The Best $1.50 I’ve Ever Spent
Some time ago we came across these little model train kits made by Creatology at Michaels. Callum was fascinated so we bought two of the cars in the set for him. I mean, they were $1.50. I could part with $3.00 if it meant he was agreeable for the rest of the shopping trip.
Best. Toy. Ever.
Of course, when I mention it to any of my Mommy friends they all say “oh yeah, those are great” and I’m standing there wondering why the hell NO ONE TOLD ME. There is usually an added comment about how my kids are too young, which is advice I often famously ignore and man, am I glad I did. I completely disagree that my kids are too young for these model kits. Assuming you get a shmock on your kid, and let go of any preconceived idea you have about how the train should be painted, it is a pile of fun for a toddler. Callum will decide which pieces he’s painting, which Claire is painting, and then spend a solid hour sitting at the kitchen table getting it done. An hour! The things this Mama can do in an hour!
In the interest of full disclosure I should probably mention that yes, there IS paint on my ceiling. I’m ok with it. Did you read the part where I mentioned the hour of free time I got? WORTH THE PAINT ON THE CEILING.
I can’t find ANY information about this company on-line so one can only assume that these are being made via child labour in Vietnam somewhere because I honestly can’t figure out how they can sell these kits for $1.50. When or if I ever find that out I’m going to be one sad Mama because I have come across no other toy or activity thus far that has been so thoroughly enjoyed by my son as this train has been. From the painting to the gluing to the playing with, he loves it.
The kit comes with all the wood to put together the train car, the paint, the glue, instructions, and a paintbrush. The glue is super glue and this train is taking a beating without falling apart.
The train itself links together to all the cars you can buy, and it even fits into the wooden Thomas-the-Train tracks, too (or Imaginarium if you by the knock-off track like we do).
I mean, it’s been a win-win-win. So, I’m telling you about it, because no one told me about it and it’s kinda awesome and a great, cheap, kid gift. Go forth and stuff a stocking.
Guess The Baby
Baby A
Baby B
Baby C
Guess which baby is which, and I’ll send you a prize.
No, seriously, I will. I promise. Assuming that I can remember which is which that is.
The ultra-sound went smoothly, everything looks normal so far and there were no weird questions like there were when we had Claire’s ultrasound. The only unfortunate news was that we were off a week on the dates meaning that this baby’s due date is essentially Claire’s birthday. Now The Bear is pretty fascinated with babies but I have a hunch she’ll be less pleased with this baby’s presence if she has to share her birthday AND her Mama AND her Grandmas.
I won’t find out the sex of this baby until early January, likely, so still more waiting to be done before the real planning and list making gets underway.
I was sitting there thinking how surprising it is that all the babies look the same until it dawned on me that they are all the spawns of Steve and I, so of course they look similar in utero.
Breakfast
I?ve started reading No Impact Man, on Michelle?s recommendation, and this book is probably going to get a lot of face time on the blog in the coming weeks. Just giving you a head?s up that I?ll very likely get annoying about our impact. So far I?m thoroughly enjoying the book.
The first thing that struck me as I started into the book wasn?t thinking about how much garbage I produce. It wasn?t thinking about climate change and trying to find that rhythm for our family that maximizes enjoyment and minimizes our impact. No. The first thing that struck me was holy damn, there are a lot of people out there who don?t cook a single meal.
The author freely admits that his wife doesn?t cook, and until the launch of the project neither did he. In fact, they didn?t even do breakfast at home. BREAKFAST. The best, most amazing meal of the day in its simplicity and they would cop out of breakfast and buy it. Every morning. Sometimes, they had those croissants delivered.
I don?t know if it speaks to my socio-economic class growing up, or just the simple fact that it probably never occurred to my family to order in a croissant every morning even if they had that sort of disposable income, but there is no way in hell I?d be buying breakfast every day. Not that there is any croissant delivery options available in Errington but it is conceivable that I could drive to the local coffee shop just to eat breakfast.
It?s just that, well, its breakfast. Everything about breakfast is easy, even fried eggs on toast. I have a fried egg on toast Every. Single. Day. I can make myself breakfast, and coffee, while simultaneously ensuring that the kids have cereal and fruit and a sippy cup of milk! I am a Super Mommy!
Not.
Toast toasts itself and all I have to do is remember to flip the egg between stirring the coffee and buttering the toast. And neither of those tasks require any sort of mental capacity, I can do it while still essentially being asleep. If I over-cook my egg I actually get quite angry, it happens so seldomly.
Even the coffee is easy because it?s instant and takes a total of 30 seconds to prepare (I actually know this to be true, it?s 30 seconds from the time the jar gets taken out of the cupboard until that same jar is returned to the cupboard). The only frazzled part of my morning is trying to enjoy said coffee and pretending I don?t actually have two toddlers to deal with, which is why I typically get out of bed 15 minutes before they do. A hot cup of coffee is much tastier than a cold cup.
At any rate, it got me thinking, how many people out there are ordering in breakfast? Am I really that removed from my own society that I didn?t even realize people would routinely do this?
I thought that we were weird enough sitting down to eat dinner every night. And when I say we sit down to eat dinner; I?m talking a pre-set table with placemats and all of us eating, or at least complaining about, the same meal that most likely did not come from a box. Once in a blue moon it comes from a box but normally it?s a real meal. Not a very tasty meal considering I?m the worse cook ever, but it is real food. I was shocked to realize that a lot of families don?t actually do this. In fact, a lot of stay-at-home types don?t even cook dinner. Man do I wish I got in on that deal.
Puddle Therapy
Callum has been fighting some sort of stomach virus/flu since Wednesday, and then yesterday I too, started to feel meh. Well, ok, I feel sicker than meh but with all the talk of The Sick these days how much more do you really want to listen to? yeah, I thought so. I?m not dying, I can still breath, and I?m not getting the damn vaccine?
Anyway.
Today, after the hundredth temper tantrum of the day, the most recent because I was neither well enough, nor had the proper ingredients, to make the cookies Callum was demanding be mixed he finally calmed down enough to sit on my lap and have a little chat. He decided that what Mommy* needed was a little bit of Mommy medicine, and maybe some of that medicine Papa takes in the black jar with the green lid. Just a little reminder to me that in case I thought kids don?t notice everything, they notice EVERYTHING. Said medicine is Vitamin C, the kid might be on to something. Then he noticed the puddle on the driveway and had a lengthy discussion about it, how it appeared, and the jumping that was to be had. I admit to only listening to part of this conversation while I read an article on the computer, so while it sounds idyllic I’m sick and not that terribly interested in the origins of puddles.
Once Claire was up from her nap, he put on his boots, insisted Claire put on hers, and out front they went to jump. After several days of Treehouse (way, way, way too much Treehouse, god help us) I?m pretty sure puddle splashing was the cure we all needed.
*I’m not entirely sure what happened to “Mama”, what I would prefer the kids call me, but it’s been replaced with Mommy and now both Callum and Claire call me Mommy. Steve has been trying to sway them back to the Mama, but they aren’t having any of it. He’s still Papa. ~sigh~
All Hallow’s Eve
Every year when Halloween comes and goes I always have to wonder why such a benign little celebration seems to generate so much negativity. I love Halloween. I love everything about it, from the decorations to the crafts, the history and dressing up, and most of all, pumpkins!
The pumpkins we all carved together
I don?t think you could ask for a more kid-friendly celebration. As far as I?m concerned, it?s all about the kids (or the kid in us). They get to dress up and run around and act crazy but without the adult agenda that comes with Christmas and Thanksgiving. There isn?t the obligatory family feast; instead you get a bag full of candies! Just because you asked for it!
“I a penguin!”
Its outside in your own neighbourhood so you get to greet your neighbours, enjoy the fall weather, watch your children have a blast instead of trying to ensure that they are on their best behaviour and share in all that merriment with other people who also appreciate just how much fun it is to let loose.
He’s a turtle, case you can’t figure that one out
It also showcases some pretty serious creative talent, too. Even if you?re not a creative person, or don?t enjoy getting dressed up I think everyone can appreciate the humour and thought that some people put into their costumes, their decorating, or even just the presentation of a chocolate bar. The time and effort people spend be-decking their homes and yards brings me no end of joy. Even this year when I was too tired and sick to drag out my own decorations, I still love to see what everyone else did.
Plus Halloween teaches kids a lot more than ?hey! Free candy day!? They get to be a part of their community and show some spirit, to see people give a gift just for the joy of it (because, lets face it, a lot of people feel an obligation to other gift-giving occasions but we can all opt out of Halloween without a second thought), to learn how to appreciate that gift and say thank you, to appreciate the thought and effort someone made to decorate just because you were coming by, and to understand that not everyone celebrates this holiday. Very quickly Callum learned that if the porch light was on he was welcome to come up to the door and yell ?Trick or Treat? but he was to respect that if the porch light was off he wasn?t to bother them.
Onward!
My own kids had a blast, Callum especially. He was excitedly telling everyone ?Happy Halloween?, and ?Thank you!? and ?Have a fun night?. He was picking out the houses with pumpkins and porch lights, and patiently waited for Claire. Claire was a little more wary of the whole deal, but by the end was saying ?Happy Halloween? and ?I a penguin? and shuffling up the walk to the door pretty quickly. Of course, she got a lollipop out of her treat bag so was starting to realize that this little game was pretty cool.
Not so sure…
We got an unbelievable amount of candy considering we hit up a total of about 15 houses; we only went around the block near my Grandma?s place. I think people were shovelling in the candy and were very considerate about the fact that the kids were little giving out candy they thought was best. That said, I don’t have any candy hang-ups and will even allow Claire to eat most of it. One gentleman had oranges as an option!
After we walked around the block, we took the kids to our local pumpkin trail. We were too late to walk the trail but we met up with our friends and watched the fireworks. Another great thing about Halloween, it?s the only time of year where the kids are actually still awake when the fireworks go off. We were home, and the kids in bed just slightly past their bedtime so we didn’t even mess with their schedule.
Watching the fireworks
a little hut
a little sauciness
angry chicken
beauty that moves
blogging for two
burrito west
craftster
creative thursday
disdressed
disney princess recovery
dooce
elephants with wings
eskiegirl
how about orange
imagine childhood
knitty
meadowsweet cottage
mini mak makings
moon stitches
my plum pudding
orange you lucky
paper forest
plants and hogs
potential energy
rosy little things
sew mama sew
smartass
soule mama
suzy says
the mayfly
the stars
The Wilting Quilter
tree hugger
two straight lines