Medicine Tips for Toddlers

February 11, 2014November 19, 2014 - Mama 2 Comments

Being sick sucks. It especially sucks when a little one is sick, since they can’t always express their feelings or understand why they just feel awful. Zach recently had a teething-related bug, the kind you tend to get when you’re chewing on everything because you just can’t get those molars in fast enough.

While recent studies have suggested that it’s okay for kids to run fevers to a certain degree, since it helps kill whatever bug is ailing them, it’s also widely accepted to give your toddler some meds if they’re lethargic and having other issues, like not eating.

However, when your kiddo is sick, it’s sometimes hard to get them to take their medicine. It seemed with Zach that I’d pour the liquid in his mouth, and he’d spit it back out. I’d try to make sure he got the full dose, sweeping the liquid back into his mouth, but he’d resist so much I’d start fearing he might choke on tears and Tylenol. I would give up, frustrated, and he’d still be miserable after not getting even a few drops into his system.

Finally, something had to give, and I started exploring ideas to get him to take his medicine more easily.

For liquid, a dropper often works better than a spoon or cup. You can squirt the medicine into their cheek near the back of their mouth, and it’ll slide right down. Be careful not to stick the dropper straight back– they can wiggle and end up activating their gag reflex, and you’ll wind up with a lot more of a mess on your hands. By squeezing it into the pocket of their cheek, it goes down without too much taste even hitting their tongue. With that said, some older kids may really enjoy the process of being a big helper and drinking the medicine straight out of the small cup that comes with many medications instead of a dropper. If you go this route, give supervision and have something on hand for them to chase it with (like juice or water).

Mix it with fruit juice if you need to– just a little bit of juice with a similarly flavored medicine (like sticking with grape juice for grape medicine) will help mask the taste as it goes down.

Have water on hand, or another favorite drink, for after the dose is given. The easiest way to quell arguments of nasty medicine taste is to make sure kids can flush it out immediately after taking the medicine with a favorite juice or water.

Switch to chewables, if your child is old enough. I thought you had to wait until 4 for chewables, but I finally discovered that there are some name and off-brand chewables on the market for children as young as two years old. While you should never bill it as being candy-like, the little tablets are quite similar to Smarties, and allow kids a little less fear than a nasty syrup.

Hide the pill in some applesauce or pudding. If your child is still resisting when it comes to tablets, tuck it into some applesauce or pudding and have them eat it that way– they’ll be less likely to taste it as it goes down.

Ask for a different flavor. Some pharmacies can add or change the taste of certain prescription liquids if requested, or can point you in the direction of a different flavor when buying over-the-counter medicine. Most pharmacists are happy to help you find a flavor that works for your child.

With the tips listed above, your child might even become excited about taking their medicine. Because of this, you’ll want to be sure all of your medicine is out of reach and locked away to prevent over-medicating. Also be sure to check dosage instructions with your pharmacist, or consult a website like Dr. Sears’ website if you’ve lost the dosage instructions for an over-the-counter medicine. One of the biggest hospitalization causes for kids is over-medication or accidental overdose, so use caution when dosing and make sure that all medicine is put away where your child cannot access it easily.

As always, I am not a doctor. Be sure to consult with a doctor or pharmacist before trying the tips listed in this article. If you do have a concern that your child accidentally ingested medicine, contact poison control and get them to the nearest emergency room immediately.

I think he’s trying to tell me something…

December 20, 2013 - Mama 2 Comments

Nakedness seems to run wild in this house. I’ve found it’s gotten more and more impossible to keep my toddler’s clothing on, to the point that I’ve contemplated duct taping it on (don’t worry, I haven’t! ….yet).

So, when he stripped off his diaper last night, I didn’t think a ton of it. I mean, pants are usually the first thing to go flying off, so why is a diaper any different? My little guy streaked down the hall like his feet were on fire, speeding past me. I calmly got a diaper while hollering after him “Zach! You better not have a bare booty when I get in there!” Maybe, just maybe, he’d have the sense to attempt putting his diaper back on before I got in there. But probably not.

He just stood there, awkwardly, in the hallway, and giggled. Giggling is rarely a good sign around here. It usually means mischief or mayhem. Usually both.

I finally got the diaper package open (curses for not opening a new package when the old one emptied! Those things must have an adult-proof lock on the box!) and grabbed one, saying “Zach! Diaper time! Get that bare booty in here, Mr.!”

He came without a fuss. That also wasn’t a good sign.

I put his diaper on, and he barely fought me. This evening was piling up with evidence that something was up.

Not long after that, I ventured down the hall to grab something, and stepped in something wet. Just outside the bathroom, it was unmistakable… my cute, sweet, little toddler peed. In the middle of the hallway floor, he had peed like nobody’s business.

And it was RIGHT by…. a closed bathroom door. Oops.

I’m reasonably certain if I’d have left the door open, that pee would have made it in the potty. Or at least a little bit closer to the potty. After all, we’d talked about using the potty. He’d sat on the potty before, usually before a bath. But to prevent crazy things ending up in the potty (like plastic dinosaurs, fish toys, and sharpies– where he finds THOSE as it is just blows my mind), I tend to keep the bathroom door closed. Again, oops.

So, today, it’s time for us to trek to Target and pick up some “Oh no! Mommy didn’t realize you were ready to potty train!” items. I mean, this isn’t the first signal he’s given me that he’s pretty ready to potty.

Wish me luck, internet. This could be a fun road ahead.

The Elf On the Shelf Isn’t Landing Here

December 5, 2013 - Mama 3 Comments

I know I’m going to get a lot of heat for this. In fact, I know I will because when I brought up the same topic on facebook last year around this time, I definitely had a few people who hated what I had to say.

But I’m going to say it.

I can’t stand Elf on the Shelf.

Now, I have a lot of reasons that I won’t play into the “magic” and “joyfulness” that that creepy little Elf supposedly brings, and yes, I’m sure that my reasons aren’t that different from a lot of other people who choose not to participate.

But seriously. Look at it. That thing is creep-a-licious. It’s just freaky looking. If I were a kid, I’d be terrified. And I’m not terrified of inanimate objects. If my dad and brother can’t even walk into the basement without freaking out over how creepy a porcelain doll I keep in storage is, then I definitely shouldn’t trust an Elf on the loose around the house. He’d probably get hurt, what with his creepy little grin. He gives me the heebiejeebies!

And then there’s the fact that basically the whole point of Mr. Elf on Pinterest seems to be for him to barge into your house, leave a mess (which you have to be creative enough to create so you’re doing the same sorts of things as every other Elf that your child’s preschool friends are doing, but also NEW and DIFFERENT things so you can brag to the carpool moms), and then just… walk away from the mess while you clean it up. I’m sorry, but I don’t have time to go around wiping up spilled maple syrup, a “flour war,” or an explosion of Legos. Half the time, I’m lucky to get the dishes done. Why add more work to my day?

I know there are some of you out there who will tell me that having an Elf doesn’t have to be messy. You can do “clean” activities like leaving the Elf with some crayons and a coloring book. Sure, I can. Or I could also set out crayons and a coloring book for my son, no Elf needed.

Really, do you WANT your Elf being the “role model” and person reporting back to Santa when they’re tying up Barbies on the railroad tracks (nope, not just for “Naughty Elf” posts, but for some real life the-kid-is-seeing-this moments), making a mess of the kitchen for a marshmallow fight since they’re out of snowballs, or whatever else? That doesn’t show me that being good is ranked that highly. It says to me that it’s fair game to throw stuff everywhere and then get a job in the reporting to Santa game. Total parent nightmare right there– a revolution based on an Elf!

I don’t like how the Elf is just adding to the commercialization of Christmas. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas. I love the decorations and the lights and the gifts, and all that. But seriously, now I have to buy the Elf. And his book. And his movie. And now the trend is an Elf Girlfriend because one Elf is just getting a little stale, and how else are you going to spice it up? And then the Elfs bring gifts like Lego Advent calendars and Christmas Crunch cereal (because Halloween-Specific seasonal cereal was ROCKIN’ in sales this year). How many things do I have to buy for the Elf to do this season? And don’t get me wrong, I spend money on activities and stuff, including red-and-green cake mixes and snickerdoodle milk, throughout the holiday season… but… why have the Elf be the mastermind while I’m going around cleaning up his junk? It seems like so much added work to me than knocking out the middleman.

I feel like the Elf is just another way for suburban moms to compete. Having the best minivan and tracksuit combo wasn’t enough anymore, so we needed to add an Elf (don’t forget the Elf Girlfriend!) While I’m sure that it has a LOT of treasured memories behind it, and I’m sure it is a very important part of people’s holiday traditions, it just isn’t a part of ours.

I feel like I shouldn’t have to tell Zach “You should be good because this tattletale Elf is going to go tell Santa everything you did!” First, I’d like my son not to learn to be a tattletale, and giving him an Elf who reports back to Santa, to me, seems like an endorsement. I also would love for him to learn to be good just for the sake of being good– not because he’s afraid of a warning letter from an Elf. I want him to be good because he genuinely wants to, and for us to sit down and have a dialogue about his behavior… not for some third-party Elf to pass along my sentiments. I feel like, by bringing these elaborate gifts and telling kids when they’ve been naughty, the Elf is driving a wedge between parent-child interactions during the season.

Sure, from my end, it would be cool to see the “magic” in the Elf moving, and doing something new, but from Zach’s end, the Elf is doing all this cool stuff, and mom isn’t doing anything out of the ordinary. I want the season to be about the two of us as a family, and about what we can do together.

I hope that none of my readers are offended by this piece enough to stop reading. I meant it to be a humorous take on why the Elf just isn’t a part of my life this season, or a part of Zach’s, and I’m sorry if anything was offensive. If the Elf is a part of your holiday tradition, good on you. That’s something I’m sure you both will treasure. It just isn’t right for MY house. And, if you’re wanting to start doing Elf on the shelf, I hope my blog doesn’t scare you off from it. Like I said, the Elf isn’t landing here, but if he lands at your house, no judgement. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to eat some of the Count Chocula I stocked up on before that whole Christmas Crunch stuff was released.

Dirt Won’t Hurt Them

April 30, 2013 - Mama 2 Comments

I had another post planned for today, but yesterday, I saw my son explore something he’d never gotten to explore before, and it changed my mind on what to write about. I felt this topic was so important, weighing on my heart so much, that I really need to share it with you.

I remember a few years ago, before my son was born, when the Crayola colored bubbles first came out. I was excited about them. When it turned out that they stained, I was okay with that. You know what? That’s why we have some stained hand-me-downs. No big deal. Another mom and I got into a discussion, and at one point, it got fairly heated. She said that she was absolutely not okay with her children playing with things that would get them dirty; she went on to say that destroying clothing, even old ones, was a waste of resources, and it was a waste of energy to clean up after the mess. I always said I wouldn’t be “that mom.” When I was little, my mom frequently allowed me a roll in the mud. She firmly maintained the stance that both children and clothing were washable.

So, when the new Crayola colored bubbles were released (still staining, but not quite like the original), I bought them. And honestly, Zach loves them. The thing is, I can’t tell you how many times Zach has come to me with a new marker tattoo when the pen strayed off of the page. I can’t tell you how many bubble-and-sand hairdos we’ve had.

One particularly fond memory was an evening when I gave Zach some chocolate pudding. I handed him a spoon, and he started eating it, the same way he does with his yogurt. Suddenly, though, that spoon was not enough, and before I knew it, he had chocolate pudding all over. His face, his ear, his hair, it had pudding. Chocolate, smeary pudding.

As soon as I saw him, I shouted “Zach! What are you doing?” Then, I saw him look down, ashamed, and I thought… wait a second. It’s not getting on anything. (Well, except for Zach). So I opened up another pudding cup, and began eating it directly out of the cup. Before I knew it, I had pudding on my nose to match his.

So yesterday, when Zach and I were playing outside, and I noticed a large stream of water flowing through a muddy path in the backyard, instead of keeping him out… I opened the gate and said “Go for it.”

He splashed. He slid. He used it kind of as a slip-n-slide. He went mud skating. He mushed it in his fingers. All of this is important. It’s a texture that he’s never felt before, a feeling he’s never experienced. And this was one more step in his learning process.

Sure. His clothing got muddy and wet. His hands were icky and mucky. If you look closely, you can even see some green marker from an incident earlier in the day.

As Zach grows, naturally, he will learn that there is a time for messy play and a time for clean play. Dressy clothes aren’t for mud pies, and mud pie clothes aren’t for church. But for now, these experiences mold and shape him. They make him who he is. They help him learn about different consistencies and textures, as well as the thought that dirt and water combine to create something that isn’t really dirt or water, but some sort of substance in between.

Obviously, as soon as his mud play was over, he went straight into a bath. And, within 30 minutes, you couldn’t even see a speck of evidence of the mud or the marker.

In some ways, I have to compare this to my journey in faith. I go through life. I sit there, and I get all of this muck, and filth, and dirt, and grime, and it’s everywhere. It’s in every nook and cranny, under my nails and between my toes. And I am gross. Disgusting. And then, I get this healing water, this Holy washing, basically, and I am made clean. I’m renewed. I’m a NEW creation in Christ. And all of that filth, that dirt, that grime, is gone. Washed down the drain, out of sight. Just like the mud on Zach’s skin. It’s just… gone.

I love that. I love when life provides me with a metaphor that helps me so clearly relate what happens in my life to what has happened to me spiritually, what is STILL happening to me spiritually. I still sin. And even then, God washes me and makes me new.

In the end, I really have no control, and no desire to have control, over whether or not another parent will let her kids play in the dirt and mud. In many ways, I kind of feel like they will anyway. Dirt, mud… it isn’t for everyone.

But as for me and my son, we’re going to be stocking up on a lot of stained clothing, colored bubbles, and pudding cups, because I see a LOT of messy days in our future.

(Products in the layout above are from www.designhousedigital.com)

Hall of Fame

April 11, 2013 - Mama 1 Comment

It is so strange to me that having just one or two rooms out of commission for renovations can so throw off my entire schedule! It seems like while we’re in the process of these renovation products, I am not getting as much accomplished, but then I remember how many things I am accomplishing around the house.

It’s hard, though, because I miss being here to check in with the blog daily as I was before. With any luck, though, the house will be done soon and we’ll be able to share some amazing before-and-afters with you.

One of my biggest projects lately has been getting our photos and art back on the walls as we finish each room, and in the meantime, updating what pictures are shown in our frames. We’ve always had a hall of fame approach in our hallway, with photos from posed to candid lining the walls, featuring every member of our very large family. Many of the photos show off our individual talents and passions… a photograph of me holding my Cherry Masher Sandwich Cookies from my Duncan Hines win, photos of Jeffrey being a soccer star, and photographs of Zach drumming.

It truly is like our own Hall of Fame, showcasing the best of our lives, and I love that. It makes me feel accomplished, proud, and enthusiastic to continue.

We also have our own set of candid shots of us just being us. No special significance, no special skills… just each of us, doing what we do. To me, this is great, because it helps me remember that in life, we have just as many bloopers as we do highlight reels. It’s a mixture of both.

This song by The Script and Will.I.Am shares a lot about how I feel about our own Hall of Fame. It also shows a lot of my wishes for Zach, so every time I listen to it, I get a bit teary-eyed. I’ve never understood those parents who said “My child can be anything.” I always thought, “yeah, but surely there’s some sort of caveat there, surely you know there’s got to be something they’ll not do.” But really, seeing my son, day in and day out, seeing him explore and change and grow and learn, I firmly believe, right now, he can be anything he wants to be. He can be a politician, a leader, a teacher, an astronaut… he has all of that potential inside of him, and I know he can do any of it.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mk48xRzuNvA]

The best part is? No matter what he does or where he goes, he’s my son, and I will be proud of him, and I will love him.

Tell me about your personal hall of fame moments. What is your biggest accomplishment? Did you ever think you’d get there when you were younger?

Citrus Lane: Fun With Food Review

December 1, 2012 - Mama 1 Comment

It is no secret that I’m a huge fan of Citrus Lane and the companies it introduces me to. With that said, all opinions are my own, and Citrus Lane and the brands mentioned below have not compensated me in any way for my honest review.

As soon as I heard that the Citrus Lane box for November would be Fun With Food, I knew that I was going to love the box. If you’ve been reading my blog for very long, you’ll know that I’ve always maintained the stance that I’m a casual foodie, and I love introducing Zach to fun new things at mealtimes. This month’s Citrus Lane box did not disappoint.

This box came with several full-sized items plus a couple of smaller trial items.

The first two items I noticed in the box was a set of four Green Eats snack bowls and a Goodbyn Small Meals container.

The Green Eats snack bowls are awesome. I’ve been a fan of Green Toys for quite awhile, and Green Eats is a division of their company. These bowls are USA-made, plus they’re from recyclable milk jugs. Not only that, but they’re BPA free, of course, plus melamine-free, phthalate-free, and PVC-free, and they’re dishwasher safe (top rack). Since we got our box earlier this month, this has been the one item that has gotten the most use. They’re durable, and they’re the perfect size for Zach’s small meals. From oatmeal with pomegranate at breakfast to lasagna soup at night, these bowls dish up every food that he needs. I love that they’re tough, and I love that they’re dishwasher safe, because I’m sorry, but I do not have time to handwash dishes if I don’t have to! My box this month also came with a code for 10% off at GreenToys.com, which means I can order more items that Zach and I can use at a special price. (Green Eats set of four snack bowls, $6.99, available from www.greentoys.com)

The second item was another hit with us, a Goodbyn Small Meals container. It is big enough to hold a full sandwich, as well as snacks, which means right now, it’s still a little too big for Zach’s appetite. However, it makes a perfect snack container for on-the-go. As with all of the containers that Citrus Lane provides, they’re BPA free. The one thing that really threw me off is that you actually seal it by pressing the indentations on the middle of the container instead of pressing the sides… for some reason, I always feel unsure that it got a decent seal. After I figured it out, it became a favorite. Goodbyn has a huge selection of waste-free lunch containers, which is awesome because Citrus Lane subscribers got a code for 25% off of their order! There’s even a flickr feed with ideas for foods to put in the lunch container. Overall, the container is probably getting the least amount of use out of all of the items that came in this box, but that’s mostly because we really don’t go anywhere that we need a traveling container for. (Goodbyn Red Small Meal Container, $7.00, available from www.goodbyn.com)

Zach and I both love PlumOrganics and the philosophies they stand behind. In fact, just today we got an order of tons of PlumOrganics snacks we love… it truly ranks right up there in my top 5 favorite brands for Zach’s age group. We hadn’t had the opportunity to try their Training Meals yet, so it was an exciting opportunity to try it out with this delicious apple cinnamon oatmeal. It can be warmed up once it’s put into a bowl (I served it in one of our Green Eats snack bowls!) The nice thing about this meal is that it has protein, with lots of complex flavor (I tasted it…. and it was REALLY good). The only issue I had with it is that Zach is so used to regular oatmeal that the texture of this was very thin for him. It would be great for younger kids (the packaging indicates it’s for 8m+!) but it still is suitable for adults and older children, too. (This box contained 1 packet to try. (12-pack of PlumOrganics Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal, $17.88, from www.ecomom.com)

The Juice Beauty Moisturizer was a great gift for mom… until I lost it. Oops. I’m terrible at reviewing products like this because I tend to either forget I have them, or I lose them, so I feel like I can’t comment too much on how well this worked, since I only used it once. I can tell you that it smelled fantastic. This Nutrient Moisturizer is supposed to bring back pregnancy glow, even when your child is growing up. It’s packed with natural oils and antioxidants, to help nurture skin. Citrus Lane subscribers got a code for $10 off a $40 order, so maybe if I don’t find mine, I’ll be able to order more to try it out! This Citrus Lane box contained a small trial-sized tube valued at $9.00, but full-size products are available on Juice Beauty’s website. (2 ounces of Juice Beauty Nutrient Moisturizer, $36.00, from www.juicebeauty.com)

Even though this Citrus Lane box was food-themed, Citrus Lane didn’t forget to include a great toy for Zach, too! This month, it was fish (which is, by the way, technically a food). These Plan Toys Fish Castanets are perfect for making fun music for kids. What I love is that they fit his hands just right… which means he and I can play the music together. We spent about 15 minutes playing with our fish castanets tonight! It’s fun to clack the castanets and dance along to the rhythms we create. They’re so fun to look at, too! Zach is already such a musical kiddo that I love being able to encourage his musical tendencies, and these toys fit right in. I also love that they’re painted with natural, non-toxic waterbased dyes, with non-formaldehyde glues, from rubber trees that are no longer able to produce latex. They’re earth-friendly and they’re fun to play with! The fish castanets are sold individually; Citrus Lane subscribers got a pair of them so mom and tot could play together. (Plan Toys Fish Castanets, $4.00 each, from www.ecomom.com)

Finally, Citrus Lane decided to help subscribers get a jump start on their holiday cards with a 20% off code for TinyPrints, plus free shipping. Tiny Prints have premium photo prints with fun designs and an easy to use website. Check out the image below, from their website:

Oh my gosh… so cute! Too many gorgeous options on their website to choose from, meaning that it’ll be hard to decide exactly how to use this discount!

Overall, our top pick this month was the Green Eats bowls, but the entire box was a hit!

Want to receive Citrus Lane boxes each month? You can subscribe on their website at CitrusLane.com! The boxes are only $25 per month, and as you can see, you get quite a bit more than that in terms of value. Not only do the boxes give you more than $25 worth of product, they also give you exclusive discounts each month, plus they introduce you to amazing brands. As a new mom, I knew that there were a lot of great products out there, but I had a lot of trouble weeding through the clutter to find the brands that truly worked for me. Citrus Lane allowed me to try out a lot of brands in the beginning that I never would have been able to find. Because they curate the best of the best for their boxes, it really showed me exactly what brands worked for me, and which ones didn’t. Now, even though I’m no longer a “new” mom, I’m still able to find brands I love and also find new products from brands I already know and love. For me, there’s no other truly affordable way to try out a variety of products that I know work for my personality and style, as well as meeting Zach’s needs. And, because I pre-purchase a multi-month subscription, I don’t have to worry about each and every month– it just automatically arrives since I’ve paid in advance.

So, have I convinced you yet? Head here to subscribe, or click on the link in the sidebar.

Snot Noses and Big Boy Beds

September 8, 2012 - Mama 2 Comments

Zach and I are having a ridiculously lazy day today. Both of us have snot… literally everywhere. It’s so gross. I opted not to take a picture to spare you the gorey details.

We’ve spent half of the day in bed, just lazing, napping, and doing nothing. It’s so refreshing to just take a day off, but it stinks that we’re having to do this because of an illness. You can tell Zachy is completely miserable, but because it’s just a runny nose, congestion, etc thing, there’s not really anything that can be done aside from pumping the (Dr. Approved) Benadryl and Ibuprofen. And Dayquil for me (The doctor okayed that, too, since I’ve got a breastfeeder on my hands).

But here’s the deal. The Benadryl thing just was not cutting it for Zach. The doctor had prescribed it last spring, when Zach was a lot smaller than he is now, so I was giving him the dosage the doctor recommended at the weight he was ages ago. It was not working. And then my doctor turned me on to a really amazing tool. Have you heard of Dr. Sears? For me, he’s a total attachment parenting guru, and I almost totally hang on every word he says. I love his thoughts on a lot of things, and I like his fairly organic approach to things.

Anyway, this tool on Dr. Sears’ website is more clear on weight dosing than a package from the store… it is intended to allow you to give “strong but safe” doses, and closes the weight/dose window from a 15 or so pound span to only about 3-5 pounds. It makes the dosing far more accurate, and makes it so your child can beat his illness faster. You can check it out at Dr. Sears’ website, by typing the medication you need information on into the search bar.

Dr. Sears’ website is also a source of a ton of other great information, from how to cure diaper rash to breastfeeding help, if you need it.

On a totally unrelated topic, Zach’s room got a little bit of a makeover recently. I mentioned back in March about how we added awesome rain gutter bookshelves, along with doing a small furniture re-arrangement. This time around, we took out the changing table, since Zach was getting too long to use it comfortably anymore, and a little too wild and wiggly. We also added in a toy box to make his stuff more accessible. It was recycled from his uncle Jeffrey, who is becoming a teenager and no longer needs a toy box.

But the most exciting part, in my opinion, and crazy part, was that we decided to remove the front of Zach’s crib and turn it into it’s toddler bed stage. When buying a crib, I decided to pay extra for one that was convertible, because I loved the idea that the bed would grow with him. Zach pretty much went from a bassinet to co-sleeping, so his crib hasn’t gotten much use as a crib at all. Plus, now that Zach is old enough and tall enough to climb out of a crib, it’s best, and safest, for us to remove that front end anyway. His bed is now a lovely toddler day-bed, which he is loving using as a couch! He crawls up there with a good book or a stuffed animal and reads for large chunks of time.

I love that his room is more functional for his age now, and allows him to actually have space to play and read, and it’s a lot more comfortable for me to sit back here in my awesome leather recliner and get some work done while he’s entertaining himself. I love knowing that he can entertain himself for some periods of time between us playing together, but I also love having the space to be close enough that if he needs me, I’m here.

I just can’t believe he’s growing up so much that he needs a toddler-sized bed! It’s amazing (and scary) to see how fast he is growing.

Luckily, or perhaps not as luckily, we still have sicky-poo days like this where he is still sweet and cuddly. Otherwise, I don’t think he’d sit still long enough for a hug or five.

At what age did you switch your child from a crib to a more “big boy/girl” bed? Let me know in the comments below!

It Happened With a Blink

July 12, 2012 - Mama 5 Comments

I want to show you guys a picture of me, one year ago.

I was incredibly sick. In fact, I very easily almost died. But there was one very special thing keeping me there (despite the fact that I was so out of it, to this day, I can barely remember the hours leading up to 4:00).

At 4:00, I got to see the one thing that I held on for.

At exactly 4:00, he came. I was able to hold him, to meet him, to cuddle him, and to realize that my life would never be the same, and that was totally okay with me. And somehow, in the past year, my little bitty baby has grown up.

When he was born one year ago, Zach weighed 7 pounds, 3 ounces. Now, he is a whopping 22 pounds.

He still yanks off hats every time he gets the chance.

He seemed so tiny in that huge carseat when we brought him home. Now that carseat is too small– we’ve had to buy a new one.

All of his little baby wrinkles are gone.

In the past year, he has learned to sit, to crawl, to feed himself, to drink from a cup, to communicate with signs and words, to turn the pages of a book. He has become advanced in fine motor skills and social-personal skills. He has met every developmental milestone and exceeded many of them. He has grown at an amazing rate, staying consistent at each appointment. He has gotten such a personality, such a… Zach-ness about himself.

He loves Sid the Science Kid, and watching Sesame Street videos with his grandma on Youtube.

His favorite word is “wiggle.”

He loves books, especially his Baby Animals Sea Life book and his I’ll See You In the Morning book he got from Citrus Lane.

He loves his stacking cups, but not to stack them… he loves to knock them down.

His favorite food is watermelon. He also loves chocolate, vanilla wafers, crackers (especially Goldfish), pineapple, and many other fruits, vegetables, and noodles. He can eat an entire container of yogurt at once.

He loves to sing and make sure that you’re listening.

He loves to play with Echo, climbing him and petting him, and throwing toys for Echo to fetch.

He loves sand. Bathtime is the best. He likes to swim, especially if his uncle is in the pool.

He is just… amazing. And he has changed so much in the past year.

So many times, I say “Zach! Slow down! I want to rewind and see you in those first few weeks, few months… I miss you being a baby, a little bitty boy.” But honestly? I wouldn’t trade right now for the world. I want to enjoy him right this minute. I want to love each unique thing he does, each new thing he learns, each weird quirk and adorable habit.

I love him. I can’t live without him. He is the reason I’m here, the reason I held on through my illness last year. He is my whole world, and I can’t live without him. But he grew up so fast, and he’s still growing, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it. All I can do is enjoy the right now of the whole thing… I can enjoy this minute, when he is standing next to his high chair, and letting go without realizing it. I can enjoy this right now, when he is crawling across the floor listening to Sid the Science Kid and stopping to stare every time they sing a song. I can enjoy this moment, when he is standing up on his knees, then slamming his hands against the floor and yelling “La la LA la!” I can enjoy this moment when he is removing all of the rubber ducks from the back of his truck and throwing them around the room, waiting for me to put them back into the truck so he can do it again.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvuxFdM3S58]

Enjoy it. They grow too fast.

Citrus Lane Little Artists July Box Review… Plus a GIVEAWAY! (CLOSED)

July 10, 2012 - Mama 7 Comments

If you are here for the giveaway, you will find details at the bottom on how to enter!

This post is far overdue. Between vacation, Zach’s birthday party, and my sister being in town from Germany, I pretty much opened the box and promptly forgot about posting until I looked at my calendar and went “Oh my gosh! I haven’t posted that yet!” That, and one lovely reader emailed me saying “I missed your thoughts on this month’s Citrus Lane box!” Thank you, thank you, thank you, sweet reader– I had honestly thought I posted it already! Oops!

So here it is, without further ado, my thoughts on this month’s Citrus Lane box.

First off, whoever came up with the theme Little Artists is a genius. My son is a very artistic child- it’s just his strong suit. When he was six months old, I gave him his first tambourine and maracas. He had a blast playing with them, truly loving the sounds you could make. He loves to find ways to drum on everything. He learned to hold a crayon early and loves to color, especially at restaurants. He is just very interested in art, everything from music to drawing. This box is perfect for him!

Wee Can Too Veggie Art Kit, $19.99, from www.weecantooart.com

Wee Can Too makes some really cool art supplies. I mean, they’re truly spectacular and innovative. You see, Zach loves to color, but he also sometimes has the habit of getting his crayon and his french fry mixed up and chewing on the wrong thing. With Wee Can Too crayons, I don’t have to worry about it. The set in our Citrus Lane box this month came with two crayons and two finger paint powders (you mix the paint powder with water to get a fun paint consistency!) All of the products are made from organic edibles, which means when Zach is finger painting and puts his hand in his mouth, it’s absolutely okay! The paints and crayons are vegan, wheat free, with no added sugar, and no preservatives.

Plus, the great thing about Wee Can Too is that for my local readers (in the Kansas City area), you can purchase it at MommyShop KC without having to order online, and for my international readers, Wee Can Too is a brand that ships internationally! You just have to contact them via their website for information about international shipping costs! That means kids everywhere can enjoy this awesome art supply company!

Putumayo Playground Sampler CD, $5.00, putumayo.com

We love this CD. We popped it in and danced to the whole thing! The sampler is a great variety of world music, which we love to listen to. Because our family has hosted foreign exchange students for eight years now, we really enjoy listening to music from a variety of countries and cultures, and this CD gives us the opportunity to continue listening. The CD is now in our car, so we can continue to enjoy it on the voyage to the grocery store, or wherever we may be headed.

Pop And Lolli “Bolt” Decal, 1 decal from a 16 piece set ($67.00 for the 16-piece set), popandlolli.com

Bolt, the decal we received, is the cutie-pie on the right. I love these decals, and I love that they’re made from fabric, so they seem a bit more durable than a lot of decals, and the hand-drawn sort of style of Pop and Lolli is super cute. I’m a bit sad that there aren’t any styles to match Zach’s room, because I’m sure we’d proudly display Pop and Lolli decals, if we could only find some to match. Bottom line: They’re darling, but they’re not right for us. Definitely check out the site, though, because the high quality is really great, and maybe you’ll find decals that will suit your style!

Hohner Music Toddler Tambourine, $11.00, www.hohnerkids.com

We got a lovely turquoise tambourine, and we are in love. As I mentioned above, Zach has a tambourine already, but he is in love with this one. For one, it’s easier to hold and shake, and it also makes a different noise than his other tambourine, so it’s perfect! He has a blast singing and playing with this tambourine. It’s so fun, and I love seeing how excited he is about music! I will definitely be buying more Hohner products in the future, because I love the high quality and I love how affordable they are. Plus, I value anything that keeps my son interested in music, so I find their products thrilling. I definitely rank this as one of my favorite companies that Citrus Lane has introduced me to!

Babyganics Toy and Table Cleaner, $3.99, www.babyganics.com

Babyganics is a very cool brand. It was created by two new dads who happen to be clean freaks. It cleans everything up really well, while still keeping it kid-safe. They sell everything from diapering care and sunscreens to cleaning supplies you know and love– like laundry care, dishwasher detergent, and cleaning wipes. And the prices aren’t terrible, either. The products are available online, as well as in my favorite store for kids EVER (Buy Buy Baby), and in other stores like Babies R Us, which means when you run out, it’s easy to find more.

Minted $35.00 offer, www.minted.com

Minted is a very cool site offering plenty of great photo items, from art prints to baby announcements and invitations! I have had a great experience with them before and I am so excited to have $35 to spend on the brand new art prints or any other Minted item I can use!

As you can see, yet again, Citrus Lane is an amazing company with amazing goodies in each box. It is well worth the $25 each month because not only do you get more than your money’s worth in the products you receive, but you also get to be the cool mom that knows the latest and greatest in brands for babies and toddlers. I always feel so ahead of the curve when I am talking to the moms I know and can tell them “You know what brand I love for sunscreen for my son? Episencial.” Plus, every Citrus Lane box comes with an insert giving you plenty of advice, plus information about each product you purchased and where to find it, which means not only do you know you will love all of these great brands, but you also know more information about them, and where you can buy more for that day when you inevitably run out. Plus, every box is tailored for your child’s gender and age, making it pitch-perfect for your child, exactly at their stage of development. Way to go, Citrus Lane!

Of course, if you want a Citrus Lane subscription of your very own, head over to my sidebar and click on the Citrus Lane logo where you can purchase a 1, 3, 6, or 12 month subscription for your little one (or a friend! Subscriptions make GREAT gifts!)

But if you want to try Citrus Lane out…. here’s the easiest, best way. Remember last month’s Fun in the Sun box filled with all kinds of great goodies like sand toys and a SPF 50 hat? Well, guess what I have to give away?

Because WordPress is sometimes picky and won’t let me post my rafflecopter giveaway, all you have to do is visit my page Life As I See It on facebook and click on the Giveaway tab, where you’ll find a widget with a list of ways you can enter. You may want to open it in a new tab so you can come back and leave a comment here (that’s how you earn your first entry!) Good luck!

Slightly Crunchy: In Defense of the Halfway Hippie

March 10, 2012October 3, 2014 - Mama 3 Comments

I read a great article about Mayim Bialik (Blossom for you old-school folks, or the girl who played young Bette Midler in Beaches, or the girl who plays Sheldon’s girlfriend on The Big Bang Theory) the other day. It talked about how she is a strong advocate for Attachment Parenting (AP). She believes in extended nursing (her oldest is 3 1/2), she co-sleeps, she does elimination communication (meaning her children learn how to use a toilet before they learn to walk or talk, also known as diaper-less parenting). She wears her baby, unschools, and more. Her children are raised vegan and kosher. She’s an amazing woman doing a lot of amazing things with her children.

As a parent, I’ve chosen to do a lot of seemingly “crunchy” or “hippie” things myself. I made all of Zach’s baby food myself. We co-sleep. I homeschool. I’ve done some babywearing (though I don’t wear him all the time like many AP moms). I try to keep his goods organic when I can.

But the thing is, I get mistaken for a full-crunch Mayim Bialik mom all the time. And, as much as I admire her parenting style in many ways, I’m not her.

I’ve had several people hear that I homeschool and make Zach’s baby food, only for them to ask me my advice and suggestions on cloth diapering. Oh honey child, I do not cloth diaper. I think it’s great that so many moms do, but I don’t. We are disposables all the way!

I feel like too many times people hear that a mom is doing one or two things that are associated with the attachment parenting or organic/crunchy lifestyle, and assume that she is an all-or-nothing hippie mom. I’ve found that, more often than not, this isn’t the case. I’ve heard of a lot of cloth diapering organic moms that don’t raise vegan babies. I’ve heard of many moms that co-sleep and baby-wear, but feed their children Gerber and Beech Nut. I’ve seen moms who do extended nursing and baby-led weaning, but don’t co-sleep or cloth diaper. I feel like there is so much pressure as a mom, if you choose to do a few attachment parenting behaviors or granola mom behaviors, to do it all. I was having a conversation with some ladies the other day about diapers. One of them said “Oh my gosh. My friend’s baby had the WORST blowout when we were out to lunch. You know, if she was smart, she would make the switch to cloth diapers. I’ve never seen a blowout on a cloth baby.” I immediately blushed and felt ashamed that I had the audacity to put my child in a disposable diaper. Then, I started to feel ashamed that I felt ashamed of a parenting choice I had made! Who cares if the other women around me have made that choice for their children, one that fits into their lifestyle but not into mine? That’s great, but it’s not me.

I realized that, so many times, I felt ashamed about little things I did. I made all of Zach’s purees and many of his snacks like sweet potato fries, but sometimes I’d be lazy and give him a rice cake or a handful of SuperPuffs instead, which aren’t homemade. I feared that people would see me as a hypocrite if I went halfway.

I felt ashamed that sometimes I made choices that were right for my family. When some friends found out that I chose to co-sleep, I started getting bombarded with articles about how dangerous it is, and photos of babies sleeping with butcher knives. It took me a long time to stop feeling guilt about the fact that co-sleeping was the best choice for my family, and to realize that we co-sleep in an incredibly safe manner (and most co-sleeping deaths come from families who are uneducated about the safest co-sleeping practices).

I realized that I had spent a great deal of time feeling guilt about my parenting decisions rather than just enjoying my life as a parent. And then I realized that my words sometimes to other parents may have been causing them to feel guilt about their choices, whether or not it was intentional.

The truth is, not all of us who embrace an AP lifestyle are going to be a Mayim Bialik. There are going to be those of us who slip through the cracks, who embrace a half-hippie lifestyle. Maybe you’re a cloth diapering homemade baby food mom who balks at the idea of co-sleeping and babywearing. Maybe you chose not to breastfeed but you still love to co-sleep and wear your baby. All of us have to find what works for us as parents. It’s not going to look the same for everyone, and none of us should have to feel like we’re being put into some sort of box for it.

So this is it. I’m embracing the half-hippie lifestyle. I’m proud to be only slightly crunchy, to be organic when I can and embrace the times when I can’t be that person, too. My son’s going to eat meat sometimes. He’s going to wear disposable diapers and he’s going to get store-bought snacks occasionally. But he’s also going to choose when he stops breastfeeding, he’s going to eat a lot of homemade foods, and he’s going to co-sleep with me for quite awhile longer.

Do what’s right for you and your kids. Don’t feel ashamed about it, like you aren’t eco enough or aren’t traditional enough… there will always be advice coming from all sides, and always be some form of judgement on all sides… but you have to make the decisions that are best for you, best for your child and your home and your lifestyle and your family.

When you’re doing what you truly feel is best for your child, I’ve found that the guilt and shame often tends to melt away.

Mama Plus One

Making Life Easy So You Can Get Back to What Matters Most

Kiddo Care