Read It All
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 as well. Bugs! Plastic ones. Moving them from container to container, using my mom’s old marshmallow cream jars, provided lots of fun the other day. He wouldn’t stop to give me a high five after having completed his self-assigned task. Instead, he began again, in earnest, to put them all in one container, and then pour them all at once into the other. Letters and numbers on his easel, the gift from my parents for Christmas, while playing with my dad. He loves his Baba, and loves showing him his letters and numbers. Our counting always starts at “two” and skips around a bit, and he’s obsessed with the letter “e.” Kisses for all! J is an equal…
Read More
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 whether you fed him peas or pears as his first food. I promise. First, a bit of background. I am an experienced momma. I have been a young mom (pregnant at 19). I have been an “older” mom (pregnant at 34). I have been a single mom (with two kids under 3). I have been a working mom. I have been a stay-at-home mom. I have been a student mom (college and law school). Most times, I have been a combination of these. I am a mom to a kid with AD/HD. I am a mom to a kid that suffers from a serious medical condition that has required some major surgeries. Yep, there’s not much I haven’t seen. Currently, I am working mother to…
Read More
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.
Read More
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 like putting your child in a time capsule, inhibiting her social growth, and turning her into a potential oddball. We think it offers wonderful flexibility with travel, learning beyond the classroom, and incorporating the whole family into the educational process. That being said, I don’t know that it will be what we choose, or what works best for us. We love the Montessori Method, and there are several great schools nearby that offer a wonderful Montessori education for young children: Cathedral Hill Montessori School, etc. There is also a great charter school in our area as well as our parochial school, St. Agnes, and both are excellent, A friend just posted on Facebook a link to 10 Celebrities Who Homeschool. The article shows them, and says…
Read More
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, fall and spring. As I’m expecting a little girl in April, and have no little girl things (except what’s pictured above), nor much in the size of newborns as J was a big baby and grew out of everything quickly, I’m looking at shopping dates already. Some of them aren’t up, but the ones that are are listed below. The structure is usually the same: you have to pay a few dollars the first day, but the second two are free admission, and Saturday is 50% off most items. Sahweet! Eagan: March 15-17th Elk River: May 10-12 White Bear Lake: May 17-19 Woodbury: May 10-12 I’ll let you know about other consignment dates and sales. Who doesn’t like a good deal?
Read More
Dear fellow pregnant mamas, You do not need to hear everyone’s horrifying birth stories. You do not need strangers rubbing (or as happened to one girlfriend POKING) your belly. You don’t need lectures from bloggers or well-intentioned friends about the “MUST dos” of pregnancy. What you really need to do is take the opportunity to self-educate. There’s so much out there on pregnancy, and every piece of advice is countered by another piece in direct opposition, that here’s my short list of what I loved to read to educate myself on birth, baby care, and raising children decisions. I’m re-reading these, and the Bradley Method book, as I’m expecting baby girl in April. If you have time and interest, I have a long recommended reading list, here. 1) The Big Book of Birth. This is by Erica Lyon, and it outlines all the medical interventions available to a laboring mother. She gives pros and cons, and is very fair and even-handed about them. She is a midwife who promotes fear-free and natural birth, but in a helpful, non-judgmental-epidurals-aren’t-the-devil sort of way. Buy it today. 2) The Baby Book. By Dr. William Sears. He and his wife have 8 children, one or two of whom are adopted. This tome covers developmental stages, birth options, breastfeeding, attachment parenting, and just the good old common sense basics of the transition from pregnant mama to parent of baby to parent of toddler. Each step has unique challenges and joys! 3) The Successful Child. Another…
Read More