Hi friends. I hope that you are well. There’s been a lot happening lately over on this side of the screen. I enjoyed a mostly quiet and relaxed weekend with Finn before diving headfirst into this week. Here’s a look at life lately.
FRIDAY
A trip to the “gymnastics gym” as Finn calls it for tot time. There is a big gymnastics center not far from us that does a daily tot time for children 5 and under. You get an hour of open gym and access to all of the equipment in the gym. Finn LOVES it! It was our first time going in a few months since they don’t offer it during the summer due to the camps they run. I am seriously considering signing Finn up for weekly toddler classes. Finn is pretty agile and I feel like he’d enjoy it and gain even more coordination/proprioception from it. I would love to hear your experience with sending three year olds to a toddler gymnastics class! I honestly think I’d sign him up for this before something like soccer shots. He’s currently doing a weekly swim lesson in addition to preschool three days a week from 9-1.
Two things here. 1) Finn’s Play-Doh obsession is still going strong. He sat in this chair for 90 minutes on Friday afternoon and played with Play-Doh (I intermittently played with him while also doing chores like folding laundry). 2) I just ordered this rug for my dining room a few weeks ago and I love it. It’s an indoor/outdoor rug so pretty sturdy but still soft and not scratchy. I feel like it warms up the room and ties things together a little more. I still need to add art on the walls in my dining room and get some kind of buffet/china cabinet for the wall where Zoey is laying.
I’ve been in my house for a little over a year now and while every room is furnished (except the covered patio)…I still have so much to do from a decorating/design/upgrade standpoint. My list is a mile long but I’m at peace with taking it in bite sized pieces because it’s all I can handle right now.
We wrapped up our day with a dog walk. Finn was living life right with his little hands behind his head. So pumped for cooler fall days to get out and walk even more!
SATURDAY
Finn and I hit the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market on Saturday morning and it was an excellent market! We came home with so many amazing things from our favorite farmers and some new to us vendors. If you live in Charlotte, I cannot recommend this market enough. It’s worth the drive and the crowds. The only thing to watch for is that you are buying from actual farmers who grew what they are selling and not produce re-sellers. I stick mostly to hall A and C. Hall A is mostly NC farmers and hall C has some fun specialty/craft kind of vendors. Here’s a helpful interactive map/calendar that indicates things like reseller versus grower, certified organic, etc.
Pro tip: admire the pumpkins in the greenery hall but do not buy them there! They are wildly overpriced. Go to Trader Joe’s or Home Depot!
Here is our amazing haul! Collards, kale, NC mountain apples, tomatoes (probably the last of the season…wah) and basil from Bluebird Farm. Eggs, greens mix and an unpictured spaghetti squash from Hoffman Heritage. Potatoes, radishes, ginger and zephyr squash from A Way of Life. South Carolina peaches from Unity Farms (also probably the last of the season). Cottage cheese and fresh mozzarella from UAV. Homemade fresh campanelle pasta and taralli sourdough crackers from Mano Bella Artisan Foods.
It was my first time buying from Mano Bella and I chatted with one of the owners who is the wife of the chef. She was so enthusiastic, personable and helpful. I will definitely be supporting this small local business moving forward.
Saturdays at the farmers market when I’m in town and not working or traveling has been a 10+ year tradition for me. I draw so much inspiration from a culinary standpoint and it feels so community-focused and wholesome. I really enjoy bringing Finn along and letting him help me pick things, talking to him about what we’re seeing and letting him interact with the farmers and vendors.
We spent our Saturday afternoon taking full advantage of the last of summer pool days. My friend Bevin invited us to hang out at their pool. Finn had a great time playing with their daughter and her husband made a great sacrifice to play in the (quite chilly) water with them. We ended up staying for almost 4 hours. I had one happy and tired boy when we headed home.
After I got my fish to bed, I parked myself on the couch to watch the Georgia/South Carolina game. GO DAWGS!
I recently made an impulse purchase of yogurt covered pretzels and they are perfection.
SUNDAY
Finn and I were at Target by 9a on Sunday but it was a frustrating and overly long trip because they are re-modeling my favorite Target so it was one of those situations where the personal care items were in the middle of the kids clothing section. I couldn’t find anything which was probably a good thing for my wallet.
While we were there, Finn’s dad texted to ask if they could grab Finn for the afternoon (I asked to keep him an extra night this week so they were wanting to spend a little more time with him) so I dropped him off with his dad on the way home from Target. It felt like serendipitous timing because I had a lot to do to prep for my mom coming to stay with us this week, work projects and Sunday was the five year anniversary of my brother’s passing.
After I dropped my Target bags at home, I immediately drove to my favorite neighborhood trails to get in a run. It was my first run in a week and exactly what I needed. These trails will never not be healing and grounding for me.
The wildest thing happened on this run. When I was driving to the park I thought to myself, “I am going to see a snake on the trails today.” Low and behold, about 3.5 miles in, I saw a big black snake crossing the path in front of me. I stopped to take a picture because I couldn’t believe it. Definitely felt like a good sign that it was a “nice” snake.
I got Finn back around 6:30p and we had a quiet evening at home.
MONDAY
Monday was a bit of an odd day. I flew down to Florida at 9a on Monday morning. Finn stayed home with our nanny. It was my first time in Florida without Finn since he was born. The purpose of my trip was to accompany my mom on a return trip later that day to Charlotte so I was only there for a few hours.
It was long enough to see my Mema and promise her that I’d be back with Finn for an extended visit SOON! My mom and I hopped on a flight back to Charlotte Monday afternoon. We got home around 6:30p.
TUESDAY
Finn is THRILLED to have his Meme here visiting. There’s been a lot of snuggling, show and tell and storytelling. After I picked him up from preschool today, I listened to him from the other room talk to her nonstop for 30 minutes. It was hysterical.
And that’s all I have for now. <3
QUESTIONS
What activities/classes does/did your toddler enjoy/learn a lot from in a fun way?
Do you have a local farmers market? Do you go/like it?
Have you seen your family lately?
I have a 4yo Finn who has been doing a gymnastics class for 6 months now, and he absolutely loves it. I’ve noticed a big difference in his agility since he started too- defo recommend! We need to get back into swimming lessons. Living in Scotland means we don’t really have outdoor pools (too cold!) and I’ve not been back to an indoor pool since before covid.
Hope you are enjoying time with your mom.
This is wonderful, Cat! Thanks for sharing. Definitely motivates me around signing him up! Thanks for saying hi from Scotland! 🙂
My daughter is just a week younger than Finn and we’ve been doing gymnastics for almost a year. We started with parent tot and now she’s in the 3-4 yr old class. She loves it so much! We also did soccer shots this summer and by the end she was having a lot of fun. We stopped doing it in the fall bc we are trying to find swim lessons. I think at 3, two activities plus full time preschool is plenty!
Finn is just a little older than my daughter. We are doing soccer and a little basketball at her school. She goes to school (daycare) 5 days a week and with Covid, I’m trying to minimize her risk and keep activities outdoors or with people already in her “pod.” I would have loved her in gymnastics this fall but the center near me fills up so quickly for classes on the weekends and also as mentioned I’m still a little concerned about indoor activities with everything going on. Plus, she’s a bit shy so doing things away from me is a bit of a challenge. Finn looks like he’s having a blast!
I’ll have to check out any farmers markets near us in Harrisburg Pa (I know you have been here for yoga!) and fortunately we see my family a lot because they are local.
Totally get that Carly and sounds like a smart plan to keep her safe and honor your peace of mind. I will be back in the Mechanicsburg area in early December! 🙂
If possible, I suggest asking if you can go watch the class Finn would join before signing him up. When my son was younger we signed him up for gymnastics – and while he had fun – my husband and I felt like it was kind of a waste of money. It was mostly like structured play activities (that I’m sure eventually lead to actual gymnastics skills, but at that age it was basically play time).
This is an EXCELLENT suggestion for any parent considering this type of lesson. Thank you! I think this gym does do a “trial class” once a week so we’ll check that out!
My son is almost four, did a year of Parent and Tot gymnastics, and is now in a preschool class. He loves it. I love that it’s very active, builds coordination, and gives him confidence. Swimming is his other favourite lesson at this point.
Perfect! Thanks for sharing Kathleen! 🙂
Random question – what type of plant is that in your dining room?
I believe it’s a majesty palm. Fun story, my mom and I bought it when I was pregnant with Finn. I just had this strong urge to get a houseplant even though I don’t have a great track record with them. I have managed to not only keep it alive but it’s thriving. It’s probably quadrupled in size since I brought it home and it’s so happy in that corner of my dining room!
I commend you and Finn’s dad for working together on things like scheduling, including being flexible to trade days as necessary. As a child of parents who fought about such things, which created a ton of tension, you’re doing a huge favor to Finn and yourselves. As a step-parent now, we do the same with my step-child’s mother. It’s not always convenient, but it’s the long play that really does make everyone’s lives better in the end.
I suggest that when he gets older, you make sure and let him know about scheduling changes as they are made so that he is not surprised when, say, suddenly Dad shows up to pick him up when it isn’t “Dad’s day” or whatever.
Thanks, Sarah. I think because we’ve been sharing Finn since he was a baby we’ve just realized how important it is to be flexible with each other when needed while also honoring our written agreement/schedule as much as possible for the sake of everyone’s work/personal schedules and Finn’s continuity. It’s not always easy but we’re in a pretty good groove with it. Love your tip about letting Finn know! Both his dad and I, as well as our nanny, are so good about telling him where he’s going, what the plan is and when he’ll see the other parent again. He’s really starting to grasp that these days and it’s been fun to see. He truly loves being at both houses and that makes me feel so content and happy for him. <3
Also, I am sorry that you had to go through seeing your parents fight over these things when you were growing up. I know that couldn't have been easy. I'm glad you're creating a new pattern in the relationship you're in now.
My kids LOVE gymnastics. They are 2.5 and 4.5 and have a blast in their weekly class. And I agree – its been so good for coordination, balance, etc.
Wonderful to hear! Thank you!!!
That run looks so nice; there really is nothing like running out in the woods. I moved to a larger city a few years ago and there unfortunately are just not an abundance of local trails – I miss them dearly!
Your farmer’s market haul looks fantastic. At my local farmer’s market, some of the vendors offer pre-ordering online and picking your produce up the day of. That way I don’t have to rush to beat the crowds, but I can still meander/make a few impulse buys after getting my staples!
I totally agree with you that there is something about running on trails/in nature that is so special. I’m sorry you don’t have many where you are now! We have more greenways than anything in Charlotte and while they’re nice, you don’t get that “trail” feel. I’m lucky to have a park with trails pretty close to my house.
I love the idea of the pre-order and then wandering. I always feel a little stressed to get to the market on Saturday mornings to make sure that I don’t miss out on my favorites but I also love a relaxed Saturday morning!
My daughter is 5 and just started tumbling and trampoline (which I’m assuming is similar to what others refer to as gymnastics) and she loves it! I definitely could have signed her up sooner but I don’t think she’s behind at all. I’m personally not a soccer fan so neither of my kids do it but they have enough other activities (my oldest, 10, does track, flag football, baseball, and wrestling but none of it is at the same time thankfully). I’ve always told my kids we’ll try it and if it ends up being too much for them and our schedule we’ll bow out but so far they’ve been able to handle the after-school sports just fine.
Hey Erika – I love your laid back approach to after-school activities. I think when you take the pressure off like that, it makes it so much more fun and enjoyable…like it’s not a chore or an added stress! The runner in me secretly hopes Finn will do track or cross country one day when he’s older! 🙂
Have you heard of Young, Wild & Friedman playdough kits? They are amaaaazing! Finn would probably love them. I love to gift them to my kiddos for holidays and bdays. She does fun sensory kits too
https://www.youngwildandfriedman.com/
I have not but thank you because this is an amazing resource! I will definitely be ordering some kits from this site!!!