Va-Va-Va-Vroooom!

An eco-friendly toy!

All without batteries this toy, made by Sprig, makes sounds and the hard hat lights up! It's made from recycled wood and reclaimed plastic.

I found it at a speciality toy store. But recently found them being sold at Chapters. Perhaps one day the China made plastic toys requiring a hundred batteries will soon be off the market. A benefit not only for our planet's most precious resource: our children but for the earth itself.

PuZzleD!

UNICEF sells beautiful toys for kids. This UNICEF puzzle/blocks can be done in six different ways and the little people have different skin color. Love that!


Visit their on-line gift store!

Here She Is Again

My mom sent me this email below after she read my post. I must say her memory is impressive. She obviously doesn't suffer from mommy brain like me. Above is the picture that is mentioned in the email.

Hi Joanne,

This doll was given to you when you were born, from Donald & Simone B, with the little outfit you are wearing on the picture of you sitting on a stool!

Yes, this doll is 37 1/2 years old! She came to you March 1971.

An antique in dolls, but not an antique YOU.

Great blogging.

Love,

Mom

Not Just a Rag Doll

This rag doll has been around for over 35 years.
She's been hugged or better yet smothered.
She's been kissed and cried on, pulled and tugged on.

I've owned many, many dolls as a little girl.
So why did I keep this one?
Some had beautiful long hair, stunning clothes, some even could make sounds.
Looking at this doll, she is definitely not a beauty.
Her hair alone is a fashion crime.

I don't remember giving her a name.
I don't have any specific memories of her.
So why did I store her away for safe keeping for all these years?
Because when I look at her my heart gets warm.
It really does.
She was my doll and I loved her.

When the boys arrived I took her out of storage.
Placed her on the very top shelf of their playroom.
I don't want to the boys to play with her.
She's too delicate. And they are too rough.
Together they would have her in pieces in no time
When they understand the meaning of being gentle they might get the honor to play with her.
But for now, she is just an observer.
Watching these two rug rats go hard!



The Answer:
58 000 is the correct answer for all six of you who responded to my question!

Put Your Hand in My Hand

I love the boys' finger prints that are left displayed on the windows, the mirrors, or on the freshly cleaned appliances.
Really it doesn't bother me.
It would have years ago when I was really anal.
That is why I am grateful that parenthood didn't come to me as quickly as I wanted it to.
Had it come than I know that I would have been nagging at them and frantically cleaning behind them!
But now, I'll purposely not clean the mirror that is covered with hand prints.
I think it's just so darn cute.
I 'inked' the boys' hands and got them framed.
I hope that I"ll be able to see these little fingers grow to become strong hands of men.
Do you think they'll let me hold their hands once they are older? Probably not.
But I'll have their love in my heart and their framed hand prints.

Off Road Adventure

It was probably on our second date when Daddy told me that he would love to do off road racing with a dune buggy. I never really heard of such a thing and wondered why someone would want to drive at full speed on bumpy terrain.












Our honeymoon involved a day watching an off road race in California. It was dusty, hot, noisy and the concession stand food was far from tasty: yeah, very romantic. However the groom thought is was so much fun that he ventured off to Mexico to check out a dune buggy race a year later. This time, I was wiser and stayed happily in Canada waiting his return.

Then the years zoomed by and the dune buggy dream took the very back seat. And than one day this summer Daddy announced he was going to shop for a dune buggy. I was thrilled that Daddy decided to just go for it! Soon the helmet arrived with the gloves and fire proof suit. The boys, all 3 of them were darn excited! Mommy just shook her head, lovingly. A couple of weeks later Daddy drove 30 hours to get his Dune Buggy. Arriving safe and sound all the men around the neighborhood were gathered on our driveway awing over this dune buggy.

The very next weekend Daddy was able to attend the last race of the season. Mommy and the boys missed out due to the very wet and muddy weather. Daddy arrived later in the evening very muddy but with such shine in his eyes that my heart beamed for him.















The helmet, suit and dune buggy are all put away waiting to be put into use come spring for a full season of racing. Till than the boys continue to use dune buggy lingo, imagining they are racing and winning each time!

The passion in Daddy's voice when he talks about the dune buggy reminds me that we need to let free more often and go with what moves us before that dream goes away for good.

P.S. The # 228 refers to the second month and the birthdates of the pit crew (James and Parker).

Super Capes for Super Kids

I was reading little red appleton's blog a few weeks ago and immediately was wowed by the Super Hero Cape she featured.

Jessica, the owner of the *Etsy shop little red appleton, handmade me these capes for the boys. I was so impressed with the quality of the craftsmanship that I had to post it here. You'd never find anything this cute and so well made in a big chain store.

When Super Hero James put his cape on he immediately said, "I can now fly in the sky!"

















Super Hero Parker on the other hand said, "Off! Off!".
But Speedy Mommy was able to snap a picture before he took it off!














*Etsy is an online marketplace for buying and selling all things handmade.

Children's Adoption Books

My cousin recommended this book to me. She suggested I take it out from the library but when I read it at Chapters I got all teary eyed so I knew had to buy it.

There are a lot of adoption books for kids. I wonder how many there where 30 years ago? Back than adoption was so hush hush that I would guess there where no books touching this subject.

We talk openly about James' story of how he was born in our hearts. We have a few books for the boys on adoption. I want them to know that there are different types of adoption and to see every child has an unique story on how they were 'born' in a family.

I dedicate this post to my lovely sister-in-law who passed away suddenly on August 18th. Melanie was adopted too. She was 27.

Two Heads Are Better than One

Parker with his new friend who was born in Florida and now lives only a few minutes from his crib (aka: house)!

Quack! Quack!

So cute! But 30 bucks for a duck?
So I walked away.
A few weeks later the HUGE duck was on sale...50% off!
And so off it waddled to our place.
The boys have sat on it, licked it and bit it!
The sad thing is that I left its' brother behind!
Yep, the duck has a brother.
I think tomorrow I'm going to see if he's still available for adoption...I mean for purchase!

Rev it up!

Without a doubt the boys' favorite toys are trucks and cars!

We got them each an AUTOMOBLOX vehicle

P loves the red one. And thankfully J loves the green one. No fighting for once!


The only thing about these cool toys is that they are hard on the wood floors...or rather the boys are hard on the floors with their AUTOMOBLOX!

Unique Toys...

Toys that are unique to one toddler may be totally boring for another.
However, the hamper has to be in the top 10 for toys adored by all toddlers.
Heck even us grown-ups think they are cool.
Come on, aren't you tempted sometimes to sit in there and have someone drag you around?