Our T turned 6 this past week! I felt like we just celebrated his 5th birthday. Where did the time go?! While it was a quiet lockdown birthday, the hubby and I still found a way to celebrate. When T woke up on his special day, he stepped out to a hallway and staircase decoratedContinue reading ““I Get Happy When I See…””
Category Archives: Fun
“You Need to Be Proud of Yourself Too!”
Every Friday morning, I sit with T for virtual art class before lunch and it’s been quite calming! Four weeks of virtual learning hell is behind us and it has been so so hard. Much of the school day is punctuated with meltdowns and battles. But we find a way to get to the end,Continue reading ““You Need to Be Proud of Yourself Too!””
Sunday Blast Off To Space!
Pandemic lockdown has restricted travel, but T’s imagination rocketed us to outer space on a quiet Sunday. All I wanted to do on this afternoon was nap – I feel so exhausted – but T’s endless energy needed an outlet and I always feel guilty about plopping him in front of the tablet all day.Continue reading “Sunday Blast Off To Space!”
A Visit to the Vet
A sick cat gave our little kindergartener a hand-on lesson about what a vet does. At 12:30 am on Monday, the hubby woke me up and said our cat Kyrie was sick. The hubby had been cleaning up stinky drops our cat had been dripping throughout the house. With everything going on in our lives,Continue reading “A Visit to the Vet”
The Magic of a Child’s Imagination
One of the enjoyable things as a parent is to see a child’s growth. I remember those proud milestones that felt like they would never come: first steps, first words, first time peeing in the potty. Lately, I enjoy seeing T’s play skills and imagination grow. Today, the hubby gave me a blue moon giftContinue reading “The Magic of a Child’s Imagination”
Thank You and Goodbye 2020
New Year’s Eve 2019, I played Snakes and Ladders with T. I said that along the way, we’ll encounter things that lift us up (ladders) or slide us back (snakes), but we keep going till we reach the end. Little did I realize the foreshadowing of 2020! The wonderful thing about a new year isContinue reading “Thank You and Goodbye 2020”
First Visit from the Tooth Fairy
T lost his first tooth last night! You’d think by the loud screaming from his room, something terrible had happened, but it was just his excitement. Naturally, he became very excited about his first visit from the Tooth Fairy and said he wanted to stay up so he could say hi to her – andContinue reading “First Visit from the Tooth Fairy”
A Silent Merry Christmas
Despite the unrelenting challenges that keep coming at us, the hubby, T and I enjoyed a quiet and peaceful Christmas. T’s excitement was palatable. The last two weeks, we counted down the number of days till Christmas. “What’s 9 minus 1?” I asked him at one point last week. “I dunno,” he responded. “If thereContinue reading “A Silent Merry Christmas”
Santa, Snow and Soothing Hong Kong Style Borscht
Thanks to the shorter colder pandemic days, we started Christmas early this year. Last weekend, we celebrated the hubby’s 40th birthday. He and T also set up the Christmas tree. We also unboxed our 8 feet tall balloon Santa, who had hibernated in our basement. To say T was excited was an understatement. He hadContinue reading “Santa, Snow and Soothing Hong Kong Style Borscht”
Celebrating Daddy’s 40th Birthday!
The hubby turns 40 today! T and I celebrated his big day starting with a homemade dinner last night. T was very excited all day yesterday. Birthdays, Halloween and Christmas are his holy trinity. We took it easy yesterday. As the sun began to set, the three of us decided to do something productive andContinue reading “Celebrating Daddy’s 40th Birthday!”
Creating A Haunted House Scavenger Hunt
Halloween is very different this year but we wanted to make sure we celebrated one of T’s favourite days. So we created a surprise Sugary Scavenger Hunt around the house, including turning our family room into a haunted surprise. The fake cobwebs and spiders blended in nicely with the real ones! As soon as itContinue reading “Creating A Haunted House Scavenger Hunt”
Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn
It’s the first Fall weekend and we enjoyed a Saturday afternoon hike at Rouge Urban National Park, a wonderful oasis nearby our home. We were blessed with a last blast of summer weather, so we all wore t-shirts and shorts with the added benefit of no bugs or sweltering heat. It seems like everyone inContinue reading “Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn”
Playing With the Older Kids
A pair of older kids have formed an unlikely group for T to play with after school. Four weeks ago, our end of day routine became one hour of play at the playground next to his day camp, which is now his after school program. It’s a nice playground and even big enough for meContinue reading “Playing With the Older Kids”
Happy Meals and Summer Memories
Summer fly, winters walk. T got an extra week of vacation this year but it’s time to head back to school this week. This has been a strange challenging summer. I’m thankful my family stayed safe and got to make the most of it and explored the beauty of Ontario. I know this was aContinue reading “Happy Meals and Summer Memories”
Visiting Our Old Home and Playground
You can go home again and we did. This past Sunday, we took a late afternoon drive to our old neighbourhood. T had been feeling nostalgic and wanted to see the old playground and we spent close to two hours playing there in the late afternoon. The hubby and I lived in this previous homeContinue reading “Visiting Our Old Home and Playground”
Playgrounds Are Back!
One of the hardest moments for me during lockdown was when T broke down in tears after seeing the playground wrapped in caution tape. I still remember the pain and anguish in his voice as he asked me why everything was closed? Thankfully, playgrounds reopened two weeks ago. I’m mindful there is a possibility weContinue reading “Playgrounds Are Back!”
Meeting Mr. Alex
A year after starting at his daycare, I finally met the wonderful staff member who has won T over. I’ve always believed that teachers and educators play an important role in a child’s life and have a big influence on their self concept and their enjoyment of learning and school. For kids with special needsContinue reading “Meeting Mr. Alex”
Teaching My Son To Be Bored
When we started lockdown homeschooling, the blank page of a day gave me great anxiety. I’ve since learned it’s okay to leave pockets of time during the day as unstructured time for five-year-old T to be bored. Research has shown that boredom supports a child’s healthy development, as it helps them build creativity, resilience, andContinue reading “Teaching My Son To Be Bored”
Learning and Fun in the Summer
On a scorching Friday morning, T and I went for a hike in our city’s beautiful Botanical Garden. We explored nature, had a picnic of apple juice and Goldfish crackers in the shade of a willow tree, and he saw and learned about cactus plants. Oh, and he spotted a beaver up close too. ThisContinue reading “Learning and Fun in the Summer”
Return to the Pool!
Our City opened outdoor public pools this week and T and I leapt into its refreshing water this afternoon like reuniting with an old friend. It brought me so much joy to see how giddy he got in the water, the first swim since early March. We’ve always gone to indoor pools, but we’re notContinue reading “Return to the Pool!”
