Green Eggs & Ham

The minions have been head over heels for the new Netflix series Green Eggs and Ham. It's pretty cute and stars the voice-work star power of Michael Douglas, Adam Devine, Jillian Bell, Ilana Glazer, Keegan-Michael Key, and Diane Keaton.

I Do Not Like Them Sam I Am, I Do Not Like Green Eggs With Ham

Since things have been a little stressful as of late I thought I'd surprise them with some Green Eggs and Ham for dinner last night.  Since my kids prefer their eggs scrambled I just added some food colouring to their eggs and painted some onto their ham.  For those looking for a little less food colouring enhanced eggs consider adding spinach.  Either way they were really excited and Jack thanked me five times.  Chris tried to convince the kids that green eggs came from green chickens and they made him Google it to prove his theory because they didn't believe him.

Are we going to The Dr. Seuss Experience you ask?  Only if we can find a Groupon or good deal online, until then this will have to do!

Molly digging in

The Winner Takes It All

Grade three has not been a good transition for Jack.  There are days that it's seemed harder than adjusting to kindergarten or grade one, so I can only imagine what he's feeling.  There have been bullying issues that thankfully (hopefully) have been resolved. His teacher and the school has been amazing at nipping this in the bud.  He's a loner, but the bullying has made this especially evident. Academically he's lagging behind in math and his writing.  His focus is scattered at best, in work he does at home with us or with his tutor. A teacher who has him for two subjects this year (and had him last year) told us he's very engaged in one class and like a different kid, totally disconnected in the other.  At home in recent weeks there have been big freak outs over small things where it's been very difficult for him to calm down.  I am feeling his self-confidence plummet and it's been heartbreaking.

It's report card season and as I hear other parents complain about their kid having average marks and not excellent marks it makes me want to scream.  At the same time I know that Jack is kind, creative, clever, and wonderful, and I wouldn't trade that for straight As. His recent issues at school could be so many things: his response to the bullying, that he's about to make some sort of a jump, or the one that I fear the most, that he's pulling away from school. We're currently on the wait lists for an assessment and support, but I still worry - a lot.  He's not a disruptive kid, he's well-behaved, sweet and close enough to grade level that I fear this isn't a priority, there's only so much funding to go around.

Okay - enough complaining....

Since his first haircut Jack has been terrified of the clippers.  Two hair cuts ago our hairdresser showed Jack how the clippers would feel on his arm and asked him if he'd consider letting her trim the back of his hair with it during his next cut.  She held him to his word last week and all it took was a little extra screen time on dad's laptop to convince him.  He even let her trim around his ears with the clippers.  Chris and I both made a big deal out of it.  He needed a victory, heck we all needed a victory.

Then the next day he began working on creating comic books with a girl in his class and this seems to be an ongoing project.

They say not to sweat the small things, but what they don't mention is celebrating the small things.

Here's hoping that we figure out some of the bigger stuff some time soon!

Pierced - Getting Their Ears Pierced 101

I know the debate on getting a child's ears pierced when they are infants versus letting them choose when and if they want their ears pierced.

For me, I distinctly remember getting my ears pierced when I was eight years old.  It was a birthday present that I had desperately begged for.  I felt so grown up.  The training wheels had just come off of my bike and my mom took me to the jewelry counter at Hudson's Bay to get my ears pierced. We had Orange Julius after. It was the best day EVER!  As I type this I recognize that these may be some of the most Canadian 1980's sentences I have ever laid down.  The earrings I selected as my 'keeper' earrings were faux sapphire, my birth stone.

via Pic Gifs

I had two main reasons for waiting to have Molly's ears pierced.  The first was that although babies with earrings look adorable, I am keenly aware of what toddlers are like and the warnings that many daycares present on sending an infant with their ears pierced (i.e. we are not responsible if another child tears an earring out).  The second was that I wanted the earrings to be her choice, not mine, and a mother daughter bonding moment, something that I remember so vividly myself.

When Molly asked to have her ears pierced for Christmas this year, I suggested that we go together in November so they would heal and she could add 'fun earrings' to her Christmas list.  She was thrilled.

After talking to a friend about the piercing gun at a beauty salon jamming when her daughter had her ears pierces, resulting in pain and multiple infections until the earrings came out for good, I decided to opt for a professional piercer instead of a jewelry store or salon (and The Bay at Cloverdale mall no longer exists where I had mine done).  I researched nearby tattoo and piercing shops and picked the one with the best reviews.

Image via Giphy

Molly had a choice of two sets of earrings, plain titanium balls or sparkly gem ones.  She went for the plain titanium ones.  I held her hand while she had the first earring put in.  She didn't make a sound.  She needed to regroup for a minute and when I told her that she could quietly say any swear word she wanted while she had the second one done, she giggled and was ready, but not before checking out the first earring in a mirror.  Right after we went over to the house of family friends for a cup of tea.  She felt very grown up about the whole thing (which was exactly what we were going for).

Miss Molly Just Moments After Her Ears Were Pierced

So far she's been great about making sure the special spray makes it's way onto her ears morning and night.  She lost an earring at swimming lessons, but dad managed to muddle through and get her some spares.

Stay tuned for news on all the amazing earrings she gets for Christmas.  She's particularly excited for dangly ones!

A special shout out to Bad Buddha Tattoos on St. Clair for doing such a great job.

The Whole World Is Our Playground: Playground Review Humbertown Park

I saw this newly built park on my way back from running errands and knew we needed to check it out before the snow flies. They were literally putting on the finishing touches and sanding the equipment while we played, it's that brand new!  While it always disappointments me when a new playground pops up moments before playground season comes to an end (this one was supposed to open Labour Day weekend), I'm still happy that another green space where I can walk my dog and play with my kids has come to our general area.

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

Exploring some of the structures

Park Name: 

Humbertown Park (Royal York & Dundas - 7 Wimbleton Road)

Parking:

There is some very limited free parking right beside the park, but there won't be a lot available in the summer once word gets out.  It's also steps away from the 40 Junction-Dundas West Bus stop which runs out of Kipling and Dundas West Station.

Theme of Park:

If IKEA and Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds worked together they would build this playground.

Balance beams and slides

Ground Coverage:
The playground has some shade coverage, soft wood chips and some rubberized landing areas to cushion any kid related falls, along with wide expanses of grass to play on.

Variety of Equipment for different ages:
Most equipment is designed for older kids (think age seven to eight and up unless your children are better, more confident climbers than mine are), but there are some slides (including some unusual ones), balance beams, spinners, and swings available to meet the needs of kids any age. There is a water fountain, but no bathroom or splash equipment.  

Kids enjoying the park before the storm came in

Best Parts of the Park:
The climbing equipment is amazing.  There is so much to do here.  The imagined 'ship' was Jack's favourite part of the structures, while Molly liked the balance beams to challenge her dad. There is a soccer field with bleachersjust below as well as rocks, and some accessible swing equipment. This park has all of the excitement of Jamie Bell playground but much better sight lines for parents who don't need to worry about losing their kids in the labyrinth or equipment.  Because the park is open I was able to take our dog for a walk around the park several times and still see the kids at all times.  

Another perspective of the climbers and slides

How Long My Kids Stayed to Play:

The kids played for about 45 minutes and would have stayed longer, but as you can see from my photos a storm was coming in and we had to leave.  There is a grocery store and some restaurants nearby on Dundas Street for anyone who would want to picnic here. Oh, and I forgot to mention - there is an outdoor ping pong table here as well!

Downfalls:
In the warmer weather I could see shade coverage being an issue (although the park plans posted on YouTube  show trees within the playground which may not have been planted yet or had lost all of their leaves). A public washroom or even port-o-john would make this park even better, as would additional parking.

Overall Rating:

I would rate this playground a 4.5 out of 5, particularly because this is one of the few playgrounds my kids can 'grow into' instead of age out of.  There is still plenty for little kids to do there too.  We will be back soon!

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