Parenting Toddlers

Eating is a big deal in our lives currently. I kind of miss the days when I could give Peanut a bottle and be done with it. Now, she does not eat meals. She could have ten snacks a day but won’t eat at meal times. It’s irritating at times, especially when we take her out to eat. We encourage her to eat her food, which she picks out, but she doesn’t. As soon as we get home, she wants a snack.
Part of me knows that she does this because we let her do this, but on the other hand, I can’t refuse to give her a snack and have her go hungry. Right? If I did, I feel like she’d still skip mealtimes. It’s not like she’s picky, which is good. She’ll eat a variety of foods - and she LOVES vegetables, thank God! - but when she will eat them is the iffy part. So what do you do if your child is a picky eater or a non-meal eater. Here are some tips you can try:

**Don’t force your child to eat. If she says she’s full or not hungry, she means it. My mom constantly offers Peanut food, even after she says no ten times. When they say no, they usually mean it. Plus, you don’t want to get them into the habit of eating when they’re not hungry.

**If possible, have regular mealtimes. This doesn’t often work for our family because of work schedules, but if you can do it, it can help get your child into a routine.

**Let your child help you make food. This can be an exercise in patience for you, but they’ll love it, and it might make them more apt to eat the food.

**Eat the foods you want your toddler to eat. They model their behavior and habits on yours.

** If you’re kid’s a snacker, make sure they’re nutritious snacks so she/he doesn’t go hungry or malnurished.

**Eat a the table. My family is guilty of not always doing this, but it can help set a more structured tone for meals.

**Don’t make your child clean his plate. He’ll stop when he’s full.

**Remember, toddlers don’t need a lot of food - they need great quality food though. Veggies, fruits, grains, proteins.

**Offer choices. When Peanut told me she wanted chocolate the other day, I said that she could have either an apple or a banana. She got to pick and seemed perfectly happy.

**It’s ok to let your toddler have a treat once in a while. Every kid loves ice cream or cookies. You can let your little one have one every now and then. You don’t want to make them afraid to eat certain foods, which brings on the overeating later on in life.

The thing that works well for my child is to just let her have enough time to eat. That kid can spend an hour eating a bowl of spaghetti. It’s hard, but if you have time, try not to rush them. Let them go at their own pace.

What are your secrets to getting your toddler to eat healthily?

All toddlers love to cook in play kitchens, but did you know that you can also bring them into your real kitchen and make their day by allowing them to cook? I was always hesitant about allowing my children to help me cook. When I’m in the kitchen, its my way and that’s it. I relaxed one day, however, when my boy was constantly underfoot while I was cooking dinner. I was always trying to figure out new ways to get him to eat different foods, so I decided one day that I’d have him help me to make the easiest meal ever…

Pizza!! I do occasionally make homemade crust, but I decided that I would use pre-made crust this time. I picked up some of that “already made” crust in the cooler at the grocery store and I grabbed some toppings. I knew that he wouldn’t eat sauce, so I left that off. The first pizza he made consisted of mozarella cheese and bologna.

Yes, bologna.

But he made it, he helped me to put it in the oven, and he scarfed it down like there was no tomorrow. I couldn’t believe how well he ate it! Ever since then I have made it a habit to make pizza with my children every once in awhile. Making pizza not only helped us to get him to eat more things, but it helped me to relax about my kids helping in the kitchen. Now we make everything from dinners to desserts together!

Playing in a play kitchen is fine, but let your child experiment in the kitchen with you - I guarantee you’ll be surprised at how well they do!

It is very early as I write this. Connor had a rough night, and about 5:00 this morning he decided that bed was simply no longer an option. While he was visiting family yesterday he spent quite a bit of time outside, and he picked up a stellar collection of bug bites. (Stellar as in “I think we could draw lines between them to form Orion and his belt,” not stellar as in “great.”) We gave him children’s Benadryl and applied calamine lotion, but he woke up every three hours as the Benadryl wore off. This morning is not kind to us, folks.

As an exhausted-mom cop out, I’m just going to give y’all a collection of links this morning. Eventually, some of these may make it to the blogroll or the links sidebar, but for now they’ll have to do as an entry. Let’s just pretend I wrote something insightful around the links, okay?

Like most of you, I enjoy reading mommyblogs. This is actually a holdover from long before I had a kid; I just like reading about children and parents. I’m pretty sure the entire internet knows about Dooce and Mighty Girl, but do y’all know about Mimi Smartypants? All three of these women are pretty hilarious, and thankfully, all three of them find the time to update regularly and the brainpower to do so with style.

Here’s a little something for those of you who have trouble with meals: Mom Puts Family on Her Meal Plan. Some — okay, most — of the information in the article will be pretty familiar. (Prepare meals ahead of time! Learn to make a few quick and easy staple meals!) Still, it’s never a bad idea to reiterate this stuff. This link may require you to register with the New York Times.

If you find that article interesting, try hitting up Living Behind the Curve and check out their SRSLY plan. It’s a nice take on pre-prepared meals, and all it requires is that you own a CrockPot. Actually, it doesn’t really even require that — if you don’t own a slow-cooker, a nifty trick is to throw your CrockPot meal into a stockpot and pop it in the oven at 200 while you get on with life.

My, that was food-centric, wasn’t it? As a silly subject change, Baby Gift UK offers exactly what the title implies — baby gifts for you Brits. (It also has offerings for new parents.) The site’s got a nice variety of items for sale, although they seem to be a bit pricey. These are for when you really want to impress someone or you really want to give something nice. Don’t waste them on your snotty sister-in-law!

Mighty Goods offers a smaller version of the same thing for those of you in the US. Smaller… but much more funny. This site is run by Maggie of Mighty Girl, so using it makes you win twice.

All right, kids. I’m checking out. I’ll be back tomorrow with something insightful, witty, and heartwarming.

Happy Memorial Day weekend everyone. Hope you are all spending some quality relaxation time with the family. Don’t worry, the laundry will be there in a few days, I promise.

Here’s the Sunday Sixteen for this holiday weekend!

1. Alex’s took his very first steps all on his own this week. He walks like a pro everywhere, but still refuses to let go except for these few steps so far. He insists on at least having someone’s finger to hold on to, though he hasn’t figured out yet that the finger isn’t really helping him any.

2. Yesterday I got a tick bite. Haven’t so much as seen a tick in almost a decade, and sure enough, I get bit when I’m pregnant. Lyme disease can cause all sorts of problems for a developing fetus, some of them very, VERY serious, so were being very watchful for any symptoms at all. Luckily, so far we seem to have escaped safely. Please pray for my little developing one that things stay that way!

3. Because of #2, I have moved into SUPER CLEANER mode. Everything that can possibly get bleached or washed or changed or wiped, etc. is getting it. The idea that a tick got on me just makes me feel …. ewww …. yucky.

4. On better news, hubby and I went out and got ourselves a new mattress this weekend!! It is superbly comfortable and they’re delivering it today!! I can’t wait.

5. Alex’s favorite foods this week, blueberries, beef ravioli, grilled turkey and cheese, and steamed veggie mix (green beans, carrots, corn and lima beans).

6. Still no morning sickness for yours truly!! I’ve had one or two bouts of feeling a bit queasy, but it only seems to last a few minutes and disappears as fast as it appears.

7. Easy recipe for this week: Cream Cheese and Chive Pasta Skillet. I’ll post the recipe for everyone in the next day or so.

8. Best Mom Beauty helper: easy enough, a new Simmons Beautyrest Pillowtop Mattress! I need to catch up on my beauty sleep!

9. To date we have had no more ear problems, no fevers, no anything since Alex’s ear tube proceedure. I know it’s only been a couple of weeks, but it’s a big step since we couldn’t go more than two days without something previously!

10. Alex has suddenly become deathly afraid of changing stations in restaurants or gas stations, or even the mall. You know what I’m talking about, those fold down from the wall changing tables that are available in most public restrooms. Alex has suddenly started getting upset and clinging to me for dear life whenever I try to use one to change him. I’m guessing he’s got more depth perception and suddenly realizes he’s high up?

11. Standing in the bathtub has become a challenge once again. Alex understands he’s not allowed to stand in the tub, but he continues to push the envelope and then get extremely aggravated when he’s made to sit down every time regardless.

12. I think we’re in the process of moving from two naps a day down to one. It’s hard to tell though, since Alex’s only meltdown mode is usually late evening around 6pm, at which time it’s only an hour or two before he goes to bed for the night anyway.

13. I can tell I’m getting well into my second month of pregnancy, because I am suddenly getting extremely tired. It’s funny, I’m up and ready to go in the morning, but by the time Alex’s nap time comes around, I could fall asleep standing up!

14. Unfortunately, as of the end of the month, I won’t be here at Parenting Toddlers anymore. I’m simply getting too swamped with my part time work, keeping up with Alex, and especially staying rested during this pregnancy. I will continue to post when I can on my personal blog, Toddler Tactics, so feel free to check in and visit Alex and I there when you get a chance.

15. I miss sushi. Did you know you shouldn’t eat sushi when you’re pregnant? Actually, from what I’ve researched, it turns out there’s pretty much about the same risk of getting sick when you are pregnant as there is when you’re not, but when it comes to pregnancy, I’ve just never been a big risk taker.

16. This is the last official Sunday Sixteen, hope you enjoyed them!

It’s time for the Sunday Sixteen! And what a busy week it has been! Keep your tray tables in their upright and locked positions, this is going to be quite a ride!!

1. We found out Wednesday that Alex is going to a big brother sometime next January. Surprise!

2. Alex took his very first steps last night. He’s already flying through the house pushing his toys, and we knew his delay in walking was most likely related to the fluid in his ears. Last night he took two wobbly steps to the coffee table. Hubby and I made a HUGE deal about it, and I have a suspicion that it will increase by leaps and bounds from here on.

3. Alex’s favorite foods this week: Old El Paso Mexican Skillet meal (made this for the family and Alex absolutely wolfed it down), greek gyro (from the Greek Festival downtown yesterday), and diced peaches.

4. My little man is chatting away these days. He makes all sorts of sounds, and even more words, especially “HI”, “Dad-dy”, “One”, “Two”, and “Three”.

5. I found that counting the snaps on his outfits when I’m changing him helps cut down on the flailing around to get down. Plus Alex has started mimicking me when I count, so he’s actually learning his numbers too. If you have a wiggling little one during changing time, give it a shot.

6. With this pregnancy so far I haven’t had any real symptoms (knock on wood) so far. We’ll see how long that lasts. With Alex I had horrid morning sickness for almost six months. Hopefully I’ll skate through this time with little to no morning sickness. Wouldn’t that be great!!

7. Pandora, our cat, has been all about loving me like crazy this past week. I swear she can detect the change in hormones or something, because the usally rather stand offish cat also mothered me like crazy the whole time I was pregnant with Alex.

8. Diesel has found a new home. It was time, and especially with our upcoming summer situation, I think he be much happier. His new family is very nice, and Diesel really seemed to take to them well. They also live here in town so we can check in every so often and see how he’s doing.

Alex’s Get Away with Anything Face

9. Best Mom movies this week: Deja Vu. Still haven’t seen it, but I want to, and I’m a big Denzel fan, so I know it’ll be good.

10. Best Mom beauty helper this week: Palmer’s Cocoa Butter. If you can deal with the smell that long, using Palmer’s on my tummy every night kept me from getting any ugly stretch marks when I was pregnant with Alex. I’ll be using the same stuff again with this pregnancy. My husband is not a fan of the “beachy” scent, but he’d be even less of a fan of big stretch marks, so he lives with it. Plus who really wants to contradict a pregnant woman anyway?

11. Greek Festival. We visited the Greek Festival downtown yesterday here in Greenville. Except for the scorching sun, it was a total blast! They had dancers, cultural exhibits, authentic food (which was awesome) and even play areas for the kids.

12. My toddler is becoming more independent every day. He knows when he wants to get down, when he wants to get dirty, when he wants to eat, etc. And he’s certainly not shy about letting us know it, even if it’s at the top of his lungs.

13. Alex has developed a new habit of raising his arms to anyone who stops to talk to him. Strangers, family, it doesn’t matter. You’d be amazed at how many people are more than willing (and deleriously excited) about picking up Alex when he does this. So far, as long as the person doesn’t look too sketchy, we’re just rolling with it. We’ll definitely have to teach him about strangers in a few years, but for now, it’s better for me (especially right now!) that he doesnt mind spending time with friends.

14. Last night was Alex’s first full bath since his surgery (he’s been getting wiped down with the “ready bath” wipes that work without water) and we had to use the ear plugs the doctor gave us. Luckily, they seemed to work really well, we relatively easy and Alex didn’t seem to mind them in the least.

15. Alex’s favorite book this week, Winnie the Pooh’s Sleepytime Hum from the Winnie the Pooh’s Sweet Dreams collection. It’s a board book that talks about sleeping and dreaming and getting ready for bed. Alex loves to turn the pages, and though it has a good amount of words, it’s still short enough to keep Alex’s attention. Perfect for his before bed story.

16. I know I usually do the must read blogs of the week, but as you can tell, this has been one crazy week. I simply haven’t had the time to check everyone’s blogs out. But I should be back in the saddle and ready to go for next week, so be prepared!!

Another Sunday rolls around, but what a special one it is!! Happy Mother’s Day Ladies!! Where has the time gone? I did not think a single week could fly by so very fast. Next week is going to be even more hectic around here, but here’s wishing you and yours a nice, peaceful Sunday full of rest and relaxation!

THE SUNDAY SIXTEEN

1. This coming Tuesday Alex gets his tubes put in. With as much pulling on his ears and smacking at the side of his head as he’s been doing, we can’t wait until he gets some relief!

2. We got our family photos back and they are awesome. I’ll be putting in a link to our photographer’s website and posting some of the photos as soon as I can get them correctly resized to work on this page.

3. Alex has learned how to pull himself up on the couches. Every day is full of up, giggle, down, giggle. Up, giggle, down, giggle. And so forth.

4. Best Mom movies this week: Dreamgirls. There is some seriously amazing singing in this film. Jennifer Hudson proves that American Idol judges don’t know jack squat.

5. Alex’s favorite foods this week: homemade macaroni and cheese (just like his mom), Gerber Graduates Turkey Stew, White Cheddar Cheez-its, and of course, strawberries.

6. New words we’ve tried this week: puppy, apple, and please (which comes out more like peas).

7. Hubby found out this week he’s going to have to work the summer in Charleston. Good on some points, but Alex and I will still miss him like crazy during the week when he’s not here!

8. Alex continues to get himself stuck between the slats on his crib (with or without his bumpers, it’s the same). He has the worst looking bruises on both his legs (he usually gets stuck up around his thighs). He’s only 16 months. To me that’s too early for a toddler bed right? But I don’t think I can keep running the risk that we’ll have to cut the crib to get him out next time, or that he might break his leg flailing around to get loose. So now what do I do? Any tips?

Alex and his Daddy

9. Everything needs to be clean according to Alex. He cleans off the coffee table with one big sweep of his hand. He’s cleared out the DVD rack, the bookshelf, the toybox, and even the drawers in his room (apparently the clothes should be out and on the floor, NOT neatly folded in the drawers).

10. Alex got his first “professional” haircut this week. We went to a Snip-Its here in Greenville, and he was a perfect angel! They even used the buzzer on him and all he did was giggle!

11. Muggy, muggy, muggy. It’s been rainy, hot, or both here this week. Not sunny enough for the little pool, but still okay for occasional wagon rides around the block.

12. Alex’s favorite book this week, Baby’s First Library ABC by Yo-Yo Books. It’s a board book, and teaches the ABCs. Very colorful, very durable, and apparently, also very interesting to a 16 month old.

13. I got a neat little latched basket for my sewing stuff for mother’s day. It’s so neat. Before you get the wrong idea, I don’t sew as in darning, I just do cross-stitch. Don’t got thinking I’m domestically talented or anything.

14. Great Saturday for yard sales! We hit a few community yard sales and racked up! New toys for Alex, a golf bag, a pitcher for the excessive amounts of sweet tea I drink every week, and a game called Fact or Crap. Anyone played this?

15. We’ve started doing time outs when Alex misbehaves. So far it usually just ends up with more screaming, and Alex never sits in one place very long, but he is definitely getting the idea that he did something wrong.

16. Best Blogs to read this week - Mama Doggy Love - her post What’s In a Name? had me rolling, it’s so much like my hubby and me, only with the roles reversed! (except for the sleeping in of course), Plus her Poopy Girl reminds me so very much of my own Abby Labby. Toy Bender - he keeps me updated on all the IMPORTANT toys, more specifically, the ones I remember from when I was a kid! Just For Kids - this one has some awesome links, and some great, great posts.

Happy Sunday everyone! And happy almost birthday to my hubby!! Love you sweetie!!

Here is this week’s Sunday Sixteen:

1. When did you take the bumpers off your toddler’s crib? We took Alex’s off a short time ago because he was climbing on the bumpers and then getting his legs caught. Now, he has no bumpers to climb on, but he’s still getting his legs caught. He’s only getting caught in the mornings or right after naptime when he’s trying to get out. Thoughts?

2. We got pictures made this past week and the few that I’ve seen so far are absolutely wonderful! I love that I have such a photogenic son!

3. Alex and Diesel are once again inseperable this week. It’s a good thing too, because Alex’s affection and Diesel’s dedication to him in return is the only thing that keeps my diaper cream eating dog in my good graces.

4. Alex’s favorite foods this week - French Toast Bites, fresh pineapple, cooked ground turkey mixed with extra sharp cheddar cheese.

5. Best Mom Movies this week (not toddlers allowed) - sorry, no new ones this week, yours truly hasn’t had a chance to watch any!

6. I checked my weight this morning, and believe it or not, I weigh less right now than I have since before we got pregnant with Alex. Not by a lot mind you, but enough that I’m excited about it. Guess the weight really does start falling off when you start chasing a toddler around!

7. Alex’s favorite book this week is Planes at the Airport by Peter Mandel. It’s a scholastic book about different types of airplanes and what they are used for. It’s a hard board book with lots of pictures, what’s not to like?

8. Best Mom beauty helper this week - the Venus Breeze Razor. This thing is awesome. My legs have never been so smooth.

9. Monday we’ll be going to Alex’s pre-op appointment for his ear tubes. The doc just makes sure his lungs and heart are fine, and he’s in good shape to go under general anesthetic on the 15th.

10. Monday is also my hubby’s birthday. Happy Birthday Hubby!! I love you.

11. Cinco de Mayo has got to be one of the cheapest holiday’s you can celebrate. Mexican food is generally pretty cheap anyway, and add the Cinco de Mayo specials on top of that and voila! A fun evening out for less than $30.00!

12. I want my pool weather back. I’m sick of the rainy, cold days we’ve been having for the past week. Plus Alex is getting antsy being cooped up inside, and when Alex is antsy, everyone is antsy.

13. This past week we had some great posts, so if you’re looking for some good outdoor fun, or if you want to hear more about the super smart little toddler who called 911, visit those posts and check them out! Don’t forget to bookmark the Carnival of Family Life we hosted this past Monday. It’s got tons of useful parenting tips and lots of great stories as well.

14. Next weekend is mother’s day. What do your families have planned, if anything?

15. I’m addicted to hot teas lately. I have all sorts, regular decaf, chai teas, green teas, etc. If I keep going like this I’m going to turn into a tea leaf.

16. Best blogs to read this week (in my opinion) Pinks & Blues Blog - these ladies have all aspects covered, kids, parents and adults. They also have some awesome contests going on, so check them out! Parents Behaving Badly - I’m warning you, this one is hard to read, and not for the faint of heart since it deals with the horrible things that parents do to their kids - but it certainly helps me be a little more tolerant when Alex is having “one of those days”. And last but certainly not least, is Dadcentric. These guys are an absolute riot, and it’s nice to get things from a Dad’s point of view every so often.

What beautiful weather we’re having!! Every day is gorgeous (if a bit on the sweaty side) and I look forward to getting outside, even when it’s only for a few minutes. Over the course of this past month Alex and I have found all sorts of fun things to do outside. Come join us, won’t you?

Personal Pool Party - Sizeable blow up pool from Target, $9.99. Random pool toys, $2.99 (mostly scrounged from the bottom of the toy box as anything waterproof). Hours of fun in the water, PRICELESS!!

Walk around the block - use a stroller, use a wagon, use a tricycle, whatever you have on hand. Great exercise for mom, and fun for the little ones too!

Weed party - take your toddler outside and make a game out of them holding a plastic bag for you. As you weed the garden or flower beds, let your little one count each weed that goes in the bag. Or better yet, if your aim is semi decent, try it basketball style. Try to avoid nailing your little one in the face with a root, and be prepared for a thorough bath time later, but revel in the gales of laughter you’ll induce.

Picnic lunch - take a picnic to your local park. Let your little one help pick out what you’ll take along. When you get there, spend time looking for four leaf clovers, or picking out funny shapes in the clouds. This is a great one for the weekend when the entire family can go along!

Popsicle races - Enlist the help of a few toddler friends for this one. Popsicles must be eaten outside, at the quickest rate of speed possible. Give inexpensive toy prizes for the quickest finished, the messiest face, and the biggest number of licks it takes to finish. Clean up washcloths are a good idea for this one as well.

Park visit - absolutely no cost involved. Only prep time involves packing a quick snack and juice to take along. A kid can get absolutely famished after a good bit of climbing around the jungle gym.

That’s just a few of the wonderful ideas that Alex and I have come up with so far, and our list will no doubt continue to grow as the summer progresses. In the meantime, enjoy that clean air, and don’t forget the sunscreen!!

kids activities, pool party, picnic

Carnival of Family Life

Welcome to the Carnival of Family Life!!! I am floored by how many wonderful posts have been submitted this past week, and I’ve bookmarked a good many of them to refer back to! I have to say, there are some pretty talented writers out there, and some even more talented parents! Just for easier access, I’ve categorized this weeks submissions into a few large sections. Kids - Glorious Kids, Family Finances, Relationships, and Parenting Tips. Make sure and check out all the submissions this week. I have, and I’ve enjoyed every one!

Come along on a carnival ride, just follow Alex!

KIDS, GLORIOUS KIDS

WhyMommy gives us a heartwarming peek at her newest addition with Toddler Planet posted at Toddler Planet.

My Wealth Builder shows everyone how to get in touch with their inner bubble blower at Being a Big Kid - Frugal Entertainment

Megan Bayliss brings us along to visit an adorable little guy in How Much can a Koala Bear? posted at Home Schooling Aspergers.. Some must see pictures included!

Emma Honey presents healthandfitnessfactorfiction.com » Blog Archive » Carnivorous Questions posted at healthandfitnessfactorfiction.com.

Dexie gives us a first hand look at a mom’s heartbreak when she realizes her baby just isn’t a baby anymore with … And Then He’s 9 posted at Superwoman.ca.

Matt Finley shares a hilarious post about the tactics behind a successful water fight at The True Innocents » Blog Archive » The Setup posted at The True Innocents.

Lena reminds us why we all hate “mean girls” at The Cheeky Lotus: Mean Girls posted at The Cheeky Lotus.

Anna presents REMOTE CONTROL FOR YOUR TEENAGER « On The Ponderosa posted at On The Ponderosa.

Denise gives us a great riddle with Happy birthday, sweet 17! « Let’s play math! posted at Let’s play math!. See if you can figure it out!

Joan presents Maybe I’m in the Top Ten posted at Sleepless Juggler, an adorable look at why she’s only “probably” the best mom ever.

Julee reflects on Kidney Donation - Our Journey Part One posted at Homeschool Daze.

DeputyHeadmistress takes us for a ride down Memory Lane posted at The Common Room. I’m pretty sure I can come up with a pretty long Lost, Stolen and Strayed list just based on Alex’s activities around here!

Lill Hawkins reminds me why I don’t ever want Alex to grow up with Would You Like a Little Squeeze With That Whine? posted at News from Hawkhill Acres.

Csara gives us true flashbacks with Fifteen things that remind me of childhood posted at Baby Talkers. I remember my very own Cabbage Patch Doll, I think she has arthritis nowadays.

Kerri wraps her mind around the reasoning behind mass marketed toys with American Idol Happy Meal Toys posted at Play Library.

Lisa Mitchell reminds us all about the ups and downs of pregnancy with My Pregnancy: Week 9 posted at Let’s Talk Babies.

Mary (mert) presents Anna-isms posted at Almost Somewhat Positive.

MyBestInvest teaches us about Expanding the family vocabulary posted at My Best Investments. I was feeling a bit crooky myself last week!

FAMILY FINANCES

Rachel Starr Thomson gives us a run down on the pros to owning a family run business with Family Business: Pros to Embrace posted at Inklings. Plus the pictures are just yummy looking!

Ispf presents 5 Financial Lessons I Wish My Dad Had Learnt posted at Grad Money Matters.

Summer M. gives some great suggestions for Frugal homeschooling posted at Mom Is Teaching.

Mom & dad teach how to handle people who are “different” with Little People, Big Lesson posted at raising4boys.com.

Lyn has me rolling on the floor with her description of how one skittle can hinder an entire tee-ball game with The Green Skittle posted at Sleepless Juggler.

FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

Vause gives us an inside look at the struggles of having a spouse in the military including the Military Divorce Rate posted at Active Duty Military Money and Matters.

Toe presents Borloloys, a wonderful look into what it means to be usurped as the youngest in the family, posted at kurokuroatbp.

Muse offers up a glimpse into the family bible contest and enjoying grandaughters at I missed the Bible Contest posted at me-ander.

Kailani helps us remember why our spouses really are a blessing with For Better or For Worse posted at An Island Life.

Karen presents PREPARING FOR ADOLESCENCE posted at PediaScribe Blog, and shows us that some one on one time with your child really is worth it.

Sara gives us all a good laugh with Conversation Between Me and Hubby Tonight posted at Suburban Oblivion.

PARENTING TIPS

NCN shows us all some Mad Carpentry Skills (Roof Rafters) on how to build a playhouse. Now if I can just print it out and get my husband geared up to get some work done …

Lil Duck Duck has the best Train Birthday Party Ideas to be found. I’ll be using some of these for Alex’s next birthday!

Erica Douglas gives all parents an amazing list on How NOT To Stifle Your Kids Creativity posted at Littlemummy.Com.

Randa Clay presents Thirteen free toys you probably already own posted at Free Stuff 4 Kids. Some really neat ideas in this one!

Megan Bayliss presents Bibliotherapy: Using Books to Help Children Solve Problems. posted at Child protection: serious business..

Frugal Journey offers up an awesome list of Free Toys for Older Kids

Leisa over at Down with the Kids provides everyone with a great review of her current favorite, Yoghurt DVD - just perfect for those expectant mommies out there!

Melitsa presents Play-Activities.com » Blog Archive » 11 Fun kid activities to do at Grandma’s house posted at Play-Activities.com. Alex and I will definitely be writing these down to take on our next trip!

Char Polanosky gives us a great printable activities list with Thirteen More Printables Sites posted at Printables for Kids - free word search puzzles, coloring pages, and other activities.

Summer presents Books books books! posted at Wired For Noise.

Stephanie offers us a look at the benefits of raising your kids to respect the world around them with So Much in Common posted at Stop the Ride!.

Praveen shows us you really can teach without saying a word at Refrain from Active Teaching posted at Tao of Simplicity.

Amanda Rose gives us a recipe that’s both good for you, and tasty for your kids with Chocolate Cinnamon Birthday Cupcakes posted at Rebuild from Depression Blog. My mouth is already watering!

Kevin presents Parenting Tips For Raising Emotionally Healthy Kids posted at More4kids Parenting.

Jessica Okon tells us about Free Movies At Summer Movie Camp posted at Wisebread. I am so looking into this as soon as possible!

Fun Playdates presents Make a Puppy Pinata Craft out of Recycled Materials posted at Fun Play Dates. What a neat party idea!

Kevin gives us all a wakeup call with Child Identity Theft posted at Identity Theft And You.

Stephanie offers some much needed tips for Washing Stuffed Animals posted at Work at Home in Progress.

And those are this weeks offerings from the Carnival of Family Life. We hope you enjoyed the Carnival and your stay here at Parenting Toddlers. Come back and see us again soon!

Bye Bye!

I know you’ve been waiting with baited breath since about Tuesday, so wait no longer …

Here’s the SUNDAY SIXTEEN!!

1. Stress stinks. And somehow I can make even housework stressful. I need to learn to mellow out when it comes to laundry, vacuuming, and all those other wonderful hassles.

2. Alex had his first swim in his very own backyard pool this past week. He loved every minute up until he had to get out. He also seems to think it is hilarious to put his face in the water and then open his mouth. You would think this might scare him, but no, I think he actually gets excited in a “Look what I can do!” way.

3. We sacrificed a tube of Desitin to Diesel’s ever growing appetite for diaper cream this past week. The dog has brain damage. He’s just got to.

4. Big news we found out this week - Alex has to have tubes put in his ears. This is scheduled for mid-May. I’m not crazy about the idea of him having to go under general anesthesia for the procedure, but I am excited that the prognosis post tubes is very good. We will hopefully see a drastic decrease in Alex’s recurrent ear infections and upper respiratory infections.

5. Alex’s favorite foods this week - Cheese balls. The child is addicted. He will actually bang on the pantry door and yell jibberish at me because he knows that’s where I keep them. He also likes cornbread and is on another avocado kick.

6. Best Mom Movies this week (no toddlers allowed) - The Holiday (with Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet), and A Man Apart (with Vin Diesel).

7. Best body booster this week - walking regularly and Jergens Natural Glow daily moisturizer. I thought the Natural Glow was a wash the first time I used it (especially since I’m fair skinned) but turns out it works great if you use it regularly and get out in the sun just the slightest bit every few days.

8. Alex’s favorite book this week - Baby Faces. This is actually a board book with different baby’s and toddlers in it, making various faces. The names go along … happy, angry, silly, etc. Alex loves it, especially the happy and the silly pages.

9. We actually got the Baby Faces book through Brighter Vision Learning Adventures . They send a new package every month with new learning tools inside. A book, activity suggestions, learning CDs, etc. Each month is geared towards your child’s age. This first go around we got the Baby Faces book, a All About Me learning CD featuring the smash hit “Wiggle in My Toe” by Joe Scruggs. We also got stickers of the entire alphabet, a workbook that helps Alex learn different things like the parts of the face, concepts like tall and short, big and little, etc. Definitely take a look if you haven’t already, Alex and I can’t wait to get started.

10. I’ve become addicted to Sudoku’s. Don’t ask me why. I’m an english major, I hate numbers.

11. Hubby’s birthday is next week. Wish I had the money to do something super special for him, but it looks like that’s not going to happen. Guess I’ll have to find other, creative ways to wish him happy birthday.

12. In my Household Tips post from earlier in the week I mentioned that baby powder will get sand to slide right off you and your kids at the beach. I haven’t actually tried this out yet, but I’m so excited to do so I can barely wait to get to the beach. I’ve always loved the beach, and always hated tracking the sand everywhere.

13. Alex’s hitting seems to have stopped. We simply remained consistent, gave a firm NO whenever it happened, and if he was in someone’s lap when it happened and continued to hit, then we put him down to sit by himself. Since he’s a natural born cuddler, he was not a fan and quickly seemed to grasp the correlation.

14. Tomorrow marks two weeks since the horrendous tragedy at Virginia Tech. Please visit my list of victims and pray for their families. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of them and the senselessness that caused their deaths. All we can do for them now is make every effort to never forget.

15. I found out (from the horse’s mouth so to speak) this week that kids generally don’t need an eye exam (other than the basic one the pediatrician gives at each checkup) from a optometrist until they are around four. All kids should have one before starting kindergarten though. I found this out when I went in to make an appointment for myself and Alex started flirting with the doctor. He really has no shame whatsoever.

16. Best blogs to check out this week: Daddy Forever (I swear I don’t think I’ve ever read a post of his where I didn’t laugh out loud), Parenting Sites 411 (Alicia is awesome, and I love that she checks out all the thousands of parenting sites out there and then lets me know which ones are worth visiting. Saves me so much extra time to get laundry and vacuuming done), and Rockstar Mommy (she is an absolute riot, and I swear sometimes she’s living my life).

Today I’m cheating.

I got an email from Alex’s grandma yesterday that included some great household tips, many of which I had never even thought of before. They are so good, that I’m actually going to use them for today’s post. I’d offer originial credit if any was given on the email, but since none is that I can tell, you guys can all thank Grandma for this one!! I’ve also highlighted those that are directly related to kids and parenting.

Bed Sheets

After drying sheets, put both sheets and one pillowcase in the other pillow case. Fold neatly in a square. Next time you change sheets, you just take the one pillow case and all the sheets and pillow case are inside. No need to look for matches. (This one I am all excited about. I HATE searching out pillow cases in my linen closet.)

Clean your glass shower

To clean the glass in your shower easily, apply lemon juice to the
glass with a sponge. Then, take newspaper and wipe the lemon juice off the glass. It will be clean and sparkle with no scrubbing!

Reheat Pizza

Heat up leftover pizza in a non-stick skillet on top of the stove, set
heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works.

Easy Deviled Eggs

Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all
broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done easy clean up.

Expanding Frosting

When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar/calories per serving. (This can be especially helpful when you find out you have to make 100 cupcakes in a matter of hours.)

Reheating refrigerated bread

To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.

Newspaper Weeds-Away

Start putting wet newspapers in your plants, they will work the nutrients in your soil. Put layers around the plants overlapping as you go, cover with mulch and forget about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic, they will not get through wet newspapers.

Broken Glass

Use a dry cotton ball to pick up little broken pieces of glass - the fibers catch ones you can’t see!

No More Mosquitoes

Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.

Squirrel Away

To keep squirrels from eating your plants sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn’t hurt the plant and the squirrels won’t come near it.

Easier thank you’s

When you throw a bridal/baby shower, buy a pack of thank you cards for the guest of honor. During the party, pass out the envelopes and have everyone put their address on one. When the bride/new mother sends the thank you’s, they’re all addressed!

MINE!!!!!

If you purchase a new bike for your child, place their picture inside the handle bar before placing the grips on. If the bike is stolen and later recovered, remove the grip and there is your proof who owns the bike.

Flexible vacuum

To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.

Reducing Static Cling

Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and — voila — static is gone.

Measuring Cups

Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill it with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don’t dry the cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.

Foggy Windshield

Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car. When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth!

Reopening Envelope

If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Voila! It unseals easily.

Conditioner

Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It’s a lot cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It’s also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn’t like when you tried it in your hair…

Good-bye Fruit Flies

To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass fill it 1/2″ with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dishwashing liquid, mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!

Get Rid of Ants

Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it “home,” & can’t digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, esp. if it rains, but it works & you don’t have the worry about pets or small children being harmed!

Take baby powder to the beach

Keep a small bottle of baby powder in your beach bag. When you’re ready to leave the beach sprinkle yourself and kids with the powder and the sand will slide right off your skin. (As my folks live on the coast, this one might end up as a godsend soon enough!)

household tips, outdoor tips

When was the last time you actually got down on the floor and saw the world from your toddler’s point of view? Try it out. Get down and walk around on your knees for a half hour or so. Take it all in from your toddler’s viewpoint, especially the interesting stuff like the toilet, the frig, and doorways that might potentially lead to the land of Oz.

I think we often forget how our children see the world. Once they start walking around we suddenly start seeing them as little adults. And while in some senses they are, in so many others they just aren’t. Many are still learning cause and consequence, if I can open the frig but I don’t hold it open, it might swing back and bonk me in the head. If I run too fast, my feet might get tangled and I could end up with a face full of carpet. Toddlers don’t always understand these concepts. It’s up to us, as their parents, to still make it a point to interact with our little one on a daily basis. And by interact I don’t mean talk to, feed lunch, and clean clothes. I mean play, giggle, laugh, read, explain, and when necessary, roll around in the dirt.

In my opinion, children learn more and retain more when they’re having fun. Sitting and learning by boring rote just simply doesn’t cut it for most of us. That’s the only reason that I never retained a single thing from my college Biology courses (at least that’s my story and I’m sticking to it).

Alex is in a discovery phase these days. He wants to explore everything. He wants to get down on the ground, in the grass, on the sidewalk, wherever, and check it all out. And so I let him. I still supervise closely of course, and offer my own bits of wisdom such as “this is grass … grass grows in the yard … grass is green.” or “what IS that?” “where did you find that?” “I’ve never seen anything like that in my life.” In the case of the second scenario, I find myself learning just as much as he does! What I’m trying to get to is this. Let your toddler get dirty. Let them dig in the dirt with that amazingly plain stick they just found. Let them get muddy and treasure the memory as they discover the consistency of mud for the first time. Let them try new tastes, even if you know they aren’t going to like them (I’m talking spicy foods or unique flavors, not adult beverages or anything they SHOULDN’T be allowed to have in the first place). In my mind, the strain on my washing machine is far outweighed by the knowledge Alex is gaining. And if perhaps that particular pair of pants just doesn’t make it through the stain cycle, I think we’ll survive.

After all, being the first grandchild, Alex happens to have a number of excellent shoppers at his beck and call.

kids, learning styles, playtime

Parenting often reminds me of being in the first car on a roller coaster ride that may or may not have passed it’s last structural inspection. It can be scary, extremely nerve racking, and sometimes makes you a little queasy in the stomach area, but in the end, it turns out to be the most amazing thing you’ve ever done. That’s why I’m even more excited that I’ve become a part of the Carnival of Family Life. The beginning of next week I’ll be hosting the Carnival here at Parenting Toddlers, and I’m really looking forward to checking out all the wonderful posts! Make sure and check in with us on Monday April 30th to see all the great parenting articles. And if you’d like to jump on board with all of us parents who are stuck somewhere between screeching in joy and clutching our stomachs in fear, swing by and submit your own article here. Also, don’t forget to swing over and visit Kailani at An Island Life. She’s the one who came up with the idea for this carnival in the first place, she’s the one who ends up putting in most of the work, and I think it’s time she got some of the credit already!

Now put your thinking caps on, dig through your posts and send us the best parenting articles you can come up with. Think of it as a secondary safety belt for the rest of us.

carnival of family life, parenting articles

Sunday is here again already? Where did the week go? Geez, it’ll be Christmas before I catch up. I don’t need to tell you that we had a rough week around here. But the healing process is slowly starting, and it’s time to get back to at least pretending to go through the motions. So in keeping with tradition, here is the Sunday Sixteen!

1. We’re making progress on the “no throwing food” idea. Alex seems to have settled down in that regard, which just might save some unsuspecting soul sitting behind us in a restaurant from getting a headful of pasta in the near future.

2. Alex had his 15 month shots this past week. 2 to be exact, and he took them like a trooper.

3. He also got his measurements checked. He is 30 and 3/4 inches and 21 pounds. An almost 1 inch increase from his last check, and exactly the same in the weight category (surprise, surprise).

4. Mommy got a new digital camera for her birthday, so that means lots of new and finally updated pictures!

5. Our favorite book this week is Clifford Goes to School. In it, the school bus can’t make it, so Clifford volunteers to pick up all the kids, giving them a ride on his back all the way to school before letting them slide down his tail when they get there. Alex now points to the pictures and says “Diesee” (which is “Diesel” our Great Dane). I don’t have the heart to tell him that Diesel couldn’t carry a loaf of bread without dropping it.

6. Our new bathtime experiment is to stick our face in the water, come up sputtering, and then look at Mommy as if she is out of her mind for letting us do that in the first place. Despite the look, this activity continues virtually every bath time. Mommy is careful not to let the ears get dunked though, we certainly need to keep those and clean and dry as possible.

7. The new Fox series “Drive” started this past week. As a racing family, we are enjoying it so far.

8. Best Mom Movies this week (no toddlers allowed) - Rumor Has It and The Lake House (both running on HBO currently) and Rocky Balboa (what can I say, I’ve been a Rocky fan since I was little)

9. Alex’s favorite foods this week - avocado, Gerber Graduate Cereal Flakes, diced peaches, strawberries

10. Our first appointment with the ENT is this coming Friday. We are anxious to see what they have to say about these recurrent ear infections.

11. We are making a lot of walking progress. Alex has a push toy and he absolutely flies around the house at top speed while pushing it. He’s flipped it, spun it, and ended up in all sorts of positions, but gets right back up and goes at it again. He still won’t let go yet. Just gotta work on that confidence level I guess.

12. The events of this past weekend have really made me take a step back and give some serious consideration to my own son’s safety once he starts school.

13. Happy birthday to me. Happy birthday to me. I’m not going to tell you how old I am, I’m just going to mention that at this point I think I’m allowed to start using “do-overs”.

14. We did another park visit this past week. Alex ate a leaf, tried to eat a stick, and spent more time entralled with playing with the chain link fence as opposed to the actual playground.

15. Alex is having some “let’s get up earlier than usual” issues this week. His normal 7:30 wake up time has changed to 6:00 all of a sudden. I am not a fan. We’re going to have to cut back on naptime a bit just to see if that helps. Anyone had this happen?

16. Birthday cake really does taste even better the second day!

Clifford the Big Red Dog, Gerber, Drive, Fox, HBO, Rocky Balboa

This is a favorite around our house, and super easy to make, so I thought I’d share it with everyone.

Fiesta Turkey Soup

1 medium onion, diced
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 garlic clove, minced
3 cups chopped, cooked turkey or chicken (I use ground turkey in most cases and it works great)
1 (15 oz) can chili beans
3.5 cups chicken or turkey broth
1 (11 oz) can whole corn with red and green peppers, drained
1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes and green chiles
1/2 teaspoon of chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
salt & pepper to taste

Toppings: sour cream, shredded Mexican cheese blend

Alex says enjoy!

Saute onion in hot oil over medium heat (and wear sunglasses, because that onion always makes me cry!) 7 minutes or until tender. Add garlic, and saute 1 minute. Stir in turkey and next 8 ingredients (told you it was easy, you basically dump it all in and cook!). Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Serve with desired toppings.

I tend to make this early in the week so if we’ve got a busy day and just no time to come up with dinner, I’ve got it on hand. It’s also chunky enough to be enjoyed by toddlers who haven’t yet mastered the idea of a spoon. If you have an older toddler, this is a great recipe to let them help with, ie, letting them stand on a stool and just dump each can in the pot. NEVER leave your child near a stove that’s on without very close supervision (I know you already knew that, but it bears repeating) though.

So there you go, quick, easy, and feed the whole family at least twice! Enjoy!

recipe, kids cooking, toddler recipe