Summer Fun

 My brother Michael and I in the summer of 1985

I love summer and I’m so glad it’s finally here!  I’m so excited for all of the activities I have planned for Ben and I throughout July and August.  He’s at such a great age right now; I know we’re going to have a blast.  As much as I love Music Together and the free drop-in library programs we attend, I’m looking forward to having a break, to waking up each morning and seeing where the day takes us.  I’m hoping to cut out Ben’s morning nap so we can spend more time outside before the day heats up.  I have a list of activities/outings I would love to do this summer.  Let the fun begin!

Daytime Activities/Outings

• Go to an outdoor pool
• Play in the wading pools at the Legislature
• Go to a splash park
• Visit the parks I played at as a child (I know they’ve changed but it’ll still be fun)
• Go on lots of walks and explore some new neighborhoods
• Have a picnic in the river valley
• Go out for ice cream  

Family Activities/Outings 

• Go on lots of family bike rides.  We’re picking up one of these at MEC tonight.  Ben is going to love it!
• Go to the zoo
• Go to the Devonian Botanical Garden
• Go camping at Elk Island National Park
• Go to the St. Albert Farmers’ Market
• Go to a u-pick farm (I’ve been meaning to visit Peas on Earth for a few years now)   

Wordless Wednesday

Bizarre

It’s springtime and Ben is standing in the empty fountain, laughing at the school aged children as they walk by.  I sit, watching him and I think to myself, how bizarre it is that he’s here.  In this moment, he’s crossing over into my world, into my past, standing in a place that has so much meaning to me.  This is where we use to come and sit.  This is where we use to talk, mostly about boys but sometimes about our hopes and dreams.  The possibilities seemed endless back then, our lives a blank slate.  But now, he’s here.  Running, laughing, smiling, breathing.  So full of life.  He’s a part of me and a part of what I had hoped for so many years ago.  

There are so many places I love, that I want to share with Ben.  I want him to play in the parks I enjoyed as a child.  I want him to explore our river valley, touch the earth with his bare hands, smell the damp leaves in the fall.  I want him to walk along side me in the neighborhoods that I love.  I want him to experience what I felt as a child.  But sometimes it feels strange for him to be present somewhere that holds so much meaning to me.  It’s almost as if he’s out of place, out of context.  Intruding in the life, I had before him.  A life, in many ways, separate from the one I live in now.  As much as I love him, I want there to be pieces of me that aren’t about him.

The truth is, when Ben came along he turned my world inside out and upside down.  The most beautiful feeling, a love like no other.  And a year and a half later, I’m still sifting through the life I lived before, trying to piece it together with the reality I live in now.  He’s the center of my universe, the bridge between my past and present, running around in my memories.  A bizarre feeling at times...

18 Months Old

How does someone so tiny and perfect...

Grow into such a curious, energetic, funny little boy in 18 short months...

  

How did you grow so big overnight.  How did you get so smart and bright.  Yesterday you were asleep in my arms.  Today you’re growing off the charts.

-       Frances England

Ice Cream Overload (at Grandma and Grandpa's)

 

Kawaii One-Size Pocket Cloth Diapers

 On Ben: Cow Kawaii Good Night Heavy Wetter One-Size Pocket Cloth Diaper

This morning Ben woke up in his Kawaii good night heavy wetter one-size pocket diaper.  Kawaii diapers are good quality and are a fraction of the cost in comparison to most cloth diapers.  They’re perfect for families on a budget who want to cloth diaper.  My only real complaint about these diapers is that they’re bulky, in both the front and back.  We currently have five Kawaii diapers that Ben wears primarily around the house and as an overnight diaper.  I purchased my Kawaii diapers online at diapersupply.ca for between $7.99 (CDN) and $8.50 (CDN) each.

Things I Love:

• Great price, good quality.
  

Things I Don’t Love:

• Very bulky.

GroVia All-In-One Cloth Diapers

 On Ben: Planes GroVia All-In-One Cloth Diaper

This afternoon Ben played in his GroVia all-in-one diaper.  These are my favorite diapers. They’re no larger than a disposable yet they’re surprisingly absorbent.  They come in a handful of beautiful prints too.  We currently have two GroVia diapers (I would love more) that Ben wears primarily when we’re going out.  I purchased my GroVia diapers online at so green baby for $26.95 (CDN) each.

 

Things I Love:

• GroVia diapers are trim and fit under any outfit without added bulk.  
• I love the stretchy side panels. 
• Beautiful print selection.

Things I Don’t Love:

• They stain easily.
• The print and color selection is limited in comparison to other brands.

Playroom Inspiration

This summer, one of my big projects is to finish Ben’s playroom.  It was on my to-do list last year but by the time we returned from our vacation, the summer seemed to slip away.  Over Christmas holidays, Boris and I cleaned out the family room, bought a few IKEA shelves and moved some of Ben’s toys downstairs.  The room still needs a fresh coat of paint, new carpet and kid friendly art and seating.  I want the playroom to have the same feel as the rest of our home yet be a place that inspires Ben’s imagination.  Here are a few ideas’ I love:

A-Frame Tent (Cakies)

 

Doorway Puppet Theater (Etsy)

Pumpkin Pillows (Martha Stewart)

Wordless Wednesday

Charlie Banana One-Size Cloth Diapers

On Ben: Black Charlie Banana One-Size Cloth Diaper

Today Ben is wearing his Charlie Banana one-size pocket diaper.  These unique diapers are a 2-in-1 system that can be used with either a washable or disposable insert (we use washable inserts in ours).  We currently have two Charlie Banana diapers that Ben wears primarily when we’re out and about.  They’re slim fitting under his pants and very absorbent.  I purchased my Charlie Banana diapers online at diapersupply.ca for $19.88 (CDN) each.    

Things I Love:

• Charlie Banana diapers are so slim fitting Ben doesn’t look like he has a big bulky cloth diaper under his pants.
• These diapers are adjustable within the elastic casing instead of a snap system at the front of the diaper.
• Nice bold color selection.  

Things I Don’t Love:

• These diapers are suppose to fit a baby from 0 – 36 months, however I find them small compared to my other cloth diapers.  I’m skeptical whether they’d actually fit the average three year old.