What We're Supposed To Do

Today we were supposed to do your science homework,
but instead you played with the bugs you caught outside.

We were supposed to put your laundry away,
but instead you checked out the plants in the garden.

We were supposed to have showers,
but instead you got dirt under your nails.

We were supposed to do a lot of things that we didn't actually do.
But smiling, having fun, and enjoying nature, are really the most important
things that were supposed to do.
So thats what we did.

Salmon Run? And Fluffies!

Apparently this time of year is good to see the salmon swim upstream so Baba suggested we go check it out.
Unfortunately we didn't see any fish.  But alhamdulillah we had a nice day out nonetheless.
And we also discovered some super cool plant. I have no idea what its called. But imagine a dandelion when it turns all white n fluffy and you can blow it out and watch the seeds peacefully fly away....[this is an essential part of childhood!]... Anyways this new found plant was a similar idea, except the fluffies were in a pocket thing, the seeds were bigger and probably hundreds of them, and the fluffy part felt like silk!  We had so much fun checking them out and blowing them away.  I would love to know more about these :) 

Subhanallah how Allah has created such diverse and beautiful things!

Soccer Baseball

Yeah for amazing weather alhamdulillah!

Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will ensure as long as life lasts." -Rachel Carson

My book, The Last Child in the Woods, has inspired me to spend more time outside with the kids. 

Today I went out on the patio to read, and my babygirl sat with me, and even brought me a flower.

Alhamdulillah. <3

Backyard

Something we really missed about Canada was the amount of opportunities we got to be outside. 

Yes alhamdulilah Malaysia was amazing in terms of tropical weather and amazing scenery, but on a day to day basis, it was hard to get out.

I just LOVE when my kids go out, get dirty, play freely, and have that outside smell!

Malaysia was always too hot or it required much more energy and planning to get out (past our condo).  

Alhamdulillah for Canadian backyards and neighbourhood parks!

I am currently apart of a mothers book club and the book this month is:

I just started it today, so theres not much to say but will note anything worth mentioning soon inshaAllah.

Exploring our new neighborhood

Bringing the garbage bins back into the garage

The three of us were all really excited to find a nice park within a ten minute walk.  We didnt know it was there since its not visable from the main road

The boys were overly excited to find a baseball diamond.  They were so excited that they both ran full speed  without realizing that it was all mud!  About 10 seconds after entering they looked down to see their feet covered in mud! 

No, were not walking in the middle of the street, we have a really nice bike path close by as well which will be great this summer when Yusuf inshaAllah learns how to ride a bike without training wheels.  And I like that its not too close to the road. :)

High Park Field Trip

For those of you who live in the GTA, mashaAllah High Park has some awesome programs for children!  Alhamdulilah we were able to attend one last week about spring.  The kids learned about different signs of spring and then we all went for a walk in the forest looking for them.  As usual, Yusuf (in the brown jacket) was right up front beside the instructor asking a bunch of questions.

Camping

The boys checking out the water

Yusuf and I canoeing and saying our evening athkaar <3

Baba showing the boys how to make a camp fire

Ibby chasing Yusuf and his new friend

Playing at the beach

Alhamdulillah last weekend we had a wonderful family trip camping (in cabins, not tents).  We went with ten other families.  It was a blast! Yusuf really enjoyed it!  He made a new friend, went swimming at the lake (3 times), went canoeing, had camp fires, roasted marshmellows, ate smores, went on hikes, saw a huge snake, chased racoons (he was more brave than I was!), played soccer, enjoyed the food and company, stayed up late, slept on the top of a bunk bed and... survived the 5 hour car trip.  Alhamdulilah!

Waste Management and Botanical Gardens

Last week we went to the Waste Management place which was really interesting! We learned about all the different things you can recycle, how the landfill works, how we should compost, how we should try hard to avoid things going into the landfill, how they make soil out of compost and how landfills have birds of prey to prevent seaguls from over crowding the place and also carrying the garbage around the city and spreading disease.  We had a school bus for all our homeschooling friends and after that we went to the botanical gardens.  The kids also had fun there, the program was really cute for kids complete with digging for bugs and feeding chipmunks.  Alhamdulilah for a great day! 

Lakeshore

One of our favorite activities as a family is visiting Lakeshore. The boys LOVE skipping stones!

Painting Outside

We brought paint to the backyard and the kids had a blast! They actually enjoyed cleaning the mess up with soapy water and sponges more than they did painting!