This Holiday Season

This holiday season is going to be quite different from the others. It will bring with it a lesson in simplifying and being ok with it, simply because the past 8 weeks have been such a dramatic shift in my daily life.

I have to congratulate every woman who has made it through their pregnancy being sick Every. Single. Day. Multiple times. This pregnancy has been far more difficult than anything I could ever have imagined - being sick every day and with such low energy - just wasn't part of my plan. Mornings are usually good, so I do not feel like work has suffered - however, some days there is more gagging than others! But come afternoon and evening it is a whole other story and I feel like it is my kids that are suffering.

However, I know that they are not. They are in fact probably loving that I am not running off my feet trying to accomplish things like dishes, laundry, cleaning, cooking, meal prep - the stuff that normally gets in the way of the day. Don't even start on the Christmas to-do list. Instead I am curled up on the couch - but we are together reading stories, playing games, or just snuggling. Yes, everything around me is a disaster, but the kids don't see that at all. Hell, Alan probably doesn't even see it (except when there is no clean underwear left)!

So, it really comes down to me trying to wrap my head around letting things go. And being ok with this. Instead of a to do list, I try and choose one thing to get done each day. Sometimes, this is making dinner - however, more often than not we have been living off of frozen meals that I made in September and early October, meals that have been gifted or ready made meals (Ross's has really great meals that just need baked and Play Time cafe in Manotick will actually deliver healthy, organic ready made meals). I am also accepting that Christmas baking just is not going to happen this year - but the kids and I have been thrilled eating the Christmas treats that have been given to us once again from friends and family - thank you!!! Sometimes it is getting through a load of laundry and actually putting it away. Or sometimes it is an activity from our Advent calendar. But there is really only one thing that I can accomplish each day between noon and bed time. This is a dramatic change that has been very hard to try and come to accept.

Some other things that I have had to accept are having Ewan bring me the envelope from our Advent calendar as well as a piece of paper and a pen each morning so that I can write which activity we will do - the idea of planning each day until Christmas is just beyond me right now. Many days our holiday activity is simply listening to Christmas music and dancing or getting in pj's and having a hot chocolate. I know my kids are loving this, but it is hard to let go of all the wonderful Pinterest ideas that I have, but simply cannot make happen this year.

I also have to accept that Isla now pretends to vomit every time she passes a toilet. We were doing quite well with potty training, however, her interests have now moved towards pretending to throw up in the toilet instead. Not quite what I thought this pregnancy would teach my daughter.

Last year I also made almost all of the kids gifts as well as things gifted to others. Once again - not happening this year - the idea of the sewing machine itself makes me nauseous! However, I am determined to make Isla two tutu's. This was a hard year for trying to choose Christmas gifts for Isla, but I know she will love wearing her tutu's, so these I will somehow find the energy to make!

Although this has been a much more quiet holiday season than usual, it has also been quite nice letting go of so many responsibilities and long to do lists. I really enjoyed reading this post as it highlights that everyone, especially those with young children, really need to start trying to be realistic with what can be done in our days while at the same time trying to spend time with our children and stay sane.

Elizabeth Fulton Photography

What has made your priority list this year? And more importantly, what have you decided to leave off of your list this year?

We Are Expanding!!!

Our Family by 2 Feet!

We are very excited to announce that we are expecting our third child in early June 2014! We are all thrilled and as Ewan says 'he will be a big, big brother and Isla will now be a big sister!' 

How have I been feeling so far? Horrible!! Much worse than my two previous pregnancies, so I must apologize for being distracted in circle time as I am usually debating in my head whether or not I have time to make it to the bathroom or to just use the garbage can behind me to vomit! Any advice from moms going through a pregnancy with heavy nausea as well as families who have made the jump from 2 to 3 children is welcome!

Baby is coming at a good time of year as I will be able to almost finish each of the programs that I am teaching (Nursery School, Before school and Gym & Music classes) and have a supply teacher fill in for June. Baby and I will be back in September to teach the programs together. And yes, I do plan the birth of my children around A Gym Tale's schedule!!

We are so very excited to share this news with all of you!

Lindsay, Alan, Ewan and Isla.

Happy Halloween!

October has come and is almost over - there simply does not seem to be enough hours in the day lately! This month has been full of Fall, Thanksgiving and Halloween themed activities both at home and at A Gym Tale's Nursery School and After School programs. From picking apples, collecting leaves and making collages, to choosing and carving pumpkins and making costumes.

Since Ewan was two years old he has been choosing his own Halloween costume. When he was two he was an elephant riding a horse and when he was three years old he wanted to be Finding Nemo. This year he chose to be Wall-E. He has been crazy about robots lately, and this is one of the few movies that he has seen and loves. Ewan also decided that Isla would be Eve. Alan and I then decided that we would do a family themed Wall-E costume with myself being one of the very large people onboard the space ship and Alan being the captain. These costumes have been fun to make together and Ewan has really enjoyed being part of the process. Alan was hoping for a much easier route of simply buying the costumes - but it became our mission to show him that we could make a better costume and I think we did! I do not have a pick of us all together in costume - that will have to wait until Halloween - but here are a few pics of the kids' costumes coming together.

Eve costume finished and Ewan's just needing treads

Finished costume at a Halloween Party

Spider web project

Outside of choosing and / or making costumes, there are so many great activities for kids focused around Fall and Halloween. Last year I wrote a post detailing some of Ewans' favourite activities and our favourite pumpkin pancake recipe. This year the spider web with a hoola hoop art project have kept both Ewan and Isla as well as the Nursery School kids and After School program very busy drawing bugs (older kids) and simply practicing snipping bugs for the younger kids. Painting pumpkins and cutting out bats and ghosts have also kept us very busy. A new recipe that we just tried and loved are these pumpkin chocolate chip muffins - so delicious. We have also been doing a countdown to Halloween (similar to an advent calendar but with pumpkins) which has really boosted the anticipation for the big day.

What kinds of Fall or Halloween traditions do you carry out at home?

Apple and pear picking with my babies!

September...

Oh, September - where did you go?! This has been one of the busiest months this year! Or maybe it is just the shock of jumping back into work after such a restful summer?

The first week of September brought with it 'Meet the Teacher' days for A Gym Tale's Nursery School program as well as the start of the Before & After School program. Both programs have taken off wonderfully and we are so lucky to have such a great group of children in both programs - very active and energetic but still focused enough to for us to begin planning some exciting activities. If you are still looking for a Nursery School program or Before & After School care there are two spaces remaining in each.

Photo by Elizabeth Fulton Photography

Personally, the first week of September brought Ewan's first day of Kindergarten. I was very anxious about this week - actually, kind of dreading letting my baby boy go! However, after we met his teacher and he had his first two days of school that week, I was very much put at ease. His teacher is wonderful  and Ewan is loving going to school - especially riding the bus each morning. Although we do not really know what he is doing while he is there - which is really difficult as a parent to not know everything that is happening in your childs' day. I get bits of stories here and there that I try and piece together, however, for the most part Ewan says that he plays backgammon and touches the snakes when Rays Reptiles goes for their daily visits - neither of these events are true!!! He is happy, so he must be enjoying whatever they are doing in class.

Mid-September at A Gym Tale marked the beginning of the Fall Gym & Music Play classes. I always forget how much I enjoy hosting these classes. The classes are a great way for young children to learn basic gymnastics skills by exploring the gym equipment at their own pace within a confined area in which everything is available to them in that area. The classes also incorporate songs, music, parachute play and of course the bubble cool down as well as play on the playground before and after class. It is a really nice opportunity to meet so many families and get to know both the children and the parents.

At home my kids and I have been trying different routines and schedules and I think that we have fallen into a really nice routine that will work well for us this year. Each of us are out to work, school or a family members home for the morning and lunch. We then come back together for quiet afternoons. Isla can have a consistent nap each day, while Ewan and I have some time for reading and projects in the afternoons. As a family, we have decided to only have Ewan attend school in the mornings, and I am really happy with how this is working for us. Ewan is still getting a chance to play with children his age as well as having free afternoons to play and learn while following his own interests. Bedtime has also moved much earlier to between 6:30-7pm. Having an evening to work, relax, exercise and even have adult conversations is simply amazing!

As for exercise, I have now been 'training' and running consistently for 7 months. I am very proud that I have continued to carve out this time for myself - even in the busiest of weeks I have been running at least once. I love the friendships that I have made while running as well as the progress that I have made over the past 7 months. My 5km time has improved by 4.5 minutes and I am really enjoying my time running. I have my 'big' 10 km run at the end of October and I am even considering registering for a half marathon for next spring to keep me motivated over the winter.

With the anxiety and all of the new beginnings that came along with
September I am very much looking forward to settling into a more relaxed October!

A New Focus on Children's Literature and Read Aloud's

Reading aloud has always been part of our daily routine. However, this summer I have spent a lot of time researching children's literature as well as the benefits of selecting quality pieces to read to young children. With my own children, many books that I had not considered reading to them before have really captured their attention and have sparked so much imaginative play with Ewan. Collections such as the classic Aesop's Fables, stories by Hans Christian Anderson, original Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm, Beatrix Potter's collection of The Story of Peter Rabbit, A.A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh as well as many classic story books have filled our afternoons.

The importance of reading aloud to children of all ages cannot be overstated. Encouraging a love of reading really is the best way to open a world of endless learning opportunities. When listening to stories the words stimulate the child to create the images in their own mind and these images can continue into play afterwards with only the child's creativity to limit them. Both Kim John Payne and Rahima Baldwin Dancy, the author of the book 'You are your child's first teacher', emphasize that when watching television or a movie, children will typically only play out what they have seen as the images become fixed in their mind.  Another benefit is the vocabulary that children will learn from being exposed to new words and phrases. They are, in fact, learning from some of the best english teachers in the world when you read classics. When exposed to well written sentences and grammar children will inevitably become better writers. Reading quality literature also provides children with a way of role playing what will happen in various scenarios without having to do it in real life. They are essentially learning morals and lessons from another's experience. And most importantly, reading together at any age, helps to strengthen family bonds. Cuddling up together on the couch or in bed is the perfect cool down when things are going rough, a great way to extend meals (my children will at least eat more when I am reading to them) and the perfect way to end the day.

With thousands of children's books published every year, it can be difficult to sort through and find quality stories that offer lessons, morals and beautifully written language. Many of these books are longer but they offer a richer story that will draw in the reader and listener - making reading aloud more enjoyable for the whole family. Ewan, Isla and I have dabbled with each of the collections listed above and we have enjoyed the types of stories and language that each offer. Although I have been wary of Fairy Tales because of some of the violence, much research has shown that is not the part of the story that children focus on. Children tend to take out the message that good wins and evil is punished and the children can identify with the hero which can be reassuring to the child. This has been true of the stories that Ewan and I have shared this summer and is also why Fairy Tales can span such a large age range since as the children grow they will begin to take in more details of the story and the complexity of some of the characters.

We have also updated our collection of story books with classics such as The Little Engine That Could,  Blueberries for Sal, Madeline, The Giving Tree, Harold and the Purple Crayon (Ewan's favourite so far), The Little House, and Make Way for Ducklings to name a few. Each have been wonderful additions to our library. There are many lists of 'best books' available online that can help you find some great additions to your library.

Reading poetry over lunch has also become a habit that both kids love. For instance, today when I was setting lunch on the table I turned to get our poetry book and Ewan said 'Don't worry mommy, I already got the book for you! We are ready!'. The kid's have really enjoyed the books by Dennis Lee and really laugh at all of the silly rhymes and have even memorized many of the poems. We are just about to begin the poetry book 'Where the Sidewalk Ends' by Shel Silverstein.

I, personally, love studying children's literature and how children learn to read. It has been amazing to watch Ewan fall in love with so many beautifully written books and the creativity that has come from these books. He uses his farm animals to further play out stories from Beatrix Potter and his woodland animals for Winnie the Pooh. Ewan has also started making books and having me write out his story for him to copy onto the pages. As a teacher, instilling a love of reading and an appreciation of books is one of my goals for both my kids and my students.

What are your favourite books to read to your children?

Back to School is around the corner!

I am slowly getting my mind back in to work mode and preparing for the start of the Before and After School program as well as the Nursery School program. As I am reviewing last year's program and adding in some new themes and activities, I thought I would repost a few of my blog posts from last summer that highlighted the ideas and philosophies that we use to guide our Nursery School program.

This post highlights our basic goals for the Nursery School program and discusses how we strive to foster independence as well as instilling a sense of capability and confidence, increasing attention and involvement with activities and promoting social interactions and friendships.

Another post discussing separation anxiety and ways to help ease our children into new programs has also had some wonderful reminders that I need to use myself with Ewan beginning school in two weeks.

Reading, writing, and art are some of my favourite topics with regards to early childhood education and these posts will highlight how we encourage children in these areas and some ideas for you to try at home as well. Ewan, Isla and I have spent a lot of time exploring new literature this summer and I am very excited about a post that I am currently writing with some really wonderful stories to share with your children.

If you are looking for a program for your preschooler this Fall, A Gym Tale does have 2 spaces remaining in the afternoon Nursery School program. Please do not hesitate to email or call with any questions.

I hope everyone enjoys the last weeks of summer!

The summer half point - our favourite activities

I missed a post last week as summer fun and a teething Isla kept me very busy - and without free arms or sleep for 4 days straight!

Looking at the calendar last night, I realized that, sadly, we are at the half way point of summer this week. But I am choosing to embrace that there are still four more weeks left of summer! I was also going through all of the activities, quiet days, friends and family time that we have filled our summer with to this point - and I think that for my family we have finally found a really nice balance this year.

Ewan and I have chosen a theme unit to focus on each week and that has guided our plans. We have moved through several themes including - under the sea, rocks, the night sky, bugs and now birds. These units have given me the opportunity to try new activities that I am very excited to use with the Nursery School program this year. It has also given our week a framework and a way to be selective about which activities that we choose to fill our days with - maybe just being more mindful of how we spend our days has in fact slowed the summer down for us.

Some of our activities have included:

Using letter rocks to match capital & lower case letters.

Washing the rocks we found on our hike.

Visiting the cave at the Museum of Nature.

Staying up late to look at the moon & stars through the telescope.

Our science table with our moon chart for the week.

Visiting the rocket at the Science & Tech museum.

Searching for bugs in the forest.

Eating dirt & worms for desert!

Pretending to be spiders & catching bugs in our web - Ewan's most favorite activity of all time!

Ewan eating his snack in his nest that he built (he is wearing 'head protection' from the bees (too many Scaredy Squirrel books!)

We have been visiting a museum each week and we have really enjoyed all of the activities being offered. Ewan's favourite museum is the Museum of Nature and really has so much to  offer - from the dinosaurs of course, but they also have an aquarium, an amazing space and rock exhibit, a whole floor displaying every kind of bird, live insects and bugs as well as a really great class on building bug traps (which we now have all over our yard!). We have also made a trip to the Museum of Science and Tech to see the rocket ship, but we loved the trains as well as the light maze and all the other hands on activities. The Museum of Agriculture is also well loved by both kids. 

We are also trying to enjoy many of the trails right in the area - Stony Swamp, the Chapman Mills Conservation area and the Manotick dog park are all favourites. Many days we have spent enjoying our own backyard catching bugs, making mud pies and watching birds. Swimming has also been a favourite activity - we are lucky that our neighbours and in laws have beautiful pools that we have open access to use. It is incredible how spending several uninterrupted hours at a pool can improve the kids swimming skills - Ewan is becoming quite the confident swimmer - no longer the over confident boy who would jump in and very quickly sink!

Are you happy with how you and your family have been spending the summer so far? What have been your favourite summer activities? Any must see things on your list?