Vent

Sometimes you just have to let a kid do what they want to do.

There is a heating vent in front of the patio door.  It's visible - the white vent does not blend in well with the wood floor, and being in front of the window is one of Ian's favorite places to be, so it is often noticed.  Ian is absolutely fascinated with it.  We try covering it with the end of the curtain's, we moved the rocking chair over it.  Nothing was curving his interest.

The vent is easily lifted out, and Ian discovered he could do that very quickly.  I am constantly putting it back in so that toys do not fall down the vent.

We tried the distraction technique.  When he took the vent cover off we would move him across the room and give him something else to do, but he would make his way back to the vent and keep playing with it.

We tried the "no" technique, but I prefer to keep "no" to a minimum and only use it when it's absolutely needed - like in a danger situation.  Plus, a 9 month old does not understand why he cannot explore there, and I do not want to hinder his desire to explore.

So what did I do?

I let him play with the vent.

He sat there with his foot in the vent for quite a while.  He then got bored and moved on to something else... He has not visited the vent since!

Ginger Cookies

Jack's imagination has never failed to amaze

me.

Today he is being a fire fighter who is baking.  He mixed up his dough and put the cookies in his oven.  He went on playing and then went back to his cookies.  It is interesting to watch as his sense of time develops.  His oven used to cook food instantly, but now it actually takes a bit of time depending on what is being made.

When his cookies were done he took them out to cool.  Once cool he brought them over on a tray for us to try.

I took my imaginary cookie, pretended to take a bite and after saying how tasty they were I asked what kind of cookie it was....

Jack proudly proclaimed they are ginger cookies.  I asked if he had used Auntie Risa's recipe and he responded "I used flour, and sugar, and eggs... And molasses... Oh!  And ginger!"

My jaw dropped!  He is such an amazing little boy.  The fact that he could actually name the ingredients that went into his ginger cookies was so amazing.

Cooking Class: Jambalaya

LJack loves to cook, and is getting so comfortable around the stove.  No longer am I worried about him touching the pan or the stove.  He is very cautious and enjoys it so much.

Jack and Lucas are both starting to use knives (plastic) to cut their own food on their plate when they can.  Jack is also enjoying watching me chop food for dinner.  Tonight we chopped the celery, mushrooms, peppers and onion together.

Jack was also responsible for the spice blend.  I told him which ones to put in and how much.  His shake on the cayenne pepper was a little heavy handed, so dinner was a little spicy - but still tasty.  I guess the fire fighter helmet, which he chose to wear instead of his chef hat, was appropriate for the spice factor!

Jack helped me put everything into the pan and it was his job to occasionally stir until it started to bubble.  He had to let me know when it had started to bubble, and he did a great job!

Once again, he did a great job cooking.

Family game night

Lucas and Jack have been asking to play games for the past few days, and tonight we had a family fame night.

We started out playing Zoofari.  We could not find the stands for the typical pieces so we got little figures out of the animal toy bin.  Jack picked an elephant, Lucas picked a zebra, Daddy picked a baby chimp and I picked a leopard.  The boys had so much fun, and Daddy was the lucky winner.

Since Daddy won, he picked the next game.  Hr has been wanting to play Jenga for a few days, so he finally got to pick it.

The boys had so much fun playing jenga, and did amazing well!  We did two games and it was getting very difficult at the end.  The first game was a collaboratively loose, and then Jack knocked it down on the second game.

Ian was so good and just sat in his high chair the whole time - watching and playing along.

Ian vs the stairs

I had an idea for a blog entry about Ian learning to climb the stairs.  He was so cute attempting the bottom 3 stairs, and that is as far as he could make it.

Well...

Ian just made it up to the bedrooms from the living room.  From 3 stairs to more than 20.

He has conquered going up the stairs... Not looking forward to learning how to go down.

He is getting too big too fast... I cannot even keep up with the posts.

It is not a box...

We emptied yet one more box.

But it is not a box...

It is an airplane.

It is a suitcase.

It is a fire truck.

It is a bed.

It is a cage for a kitty.

It is a dragon's egg.

I love their imaginations.

Welcome to spring

Last week we were enjoying temperatures in the double digits.  We were going to the zoo and getting our sandbox cleaned up for some fresh sand.

Well, on the first day of spring, mother nature decided to give us a present.

Welcome to spring.  I guess the sandbox will have to wait.

Dangerously Cute

This little man is dangerously cute.

Within the last few days he has really started to try and give kisses.  Before we got open mouthed slobbery licks, but now they are evolving.

He now opens his mouth and kisses you, sound effects included.  It is so cute to hear "mmmmmmwuah!"

But it always ends with a bite!  Ouch!

He is not chomping down on you, he just does not realize his chompers are there and pressing in as he goes for his enthusiastic kiss.

At least he is adorable.

spring is coming

Despite the snow storms back home, spring is starting to show here.  The weather has been beautiful.  We are taking advantage of the warm weather by getting outside as much as possible and if we cannot get outside we at least open the balcony door to get some fresh air inside.

Zoo

On Saturday, the first warm day, we went to the zoo.  It appeared a lot of the city had the same idea.  It was very busy, but the way it is set up you did not have to wait in crazy lines or feel crowded around animals.  We also went back on Wednesday and it was not nearly as busy.  As members of the zoo we just walked right up to the gate, got our cards scanned and in we went.  It was wonderful to not have to wait in line with those who needed to buy tickets like we used to have to do.

Terrance's favorite exibit was the penguins.  There is a neat building where you can see into the tanks and also up onto the land.  The penguins are free to come inside and outside as they wish.  A few of them had gone outside to enjoy the sunshine.

This is the outside of the penguin exhibit.  The penguins were swimming around in the water and making the boys laugh.  They really are silly looking animals with how they move around.



Jack was very excited to see the hippos and the giraffes.  They were both in the same building - their winter home.  The giraffes were looking quite sad on Saturday but when we went back on Wednesday the doors were open and the giraffes were up and walking around.  The hippos had ventured outside.  It was neat to see hippos so far from water, you really got to see just how huge they really are!

This tank is the hippos winter enclosure.  It is quite a massive building, with lots of fake trees to make it look like Africa.  Across from the tank is seating so you can sit and watch the animals. 

The first day we spent 2 hours at the zoo and barely made it through half, and spending 5 hours there the second day we still did not see everything.  Lucas and Jack loved looking at the bisons - they are HUGE animals and they could get quite close to the animals at different viewing points.  Jack was very excited to see the bears, and sat looking at them for quite some time - it was so cute that I just watched him, but now I wish I had taken a picture.  Our last animal of the day we saw was the elephant.  Jack was exhausted by this point, but Lucas loved them. 








All across the zoo they had stands where you could put your head through the hole and you could become the animal. Of course the boys had to run up to them yelling "Mommy! Take my picture!"
 

Ian loved the zoo.  Both times we went, it was at nap time.  We expected him to fall asleep in his stroller but he was having so much fun that he would not fall asleep.  He just took everything in - looking around at all the people, and the animals and the scenery.

















Balcony

We have also been lucky to be able to enjoy our wonderful balcony.  It faces south so has sun at all times of the day.  We can watch the sun rise in the morning and the sun set in the evening.

We have put the boys' sandbox out on the balcony, though it does not have sand yet.  Jack is very excited for the time we add sand. 

Both Lucas and Jack have had a fun time bringing random trucks out onto the balcony - it has been a construction site, garbage dump, and many other places.  We will be getting an outdoor toy bin for toys that remain outside once they are full of sand.  The deck boards provide for an excellent race track as well, with built in lanes for the cars to follow.

We are also planning on putting some planters on each end of the balcony to have a little garden.  Jack has requested beans and Lucas would like cherry tomatoes.




Ian loves going outside and tries to escape every time the door is open.  The only problem is there is a step down onto the patio and he does not quite know how to go down.  We have avoided face plants into the deck so far, but I know I will blink one day and it will, unfortunately, happen.

Ian is also fascinated by the screen door.  Luckily, when we moved in, there was already tape patching holes on the screen.  He tries to go in through the screen more than he tries to go out. 





The good things about spending so much time outside is that the boys tend to get tired.  Jack has actually napped - well, passed out from exhaustion - this past week.

the doc is in

The costume box has always been a favorite in this household.  The boys really missed their costumes while they were packed away and have been on costume over load since they have been unpacked.

One of my favorite costumes so far is this one.  I bet you did not know that spiderman was a doctor when not fighting crime!  I did not know that either, and apparently not knowing that makes me a "silly mommy" because who wouldn't want a super hero to be their doctor.

Jack loves playing doctor.  He has a veterinarian kit that he plays with constantly.  He also is a doctor to his toys, just like his favorite TV character - Doc McStuffins.  Most of the time the pets or the toys are not sick, they just need a check up.  Every once and a while someone will need a shot, but don't worry, "it only tickles a little bit."





Every once and a while a super hero will wander into the clinic.  On this particular day it was Captain America who needed a check up.  Lucas is not upset - that is his "tough super hero expression". 

Spiderman had to take off his gloves and mask because he could not wear two masks, nor could he pretend to wash his hand with gloves on.

cooking class: making eggs

This post is a little out of sequence as I try and update what has happened over the past month, as this actually happened today.   Jack and Lucas received aprons with match chef hats for their birthdays and Jack has been enthusiastic about being in the kitchen ever since - though he did love to help in the kitchen before but now it is a daily occurrence.

This morning, when I told him I was making egg mcmuffins he jumped up and got his apron.  I separated the english muffins and he put them into the toaster oven and with guidance turned it on to make "perfectly toasted engish muffins".  We then started the eggs.  He got out the spatula - he loves the new green one we bought, the pan and the coconut oil.  I got out the eggs.  Jack scooped out some coconut oil and moved it around in the pan as it melted.  Once melted I put the eggs into the pan and Jack added some pepper.  I explained how eggs turn from clear when they are raw to white when they are cooked and he told me when they were ready to flip - he did a great job.  Together we flipped the eggs and Jack added some dairy free cheese to the eggs.

While we waited for the cheese to melt, Jack turned his attention to the english muffins.  I took them out of the toaster oven for him and then he arranged them on everyone's plate.  I removed the eggs from the pan and Jack added the toppings.  In typical Jack style, he wanted HP sauce on his.  He took Lucas' order and added ketchup to his.  He is such a little chef.

wintery back yard

We have a tiny little back yard at our new house, but just beyond the tiny chain link fence is a wonderful place for the boys to play and explore.  

These pictures were taken in February.  After a very nice week the backyard looks quite different, there is very little snow left and the pond has areas of open water.

This is the back of our cute townhouse - I almost typed little because in comparison to the houses across the pond it is very tiny.  We have from the right side of the balcony to the left side of the red siding.  We are lucky enough to have two trees on each side of the balcony.  There is a bird's nest in the one tree so we are excited to see what bird it may belong too.    We have a little patio along the back, and then about 10 feet of grass before the fence.  There are lots of dogs in the complex so Cosmo and Kiwi are having a great time smelling all the smells of the yard.  They are being very good dogs and do not go far so we no longer have to take them out on their leashes.  They met the 2 dogs from a few doors down the other day - they are big dogs as well.  I don't know why we had such a hard time finding a place that would accept a big dog because 80% of the dogs around here are very large - boxers, great danes, newfoundlanders... Cosmo is actually small in comparison to a few of them.

On the other side of the fence there is a path that goes all the way around the pond.  There is a gate just a few houses down so access to the pond area is quite easy, but also secure so the children cannot just run to the pond.  

Just outside of our complex is the community center.  There is an ice ring, tennis courts and a wonderful park.  There is also a hill where the boys have been able to toboggan.  The boys have had so much fun exploring the park and they have their new favorite park equipment.  It is a base that spins and "spider webs" (as Jack calls them) that you can climb.  It is a big heart attack factor for Mommy as Lucas climbs to the top and asks me to spin him!  Especially in his snow pants and boots, since I know mobility is not the best, but so far we have not even had a slip of the foot.  There is a horizontal layer of web half way up so if they did fall from the top they would land on that, unless they were climbing around the outside but luckily Lucas has not tried that yet - he sticks to the inside of the web.  Jack just stays to the bottom and asks to be spun "super fast".

The tennis courts (the chain link fenced section) is between the townhouses and the park.  Terrance and I hope to play once the weather is better.    There are also lots of picnic tables around the park so we will be able to have lots of picnics and not have to worry about where the nearest bathroom is or needing to bring a spare pair of clothes in case of a mess because it is so close to the house - it takes less than 5 minutes to get there, and that is with Jack stopping to investigate everything he sees.  Nothing wrong with stopping to smell the roses - it will be interesting to discover what actual flowers we will be able to smell on the walk over.

It takes about 30 minutes for the whole gang to walk around the pond, though once the snow has completely melted it will probably be a lot quicker because the boys will be able to run without worrying about ice.  There are cat tails all along the bank of the pond, and lots of other vegetation that we are unable to identify.  Lucas is looking forward to watching the plants bloom and reveal what types of plants they are.  Unfortunately there are no fish in the pond, but Lucas is hoping for frogs!  But only time will tell.

This last picture is looking across the pond to our complex.  The sun was starting to set and I thought it was a beautiful scene.

furniture building

Today's homeschooling lesson: Using Hand Tools

We had a few items mysteriously go missing during out move.  That is the bad part about having all your belongings moved onto a truck, then into storage, then onto a truck with 3 other people's houses, then into storage and then finally onto a truck for delivery.  But it is ok. We are just taking the opportunity to purchase something new for ourselves, which is something we do not typically do.  This is the first time Terrance and I have bought new furniture since we have been married.  No more kijiji items, at least for these purchases.

We lost the hardware for our kitchen table.  We could have gone to the hardware store and purchased new hardware for the the table but Terrance was never really a big fan of the table and it looked awkward in the space, so we just decided to look for something new.

On a side note:  We were able to find a great home for our old table.  I managed to connect with a family who collects things from the 40s and 50s.  The husband came to pick up the table and was so enthusiastic when he saw it.  He told me all about all the other items they had and where the table would be going.  I am glad our vintage table found someone to love it.

Through our travels, we decided we really liked the look of a table with a stone top.  Unfortunately they are quite pricey and with other things needed to be replace we settled on a cute little table from Ikea.  $150 for a table and 4 chairs is quite reasonable, and will give us a place to eat until we can find the table of our dreams!

Unfortunately, Ikea furniture needs to be put together.  The boys and I took up the challenge.  It took three times longer than it would have if I decided to do it myself, but it was a great learning opportunity for the boys.

Lucas and Jack hammered in the wooden pegs, and used the allan keys to tighten all the bolts on the chairs and tables.  I finished off the chairs by screwing in the seats - the boys wanted to help with this but could not get enough leverage on the screw driver since we had to put the chair upside down on the table to put the screws in from the underside.  The project took two days, but it is worth it.

Jack really liked being able to put the pegs into the holes.  Each section of the chair back needed 2 pegs, so we would find his two pegs and grab the piece he needed before coming back and helping us assemble.  Lucas was a big fan of using the allan key.  He found it a lot easier than a screw driver because it fit into his hand better.  They thought putting together the chairs, which each came in eight pieces plus the pegs and bolts  was like a big 3D puzzle.

We now have a cute little wooden table that matches the boys snack table!

While at Ikea we also bought an apple scented candle which goes quite nicely with my chili pepper place mats!  It smells quite nice as well.   Jack is a little nervous about fire though, and since we did not have a fire plan established and practiced the boys did not want to light the candle.

We also bought a new high chair.  Our old high chair had quite a big foot print and despite the size of the dining room - which is not where this picture was taken - it was overwhelming the room.  We bought this cute little high chair which works quite well.  We can opt to take off the tray so Ian can come eat right at the table but the tray is easier to clean.


Another item that we lost during the move was our bed frame.  It was just a cheap metal frame we bought when we bought our king sized bed 8 years ago, but it was not an expense we were expecting to have when we arrived.

We ended up going to Ikea during the bed event, which offered 15% off.  We decided to put some other purchases on hold and actually purchase a bed.  It cost us about $500 but that is less than $75 per year of marriage so I guess it was worth it.  We decided on buying a bed with built in drawers in the bottom for extra storage since we have less storage space for linens in this house - so now all the extra bedding is stored under the bed!  Makes sense, right?

To start assembling the bed, it was Lucas' job to sort all the screws.  There were LOTS of screws for all the different parts of the bed so he sorted them by shape and size and then confirmed against the parts list that we had all the screws we needed.  He had fun comparing all the screws and describing to us how they were different.  There were even threaded rods that he found fascinating because there was no end on it.


One of the steps was to hammer plastic pegs into the drawers to hold on the back panel.  Jack loves to hammer, and he waited patiently while we assembled the rest of the drawer so he could help Daddy hammering.

What does Ian do while we are assembling furniture?  Well usually a toy tool is in his mouth because that is super fun!  But mainly we play baby in a basket.  With a major oral fixation I cannot guarantee that he would not try and put one of the screws in his mouth so he is safely contained to a laundry basket.  Fill the basket with toys, and between the toys and being able to stand with the side of the basket we have a happy baby!

We also bought a set of dresser to put our tv on and store all our videos and games in.  At the old house we had shelves screwed into the wall that held these items but we did not want to liter the walls of the new rental with holes so we opted for something that could contain the chaos.

Terrance and I assembled most of the unit while the boys were asleep, but saved the hammering of the back for Jack to help.  Jack thought spiderman would be more helpful though, and promptly dressed the part.

Lucas also helped with putting the railings back up.  He held up the one end of the railing while I secured the other, than he screwed the bracket to the wall while I supported his end of the railing.  He had a hard time turning the screw driver, putting pressure onto the screw and keeping it level all at the same time but with practice he will be a pro!

I am now on the hunt for a small electric drill that the boys will be able to use.  They like to attempt to use Daddy's drill but it is a little big for their small hands.  I see lots more projects in the future!







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