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Here’s part 2 in our Birth & Parenting Series. See part 1 (Thoughts from a Mother of Four) here. This is an interview with a wonderful friend and very busy mother to seven beautiful children, Halyna K. She’s a mother who strove for unmedicated births with all her children, and went sans meds with six of the seven! She shares with us about what her birthing experiences were and encourages women to try to let go of the fear that accompanies birth and flow with the process. Although she’s a self-proclaimed “worry-wort,” talking with her about her amazing strength and ability to not give in to the birth phobia we all experience on some level elevates her to “super-mama” in my book! 1. Tell me a…
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Their little minds never cease to amaze me. J has come up with several container games of his own design as of late. We encourage unstructured exploration playtime during the day, in hopes his imagination will ignite. Sometimes this means lots of interactive play with him, but other times it means he becomes engrossed in something and can’t resurface for a while. The tennis ball tupperware game means you put as many tennis balls as you can in one tupperware, then move them to another all at once. If you find one that the dog has been chewing on and it’s a bit worn down, you turn to your mother or father and proclaim it to be “ishy!” Or you decide to chew on it…
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This is the kickoff of a series of interviews/guest posts on birth & parenting from the amazing parents I know. MS is a veteran momma for four delightful children who shares her take on birthing, parenting methods, breastfeeding, working, food & entertainment, and potty training. She encourages us all to put down the “training manuals” and to trust our maternal instincts. Hey new moms: Relax. You’re doing just fine. Why do so many new moms parent out of guilt and fear? The rise of parenting books and access to the internet has caused new mothers to feel downright panicky about the prospect of screwing up their kids. I can assure you that your child’s chances of getting into that PhD program at Harvard will not hinge on…
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SuperBoy loves Nina so much. Great Danes have the sweetest and best disposition for kids! They are gentle, think they’re small, and are very protective while still maintaining their basic happy-go-lucky disposition. They also require very little exercise and are easy as puppies. SuperBoy does anything and everything to her, she just looks at me, and deals with it. We love her too! I’ve blogged about bringing baby home to pets and teaching children gentleness toward pets. This is just an appreciation-of-dog post. He or she endures so much with children in the house! Pet your dog today. And give an extra treat.
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We have a toddler, and a baby in utero. Not exactly ready for school, one would think. But you’d be surprised how often I get asked where my 18 month old will go to school, or which schools we’ve checked out, or what our schooling philosophy is. And, sure enough, we have talked about it, discussed it, read up on options, and generally looked around at what the Twin Cities have to offer in terms of schooling. There are lots of great options! One that we discuss is homeschooling. Nothing like throwing gas on a fire to bring up the topic in the company of parents or teachers. 🙂 Some people are convinced that it’s the only and best way to go, others think it’s…
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I love a good bargain. Mostly I love a good bargain on lovely things. Like adorable baby clothing, or great wooden toys. My favorite bi-annual source for both of these genres of goods, and more, is Just Between Friends Consignment Sales. No, I have no stake in the sales, nor do I consign myself, nor do I know any of the franchise owners personally. I’m just an appreciator. Also, they only sell things in good condition–no spots, stains, or too much wear & tear. Look for events in your location here. In the Twin Cities, we are fortunate enough to have NINE consignment sale locations. I think they’re all individually owned as a franchise sort of deal. Most of these nine hold 2 annual sales,…
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