Today is Lucy’s last day at daycare for the summer.
Our wonderful home provider, Julia, closes down for the summer to spend the school vacation with her three boys (she’s a single mom). So far this has worked for us, with me working from home and getting help from our teenager Shelby and our parents. But we’ve had many conversations the past two years about how much longer we can handle the shut-down.
Certainly next summer — when I plan to be working three days a week — it will not be viable.
But we’re not thinking about that right now. We’re thinking about:
a) it’s summer!
b) ohdeargod, it’s summer!
c) what am I going to do with two kids for nine weeks?
d) how am I not going to go nutty with two kids?
We’ll be getting various breaks from each other at daycamp, the cottage and help from Shelby again and our parents. But people: There are a ton of loonnnng days ahead. And you can only craft away or hang out in the backyard so much.
So, let’s help each other out. What do you do all summer? Where do you go to play? Splash pad? Park? Trail? Best indoor place on a hot/rainy day? Festivals? Museums?
Leave a comment, and we can build up a fabulous local resource to refer to all summer.
I’m terribly excited. And nervous. I’ve supported and promoted local shows for years through this site, and to now be invited to attend is a Big Deal. There will be hundreds of parents to showcase to — including a bunch of you, as I’ve got free tickets to dish out soon!
All of it is for y’all, you know. I mean, writing about Lucy and Alice and my life is for me, too, but I started this site because there was nothing else like it for parents when I was pregnant with Lucy (there still isn’t). I couldn’t find local baby stores or daycare information, where the Early Years Centres were or that there was a special movie time for parents and babies. Or that there was a local mom like me who had tried them out and shared the experience, or changed her fifth poopy diaper in a row and was ready to run away, waving her chapped-from-washing hands in the air.
Like many women and most mothers, sometimes you just have to do things yourself. Almost four years, 1,092 posts, 3,443 comments and a sister business later — here we are.
So, shucks. And thanks.
It’s sometimes challenging to balance the business side with the fun side here and over there. But I think it works. Some days there are almost 400 people who visit this corner of the giant Internet. Granted, some land here by searching “baby butt cake” and “sugar boobs” (and you wouldn’t believe how popular “caramel popcorn recipe” is!) but others by “durham baby shows” and “play centres in whitby” and that’s incredibly gratifying for all this work.
I’d love to make a million dollars. I’d love to have both sites support my family so I don’t have to leave the house for work in the fall. Doesn’t every small business owner?
Here’s what’s new around here and there. I hope you’ll poke around and check things out, and let me know how it all looks (and if any of it’s broken, because working at 11 p.m. when you’ve been up three times a night means sometimes things get fudged up). And use them as the resource sites I’m striving for them to be:
Looking for a local toy store? Baby CPR classes? Place to meet other parents? It’s all on one page under the new Local resource directory. You’ll see the categories splashed underneath the banner up there, too — if you’ve got a link or category to add, let me know
On the top left sidebar, you can now search the almost 1,100 posts
There’s now site map on the top right sidebar to navigate around easily
Durham Region Daycare got a colourful and visual upgrade with photos! All the daycare providers who have pics of their kids and locations are randomly highlighted on the front page. In just six months, the site currently has daycare provider listings for 10 cities and towns in Durham, which I’m thrilled with
In a good way, of course. Lucy is swimming in new toys and clothes, and has eaten pounds of cupcakes and cakes and cookies and chocolate milk and tea.
(As have we. It’s detox time after all the leftover goodies are gone.)
Last weekend we had Lucy’s friends Eirinn and Pearl over for a Pink and Purple Party, at Lucy’s request. We painted ceramics, ate finger food, opened presents and played.
This past Tuesday Julia, our daycare provider, made a Dora and Boots banner, baked pink-frosted cupcakes and sent Lucy home with a massive sticker book.
And our family brunch party on Saturday went fantabulously. So much great food (the recipe for the egg casserole is coming!), and a houseful of favourite people. Can’t beat that.
(Alice, however, was completely overwhelmed with 13 faces in the house. If she wasn’t in my or Eric’s arms, she was understandably not happy. We were all excited to pawn her off share her deliciousness with all the extra and willing hands. But somebaby poo-pooed on that plan. Thankfully the murmur of said people mostly drowned out her unhappiness. That, and a lotta boob.)
Lucy’s favourite presents include more Dora mega blocks, a Dora suitcase, the Toopy and Binou Memory game, a wooden mailbox and letters, handmade dolly blanket and baskets, and more Fancy Nancy books. This Thursday we are going to Build a Bear. She also received some welcome donations to her education fund (oh the irony of saving for your kids’ schooling when you are still paying for your own!).
Lucy is a spoiled and much adored little girl by our generous family and friends.
But I’m glad it’s over. Know how you love Christmas and can’t wait for it to arrive, and enjoy the planning and decorating and all the people and parties? And then can’t wait to get it out of your house? That was me yesterday afternoon, taking great pleasure in popping balloons, taking down banners and crepe paper that have been up for over a week.
But what a great week it was. At breakfast yesterday, she asked for another party. When we told her they were all done, and that she wouldn’t get another one until she turned 4, she replied, “I want to be 4 now.”
Does anyone else agree the Tim Hortons drive thru should be reserved for pregnant women, those with kids in the car, the elderly and the disabled? Kind of like a “women and children first” thing? Because do you, chain-smoking cell-phone chatting man in a suit all by himself in the car, really need to clog up the line? Obviously you’re capable, what with your multi-tasking ways. And you’re one more unnecessary car between me and a much-needed tea, which I could not secure (nor a shower) because of how long it takes to stuff two squirming kids into winter gear and get out of the house
Where in the world does babies’ green poop comes from? The yellow-brown shade I can relate to, but green? I know it’s normal, but each time I open Alice’s diaper and see those vibrant chunks, it makes me eye her suspiciously
It’s taking me days and days of working in snippets, but I’m sending out a December newsletter this week. It’s going to include a 15%-off coupon for a neat new and local online children’s clothing resale store started by a Whitby mom
We moved Alice into her room Sunday night. It was so nice to get our bedroom back, so we can brush our teeth with the door open, and turn the news on before bed. We kept her in so long for fear she’d wake up Lucy. But two nights in, and all is well — last night she only woke up once to eat, giving us two four-hour blocks of sleep…I’m a new woman
Our neighbours across the road are getting geothermal heating put in, so have a giant drill in the backyard digging and digging and digging. The floor in here is rumbling, and there’s a constant hum outside
“Is it Christmas Eve yet, Mum-Mum?” asks Lucy at every. single. meal. together. Jen O. has a hilarious post about this on My Tornado Alley
Speaking of Lucy, today is her last day at Julia’s until Jan. 5, as our provider shuts down the two weeks of school holidays
Tomorrow is the Durham Mom’s Night Out cookie and treat exchange, and I’m terribly excited to see everyone and come home with goodies. I’d planned to make caramel popcorn, but in the middle of the night started having second thoughts. Would you enjoy receiving a bag of that, even though it’s not a conventional cookie/treat?
Shelby, our teenage babysitter from across the road, was nicknamed Pork Chop when she was born because she was so big — over 11 lbs.
Eric and I always laughed at the embarrassing moniker, which her parents use all the time and cause Shelby to roll her eyes so far back in her head we can only see the whites.
I was Carly Cool because of a love of sunglasses. I’m not sure if Eric had a name, although there is a giant photo of him as a toddler — running naked and clutching a hammer — that has made appearances at birthday parties and our wedding that cause his cheeks to turn pink.
While Lucy’s nickname — Lucy Goose or Baby Goose — shouldn’t cause her great shame, I’m afraid Alice’s might.
We’ve dubbed her the Warthog because of these rooting snorts she makes all the time: Waking up from sleep, dozing in the sling, rooting for the breast…
One of my new favourite sites is Simple Mom — I was drawn in by her tag line: Live simply, stay sane. Life hacks for home managers.
I love that term home manager. I think every mom needs business cards with that moniker…
Anyways, Tsh recently published a great list of cheap and free toys for the younger kid set, which I thought was awesome and really relevant with Christmas coming up. Has anyone else noticed the increase in toy commercials on television? *sigh*
I’ve modified her list below, and added our favourites from Chez McDougall-Foster. Got any to share from your house?
I cherish and save almost all of Lucy’s arts and crafts. I proudly publish them on our front door and fridge, and Lucy has her own display centre in her room.
I’ve been waiting for the fall/Thanksgiving/Halloween stuff to roll in from Julia’s. And this Wednesday didn’t disappoint.
Lucy came home with this awesome paper plate turkey the kids made using a salad spinner. But it wasn’t until I stuck it on the fridge that I looked closely and the face and positioning of the beak and wattle…and realized my little artiste had created a rather…deceased-looking bird:
The black X eyes! The wattle that looks like a protruding tongue! Now I can’t pass by it without snickering. How priceless. We may have to frame this one!
With just three weeks (or less) to go before the Parasite2 arrives, we are trying to make some changes now to make the transition easier on Lucy:
We talk about the baby a lot, and answer any questions Lucy has (mostly around if the baby can go down the slide with her or share her oatmeal or come into the bathtub). We make a big deal out of all the things the two girls will be able to do together, but that it will take some time for Lucy’s sister to grow and really be able to play.
We stress how much help Lucy is going to be to Mummy (and Daddy), and all the big girl things she can do (bring diapers, help bathe, hold). Lucy’s helped with some parts of the nursery, too.
By the pure nature of our family arrangement the past 1.5 years (Eric leaving the house to work and dropping Lucy off at daycare, me working from home), I’ve always gotten Lucy ready in the morning: Dressing, feeding, grooming. The past week or so Eric has taken over some of these tasks; so not only does Lucy get used to him doing it, but Eric does, too. We know how demanding a newborn is, and that there will be plenty of times that she’ll need to be fed or I’ll be too exhausted.
On the days Lucy stays home with me — our plan, as long as money allows, is to still send her to daycare two days a week, and to my Mom’s one day (she’s free, though!) – Eric will walk ol’ Spencer Dog before he leaves for work, too. It’s hard enough to do with a frenetic, distracted toddler, let alone a a frenetic, distracted toddler and a newborn in a stroller.
At Durham Mom’s Night Out last night, Laura mentioned getting Lucy used to Daddy coming to her in the middle of the night should she ever wake up — on her own or from new baby crying — so the pressure is off me as much as possible, and she knows I can’t always be there.
And the baby has bought Lucy a gift for when she comes to the hospital to meet her baby sister for the first time. I’ve also heard to try to not be holding the baby when your first-born arrives.
Outside of these, and trying to mentally/physically/psychologically prepare ourselves for a whole other being to join our world, I’m not really sure what else to do.
So, readers who have multiple kids or who had siblings growing up, please (oh, please) share your sanity- and life-saving tips for preparing an older sibling for the arrival of the younger one. While you’re at it, how did you handle two young kids at once? Getting them out of the house? Preventing jealousy? (Breast)feeding with a toddler? Not killing one or both out of pure exhaustion or exasperation? Eat? Live?
