Bunchland

Robyn Knickle shares stories from Hamilton, Ont.

There are a lot of really great things about Hamilton.  A great arts community, beautifully architectured buildings, and a ton of green space and hiking trails; the list could go on forever.  Some of my favourite things here, however, are the parks.  They are big, historic and so much fun for everyone, especially kids.

We’re within a 10 minute walk from Gage Park, which has two play areas, a splash pad, a band-shell, a baseball diamond, a squash court, a greenhouse and plenty of space for a picnic.  You can normally find us there, but this weekend we wanted to shake things up, so we headed to our amazing waterfront for some some fun at Pier 4 Park.  Read more...

Robyn Knickle shares stories from Hamilton, Ont.

My favourite conversation happened this week in the wee hours of the morning, when I rolled over in bed to find my 3-year old son, Rudie, next to me:

Rudie: Mommy, can I ask you something?
Me (very sleepily): Sure, buddy.
Rudie: Who made me?
Me: Mommy and Daddy did.
Rudie: How?
Me (now wide awake and totally unprepared for this conversation): We made you with love.
Rudie: Did you go to the store and buy my eyes, nose and lips?
Me: No, you made your own eyes, nose and lips while you were in mommy’s belly.  You did a perfect job, too.
Rudie: I did?
Me: Yep, we couldn’t have bought cuter eyes, nose and lips if we tried.
Rudie: Okay, goodnight again.
Me: Goodnight again, sweet-boy.

Previously: Three toddler meltdowns on a morning when you’re already running late.  Read more...

We asked our bloggers what their plans are this weekend

Are we all looking forward to big family get-togethers this weekend? Just as Easter Bunny tactics vary from house to house, so do the traditions and celebrations. We asked the Bunch crew about their holiday plans and traditions.

“Just the usual: Easter egg hunt in the backyard and a big Sunday dinner…” — Beth Blenz-Clucas

“Two words: Take-out. Last year after doing nothing at Easter except for an egg-hunt in our living room, I got all nostalgic for Easters past (I’m half German, so Easters are, like, a half-big deal to me). I called my sister and blurted out we would host Easter get togethers at our place, starting next year, from now on. (She’d already taken on hosting Christmas, so really the ball was in my court.)  Read more...

Robyn Knickle shares stories from Hamilton, Ont.

I woke up this morning with a 3-year-old’s foot in my face. He had snuck in at some point throughout the night and made himself cozy. As I snuggled right into him, listening to his sweet, sleepy breathing, I glanced at the clock and noticed that we should actually have been on our way out the door at that time. We slept in! Now, you should know that I haven’t set an alarm clock in over a year, as the kids have always made sure to have me up nice and early (even on the weekends). This morning, everyone must have needed just a little extra sleep, so our usual morning routine was thrown off and, of course, chaos ensued.  Read more...

Robyn Knickle shares stories from Hamilton, Ont.

CONFESSION: I’m a procrastinator. I can’t help it, it’s who I am. I love a deadline and will wait until the last possible second to meet it. I’ve always been like this. I’m not sure if it’s the thrill of possibly not getting it done on time or if doing everything but the looming task at hand is my way of saying f-you to the person imposing the actual deadline.

When I was in university, this was an alright way to live. Rather than work on a paper, I would use my free-time to sleep, watch movies, clean my apartment or just sit on the balcony, watching other people live their lives. There was plenty of time to be productive and it always ended up being the night before the paper was due. It would always get done, and my marks weren’t too shabby, if I do say so myself.  Read more...

Robyn Knickle shares stories from Hamilton, Ont.

March 3rd marked five years of wedded bliss for my husband and I. By bliss, I mean chaos, with two babies, two houses and two new jobs, so we thought we would treat ourselves to a week in Jamaica without the kids. It seemed like the best idea ever when we booked it – a week in paradise with nothing to do but soak in the sun while lying by the pool and swimming to the bar.

The few days before we left, however, I panicked. How could we leave our children? Were we heartless and cruel?! My husband reassured me that they would be fine. They were staying with my mom afterall, and a week at Nana’s house meant that our kids would enjoy an all-inclusive vacation of their own, with all-you-can-take snuggles and 24-hour access to junk food and TV.  Read more...

Robyn Knickle shares stories from Hamilton, Ontario

When my son Rudie was 16 months old, he started to hide under the table in the dining room to do his business.  I had read that this meant he was getting ready for toilet training so we brought a potty into the house, just to get him used to having it around.  When he was 18 months old, I got a call from my ecstatic husband, telling me that Rudie had just had his first poop on the potty.  We were so excited that he left it in there for me to see with my own two eyes when I got home.  Our son was a genius!  So advanced!!  Read more...