Rebecca Cuneo Keenan is a writer who lives in Toronto with her husband and three children.
DAILY SNACK
The other day at the Ontario Early Years Centre
Irene was pushing a baby doll around in a stroller.
And it looked so funny
Because she is really just a baby herself.
So I snapped this picture:
Which is not quite the angle I was after,
But I didn’t get another try
Because cameras are apparently contraband at the OEYC.
Who knew?
I guess people don’t want weird women snapping all kinds of pictures
Of their kids
And then posting them on the internet.
You can file this under more shameless neighbourhood plugging and free Halloween fun for the family. Brought to you by the Junction BIA and the Rue Morgue House of Horror:
To recap:
From 10am – noon Pumkin carving/decorating
From 6:30 – 8:30 Scary family movies
Treats
DAILY SNACK
I was pushing my double stroller through the rain yesterday
(Which means I either get soaked or mess up my wrist trying to steer with one hand.)
When I saw a woman pleading for someone to come in off the front porch.
“I feel her pain,” I thought.
I spend altogether too many hours pleading and beseeching
And flat out begging
My kids for an iota of cooperation.
As I drew nearer,
I saw that the woman was talking to a cat.
A cat!
I’m sorry, but I simply don’t get it.
At least I know (I hope) my children will grow up
To be contributing members of society.
A cat will always be a cat.
DAILY SNACK
I love that Colum is becoming more independent.
In fact, I keep urging him to do more and more things on his own.
The day he puts on his own coat and shoes,
I will dance down the street.
So when we hit the park after nursery school yesterday,
I couldn’t be too upset to find my son
Facing one of the old maples
With his pants around his ankles
And his bare bum shining out across the park.
When I ran over to assist,
And realized that he had peed directly into his pants and underwear,
I was just grateful that it wasn’t too cold out.
So the poor guy had his park visit cut short,
And we never did make it back out later that day
(Like I had promised).
But at least he tried to do it on his own.
DAILY SNACK
We flew through the door of the ladies change room
(as much as one can fly through doors with two kids on a sit and stand stroller)
And I started frantically pulling layers of clothing off Colum.
We were running late for swimming lessons:
Preschool I, ages 3 – 5
There are four kids in the class:
Two four-year-old girls and two three-year-old boys.
Colum is not the youngest,
But he is the smallest.
So when one of the girls said,
“Look, Mommy. That’s the boy I was telling you about.
The one who can’t reach the bottom and needs to stand on the table,”
I quickly chimed in,
“That’s right! You get to stand on that cool table, don’t you, Colum?”
But it isn’t enough.
When you are the smallest one in the class and have to stand on a special table,
It doesn’t matter how much your mommy sugar coats it.
DAILY SNACK
I have got to get me one of these.
My little ninja turtle
Could bounce all day.
Do you think it’ll fit on the back deck?
DAILY SNACK
Cough, cough.
Moan, groan. HONK!
That’s my husband.
Colum is willfully refusing to put on any article of clothing,
Irene is clinging to me with every fiber of her snot-smeared little body
And I have no idea how I am going to prepare and serve three meals plus snacks today.
Never mind any other household chores that need doing.
Never mind any sort of stimulating activity for the children.
Never mind my looming deadline
And assorted other projects I’d like to get started on.
Never mind my sanity.
There’s always next week.
The Toronto Symphony Orchestra is kicking off this season’s Young People’s Concerts on Saturday. Each season boasts five one-hour-long concerts aimed at children aged 5 to 12. Colum and I attended their last concert in May and it was entirely memorable and worthwhile. We’ve been given media passes to attend this weekend as well and are bringing a couple cousins along for some age appropriate feedback.
DAILY SNACK
Once upon a time
There was a mother who didn’t do crafts.
Hardly at all.
Then one day
She finished a carton of eggs
And remembered something from her childhood.
Two minutes later,
She handed her son a crayon.
Two more minutes later …
Voilà!
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
DAILY SNACK
When the parents arrive at 11:30 to pick up their kids
From the Artful Child nursery school
Maria calls their names
One by one.
Colum always comes tearing around the corner
Calling out, “Mommy! Mommy!”
He loves it there.
Yesterday Maria told me that he is such a stable personality.
Wha?
If Colum is the stable personality in that room,
Then boy am I ever grateful to not be there for 2.5 hours two days a week.
We do not pay our Early Childhood Educators nearly enough.
(Cough, cough. Government.)
He is always so proud to bring home things like this:
