Ahhh...the joys of real life.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
proof.
The following shall be entered into the official record as proof that a) my kids aren't always happy, and b) I don't always take great photos.
Ahhh...the joys of real life.
Ahhh...the joys of real life.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
in memory.
His name was Christian.
His grandfather was a spiritual mentor of mine, his mother an acquaintance. We were both pregnant with our first children and would often grin and admire each other's bellies in passing. In October Sarah was born and he was expected three months later.
Thanksgiving came. Christmas. And then, a handful of days before his due date, Christian was born -- still. Even now, coming up on three years later, typing those words takes my breath away. As a new mother still riding the wave of adrenaline and hormones and exhaustion I couldn't wrap my brain around such a loss despite the countless nights I lay awake trying. I still can't.
His mother and I became friends that winter, meeting for lunch and coffee and trips to the cemetery. Our conversations were punctuated by tears and questions. How? and Why? And Where is God? Timidly over lunch one day she said, almost whispering, "I have a picture. If you want to see it." And of course I did. Every new mother deserves to pass around photographs of her beautiful child, and this was no exception.
The polaroid told what I already knew would be true by looking at his mother - he was beautiful. All 8 1/2 pounds of him. A big, strapping, tragically-lost baby boy. But now, for his mother, the only physical reminder of those details was held in 2 or 3 polaroids snapped by hospital staff. She carried each of them in her purse. And she sat at lunch that day sobbing silently about how she never unwrapped him and looked at his feet. And she'll never get that chance again.
The heartbreaking truth of that story replays itself daily, hourly around our country. Even in 2008. According to the March of Dimes 1 in 200 babies are born still.
I was profoundly affected by Christian's birth and death. Several months later I heard about an organization called Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep and knew working with them would be the way I would honor his mother's pain and his memory. Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep has made it their mission to make sure that families in the throws of such loss leave the hospital with more than a grainy, temporary polaroid in their purse. Professional photographers like myself from around the country volunteer to photograph and preserve the memories of these beautiful children. I had my first call three weeks ago - twin girls - and my heart stopped. But the heart-wrenching time I spent with those girls was tempered by the knowledge that this family would have images of their babies to hold dear.
And before I left the hospital that day I did something with Christian and his mother, my friend, in mind. I carefully unwrapped each of those tiny baby girls, and photographed their feet.
As proclaimed by President Reagan in 1988, October is recognized as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. The Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep Foundation holds its Annual Fund Drive for six weeks starting in mid-September and ending in October. If you are in a place to make even a small contribution to NILMDTS, please know that doing so will continue to allow the organization to provide improved resources, training, communication, and other tools necessary in support of the professional photographers who provide the gift of free remembrance portraiture to families in need. Click here to read more about this campaign and to donate.
His grandfather was a spiritual mentor of mine, his mother an acquaintance. We were both pregnant with our first children and would often grin and admire each other's bellies in passing. In October Sarah was born and he was expected three months later.
Thanksgiving came. Christmas. And then, a handful of days before his due date, Christian was born -- still. Even now, coming up on three years later, typing those words takes my breath away. As a new mother still riding the wave of adrenaline and hormones and exhaustion I couldn't wrap my brain around such a loss despite the countless nights I lay awake trying. I still can't.
His mother and I became friends that winter, meeting for lunch and coffee and trips to the cemetery. Our conversations were punctuated by tears and questions. How? and Why? And Where is God? Timidly over lunch one day she said, almost whispering, "I have a picture. If you want to see it." And of course I did. Every new mother deserves to pass around photographs of her beautiful child, and this was no exception.
The polaroid told what I already knew would be true by looking at his mother - he was beautiful. All 8 1/2 pounds of him. A big, strapping, tragically-lost baby boy. But now, for his mother, the only physical reminder of those details was held in 2 or 3 polaroids snapped by hospital staff. She carried each of them in her purse. And she sat at lunch that day sobbing silently about how she never unwrapped him and looked at his feet. And she'll never get that chance again.
The heartbreaking truth of that story replays itself daily, hourly around our country. Even in 2008. According to the March of Dimes 1 in 200 babies are born still.
I was profoundly affected by Christian's birth and death. Several months later I heard about an organization called Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep and knew working with them would be the way I would honor his mother's pain and his memory. Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep has made it their mission to make sure that families in the throws of such loss leave the hospital with more than a grainy, temporary polaroid in their purse. Professional photographers like myself from around the country volunteer to photograph and preserve the memories of these beautiful children. I had my first call three weeks ago - twin girls - and my heart stopped. But the heart-wrenching time I spent with those girls was tempered by the knowledge that this family would have images of their babies to hold dear.
And before I left the hospital that day I did something with Christian and his mother, my friend, in mind. I carefully unwrapped each of those tiny baby girls, and photographed their feet.
As proclaimed by President Reagan in 1988, October is recognized as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. The Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep Foundation holds its Annual Fund Drive for six weeks starting in mid-September and ending in October. If you are in a place to make even a small contribution to NILMDTS, please know that doing so will continue to allow the organization to provide improved resources, training, communication, and other tools necessary in support of the professional photographers who provide the gift of free remembrance portraiture to families in need. Click here to read more about this campaign and to donate.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
her.
If ever there was a photo that captured her entire essence, this would be it.
Our squinty-eyed, squealing, candy-eating {Princess Pigbear} will soon be turning three. And today we officially started preparing.
Our squinty-eyed, squealing, candy-eating {Princess Pigbear} will soon be turning three. And today we officially started preparing.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
to the bookclub!
(sorry, just channeling Superwhy with my title)
It's approaching two weeks since I landed in Charlottesville for our Book Club reunion '08 so I guess it's time I memorialized our little trip.
Taking the above posted pictures was the only thing I did all weekend that had anything to do with books. Well, that's not entirely true. I started and finished a book on the four blissfully quiet, solitary flights to and from Charlottesville but once I actually arrived at book club weekend '08 I traded in books for trashy magazines and girl talk. Isn't that what book club is for? Our is. =)
I'd fill you in on the girl talk but I'd feel like I was violating our sisterhood so instead I'll just share a snap of each girl in attendance.
Here's Liz and her snazzy tote prancing up to Monticello...
And Pennsylvania Susie wearing Liz's clothes from head to toe (including the reversible skirt...a Liz original!) because all she packed were clothes suitable for the frozen tundra from whence she came. And now apparently I'm channeling Thomas Jefferson.
And bringing up the rear, the two I affectionately dubbed "the gestation delegation"...on opposite ends of their pregnancies...Jennifer (9 months!) and Jodi (4? months)...
I wish I were now posting pics of Amy, Gina, Samantha, and Brandy but they were all home tending to babies and husbands and laundry and dinners...missed you girls! Next year it'll be all 9 of us again, right?
It's approaching two weeks since I landed in Charlottesville for our Book Club reunion '08 so I guess it's time I memorialized our little trip.
Taking the above posted pictures was the only thing I did all weekend that had anything to do with books. Well, that's not entirely true. I started and finished a book on the four blissfully quiet, solitary flights to and from Charlottesville but once I actually arrived at book club weekend '08 I traded in books for trashy magazines and girl talk. Isn't that what book club is for? Our is. =)
I'd fill you in on the girl talk but I'd feel like I was violating our sisterhood so instead I'll just share a snap of each girl in attendance.
Here's Liz and her snazzy tote prancing up to Monticello...
And Pennsylvania Susie wearing Liz's clothes from head to toe (including the reversible skirt...a Liz original!) because all she packed were clothes suitable for the frozen tundra from whence she came. And now apparently I'm channeling Thomas Jefferson.
And bringing up the rear, the two I affectionately dubbed "the gestation delegation"...on opposite ends of their pregnancies...Jennifer (9 months!) and Jodi (4? months)...
I wish I were now posting pics of Amy, Gina, Samantha, and Brandy but they were all home tending to babies and husbands and laundry and dinners...missed you girls! Next year it'll be all 9 of us again, right?
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
playdating.
2:10
Sarah had a playdate at our house today with an old friend and a new friend. She's been looking forward to it for a week and reveled in all the girliness for the two hours they were here.
The popsicles were a big hit although my announcement that there were "popsicles...with ice cream inside!" made for one slightly devastated little girl who gobbled down her popsicle and then raced in the house to find the ice cream. Oops. Three year olds are so literal, eh?
Everything was made right again though with purses and boas and dresses galore in Sarah's room.
And a little raise the roof action, just for kicks.
2:30.
Sarah had a playdate at our house today with an old friend and a new friend. She's been looking forward to it for a week and reveled in all the girliness for the two hours they were here.
The popsicles were a big hit although my announcement that there were "popsicles...with ice cream inside!" made for one slightly devastated little girl who gobbled down her popsicle and then raced in the house to find the ice cream. Oops. Three year olds are so literal, eh?
Everything was made right again though with purses and boas and dresses galore in Sarah's room.
And a little raise the roof action, just for kicks.
2:30.
Timing my blogging so I can report back to Margaret Day who asked today how long it takes me to blog every day. I said 20 minutes (hooray for being right! I lurve being right) but technically I was interrupted by an 8 minute phone call so my stats are off. =)
Thursday, September 18, 2008
on the mend.
Things are going surprisingly well here despite our second night in a row of less than stellar sleep. B-Ro is back to crawling around, terrorizing his sister and Sarah is lavishing him with attention much to his pleasure.
They had a ball crawling in and out of the tent today. Ephraim might not have thought it was so fun though if he had realized that Sarah was pretending he was her "baby Laura".
Crazy kids.
They had a ball crawling in and out of the tent today. Ephraim might not have thought it was so fun though if he had realized that Sarah was pretending he was her "baby Laura".
Crazy kids.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
lil' trooper.
Our little guy did great. Thank you guys so much for all the well wishes, prayers, emails, phone calls, and encouragement. It really meant a lot to know that so many of you have been through similar situations. The surgery went great and we were actually home by noon which was hours before I expected.
Unfortunately Ephraim is in quite a bit of pain and is in need of constant attention. Brent and I commented several times this afternoon that it felt like we had a newborn in the house again. Thankfully our "newborn" should grow out of his neediness in a week or so. =)
So here's our B-Ro in his new bean bag chair. Sarah and I made a special trip to Target to pick it up after we realized that sitting up just wasn't going to be comfortable for the little man in the next few days.
I think this is the only smile I managed to eke out of him all day long...
B-Ro says, "hey mom...tell all your peeps I said thanks for the prayers...
...now get over here and rub my feet."
HA!
Monday, September 15, 2008
Mama Monday: guide to the hospital
Mama Monday Disclaimer: I am nowhere near an expert mom. I am on a mama journey just like all of you are. However, I'm more than willing to share my experience with you guys. If today's topic is something that you have an experience with then I hope you'll share too...either on your own blog (be sure to leave us a link) or in the comments section.
As I mentioned in yesterday's post I'm really hoping that those of you who have experience with surgeries, hospital stays or health episodes will chime in with any tidbits or advice you might have. I know there are many of you out there who have experienced times like this and I appreciate those of you who have commented and emailed already!
For those of you who didn't read yesterday, Ephraim is scheduled for surgery tomorrow morning. The surgery is to correct a congenital defect and will last about two hours. We've been assured that it's still relatively minor but as a friend of ours said (who will also be the anesthetist for the surgery): "a minor surgery is one done on someone else's child."
We've spent one night in the hospital with Sarah when she was 11 months old and dehydrated from a horrible stomach virus. Then one month later she broke her leg which landed us another spot on the hospital circuit and possibly a DHR case file (kidding!). So while we haven't been the surgery route before we've spent a little bit of time in the hospital and here are some of the things I've learned from those experiences:
1. There isn't much you can do to comfort a child who's getting an IV or a catheter besides holding them and whispering calmly in his/her ear. If your child has a lovey be sure it's on hand for immediately after such procedures.
2. If you'll be spending the night in the hospital come prepared with pajamas for yourself as well as your child. If an IV will be involved bring either a short sleeve pair of jammies or a long sleeve pair that you don't mind stretching or cutting. We found that Sarah wanted to tug on her IV (what one year old wouldn't?) so having the long sleeve pulled over it helped the IV to stay in place and keep it out of sight and out of mind. Also be sure to bring two piece jammies so you're not having to strip your baby entirely every time a procedure needs to be done.
3. Bring socks. For everyone. Hospitals can be cold!
4. If the nurse informs you that the hospital policy is for your child to sleep in their sterile prisonesque crib nod your head, smile politely and do whatever feels most comfortable to you. I am an extreme rule-follower but when my child was hooked up to an IV, catheter and heart and oxygen monitors I realized quickly that some rules are meant to be broken. We fit just fine together in the twin hospital bed and I was able to protect her from yanking every tube out of her tiny body. Coincidentally the same nurse that had me sign the waiver saying I understood the hospital's crib policy stopped by an hour later and whispered in my ear that if it were her baby she would be doing the exact same thing I was. Thank you sweet nurse. Words like that mean a lot to a rule follower.
5. Pack snacks. If you're a stress eater you'll need them. And if you're stress faster (me) you'll need them too.
6. Be polite to all hospital staff. Nothing will get you better and kinder care than "thank you"s in abundance. Throw in a few "I really appreciate what you're doing"s and you'll find yourself with extra ice and pillows in no time! =)
7. Most importantly: You are your child's advocate. Respect that the medical providers know medicine best but you know your child best. Be prepared to ask for whatever it is that will make your child more comfortable.
I got an email this morning from a super-sweet reader who worked as a hospital Child Life specialist prior to staying home with her little ones. Her tips were so thorough that I thought I'd share them here as well. Thank you Jenny!
Keep Ephraim’s schedule the same the day before surgery
Make sure you all are well rested which I know is hard considering you might be nervous the night before.
I’m hoping you have someone to take care of Sarah on Tuesday? It is probably best she stay home. That in my opinion is super important, you need to focus your attention on Baby E and you don’t want anything else to try your patience. I’m sure though like my 2 ½ year old, Sarah never tries your patience. =)
Be patient with that little guy, he has every right to cry or be fussy b/c this will most likely be a stressful situation for him. He might be extra clingy or hard to comfort. Just reassure him that you love him and that you are nearby.
If Ephraim has a “lovey” type item, make sure you bring it. If he has a CD that you play for him before bed or in the car that he likes, bring it, most children’s hospitals will have a CD player available or if you aren’t sure, just bring a portable one from home if you have one.
You MUST remain calm. Ephraim will sense if you are frightened or stressed. The IV will be the hardest part for both you and him!
Make sure your nonverbal communication is positive and that your voice is calm.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions to the nurse/doc/whoever else will be handling/working with Ephraim, no question is silly or unnecessary, you have every right to know what is happening to your sweet boy.
I imagine there will be a time that he cannot eat or drink anything? This will be difficult, just be ready to give him extra love or rocking or walking.
*Take good care of yourself and your hubby. Treat yourself to a yummy starbucks drink or the equivalent of something that is a treat for you. Bottom line, remain calm, which I know, easier said than done, but trust me this will set the tone of your day.
E will have all the normal hospital things done, probably will wear a special little nightgown, and ID bracelet, will have his vitals checked. You should meet all the people that are taking care of E when he is not in your direct care – the doc, the surgical nurses, perhaps even the anesthesiologist.
They might give him a relaxing medicine to drink before they go into the operating room, this will help E be calm when he has to leave you.
After the surgery, E might be a crank…maybe, not always though. My Brady always came off of anesthesia like a champ but a lot of the kids I worked with didn’t.
He might have a rough couple days after Tuesday b/c he might sleep a lot on Tuesday and that might throw off your schedule the rest of the week, just be prepared for that.
Buddy Posters
Carrie at Three Bundles of Fun
*Also, be sure to check the comments section from yesterday's post...there's some great advice there as well!
As I mentioned in yesterday's post I'm really hoping that those of you who have experience with surgeries, hospital stays or health episodes will chime in with any tidbits or advice you might have. I know there are many of you out there who have experienced times like this and I appreciate those of you who have commented and emailed already!
For those of you who didn't read yesterday, Ephraim is scheduled for surgery tomorrow morning. The surgery is to correct a congenital defect and will last about two hours. We've been assured that it's still relatively minor but as a friend of ours said (who will also be the anesthetist for the surgery): "a minor surgery is one done on someone else's child."
We've spent one night in the hospital with Sarah when she was 11 months old and dehydrated from a horrible stomach virus. Then one month later she broke her leg which landed us another spot on the hospital circuit and possibly a DHR case file (kidding!). So while we haven't been the surgery route before we've spent a little bit of time in the hospital and here are some of the things I've learned from those experiences:
1. There isn't much you can do to comfort a child who's getting an IV or a catheter besides holding them and whispering calmly in his/her ear. If your child has a lovey be sure it's on hand for immediately after such procedures.
2. If you'll be spending the night in the hospital come prepared with pajamas for yourself as well as your child. If an IV will be involved bring either a short sleeve pair of jammies or a long sleeve pair that you don't mind stretching or cutting. We found that Sarah wanted to tug on her IV (what one year old wouldn't?) so having the long sleeve pulled over it helped the IV to stay in place and keep it out of sight and out of mind. Also be sure to bring two piece jammies so you're not having to strip your baby entirely every time a procedure needs to be done.
3. Bring socks. For everyone. Hospitals can be cold!
4. If the nurse informs you that the hospital policy is for your child to sleep in their sterile prisonesque crib nod your head, smile politely and do whatever feels most comfortable to you. I am an extreme rule-follower but when my child was hooked up to an IV, catheter and heart and oxygen monitors I realized quickly that some rules are meant to be broken. We fit just fine together in the twin hospital bed and I was able to protect her from yanking every tube out of her tiny body. Coincidentally the same nurse that had me sign the waiver saying I understood the hospital's crib policy stopped by an hour later and whispered in my ear that if it were her baby she would be doing the exact same thing I was. Thank you sweet nurse. Words like that mean a lot to a rule follower.
5. Pack snacks. If you're a stress eater you'll need them. And if you're stress faster (me) you'll need them too.
6. Be polite to all hospital staff. Nothing will get you better and kinder care than "thank you"s in abundance. Throw in a few "I really appreciate what you're doing"s and you'll find yourself with extra ice and pillows in no time! =)
7. Most importantly: You are your child's advocate. Respect that the medical providers know medicine best but you know your child best. Be prepared to ask for whatever it is that will make your child more comfortable.
I got an email this morning from a super-sweet reader who worked as a hospital Child Life specialist prior to staying home with her little ones. Her tips were so thorough that I thought I'd share them here as well. Thank you Jenny!
Keep Ephraim’s schedule the same the day before surgery
Make sure you all are well rested which I know is hard considering you might be nervous the night before.
I’m hoping you have someone to take care of Sarah on Tuesday? It is probably best she stay home. That in my opinion is super important, you need to focus your attention on Baby E and you don’t want anything else to try your patience. I’m sure though like my 2 ½ year old, Sarah never tries your patience. =)
Be patient with that little guy, he has every right to cry or be fussy b/c this will most likely be a stressful situation for him. He might be extra clingy or hard to comfort. Just reassure him that you love him and that you are nearby.
If Ephraim has a “lovey” type item, make sure you bring it. If he has a CD that you play for him before bed or in the car that he likes, bring it, most children’s hospitals will have a CD player available or if you aren’t sure, just bring a portable one from home if you have one.
You MUST remain calm. Ephraim will sense if you are frightened or stressed. The IV will be the hardest part for both you and him!
Make sure your nonverbal communication is positive and that your voice is calm.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions to the nurse/doc/whoever else will be handling/working with Ephraim, no question is silly or unnecessary, you have every right to know what is happening to your sweet boy.
I imagine there will be a time that he cannot eat or drink anything? This will be difficult, just be ready to give him extra love or rocking or walking.
*Take good care of yourself and your hubby. Treat yourself to a yummy starbucks drink or the equivalent of something that is a treat for you. Bottom line, remain calm, which I know, easier said than done, but trust me this will set the tone of your day.
E will have all the normal hospital things done, probably will wear a special little nightgown, and ID bracelet, will have his vitals checked. You should meet all the people that are taking care of E when he is not in your direct care – the doc, the surgical nurses, perhaps even the anesthesiologist.
They might give him a relaxing medicine to drink before they go into the operating room, this will help E be calm when he has to leave you.
After the surgery, E might be a crank…maybe, not always though. My Brady always came off of anesthesia like a champ but a lot of the kids I worked with didn’t.
He might have a rough couple days after Tuesday b/c he might sleep a lot on Tuesday and that might throw off your schedule the rest of the week, just be prepared for that.
Buddy Posters
Carrie at Three Bundles of Fun
*Also, be sure to check the comments section from yesterday's post...there's some great advice there as well!
Sunday, September 14, 2008
is it over already?
Why do the weekends you look forward to all year always pass by the fastest? I have so much to say about my spectacular time in Charlottesville but the 4:30 a.m. wakeup time is kicking me in the pants so I'm afraid it may have to wait. Suffice it say though, it was fun. =)
Real quick though, check out the babes at Monticello...
And just for kicks, here we were 2 1/2 years ago (minus Jodi; plus Gina, Samantha, Amy, and Brandy). Feel free to gush about how we haven't aged a day.
More on all that later. Promise.
Switching gears...
A quick Mama Monday heads-up: Tomorrow let's talk about surviving the hospital/health crisis with your little one. I'll have a little bit of info to share based on what we learned when Sarah stayed overnight for dehydration and then broke her leg one month later. But really I'm hoping to get some advice tomorrow. I haven't been open about this on the blog but Ephraim will be having surgery on Tuesday morning and this mama is just a little freaked out. We've known about it since his birth so we've had time to prepare but, truthfully, 9 months just seemed SO far away. And now it's here and I'm scared for my little guy. It's not major (we won't be staying overnight) but I certainly wouldn't call it minor (it's a two hour surgery) so moral support and helpful hospital tidbits will certainly be appreciated. If anyone has an experience to share I'd love to hear it so keep an eye out for that MM post tomorrow morning!
Real quick though, check out the babes at Monticello...
And just for kicks, here we were 2 1/2 years ago (minus Jodi; plus Gina, Samantha, Amy, and Brandy). Feel free to gush about how we haven't aged a day.
More on all that later. Promise.
Switching gears...
A quick Mama Monday heads-up: Tomorrow let's talk about surviving the hospital/health crisis with your little one. I'll have a little bit of info to share based on what we learned when Sarah stayed overnight for dehydration and then broke her leg one month later. But really I'm hoping to get some advice tomorrow. I haven't been open about this on the blog but Ephraim will be having surgery on Tuesday morning and this mama is just a little freaked out. We've known about it since his birth so we've had time to prepare but, truthfully, 9 months just seemed SO far away. And now it's here and I'm scared for my little guy. It's not major (we won't be staying overnight) but I certainly wouldn't call it minor (it's a two hour surgery) so moral support and helpful hospital tidbits will certainly be appreciated. If anyone has an experience to share I'd love to hear it so keep an eye out for that MM post tomorrow morning!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
breathe.
Just wanted to let everyone know that things will be quiet around here for the next several days. Life has gotten crazy and book club weekend has come just in time. I'm headed out tomorrow morning for a weekend with (many of) my beloved girlies. I'll catch you all up next week!
Monday, September 08, 2008
Mama Monday: Toys With Staying Power
Mama Monday Disclaimer: I am nowhere near an expert mom. I am on a mama journey just like all of you are. However, I'm more than willing to share my experience with you guys. If today's topic is something that you have an experience with then I hope you'll share too...either on your own blog (be sure to leave us a link) or in the comments section.
I'm really excited about today's Mama Monday topic. Everyone wants to present their child with a gift they'll really enjoy, right? And not just for a week or so but for years. Many of you have commented over the course of this blog's life about all the "vintage" toys you see my kiddos playing with. And it's true. Many of the things Sarah and Ephraim play with on a daily basis were mine as a child - people toys, Sarah's plastic teaset, wooden colored blocks, cabbage patch dolls (at grama's house). Many of the toys we grew up with were made to last and have years of play left in them. I hope you have some to share with your children too!
It's true that many toys today aren't made the way they used to be. And many toys are geared toward shorter attention spans with flashy sell-now packaging. So how do we navigate through the toys-of-the-minute to find the ones with staying power? I'll share mine if you'll share yours!
Fisher Price Gumball Machine - I bought this toy when Sarah was a baby after seeing Krista's small wonder, Leah, working it like a champ at 7 months or so. It didn't disappoint. Ephraim loves it now and Sarah still plays with it too.
Do-A-Dot Paints - Mandy bought Sarah her first set for her birthday last year and the girl's been hooked ever since. They're perfect for your little one who's not quite ready to be set free with paint yet!
Little Tikes Jam and Groove Boombox - Okay, if you click that link you'll see that this toy only has 1 1/2 stars. And if you read the reviews about it feeling a little cheap and the top being hard to press down, it's all true. BUT. Sarah adores it. Nana gave it to her for Christmas last year and it's rarely on her shelf because she plays with it all.the.time. It has staying power at our house. Go figure.
Little Tikes Shopping Cart - Bought this for Sarah around her first birthday as a push toy to help her walk. It was featured in the famous day-after-Thanksgiving, broken-leg, "Hi!" video. She loved it then and she still loves it now. It's an outside toy now that she uses for gathering up sticks and debris from the yard. We can't play in the front without it. It's like an appendage.
Baby Stroller - This isn't the exact stroller we have (ours was a Goodwill find...thanks Grama!) but it's the same idea. Good for endless hours of pushing babydolls through the house, the mall, the yard, the park...you get the point. If you have a little girl in your house (or a little boy who likes dolls) this is a must.
Magnadoodle - Another gift from way back that still gets a ton of play. It's a great car toy too.
I'll add more as I think of them. Can't wait to read yours!
Buddy Posters
Jenny at Zollars Family
Christie at the Breland Family
Tammy at The Waidas
Shannon
Marilee at Mishpacha
Chris at A Little Love
I'm really excited about today's Mama Monday topic. Everyone wants to present their child with a gift they'll really enjoy, right? And not just for a week or so but for years. Many of you have commented over the course of this blog's life about all the "vintage" toys you see my kiddos playing with. And it's true. Many of the things Sarah and Ephraim play with on a daily basis were mine as a child - people toys, Sarah's plastic teaset, wooden colored blocks, cabbage patch dolls (at grama's house). Many of the toys we grew up with were made to last and have years of play left in them. I hope you have some to share with your children too!
It's true that many toys today aren't made the way they used to be. And many toys are geared toward shorter attention spans with flashy sell-now packaging. So how do we navigate through the toys-of-the-minute to find the ones with staying power? I'll share mine if you'll share yours!
Fisher Price Gumball Machine - I bought this toy when Sarah was a baby after seeing Krista's small wonder, Leah, working it like a champ at 7 months or so. It didn't disappoint. Ephraim loves it now and Sarah still plays with it too.
Do-A-Dot Paints - Mandy bought Sarah her first set for her birthday last year and the girl's been hooked ever since. They're perfect for your little one who's not quite ready to be set free with paint yet!
Little Tikes Jam and Groove Boombox - Okay, if you click that link you'll see that this toy only has 1 1/2 stars. And if you read the reviews about it feeling a little cheap and the top being hard to press down, it's all true. BUT. Sarah adores it. Nana gave it to her for Christmas last year and it's rarely on her shelf because she plays with it all.the.time. It has staying power at our house. Go figure.
Little Tikes Shopping Cart - Bought this for Sarah around her first birthday as a push toy to help her walk. It was featured in the famous day-after-Thanksgiving, broken-leg, "Hi!" video. She loved it then and she still loves it now. It's an outside toy now that she uses for gathering up sticks and debris from the yard. We can't play in the front without it. It's like an appendage.
Baby Stroller - This isn't the exact stroller we have (ours was a Goodwill find...thanks Grama!) but it's the same idea. Good for endless hours of pushing babydolls through the house, the mall, the yard, the park...you get the point. If you have a little girl in your house (or a little boy who likes dolls) this is a must.
Magnadoodle - Another gift from way back that still gets a ton of play. It's a great car toy too.
I'll add more as I think of them. Can't wait to read yours!
Buddy Posters
Jenny at Zollars Family
Christie at the Breland Family
Tammy at The Waidas
Shannon
Marilee at Mishpacha
Chris at A Little Love
Sunday, September 07, 2008
slacker emerges!
Oops. Have you been looking for me? Sorry.
Here I am.
Been busy photo-shooting this weekend and spending today hanging with the fam. I'll be back tomorrow with a Mama Monday so consider this your warning. Everybody get your posts and ideas ready for this topic: toys with staying power. With birthday season dawning in our house and the holidays right around the corner I'd love for us to share some ideas on what gifts have managed to hold the interest of your kiddos all year long.
In the meantime, check out the busy B-Ro.
Here I am.
Been busy photo-shooting this weekend and spending today hanging with the fam. I'll be back tomorrow with a Mama Monday so consider this your warning. Everybody get your posts and ideas ready for this topic: toys with staying power. With birthday season dawning in our house and the holidays right around the corner I'd love for us to share some ideas on what gifts have managed to hold the interest of your kiddos all year long.
In the meantime, check out the busy B-Ro.
Thursday, September 04, 2008
hot mama tip
Lest you be confused this is a "hot tip" for mamas. Not a "hot mama" giving a tip. =)
Several weeks ago Sarah got really interested in painting. My excitement over her new found creativity was tempered heavily by the annoyance and waste of squirting every color of the rainbow onto a paper plate only to toss most of it 10 minutes later. A few days and several paper plates later I had a flashback to my early childhood art class in college. Each student had to be bring in two empty egg cartons and I distinctly remember buying the eggs and trashing most of them. Why would I eat eggs when I had box upon box of Pastaroni on hand? (gag)
I digress. Here's the tip.
Egg cartons are the perfect storage items for tempera paint. Squirt a little bit of paint into each egg hole and as long as it gets closed up when your kiddo is finished the paint will last time and time again. If it gets dried out just add a little water or a bit more paint. I've also discovered that if I wet a folded paper towel and lay it in the open lid of the egg carton it weighs the whole contraption down and give Sarah a place to clean off her brush without the mess of a water glass.
Now when Sarah asks to paint she just heads to her cupboard to grab her egg carton "paint box" and I toss her a brush and a wet papertowel.
Try it you hot mamas! (and daddies!)
Several weeks ago Sarah got really interested in painting. My excitement over her new found creativity was tempered heavily by the annoyance and waste of squirting every color of the rainbow onto a paper plate only to toss most of it 10 minutes later. A few days and several paper plates later I had a flashback to my early childhood art class in college. Each student had to be bring in two empty egg cartons and I distinctly remember buying the eggs and trashing most of them. Why would I eat eggs when I had box upon box of Pastaroni on hand? (gag)
I digress. Here's the tip.
Egg cartons are the perfect storage items for tempera paint. Squirt a little bit of paint into each egg hole and as long as it gets closed up when your kiddo is finished the paint will last time and time again. If it gets dried out just add a little water or a bit more paint. I've also discovered that if I wet a folded paper towel and lay it in the open lid of the egg carton it weighs the whole contraption down and give Sarah a place to clean off her brush without the mess of a water glass.
Now when Sarah asks to paint she just heads to her cupboard to grab her egg carton "paint box" and I toss her a brush and a wet papertowel.
Try it you hot mamas! (and daddies!)
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
blended.
Let's be honest: divorce sucks. But as with many things that aren't so pleasant, there's a silver lining. My parents divorced when I was in high school and have since gone on to marry two incredible people. They both remarried after I was already married so I never had to struggle with step-parenthood or step-childhood or step-siblinghood. I just get to enjoy my parents and their spouses for the amazing people that they are. As an added bonus my kids have 6 grandparents to dote on them. I'm sure one day they'll realize who's blood and who's not but by then they'll have been enveloped in mushy grandparent love for so long that it won't even matter. It's all the same to them which makes it all the same to me.
The point of this is to say that we just got back from spending the long weekend with my mom and her husband and my stepsister and her son. And I was reminded how cool blended families can be. Sarah and Brody had a two day headstart at Grama and Grandad's house and were in cousin heaven!
They spent hours on the screened in back porch...
Tooled around a bit in Grandad's old truck...
Played with playdough and dominoes...
And wore Grama and Grandad out!
My mom has been threatening for years to hold a "Camp Grama" with my Aunt Lori as a camp counselor and all the potty-trained cousins as campers. Since we missed Charlotte and Aunt Lu this weekend it was really just a mini Camp Grama. The kids had a ball though and this mama loved the break!
Here's to silver linings!
The point of this is to say that we just got back from spending the long weekend with my mom and her husband and my stepsister and her son. And I was reminded how cool blended families can be. Sarah and Brody had a two day headstart at Grama and Grandad's house and were in cousin heaven!
They spent hours on the screened in back porch...
Tooled around a bit in Grandad's old truck...
Played with playdough and dominoes...
And wore Grama and Grandad out!
My mom has been threatening for years to hold a "Camp Grama" with my Aunt Lori as a camp counselor and all the potty-trained cousins as campers. Since we missed Charlotte and Aunt Lu this weekend it was really just a mini Camp Grama. The kids had a ball though and this mama loved the break!
Here's to silver linings!
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