He Isn't A Baby Anymore

The moment a child is born, the mother is also born.  She never existed before.  The woman existed, but the mother, never.  A mother is something absolutely new.  ~Rajneesh

Fifteen years ago, I began an amazing adventure. I became a mother.

It was the most amazing day. I remember every little crazy detail. Getting to the hospital, being nervous and excited all at once. The terrible moment when the baby's heartbeat dropped off the monitor. The fear of being whisked away for a c-section. Being put under thinking about nothing but the safety of our daughter. Yes, the little girl we'd prepared for. Then waking up and finding that we had a son.

Tristen. He was tiny and perfect and ours. I had never felt anything like the rush of emotion I had when they placed that precious bundle in my arms. I knew nothing about babies and was so scared to even take him home. But, home we went and I found out I could be a Mommy. Tristen changed my life for the better. I learned the meaning of unconditional love when I first looked down on that perfect little face.

He is a baby no more. He's not even a little boy. That tiny little person is a young man. He can talk all day about football, paintball, and girls. He's incredibly smart, has the best sense of humor, and an infectious laugh. His personality is a lot like his Dad's and I think he looks a lot like me. He is kind and loving and such a good person. I am more proud of him than I can ever explain. He is an remarkable young man.

Happy Birthday, Tristen. I love you so much and am so proud of the young man you have become.

Deck of Chores Review

Chore time around here can be a nightmare. We've done sticker charts, online programs, and everything in between with little success. It seems that I spend more time trying to get the kids to do their chores than a) it would have taken me to them myself or b) it would have taken them to do them if they were not griping about it. So, when the Homemaker Barbi team was given the chance to review Deck Of Chores, I was thrilled.

I was provided my own Deck Of Chores to review. I must say from a parent's perspective that they are bright, colorful, and have nice illustrations. I would give them two thumbs up for being very child friendly. The idea is to either shuffle the cards and make up your own game to play with them, or just draw cards. Each card has a chore listed on it. Anything that can make chores more appealing is a hit in my book.

The only negative I can see is that my kids were just not that interested. Having tweens in the house, well you never know what they will go for. I had a hunch that the cards would work well for younger kids, so I passed them on to another family. Turns out I was right as their 4 and six year old actually ask to do chores now! So, I give the Deck of Chores two thumbs up for families with young children. In fact, this will probably be a gift to my nieces and nephews this year, since they are all of the age I think the cards would work great for. As a former preschool teacher, I must say a system like this would have been marvelous in the classroom; although not all the chores would apply, the idea is great.

So, I suggest you check out Deck of Chores for yourself. The website is full of useful information and you can order the cards from there. I would love to hear what you think about this product, so come back and let me know.

Back to School Closet Clean Out

Image by criana via Flickr

A few days ago I shared my article about how to determine your child's clothing needs for the upcoming school year. Part of how we did this at my home was by cleaning out the closets. We sorted out things that no longer fit and items that could be worn again this year. This simple act of decluttering can save you some big money.

Once you've cleaned out the closets, really look at the outgrown items you've collected. Are they still in really good shape? If so, you might think about putting them in a consignment shop, a shop like Once Upon a Child where you can trade them in for store credit, or even selling them on Ebay. Selling the kids outgrown clothes on Ebay is how we help pay for their new school clothes every year. There are plenty of resources to help you learn the ins and outs of Ebay if you've never sold before; Ebay Mommy helped me a lot when I got started. If none of those options appeal to you, consider having a garage sale. Gently used children's clothes sell really well at garage sales this time of year. As for the clothes that are too worn, a bit stained, or just better play clothes than school clothes, consider taking them to the emergency clothing closet. They can surely be put to good use there.

By goignt through your closets, you can easily see what you absolutely need to buy for the year and what you can still use. Big items, like winter coats for example, can often last a child more than one year. This way you are not buying clothing that is unnecessary. Plus, by selling the items that are outgrown, you get a little help with all the back to school expenses.

Great Children's DVDs

Have you heard of Sid the Science Kid? He is an adorable little boy who is curious about everything. The best way I can describe him is as sort of computer generated puppet. You can find his show on PBS. I recently was given the opportunity to review two of his dvds, The Big Club and Change Happens. The episodes on the disc explore decay, growing, melting, animal communication, why dirt is dirty, and more. As a parent I was very impressed with how much information was presented in a kid friendly way. All the adults on the show from Teacher Susie to Sid's family, encourage his curiosity and help him learn about whatever his "Big Question" is for the day. I love that they encourage the youngster to explore. These dvds are very educational and fun at the same time! The characters are likable, the stories are presented well, and the songs are too cute!

The Bug Club Episodes

• Hello Doggie
• Home Tweet Home
• The Dirt On Dirt
• Don't Forget The Leaves
  
  

Change Happens Episodes

• My Mushy Banana
• My Shrinking Shoes
• My Ice Pops
• The Perfect Pancake

I also was able to review Dive Olly Dive Ship Shape Sub. He makes me think of Jay Jay or Thomas that my kids loved, but he is so much cooler because he is a submarine. My eight year old told me that by the way, I have no preference between the two modes of transportation. Olly, along with his friends Beth, Skid, Diver Doug, and my favorite Ranger the Cowboy Seahorse, all come together to teach children lessons like listening to others, learning from you mistakes, and more. The animation is great, the stories are well thought out, and the series seems devoted to teaching kids valuable life lessons. I thoroughly enjoyed this dvd and wish the series had been around when my kids were younger.


Ship Shape Sub Episodes

• Haunted Ship Prank
• Less Is More
• Navigation Consternation
• Follow That Lobster
• Don't Tell Beth
  

Since I had no preschool age kids to test these flicks on, I had to borrow some. My testing group was made up of a 6 year old girl, a 5 year old boy, and 2 year old twin girls. They enjoyed all the dvds, but Sid the Science Kid Change Happens was the favorite. I was told by their mom that decay was the topic of the day after they watched it. The little girls loved the music, especially "I'm Looking For My Friends" and would try to imitate the dance that May does. The older kids watched intently, asked lots of questions, then told everyone what they had learned from the show. Mom told me she has never seen all four of them sit and stay interested all the way through a dvd before. Mom gave all three disc an A+ rating.

I whole heartedly agree. As a parent and former daycare provider, I really think these are some of the best children's programs I've ever watched. They truly grab the child's attention and keep it until the end. The kids learn a lot from each episode and have a good time doing it.

I am thrilled to be able to give away all three of these wonderful dvds to one lucky reader!

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Leave a comment telling me you want them.

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This giveaway ends August 4th at 10:00pm CST. One winner will be chosen randomly and will have 3 days to claim their prize. Be sure I have a way to contact you if you win!