The picnic shelter we booked out for the 55+ people picnic we had

Week 199 motherhood with 3 year 9 month old and 18 month old. 

July 4 to 10, 2024:

• Since our usual Triple P sessions were on Mondays, the Canada Day holiday meant that we didn’t have a session that day.  Thus, we moved it to the Thursday.  On the Thursday, we did the 5th session.  We brought all the kids and grandma where they went to the library and waited it out for us as we had dinner plans with family that evening and it wouldn’t make sense to drive back home.  We forgot to pack some snacks in a separate container for the little one because the older one didn’t want the little one eating the snacks that were in *her* container.
• At the 5th session, the educator “approved” our fear ladder for the child and we talked about different strategies that we use with the child.  Reassurance, setting expectations, “ignoring”, and many other strategies.  We use a lot of them already (most people know them) but some are better or worse than others.  Our homework was to recognize which ones we use and check them off in the box.
• We struck gold at the bin this week and got so many bags of chips, donuts, chocolate, toothpaste, omega-3 and even baby tylenol (not even expired!).  It was an amazing find.  We tried to go back after dinner for more but happened to see the employee close up the gate so we couldn’t access it.  Darn lol.
• This was our first dinner with extended family of the week — to start off the weekend of many bigger family gatherings and events.  The child didn’t want to eat at first but slowly coaxed to have a few bites of food.
• The secondborn was very content playing with the toys in the play area by herself and with her aunt.
• The secondborn’s fever actually continued on and off.  She took baby tylenol which kept the fever at bay.
• The next day on the Friday though, we did make an appointment to see the ped as it had been more than 24 hours since the onset of the fever and she had no other symptoms.  I was very grateful that we were able to make a same-day appointment (because the clinic is closed on the weekends).  The doctor didn’t even take her temperature but listened to her chest and back and looked at her tongue and arms and legs (for rashes).  There was nothing.  She told us that it could be a cold/flu which meant symptoms of cold/flu could make itself known in the next couple of days.  If not, it could be a bladder infection.  And if she still had a fever by Monday, we would have to take her to the hospital so they could enter a catheter of some sort to check for it.  This was alarming but good to know.  Thankfully, her fever subsided and she didn’t have any hot temps for the rest of the weekend so we didn’t have to make a trip to the hospital after all.  Thank goodness.
• She had also been pointing to the inside of her mouth, so it could very well be teething that caused the temperature.  Her bottom first molars are all out now and very big — bigger than the ones that the older child has.
•  After the ped appointment, the 3 of us (grandma too) went to the Wholesale Club to grab the juice, waters, and salads for the upcoming picnic lunch.  It was a good thing after all that the older one decided to stay home and not come with us because it would have been more work to push two kids in two separate strollers.
• On Friday evening, we attended the wedding of DH’s cousin.  It was a dinner banquet.  The kids enjoyed running on the sofa (shoes off of course) in the lobby area to blow off steam.  The secondborn passed out by 9 p.m. in my arms from nursing.  She was very tired.  Both kids were willing to wear dresses.
• Saturday picnic at Bruce Mills park.  It was our first time here and we spent $500 as a group to rent out the picnic shelter for the site for the entire day.  It was a beautiful sunny day and there was so much grassy area for the kids to run around and play.  We brought the red and yellow plastic chairs for the kids to sit in.  The older one sat in it and used the picnic bench as a table.  She ate an entire chocolate muffin (one of those huge ones from Costco).
• They played with water, ran around, explored the water balloons that the older kids were playing with, and ate.
• Afterwards, we did some diving and visited the “dinosaur park” in Richmond Hill again.  The older one loves that dinosaur.  It was so blazing hot though by 4 p.m.ish.
• At night, it was the first reunion dinner at a restaurant at Shops at Don Mills.  We were late in arriving and ended up getting our own booth table to sit at.  It meant we weren’t able to mingle with the other relatives directly but at least the child was happy to not have to engage with others.  The kids took breaks and we were walking with them outside while we waited for the food.  The older one had her first ice cream sandwich treat.
• Sunday morning was the photoshoot at Earl Bales park with the entire family.  There were more than 50 of us and it was a long wait to get through each individual family and then the generational photos and then the big group shot with everybody.  The older one was not having any of it and threw tantrums and didn’t want to take the photo.  She and grandma (who was holding her) ended up skipping out on the big group photos.  Even for our individual family photo, she wouldn’t look at the photographer.  Ah well.  There were too many people there and too many people looking at us.  She wasn’t comfortable at all.  Also, I think it was so early in the morning (we were there by 9:30 a.m.) and she didn’t have enough food in her belly yet (my guess).
• Lunch was at the nearby Mandarin buffet.  We coincidentally ended up getting our own table again.
• We played in the water park with the child for her to decompress.  She loves water play.
• At night was the final reunion dinner with 81 people present!  We watched games and speeches and slideshows on the big screen.  Because both kids had a nap that day in the car, they weren’t as tired by the time 9 p.m. rolled around.
• On Monday, the child said, “I’m happy”.  I think it was because all the weekend gathering activities were all finished and she knew we were kind of back to regular routines.
• DH and I had the final Triple P session with the educator and got a certificate too.  We have to problem solve and maintain the strategies and how to deal with the child as each thing comes up as she gets older.  It’s been a really fruitful and useful 6 weeks!  We just have to keep at it and monitor the way we talk with her, behave around her, and respond to her.
• On the Tuesday, we met up with DH’s cousin and her family.  We went to Carma Farms to feed the animals and play with the sandbox.  We had visited this place before and it was really fun.  This time, the magic was kind of gone since it wasn’t our first time anymore.  But it was still a really great activity for the young and old alike.
• The secondborn knew how to hold on to the carrots and let go once the sheep/goat was eating it.  The older one would have courage in feeding them too.  They both liked playing in the sandbox a lot though — great sensory and messy play.
• We had lunch at Oakside Lounge & Cafe and I happened to bump into a former elementary and high school classmate who was working there.  What a small world and pleasant surprise!
• At night after dinner time, we took the kids for a walk.  The older one actually walked the entire way to the park.  She watched some older boys play on the monkey bars and climb up one of the play structures.  After they were gone, she tried to climb it too and to my amazement, she was able to climb it for the first time.  She was really good at it too!  DH said she climbed the other structure at the other park before and is really good at climbing.  We have to make sure we give her positive reinforcement in the things she’s good at so she develops lots of courage and self-confidence!  So happy to see her excelling in this area of play.
• For the past two nights, DH has been giving the secondborn milk when she wakes up in the middle of the night.  It’s a way to slowly wean her from me at night and to transition her to getting cow’s milk instead.  We joke that his turn to night feed has begun now lol.  DH used to night feed the older one exclusively.
• This past week, the older one continues to like watching the “Freeze Dance” song on YouTube as well as the other “Floor is Lava” songs.
• Because of the teething, the secondborn seems to be eating less this week too.  She is happier when eating things like yogurt (makes sense).