fall colours plus

le neighborhood

The fall colours here have been beautiful! And with still-warm days we've been outside enjoying sunshine and scenery - both around the neighbourhood and in my new favourite park. I took the kids up to Weldon Park on Saturday where we went for a nature walk (maybe sounds more appealing to kids than a hike?) on the trails that run around and through the outskirts of the park. We found what must be the shortest mountain biking trick trail with a few ramps and little hills and mini-mountains, and the kids were ripping up and down the course "I want to do it again let's do it again!"... it was great. Jordan was content in the carrier and I was happy to be in the forest amidst quiet - save for the sounds of the wind in the leaves, birds, and the kids (who were happy together).

A few weeks ago (wait, maybe a few months ago?) a friend on Facebook posted this video - Things Moms Think About #momtruths - about all the ridiculous expectations and things mom think about think about doing etc. etc. and I thought about it the other day at school when I was waiting in the hall for Alana. Two moms who I've never met or talked to were talking about how totally exhausted they were (but they were both showered with hair done and makeup and clean clothes on) and how they'd both baked that day (with honey and whole wheat flour). I had not showered and was wearing dirty clothes, had Jordan the non-sleeper with me, and had also baked that day - Chocolate Oat Squares a la Starbucks (recipe from the Joy of Cooking). If you've seen the vid you'll know why I called it to mind... and while I was tempted to chime in about how totally tired I was too (OMG) and that I too had baked (with sweetened condensed milk and sugar) I did not. The oat squares were gooooood. I'll try to remember to post the recipe at the bottom of the blog.

hiding after school

mr happy

So this one, this non-sleeping one... is still a non-sleeping one. I'm so torn about what we should do: do we sort of try to make him sleep? He'll just cry and cry and cry and cry and then maybe sleep for a bit and then wake up and cry and cry and cry and cry more... so I'm not convinced that'll work. Or do we maybe try to get him used to sleeping during the day more (i.e. naps in the stroller - where he'll actually sleep for more than 20-30 minutes)? I was sitting out on the front step on Wednesday watching the kids roll around on the front lawn and sidewalk (literally), when a couple with two young kids came strolling by and stopped to chat. It turns out that she's a sleep consultant and her baby (two weeks younger than Jordan) sleeps all night long. After waking up to feed Jordan at 11:30, 2:00 and then 4:00, 5:00 and 6:30 (to try to get him back to sleep) I'm tired but Jordan is... happy. As long as we're not trying to make him sleep, he is one happy baby. We're thinking that we'll make a very concerted effort to get into a better rhythm, and give ourselves a week or so to concentrate only (only? really?) on getting him to sleep more. Luck, we will need you on our side I think.

nature walking in arva

Lastly let me fill you in on a game that the older kids are into: they sneak into Jordan's room, steal a dirty diaper out of the garbage can and then throw it at each other and then us. (Yes really.) We've sternly told them not to do this, and so now they ask first: "Mom, will you get me a dirty diaper out of Jordan's room?" The diapers are usually requested right before bed and right after a bath when the kids are extreeeeeemely hyper - does anyone else experience this? We may as well bathe our children in a tub full of well-sugared espresso; they leave the bath on fire, and it's exhausting. Anyways, hopefully they'll get over the appeal (whatever it is) of dirty diaper toss and maybe we'll just stop giving them baths.

the little is five months old :)