gives you this much delight? I still remember being excited with all the Valentine's cards I received in kindergarten. In the dead of winter, I think it's a great celebration.

The littlest Valentine was sick for the occasion. She was sick for almost the whole week....poor thing. Here she is in one of her better moments, opening up the gift she got from Thomas. Inside the box was a Valentine's bib. Too cute!

Happy Valentine's Day! (a little late)
Love,
The High Park Home Daycare Gang

Happy Holidays, Happy Birthday, and a Daycare Reunion

The daycare kids helped me unload the Christmas decorations this year, and they fully participated in decorating the tree. While I was trying to wrap lights around the tree, they (at least the older boys who were not napping at the time) were trying to decorate the tree with chains of gold beads. It made my task much more difficult, and finally, quite humorous. They proceeded to hang the ornaments; three, even four to a single branch. Our final tree looked....well...let's just say it had true character!

We had fun making a few Christmas decorations this year, one of them being Christmas tree ornaments. These were the same ornaments we made last year: Popsicle stick stars decorated with gems. They are so fun! Even Oscar made an ornament. This is not an easy task for a 2-year-old, and takes great fine motor skill.

B.'s mother bought us a gingerbread house, which the kids and I had great fun decorating. And for the following week we enjoyed breaking it apart for well-deserved treats (read: after eating nutritious meals followed by fruit!).

On Oscar's last day at the daycare before the holidays, we had a birthday celebration for him. He's now 2 years old! He started at the daycare when he was just a baby: 8 months. My, how he has grown! I hadn't had time to decorate the night before, so Oscar helped me quickly get some streamers and balloons up while the big boys were at school. Thomas and Leila provided the "ooo's" and "ahhh's". Oscar especially loved running up and down the hall with the streamers.

When Thomas and Leila went for their morning naps, Oscar and I made chocolate chip cookies. He seemed to know what he was doing, and his mother later informed me that they do a lot of baking at home, so he's quite the veteran.

Just before we went to pick the older boys up from school, I set the table, party-style, so it would be ready when we got back for lunch. Oscar promptly climbed up onto a booster seat and patiently waited for the festivities to begin. He was just so quiet and serene. He knew this was for him, and he seemed thankful, even flattered. Fortunately he was easily encouraged to hop down from the table, and into the wagon. 

Soon enough we were back for lunch. After lunch, we all sang happy birthday to Oscar and helped him blow out his candle. It was a very special time and he just seemed so happy that this was his day. The kids, Daniella and I, in turn, were happy to celebrate this little munchkin!

Thomas was the youngest to enjoy a cupcake. He apparently really liked the happy birthday song and kept repeating from his highchair, "Happy....happy...happy!" Indeed. Who wouldn't be happy with a cupcake in hand?

I received special permission from A. to post the photo below on the blog. Though intangible, A. had given what would truly be considered a gift to Oscar. He spent time with him reading Oscar's favourite daycare book: Get to Work Trucks. It was so precious a moment. When I gushed over the photo and showed it to A., he gave his approval for this photo, and only this photo, to be posted of him online.

After naps, the older kids helped Oscar open his gift from us. It was a big blue tow truck, in all its glory. We showed him how to tow other vehicles, like the tractor he is hooking up in the photo below. He was so engrossed in his new towing enterprise that when the other kids begged for a turn with this truck I thought he was going to see red. I was pleasantly surprised that he agreed to give all his friends a short turn. But soon he and the truck were reunited. The other kids begged for more turns but it was an unequivocal "No" from me. To separate boy and truck any longer would have been cruel.

Oscar pronounces Leila's name as "Lala". I have fully adopted this as her nickname, thanks to him. I just love it. He is very protective of her. One funny incident occurred when Leila was playing with her ring-stacking toy. Thomas, sitting not too far from her, had taken a few of these rings to play with, himself. Leila loves  Thomas and was happy to share. But all of a sudden, I hear Oscar running down the hall towards us, exclaiming in a deep, stern voice, "LALA! LALA!" He dutifully, and with an air of great purpose, retrieved the rings from Thomas and delivered them back to Leila. This seemed to calm him. Still, just to be sure, he looked at Thomas and  once more repeated in an authoritative tone, "Lala. Lala." I could not stop laughing.

Here are a couple of photos of him helping the little princess with her drink, when she was the only one left at the dining room table after dinner. This is why I love posting pictures. These moments are often too sweet for words.

And here is Oscar in his usual state of perpetual motion. Happy birthday little dude. You're awesome!

We were so lucky this season to get a special visit from our long departed (to the U.K.), yet not forgotten, daycare kids, Lucas and Maya! We had a play date with the former group of five: Noah, Aidas, B., Lucas and Maya. We had pizza for lunch, and lots of goodies as well. Poor Maya came down with a fever during the visit, and thus obviously could not fully enjoy herself. All of us parents thoroughly enjoyed catching up.  I sincerely hope we can do this again next year if and when Lucas and Maya are in town. We still love you, kiddos, and you are always welcome here!