Splash pad success

On my list of fun summer activities to try this summer was at least one visit to a nearby splash pad. I didn't even know these things existed until last year, when I drove by one near a friend's house. They're increasingly popular, particularly in newer communities, presumably because they don't require lifeguards and because they use timers for the water, so it uses less than filling and emptying a pool (and requires no chlorine or other chemicals). The forecast was in the high 20s-low 30s for Monday, Tuesday and today, so the time was right to see if D would enjoy herself!

When we went on Monday, it was just the two of us. The splash pad is about a ten-minute drive from our house, and it was mostly empty when we arrived. I wasn't too sure how D would like it, seeing as she doesn't enjoy being sprayed by the garden hose when she washes the cars with Daddy. As it turns out, if she has a modicum of control over the splashing, she's fine with it. Because there were a few kids around, I got to see how long the water cycle stays on, and how to turn it back on when it stops. I didn't bring any water/sand toys, unfortunately, but I accompanied her through the various fountains so that she wouldn't be scared, and after that, she was great on her own. She just flitted from one fountain to the next, happy as anything! With her kiddy pool at home, she can play contentedly for all of 10-15 minutes; we stayed at the splash pad for over an hour.

On Tuesday, I went with both D and my young charge E, who had also visited a splash pad for the first time recently. It took us over an hour to get ready- sunscreen, hats, bathing suits, shoes, water bottles for everyone. I actually remembered sunscreen, snacks, a camp chair, toys, and tissues (the girls both had runny noses). The only thing I hadn't remembered was to ask Hubby to switch over the spare car seat to my car that morning. My wonderful mom saved the day by bringing her extra one, and we made it to the splash pad in time to meet my friend Sarah and her 3 kids. It was so good to have another mom to sit and chat with while our kids played.

We went again today, and remarkably, even though the weather was cooler (21 degrees or so), the splash pad and accompanying playground were more packed than on the previous days put together! The City was running a craft activity, so that may have accounted for the higher numbers. I was a little nervous of many of the older kids, who don't tend to notice toddlers. One bigger girl in particular vexed me by shooting water at a bunch of little kids when all the big kids had run away; she lost interest fairly quickly, though. There was also a little boy who had a habit of grabbing toys out of other children's hands (including D's, the moment she walked onto the splash pad), and tried to steal some of our snack. I gently chastised him for the latter, as I happened to be the one holding the snack. We suffered the sad loss of one of our beach toys, a red train; most people are fairly relaxed about sharing toys at the park, but it's too easy to lose things when there's a bigger space with more kids running around, so I didn't let the girls play with other kids' toys. All in all, I much preferred the less busy days, but it's still a fun way to spend the morning. And it doesn't hurt that naptimes go better after copious outdoor play!

"So how many things have you knit for D?"

Someone asked me that the other day (for the life of me, I can't remember who), and I couldn't answer right away. I thought it was maybe a few sweaters, a hat and a blanket. I had to dig through a couple of her bins of outgrown clothing (not a good idea when one is pregnant and prone to weepiness) and dress-up things. Here's what it actually amounts to:

I deliberately made a few of the items in unisex colours and designs (garter stitch, stripes, cables), but you can see a definite trend towards girliness in the later ones (pink, purple, flowers, lace). Here's the run-down, in chronological order:

1. Daphne's Baby Cape (purple): made in summer 2007, cast on during my youngest sister's high school graduation, finished before I started my teaching career that September. I had intended it as a gift, but it took so long that I decided to keep it. D is almost big enough to wear it now. And yes, that's where her name comes from.

2. Denim Blanket (yellow): made in summer 2009, just before I had D. We often tucked it around her on walks or in her car seat that fall and winter.

3. Duffle Coat (green): made in fall 2009, still doesn't quite fit. Maybe this year!

4. Classic Cardigan (blue, white and yellow): also made in fall 2009, and was worn only a couple of times before D outgrew it. Definitely suitable for Cashew.

5. February Baby Sweater (lavender): made in winter 2010. D was able to wear it from about 6 months to just over a year.

6. Chicken Hat (pink): made in fall 2010, adorned D's head all winter long. Sadly, she's outgrown it and will require a new hat for the 2011-2012 winter season.

7. Whirligig Shrug (gray): made in fall 2010, D only wore it a couple of times. It's still in her drawer awaiting cooler weather, and will probably still fit her this fall.

8. Anouk Pinafore (yellow, green, purple and red): made in winter 2011, so far only worn twice. It's a generous size and will fit for quite a while, maybe the next two years. We'll need to find her some purple stretch pants and a red or white t-shirt to wear under it.

9. Bolero (white): made in spring 2011, just in time for Easter. She's worn it a few times already, and it's still pretty big on her.

10. Pull sans manches (orange): made summer 2011, matches the one I made for my mom last summer. I had enough of the yarn left over to make something for D, so I sized down the pattern for her. There's still more, so I might make something for Cashew, a little cabled sweater or something. It's a nice light cotton that looks great at a fine gauge, and D can wear it as a sweater vest when fall arrives.

I'm not going to try and knit the same number of things for each child I have; for one thing, my free time will be significantly limited compared to what I had with D, and for another, that's what hand-me-downs are for! That being said, there are only two sweaters that I can really pass on to Cashew, and I'm a big believer in babies getting their own knitted blankets from Mom. I'm thinking red this time, in the same pattern.

Free or cheap summer activities: a 100th post with almost 100 pictures

We've been having such a lovely summer so far, and here are some of the fun things we've done so far. Appropriately to the purposes of this blog, they are all free or inexpensive.

1. Seeing a real prince and princess (or duke and duchess, as they are officially known). My mom, D and I went to Rideau Hall (parking for free at the Aviation Museum and availing ourselves of the complimentary shuttle) to see Will and Kate on Thursday afternoon. It was a beautiful day, and D wore the pillowcase dress I made her last summer, with the shrug I made her this past Easter. D's favourite parts of the day were running around the grounds with Grandma and riding a bus for the first time, respectively. I suppose it wasn't free to drive there, factoring in gas and wear & tear on the car, but it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.



2. Berry picking. We went to a farm down the road from us (Dekok's), on a random Wednesday early in the strawberry season, about an hour before closing time. It had been raining, but that just made the berries seem nice and clean. I think it was about 10$ for a huge basketful, which we ate in short order.

3. Outdoor art. So far, we've drawn on the driveway with sidewalk chalk (1.50$ for 12 pieces at Dollarama), and finger-painted.

4. BBQs with friends and creative baking solutions. We had a bunch of awesome people over for a Canada Day BYO-meat potluck, and it was so much fun! A few people brought side dishes and desserts, and we made one of each. Oven fries were our easy, although time-consuming, side dish, and for dessert I made cupcakes (with all-purpose and spelt flours). Unfortunately, I had no icing sugar and all the stores were closed, so I made seven-minute frosting instead, using white sugar, cream of tartar, egg whites, and vanilla (although maple extract would have been more festive). It worked out great, and I threw a dash of red sprinkles on for colour.

5. Cheering on my sister at her third-ever triathlon, where she placed first! It was her boyfriend's birthday, and he was racing, too; his family came to town to surprise him, with one of his sisters actually entering the race. All three of them placed in the top three for their age categories.

6. Meeting a brand-new baby. My friend Sarah just had her second daughter, and we got to meet the little cutie last week. I held her for as long as was reasonable, and D and baby's big sister were kind enough to mostly ignore her. (This is a blessing as it did not involve eye-poking or suffocating hugs.) Here's what I just finished knitting for tiny baby A today:

7. Watching an auto-cross event in the Palladium parking lot. Hubby, D and I were out running errands today, and happened to be driving by when we noticed a bunch of cars racing around parking lot 9 of Scotiabank Place. We stopped to have a look, and ended up staying to watch for quite a while. D was enthralled, and kept saying "fast car!" It was not unlike her favourite movie Cars, during which she likes to point out all the titular vehicles. Apparently they have auto-cross almost every weekend during the summer, so we may go back again.
D was excited to ride in Grampa's Mustang (on loan for the weekend) with the top down. Joe Cool even kept her hat and glasses on for most of the drive.


All these activities are in addition to the more everyday ones, like going to the library for new books every few weeks (Curious George is a particular favourite at the moment), splashing in the kiddie pool, going to parks, grocery shopping, and housework. We strive for a balance of fun and productive activities, with mixed results sometimes, but we always enjoy spending time together as a family.

Busy June days

In my former working life, I was a high school teacher. Today, I watched the group of kids I taught in grade 9 graduate. Or at least walk into the auditorium. There's a tradition at that school whereby teachers (the ones not sitting on the stage for commencement ceremonies) applaud the grads as they walk into the auditorium, and I was able to join them. D and my young charge E were with me (E graciously waited in the stroller, plied with Cheerios). Because the students had to pause every now and then as they filed in, a few of them asked me if I had two kids now, and I'd pat my belly and say that I would soon enough. D was very excited to clap for all of them, and she smiled the whole time.

It was amazing- I hardly recognized some of the students! Actually, when I was navigating our stroller into the school, a tall gangly kid opened the door for me, and I didn't realize until later that he was a student of mine three years (and about a foot) ago. I taught over a hundred of the kids graduating today, and coached a dozen more in volleyball, so it was really neat to see them almost all grown up. I wish we could have stayed around for the reception afterwards, but the girls were getting tired and overexcited.

We were there for about an hour and a half altogether, and most of that was spent visiting with former colleagues. I got to catch up a bit with my old department (Immersion & Geography), and they all got to see how much D has grown and changed! We hadn't been there since Hallowe'en, when she wore her little lion costume, which is the school's mascot. My mentor was there with her three daughters (she's on mat leave until the winter), and three of the girls who supply taught when I first worked there are now pregnant as well!

It's just about time for bed now; we have another big day ahead of us tomorrow. The royal couple will be arriving at Rideau Hall tomorrow, and my mom, D and I will be joining the throngs of proud Canadians to welcome them. I'm hoping that, because it's a Thursday and not a holiday, it won't be too crazy, but you never know. I still have to pick out what we'll be wearing, and hopefully I'll remember to take and post pictures here!

Sun, fun, and Sandbanks

We just got back from our first camping trip with D, and it was a resounding success! I suspected as much, given that for the past couple of months, she has been entreating me daily with pleas of "outside, Mama, outside?" I doubt she understood when I explained to her that this weekend, we would be outside ALL of the time, or that she would get to see both my sisters and a puppy. But oh man, was she ever excited about everything!

Some of the logistics of camping with a toddler were a bit challenging:
1. We forgot to pack her playpen, so she slept with me for the first night. Normally, it might be okay (we do still nap together a couple of times a week), but she rolled around like crazy and woke us both us a bunch of times. Thankfully, my sister and her boyfriend brought up my parents' spare playpen with them on Saturday, and D slept through the night in that.

2. She got very dirty from playing at the campsite and on the beach, which was great, but we didn't have a bath, so either Hubby or I would put on our bathing suits and take her for a shower. I was glad to have a washcloth and her tear-free shampoo, and we brushed her teeth at the same time! It was probably way easier than lugging a baby bathtub around and filling it with water, anyway.

3. For meals, we brought her booster seat (best 12.50$ I ever spent, especially since she's used it daily since the age of six months), which we were able to strap to the picnic table. It's all plastic, so we could wipe it off after dinner and leave it out overnight.

4. Diaper changes were all disposable, as were wipes. When her bum got too sandy, we'd walk to the bathroom to give her a wash. We had a swim diaper for her, and I like this one even better than last year's, which was a pull-up (and on clearance for 6$). This year, we got her one with velcro tabs, and it works really well. In the old one, if she pooped, it was messy to change. With the new one, it's a cleaner and quicker process. Plus it looks so cute with her tankini top! (see below)
5. Grandma got D some sand toys (see above) at the local Stedman's, and those went over tremendously well! We didn't bring her anything to play with, only her Lambie and blankie for bedtime, and three books for the car or quiet time. Hubby used his iPhone to play her a few Sesame Street videos on Youtube if she was fussy, much to my chagrin! It did calm her down...

6. Bedtimes were later than usual and wake-ups earlier, since we were sleeping outside. There's not much that can be done about that. We'd put her down once it was dark, and by sunrise, she was up and at 'em. On Friday, she didn't nap, but we managed to get her to sleep for an hour during the day yesterday and today. Hugely helpful in this endeavour was a baby backpack with a metal frame that we could carry her around in and set down once she fell asleep. Unfortunately, it got backed over by the van (D was clearly not in it at the time!), and didn't have the best ergonomic design besides; Hubby and Grampa both popped a rib out of place carrying D around in it. We're going to look into replacing it; Hubby prefers it to the wrap. Note: the picture is not from the campground; we went into town on the Saturday afternoon.


7. Other random, helpful things: Crocs were the only footwear we bothered to bring, not wanting to be constantly searching for tiny misplaced shoes. The fit over her footie pyjamas, so she could toddle around in the morning before breakfast. Clothing-wise, I had checked the forecast and packed accordingly. She went through four sets of clothes over the course of the weekend, not including her preferred attire of a bathing suit. We also had lots of sunscreen, and although we brought bugspray, we didn't have to use it!

On the way home, we stopped at my aunt and uncle's to have lunch and to pick up my Grandma, who stayed with them for the weekend. It was great to be able to wash our hands again and use proper bathrooms. I love camping, and I also love coming home from camping! Overall, we had a great time outdoors with family, and what more could you ask for on Father's Day weekend?

Amazing rhubarb recipe

Last week, I picked my first rhubarb crop of the year. I used 2/3 of it to make a pie (that night) which was finished within about 24 hours. (I had help- guests, not Hubby and D). The remaining third languished in the fridge until today, when it was transformed into the greatest homemade muffins I believe I've ever had. I still think pie is the best way to showcase rhubarb (even if you cut it with strawberries), but if you only have a few stalks, this is a close second. Do yourself a favour and check out the recipe. I made it this morning with two toddlers playing at my feet.

Starting the week off right

Due to some baby-free time this weekend, I've been able to accomplish something extraordinary (for me): start off my week with a clean house. I'm a messy person by nature, as evidenced by piles of clutter on pretty much every surface, and I struggle to overcome the chaos when the fancy strikes me. This weekend, it struck twice.

First, my parents came to pick up D around 10:30 on Saturday morning, as Hubby and I had a wedding to attend; the venue for the ceremony and reception was about 45 minutes away, and we were glad to be able to stay late without worrying about transferring D from my parents' house to ours. (We did the same thing for another wedding at the same venue a few weeks ago, and it went beautifully.) Hubby was a groomsman, so he was getting ready with the other guys. My ride was due to arrive at 1pm, which left me two and a half hours to get myself ready, eat lunch, and do a little housework. We'd had company the night before, and because I wanted to talk to my guests rather than clean, the kitchen was a wreck. Our bedroom was a bit of a disaster, too, with laundry and odds and ends lying around. I cleaned up both areas, and then still had time to have lunch, dry my hair, and get dressed.

This evening, D went to bed earlier than usual due to a very short nap, so I seized the opportunity to vacuum the main level and mop the kitchen. I find it really difficult to do both when she's up and about, and although D hasn't been freaked out by it yet, the vacuum is pretty loud. As for the kitchen floor, I try to get it mopped once every couple of weeks, really just whenever it's too sticky for my bare feet. I sweep up debris on a daily basis, but a good mopping does wonders. If I'm feeling particularly ambitious (which I wasn't today), I'll mop the powder room and entrance way, or the upstairs bathrooms. Speaking of bathrooms, while I finished mopping the kitchen, Hubby asked if there was anything on my mental to-do list that he could help with. I was very grateful for his thoughtfulness, and suggested he clean our ensuite. Maybe tomorrow I can tackle the walk-in closet, and then our whole room will be tidy!

And now my week is off to a fresh start! They're forecasting rain from now through Thursday, so if we're going to be indoors a lot, it's just as well that the house is clean.

(D loved being outdoors for much of our days last week. This is on our front porch, where we spent a lot of time, and plan to continue!)