He won't remember last summer.

Yikes, we’re moving across the country!! Okay, only for three months, but to a toddler, that’s a sixth of his whole life. Not only that, but we’re doing some extensive work on our house here, so when he gets back, he might not even recognize it. So, how do I prepare them for this giant move?

Since things will be very different when we get home, I’m treating it more like a move than a trip.

I’m less worried about the older one, who has been counting down the return to our Vermont lake house since we left last summer.

Now that we’re down to days until we leave, I wonder if there’s something we need to do for Fuzz, who just turned 21 months and may not remember last summer at all.

But, it’s coming, whether he likes it or not! His house and bed will be different, most of his toys will be different, we’ll drive a different car, and have different people in our lives. So here’s what I’m going to do to help him feel comfortable with this change. Continue reading »

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Fora dreamy roadtrip with toddlers, stop here.

Summertime means road trips. That’s right.

The open road.

The wind in my hair.

An awesome mix on shuffle.

Two toddlers screaming in the back seat.

Sound romantic?

In two weeks, we’re going to take a six hour car trip with two boys under four. One is potty-trained, one is still in diapers. Even with the DVD player, we still have hours of entertainment to fill. A lot of strategic planning is going to be necessary to keep everyone occupied.

Plus, there are factors to consider. Sometimes one will be asleep and the other will be awake. Sometimes both will be asleep for a while (oh please, oh please, I hope this happens for at least two hours). However, I have to prepare for the most difficult scenario:

2 boys. Awake. Strapped in car seats. 6 hours.

How can I make this into my ideal road trip? The kind I had when I was in college and totally care-free?

Oh, I can’t? Right, then.

Then, how can I make this into the closest toddler version of my ideal road trip? Yes, I recognize that it might be miles away from the dreamy past, but I’ll take what I can get.

Here’s what I’m packing and planning for this journey. Let me know if you have anything to add. Continue reading »

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An elephant and a 3 year-old never forget.

Back in February when I went on my tirade about light-up shoes,  I didn’t tell you that the conversation in that post happened way back in November.

I thought by now, the Shnook would forget all about light-up shoes.

But no, he hasn’t. Almost every day, if not multiple times a day, he asks for light-up shoes. SINCE NOVEMBER.

The kid is persistent, which is a very good quality…in an adult.

He knew, if he kept at it, he would get what he wanted. In the last several weeks he has chipped away at me like a little Michelangelo, until I finally gave in. But he had to work for it. Continue reading »

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Beach umbrella from Target

Hooray for beach season coming around the bend! Wait, should we jump for joy, or run for the hills? Going to the beach with toddlers sounds all great and fun, but when you think about it, it’s more of an anxiety-ridden adventure for parents than, well…a day at the beach.

From the scorching sun to the worrisome waves, with rip currents that can suck your toddler up in seconds, who the heck would sign up to bring their toddler to such an environment. I’m not even going to bring up the possibility of jelly fish stings and…gulp…sharks.

Okay, let’s step back for a second. There are precautions you can take that will make going to the beach a little bit less stressful for parents of toddlers. Let’s look at 10 ways you can prepare for a beach day that will make it a little bit easier. Continue reading »

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Enter at your own risk.

My last post on Friday detailed Fuzz’s latest illness: Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease. I felt so bad for him because he seemed to be in pain and he was obviously not feeling well.

My sympathy turned to empathy about 36 hours ago, when I started developing my own symptoms of this disease. Many of the readers’ comments told me this might happen.

Around 9:30 on Saturday night, I started to feel feverish and a little achey. I took ibuprofen and powered through a Netflix movie. So, I didn’t go to bed until almost midnight.

Remember back before you had kids, when you could go to bed at midnight on a Saturday night, even when you were feeling just a little sick? It didn’t matter, because the next day was Sunday and you didn’t have to get up early?  Continue reading »

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I'll spare you the photos of his disgusting rash and leave you this cute one of someone else's child.

Just when I thought we were clear of illness for the springtime, well, I was wrong.

Fuzz’s fever the other day? Yeah, that was the beginning of HFMD or Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease- the human version of Hoof and Mouth Disease.

AWESOME, RIGHT?

Wanna hear some of the super great “features” of this disease? (I’m trying to stay positive, here)

-Fever (Fuzz had 103, but just for one day)

-Lesions on the throat, mouth, hands and feet (hence the name). Fuzz had difficulty swallowing two days ago, and I couldn’t figure out why- now I know. Poor guy had sores back there.

- Skin rash all over. This is the last thing to appear which is why we didn’t know that he had it. The worst is on his legs, and behind his knees. Continue reading »

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The old standby fear.

Lately, the Shnook has been curious about animals that eat people. Every day in the car it’s:

“Mommy, will a camel eat a person?”

So far, we’ve assessed that lions, tigers, bears, crocodiles, alligators, and hippos would all willfully eat a person, if offered the opportunity.

I feel that he’s asking these questions because he’s probably dealing with fear, maybe in addition to a genuine scientific curiosity.

At this point, the only other real fear I’ve noticed is of monsters, even though we’ve told him they don’t exist. He’s a little afraid of the dark when he’s alone, but only because of the monsters.

Fuzz has a love/hate relationship with both the vacuum and the blender. I’m not sure they can be called “fears” because he wants to operate both appliances, but always wants me to hold him while they’re on.

Most toddlers are afraid of something. Some have more fears than others. To them, these fears are very real and we as parents need to make sure we make them feel safe. But, while they’re sleeping,  it’s really okay to laugh.

Last night, I polled my Facebook friends about their toddlers’ fears and I’m amazed at the variety. Even though some seem far-fetched, I can understand why these things might be scary.  Click through the slideshow for some toddler fears you might expect, and some that are hilarious and bizarre. Continue reading »

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