So Sorry, Happy Mother's Day

I can't believe that it's that time of year again. In just a couple of weeks  it will be Mother's Day.  In annual tradition, today I look back on the year that has passed and apologize to my own mom for "crimes" that I most likely violated when I was five years old based on my own motherhood experiences this year.  Deep breath, here it goes....

A fav picture taken on Mother's Day Last Year

Dearest Mom,

I'm so incredibly sorry for...

• crying because I hit snooze button on my alarm clock

• interrupting any time you sit on the toilet by screaming "I HAVE TO GO POO NOW!"

• if i ever complained that you wore your pink polar fleece pullover too much.  I have a black one that I easily live in 4-6 months a year and it's the bomb!  Molly is unthrilled with this fashion choice.

• poking you in the eye when I climbed into bed with you following a nightmare

• blood curdling screams following a nightmare that kept you awake for hours

• peeing all over the bathroom wall, repeatedly (I hope I never did this...I imagine my son and brother also owe you an apology for this gem)

• not appreciating what a feat it is to have matching pairs of toddler socks

• leaving the cap off of every single marker I've ever used

• bringing home completely untouched lunches because "I'm totally over that food mom!"

• stealing food off your plate and being so completely adorable about it that you just take it

• splashing in the tub (at least that partially solves the peeing on the wall issue)

• loving messy craft supplies that involve glitter

• setting off toy bombs directly before company arrives

• never, ever flushing

• leaving a path of painful toys for you to step on

• wiping my chocolate ice cream hands on the wall "to get them clean"

• coming to cuddle you only to let out an epic fart (and now using the word fart because I know you hate it - I meant "wind" I swear)

• shoving my sibling to the ground because they beat me in a race

• insisting on being carried to the car at five years old

• inviting random kids I just met to sleepovers 

• using your jeans as my own personal towel and tissue

• sneezing in your face

• gifting you or dad broken glass that I painstakingly collected with my bare hands

• eating garbage food I found on the car floor (who am I kidding, your car floor has always been immaculate - that would never happen to you)

• refusing to wear a hat/ gloves or a warm jacket and then complaining to my teacher about how cold I am all day long

• saying "sawy" semi-sarcastically when you call me on my crap

• asking for more of something and then refusing to eat or drink it
  
• complaining about epic hunger five minutes post bed time
  
• at least a dozen other things I've forgotten

P.S. Still not sorry for the black lipstick I wore as a teenager

P.P.S I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world!

To see the first ever apology note click here
To see the 2016 apology note click here
To see the 2015 apology note click here
To see the 2014 apology note click here
To see the 2013 apology note click here

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Words of Wisdom: My Kids in 140 Characters or Less

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 over the past month, for your reading pleasure that haven't made it to the blog.

1. M: you know who isn't very good at singing? Chickens! J: yeah they're the worst. Just terrible #ToddlerLife

2. Today I let my son pee in a Tupperware container because there was no other option. He's excited like we just went to #Disney #ToddlerLife

3. It's hard to be angry when your salt & pepper shakers are used for #LEGO #playtime (they are giant ant monsters after all) #parenting

M

4. M: I just realized something that's going to blow your mind: A Jester is like a clown. Me: Yeah. M: Why aren't you more excited about this?

5. J: You know what the worst part about having a lot of money is? Me: What? J: How heavy it would be to carry #ToddlerLogic

6. Adulting is pretending that it's not hilarious when your child does a spot on impression of one of their teachers #parentingfail

7. J: Did you lock all of the doors? Me: Yes.  J: Good, I don't want anyone stealing or messing with my #Lego #ToddlerLife

8. Parenting Hangover: When u feel like u drank a 26er last night, but it was just ur #toddler starfishing in your bed #ToddlerLife

Gif Courtesy of  www.smosh.com

9. M: I broke up with the big bad wolf because he was late all the time Me: That was it? M: Punctuality is important in a partner mom!

10.  J: I have a big problem. My brain is controlling what I'm doing Me: And that's a problem? J: big time. #ToddlerLife

11. Why is it the second I sit down on the toilet a little voice is yelling into the door about having to poo...NOW!!!! #ToddlerLife

12. It's official #LEGO is a bigger pest in my home than #glitter I mean glitter still sucks, but it doesn't stab my foot like #Batman's helmet

To read more blogs on my kids on twitter click here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

Big Boss Man: Movie Review Boss Baby

Boss Baby was excellently marketed to kids. We pass by a giant billboard advertising the movie at least twice a day, and have seen several others all over the city. Molly in particular took notice and added watching this movie to our spring bucket list.  We decided a rainy weekend day would be a great time to check out the film.

Image courtesy of www.dreamworks.com

What's in it for the Kids?
Many kids can feel put out when a new sibling arrives.  This movie is all about sibling rivalry, paired with out there moments from the mind of a child (main character Tim) who has a fantastic imagination.  The movie is quick moving and delivers pretty much what the commercials advertise.

What's in it for the Adults?
I have a weird thing for Alec Baldwin that I've never quite understood (don't judge me).  He is the perfect person for the Boss Baby role in all of his 30 Rock Jack Donaghy glory.  There are a few jokes in this film geared towards the grown-ups that kids won't get - hopefully enough to get you through another kid movie.  I thoroughly enjoyed this film, and found myself laughing often, even when other people in the theatre were not.  Additional voice work provided by favourites including: Steve Buscemi, Lisa Kudrow, Jimmy Kimmel, and and Tobey Maguire.

Image courtesy of  www.screendaily.com

Best Parts of the Movie
Kids (and adults) who like a high action real cartoon feel to a movie will totally dig this film.  The fantasy sequences were imaginative and charming enough to keep parents engaged.  Side note: I am in love with Timmy's wizard clock (Wizzie) .

Worst Parts of the Movie
The concept is a bit of a one trick pony (he's a baby and the boss), but we went in with this in mind and were pleasantly surprised.  There are scenes in the early part of the movie (introductions of Boss Baby) that could be quite scary for a little kid.  One of the kids we saw the movie with was on her mom's lap and quite scared for about five minutes, but quickly got over it.  This scene seemed a little unnecessarily dark for a film targeted towards kids.

Overall Rating
I would rate this movie 3.5/5, it wasn't super original, but we all thoroughly enjoyed it.  Since Molly liked it so much it is a movie we will end up purchasing and potentially watching again and again. Molly's favourite part of the movie was scenes involving the big, strong, baby.  Jack loved the gross out moments when the kids were trying to trick their babysitter and laughed hysterically throughout anything slapstick or gross. As grown-ups we had fun with it, but I don't know how well I'd cope if the minions want to watch the movie as often as they do Trolls.  See it with your kids, but go in knowing that it's not going to be one of those movies that changes your life, and you won't regret it.

To read my review of the Lego Batman movie click here

To read my review of Trolls (which is now available for purchase) click here.

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Every Day I Write The Book: Sharing My Writing On Other Sites

It's that time of the month again when I share some of the writing I've been completing for other publications.  There's seriously some pretty fun stuff that I got to write this month, I am particularly excited about the myths of the body we all believed (because I thought so many of these were really true) and that I was able to write about some twin related issues for Babygaga about mistakes parents of multiples make.  As a fan of Freaks and Geeks, and someone who has considered herself both a freak and geek, it was a lot of fun to complete some research on the show.

Nowadays as my full-time job I write and ghostwrite articles for online publications, organizations and blogs, in addition to providing public relations services.  While I can't really share my ghostwritten articles on this platform, cause then I wouldn't really be a ghostwriter would I, I can share some of the other stuff I have been working on.

I can't begin to explain how thankful I am for all of the support I've had over the years for my writing, and for life as a parent.  It means a lot!

As for Multiple Momstrosity content, don't worry, the minions are still up to their usual antics, and I have plenty more to write about on that front, the kids always keep us guessing.  Click on the links for the topics that interest you most, and if you enjoy what I wrote please share, like, and follow, and keep parenting and reading on!  If you have any ideas for a story, a playground review, or article on any front, feel free to share it with me!  I'm always looking for new sources of inspiration!

Entertainment 

15 Myths About The Human Body We All Believed

15 Secrets And Facts From The Set Of Freaks And Geeks

15 Secrets And Facts From The Set Of The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air

15 Ways To Brainwash People Into Thinking You’re Right

15 Photos Of Hot TV Sitcom Moms When They Were Young

Parenting Bigger Kids

Teach A Child How To Fish…Real Life Skills For Kids

Surviving & Thriving In The Princess Years

How To Answer The Toughest Questions Kids Ask

The Parenting Performance Evaluation

Parenting Infants & Toddlers

25 Fresh Names Inspired By Spring

15 Typical Nursery Items That Are Actually Dangerous

25 Baby Names Inspired By Comic Books

Life With Multiples

15 Mistakes Many Parents Of Twins Make

To get access to the newest posts from Multiple Momstrosity and more on Facebook click here and follow today

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The Whole World Is Our Playground: Playground Review Lora Hill Park

I can't believe it's been six months since we explored a new playground, and we couldn't wait for spring to come so we could start exploring again.  That's why we have visits to three new  on our seasonal bucket list.

We were headed to Oakville for some Easter Egg hunting with the cousins and grandparents and decided we should enjoy the weather and blow off some steam first.  Lora Hill was en route to the highway and had received solid online reviews from other people in the area so we decided to go and check it out.

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 .

Big slides at Lora Hill Park

Park Name:

Lora Hill Park

Islington and Norseman (36 Fernalroy Avenue)

Parking:

There is free street parking on the streets around the park, with more available on weekends.  The park is a 17 minute walk from Islington subway station.

Theme of Park:

Modern playground with something for people of any age. 

Ground Coverage:

The playground is surrounded by grass and has sand around the majority of the equipment.

The mini climber and slide designed for kids 18 months to 5 years old

Variety of Equipment for different ages:

This playground caters to everyone.  Not only are there two different main play structure areas, one for little kids and one for bigger kids, but there is also a tennis court right beside the playground so older kids or adults with kids who are big enough to play more independently could take in a game while the little ones play.

Best Parts of the Park:

The set up of this park is great.  Everyone has been considered.  It is easy to supervise kids in multiple structures, even from the tennis courts which are excellently maintained.  There are trees all around to provide shade coverage in hot summer months.  There are covered areas for the sandboxes and some covered benches so a sprinkle of rain, or parent who wants a shady retreat can sit without a sunburn.  There are also some picnic benches.

Racing up "the mountain" to the big kid structure

Downfalls:

There are a number of abandoned toys in this park in bad repair.  Molly wanted to ride in a toy car, but two of its wheels were missing and it tipped over, this could be particularly dangerous for little ones who aren't going to watch for sharp edges on broken plastic etc.

Racing to the top of the triangle climber

Overall Rating:

I would rate this playground a 4.5 out of 5.  Chris and I really want to go back to try a game of tennis while the kids play.  Molly's favourite item in the park was the triangle climber that we all raced up and down several times.  Jack loved the big slides.  I have to admit these are the tallest slides I've ever seen at a park, and they were pretty cool, aside from a bit of static.  We will definitely return!

To view my playground review of the playground with the boat (Vermont Square) click here.

To view my playground review of Pricefield Road Playground click here.

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Zooropa - Our Trip To The Toronto Zoo

After a few days away from the minions for a business trip and some visiting with the family out west, we knew we'd be spending Monday with them.  When we heard the weather in Toronto was going to be over 20 degrees a trip to the zoo seemed like the perfect fit.

I thought I'd take this opportunity to share some tips on what we did that work best, along with some lessons learned from some areas where we dropped the ball along, and some photos.

Taking a closer look at the animals

11 Tips for A Successful Trip To The Toronto Zoo

1. A Nice Spring Weekday Is The Best Bet
   Because we pulled the kids out of school for the day and went on a Monday it was really quiet at the zoo.  This meant that we were able to park close by, get to see the popular baby panda bears without a wait, and our only competition for spots in front of exhibits were preschool kids in strollers. 
2. The Wagon Rental Was Worth It
   It was eight dollars to rent a wagon and it was probably the best money we could have spent. The kids could sit and enjoy the view on the longer walks between exhibits and thanks to the wagon we were at the zoo for four and a half hours and able to visit all of the areas on our "must see list".  If you have your own wagon bring it and save the eight dollars.
   
   

   

   I'll admit that I let Chris take 95% of the shifts with the wagon

3. Pack lots of Water
   If you go in the early spring not all of the outdoor fountains are equipped with water yet.  I learned this the hard way when I tried to fill up my water bottle in the African Savanna.  
4. Bring A Spare Set Of Clothing
   Washroom lines are always filled with strollers and kids who need to go desperately.  We didn't need our spare clothes, but it came close twice - once when Molly was car sick on the way to the zoo (thankfully she's gotten much better at barf bag aim) and the second when Jack waiting until he was desperate to tell me he had to go.  
5. If You Want To See The Baby Pandas...
   Go on a weekday.  We didn't have to wait longer than about a minute to see them, but judging by the display leading up to it and the fact that the last "admission" to that area is an hour before close, if you want to see them don't plan for a weekend trip.  I was happy that we didn't have a line to see the pandas, especially since Molly spent about two seconds looking at them before she told me she wanted to go to the gift shop.
   
   

   

   This is the mama panda

6. Plan Your Route According To The Most Important Animals First
   Molly really wanted to see the African animals and Jack really wanted to check out the reptiles, particularly the Komodo Dragon.  We made sure to cover those areas first, with anything else (like the Pandas) being a bonus.  Otherwise you risk tired kids who aren't going to enjoy what they're most excited about in the first place.  Molly loved being in charge of keeping the map safe from us. Molly's favourite animal of the day was the zebra.
   
   

   

   Molly's survival instincts are great.  She wouldn't turn her back on the Komodo Dragon

7. Think About Snacks & Then Double It
   Since Molly was car sick and lost her corn flakes on the way to the zoo she was absolutely ravenous about an hour in.  By lunch time she had polished off four clementines and most of our crackers.  Usually these snacks would have meant a lighter lunch, unfortunately because we didn't have more packed it meant a $39 trip to the snack bar for fries, pizza, and a chicken sandwich that Molly refused to eat.
8. Pack Your Own Lunch
   It wasn't a busy day at the zoo, but still a 10 to 15 minute wait for food, which was basic pizza, fries.  Bring your own food to avoid the crowds and enjoy a little family time at one of the many indoor or outdoor picnic areas.
9. Let Your Kids Play
   Yes it's meant to be educational, yes, it costs close to a hundred bucks for parking ($12) and entry for a family of four ($76) and you want them paying attention to the animals, but also let them play.  Molly wanted to climb on all the rocks,whereas Jack was content to play with his latest two Lego Figurines between exhibits.  Molly wanted to check off all of the animals we saw, like a scavanger hunt, unfortunately we didn't have a pen on us, next time we'll bring one.  Also don't be afraid to divide up.  Jack wanted more time checking out an interactive exhibit with snake skins and giant beetles.  Molly happily sat outside with me, climbing on statues and eating up all of our snacks.
   
   

   

   Climbing Time

10. Leave Before Your Kids Melt Down
    We could have pushed to another area of the zoo, but the kids were tired, and immediately fell asleep on the car ride home.  Instead of fighting our way through another exhibit and getting annoyed at them for being five, we decided to leave while we were ahead.  They lasted four and a half hours at the zoo with the wagon, it would have been more like two and a half or three maximum without the trusty wagon.
11. Don't Obsess With PhotosI witnessed a lot of parents fighting with their kids over getting a lot of pictures, sometimes I was that parent. We quickly realized Jack only wanted to pose in front of his favourite animals, and that was okay.  Focus on the experience before the photos.
    
    

    

    Looking at the "big cats"
    
    

    
    

    

    Remember to get in some pictures with your kids parents!

    
    
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