Once upon a time, I was a fully functioning adult. I could remember all sorts of things without a thousand reminders. I never rarely lost my car keys, stored non-refrigerator things in the refrigerator (I’m looking at you TV remote), or forgot how to drive to my house.
Then I got pregnant. And had kids. And never slept. And Mommy brain took over and ruined me. So I owe a few people my sincerest apologies.
***********
Dear Friends,
It’s the time of year – where everyone decides to be grateful and share one thing a day for which they give thanks. And yes, we’re thankful for our health and our kids and our husbands. But let’s face it, there is a whole world of very specific things moms are thankful for.
Sometimes, it’s hard to see the “big picture” when you’re in the middle of yet another load of laundry (and six missing socks). Which makes it even more important for moms to find the little things in life that make them smile.
And while we could go on and on about the tiny joys that make our lives exciting, we’ve narrowed it down to our top thirty things moms are thankful for (well, these two moms, anyways).
When I first sent my son to preschool, he went to a traditional preschool – the kind I remember, and you probably do too! A carpet with letters and spots for each kid to sit. Charts on the wall showing the alphabet, calendar, weather. Super cute crafts for every holiday, with a Pinterest perfect sample of what they would be making that day. But he wasn’t learning his letters. He wasn’t great at sitting. He wasn’t participating in the crafts. So we moved him over to a play-based preschool. And he LOVED it. But everyone else? Well, they thought we were crazy. And I learned there are a LOT of myths about play based education.
Being the delightfully stubborn person I am, I threw myself into learning as much as I could about the educational style that was benefitting my son so very much. Over the next two years, and as I went on to enroll both my daughters in the school, I’ve come up against a lot of concerns and criticisms from people that, frankly, just didn’t know what they were talking about. So if you’re curious about play-based preschool, or wondering why in the world your friend is sending her kids to one, here are some of the myths you may have heard – and hopefully some truths to help clear things up.
Nervous about flying with a toddler? Wondering how to entertain a toddler on a plane? Or worse, how to deal with people on a plane when your toddler cries? DON’T BE! With some airplane prep, prayer and a dash of luck, you can make it to your final destination stress free!
When Cole was a baby, we went on a lot of trips. Before he was a year, he’d flown to Seattle, New York, Baltimore, and Hawaii twice. And generally, it went really well. Then we had Evie, and when she was about 4 months old we decided to try a flight as a family of four. But after a 45 minute flight to Reno, we swore off air travel. It wasn’t for us. We would drive, we would cruise, but there was no way in hell we were getting back on a plane.
Until now.
As a family of 5.
Going across an ocean.
It was time to get strategic. This isn’t a simple toss a baby in an Ergo, bounce and provide snacks type of production. And lots of the tips for road tripping with kids is applicable, but a plane has all. Those. Other. People. So here are plane specific tips for traveling with kids.
Got a hard to-shop-for kiddo on your list? Check out this list of creative gifts for kids who have everything (before you give in and buy them yet another Barbie or Nerf Gun!)
I don’t know about you guys, but we are constantly waging the Battle Against Stuff over here. My kids have all the toys, all the gadgets and gizmos, and so many clothes.
And do you know what they play with most? Rocks and balls and baby dolls, and we’ve got plenty of all of those things already!
But Christmas and birthdays will come around again, and lovely, well-intentioned people will be asking me what the kids want.
So whether you’re a parent, friend, or relative, we know you’re wondering- what’s a creative gift for kids who have everything? Here’s a few of our favorite ideas!