Here are pictures of Makayla and Blaine enjoying their pudding! Children can always find pleasure in the simplest things! :)
Healthy eating during pregnancy
6 years ago
Monday, August 31, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
Two Year Old Tantrums
My son is only 18 months, but he is already going through the terrible two's. If he does not get what he wants he throws an AWFUL fit. You moms know all about it. The head goes back and the kicking and screaming begin. My son will even through himself on the floor! My husband and I often carry him out of places like we are caring a sack of potatoes under our arm, because it is the only way to control him so he doesn't hurt himself. I try not to care what others think, but you should see some of the looks we get when we do this! If we are at home we simply place him in the middle of the floor where he cannot hurt himself and let him finish his tantrum.
I am writing this post to see if any of you have any ideas on dealing with tantrum. My daughters NEVER through fits like this and she was never so violent with her tantrums, for example biting, hitting and scratching. We have thought about time out, but I am not convinced he will know what the time out is for yet. Any help would be appreciated.
Hope you all have a good weekend! Talk with you on Monday!
I am writing this post to see if any of you have any ideas on dealing with tantrum. My daughters NEVER through fits like this and she was never so violent with her tantrums, for example biting, hitting and scratching. We have thought about time out, but I am not convinced he will know what the time out is for yet. Any help would be appreciated.
Hope you all have a good weekend! Talk with you on Monday!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Walt Disney World
This week's Travelin’ Thursday will tackle the big challenge of taking kids to Walt Disney World. We made this trip last December right after Christmas and I spent about 2 months preparing. At the end I'll provide links of a few pages I found helpful.
Let's first talk about packing. I found this on another site, but it was a God sent during our trip. I put each of my children’s clothes into a Ziploc baggie. I labeled each baggie with the date and the child’s name. It was perfect! I just pulled out the baggies for the next day each night when we were so exhausted we couldn't even think and we were ready to go. In addition we had our son with us who was 9 months old. The baggie clothes helped because we were able to through in backup clothes into the backpack easily. Each baggie included a complete set of clothing, bib, outfit, underwear, etc.
Our second "ingenious" idea had to do with food for our son. At the time he was on cereal mixed with formula. We bought the Take and Toss bowls with lids from Wal-Mart. Then we put in the premeasured amount of dry cereal and formula into each bowl. You can find water anywhere, so we would just mix to the consistency that was good for our son when he was ready to eat. It worked out GREAT and made feeding our son so much easier!
Now let’s look at tackling the parks. I first went to the Disney website and figured out which parks had extended hours on which days. We were bound by time and could only spend one day at each park, so I wanted to maximize the time we had at each park. Once I determined which park we were going to on which day, I found the specifics on the park.
I found maps of each park, and researched the Fast Pass, standard wait times, and general flow of the rides in the park. Here is a link that talks about the Fast Pass http://www.kingdommagictravel.com/disneyworld/theme_parks/fastpass.htm.
I put all of this into an Excel spreadsheet with several tabs. Each park had three tabs. One tab had the park map, the next tab had the ride order I thought we should use while at the park, and the final tab a list of places to eat, what they served and rough pricing. I would also note show times and try to work that into the schedule.
I just realized this is a HUGE topic. For the next four Thursday's I will focus in on each park and give my top picks for rides, how to navigate them, and specific links of sites that talk about each park! To finish off here are a few pieces of advice.
1. I would recommend 2 days or more for each park. It is tough to get it all in one day.
2. Get the whole family involved in planning. Figure out what each person wants to do and make sure you make that a priority. There is nothing worse than going and missing out on the one thing someone wanted to do.
3. Even if your child is 5 or 6 years old, be prepared to either bring or rent a stroller. Our daughter was nearly 6 and walking and walking was just too much for her. Plus it gave her a place to take a nap to rejuvenate.
4. Fast Passes are a BLESSING! For those rides where the wait times are crazy, get a Fast Pass. Also if the wait time is not too long right now, but you know you want to ride twice. Leave someone line for the ride and have another person go and get Fast Passes for the rest of the group for a later ride.
5. You can only get another Fast Pass every 15 - 30 minutes, so keep that in mind while you are navigating the park.
6. Use child swap to ride the “grow-up” rides. Don’t miss out on your favorite ride!
Here are a few links:
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/
http://www.mousesavers.com/timeismoney.html
http://www.passporter.com/articles/taking-toddlers-to-walt-disney-world.asp
http://www.passporter.com/articles/toddlers-walt-disney-world.asp
Hope you enjoyed this blog! Got questions...just ask I'd be happy to answer! Have a GREAT Thursday!
Let's first talk about packing. I found this on another site, but it was a God sent during our trip. I put each of my children’s clothes into a Ziploc baggie. I labeled each baggie with the date and the child’s name. It was perfect! I just pulled out the baggies for the next day each night when we were so exhausted we couldn't even think and we were ready to go. In addition we had our son with us who was 9 months old. The baggie clothes helped because we were able to through in backup clothes into the backpack easily. Each baggie included a complete set of clothing, bib, outfit, underwear, etc.
Our second "ingenious" idea had to do with food for our son. At the time he was on cereal mixed with formula. We bought the Take and Toss bowls with lids from Wal-Mart. Then we put in the premeasured amount of dry cereal and formula into each bowl. You can find water anywhere, so we would just mix to the consistency that was good for our son when he was ready to eat. It worked out GREAT and made feeding our son so much easier!
Now let’s look at tackling the parks. I first went to the Disney website and figured out which parks had extended hours on which days. We were bound by time and could only spend one day at each park, so I wanted to maximize the time we had at each park. Once I determined which park we were going to on which day, I found the specifics on the park.
I found maps of each park, and researched the Fast Pass, standard wait times, and general flow of the rides in the park. Here is a link that talks about the Fast Pass http://www.kingdommagictravel.com/disneyworld/theme_parks/fastpass.htm.
I put all of this into an Excel spreadsheet with several tabs. Each park had three tabs. One tab had the park map, the next tab had the ride order I thought we should use while at the park, and the final tab a list of places to eat, what they served and rough pricing. I would also note show times and try to work that into the schedule.
I just realized this is a HUGE topic. For the next four Thursday's I will focus in on each park and give my top picks for rides, how to navigate them, and specific links of sites that talk about each park! To finish off here are a few pieces of advice.
1. I would recommend 2 days or more for each park. It is tough to get it all in one day.
2. Get the whole family involved in planning. Figure out what each person wants to do and make sure you make that a priority. There is nothing worse than going and missing out on the one thing someone wanted to do.
3. Even if your child is 5 or 6 years old, be prepared to either bring or rent a stroller. Our daughter was nearly 6 and walking and walking was just too much for her. Plus it gave her a place to take a nap to rejuvenate.
4. Fast Passes are a BLESSING! For those rides where the wait times are crazy, get a Fast Pass. Also if the wait time is not too long right now, but you know you want to ride twice. Leave someone line for the ride and have another person go and get Fast Passes for the rest of the group for a later ride.
5. You can only get another Fast Pass every 15 - 30 minutes, so keep that in mind while you are navigating the park.
6. Use child swap to ride the “grow-up” rides. Don’t miss out on your favorite ride!
Here are a few links:
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/
http://www.mousesavers.com/timeismoney.html
http://www.passporter.com/articles/taking-toddlers-to-walt-disney-world.asp
http://www.passporter.com/articles/toddlers-walt-disney-world.asp
Hope you enjoyed this blog! Got questions...just ask I'd be happy to answer! Have a GREAT Thursday!
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Why Adopt an Your Next Pet?
This addition of Why Wednesday focuses on the issue of adopting a pet versus buying one from a breeder or pet store. This is a topic very near and dear to my heart as I am very involved with a local sanctuary and see the hundreds of animals neglected and abused. Here is my list of reasons to adopt an animal:
1. Mixed breed animals tend be in better health and have less health issues than pure breeds. This can result in fewer vet bills and a longer time to enjoy your pet.
2. There are TONS and TONS of animals surrendered to shelters and sanctuaries every year. These animals are loving pets that have been left behind by either a required move or an inability to care for the animal.
3. When you adopt you are saving a life! Most shelters are forced to euthanize animals when their space becomes limited.
4. You can choose what age and often the level of training. When you adopt you can pick a puppy or a 5 year old dog who may be leash trained. The options are often endless.
5. Adopting is a BIG cost saving option. Most pure bred puppies cost in the hundreds if not thousands of dollars. Adoption fees are often between $50 and $200 and INCLUDE spay or neuter.
I know some of you are set on having a specific breed, and I can understand that. Please know that most breeds have a rescue of some sort. For example, there is a local rescue in Colorado for Saint Bernards. Check on the internet and see if the breed you want has a rescue and consider going there. Your local shelter may also have that particular breed.
On a personal note my in-laws bought an Old English Sheepdog from a breeder in Canada. Not long after they brought him home, he had to have hip surgery. He wasn’t even 2 years old! The vet told my in-laws that the problem with his hips was most likely due to inbreeding practices. This is a very unfortunate circumstance and an indicator that some people are just in the breeding business for money and have no regard for the animals themselves.
Below is a picture of all of my adopted critters!
For any of you considering a new dog or cat or rabbit or bird or any pet, please make adoption your first option! And as Bob Barker would say, "Help control the pet population. Have your pets spayed or neutered." Hope you are all are having a GREAT week!
1. Mixed breed animals tend be in better health and have less health issues than pure breeds. This can result in fewer vet bills and a longer time to enjoy your pet.
2. There are TONS and TONS of animals surrendered to shelters and sanctuaries every year. These animals are loving pets that have been left behind by either a required move or an inability to care for the animal.
3. When you adopt you are saving a life! Most shelters are forced to euthanize animals when their space becomes limited.
4. You can choose what age and often the level of training. When you adopt you can pick a puppy or a 5 year old dog who may be leash trained. The options are often endless.
5. Adopting is a BIG cost saving option. Most pure bred puppies cost in the hundreds if not thousands of dollars. Adoption fees are often between $50 and $200 and INCLUDE spay or neuter.
I know some of you are set on having a specific breed, and I can understand that. Please know that most breeds have a rescue of some sort. For example, there is a local rescue in Colorado for Saint Bernards. Check on the internet and see if the breed you want has a rescue and consider going there. Your local shelter may also have that particular breed.
On a personal note my in-laws bought an Old English Sheepdog from a breeder in Canada. Not long after they brought him home, he had to have hip surgery. He wasn’t even 2 years old! The vet told my in-laws that the problem with his hips was most likely due to inbreeding practices. This is a very unfortunate circumstance and an indicator that some people are just in the breeding business for money and have no regard for the animals themselves.
Below is a picture of all of my adopted critters!
For any of you considering a new dog or cat or rabbit or bird or any pet, please make adoption your first option! And as Bob Barker would say, "Help control the pet population. Have your pets spayed or neutered." Hope you are all are having a GREAT week!
Monday, August 24, 2009
Mindless Monday (Makayla and Clyde)
I thought I'd start mindless Monday and just provide some of my favorite pics of my kids. Here is one I just love of my daughter Makayla and one of our dogs Clyde. This picture was recently used in a magazine featuring the healing powers of companion animals. Enjoy! Hope you had a good Monday!
Friday, August 21, 2009
Dealing with the Argumentative 6 year old
I am sure that I am not the only one with a 6 year old that thinks every subject is a debate. My daughter Makayla is constantly arguing with my husband and me over even the simplest things. We tell her five more bites at dinner and she says how about three. We tell her to go get her shoes on and she begins a dissertation on why she can't and how long it will take her. We couldn't take it anymore and have instituted the following rule. When she argues with us, she pays us $1.
Please note that Makayla gets money from her grandparents and other family members all the time. At the beginning of this week she had over $60. I say had because since then she has lost $19. I thought we were making progress until she had a total melt down at the restaurant last night and lost $8 at dinner alone along with TV for a week.
She is pretty stubborn, but I think last night let her know we were serious. I'm sure when she has to take the money out of her piggy bank it will hit home. That is what helped the last time. I hope it does because I would like a peaceful weekend.
If any of you reading this have the same issue, I'd love to hear your solutions!
God bless all of you and have a great weekend!
Please note that Makayla gets money from her grandparents and other family members all the time. At the beginning of this week she had over $60. I say had because since then she has lost $19. I thought we were making progress until she had a total melt down at the restaurant last night and lost $8 at dinner alone along with TV for a week.
She is pretty stubborn, but I think last night let her know we were serious. I'm sure when she has to take the money out of her piggy bank it will hit home. That is what helped the last time. I hope it does because I would like a peaceful weekend.
If any of you reading this have the same issue, I'd love to hear your solutions!
God bless all of you and have a great weekend!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Greenville, TN for Travelin' Thursday
So this time I actually got the post put on Thursday. Yea for me! I'd like to feature the small town of Greenville, TN this week for my Travelin' Thursday. You may ask why and so I'll tell you. This is the home of the national historic site for our 17th president Andrew Johnson. As I was driving back to Nashville at the end of my last business trip I stopped to see this WONDERFUL historic site.
There are four key locations to visit at this site. The first is the house that Andrew and he wife lived in before he became president. You are able to walk through the ground level and see in the basement. Across the street is a modern building with a short video about Andrew Johnson's life, a small museum with many artifacts and discussion about his presidency. However, the BEST and most interesting item in this building is the actual shop that Andrew Johnson ran his tailor business. It is absolutely fascinating to see this building just as it was over 100 years ago.
The next stop is Andrew Johnson's home that he lived in before and after his presidency. You are able to tour the ENTIRE house. It is a guided tour and the guides know just about everything there is to know about the Johnson family. The most interesting part about this portion of the tour is that the home was in the Johnson family until around 1950. At the time in which it became a national park the direct descendant of Johnson gave the tours herself!
The final stop at the national park is the national cemetery. It is best to drive to this location and there is some parking near the top. The cemetery is beautiful and Johnson's monument is impressive. I spent several minutes there in complete silence, enjoying the view and the fresh air.
To top it all off, IT IS FREE!!! Even the guided tour! If you are in Tennessee I highly recommend you make time for this stop in your plans. It will take about 2-3 hours to complete the visit. This timeframe also depends on when you get there and when the guided tours are scheduled for. You may need to wait around until the tour starts. For more information visit the website: http://www.nps.gov/ANJO/index.htm
There are four key locations to visit at this site. The first is the house that Andrew and he wife lived in before he became president. You are able to walk through the ground level and see in the basement. Across the street is a modern building with a short video about Andrew Johnson's life, a small museum with many artifacts and discussion about his presidency. However, the BEST and most interesting item in this building is the actual shop that Andrew Johnson ran his tailor business. It is absolutely fascinating to see this building just as it was over 100 years ago.
The next stop is Andrew Johnson's home that he lived in before and after his presidency. You are able to tour the ENTIRE house. It is a guided tour and the guides know just about everything there is to know about the Johnson family. The most interesting part about this portion of the tour is that the home was in the Johnson family until around 1950. At the time in which it became a national park the direct descendant of Johnson gave the tours herself!
The final stop at the national park is the national cemetery. It is best to drive to this location and there is some parking near the top. The cemetery is beautiful and Johnson's monument is impressive. I spent several minutes there in complete silence, enjoying the view and the fresh air.
To top it all off, IT IS FREE!!! Even the guided tour! If you are in Tennessee I highly recommend you make time for this stop in your plans. It will take about 2-3 hours to complete the visit. This timeframe also depends on when you get there and when the guided tours are scheduled for. You may need to wait around until the tour starts. For more information visit the website: http://www.nps.gov/ANJO/index.htm
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