The Sunday Post ~ Fridge Farm Review

This little toy is a winner in our house. It's a magnetic barn that allows your child to mix and match barnyard animals. Pressing on the animals plays their noises, tell you facts about them and sings silly songs about the animals. Another button plays a variety of classic American folk songs.

This toy is great for just playing with magnets, but also is a great learning tool. All of the pieces are magnetic, so you can play right on your fridge door with the different animal parts, mixing and matching. Each animal is a different bright color and the talking portion of the toy tells you the color of each animal.

"Purple cow, orange horse, yellow duck..."

You don't need a fridge to play with the farm. The magnetic pieces stick to the inside of the barn and it has a handy handle for carrying it around. However, it doesn't have a carrying case and since it has so many pieces, it's not the easiest to move from place to place. But it's great right on the fridge, so there's no need to carry it around.

The pieces are difficult for very young children to stick in the barn, but they are shaped specifically for kids to learn how to properly insert them so that the pieces will talk and sing.

Personally, I love this toy. It keeps my kid entertained while I'm cooking dinner. If he gets bored, I just press the music button and we sing along to the old folk songs. He loves it too. Every time we walk in the kitchen he goes straight for it and dances along to the music and calls out the colors.

It's the perfect combination of play and learn. And since the pieces all stick to the fridge, there's never any clean up!

Check out the product.

How To Camp With A Baby/Toddler

I have done it and you can too! With a little planning and an adventurous spirit, you favorite bundle can go anywhere you go.

Plan Ahead! Where will he sleep? What will he eat? How will he play? How will he bathe?

Sleeping:
~ I can't say enough good stuff about the Go Crib. It's lightweight. It's compact. And it's a breeze to set up (aka inflate). Whatever you choose, make sure to bring a portable crib or pack'n'play with you.
~ Pack more blankets and sheets than you need. You never know when little one may have an accident or the weather may turn cold. I always pack a few extra.
~ Bring a selection of favorite luvies. Just because you're in the woods doesn't mean he can't have his favorite teddy. It will make him feel more at home.
~ Bring battery powered fans and nightlight. REI sells a combo fan and light. We have two. For hot afternoons the tent might be broiling. We sit the two hanging fans on the floor of the tent next to the Go Crib to keep our lil guy cool. Then we hang them from the ceiling for the nightlight when it gets dark.

Lessons I've learned:
~ Tents are bright and hot. Vent your tent well. And expect some trouble getting to bed on time unless little one is used to sleeping in bright light.
~ Cold weather woes. Bring flannels and lots of blankets if it's going to be cold. Let him sleep in his jacket if you have to. I even put my little guy in the sleeping bag with me one night when it got below freezing.
~ Hot weather woes. I always bring shade with me and I check the weather before I go. It's never a good idea to take your little one out into excessive heat. Just be smart.
~ Always be prepared for weather changes. It might be hot hot hot in the afternoon and chilly at night. Pack for both, regardless of the forecast. Better to be prepared than to have a fussy baby.


Eating:
~ Have a way for your little one to sit at a "table" to eat. As a baby I brought a stroller that had an eating tray. It worked great for meals. As a toddler he can sit with relative ease at the picnic table for meals.
~ Buy individual milks and freeze them before you go. This will keep them fresh and cold as the cooler starts to warm up on your trip. Or, if you're using formula, portion out each bottle and bring it with you with bottled water ready to go. Remember to always bring extra in case one spills or you end up out longer than expected. TommeeTippee makes a great bottle system with formula containers that drop into the bottle for on-the-go carrying.
~ Pack lots of non-perishable snacks to bring with you, including fruit.
~ Make sandwiches to take and keep cool so you can eat lunch in a hurry without having to prep the fire and make all of the food. Lunch comes up fast when you're camping.
~ Bring cereal for breakfast. Keep it simple and avoid having to cook for the breakfast meal.


Lessons I've learned:
~ Having lots of healthy snacks on hand is the best way to go. Your little one is going to get off schedule quick, so having food you can give him immediately will keep him happy and you relaxed.
~ Disposable is always better. Having cleaned formula bottles at a campsite, avoid having to do this if possible. Same goes for plates and spoons. And that way you can ensure the item is clean and ready to use.




Playing:
~ Pack a blanket and a bag of toys. Have a variety of toys. The blanket is to lay on the grass so your little one has somewhere to play. This works from sitter to toddler. It keeps them clean and gives the older kids a home base to play.
~ Bring the Go Crib out of the tent and put it in the shade so your little one can play outside but contained.
~ Bring your own shade. Some campgrounds have very little shade. Bring a shade tent, giant tarp, or beach umbrella so little one has shade to play in during the day. We don't want sunburned babies!
~ Make sure to include activities that involve the campground or surrounding sites. You both will love getting out and away from the tent.


Lessons I've learned:
~ Plastic is best. Pick toys that are easy to rinse and clean.
~ Pack a few favorite luvies, but leave the rest at home. And make sure they stay in the crib and don't wander around the campground. You'll both be very unhappy if his favorite luvie gets lost.
~ Don't bring toys with lots of small pieces. They are easy to lose and then the set is no longer complete. Instead, bring variety but keep it simple.
~ Avoid battery-operated. The other campers are out to enjoy nature, not hear "Oh, Susanna!" 500 times. It's a good break for you too from the singing/blinking toys.



Getting there:
~ Pack lots of food and toys for the car.
~ Take breaks to get out, but if you're going 5 hours or less I recommend only 1 break ~ the kid won't want to get back in the car so don't let that become an issue. Just don't stop.



Lessons I've learned:
~ French fries cure lots of car ride ills. It's vacation, splurge a little and let him have some fries to keep him happy.
~ Mountains plus a 6 month old are a bad mix. If your ears pop more than once going up and down the mountain, you're sure to hear lots of screaming the whole way. Pick a campground that doesn't require driving over the mountains.




Most of all, have fun!


Questions?
We camp a lot with our lil guy. If you have a question about camping with small people, feel free to email me or comment here.

July 12, 2012 ~ Goodnight Ship

Grandpop has never seen Billy bedtime ritual (du jour), so I let him follow Billy around the house for the "goodnights".

"Goodnight ship!" "Goodnight girl!" "Goodnight ship!" (a different ship). Goodnight girl! (a different girl). "Goodnight clock!" "Goodnight boat!"

He walks around to every painting and wall hanging, like the wall clock, and says goodnight to each one before bed. He made up this routine and he likes it. This all comes out of his boat obsession. He feels the need to personally say goodnight to every ship/boat painting in the house. There are 5- six if you count a picture with a small boat in the back, and seven if you count the ship model in the living room that he wishes goodnight as well.

I always thought Goodnight Moon was silly. But the book has it right as far as a toddler is concerned.

"Goodnight stars. Goodnight air. Goodnight noises everywhere."

July 11, 2012 ~ Big Bonk

After dinner we were playing outside and I suggested that we go for a walk to burn off some energy before bed. Billy loves walks. This is a winning plan in his mind. So, we sent our guest inside to collect her shoes.

While we were waiting Billy decided to clean up his toys. We have a bunch of pool/tub toys outside that we keep in a yaffa block. You remember those from dorm rooms, right? That's where this one is from- my college dorm room. He was walking around picking up all of his toys and putting them in the box. Without prompting. Woohoo!

He got to the last toy and went to put it in the box and... tripped and fell head first into the box.

Bang! Bonk!

Immediate screaming, and definitely deserved. He has a big old bruise over one eyebrow where he smashed into the plastic corner. Lucky for him, he only fell about a foot and landed on plastic and not something harder. He's definitely going to have quite a shiner, but it could have been a lot worse. No blood even.

But it was definitely a big bonk.

July 10, 2012 ~ First Taco

There comes a time in a man's life when he has to try a taco. Today was that day.

Imagine a bowl full of foody mess. Okay, okay... it was a taco salad. What do you want from a one-year-old? He was presented with his bowl of taco salad and was inquisitive but unsure. I can't blame him. Taco salads are sloppy and messy and oh-so-yummy.

I gave him a fork and a spoon so he could choose his method of attack. He opted to double fist, using one to scrape food onto the other. Didn't matter which.

Immediately he ruled out the lettuce. I didn't think he would eat it, but Daddy insisted. Billy was not a fan. That's ok, he's got plenty of years to eat rabbit food. Onions and tomatoes were iffy too. He'd only eat them concealed under cheesy sour cream goo.

But let's get to the good stuff. He shoveled the meat with cheese and sour cream. His verdict? Yum. His word, not mine.

And so, presented with his challenge, he met that taco face first and came away with a taco-y face to prove it.

July 9, 2012 ~ Boats, Boats & More Boats!

Billy was very lucky that Grandma invited him over this weekend to see all of the boats. And he was even luckier to be treated to his first ever motor boat ride, and the fastest boat ride he's ever been on. (thanks to g. aunt and g. uncle for the ride!)

So, he's got boats on the brain.

After school we went outside. Always outside.

"Mommy, walk?"

"No walk." I'm pooped. It's too hot even with a break in the weather for walking around outside (read pushing him on his trike and then carrying him up a hill).

So, he came over and grabbed my hand.

"Mommy, walk?"

"Where do you want to go?" I asked. He obviously had something in mind.

"Mommy, walk...boats?"

I laughed. There are no boats in our neighborhood. I haven't even seen a boat on a trailer. No boats to look at, besides the multitude of boat pictures decorating our walks.

"No, Billy. There are no boats."

"Mommy, walk...boats?"

"Billy, we left all of the boats at the water. There aren't any."

The thought seriously about this for a minute.

"Mommy, walk...ship?"

July 8, 2012 ~ Cookie, Please?

This morning when I got up Daddy was giving Billy his breakfast. Daddy had just given Billy a cookie for breakfast. Not just any cookie... a Berger's cookie.

(These are Daddy's kryptonite. He can't resist them. It's his weakness. Ok, they are super yummy and summer isn't the same without them. And if you don't know what they are, heaven in cookie form is good description. A shortbread cookie with 2 tablespoons of fudge on top? YUM!)

So, Billy ate his cookie and then said, with his best puppy-dog face:

"More cakey puh-leeeease!"

He calls cookies "cakeys". Surprisingly, not that far off the mark...

Well, it was so cute Daddy couldn't resist and split a cookie with Billy. Billy gobbled it up and repeated:

"More cakey puh-leeeease!"

Well, cuteness doesn't mean ruining your breakfast. Mommy had to step in and say no more cookies. Billy was confused.

"All gone? Where go?"

So Daddy told him that Buddy ate all of the cookies. (Which is not true and never feed chocolate to a dog. Even if I did have a dog long ago that ate an entire box of these cookies by herself and the ran up the wall to the ceiling and bounced for two days.)

Billy was sad for a second and then nommed on his cheerios and melon. But by the end of his actual breakfast he was really hankering for another piece of cookie.

"Cakey? Please?"

"No more cookies," we both chimed in.

Then Billy pointed an incriminating finger at Buddy. "All gone," he accused. "Buddy, no, no. All gone." He wagged his finger and gave Buddy his best serious face.

Poor Buddy, guilty of being innocent.

Product Review ~ Little Tikes 3-1 Trike

This trike may have been one of the best investments we've made so far in the toy department.

We bought it for our son's first birthday. At first, we used it with the solid harness with the seat belt and sun shade. But we found that to be a bit clunky. So we removed it soon after and have been using it with the handle.

He loves to go for bike rides, which consist of me walking and pushing the bike around.ut he feels like he's in the drivers seat and gets to hold on to the handle bars and put his feet on the pedals.

We call it the Green Piece of Awesome because it really is.

The model here has lights and sounds, but ours does not come with that feature.

http://compare.ebay.com/like/271010284224?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar&_lwgsi=y&cbt=y

Here's this year's model in blue:
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12288910


My only complaints are that the handle is loose from wear and cannot be fixed at this point. But we've used it a lot and wear and tear will do that to any toy. We have also had a problem with our son dislodging the bucket in the back. He pushes down on it and it pops off, resulting in bumps and bruises. The bucket snaps on, so enough force will cause it to snap off. It's only a hazard with an industrious child.

All in all this is the only toy that our son will consistently ask to play with day in and day out. Whether I'm pushing him around, or he's pushing Pooh Bear around, it's definitely a favorite.

And it's a lot more fun than a simple stroller!

July 6, 2012 ~ Spider On Your Nose!

We sat to watch the storms... nature's fireworks... and Billy invented a new game.

Spider On Your Nose!

He pinched his fingers together and wiggled them and came after my nose singsonging "Pie-duh! Pie-duh! Pie-duh!" I did it back to him and he giggled.

The whole storm he "Spider On Your Nosed" between lightning strikes.

He even joked with me about "No Mommy, no pie-duh." and then would stick his hand back on my nose and say, "yes pie-duh!"

This is the first game that I know of where he pretended like this and named it. I'm going to Mommy-tout and be proud of this developmental leap, minor as it is.

Better watch out... there's a Spider On Your Nose!

July 4, 2012 ~ Happy Birthday, USA!

I apologize for having to post a day late on this, but I wanted to include photos.

Billy had a big day on the 4th. His friend Cub came to visit. They started the day off with an early morning canoe ride.

And when I say early, I mean early. They went on a nature canoe. Cub and Billy got to see all kinds of wildlife. Fish, birds, bugs. And let's not forget the boats. Lots of boars.

After breakfast we headed out for a morning swim. Sorry, no pics. My camera isn't waterproof. Well, anyways, Billy decided to break out No Fear Billy. He was sitting on the second step in the pool, bouncing up and down so that his head was popping in and out of the water. He had no problem holding his breath doing this, and giggled every time he popped out. And when he got water in his mouth? No problem, just spit that yucky pool water out. Cub even showed him how to kick and Billy started acting like a pro-swimmer in the making. Not quite ready for the Olympics. Maybe the baby Olympics.

After lunch and a quick nap it was off to the parade. I helped decorate the cousins' float, but Billy is still a little small for riding in the parade, so we opted to watch instead. Here come the cousins!

Billy loved the parade. Especially the old fire truck. It's red. And a truck. And it's a red truck. There were old cars and Godzilla and the royal wedding showed up too. But mostly there was a red fire truck. With it's sirens on.

After the parade and the post-parade festivities, we headed back for some quiet time. Read: all of the adults except for myself ended up falling asleep, so I popped on some cartoons and plunked the boys down in front of some good, ole PBS broadcasting. Besides, it was hotter than Hades outside, so some time in the air conditioning was awesome.

And at this point it was time to cook dinner and force Billy into a second nap. He didn't want to go, but since he only got a half-nap before the parade, and needed to stay up late for the main event, he was going to sleep come hell or high water. We had quite a discussion for over an hour about sleeping, but finally he relented and went to bed. Finally.

That gets us to a lovely dinner that the dads cooked up for us on the grill. It was tasty, yummy and all of those adjectives.

But really, it's about the main event. The FIREWORKS!!!

Ok, now I realize that small people and loud explosives aren't usually a good mix. But last year we went with Cub to a concert with fireworks. We ended up next to the cannons. So when the 1812 Overture started...BOOM! He was a little freaked, but never cried.

Commence this year:

Well, we headed down at dusk. We had to park and ride the bus to get to the fireworks. Only, the bus was having issues because of all of the traffic. Golf cart traffic. No really. So, Bill, the golf course attendant, kindly picked us up in his golf course lawn truck. I can't describe it right- smaller than a pick-up, larger than a golf cart, designed with no windshield and green. Well, Billy got to ride in the back with us and a few other people, while Cub rode with his Mommy up in the windy front seat. Zoom! Away we went through the maze of golf carts down the rode and to the fireworks.

It was just getting dark when we laid our blanket out on a nice patch of sand. The dads went to fetch some beverages while we Mommies took the boys down to the water's edge. There were fireworks going off all up and down the bay. Billy and Cub took their shoes off and stuck their toes in the water. They were thrilled.

And then I turned around and we were in Tangled. There on the beach some people were lighting a fire balloon, just like in the movie. We turned the boys around just in time to watch it gently glide into the air and float out over the bay. I have never seen one in real life. It was super cool.

So, by then it was extra dark. We pulled up spots on the blankets and prepared, the boys on their respective Mommy's laps.

"Americans like to celebrate their country by blowing up a small piece of it."

Yep. Suddenly a firework burst overhead. Ooh. Aah.

Billy clapped at them. "Whoa!" he said with the good ones. And he alternately called out the colors, "Blue! Yellow! Blue! Yellow!" It didn't matter what color they actually were. They were alternately blue or yellow.

Then he realized that Cub was scared. Now, Cub is older and much bigger. But Billy is brave and he was not afraid. Cub's Mommy was covering his ears to protect him from the noise. So, Billy got out of my lap and went to sit beside Cub to comfort him. He also placed his hands over Cub's ears to make him feel better.

After awhile when Cub seemed to be okay, Billy wandered back over to me. He then became truly distressed that so many people were sleeping. I mean really, who sleeps through awesomeness??? Well, it was really just people laying down on the beach to look up at the fireworks, but Billy didn't recognize the difference and he was very upset at people missing all of the hubbub.

Of course, in true toddler style he actually got bored with the fireworks. Enough already. Blue, yellow, blue, yellow... I got it. I had to cajole him into sitting still. Then, a giant pregnant pause. Okay adults, you know what that means.

KABOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!



And then it was over. Cub asked me why we shot off fireworks.

"Because today is America's birthday and we're celebrating. That's how we wish our country 'Happy Birthday.'"

So ends the tale of the Fourth.

Drawn In Thursdays: Billy and Cub #1

Click to Enlarge

Posting Postponed!

I'd like to include photos in the post about the 4th, so I'm going to hold off posting about it until tonight when I am able to get the pictures uploaded.

Check back today for Drawn In and check in tonight for the post about the 4th.

Thanks!

Programming Note

Drawn In Thursdays will appear on Friday again this week, since Wednesday night is the 4th of July and I'll be posting about that instead of the webcomic. Please look for Drawn In on Friday.

Happy 4th of July!

July 3, 2012 ~ How To Eat Chicken ~ The Billy Method

Well, today at daycare he cried because I didn't send any yogurt. I'm not exactly sure why the tears today. I haven't sent yogurt in close to a month. Mostly because I forgot to buy new yogurt when I was at the store, not because I'm changing his diet.

So, after school we ran to the store to buy yogurt and I picked up dinner while I was there.

We got home and Billy was starving. Par for the course with him and the grocery store. It's kind of like "water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink" for him. I ALWAYS bring snacks with me to the store for him. We won't survive otherwise.

So, I sat him down to a nice plate of chicken with peas, a cup of blueberry yogurt and a big boy cup of milk. This, by the way, was the first time he ever had milk from a big boy cup. You know what? He didn't spill it! Put a win in the Mommy column!

Well, the yogurt being the thing he was craving today was, of course, the first thing he went for. I always give him two spoons with yogurt. Otherwise he ends up with yogurt from head to toe. He double-fists his yogurt, so it's two spoons or the hands are going in the cup too. But, eventually he gave up on the spoons and shoved his hands into the cup anyway. Then he realized that there were these blue things in the yogurt. Uh oh.

"Melon?"

"No, honey. Those are blueberries."

"No melon?"

I didn't have any melon. Oops. So, he plucked out each and every blueberry from the yogurt and handed each and every blueberry to me for disposal. You know, they weren't melon. They had to go.

Then it was on to the drumstick. Clearly, the way to eat a drumstick is bone end first. We had a minor argument about the fact that you can't eat the bone. Maybe I should have picked the chicken for him. But where's the fun in that? Drumsticks were my favorite as a kid and I am bound and determined to make him eat them.

He took one bite. Chewed it awhile. Spit it out. Yucky.

Me? I would just not eat the chicken if I didn't want it. What did Billy do? Well, if it doesn't taste good as chicken then eat it another way!

Billy opted to dip his chicken into the blueberry yogurt. Then he covered the yogurty end in cheerios and peas and nommed away. Eating chicken ~ the Billy Method.

He offered me some, but you know, I just had to pass. Saving it all for him.

July 2, 2012 ~ Water, Water Everywhere!

Ok, so a month ago when Billy tried out the pool for the first time this year he hated it. No really. I mean, he loves to be down by the pool, just not in the pool. I could live with this. A healthy dose of fear of the water? Yeah, I can definitely deal.

Scratch that.

Billy is in love with water. Maybe because it's outside? I don't know.

We took Billy down to the river for the first time this year. Buddy joined in for the watery fun. That's Buddy's green Wubba in the background, which Billy thought was most excellent for throwing to Buddy. Who doesn't love to see dogs swimming? Especially Buddy. He waddles when he swims. I don't know how he manages this but it's a definite waddle. And combined with the poofy hair that seems to become a balloon around him...well, it's humorous. Billy thinks so.

Billy couldn't get enough of the river. He had to go in several times. And Mommy had to get in. Every time. But he had a blast and now has no fear of the water.

We even went to the pool.

And that would be No Fear Billy jumping into the water from the top step. Yup. He thinks he's a fish. He thinks he's Nemo. Well, he does have Nemo on his swim diapers... He actually tried to breathe water while sitting on the step. That didn't work out so well, you know, not being a fish and all. But he didn't care. Jumping into the water was super fun.

I think this new love of the water has to be related to the river. Wait! I'll prove it:

This picture is from a year ago. The river was his favorite place to be last summer. I can't blame him.

July 1, 2012 ~ Outside???

First, I would like to apologize for a late post. Couldn't get internet connection last night... ah the trials and tribulations of technology...

Billy is a broken record. Outside? Outside, Mommy? Outside? Well, who wants to be inside when you can live outside in a tent? We didn't go camping this weekend, but since he now knows that you can live outside, why would you want to do otherwise?

He is also now hopelessly obsessed with boats. Mommy, big boat. Outside? AKA let's go outside and look at the boats.

Anything to go outside. Doesn't matter if it's raining, windy, dark, hot or any other inclement weather. Let's go outside.

Billy, do you want to eat dinner?
Outside?
No, at the table.
Uh...no. Outside? Outside, Mommy. Outside!

The SUnday Post ~ Ten Years

It's hard to believe but I am on my way to my ten year reunion...from college. My how things change in a course of a decade.

Ten years ago I was a starry-eyed artist hoping to make my way into the advertising industry and planning to move to Philly or NYC to do it. Since then I have lost important people in my life and gained new ones. I got married, started a family and found a Buddy. We bought a house and now I have years of advertising experience under my belt.

Ten years ago 9/11 was still fresh in our minds and not even a year past. The world was changing but full of possibilities for me.

I wonder what another ten years will bring. In ten years Billy will be 11. What will his world be like?

June 29, 2012 ~ Who's the Boss?

Move over Tony Danza... there's a new boss in town. (Does anyone even remember the reference?)

Daddy: Billy, who's the boss?
Billy: Daddy!

Yep. I tried to convince Daddy who the real boss is (me!) but he's convinced that Daddy is the boss. Daddy didn't een teach him that and Billy doesn't know what it means, but he's sure Daddy is it. Ok, we'll let Daddy get away with it... this time!


Sorry for the late post. Between a bottle of wine and a raging storm I never made it to the computer.

Drawn In Thursdays: On Friday??? What the Fudge?

Click to Enlarge

Sorry to be a day late and a dollar short, but a sick kiddo takes precedent over a webcomic.

June 27, 2012 ~ First Jump

Leave it to Billy to prevent a yucky sickness from keeping him down-literally.

He loves to run around singing "up and down, up and down" while skip-hopping. He keeps trying to jump, but it ends up being a weird flailing of happy limbs without ever leaving the ground. But those days of super silly flailing Billy are over. He can jump.

And just to prove it to you, he did it twice for me this morning and again this afternoon for Daddy. Yep, he's my lil hopper. On  the mend and on the up and up. Pun intended.