the containment unit

Spending so much time in the trailer this summer, we decided we needed to figure out something for Maeyer so we could camp sans playpen. The first few trips, we folded the table down as if making up the table bed, but instead of putting the cushions on, we set up a playpen on top of the table bed.  It worked well – but several times a day we were setting up and taking down …

Thankfully - we have a handy Dada!!  Mak is sleeping on the top bunk (with a bedrail Justin built for him).  And, after much discussion, Justin devised a hinged baby gate system across half of the lower bunk to essentially create a crib for Mae.  A ... prison-like crib.

Note:  the dangerous string hanging from the blinds has since been removed!!

check mate

Mak can identify all the chess pieces, name them, and set up the board.  Get ready Sully: Mak’s getting ready to take you on.  :)

baby 'courage'

Recently, Mae got a special gift from Great-Auntie Gail:  a baby cradle, a pram, and a little doll stroller that were hers when she was wee.  She’s been holding onto them all these years with the intention of passing them on to my girl. 

Mae’s not quite big enough for them yet … but Maklin LOVES the stroller (he calls it a baby ‘courage’).  

[said with scrunchy face] "Mae's gonna use this for dolls or something ...
but I'm gonna push around trucks."

And the pram?  A big hit with some of Maklin’s girlfriends at a recent baby shower we had.  And with the Moms.

Mak though riding in the buggy would be more fun than pushing it!

Thank-you for the sentimental gifts.  Maklin has a little barn that Baba made for Justin when he was little.  Sweet that Mae has some family pass-downs just for her too. 

And Mae – on behalf of Maklin – thank-you for sharing!!

home-on-wheels

Because we’re both off for the summer (teacher hubby + mat leave = summer fun) we’re trying extra hard to maximize family fun time. Yay for a summer of camping!!  Most of the time Mak is thrilled to be out exploring and checking out new stuff.  He loves outside, and he especially loves Dada time.  But during quiet times, driving times, or sleepy times, Mak often says, “I just wanna go home” or "can we go home now pyease?"  We’re working on getting him comfortable with out trailer being our 'home-on-wheels.'  We plan to have this trailer for 10yrs or so, so we’re working on personalizing it and really making it our other home.

 Anyone recognize the quotes???

Thanks to Becky Dupont for helping me get set up with Word to the Wall.

out-of-bounds

We put Maklin in U4 TimBits Soccer this year.  2 1/2 is quite a bit Under-4.  He was one of, if not the, youngest player on the team.  He definitely doesn't 'get' soccer after this experience ... however he did learn quite a bit.   He even scored a goal one 'game' (and I use the word game loosely: mad pandemonium of little kids and parents, some focused on the ball - no regard to which net mind you - and others focused on escaping to the nearby playground.

What a cool experience to have with your friends though.  Learning new skills together.  Learning to help each other out and depend on each other.  Learning to be active.  Meeting new people.  Making new friends.  Learning to respond to a coach.

Plus - Maklin rode his bike to soccer twice a week, which really helped him figure out how to balance.

Double Plus - each night after soccer ... playground!!

2/3rds to a birthday

Seriously ... HOW can some days go SO slow ... but the months go by so fast that all of a sudden my baby girl is 8 months old!!!

I'm so thankful to have such a happy little girl! She's adventurous (aka mischievous), strong, strong-willed (aka difficult to distract when she has her mind set on ... see above ... mischief), curious, and fun-loving.

Maisy is very physically strong.  She can sit straight up when lying on her back, easily pulls herself up on stuff (physical support unnecessary; psychologic support will do - like pulling herself up to a standing position by grabbing and holding onto the remote control).

She is starting to show some interest in food.  Some.  Sometimes.

She has 3 teeth -- two on the bottom on one on the top, and has proven to be a trooper when teething.  Yes, grumpier than usual.  But a slightly grumpy very happy baby is still not so bad!

We set up a modified and delayed vaccination schedule for Mae.  Instead of having 7-8 needles by now, she's had 2, combined with arnica and chiropractic care for maximum support of her immune system.

sea turtle

Mak's first swimming lessons were unparented.  Kudos to the instructors who take on teaching swimming lessons to 2 year olds - without parents!!  It went surprisingly well.

assisted front float

wandering off from class to get the ball -- no fear!

He did awesome!  He learned a lot about swimming, gained confidence in the water, learned some new songs (a big plus for him!), and also had a positive experience of an activity facilitated without Mama or Dada.  There was one class where he didn't want to go in, and another where he tested the instructor a little, but overall he was very enthusiastic about attending and participating.  A great experience for him.  (and I loved that I could take him to swimming and not have to go in!  lol)

sharing: quick, take a picture!

Maklin is generally a very kind boy.  Except when it comes to his little sister.

She's a thorn in his side that aggravates him like nothing else.  We've been having quite a lot of conversations about what 'kind' and 'nice' and 'gentle' actually mean.  Cuz they don't mean kicking Mae in the face, hitting her with toys, knocking her down, or taking away whatever she has.  Sigh.

But -- there are sweet moments.  Few and far between, but they do happen:

"where IS big red car?"

Big red car (known to those children who are allowed to watch TV as Lightening McQueen) disappeared for a while.  Quite attached to him, every day Maklin would ask, "Where IS big red car??"  We didn't know.

One day I mentioned to Justin that I hadn't seen big red car since we had him along with us in the truck that one day.  We had dinner at the Ewashkiws that night - so Justin asked them if, by chance, they'd seen him around their place.  The responding text said something along the lines of, "you mean ... this 'big red car'?"

Maklin had left in a place of honor in the basement with their stuffies.

Thank-you for taking good care of big red car Ewashkiws ... and for returning him safely.  Maklin was very happy to be reunited with his friend.

E - I - E - I - O

Camping at Old MacDonald's Farm with Lulu and Baba ... a blast!!  This may end up being an annual occurrence.  Although for future visits, I would like to request less wind/rain and more sunshine, please and thank-you!

This place has a crazy chaotic carnival atmosphere.  And old-school (read hazardous) playground equipment.  Mak loved it; I'm sure we climbed up and went down the tunnel slide literally over a hundred times over the course of the weekend.

There was a petting zoo, including a miniature pony that just wandered around (there was a pasture for the horses, but this pony just kept walking under the fence); go-carts to rent (maybe in a few years!); a merry-go-round ...  There was even a farmer's market right there!!  We bought a fresh saskatoon pie - a lovely treat on a cool and rainy camping evening - and Lulu treated the kids to special hooded towels (Mak's is John Deere themed!) for the trailer and Mae got a sweet little camping toque (thank-you Lulu!).

Camping firsts:
 - Mak got to eat cereal out of one of those little boxes you cut open and eat right from the box (pic in collage above)
 - Mae had her first bath in the trailer

vehicles

He's a boy. A boy who loves vehicles.  Especially 'struk-chin vehicles.  And most especially John Deere vehicles.

riding the lawn mower with Bubs.

Beep beep goes the jeep!

Garth's skid steer was a big hit!