Oh, the things kids say

My son never fails to amuse me. Here are some of the amusing things he’s said to me just in the past couple days:

On Monday, some local policeman visited his school. They let the kids sit in the police car, and apparently you could choose whether you wanted to sit in the front or back. So, my guy said he sat in the back and once there, exclaimed, “Somebody help me! This is torture!”

On Tuesday, he said that when he grew up, he either wanted to be a policeman or a D.J. (And, when he said “D.J.,” he gestured with his hands as if he were scratching some albums. Gotta love it.)

Wednesday morning, he asked, “Mom, can you weld me a suit like Iron Man? And do you have a jet pack I can use?”
I responded that I had no welding equipment or a jet pack so he followed with, “Does Dad?”

During school on Wednesday, apparently, more policeman visited his school. (Should we be concerned?) And my guy says that when they arrived in his class, he held his arms up in the air and declared, “I’m under arrest.”

After school on Wednesday – and after having heard from two sets of policemen – he decided that he was going to be a D.J. when he grows up. “Because when you’re training to be a policeman, you have to be tasered.” I don’t really have an argument for that.

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Car Seat Safety

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released its latest recommendations on car seats. The AAP now says parents should keep their young ones in rear-facing car seats until age 2, or until they reach the maximum height and weight for the seat. The previous policy said it was safest for infants and toddlers to ride facing the rear up to the limits of the car seat, but also cited age 12 months and 20 pounds as a minimum.

Also, the revised recommendations advise that most children need to ride in a belt-positioning booster seat until they have reached 4 feet 9 inches tall and are between 8 and 12 years of age.

Read here for more information.

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Winter blues

I think it’s pretty safe to say I have the winter blues.

It’s hard to see the beauty in winter these days. Ten years ago, I moved to the Midwest. It was January. Cold and gray. Yet, wide-eyed, I was actually excited about experiencing the seasons to their fullest. Even winter. I took pleasure in watching the snow fall and found great beauty in how it would rest, just perfectly, on the Evergreens and atop frozen ponds and streams. Amazingly picturesque.

Then… I had kids. Winter became more of a hassle than a thing to behold. The extra layers of clothes. The liner in the infant carrier. The chapped lips. The chapped hands. The chapped everything. The worrying about slipping in the icy parking lot while carrying the baby. The extra long commutes in the snow to pick the kids up after work. The guilt from wishing I was home with my kids instead of sitting in a car on a snow-covered road for an hour and a half to two hours longer than normal.

As my kids have gotten older, winter hasn’t really gotten any better for me. It’s challenging to see it as anything but an interruption. Schools closed. Activities cancelled. And then, there are still all those layers. And chapped skin. And gray skies.

The kids have been pretty good about it, thankfully. But, they are both very fond of the outdoors, and I don’t know how long I can contain them. With such low temps though, spending too much time outside really isn’t going to happen right now. So, Spring, please come soon. Really need you about now.

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MIA

I feel like I’ve been missing in action.

So where exactly have I been? Well, I spent a good two months in home improvement hell. Okay, that might be a bit of an exaggeration – but getting some much needed renovations accomplished while tending to the day-to-day was quite consuming.

Then, I got swept up in the holidays, followed by my daughter’s third birthday. And then most recently, I spent a few days under the weather. Strep throat. Ugh.

Worst part was that my sisters were in town visiting. So, I missed out on some quality time with them. With one in Texas and the other in South Carolina, weekends together are hard to come by. The timing was impeccable.

On the plus side though, my kids got to spend time with their aunts and cousin. There was much Wii to be played. Some snow tubing to be done. And for my daughter, there were dolls and puzzles to be tended to, and the family did not disappoint. At one point, after a session playing with Mr. Potato Head, her doll house, her Little People castle, pretend kitchen and a puzzle, she told one of my sisters, “You’re my best friend.”

Then, the next day while everyone was preparing to head home, my son told me that he had such a good time with them all. “I don’t want them to leave,” he said.

Sure, I may have missed out, but the kids certainly did not.

While we all wish we lived closer together, it just isn’t in the cards. So, for now, we’ll rely on pictures and video to remind our kids of their relatives who are far away. We use Skype when we can to talk with long distance family members. And, of course, Facebook has proven to be a gem in keeping up with each other.

What do you do to help your children stay close to family when they live far away?

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What you need for baby

WellPreparedMommy.com includes a checklist of items to consider buying for baby or adding to your gift registry. What’s important to remember is that it is just a guideline. You certainly don’t need everything on the list. Some items listed are necessities, but others are just nice to haves.

I’ve not included anything on the list that I don’t see value in. For instance, you won’t see a baby wipe warmer listed. I find this to be something absolutely unnecessary. That said, it’s hard in a checklist format to say why certain things are needed or to explain what isn’t a necessity, but might make life a little easier.

Today, let’s take a look at Clothing/Layette.

It’s no surprise that baby will need clothes, and there’s no doubt you’ll end up with more than what’s listed here. This is a good starting point though:

**9-12 bodysuits – People sometimes refer to these as “Onesies,” which is actually the Gerber brand. Lots of other companies sell their own brand, including Carters. What’s great about bodysuits is this… if it’s really hot where you live, baby can stay in just the bodysuit during the day or night (especially if you‘re just hanging around the house). And if it’s cold, these make a great first layer. What to look for: Try to find bodysuits that have a little “give” in the neckline to make it easier to get over baby’s head.

**6-8 “sleep ‘n play” outfits/gowns – “Sleep ‘n play” outfits are one piece as well, but generally with long sleeves and long pants for more coverage than a “bodysuit.” These make for great “leisure wear” for baby. Gowns also make great sleepwear for both baby girls and baby boys. Some parents find overnight diaper changes to be a tad easier with gowns. What to look for: Try to find some sleep ‘n play outfits with snaps and some with zippers to see what you like best.

**4-6 side-snap shirts – These are often easier to get onto baby than bodysuits which you pull over baby’s head. Therefore, some parents prefer these for layering. These often rub less against baby’s belly button so they don’t irritate the umbilical cord stump as much, which sometimes takes a few days or longer to fall off. What to look for: Try to find side-snap shirts with mittens already attached to prevent baby from scratching his or her face.

Since babies grow so fast, you may wish to register for or buy a range of sizes.

**Baby mittens – Even if you find shirts with these already built in, you’ll need another pair or two to keep baby from scratching his or her face when they‘re wearing other items. What to look for: Try to find some with a little elastic that would help hold them on at the wrist. And, honestly, you might find yourself substituting socks. Both my babies were fairly small and the mittens simply wouldn’t stay on their tiny hands so I sometimes used socks.

**Booties/socks – Particularly if it’s cool outside, you’ll want to keep baby’s little tootsies covered. I was never huge on booties, but definitely used a lot of socks.

**2-3 caps – It’s important to keep baby’s head warm. Both my babies were born in the Midwest during cold months so they wore hats a lot those first few weeks. Hospitals generally send baby home with at least one, but it never hurts to have another one or two on standby.

**4-6 receiving blankets/swaddle sets – Babies like to be swaddled so these will likely get a lot of use when baby is sleeping. You can use regular receiving blankets and learn how to do the burrito wrap or buy wraps that are made for just the purpose of swaddling. “Sleep sacks” also work. My daughter would constantly wiggle her way out of a blanket if we wrapped her in it so eventually we moved to a sleep sack to keep her from waking herself in the middle of the night after she freed herself from her blanket.

**Bunting (liner for baby carrier or stroller) for cold weather – Winter is approaching and if baby is due in a colder month, bunting will be helpful in keeping her or him warm when you’re on the go.

As you’ll see, some of these items are not necessary, depending on where you live or when you’re due. For instance, if you live in Florida, you probably won’t have much need for bunting. Or, if you prefer side-snap shirts, you might not buy as many bodysuits.

Then, once you have the clothes, hang on to receipts! You might want to wash some of the clothes and have them ready about a month prior – just in case. But then, leave the tags on some others. Once you start dressing baby, you might find you prefer one particular style over another or you might see that you’ll need larger sizes quicker than you thought you might. Always good to leave room for flexibility!

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Tied to the school’s schedule now

For lots of us, it’s a looong weekend coming up, and if my son hadn’t started kindergarten last week, I’d plan a little getaway. Wanna know why? Because last year, my husband and I realized something that we wished we had known a few years ago.

What we learned was that Labor Day and the days after are fabulous times to vacation because everyone else is in school! Last year, we traveled to Chicago for Labor Day weekend to see some family. On that Monday, we went to Six Flags Great America, where the crowd was way more than manageable. Even better were the crowds at the indoor water resort where we stayed the next couple of nights.

Seriously, when we checked in to the Key Lime Cove that evening, there was hardly anyone around. The next day when we ventured into the waterpark, it was like our own private resort. There couldn’t have been more than 30 people there. The resort staff told us the hotel and park had been at capacity just days before. Of course though, by the time we got there, everyone else was back at school and work.

We had one of the best times ever!

If your kids aren’t school age yet, take advantage of every opportunity to travel while everyone else is hitting the books.

As for my family, we’re tied to the school schedule now, and I guess we‘ll be vacationing with everyone else. Hello, lines. Hello, crowds. Not so nice to meetcha.

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First day of kindergarten

Today was the big day. My little guy started kindergarten. Like so many days when I wish a video camera was running non-stop on my life, this morning was one of them. It never occurred to me to carry my camera into his bedbroom this morning, but I so wish I had.

I made myself comfy on the side of his bed, anticipating it would take a while to wake the little fellow, particularly after the busy few days we had on our “mini vacation.” But I called his name only once and said, “It’s time to get up. It’s your first day of kindergarten.”

He quickly rolled over, pulled the pillow over his head and said, “I’m nervous and I’m scared and I’m not going.”

If I could’ve seen his face, I know there was a smirk on it. A little half smile. That’s just how he is.

So a minute later, he sat up, held his index finger in the air as if to make a great proclamation and said, “I’m nervous and I don’t want to go, but I’m going anyway.” And then he made a mad dash out of his room and downstairs where Dad was waiting to get him breakfast.

His “nervousness” seemed a little more like excitement to us as he raced around, laughing and chatting. He even got his uniform on lickety split.

On the way to school, he made up songs about going to kindergarten, verbally displayed his math skills and told his sister that he would now be at a different school than her.

Once we got there, he skipped across the parking lot and inside the school cafeteria where his class meets in the mornings before heading to their actual classroom. We sat him down at the table with the rest of his classmates and at that point, he didn’t really seem to know what to do. We didn’t really either. Do we stay? Do we go? I kept recalling the advice from the parent who wrote on the Well-Prepared Mommy Facebook page… to not linger on the first day. So, we tried to make our getaway. He ran over to us a couple times before we left to give us more hugs. That was fine with us. We needed them. And then we left.

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One Week and Counting

My little guy starts kindergarten next week. Sigh. The time goes way too fast, and like so many moms before me, I am having a hard time with this.

We went to school this week for an orientation so he could meet his teacher and see his new classroom. That went well, except that Mr. Motor Mouth clammed up and barely said a word. Go figure.

I do love that my son is growing and developing. He’s been doing math problems out loud. He’s starting to read a little. He really understands a lot. And he’s been in a formal “school” setting since he was three months old so I’m not worried in that sense.

But kindergarten is a threshold to a new world where you no longer can limit his exposure to, well, the real world. It’s just different. He’ll be riding the bus in the afternoon, which likely will put him near some older kids – and that really has me worried.

So, while he may be ready to start school, I’m not so sure I am.

I’ll post some updates, including pics, next week of how the first few days go.

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What to pack in your diaper bag

If you get a chance before baby is born, ask your pediatrician about the best time to start taking your baby out and about. If not, just ask during your first office visit, which is generally just a couple days after baby’s birth.

Some doctors will recommend you keep baby at home for 6-8 weeks – not counting the doctor’s visit, of course. Once you get the okay, remember to prepare your diaper bag and take it with you.

A new Well-Prepared Mommy video on YouTube takes a look at some of the items to put in your bag during baby’s first few months.

There’s also a checklist on WellPreparedMommy.com that includes a few items that you’ll need as baby gets a little older, including sippy cups and baby spoons.

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Book update

A few weeks ago, you might recall, I committed to providing you updates on my attempts at a Well-Prepared Mommy book.

I’m excited to say that the proposal has been circulating among some of my colleagues, friends and family members. I’ve sought feedback from a range of folks, including those with and those without children. The feedback I’ve gotten so far has been mostly positive with some fantastic suggestions for enhancing the proposal and, in turn, the book. I plan to complete the proposal by the end of next weekend and have it all ready to go.

The next order of business is to write a sample chapter. I’ve started work on the book’s first chapter and hope to complete it in the next few weeks. During that same period, I’ll be polishing up a query letter to send to agents to, hopefully, secure some interest in the idea.

Keep those fingers crossed, People! :)

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