Toddler Times
- Harry’s own family party, where he received a Little People bus & Target-brand firetruck.
Okay, not his first. Harrison’s been to several birthday parties for the kids of my close friends, but this is the first birthday party he’s been invited to that had nothing to do with me. It’s just so grown-up, y’all.
When I dropped him off at daycare yesterday, I found an envelope in his cubby with his name on it and found a birthday party invitation from one his “classmates.” It’s a little boy that Harry has mentioned several times when he talks about his day and I have it on good authority that this little boy is also a master of the big blue slide on the playground. His party is themed around tractors and trains, so I know Harrison will love the party and I should RSVP to the mom pretty quickly.
But what do I buy for a birthday present? I need suggestions on what’s appropriate money-wise!
Its normal!
Extended breastfeeding! It is a term we have heard a lot about since that horrid Time Magazine cover fell into our laps a couple weeks ago. In the weeks following, there has been a lot of discussion about breastfeeding as a whole and breastfeeding toddlers.
Last weekend while sitting down to a family dinner for Ben’s birthday, my dad asked me what I thought about the Time cover. I went off on a short tirade and tried to make him understand that in reality there is absolutely nothing wrong with breastfeeding a toddler. But my dad is old school, and while he tried to be open-minded, I could still see his hesitance. Continue reading »
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 »
It’s that time, friends!
Pull out the popsicles, rub on the sunscreen, and fill the pool with water – summer 2012 is upon us!
I grew up going to the pool every day in the summer months. We lived there for fun and also participated in the swim team – I started swimming competitively when I was five years old! So it’s not a surprise that I’m a certified lifeguard and swim instructor. I spent an entire summer in the mountains teaching girls ages 7-16 how to pull through the water, dive, and improve their stroke. Both of my older brothers are also certified, as well as proficient in a kayak (I’m more of a raft and canoe girl). We had Harrison in swim lessons by six months old. Needless to say, we are an aquatic family.
Not every parent has this background though, so I thought I’d share some pool safety that everyone can do, Red Cross certification or not:
Embarrassment? Part of Motherhood!
Embarrassment … it is part of being a parent to a toddler! I mean, let’s face it – they just don’t know any better when they are this young.
I can think of a number of instances in the past couple years when the kids have blurted out the word penis in public. They’ve picked their noses, and as I ran with a wipe to snag it off their fingers, they shoved it right into their mouths — in a room full of people. And my face turned beet red.
But it is par for the course right? Continue reading »
Family biking is gaining popularity around the country, and these days it’s not unusual to see entire families taking to the road together. It’s a great activity for people of all ages- especially kids.
Bicycling is beneficial to the body and mind as a form of exercise and stress relief. It’s also great for the environment- leaving virtually no carbon footprint whatsoever. Have you considered, though, that it’s a wonderful way to strengthen your family and enjoy spending time together?
When it comes to family biking there are so many great resources available, from community events like Kidical Mass to safety tips. And lest you think bicycling is only for the training-wheeled set and above, there’s no reason that toddlers can’t join in the fun as well.
My 3 and 4 year olds each have their own bikes but for family rides my husband pulls them in the bike trailer. This typically works well for us, but I’ll admit that they occasionally complain that it’s difficult to see from their perch in the back. I’ve been considering some other options for family riding.
In celebration of National Bike Month I asked some of my favorite family bike bloggers what they’d recommend to a newbie like me. (And a big thank you to Stacy Bisker of A Simple Six for her help!) Continue reading »
There are some products out there that just make life easier, especially life with a toddler. Yesterday, I talked about my top non-essential items for a toddler, and today I wanted to share my list of ten items that I absolutely love during the toddler stage.
Now, it’s true, most of these things are necessary or essential, you could easily do without, or find alternatives for most of them. But for us, these items make living with, and raising, a toddler just a little bit easier (as if raising a toddler could ever be labeled easy!).
Here is my list of My Ten Favorite Toddler Products:
Mary L Weimer 
Beth Anne Ballance 
Ilana Wiles 
Natalie Holbrook 
Monica Bielanko 
Emily McClements 
Danielle Elwood 
Naomi Odes Aytur 
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