Shopping at Old Navy

These pics are once again in no particular order b/c that requires time, thought and patience.

Here's Alex looking away from his DS long enough for a quick -and I do mean quick- picture JT working on his Zombie dance. Not sure if it's Thriller or Plants vs. Zombies that has inspired him

This is my new grown up coat bought at Old Navy this weekend for 50% off. L-O-V-E it!

Here's my second coat purchased at Old Navy this weekend. Also love it!

Just kidding! It's actually Alex's new coat bought at Old Navy. When I was hanging it in the closet yesterday I said it was so soft and warm to Alex and he said to me 'you have it mom, try it on' so I did thinking it would be a big joke. Um, not really. Besides the arms being a bitttt on the short side, it actually fit. My 6 year olds size medium jacket fit size 10 me. How exactly do they come up with sizes???

I'm not giving up my day job

CC (remember Strokin') grabbing some pole :o) My blurry self grabbing the pole - the leg warmers were originally just for warmth but then I was too lazy to take them off.

Me and my girl :o)

Yes the pole dancing was fun.

No I didn't do fancy spins, kicks and twirls.

Although I did grab hold of the pole everytime I walked by it and swing myself around like the idiot I am.

I'm in birthday mode apparently

Auntie Kathryn mentioned looking for a Thomas the Train cake for Liam's first birthday so I let my fingers do the walking and voila.

It's funny how that expression is still so true. Letting your fingers do the walking use to mean looking in the phone book and now it refers to googling...

JTs laser quest birthday

I definitely haven't got the knack for action shots so some faces are supremely blurry BUT it was a great party!

All the kids arrived on time and left on time - which is always a pleasant surprise.

The kids played 2 rounds of laser tag as well as some arcade games before and after.

Not a single problem-o.

And then we tallied up the bill to see what the final total was and if we really overspent. Um yeah. That depends on what your answer is to how much is too much for a kids birthday party?

Laser Quest was $220 for 12 people which included $30 in arcade money.

Pizza was $40

Pop, chips, birthday cake $40

Thank you toys in lieu of loot bags $70

Am I forgetting anything?

The upside was there was no dents in my walls at home, my dog didn't go nuts from a kazillion kids running around her and when JT spilled orange soda all over the table I didn't freak out. Wasn't my table, ha ha.

I suppose you can't put a price on your sanity and JT LOVED his party. It wasn't nerf like he originally wanted but I just couldn't wrap my head around how to do that.

Now, we're done party planning until next summer for Alex.

WOOT WOOT!!!

I'm in love all over again!

Another day at the zoo, the Calgary zoo, not the Beck zoo

Here are the Malaysian Bats - I think that's what they were. I couldn't capture the wing span pose but it totally impressed myself and the kids! The bats - how spooooooooky

Alex's future wife

A joey

Ais, Alex and JT

It was such a nice Friday afternoon. Uber-relaxing to just wander the local zoo and see what we could see. The kids were in a fantastic mood.Happy to be out in the fresh air and easy to please with 2 small Halloween treats each throughout the afternoon. Typically we pack a snack but today I forgot the snack bag at home but we thoroughly enjoyed a picnic on the living room floor and a movie after many hours of meandering!

Dayhomes are a quality child care solution

Here's the link to a very one-sided article about dayhomes.

And here's my rebuttal:

It is in my opinin that both Phyong Atton and Roxanne Jones have been misinformed about private dayhomes.
There are regulations set in place for child care providers to abide by. In Alberta a caregiver can care for up to six children in their home.
In today's world, dayhomes are no longer the next-door neighbour that you'd slip some cash every couple weeks. Dayhomes are often run by mothers that want to work from home to be able to care for their own children while still operating a successful business.
Many providers like myself have first aid trining, a police background check,a child and family services background check as well as a Level One Certificate in Early Childhood Education. We are not people looking to make a quick buck.
My clients were looking for a home away from home for their children. I might not have to answer to a provincial inspector about my home and programs but what I feel more strongly about is answering to the needs of the children and parents. I ensure the kids are stimulated mentally and physically as well as having their emotional and developmental needs nurtured.
It is a misconception that the children just sit and watch TV while their babysitters talk on the phone all day. Many providers have a preschool program in place as well as field trips to the zoo and public libraries.
Just as the monthly tuition is not necessarily cheaper at a dayhome, my rates are comparable to the local daycare center. Even with the tough economy I haven't seen any effect on my business.
It really comes down to personal choice. What child care solution can meet the families needs best. I have clients that drive past their neighbourhood daycare center to drive to my dayhome in a separate community.
It's unfortunate that the Toddle Inn Daycare feels dayhomes are taking over their clients and have now misinformed parents about provincial regulations.