On the first of May, I woke up and thought “Yay! It’s May!!! Oh! That means it’s almost Mother’s Day… Oh, no! Oh, yay!” My thoughts drifted.
First thought: What can I ever do for or give to my own mother that would come close to showing her how loved, admired, and appreciated she is… I mean aside from having my own kids, trying to raise them with similar values, and making sure they see/talk and share their cuteness with her regularly. (Best gift, ever, right?)
I’m talking about moving our whole family across the country, for the second time in just over a year. And we don’t actually love it (I’m not THAT crazy!) but I think we have become pretty good at it.
A year ago, we moved from New Jersey/NYC to Miami with three under three (big brother was barely 2 years old and the twins were 4 months old) and two fur babies. That move seems like an age ago and like a total BREEZE compared to our most recent move from Miami to Texas! (That’s right, y’all! We’re back home!)
That is the question, at least for families with a stay-at-home parent. And it’s not a simple answer. Parenting hardly ever involves simple answers, beyond meeting the most basic needs. It will probably take me a few posts to say all I want to say, all that I think parents might want to know or hear, but here goes…
Indulge me…
Let’s say my three year old son attends an in-home daycare.
Remind me next time not to make such a big list, but seriously, all 15 of these play materials are worth the money and space because they lead to some rich and deep play that spans various ages, stages, and interests. So today, I will finally share more “totally-worth-the-space-and-money” play items on my list!
It’s been a good while, so first of all, yes, we are alive!!! Continue reading Part 3 of Worthwhile Toys for the Early Years
It was raining as we left our favorite museum. I had already postponed our departure once, hoping it would slow down. But after an extra half hour of play, the rain was proving stubborn, and the babies were extremely ready for a nap. Big boy begged to stay, but I could tell he was getting tired too. Miraculously, he was happily distracted by the challenge of helping me prepare for our run through the rain.
In case you were wondering, the preparation for and subsequent rainy mad dash with three little ones may look like this: Continue reading Rain, God, and Crocodiles
I shared the first part of this list 15 Worthwhile Toys for the Early Years a few weeks back, because the toy industry, children’s movies/TV and related products, Pottery Barn Kids, Target (both of which I LOVE!), educational products, etc. can be SO damn cute and manipulative, much like our little ones… and then bam! Or “CRUNCH!” Or “OW!” You’ve stepped on one of thousands of toys or supplies… no matter how much your munchkins actually help put them all away.
Continue reading Part 2 of Worthwhile Toys for the Early Years
If you’re like me, you like keeping money in your pocket/bank, you don’t like your house being overrun by toys, and basically you hate wasting time and money on anything your children will outgrow or lose interest in within the lifespan of a housefly. (They don’t live long folks.)
As the twins (now 1 years old!) have really begun playing more independently, jointly, and with things, I’ve lost myself in thought about toys. I’ve been pretty picky about toys, so thankfully, I am fairly happy with the amount of and type of toys in my house, for the most part. But let’s face it: not all toys are created equally. Some toys stand the test of time and parent/teacher sanity, and some don’t.
