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Cat Skinner July 15, 2013

Mommy’s To-Do List – Week of July 15th

Weekend Highlights

Mama S and I began our weekend with a surprise girls’ night in Toronto. Our dear friends Emily and Jordan just had their first baby, and Jordan scored the husband-of-the-year award by inviting all of Emily’s girlfriends over for a surprise girls’ night in because she was missing everyone. He even prepared a delicious table full of snacks to satisfy our many dietary restrictions. It was lovely to see all of the ladies, and the commute to Toronto on Go Transit gave me two hours of reading time.

Noah hit the nine-month mark! Now my little baby has been out in the world for as long as he grew inside my belly. I can’t believe it’s already been nine months.

Our Bapa returns to Africa on Tuesday morning, so we spent the weekend close to home puttering around the house and eating. The easy schedule allowed me to plough through all of our laundry and tackle the classroom, freeing me up for fun through the week.

VIP Tasks This Week

The Classroom

I’ve done all that I can to organize the stuff in this room. Now I just need to get some extra muscles to help me move out the things that don’t belong there. I’m hoping daddy can make some time this week to help me! (Batting eyelashes)

Summer Camp At Home

I purchased the Summer Nature Camp at Home curriculum that I mentioned last week, and now I just need to start reading through it. With the insane heat today, it might be fun to try to bake these solar oven s’mores! Perhaps we can prepare some delicious popsicles this morning too? It’s not even 8am and I’m roasting in my room with the AC on!

Fertilizing

The garden is tiny, but determined to grow, for the most part. We’ve got some holes to fill now where I think we have some dud seeds and bulbs, but otherwise everything is coming along. It’s time to fertilize I think, and perhaps mulch the tomatoes, but I’m saving gardening for a day later in the week when the high isn’t 32 degrees!

Shopping

It’s time to zip across the border and pick up the shopping that’s accumulating in our UPS box. Plus, I need to find a new bathing suit for Hannah who has grown out of all of hers. This reminds me, I need to write a post about shopping online!

Library Card

I now have mail with my new address, so it’s time to get our library cards at both the St. Catharine’s and Niagara libraries. Meanwhile, I have a bookshelf filled with summer reading potential!

Final Touches

I’ve got to finish my room by hanging the few pictures I have to put up. I’m hoping that will help to make it a little less cluttered in here.

What I didn’t get to last week:

Gluten Free Baking

I think it would be wise to hit the Bulk Barn for some gluten-free ingredients in the next day or so. I can then order whatever else I might need online, and pick it up when we go across. I’d like to go fruit picking with the girls either this week or next, and I plan to do a baking lesson using the fruit we gather.

Personal Goals

I so enjoyed my reading time on transit last week that I want to carve out more time for reading. I’m frankly not sure how to do this with a nine-month old who is in perpetual motion. Maybe I need to take advantage of his naps and the girls’ excitement with their new room to enjoy some reading time? When I do this, I always feel guilty, but maybe the secret is to just know that on a certain day of the week, that’s what my baby-free time is for.

Things to Look Forward To

Shopping with Daddy!

I love our trips across the border, even though it’s often a bit epic. It’s nice to know that we have that time together, with a guaranteed lunch date. It’s been so busy around here that we haven’t had much one-on-one time.

Work Day!

Heading to my mom’s for some uninterrupted work time was a fantastic idea. I’m hoping to do this again this week, and I know I’ll be even more productive because I’ll be riding in with Mama S on her way to work. This way there’s no scary bus ride on the highway with the baby in my lap, and I won’t have a car seat to install.

Easy Week!

I’m looking at my calendar for other events to look forward to and there aren’t any! I know I want to take the girls on an outing this week – either another hike (huge success) or perhaps a trip to a local farm to pick some fruit – but otherwise it’s an easy-going week. I love not having every moment scheduled.

Reunion!

The week ends with a family reunion and open house at Mama S’ folks in Barrie. They have such a lovely home and property, and I feel like we haven’t been there in ages. It will be nice to watch the kids run around and play and it will be Noah’s first cousins photo opportunity!

Now, if I’m going to get anything accomplished, this mama needs coffee. I hope your week is off to a great start, and I hope if you’re facing the kind of heat we are, you’re finding smart, fun ways to keep cool.

Cat Skinner July 8, 2013

Mommy’s To-Do List – Week of July 8th

Mama S shot this amazing photo of Noodle and Hannah.

Another busy week begins! Our weekend fun continues with a Monday jam-packed with kid energy, and there’s lots of fun to be had this week.

Weekend Highlights

This weekend was a whirlwind of family fun. On Saturday we hosted some of Nekky’s family for a barbecue and a round of a game called “The Word Game”. The premise of this game is to take a large word and find as many other words from the letters of this word before the 15-minute timer goes off. Sounds like fun, right? Well it was, mostly, but it also turns out that a highlight of the game is watching Mama S and Bapa (Nekky’s dad) argue over the rules. They cleared the room after only the second round, but fortunately there was a lot of delicious food to distract everyone. We were celebrating Ia Fui’s (Nekky’s sister Nadia) birthday, and I’ll share more on that later this week, including menu highlights and family recipes.

As I’m typing the main floor of the house is alive with sound. That’s because Mama S’ sister Crystal arrived yesterday afternoon. She drove here from Texas with her three boys who are all under the age of five. It’s like a hurricane of cute and crazy in our home! The crew is staying until later today and then they are off to Barrie to see Mama S’ folks. I’ll be posting Crystal’s secrets for staying sane later this week, because I know there’s no way I could hold it all together as beautifully as she does.

VIP Tasks This Week

The Classroom

I’d say most of the house is in good shape now, and everything looks very settled in. Our classroom is piled high with boxes and it’s a bit of a minefield. I’d like to begin organizing and purging in there, and get the space ready for painting. I think we could use the classroom for some summer fun activities before we even begin our curriculum for the fall.

Summer Camp At Home

One of my favorite blogs, Simple Kids, featured an at-home nature camp curriculum. I think I’ll give it a whirl and plan some fun activities for the kids for the rest of the summer. We now have swimming lessons to look forward to at the end of this month, but it’s really nice to have some tricks up my sleeve when they run out of their own ideas for fun.

Work Day

I found a bus that runs from the nearby plaza to a stop that is a five-minute drive from my mother’s house! It’s a short trip – only twenty minutes – so now all we have to do is choose a day this week that works for us. I’ll spend half the day writing, and half the day working on home school curriculum and finishing those thank you cards from Noah’s baby shower and Bayah that need to get sent out!

Gluten Free Baking

I plan to hit the local Bulk Barn and see how many of the ingredients I can find for the Gluten Free all-purpose flour I’d like to try. My experiments in gluten-free baking should make for some hilarious writing. How many of you reading these posts eat gluten-free? Do you have any great recipes to share? Please do!

Personal Goals

This week I want to be mindful of spending quality time with the kids. They seem to really thrive when I’m conscious of spending some focused time with them each day. We start our hiking club on Tuesday, so that’s one really fun thing we can count on.

I’d also like to start shifting my focus back to my theatre company. In the whirlwind of moving and getting settled, it seems like a far-away memory, but we have a Halloween show to plan and get working on! I hope that inspiration will come once I turn my mind to the show because I’m feeling a little tapped now.

Things to Look Forward To

Hiking!

I haven’t been on a proper hike in years, and I can’t wait to go out with the kids on Tuesday. Hiking was such a huge part of my childhood. The hiking club has been arranged by one of the moms in our local homeschool group, and I really hope we have the chance to meet some of the other families. The girls want to go rain or shine, so I guess we’ll know who the real nature people are. I’ve got a kick-ass pack for Noodle, and I’ve been practice walking with it this week. It’s very comfortable and he usually settles in for a good nap.

City Time!

I’ve got to head back into town for an errand at the end of the week. I’m really hoping to connect with some of my city peeps. I’ve been craving a meal at Fresh, which is probably the best vegetarian restaurant I’ve ever eaten at. It will be nice to get back there and feel that crazy city energy again.

Thrifting!

I plan to hit the local thrift store this week because we have a large pile of stuff to donate. I think it will best for me to have a couple of hours there alone because I like to be so thorough in my searching for stuff that most people find it annoying to shop with me.

I have a feeling this will be one of the weeks that goes by in a flash, which can be fun, but also leave me feeling really tired if I’m not careful to take some down time too. How is your week shaping up? What’s the one thing you’re most looking forward to this week?

Cat Skinner July 2, 2013

Mommy’s To-Do List – Week of July 2nd

Chacha and the Noodle build a grill gazebo

Weekend Highlights
Saturday night was date night with Mama S, and it’s the first time we’ve been out together in a very long while. I was nervous! We drove to Toronto and loaded the last bit of stuff from our old house into the van (I removed my heels for this) and then looked for a patio. I wouldn’t recommend following the 2012 blogTO patio reviews. We picked a place on Queen West recommended for it’s good atmosphere, and apparently that means you’ll have to walk through the kitchen to use the disgusting bathroom, and all you’ll be able to smell outside is KFC. Am I getting old, or what?

After the patio experiment, we hit Insomnia for dessert (cheesecake and crème brulé) and some caffeine. Dessert was delicious, and the atmosphere much more appealing there. Next up was the Boylesque T.O. show, their first in a long while. The show offered lots of laughs, and as always, I was completely blown away by Dew Lily. What a performer! Entertainers in the burlesque world really run the risk of being very self-indulgent, because few performers have a director to work with to help shape their acts, but Dew seems to know what his audience loves, and you can really tell that he’s there for their enjoyment. Every nuance is perfect, and he’s completely connected and engaged. It’s also such a delight to see someone so stunningly beautiful be able to laugh at himself and be completely silly. His sprinkling of acts throughout the show made the drive completely worth it. The boys are all very charming and fun. I’d love to get my director hands on them some day!

On Sunday, we enjoyed our first day in our new home together. No Daddies had to drive back to the city, and no Mamas ran away from home to see naked boys on stage. We had a lovely dinner, and then attempted our first bonfire. I say attempted because the mosquitoes assaulted us not long after we were all settled with marshmallows and sticks. They are outrageous here! I think we at least got a roasted marshmallow each before we ran into the house.

VIP Tasks this Week

Unpacking!

I don’t think I’ll feel like myself until I have unpacked and set up my room. I’m very close to being done with this, but I need a couple of hours of baby wrangling help. My in-loves are very busy with their own household tasks, so perhaps I’ll have to send out the bat signal for my mom.

My sister-in-love on Mama S’ side arrives Sunday evening with her three wee boys, and we’re having a little get-together on Saturday to celebrate Fui’s birthday, so it will be important to get the house in order before then.

Personal Goals

I’d like to carve out some time to start thinking about what my daily routine could look like here. I need to incorporate some writing time, and some time planning for homeschooling in September once we’ve completed all of this unpacking. I’d also like to make sure that I have time with the girls and the baby each day for fun.

I need to complete some basic admin tasks, like changing my address so I can get a local library membership.

I’d like to start thinking about Les Coquettes Halloween show. I have some ideas rattling around in here, but I’d like to put them on paper and share them with the troupe.

Can you believe I’m still working on Thank You cards from one of Noah’s baby showers and his Bayat? I’m so embarrassed about this, but I’ve told myself that as long as they get in the mail before he’s 9 months old, it’s not the worst thing in the world. I have eleven days. Where did the time go??

Things to Look Forward To

Cousins!
My cousin’s lovely partner is visiting from B.C. with her mega-cute little boys Locke and Cache. I’m trying to figure out a day to bring my munchkins for a visit so they can all play together before the boys go home again.

Checking Out the Hood!
I’m going to insist on one outing with the girls this week, and I’d also like Daddy to take me for coffee downtown. I want to check out my new stomping ground. I need to get a driver’s license ASAP because being dependant on everyone to liberate me from the house is really going to be a drag.

Family Time!
Looks like the weekend will be full of fun family time, which is always low-key and always full of delicious food. We need to break in the grilling gazebo that dad just bought, and I think a second attempt at a bonfire is in order. Perhaps you can share some mosquito repellant tips?

A Clear Calendar!
I can’t remember the last time I looked at my Google Calendar and saw it completely blank. I will decide this is a blessing instead of something to make me feel panicked. Ha! Seriously though, it’s a wonderfully easy-paced new reality, and I’m going to seriously enjoy it.

What’s the one thing you’re most looking forward to this week?

Kisses on your nose,
Mommy

Cat Skinner June 17, 2013

Mommy’s To-Do List – Week of June 17

Ayla’s Neon Toes

Weekend Highlights

My favorite moments of this weekend are split evenly between events on both Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday we spent a wonderful day being spoiled by Mama S’ mom, the kids’ Nana. She took us mamas and The Noodle out for lunch in the afternoon while the girls were at Muslim school, and then treated all of us to pedicures once the girls returned home! I haven’t had a pro give me a pedi since well before my pregnancy, and the girls had never had one at all, so it was a wonderful treat.

On Sunday we spent the whole day working together to continue with packing up the kitchen. Even the kids helped. We then enjoyed dinner together on our roof top patio. I think this space has been sorely underused in our time here. H & A build themselves an eating fort out of the awesome fort building kit they got for Christmas. This fort kit is one of the girls most-used toys. It’s a simple box of sticks that fit into little balls, and you build a structure that you then lay a sheet over. Mama S shot some beautiful pics of our happy monkeys with their dad.

One of my favorite pictures ever.

VIP Tasks this Week

The Yard Sale!
Getting ready for Saturday’s yard sale is at the top of the list this week.

I need to finish purging the rest of the house to see what else we can sell

I also need to sort and price all of our items for sale, and take stock of everything we have to sell to decide how to lay it all out

I need to list the yard sale various places online. Where do people look for yard sale information?

It will be great help to have the girls making signs, pricing toys, designing lemonade stands, etc.

Maybe Mama S can bake her killer chocolate chip cookies to sell too!

Oh, and Daddy could build a cheery yard sale play list to attract customers.

We need to remind the neighbours that they very kindly are lending us their driveway, and we need to get them a parking pass.

I’ll need to hit the bank for change and small bills.

Yard sale people, what am I forgetting here??

Personal Goals

I want to get as much packing done as I can with a rambunctious baby who just wants to crawl and climb on everything, plus two little girls who may be good helpers, or may decide to try to kill each other.

I want to try to manage the incredible stress of moving with humor and grace. This is going to continue to be very challenging, I think.

I want to continue to post every day! You can’t imagine how hard this can be! I’m so grateful that my partners are so supportive and happy to wrangle Noah as required to help me carve out some writing time. I think I’m getting to the point where I’m going to need to map out posts ahead of time and just write in chunks to make sure the week is covered off. That in itself is very exciting.

Things to Look Forward To

Hanging With the Girls!

It’s their first week off from school, and I’d like to have some fun in the midst of all the hard work we have ahead. I’m sure there’s some emotional impact from leaving their friends behind and from watching us pack up their home (even though they seem relatively okay), so I need to keep that in mind, and tend to it accordingly. I think we’ll hit the JCC pool, Dufferin Grove Park, Smock, and probably our neighbourhood park before the week is done.

Patrick Watson!

Free concert on Thursday night for the Luminato festival! Now we just have to decide whether or not to bring the kids. I think it would be awesome to take them, and the stage is outdoors. Details are here for those of you who are fans.

The Yard Sale!

This could be super stressful, but I think it will likely be super fun if I can keep my head on straight. Usually the secret to my Zen state is to have the Noodle with me. Looks like I’ll be wearing him a lot that day, though Grandmere will be on hand to help too. Things really get done when the grandmas are around.

Happy Birthday Henry Hind!

I can’t believe that it’s been a whole year already since one of my besties had his first kid. We’re going to head from the yard sale to the birthday party on Saturday with the last ounce of energy left. They have a beautiful backyard, so it will be a great chance for the kids to blow off some steam after the yard sale.

How does your week look? I hope it’s productive, and filled with opportunities for fun and great photo ops. I’m always saved by list-making and planning ahead, and I’ve learned to add some me time to the to-do list too. I hope it’s a beautiful week!

Kisses on your nose,

Mommy