First Day of Kindergarten - To do list for MOMS!

So this blog is not about how to prepare your child for kindergarten. I have two munchkins who are having their very first day next Wednesday... and their biggest worry seems to be how I will spend my time without them! They have spent the last two weeks preparing ME for Kindergarten!

I have done what everyone says not to do (of course) and I have let them see how sad I am that this special time in our lives is soon going to be over. I have enjoyed being at home with my twins these last four years more than I have ever enjoyed any other time in my life. There have been lots of hard times too of course since being a stay at home mom is a tremendously hard job, but memory is good to us and those tough moments seem to fade... leaving in their wake lots of happy, funny and silly rememberings.

We have had some serious conversations the last two weeks about the fact that the kids will be in different classrooms. There have been a few fears (my own as well as theirs) but overall I know this is the right decision for my two individuals. After all, every other brother and sister who are not twins have to face school alone. At least these two will be able to see each other at recess and any joint times their classes will merge (assemblies, special events and field trips).

So the last two weeks during our tough conversations I have become misty eyed, and morose a few times.
I have covertly hugged their special cuddly toys in my most sad moments. I cannot help but mourn for the end of their babyhood. I know once they go to school we will be on a track we cannot get off until they are graduating high school and out of the house! Why does the time goes so fast!

At the store this week as we were buying school supplies the kids were singing and playing in the cart all the while thinking up all the games and fun things I will now have to play on my own (since they will be busy all day at Kindergarten). I have a list of things to do that I have been assured are OK for me to do alone while they are busy.

When we were in the aisle with the water bottles I saw a woman with a very full cart and a teen-aged girl walking down the other side. She stopped and we exchanged sad and knowing glances for I could tell she way saying goodbye to her baby in the same but far more permanent way than I was saying goodbye to my babies.

Here is my list in no particular order of my to-dos to keep myself busy during Kindergarten hours!

• wash the clothes
• play robot (you only need 1 person to play robot mom)
• make playdoh (not play with it make more)
• bake muffins
• wash the floors
• do puzzles
• make cards using crayons but NO stickers
• work at momstown
• sing the abcs and twinkle star
• read books
• play hopscotch
• cook dinner 

It is a sad fact of having twins that these milestones seem doubly hard! Hopefully with this list and working at my momstown I will have more than enough to occupy my days until the best kids in the world come home to play with me again!

Junior Chef - Birthday Cupcakes for momstown Mississauga!

This month at our Junior Chef program we made healthy Bananna muffin "cupcakes" to celebrate our 5th Birthday!

Mix Mix Mix! This little man got right into it! 

Kathy who is studying to be a nutritionist spoke to us about healthy eating as the kids measured, scooped, mashed and stirred the ingredients for the muffins. She had frozen some very ripe bananas in a bowl (without peels) and let them defrost that morning in anticipation of the muffins. The kids were delighted at the gooey squishy mess in the bowl and loved using their smelling & tasting senses to determine what that mess was!

During the program, Kathy asked the kids all about their thoughts on nutrition and played games with them to engage them in the discussion! It was great to hear their different opinions. My daughter was hopeful that  marshmallows could be an everyday
food & not a sometimes one!

 

Scooping the muffins into the pan!

A great time was had measuring, mixing & scooping.  While those muffins were baking... the kids were ready to decorate - Kathy had pre baked a batch of muffins so they were cooled and ready for decorating. She had a variety of things on hand for decorating - pumpkin seeds, mini marshmallows, raisins, mini chocolate chips were all  the favourites! We sang Happy Birthday to momstown as we are celebrating our 5th year in business this year! Check out our Facebook Page for pictures of our Big Birthday Celebration or our Blog! 

Do you love to cook with your kids? Come and try our class next month - we host our Junior Chef program once a month! There is a free 4 week trial membership so sign up today and get your kids into the kitchen. 

 

Time to Decorate! 

Marshmallows - a sometimes food or everyday? 

Kathy with the kid's finished muffins! 

Tales for Tots: Bookclub for Kids

This month at Tales for Tots we read our Scholastic Book of the Month  A Cuddle for Little Duck - by Claire Freedman. Its a great story about a day in the life of a baby duck and his mother.

Our Scholastic Book of the Month! 

Do you read regularly with your kids? Make time every day to read stories with the little people in your life. You can enjoy a special quiet time before naps or bedtime or you can make it an exciting adventure by heading out to the library with specific books or topics in mind.

storytime!

I love exploring with the kids and seeing what they know! Asking questions during reading is a good way to make sure your child is following along with the story and understanding the content. It also engages them more in the story - kids who are reluctant will often stand or sit still to hear the story once they are consulted about what is going on in the pictures.

It is fascinating to listen to kids talk and replay things that have happened in books they have read.  Most important of all is to read the story with expression - get silly make voices, don't be afraid to do some actions too - the more you engage kids in a story the more exciting they will find reading and you'll likely be getting requests for repeat performances.

Did you know the reason kids love to read stories over and over again is the sense of power they get from knowing what is coming next? It is also essential for them to hear stories multiple times to memorize them. One of my son's proudest preschool moments came when the teacher read his favourite story during class. She was astonished to hear his little voice "reading" aloud with her - he had memorized the story so thoroughly that he read the entire book aloud to his peers!

Craft fun! 

This was an especially touching story for me since my two little ducks are soon off to Junior Kindergarten and I know with after school activities, play dates and our busy lives there will be less time for impromptu story times.

We will just have to start some new reading traditions! Maybe we will start an after-school snuggle, snack and story time.

Join us once at month at our Tales for Tots program and have the chance to win a book provided generously by Scholastic Canada! We always have a craft to go with the story time, so your child will get to take something home!
You can join us for a free 4 week trial membership to experience momstown and all of the fabulous programs we offer to get you out of the house and connecting with other parents.

Our lucky draw winners got to take the book home! 

momstown Mississauga Threw a Great Birthday Party!

We had a fabulous party yesterday at Erindale Park yesterday. The sun was shining, skies were blue, nice and warm, it was the perfect day!  Thank you to everyone who came out to support our 5th Birthday & Launch event! I was so excited to have you all there getting to see what momstown is all about! I saw so many friends - both new and old! I appreciate that support and it makes me very proud to see our momstown start connecting with a great group of families in Mississauga!

The day kicked off with the line-up for loot bags. Today's Parent sponsored them, so they were loaded up with goodies from all sorts of great national companies. We also had some fabulous local sponsors who together with the loot bag contributions donated over $2000 in prizes to give away at the event. That figure does not even include the Britax Stroller or accessories, or the Fisher Price toys!

Melitta coffee was on hand to get us going on a sunny morning. The coffee was delicious and pretty amazing to have it brewed fresh for you in the middle of Erindale Park! They were all smiles as we chatted about the various brews Melitta offers.

Our Today's Parent Tent was stocked with Vinci Tablets - these were enjoyed by both young and old. My mother in law was very kindly looking after my kids and she loved trying out the the tablet! What a fun and engaging toy - less breakable than an iPad with its rubberized handles.


Our Fisher Price Toy area was greatly enjoyed by both young and old. The kids loved trying out the toys and seeing how they worked in person. I know 'Mr. momstown Mississauga' absolutely loved the Imaginext Castle and we're definitely buying it for "my son" LOL!

The star of the Day had to be good old Clifford. My kids were so excited to meet him in person. It was such a hot day for the big guy too - he walked around and was surrounded by the crowds of kids. Everyone loves Clifford -  a big thank you to Scholastic for sending him to our party!

Miss Mandi from Sing Music Studio rocked the parachute - it was fabulous! She did a great job singing and engaging the kids getting them moving and grooving. 

Our Cupcakes were sponsored by Georgie Porgie Loot Bags. They were adorable with our logo! I got one, and it was delish redvelvet cake & frosting that wasn't to sweet! She also had a cupcake decorating station where the kids could try their hand at creating their own cupcake designs. What kid doesn't like frosting?  

Our rest and read area, was stocked with books and fun pieces of carpet for relaxing - from our friends at Lakeshore Carpet One! They were our Premier Local Sponsor for our event and also provided a very popular Dora themed door prize.  We also had Scholastic Klutz kits in the rest & read area and the kids loved colouring the velvet art! What a blast from the past for me to see velvet art - I loved those pictures as a kid!

Con Agra was also an event sponsor and provided 500+ puddings for sampling - chocolate was the clear favourite as there were none left to take home! We have just tried freezing them with popsicle sticks inserted in the top! Instant yummy popsicle! I'll post pics on our Facebook Page of how that turns out!

Pockets the Clown was our Facepainter and Magician! She did an incredible job making the kids look fabulous and she managed the line up with such flair - even staying right to the end (in +30 temps) to finish every child. What a class act!

Valerie from ERT was on hand as our Event's First Aid. Stay tuned for classes with momstown Mississauga & ERT in child first aid taught by Valerie this fall. She is an incredibly engaging instructor.



The Made by Hand show was there too with a fabulous Paint your Hand Print :) What a clever craft! Their Fall show is coming up Oct 27th at the International Centre. Mark your calendars you can finish your holiday shopping early this year!

Our friends at Star Academy were on hand to do some science experiments with the kids. The independent school's motto is 'Learn to love to learn' which was evident in their engaging activities & staff.

We also had Hearts Child Care Centre on hand to entertain the kids with a sensory tent with playdoh & bubbles. What a hit!

We also had Monkeynastix on hand with an obstacle course. The kids loved trying out all the equipment and having fun. It was great way to burn off all the energy after the cupcakes!

Finally we gave away thousands of dollars in prizes. This was our grand prize winner!  Many momstown mamas had their eyes on this prize but she was the lucky duck who got to take it home! Thank you Britax!

Lucky mama who got to take home the Britax Stroller! 

Fisher Price Playzone at momstown's 5th Birthday Celebration!

momstown Birthday Party Features: Fisher Price Playzone

PLAY & WIN!

Come to our Birthday Celebration this Thursday August 16th at Erindale Park in Mississauga and play in the Fisher Price Play Zone! Let your child play, discover, and enjoy the toys.... and then we are giving them all away! That's right, you can win one of these great toys at our Birthday Celebration

Head over to our Birthday Event on Facebook and RSVP!  And be sure to register at our Welcome Table on the day of the party to be eligible to win!  

Here's a sneak peak at the toys we'll be raffling off in our Fisher Price Playzone at momstown's 5th Birthday Celebration!

Thomas & Friends: The Great Quarry Climb 

Imaginext Eagllon Castle

Laugh & Learn Musical Table

Jake & The Neverland Pirates: Jake’s Musical Pirate Ship Bucky

Little People Stand ‘n Play: Loops 'n' Swoops Amusement Park

Stand Up Ballcano

Laugh & Learn Dance &Play Puppy

Discover ‘n Grow Jumperoo

momstown & Today's Parent Magazine

I remember getting 2 subscriptions to Today's Parent magazine when I first had the twins. I couldn't believe I would get the magazine for their first two years it seemed like such a LONG time! Their customer service department was happy to extend my first subscription to 2 yrs with just a phonecall... 

I loved reading all the milestones in that first year and it was fun to look forward and see what was coming next. By the second year my favourite part of the magazine had turned into the recipes - its such a challenge for me  feeding the kids! I could never have imagined how fast those first two years would fly - everyone says this to you when you are having your baby, but its really amazing how true that is. Anyway all of a sudden my 2 years of subscriptions were done - in a blink of an eye! I ended up getting another subscription as a gift for my next birthday...  

There’s never been a better time to join momstown Mississauga! When you purchase or renew a full year momstown membership in August or September, you received a BONUS subscription to Today’s Parent!

For a limited time, included in your membership to momstown is a one year (12 issues) subscription to Today’s Parent! This includes all new memberships as well as existing membership renewals, and applies only to full year momstown memberships ($45). This special offer is available from August 1st, 2012 to September 30, 2012 inclusive.

Already receive Today’s Parent? Then your subscription will be extended one additional year!

Click here for full details and mark your calendars to renew or sign up soon!

Olympic Crafting at the Lakeshore Mardi Gras Festival

Last weekend I joined forces with  Made by Hand Show owner Jacqueline and we split a booth at the Etobicoke Mompreneurs area of the Lakeshore Mardi Gras Festival!  It was a great event with a carnival atmosphere right in Colonel Samuel Smith park by the Lake. There were carnival rides, stilt walkers and jugglers and people all dressed up in their Mardi Gras Beads. Local businesses were out in force to show off their wares, entertain and make the weekend fun!  

We had a great time creating crafts with the kids, and it was interesting to talk to so many people throughout the weekend. If you have met me you know, I am a talker!  I had the pleasure to speak to people from all over Etobicoke and Mississauga. I was there to promote our Birthday Party coming up at Erindale park Thursday August 16th! Since it was right in the midst of the Olympics we did some Olympic Torch Crafts, as well as some simpler colouring crafts (flowers were the clear favourite)! 

In splitting a both Jacqueline and I were able to talk to the various people about her company's upcoming Fall Show as well as momstown Mississauga. The Made by Hand show is a company that promotes everything handmade. They promote and showcase handmade artists, artisans and designers. They offer a spring and a fall show assisting local artists with an affordable way to promote and showcase their work! 


As a mom I have found other mothers to be generally very supportive of each other. There have been times where I have seen the competitiveness that comes out when people start talking about their kids and milestones, walking, sleeping, eating etc.  





Since starting momstown Mississauga and becoming an entrepreneur  I am astounded at how supportive  small business owners are of each other. Its like this whole secret world of support I had no idea existed! 
The beauty of starting up a momstown location is that there are 19 other chapter owners who are all going through the same thing! It is an amazing network of support. 

I have however been astounded at the support I have found from other women (and a few men too) in the business network I that I am meeting. Since we are not in a formal workplace competing for salary, bonuses, titles and so on there is a spirit of comraderie and support that is just fantastic! 

Details of the Fall Made by Hand Show - mark your calendars! 

  The Fall Made by Hand Show is coming up Saturday October 27th at the International Centre, Hall 6 in Mississauga. 

It will feature over 150 Canadian handmade artists and there are free facepainters and crafting for the kids. Parking is free and the $2 show admission goes to charity (children are free) To find out more visit their Facebook Fan Page or their website at www.madebyhandshow.com 

Prizes for momstown Mississauga's Birthday Party!

RSVP!

Here's a list of our Birthday Party Prizes! 

The momstown Mississauga 5th Birthday Party is less than 2 weeks away!  We are in full birthday party planning mode and are so excited to share the celebration with you.

We have so many 'presents' to give away at our party - our amazing national and local sponsors have all given us incredible things for our loot bags, and door prizes you can win just for attending the party. 

Why do we have so many? Basically its because people love momstown! We are connecting parents in a meaningful way all across Canada! Companies want to support grassroots initiatives like this and it's great PR for them to be involved in family events! Talk about a win for everyone! 

Britax B-Nimble Stroller
Britax Baby Carrier
Britax Back Seat Mirror
Britax Seat Protector
Britax EZ-Cling Window Shades

Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Dance & Play Puppy
Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Musical Table
Fisher Price Little People Stand ‘n Play Amusement Park
Fisher Price Stand Up Ballcano
Fisher Price The Great Quarry Climb
Fisher Price Jake’s Pirate Ship Bucky

Fisher Price Discover ‘n Grow Jumperoo

Fisher Price Imaginext Castle

Melitta Prize Pack

Girl's Room area rug & Dora Prize from Lakeshore Carpet One 
$450 Photography Package from Skipp Photography
Birthday Party Package from Pockets Parties
Birthday Party Package from The FUN SIDE
2x $50 Gift Cards from Thyme Maternity

Gorgeous Gift Basket from Whole Foods Square One
Scholastic Clifford the Big Red Dog Prize Pack
Gift Certificate from Monkeynastix Mississauga for a Birthday Party Package
$150 Sleep Consultation from Precious Moments Babeez

Two Crystal and Silver Necklace and Earring Sets from Beading Buds
Two 5 play passes for The Busy Genie  

Sterling Silver Necklace (custom) from Wee Piggies Mississauga

La Roche-Posay Replenishing Balm 400ml bottle

Back Pack Filled with School Supplies - from Star Academy 

Gift Basket for the Eco Friendly Baby - from Green Carbon Living

A 1 yr Membership to momstown Mississauga
$50 Gift Certificate to Urban Fitness

You have to be at the party to win the prizes! Not only are we giving all these amazing things away, but don't forget, the first 100 families will get a loot bag jam packed full of stuff!