Kidding
When SuperBoy was 3, and we had 3 kids under four, I remember saying to my husband, “Oh, why would I ever send him away to school? I will homeschool him forever.” I also wanted to buy every book about Charlotte Mason, Montessori, Classical education, and Waldorf. Just to cover all my bases. Fast-forward to having read a ton, and experienced the real live experience of having a kindergarten aged boy who loves to learn and loves to sass and loves to explore. I’ve adjusted my expectations to survive and read and math and a little of this & that and we’re good. He also gets to play at a local nature center a few afternoons a week–so the outdoorsy thing (not my cuppa tea) is covered. We spend about one hour a day doing a reading lesson, a chapter or two of math, and some handwriting. The other subjects flow during the week and when the little kids are sleeping. Our “curriculum” or what we’ve been doing the last year. 1) For reading we’ve done How to Read in 100 Lessons (which is fine but doesn’t teach phonics so we’ll do this one as we’re almost done with it). 2) For math Life of Fred & Bedtime Math (and lots of math games!). 3) For science, every natural science book I can muster up and lots of outdoor exploring and zoo trips. Love this Fun with Nature book series and this The Animal Book. 4) For art, trips to the Minneapolis Institute of Art…
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Oh you know, typical mom confession time over here. It’s been a wonderful fall and I’m sure winter is peeking around the corner, waiting to dump a ton of snow on us so I’ve been taking stock of what’s worked and what hasn’t and how I can improve and all that stuff. When I was out of town last weekend, I picked up a copy of Gretchen Rubin’s Happier at Home. I’ve already read the Happiness Project, which I loved, so I figured this one would be a jumpstart for my soon to be given up New Year’s Resolutions. But no! it really had such great ideas about improving areas of your home life. And it got me to thinking. What have I given up on as a mom since having three kids? And am I ashamed? Many things. And nope. Christy’s post about bloggers being just bloggers and missing that got me to thinking, I’d better share this #momfession because three or four people might identify. 1) Tidy house When I just let it go and tidy after the kids are down for the night, or have them help me after we eat and before AA comes home, it’s so much easier. Otherwise I’m in a constant mental panic about each room we’ve trashed that day and how if I don’t get to it then someone else in the house is going to tidy it and be annoyed with me (intergenerational living first world problems). And I think my kids…
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Since BabyLoves is really more like PowerBoy these days at almost 18 months, it seemed appropriate to make mental notes of what a third born child actually uses as a toddler, versus those reams of items you think you need (and, indeed, you do need!) the first go ’round. His personality is both insanely sweet and totally fire-breathing dragon. He will utter “gggeeenntle” before biting me while nursing. He will snuggle up with my dad for days on end, and swing a bat at his sister’s head, or lob a candle at her. He has been walking since ten months, running since ten months and two days, and went through a climbing phase that has led me to believe he will be a mountaineer. Right now he understands pretty much every direction, and is fairly compliant with most of them. Except removing the humidifier water jugs. Those he drags around at every opportunity. And throwing books into the toilet. That, too, is a mystical experience for him, punctuated with tearing pages out of them first. His do-or-die toys // activites consist of: 1) Books: his latest ones Little Blue Truck: gift from his Godparents and the lyricism is just great! Roadwork: great cadences and lots of outdoorsy stuff he likes. Slide & Find Trucks: slide. find. trucks. win. Colors: Bright Baby: gift from a dear friend when my daughter was born but he’s obsessed! 2) Cardboard box Anything that he can sit inside. Like a cat. Or be dragged around in…
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I’m a sucker for lists. Three kids in and now I have a very strong sense of what I love in kids’ decor, clothing, utensils, you name it, because I’ve wasted a lot of money and time figuring it out. Sometimes you learn by experience. And sometimes you get luckily gifted something that you fall in love with. I’ve written my brain dump on registering already, and five items that make parenting easier, and nine toys for the first year, but let me foist yet another list on you because a girlfriend is expecting her first and asked me if I had to only have five things in my nursery, what would they be?? (Also listed allll my Whole Parenting Goods crib & wall & party banners up in the shop! Free shipping through the weekend FREESHIPPING code. Really original, right?) But back to my list. 1) Disposable Diaper. We cloth diaper by day and use a wonderful local service, Do Good Diapers. They also retail my favorite favorite favorite disposal diaper because this third baby wet through every combination of night diaper out there. Naty are fully compostable and indeed, Do Good will do that for you, too! They hold more pee than anything else I tried. They never ever break open. And they aren’t bleached or dyed. They also make my favorite wipes. 2) Brooklyn Herborium Infused Coconut Oil. Maybe biased because my sister’s organic skincare line makes these but I love it. I still try to give a quick rub down massage to…
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SuperBoy eating compost, a few summers back. Wowzer! He is going to tell it like it is: dirty & fun. But first, a more recent post of 5 essentials I LOVE having as a mom. And the nine BEST toys for baby before 1 year. 1) Apparel a) Wrap, sling, carrier, baby backpack–I really only use my Sakura Bloom and my Ergo or Boba. For hiking I use a phil&teds. b) Clothing, layette, pacifier chain or holder I have my infant capsule wardrobe here, my tot one here, and my pre-k one here. My kids live in cotton onesies + leggings with maybe a sweater tossed on top! c) Sleep sacks, swaddlers, wearable blankets, swaddle blankets d) Socks You only need two kinds of socks for infants. Triple roll socks and Smart Wool baby socks. The rest fall off and are useless. 2) Bath a) Bathtub, bath toys, bath mat, bath stool A tub that has both an infant compartment and a toddler one is good. See example here. A bath mat for outside the tub is nice for laying your baby towels on (a little extra padding when you lay her down, kicking and screaming to be leaving the water). Toys! Our SuperBoy loves his toys in the bath. He’d probably stay in there all day if we let him. A stool (can double as a nursing stool) is great for when you’re leaning over the tub, or observing play as she gets older. b) Towels, washcloths, a mini-robe I thought baby sized towels…
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