Words of Wisdom - My kids in 140 characters (or less)

Recently I heard my sister-in-law talking about how she might have become a parent sooner than she did had she known how hilarious kids are.   I never understood how both fun and frustrating parenting could be until the minions arrived.  They are funny and complicated little creatures who amaze me everyday.

Of course as parents, We all think our kids are brilliant little comedians and are guilty at one time or another of boring friends and family with tales of our kids.


We spend a lot of time with the minions and I'm fortunate enough to record the things that they say and do so I can look back on it and laugh.  Some of it makes the blog and other smaller moments don't.  One of the brilliant things about Twitter is how it's the ultimate parenting "elevator speech", because you have to keep it short. Below are Tweets, conversations, parental musings and things that the minions have done or said this summer, for your reading pleasure that haven't made it to the blog.

1. J: I'm not scared of geese. I am scared of their beaks.
2. ur #kids r old enough 2 hold ur hand in a parking lot, but not tall enough to avoid nailing their heads on other cars side view mirrors
3. M: Mommy, I'm hungry Me: I'm mommy M: I'm hungry Me: I'm mommy M: Why are you trying my patience before breakfast? #parenting
4. At the beer store Jack: is this where daddy has his band practice? Me: kinda
5. Babysitter: J dumped a glass of water on his head because he was "living under a waterfall" Me: #facepalm #grin #sigh #parenting
6. M: Mommy why aren't you more excited about jumping in the puddles? #toddlerlife #Perspective #parentinglife
7. Thanks to my husband introducing our 5 year old 2 @henryrollins the ongoing retort 2 any conflict is now "I'll burn your soul" #littlepunk
8. Molly: Look at all the #glitter I got Jack: #glitter is garbage (giggles). No truer words have ever been spoken #parenting
9. Hearing your son scream angrily "It's zed!!!" at his #LeapFrog game #Canadian #litnerd mom proud #parenting #Canadian
10. Me: What do you want to do tomorrow? Jack: Kill mosquitoes and eat cinnamon buns (this actually doesn't sound terrible) #foodie?
11. J: Daddy I found this in your room. (holds up #Durex wrapper) Were you eating candy without me again? #soawkward #parenting
12. J: I'm fighting with dad & running away 2 Mexico Me: U can't move 2 Mexico ur passport is expired J: I'll go to a Mexican restaurant instead
13. Jack (affixes #MonstersInc Sticker to my back in #TrampStamp position): Now you're ready for #datenight with daddy! #parenting
14. You know your kid is a carnivore when this is how she sets her plate #parenting #BBQ #BBQRules
    
15. M: Daddy it's Buffaloing & now I can't watch my show D: Buffering? M: That's what I said! #parenting #technology #firstworldproblems
16. When someone takes a dookie in the wading pool & suddenly it's #preschool meets #BreakingBad cause the lifeguard is in a hazmat suit #summer
    
17. J: I need to call #AdamDriver and talk to him about how we should kill #KyloRen #preschoollife #StarWars
    
    
    To view my last Twitter round-up click here
    

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Dirt

The other night, just before bed, Molly and I were talking about sand castles and mud pies.  I told her about a dessert that I'd enjoyed as a little girl called "Dirt Pudding", an edible take on making mud pies in a garden.  When she looked up at me with those big green/blue eyes and said, "Momma, can we please make those one day?" my heart melted and I couldn't say no.

The next day we went to the dollar store and grocery store to get our supplies, and Molly, Jack and I happily began our work on the gross-out dessert that they were sure to love.

Important Mudd pudding supplies

An important note: When you're 5-years-old and anxiously awaiting to decorate and eat a dessert, the 15 minutes spent waiting for fast set pudding to set can feel like an eternity, so I served the minions lunch and set the oven timer so we'd be ready to get to work right away.

Molly decorates her "bucket" of dirt pudding with oreo crumbs "dirt" and gummy worms.

Our "bucket" of worms became our instant eat, mucky dessert, whereas our mini mason jars, complete with lids were sealed to enjoy later and happily share with friends.

"Dirt" Dessert on the Go

Look at those sour worms wiggle!

When we finished preparing (and devouring) our dessert, I asked Molly what she wanted to do next, and we decided to play snakes and ladders in the backyard at her and Jack's suggestion.  I would have never thought to take a board game outside, so I'm glad I asked.

There were some competitive tears when someone who shall remain nameless got rather upset about landing on a snake and losing their lead, but they quickly got over it, all while both kids practiced their counting.

Ready, steady, PLAY!

I can't wait to show the kids Apple Peanut Butter "teeth" later on this week.  I may get the hang of these "kids take the lead" lazy summer days, just in time for Labour Day!

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Master of Puppets

I am so thankful that my work schedule has allowed me to work condensed days this summer while the minions attend day camp three days a week.  This has provided me with a bonus of two additional days to enjoy alongside them. I'm pleased that we've remained fairly diligent of spending 20 minutes each day to work on printing letters, tracing shapes, working on our reading and counting skills.

Some of our weekdays together I've really planned out with trips to new parks for playground reviews, exciting crafts, and playdates alongside friends, others I'm slowly letting them guide.  This is particularly challenging for me and my "uber planning" nature, but I'm really trying to embrace it.

Last week in the midst of another heat wave in Toronto (not that I'm complaining, seriously) I didn't want the kids to spend too much time outside.  When I asked Molly what she wanted to do that day she yelled, "PUPPETS!!!" at the top of her lungs.  Huh?  "I want to make puppets and they're going to be amazing!"  So we did.

After our breakfast and printing time we went over to the grocery store in pursuit of paper bags. When we returned home we gathered up all of the art supplies that we felt would make for awesome puppets and got to work while we had a snack.

The beginning of Jack's "Jack in the box" puppet

We made a queen, we made a princess, we made a kitty cat, and we made a Jack in the box and we did it together.  While we happily played with our proud creations I couldn't help but think of the overused parental expressions, "only boring people get bored" and smiled because Molly and Jack are getting so creative.  I also thought of all of the "school related skills" that puppet making works on including building fine motor skills.

Sticker preparation for fine motor skills

As the rain continues to hit this week, or if you need an easy activity on a hot and sweaty afternoon, consider puppets.  Later this week we're going to try our hand at a game of Snakes and Ladders that the kids received for their birthdays.  If only I could figure out a way to make these lazy days of summer last just a little bit longer.

Yes, the Queen's party dress has festive balloons on it.  

To read an article I wrote for another site on games that encourage learning to enhance your child's summer learning click here.


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I Don't Want to Grow Up: Reflections on Turning 5

Each year I've written a little bit about Molly and Jack on their birthdays.Since their third birthday, when they were old enough to answer some questions themselves, so I started asking.  Along with their annual "night before birthday" photo, I've added this annual list of questions to the many traditions we want to enjoy with the minions.  Here is what they had to say this year.

Molly Age 5

What is your favourite colour?
Purple and pink and blue

What is your favourite toy? 
My favourite toy is my princess Barbies because I can always make them dance.

What is your favourite food?
Rice and meatballs.

What is your favourite song?
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (Because there is a diamond in it and that's my favourite part)

What is your favourite movie? 
Tangled

What is your favourite animal? 
Butterflies because I saw butterflies everywhere at the zoo.


What is your favourite book? 
Alligator Pie by Dennis Lee

What is your favourite drink? 
Milk

What do you sleep with at night?
"Blankie, but I don't suck my thumb with it anymore." (This is a lie and I make a skeptical face.)
 "Fine, well I didn't suck it last night."

What do you want to be when you grow up? 
I want to own my own restaurant and be a Chef and serve people.  It will be called Minnie's Circus.

My big hikers at the Scenic Caves this past June

Jack Age 5

What is your favourite colour?
Blue and Green

What is your favourite toy? 
BB8 Toy.  Is he a droid?  Or my Jack in the Box, because it scares daddy.

What is your favourite food?
Ice cream, popsicles, freezies, and cupcakes.

What is your favourite song?
Jack"That song by ACDC where Angus is shirtless and playing guitar."
Me "Isn't that all of them?"
Jack (in rock star yell) "YEAH!!!!"


What is your favourite movie? 
Star Wars Episode Seven, but I don't like Kylo Ren.  I want to kill him.

What is your favourite animal? 
Horsey

What is your favourite book? 
Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems

What is your favourite drink? 
Cranberry juice

What do you sleep with at night?
A stuffy, like a teddy bear.

What do you want to be when you grow up? 
I want to wear a dinosaur mask and I'll fight Bigfoot.  Bigfoot is real, right?

At least this year he recognizes that he can't become a dinosaur, that's progress?

To read about Molly and Jack on their fourth birthday click here.


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The Whole World Is Our Playground: Christie Pitts Playground

The summer continues to be a scorcher, and I have to be honest, I'm one of those people who loves this kind of heat.  Especially when I can take some time with Molly and Jack to explore a local playground.  And at the end of the day we have air conditioning, time our outings for minimal heat exhaustion, and then there's always ice cream!

Approaching the park

My park review disclaimer: If you don't live in the area I hope you enjoy the pics and can use some of the ideas to inspire and explore in your own city. If you have any recommendations for great playgrounds (or new criteria I haven't thought of) please post a comment on this post or email me at multiplemomstrosity @ gmail.com .

Park Name:

Christie Pitts

Christie and Bloor

Parking:

There is cheap pay parking most of the week on Bloor, or it's also a very short walk from Christie Subway Station.

Theme of Park:

Classic playground sunken in the park, with ample green space for non-playground activities. 

Ground Coverage:

The playground is surrounded by grass and has sand around the majority of the equipment, with some of the newer equipment having wood chip ground coverage.

Variety of Equipment for different ages:

This playground is great for kids of all ages with a variety of climbers, swings and slides.  The playground also has an old school spinner which the kids played on for a little while.  From July to September there is a wading pool with lifeguards for those who really want to get wet.  Older kids can enjoy the "maze" painted into the floor of the wading pool and see if they can "find" their way out.

Best Parts of the Park:

There is some great shade cover here, particularly on hotter days.  A rare gem is how this park also has a clean (for a public washroom) available for day use.  Molly and Jack fell in love with the tall towered spider webbed climber here and spent a lot of time here.  When Jack climbed too high for his own comfort level an older (9ish year old) boy helped direct him down, which really helped build his confidence.  Kids playing here were happy to include each other, which was nice.

Climbing the green web at Christie Pitts 

Downfalls:

This park is busy and downtown.  We saw a toddler get trampled by someone playing Pokemon in the park and not paying attention to his surroundings, and there was some broken glass around the playground we needed to avoid.

Overall Rating:

I would rate this playground a 4 out of 5.  The kids had so much fun and were thrilled when I told them that we'd be stopping at the Baskin Robbins right beside Christie Station on the way home.  An overall win with both kids playing really, really well, particularly when I was one parent watching two minions.  We'd go back again.

Splashing around Christie Pitts

To find 10 more free splash pads around the city to beat the heat click here

To read my review of High Park's new splash pad click here.


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Ghostbusters, A Movie Review

While Ghostbusters, 2016 is probably much more appropriate for bigger kids as well as grown ups (the biggest kids of all) I still thought it would be a good idea to provide a review based on a recent "grown-up" movie night out to check out the Ghostbusters reboot.

Image courtesy of Ghostbusters

What's in it for the Kids?
This movie is for big kids, not little kids. We personally plan to show Molly and Jack the original movies to get a feel for how they'd react before introducing them to the reboot.  They will probably be at least seven before we introduce them to the franchise, depending on how they react to other semi-scary movies (We plan on testing Labyrinth, Harry Potter, Indiana Jones and  Nightmare Before Christmas before we introduce them to the world of Slimer, and ectoplasm).  This movie is an empowering take on friendship, team work, smarts, and (I'll just go ahead and say it) competent women who work in science, math and academics to serve as some pretty amazing role models. There is no nudity or sex in this movie (if you're the type of parent who wants to shield your kids from this, but is okay with scary ghosts).

What's in it for the Adults?
This movie does a good job of re-establishing a classic franchise without actively acknowledging the original Ghostbusters in the plot.  All of you die hard original cast Ghostbusters fans will be happy to know that are a lot of great cameos from the original series to keep you entertained throughout as you search for these Easter Eggs.  Anyone who can't get over the Ghostbusters being women, (notice I didn't say girls), grow up and get over yourself!

Best Parts of the Movie
Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones steal the show in this movie as supporting characters who are more than worthy of lead roles.  They are fun, fierce, and funny in a way that has me wanting to dress up as a Ghostbuster this Halloween.  The film keeps it's campy roots, along with a few moments that will give you a startled jump, everything you want or need in a Ghostbusting film.  I can't say enough how awesome McKinnon is at Holtzmann, this character is everything anyone could ever want in a ghostbuster, period.


Worst Parts of the Movie
This movie has two major flaws in my opinion: 1) The script doesn't use the talents of Wiig or McCarthy at all, they are literally the two least funny and entertaining characters in the film (and I don't think it's their fault) and 2) There is a plot dip in the middle of the movie that drags a little, particularly the gag about Chris Hemsworth as the receptionist (we get it, he's hot, let's move on and fight some ghosts).

Overall Rating
I would rate this movie 4/5.  It's watchable and re watchable for people who grew up with the original Ghostbusters.  I would gladly watch it again and would go and see the sequel if/when it comes out, I just hope they amp up Wiig and McCarthy and let them shine like they normally do.  Maybe the minions will be old enough to see the second one with us in theatres by the time it comes out!

To read about the minions journey into the world of Star Wars click here.

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