Fall Fun

Friday was a PD day at the boys' school, so we were happy to enjoy a bit of a long weekend. I really try take advantage of these free days and plan something fun for the wee ones. This time around, we hit the road for a sleep over at Nanny and Graga's house. My sister and her boys also tagged along. Although the combination of four boys ranging from 4 to 6 is very exhausting, I'm so happy they are able to spend quality time with their little cousins. There was lots of squealing, Halloween crafting, a few soggy science experiments and a vintage Scooby Doo movie. (a moment of peace for the mommies and Nanny).

Chi-Chi, Muffy and I enjoyed some quiet, peaceful time raking leaves in my parents' yard. This might sound silly, but I truly miss raking leaves and the simple act of doing so flooded me with childhood memories. The sounds and scent brought me back to my own experiences hiding under piles of leaves and just enjoying the quiet and peaceful space of the backyard where I grew up. I now live in the land of alders and spruce trees. These trees and shrubs seem to thrive in our harsh, coastal setting. Chi-Chi and Muffy had a great time building piles, and of course thrashing them to bits! When playtime ended, they helped me bag those leaves. I threw them in the trunk and brought them home to serve as mulch on my garden beds this winter.

The boys are super excited about Halloween this year. I'm looking at keeping things pretty simple. Tonight I made up a batch of silly spider whoopie pies for dessert, just to add some fun to Sunday night dinner. I did make a couple of cute spider costumes this year, but they were easy peasy. I'll share them once I get a chance to photograph my little creepy crawlers tomorrow night. Although I love the spooky fun of Halloween, the candy over load that goes hand in hand is tricky to manage! Because the houses are quite spaced apart in our community, we usually have to take the car trick or treating. We only visit a handful of neighbours, which helps limit the amount of candy the boys receive. I allow them to indulge in a handful of treats the evening of Halloween, but the rest are tucked away and served as dessert during the days that follow. I love some of Mary Beth's ideas over at Salt and Chocolate. The "Green Pumpkin" may be visiting my house this year to gobble up the excess candy in exchange for books! Great idea!


The boys have had loads of fun decorating our front door step with their various spooky creations. I gave up coming up with craft ideas, and just let them dream up their own creations. ( I did, however, intervene when I found Muffy drawing scary faces on my lovely wood siding with a permanent market.....ahhhh) I simply could not keep up with the enthusiasm. I pulled out these human skeleton xrays I've had tucked away for over a year! It was fun and educational to assemble the puzzle. Once complete, I posted it on our patio door with sticky tack to serve as a decoration.

Wishing everyone a happy, fun and safe Halloween!

The Latest Buzz

We took the boys surfing today at Rainbow Haven Beach, which is so conviniently located 2km from our house. Being an avid surfer, Hubby is super keen to get the boys in the water at a young age. They can't get enough of it these days, begging and pleading to be taken to the beach for a surf or "goggling" session several times a day. "Goggling" is a term coined by Muffy, defined as any underwater swimming, sporting his much loved goggles.



So, I'm not much of a surfer girl myself! I do so love the ocean and the beach, but I'm not a strong swimmer and I'm much more content watching from the shoreline with my knitting basket by my side. My role is to provide cheering, photography services, towels and post-session cuddles to warm up icy cold little bodies.

This afternoon, Muffy and I were lying on the warm sand in an effort to shake off his shivering. There were some beautiful round and smooth beach rocks within reach, and we soon found ourselves admiring them. My sweet boy suddenly exclaimed that he had a GREAT idea! "Mommy, let's collect these rocks and use them for crafts at my birthday party! All my friends can make rock bugs!"



My sweet Muffy has had a passion for anything creepy, crawly for as long as I can remember. So, once again this year, he will have a bug-themed party. This makes 3 out of 5 years he has requested bugs to take center stage at his birthday. His special day is at the end of the month, so I have lots of time to pull things together. I really do love planning these parties for the boys! I sat down tonight to make a list of some fun plans and ideas, keeping in mind I need to keep it simple. Thanks to Muffy himself, I've got a cute, SIMPLE, eco-friendly craft already planned (:



Bugs are seriously a form of entertainment in our house. I'm not joking when I say I use "my bug supply" as a method to provide Mommy with a break. I leave the porch light on every night to ensure a plentiful "supply". Most mornings, I just send the boys out to the deck to hunt so I can enjoy a quiet cup of tea to myself. Same goes at supper-making time. Those two boys spend at least 1 to 2 hours every single day hunting for new bugs and feeding the collection of "pets" we've got visiting our science table. This week they are collecting pairs of crane flies to see if they can get them to reproduce in captivity! Chi-Chi is certain of success since he collected both male and female specimens, caught in the act! We've also got quite an extensive moth collection going on - and would you believe Chi-Chi snuck into my wool stash for food!!





Remember that painted-lady buttefly science project from the spring? Well, it's still going on. I believe we are on the fifth generation, as the butterflies continue to mate, lay eggs, hatch caterpillars....etc. It's been a very interesting life cycle study, that's for sure! I'm actually going to see how long we can keep it going. We were also excited to find a couple of "mystery" chrysalides recently, which we took home to study. Two beautiful mourning cloak butterflies finally emerged, to our delight. We observed them for a day and then realeased them.



Yes, the place is certainly buzzing these days. Even though some of the crawlies give me the creepies, I do love to see them so enthusiastic about the nature on their doorstep. I will admit that the Wool Fairy is having nightmares about the moth family residing in our living room. I can't believe they survived the household purge! What I'll do for a boy and his bugs!

Early to Bed, Early to Rise

I've always been a morning person at heart. As a young child, I was the first one up on Saturday mornings. While the rest of the family dozed, I tiptoed down the stairs, fixed myself a bowl of Mini Wheats and settled in with the Smurfs. During my teens and early twenties, I definitely strayed from my natural tendency to be an early riser, opting for any last second of sleep before throwing on crumpled jeans and dashing off to class. I took up running about 13 years ago, and rediscovered the beauty of greeting the day with the sunrise. My early morning runs gave me energy and cleared my head before a long and often stressful day as an accountant. It felt good to start each day doing something just for me.

As the days grow longer this time of year, I find myself willingly crawling out from under the quilt earlier each day. It turns out dear Muffy inherited the early riser gene and is my faithful companion in the wee hours of the morning. Although I awake at 5:45 am, I usually rise around 6 am and head downstairs to get the breakfast routine started. I've noticed an increase in the appetites of my two growing boys so I've been making an effort to provide more hearty breakfasts. Quick bowls of cereal have been replaced with hearty porridge, French toast, scrambled eggs and yogurt and granola. The sound of clanking dishes drifts upstairs and soon Chi-Chi and Hubby appear.

Since the school bus picks up at 8 am, an early start to the day provides a great opportunity for Chi-Chi and Muffy to eat, relax and play at a leisurely pace. I feel that this unstructured time is so very important, particularly for Chi-Chi who faces a fairly structured day in his Primary classroom. I have mixed feelings about it all, so I make every effort to ensure the time spent at home supplements what might be missing during school hours. Physical activity and time outdoors is so very critical for these boys. They simply can't get enough of it. The school schedule allows for a 10 minute outdoor recess in the morning and a 35 minute recess over the lunch hour. Coming out of the winter season, these breaks were often held indoors due to the weather. I struggle with this.

On this beautiful sunny morning, both boys were dressed and out the door at 7:15 am. This allowed for a full 45 minutes of unstructured play and exploration in the backyard and on the trails down to the bus stop. Before his school day officially began, Chi-Chi was able to:

- paint a picture of the sunrise over the Atlantic ocean
- collect spruce cones to plant for seedlings.
- perfect his mourning dove call as he mimicked morning visitors at the bird feeder
- set up an elaborate system to collect sap from a spruce tree, convinced maple syrup will result
- upon hearing quacking, spot, two mallard ducks flying over head
- collect two fresh eggs from the chicken coop
- run through wooded paths and squeal in delight
- retrace the steps of a coyote
- smash ice with pure pleasure

I'm convinced this time to stretch his muscles and mind freely will allow him to better focus during his structured desk time this morning. As I sit and write, little Muffy is completely engrossed in a very complex and detailed Lego construction. He is working so quietly and independently, seeming so settled after being outdoors.

I've always felt that time spent in the early morning hours, particularly outdoors, is almost a best kept secret. For those who like to sleep in and catch every last wink, they simply don't know what they are missing!

Toys for Big Boys...and Little Boys

This morning I woke to the sound of rain hammering on the rooftop. As the days grow shorter, darkness lingers longer in those early morning hours. The rain this morning made the bed just a bit cozier and I had to give myself a pep talk before peeling the quilts off.

Muffy and I occupied ourselves in the kitchen this gray morning. I worked up a batch of pumpkin muffins and he worked on a huge batch of play dough with his mini excavator. There is much interest in construction equipment of all sorts in these parts. We've got a huge machine working in our backyard - literally. It has been providing a great deal of entertainment all week for my two captivated boys. We are STILL working away at cleaning up the devastation to our property from Hurricane Juan back in 2003.

Luckily for us, the rain clouds made way for blue skies. Muffy and I decided to take a walk-about to assess the work being done and take in some fresh air. I have to admit, I'm getting pretty excited for the snow to fly after checking out the new "sliding hill". This entire area was impassable with twisted stumps and fallen debris. The space may also serve as a grazing area for potential animals (think baaaa, baaaa) in the future! It's great to see how enthusiastic both children are about the new outdoor space and the grand plans they are dreaming up.

With the crisp autumn winds blowing, Muffy took the opportunity to try out one of his birthday gifts. My sweet little boy turned four this past weekend. As the boys grow older, it is getting a little trickier to hand make their gifts. A homemade hockey stick is not likely going to cut it on the rink! I did feel compelled to come up with at least one small gift made with my own two hands. I created this "magic wand" for my costume-loving boy. I had a long play silk scarf on hand that I dyed in a sea-inspired color scheme. The handle is made from a piece of driftwood I lightly sanded and waxed. My favorite part is the moon snail shell! I glued it to the top of the wand to help secure the scarf and to add a whimsical feel to the wand.


Oh, and check out our boots! Last night's showers certainly mucked up the path ways. I swear, no toy could make a little boy happier than good old fashioned mud!

Gearing Up to Wind Down

With preschool classes soon winding down for the summer, I'm gearing up for a fun-filled couple of months with Chi-Chi and Muffy. Summer offers a great opportunity for the wee ones to slow down and enjoy a less hectic pace of life. Other than soccer practice a couple of evenings a week, and a family vacation on the beach, our calendar is free and clear. I'll be relying on the boys' own thirst for knowledge and adventure to answer the question, "What shall we do today?".

I'm guessing we won't have to go far to keep these two occupied. Their genuine curiosity and enthusiasm, which seems to be innate in children, never ceases to amaze me. The amount of time my little Muffy spends each day gathering, admiring, studying and entertaining bugs is astounding. This self-proclaimed little scientist is simply fascinated with anything creepy crawly and rejoices whith each new discovery. I'd like to say I share his passion for these crawlies, but to be honest, some of them give me the creepies! There's nothing like settling into my bowl of breakfast granola, when suddenly a June bug is dropped on my lap. Eeek! "Oh Mommy, aren't the June bug's legs beautiful?". Hmmm, the word beautiful is probably a stretch for me on this one! I guess this is an opportunity for me to take a second look at the bug buddies on our doorstep, and perhaps admire them through the eyes of my Muffy. I notice that my children tend to blossom most when they discover and delve into the passions and interests they discover freely on their own. I suppose this is true for all of us, but children seem to demonstrate it so clearly. My child might have difficulty settling and focusing in one setting, but when immersed in an area of genuine interest, his attention span can last for what seems like an eternity. So, I'm hoping that as long as I give them free rein to explore and discover, my boys will do a fine job of setting the agenda for summer fun.

That's not to say I don't have a few ideas under my hat. Of course, I can't resist setting the scene to inspire and promote a little creative action. The latest "prop" arrived on the scene last weekend! While working up a sweat on my morning run last Sunday, I spotted a nifty little boat on the side of the road with a "Free, take me!!" sign posted on it. The sweet little boat was participating in the curbside giveaway held in our community last weekend. It was my lucky day. I cut my run short, sprinted home and made a breathless request for assistance from a friend with a truck. I've been dreaming of a backyard boat for some time and had been waiting for the opportunity to strike. Though not technically sea worthy, our new rig has already seen some action on the high seas and I'm anticipating tons of exciting and imaginative play evolving this summer. As time passes, and the boys outgrow this backyard "toy", I'll have myself one very funky planter to expand the veggie garden!

Until then, "All aboard" for some super summer fun!

Freewheeling and Cosmic Adventures

There is a definite shift taking place. Spring IS in the air. Hubby chuckled this morning when I declared I had begun my spring cleaning. I spent most of yesterday washing curtains, quilts and sheets, hanging them to dry in the fresh spring air. He reminded me that it is still winter. Yes, Old Man Winter is sure to make a few more appearances in Nova Scotia, but on days like today, I will revel in the blue sky and sunshine.

I made an executive decision to skip our regular gymnastics class and hit the skate park. Any guilt I was feeling for shirking on our commitment evaporated the moment the boys sped away on their bicycles, wind and sun rosying their cheeks. I am fortunate to have access to this skate park with a glorious ocean view. We usually schedule our visits in the morning when the "big kids" are in school. It does sadden me, however, to see this community park scarred by vandalism and graffiti. On the bright side, it opened up a conversation on the matter......always something to learn with little ones around.

We also took our crafting and learning activities al fresco today. Sheltered by the cool ocean breeze, we tucked ourselves into a cozy corner of the deck and dug out the wool. There has been a great deal of interest in the solar system these days. Chi-Chi's upcoming space-themed birthday party is likely the root of it. While Chi-Chi set to work on his personal wet felting projects, Muffy assisted me with our latest science project while eating snack #3 (he's a growing boy!) I grabbed a felting needle and set to work creating a simple set of felted planets. An old piece of driftwood I had on hand served as a frame for our solar system mobile. Muffy helped me organize the cosmic creations using our reference book, a 69 cent thrift store find. Though far from scientifically accurate, the new mobile is a fun addition to our play space. If nothing else, it serves as inspiration for my dreamy boys as they contemplate space voyages and scientific discoveries of their own.

With the sun warming up his back, Chi-Chi could not resist a quick dip in the felting bucket! He invited me to give it a try and how good it felt. The grass tickling my toes, the warm sun on my face....yes, Spring IS here (almost!).