She's a Big Girl Now!!

Well I survived... I mean she survived. My little girl is a big girl now!

She made it through her first day of Kindergarten with ease! The teacher said she was a delight; she listened, was attentive, well behaved and smart! What a great report after day one!

I knew she was ready. She is a curious, social butterfly and smart as a whip. Mama wasn't so ready to let her go, but I knew she would be fine.

An early morning with a healthy breakfast, picked out her own outfit and she helped pack her lunch. My daughter was ready to go!!!

Once we got to school the excitement grew. She was at the BIG school, where her BIG sister goes!!

There were giggles and skipping and running. She went right into the yard without thought... I had to pull her back for a kiss!!


My other half was shocked to see how freely she went in and went to right work making friends and playing with other kids. She sure is like her mama!!

At the end of the day I waited with all the other anxious parents to pick up my baby and see how her day was. The bell rang and she came out with a long face. Dread set in that maybe she didn't like school, or maybe was sad, or missed me.

When I asked her what was wrong she simply replied, "I don't get to go on the school bus, I have to walk with you." God love her, the worst part of her day was being told she had to walk with her mom!!!

It's the most wonderful time of the year....

or so says the Staples commercials that play on t.v this time of year!

momstown mamas have been talking about it for weeks. New schools, new teachers, labelling kids stuff, we all knew it was coming.

Back to school is bittersweet this year. Normally I am jumping for joy and over the moon when back to school hits. Summer is a long 9 weeks to entertain the kids and by the end of it I am usually so happy that school has returned.


The return of school means the return of routine. A very welcomed thing in this house right now!! Normal bedtimes, normal meals and a sense of direction for the oldest one.

But this year, it's kind of sad for me. As much as I want the routine to return, back to school this year means my kids are growing.

I know, that's what it means every year, but this year is different. This year I have a teenager going into Grade 8, her final year of elementary school, her final year before she heads into high school where she will make choices about her schooling and where it will take her. How did these 13 years go by so quick?

And then to make this year even harder, my sweet little Noelle is starting Kindergarten. She is starting her academic adventure in the "big school" where she will spend her school days in the care of some other adult who is not me, who will now be a part of molding her into a little educated being.

So while I wait anxiously for Megan to come home from her first day of Grade 8 and give me the run down of who her teacher is, who is in her class, who the new kids are and dare I wait for it, who the cute boys are, I will keep Noelle close to me and cherish the next 2 days until she starts her adventure.

No one said being a mom was easy, but boy, back to school really reminds you that you wear your heart on your sleeve

Fisher Price Zoo Talker is a BIG HIT!!!

We were lucky enough to get to try out the Fisher Price Zoo Talker this week.

When the delivery man arrived just before lunch, the kids were jumping up and down with excitement that a big box had arrived. They had no clue what was in the big brown box, but they new it had to be good!


We opened the brown box to reveal the Fisher Price Zoo Talker, the kids went nuts! "What is that?!" screamed my 4 year old. She sat on the floor in front of the big box and asked if it was for her. I explained it was for her and her brother.
As just 17 months old, Nathan was on things trying to figure out how to get the box open.

The kids helped me unpack the box with all the pieces. It looked a little daunting with so mnay pieces but it was super easy to assemble, all the pieces with the exception of the handle just snapped in! Super fast, super easy!


We put in the batteries and the kids went to town, or should I say ZOO, playing with all the moving pieces. There were 3 animals and a zoo keeper included as well.

This is a great toy for both my 4 year old and my 17 month old. There is so much to explore in the zoo! A slide, a secret door, a roaring hippo, a talking zoo keeper, animals that make noise; it really is an all around awesome toy.


The kids played for a good half hour by themselves and when friends arrived they showed them their new favorite toy and they all loved it.

I think we will be getting the other animals that go with the zoo just to add to the fun!

It sure was fun getting to check out this awesome toy! My kids loved it and I loved that there was so much for them to explore on it!

See Backyarigans Live!!

We have another awesome contest for you mamas!!

Thanks to Koba Entertainment, we have a family pack of tickets to give away to one lucky winner to go see The Backyardigans in Orillia this December!

The Backyardigans and the Quest for the Extra Ordinary Aliens is the theatrical production by Koba Entertainment that brings to life the fun-loving and adorable characters from the favourite children's TV show. Wouldn't you love to surprise your little one with this special outing?



All you need to do to win is head on over to the momstown Barrie Facebook Page from Friday, September 2 until 5pm Monday, September 5 and post a picture or video show how much your kids love The Backyardigans and why they are the number #1 Fan. Have fun with this and show your love for the Backyardigans and for Koba Entertainment!

Winners will be announced on the evening of September 5th!

RULES TO WIN!!!! First post your pics or videos on our facebook page!! NEXT, come back here and post a comment letting us know you posted your pic/video (make sure you leave your facebook name so we can identify you!) You must do both to win! Facebook, blog, win!!!

At 8pm on Monday September 5th I will announce the winner!!!

Check out www.thebackyardigansontour.com for more details on the Show and make sure you go and like the Koba Entertainment Facebook page and follow them on Twitter as well!

We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo

Heading to the zoo is a perfect summer morning trip! We headed to one our momstown mamas and tots fave spots near Barrie, Elmvale Jungle Zoo.

It's a close drive to a neat little zoo where the kids can play, visit with the animals and feed them too!

The little ones love getting to feed the giraffes, goats, deer and monkeys! The giggles while they fed the animals was priceless!


After visiting some animals it was time for a lunch break, got to feed the animals we brought with us!


A play in the park was just what everyone needed to burn off some energy and give moms a chance to relax.


Going to the zoo is fun for all of, young and old!

And what better way to top off a trip to the zoo than with a pony ride!!!


September is all about the zoo with momstown! We will have lots of crafts and stories all about the zoo! check out our Arts and Crafts Blog for some great animal crafts!

Toopy and Binoo who loves you more?

Are you and your family big Toopy and Binoo fans?

Well here is your chance to win tickets from momstown Barrie to the upcoming Toopy and Binoo show in Orillia on October 18th.

Koba Entertainment brings you Toopy and Binoo and the Marshmallow Moon, an entertaining and magical show about these two fun-loving and adorable characters, whose antics are driven by their out-of-this-world imaginations.


To WIN tickets to the show, be sure to go to our momstown Barrie Facebook page and post a picture of your kids showing how much they love Toopy and Binoo, then comment on this blog to let us know you posted our picture!!

Don't forget to like Koba Entertainment on Facebook as well and thank them for the chance to win tickets!!

A bit about the upcoming theatrical show:

Their unpredictable adventures inspire children to push their own limits!
You only get to make a first impression once! Preparing for his stage debut, Toopy has to not only find the perfect song to sing, but he also has to find the perfect place to perform it!
As Toopy and his best friend Binoo embark on their most important musical quest ever, they encounter a Blue Cat Blues Band, a Loud Mouth Crooner Fish, some Rock n’ Roll Sheep, a pair of Love Struck Dragons and many other zany characters along the way.
Entertaining and whimsical, Toopy and Binoo and the Marshmallow Moon is a fairy-tale for our times; it incorporates music, theatre, dance, puppetry and innovative multimedia technology to weave a story that will tickle the imagination of the entire family!

Musical Munchkins

momstown events are always fun. The moms get to watch their kids learn and grow while having some social time with other moms that just "get it". The kids get to have fun, make friends and learn new things.

This week, to go along with our August theme of Music, we held a Musical Munchkins event in the park.

It was a sunny and warm morning a nice breeze. We headed to a park we had never ventured to before and as always, it was an adventure!


The park was full of moms and tots all having fun despite the little treasure we discovered... burning towels in the sand and in the field next to the playgrounds. A quick call to the fire department and the momstown fun began! To start our morning off right the kids got to see the firemen and the fire truck! Once the playground was secure and safe, we settled in for our Musical fun!!


The kids all took hold of an instrument that they thought would be fun. There was a drum and a bongo, shakers and tambourines, a mini piano and a xylaphone shaped like a ladybug!



It was a great morning to see the munchkins having fun and making their music!