Car Rides & Kids

When I realized that our summer travels to Florida and Colorado meant a lot of time in the car (16 hours round trip to the beach, 40 hours round trip to the mountains), I began stowing away little entertaining items for our trip. At yard sales, consignment sales, etc, I found little portable goodies and small toys to pass the time.

Let me back up...we do have a DVD player, but I like to wait until the hair-pulling-out-stage to turn to electronics. So I borrowed movies from friends and loaded up, but was hoping to watch very little tv. (We watched 6 movies. 3 on the 20 hour ride to Colorado, 3 on the 20 hour ride home.)

Here are some of the things that kept them busy!
*Books on CD from the library
*Surprise Ink Books, similar to this (These were the hit!)
*Sticker Books
*Hid stickers throughout magazines and have the kids search for them
*2 of those magnetic moustache thingies (Thanks Yolanda!)
*2 Cheap Target Harmonicas (also a hit. go figure.)
*Crayons
*a few Jumbo Push Pops (they last a long time) and other snacks
*Travel Bingo (They were too young. This was a flop.)
*An I Spy Travel Toy that I bought a few years ago, like this one
*And last of all, My Fun Book (pictured above): I made one for each kid, which included a map of the US which highlighted our travels, Coloring Pages, Writing & Math Pages, Mazes, Find the Picture, Dot-to-Dot Games, travel scavenger hunts and more! It wasn't fancy, but kept them entertained for a while!

Here are some other tip pages for traveling with kids: Here, Here,Here or Here. Do you have any tips for traveling with kids?

Potty Advice - Needed!

My 18-month old has taken a serious interest in the potty. Frequently, she says "I potty." or "I poo poo!" and points at the toilet. So several weeks ago, we got out the potty seats and she has been using the potty. (#1 successes, but only gas with attempts for #2)

I realize that she is extremely young to be potty trained. But I do know of babies being potty trained this early. So my question to you friends is: How would you handle this situation?

I do not want to push her to be potty trained (I'm not trying to win any awards here). Nor do I want to ignore her interest. However, it is a lot of maintenance (taking off all the diapers, clothes, sitting there with her several times a day.) She could just be messing with me. (She's smart. I wouldn't put it past her.)

Any thoughts or opinions are very appreciated.

Bubbles

Less than a year ago, Ethan had his first dairy products. It has been an even shorter period of time that he has been drinking glasses of milk. As hard as I have tried, he has no interest in drinking milk. But we've turned a corner, thanks to our friend Benjamin! Ethan saw him blowing bubbles in his milk, and now he'll drink it so he can blow bubbles too! So now we encourage blowing bubbles in our house!

Who knew? The little tricks to getting kids to eat and drink can be so simple!

Kids are Born Different

Ethan would eat 80% of whatever foods I put in front of him. My Princess, on the other hand, will eat only what she chooses to eat. However I believe in continuing to offer foods, even though they are rejected. So she has been offered broccoli countless times. Last month, I had steamed some broccoli & set it on the table as I got ready for dinner. I look over and she's eating it all! So i have a new technique. About an hour before lunch or dinner, I steam some broccoli, and then sprinkle a little salt & lemon juice. Then, I tell the kids in my most playful tone of voice, "I put my broccoli on the table. Don't you eat it!!!!" It's all gone 3 1/2 minutes later. It's a win, win situation. My newfound technique has never let me down. It's the little victories, people.

Hand Grip OT Exercises

We were told by E's teacher that he needed to work on his pencil grip. It was recommended that he do occupational therapy. Before we signed on for the expense of OT, we thought we'd work on it at home. We've been writing, and coloring, focusing on pencil grip, and a few others exercises that Lance invented. I've discovered that the problem is rooted in the fact that he likes to color very dark. When he uses his "pencil grip," he can't make it as dark as he likes it. So we're practicing a lot with markers, so he can get a dark color without the pressure. Here are some of our exercises (I mean...Games!)! [Please note: I am not disregarding advice for my son to receive therapy. However, we are attempting to first address this at home to see if we can make some progress at home first.]

Toothpick Pickups: Ethan picks toothpicks out of a bowl with a tweezer. He has to pick up 10 of each color from the bowl & sorts them on the table. Swingups: Glad my husband is strong. Ethan grabs onto Lance's index fingers & has to hang on while Daddy pulls him off the ground. And of course there is always climbing!!! Good thing we know some people who have a gym...
Other exercises that we had recommended to us include: Lite Brite, Play Doh, Operation, Don't Break the Ice, Sorry, clipping clothespins on things & flipping pennies.

Any of you have any additional ideas? Have your children had occupational therapy?

Potty Crisis, Part II

I need help AGAIN!

Thanks to your advice, I abandoned potty training back in August, because the majority of you said "He'll do it when he's ready."

Sure enough, right after his 3rd birthday, he was ready. Right there in the middle of Home Depot, Ethan says, "I've got to go poo-poo!" And just like that, he was potty trained. A few accidents, but doing great for a couple of months.

Until about 6 weeks ago. We moved back in, and he was totally fine for a week. Then, he started having accidents. And I'm not talking about just a few of them. I'm talking about the-#2-kind-of-accidents every day. #1 accidents too. He pretty much never voluntarily chooses to go potty anymore.

I don't know what to do. I've tried discipline. I've tried comforting ("Everyone has accidents.") I've tried revoking priveleges/toys. I've tried promises of a treat/toy. I've tried making him clean up his mess. I don't know what to do anymore.

The doctor said it would resolve itself in a few weeks. Nope. It has been more than a few weeks. I'm SO tired of cleaning up the mess.

ANY IDEAS? HELP!!!!

Kid Meal Ideas

I'm no expert about feeding a toddler. Practically all my ideas come from somewhere else. So here are a few of the websites I like to look at for inspiration. Keep in mind that these websites are not geared towards the healthy!
Kaboose
Family Fun
Blissfully Domestic
Wholesome Toddler Food
Martha Stewart Living
Vegan Lunchbox
Little Nummies for Little Tummies

And here are some good-looking Menu Ideas for a Toddler!
Home Packed Lunches your Kids will Eat
Lunch Ideas for a Toddler from ChefMom.com
6 Easy Healthy Toddler Meals

I also employ sneaky/deceptive tactics, like that of Jessica Seinfeld & Missy Chase Lapine!

I'm always looking for new lunchbox recipes that are good for a toddler! Here's my favorite. Do you have any good ones? Share, share share!

Super Baby Food

Do you have "Super Baby Food"? If you are a parent, you've got to pick it up. It has SO much information, that it can be a bit overwhelming. But it’s nice to have it all the info you might ever need about feeding your child, all in one place.

Here are just some of the topics included in this book:
Baby-Feeding Info
Super healthy recipes for babies – toddlers.
Extensive information on diet and nutrition
Money & Timesaving Tips
Childcare & Prenting tips.
Food decorating, cake patterns, and toddler party ideas
Craft Ideas
Recipes for household products, such as baby-safe drain cleaners, furniture polish, window cleaners, baby wipes & more.

Here is just a few of the countless headings:
How to Buy & Store Legumes
The Super Baby Food Diet
How to make Homemade Oil Spray
Freezing Eggs
Toddler Take-Along Lunches
How to make a Homemade Sticker Book
How to remove Urine Stains & Odors
Growing Herbs in your Window Sill
How to get more Vitamin D in your Diet

I look at this book pretty regularly to get ideas on lunches, crafts, nutrition, etc! Today's Tip from "Super Baby Food": Sandwiches made with these fillings can be frozen for up to 2 months: peanut butter, jelly, cream cheese, hummus, prune butter, tuna salad, mashed banaba & yogurt cheese.

Feeding Kids

I think about food all the time. And not about eating it - About cooking it. Despite my current sugar problem (I’m working on it!) I’ve always been interested in eating healthy. I wasn’t great at it, but I have always been interested in trying new things & making good choices. My mom (who is currently going all RAW) is a very good nutrition role model for me.

Then I found out our son had some food allergies. This presented a whole new set of challenges when preparing food. And a whole new set of challenges to get him the nutrients he needs, since there are tons of proteins/calcium lacking in his diet. So now I work extra hard to think about what he needs to eat.

I have several personal philosophies about feeding my children, although not uniquely my ideas. Here they are:
1) Try Something New – We try new foods & recipes all the time.
2) Keep Trying - It takes 10 exposures before a new food is accepted, right? Ethan is rarely a plate cleaner, but I keep trying. Surely one day he’ll pick up that carrot and actually eat it!
3) Offer about 5 things on their plate at mealtime (at least 2 of which you know they’ll eat). – This way he probably won’t go to bed hungry, but I’m not afraid to put food on a plate that he likely won’t eat. You just never know when a toddler might change his mind.
4) Don’t let your personal opinions affect your child – Never in a million years did I think Ethan would eat a straight up tomato. I never even thought about offering it. But one day, he grabbed a cherry tomato, bit into it & never looked back. Also, my son loves tofu. Go figure.
5) Don't Force It - I try not to make a bit deal forcing Ethan to eat his food. But I always encourage just a bite of a new food. If he chooses not to eat dinner at all, he knows that’s it until breakfast.

Over the next few days, I'm going to post a few of my favorite food resources. How do you make sure your kids eat wholesome meals? Feel free to chime in if you have other thoughts on feeding kids!

Potty Crisis

Okay, really not a crisis. But we need advice over here, asap! We've decided to take on potty training this weekend. We're on Day 2. Day 1 was a toughie. I need counsel. Here's the status thus far. Thanks to Melissa, who gave a good report on how potty training went in their house. It was helpful.

-We decided to do potty training this weekend. Not because E was ready, but because we were. He's 2-1/2 & changing diapers has become a miserable battle for all of us. Plus, we could stay home this weekend, which won't happen again for a while. We're moving in 2 weeks, and things are going to continue to get even more hectic. I know it's not advisable to do potty training in the midst of changes, but we didn't feel like potty training at my parents' house (who we're moving in with). So here we are.
-Usually, I've done tons of preparation on this kind of thing. But this time, we just went ahead full blast with little preparation.
-We've been watching tons of tv, Elmo's Potty Time, rewarding with Smarties, wearing cool underwear, and loading him up on lots of juices.
-We've had successes, and accidents. He hasn't gone #2 yet. I think he's holding it in.
-He's basically never told us he has to go. We've just been asking & with bribery (tv or treats) he'll sit on the potty.
-He's sitting on the potty & watching a ton of tv. I'm not sure that this is the best decision, but it's his main motivation to try to do.

I'm really not sure what the best way is to do this. ANY tips, web resources, or advice would be appreciated!

Web Baby Shower

My friend (and old boss) Hannah sent me a link to this cool website, WebBabyShower.com. It's perfect for a business colleague or out-of-state friend, who you can't throw an in-person shower for. You can post pictures, have a guest book, and more! And it's not just a one-day shower. You can keep it up for a while!

Safe Plates & Bottles

I've been looking for these! I'm so excited to find these plates and these bottles on Ohdeedoh.com. Is there anyone else nervous about all this talk about harmful plastics? Anyway, I'm going to be looking into these options!

Toddler Feeding Tricks

With the help of my mom & Lance, I have some new tricks for feeding my little boy. They revolve around three things he loves...

Idea #1 - Noodles: The kid LOVES noodles. So now that he’s refusing to eat steamed broccoli, lentil soup, etc., I just put these things on top of a few noodles. So far, he’s gobbling them up!

Idea #2 - Toothpicks: My mom made him some little treats beautifully presented with a little toothpick. Again, he didn’t have a second thought! These had carrots, papaya, blueberry & peas. He won’t touch peas or carrots, but has no problem with them on a toothpick!

Idea #3 - Juices: Okay, I’ve mentioned this one already, but it’s just so easy to throw in some spinach, carrots, etc. for a delicious little juice!

YEAH! I feel like just these three things is really getting us back on track with some good food in my kiddo’s tummy.

Help Me Please!

Oh, I'm going bonkers! E's been waking up and crying - Way Too Early. We're talking 4:30, 5, 5:30. I don't get him earlier than 6. But he just keeps doing it! He'll cry for a very, very long time and not fall back asleep. We put him to bed at 8. He's always been an awesome sleeper, but he's been doing this now for a few weeks & I don't have any ideas! My Dr. said (a long time ago), that they just never get their children before the sun comes up. Ethan ALWAYS wakes up before the sun is up. Last night, we left a lamp on in his room. When he wakes up & starts crying, it's still dark out, so we thought maybe he'd look at books and fall back asleep. It's not working...

Looking for Kid Tunes

I'm a music fan who's not eager to transition from my music to "kid music." That's why this Top 20 list looks interesting to me. However, I feel the time has come for E to begin learning "The Wheels on the Bus" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider." So here I am, turning to you guys for help. Does anyone have any suggestions for music that's not too over the top? I'm specifically interested in the classics, like above songs, "Old McDonald had a Farm," etc. Thanks!

Allergy Alternatives

No Dairy, No Eggs, No Nuts, No Shellfish. Hmm…That cuts out a lot for a growing toddler. If you are in the same boat as me, you may be frustrated with the idea of discontinuing all use of your favorite ingredients. I anticipate having to bring food from home for every social occasion my son attends from here on out. I am conflicted when I think about things like Easter Egg Hunts and trick-or-treating. Do I allow him to enjoy these favorite childhood pastimes? Or am I welcoming disappointment by having him collect foods that I’ll have to take back from him when we get home. As a parent of a child with allergies, I’ve got lots to think about. In the meantime, I wanted to share with you some of the information & great products I’ve discovered over the past few months…

Awesome Storebought Alternatives:
Earth Balance (Butter Alternative)
Grapeseed Oil Vegenaise (Mayo Alternative)
Tofutti (Sour Cream Alternative)
Ener-G (Egg Alternative for baking)
Alternative Baking Company’s Vegan Cookies - great sweets
Van’s Waffles (egg, dairy free)
Ian’s Chicken Nuggets (the wheat, nut, soy, egg, dairy free ones)
Plum Organics Super Greens baby food - a healthy little spinich puree
Enjoy Life Foods - more great sweets
Ezekial Bread - Cinnamon Raisin is Yummy.
o’Soy or Silk yogurt.

Here are some tips on avoiding milk. And since E’s missing his traditional calcium & protein sources, we work hard to make get his calcium and protein in other ways. And here’s some great basic infoabout how to get any toddler the nutrients he needs. If you'd like to read some more info just about allergies, click here.

Lastly, I am conflicted about our Milk Alternatives. Here’s an article about milk & kids. Right now, Ethan drinks Rice Milk because of the questions I have about too much soy in a child’s diet. We definitely do some soy, but I’m trying to balance out how much he gets.

Man, I wish we lived close to BabyCakes. Never been there, but it just sounds brilliant.

PS. If you are looking for some safe junk food, Moon Pies are egg & dairy-free. Who knew? Guess I know what I’ll be buying for Easter, Halloween & Christmas from here-on-out!

Hope this is helpful to others. I have taken quite a bit of time in research on this issue. If you have anything to add, please do!

Bottle - HELP! (Part 2)

Thanks so much for the ideas thus far. I haven't tried the straw, but have tried a variety of sippys. Here's Ethan with a few of the test subjects (avent, playtex & first years. we do have nuby & others) I should probably clarify - Ethan DOES like the sippy. He likes to throw it, to shake little milk drops everywhere, to hide it in cabinets, etc. Just not drinking from it. You have all made me feel better about him not dying of thirst. Another problem is that this was our bedtime ritual. So I guess I will have to transition that as well. I guess I'll just keep buying & trying different types of cups & straws! Plus add a little patience to the mix!

Any other ideas or encouragement, Please post!! Moms/Dads, when did your little ones completely give up the bottle?

Bottle Retirement – HELP!!

I’m confused about how to do this. I’m supposed to be completely transitioning to sippy cups, but it’s easier said than done! I have 3 problems. First of all, Ethan doesn’t care for the sippy cup. The only way he’ll drink from it is if I hold it. And then, he’ll drink only 3 ounces a day if we’re lucky. Secondly, how do we transition from warm bottle of formula to a cold bottle of milk? I’m warming it (just a bit), because he won’t drink the cold milk right now! (Photo Illustrates Ethan's feelings for cold milk.) And last of all, how much fluids is he supposed to have now? I think I read that he should be drinking 24 ounces a day, which will NOT be happening right now if we just do a sippy cup.

Thoughts? I’m confused!!!

Sweet Lullabies - a playlist

For me, the early days of motherhood consisted of 8 hours of feeding, followed by several hours of consoling a crying baby, or walking around the block. Any remaining hours would ideally be spent napping. For those waking hours, the following songs provided a peaceful backdrop for Ethan & I as we bonded. Even if you aren’t a new mom, these are some great relaxing tunes for your iPod.

ETHAN’S LULLABY PLAYLIST (no, they aren’t all technically lullabies):
Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel) – Billy Joel
Daddy’s Baby – James Taylor
Golden Slumbers – Ben Folds
How to Make a Baby Elephant Float – Yo La Tengo
I Love NYE – Badly Drawn Boy
Lullaby Baby Blues – Keb’ Mo’
Naked as we Came – Iron & Wine
Angeles – Elliot Smith
Wrong Turn – Jack Johnson
Lullaby – Jack Johnson & Matt Costa
Slumber My Darling – Alison Krauss, Edgar Meyer, Mark O’Connor, Yo-Yo Ma
Somewhere Over the Rainbow – Israel Kamakawiwi’ole
Alright for Now – Tom Petty
Didn’t Leave Nobody But the Baby – Emmylou Harris, etc.
Rowing Song – Patty Griffin