Sorry Toys R Us

We have two children so naturally, our house is full of toys. Bursting at the seams, in fact. I pride myself on not being toy crazy, but somehow we still seem to have toys everywhere. I know there has to be some secret toy organization scheme out there that would keep my house from looking like an exploded daycare, but that's a topic for another day.

Today, I want to talk about dinky cars and Barbies and annoying electronic balls that talk and plastic tool sets and Fijits and more annoying plastic electronic toys and stuffed animals and paper. Yup, paper. Because after all the hours of shopping and fretting about getting the 'right' toys, all they really want to play with - what makes them laugh the hardest - regardless of how old they are, is paper.

The joy of paper from JustBecauseDawn on Vimeo.

Now if only Santa could remember this little lesson in two months time!

Funny faces

Earlier this week I was flipping through our pictures from the summer. We sure jammed in a lot of things these past few months and we had some really great times. But what made me laugh the most was all the pictures we had of Ryan making funny faces. Most proud parents pass around adorable pictures of their little ones with angelic smiles. But in the spirit of honest parenthood, here's a 'real' look at what gets captured on our camera. Enjoy!

Yes, that's cheese on his shirt.

Did you notice his new (first!) haircut?

Inside the mind of a six-year-old

Grade 1 is hard these days. Not only does it mark the end of school-as-play, but there's actual learning to do, rules to follow, homework and an initiation into social politics - best friends, cliques, clubs, popularity contests and even which boys to like. I thought (hoped? prayed?) we'd be spared having to deal with any of this drama for at least a few more years, but it appears that kids these days just can't wait to get started.

Ella has stayed mostly on the sidelines of all this hoopla, although we have had several conversations about real or perceived slights by friends, some discussions about which boys are cute and which are gross, and even a few right-before-bedtime hysterics about some high noon playground showdown with another girl (question: why do these always happen at bedtime?).

One of the joys of being six though, is that you still have a pretty simple view of the world, as evidenced by this note Ella wrote recently on my phone. If only we could use the same rating system in our grown-up worlds!

PS. Meow-Meow, who gets the highest marks, is her favourite stuffed animal and I have absolutely no idea who Hope or Chloe are.

A look back at year #1

A few weeks ago, Ryan celebrated his first birthday and I'm shocked that he's been around (and I've survived) for a whole year. Turning one means he's no longer a baby, but has graduated to toddler status. In honour of this milestone, I thought I'd take a look back at the past year and offer up the top five things I'll miss and won't miss about Ryan's babyhood.

Top 5 Things I Will Not Miss About Ryan's First Year (a.k.a. thank goodness that phase is over)

1. Our big blue exercise ball - I think I spent the first 3 months of Ryan's life bouncing on that thing
2. Barf - Poor little guy had acid reflux and I didn't wear a clean shirt for at least 6 months
3. Formula - Man, that stuff's expensive and it smells gross 
4. All things sleep - deprivation, books, training, schedules, etc.
5. The crying - Ryan came out crying and didn't stop for a long, long time

The second list was a bit harder to come up with, but after some deep reflection here's my Only Top 5 Things I'll Miss About Ryan's First 366 (it was a leap year) Days on Earth

1. His tiny little fingers that would grab mine and hold on for dear life
2. Swaddling, because he was just so darn cute all bundled up like a burrito (and it helped calm him down)
3. Lying in one place (ie., not wriggling, rolling, creeping, skooching, crawling, walking, etc.)
4. Gummy, toothless smiles
5. Watching him sleep in my arms - ok, I didn't love that he only slept in my arms, but there were times when it was pretty magical 

Goodbye baby, I'll miss you ... but I'm so excited to see what happens in year two!

Milestone madness

Without any planning or trying, this past Sunday turned out to be a big day in our house - both kids hit exciting milestones. I honestly do try to enjoy the smaller milestones and moments that happen on a more regular basis, but the 'big' ones are extra-exciting and they make me want to celebrate.

First, Ella learned how to ride her bike with no training wheels. Her bike hasn't been out of the shed since 2010 - last year was totally devoted to her new scooter. But seeing friends ride their bikes sparked renewed interest and even though she needs a bigger bike, she just couldn't wait to give it a go. It was just like in the movies: the breeze was blowing gently, I held on to the back of her seat while Ella got started and then after a wobbly couple of seconds I let go and shouted "you're doing it!" as I ran along beside her. Only it was slightly less glamourous than the movies: I was wearing my Sunday track slacks, had Ryan bouncing along in a sling on my hip and I'm sure there was a look of pure terror on my face as all I could think was: please don't fall, please don't fall, please don't fall. And she didn't, my big girl.

Not to be outdone, Ryan graduated to a "big boy" car seat. I'm not really sad to say goodbye to the infant car seat, but it's such a physical symbol of his babyhood - one that I used almost every single day for the past 11 months - and packing it away is a reminder that my baby is growing up. Not surprisingly, he celebrated this special milestone by screaming through the whole first ride in his new car seat. Guess he likes change about as much as I do.

We also got rid of Ryan's exersaucer - hallelujah! That big, plastic monstrosity was taking up way too much real estate in our small house, plus it didn't match my decor. (Question: why can't Fisher Price make toys in more attractive warm beiges, buttery yellows and rich purples??) Like the car seat, I'm not sad to see it (or the jolly jumper or bouncy chair) go, but it caused a little twinge in my heart to know that he'll never again be little enough to go in an exersaucer. I love that he's getting bigger ... but I also hate that he's getting bigger.

Last, and definitely least, Ryan capped off this extraordinary day by demonstrating his ability to lean over in his bath and lick the water like a cat. Way to go, buddy, I'm so proud of you!