Months ago, Amanda posted a great peek into her daughter’s beautiful nursery. I was so impressed with how cute and practical it was. Recently, another friend of mine redecorated a room in her house to create a second nursery for her new son (nursery #1 is now her todder son’s bedroom). I was practically drooling at the colors, the theme, and the pristine, matching furniture. This weekend, I read the new People magazine, which featured “Baby Yearbook 2008″, covering celebrity baby lifestyles from fashion to nursery decor. I marveled at J. Lo’s extravagant nursery for her twins, and then imagined what it must be like to have two other houses with two other nurseries decorated exactly the same way (Max & Emme won’t be confused at any of their three homes.)
My reality is altogether different. Here are my true confessions:
- We’re renting a house. This means major decorating is not only restricted, it’s kinda pointless. Therefore, we make do with what we have. And what we have is funny. It’s hilarious watching peoples’ reactions to the wallpaper in my son’s room. Three walls are a masculine, somewhat dark pattern, w
hich is fine. One wall, inexplicably, though, is a repeated pattern of pictures of colonial American buildings. Let me say that again: it’s a repeated pattern of pictures of colonial American buildings. It’s a bit like having a giant, permanent history poster in your bedroom. On the plus side, Eli has a better sense of our country’s past than I ever did at that age. So, bonus!
- The crib bumper is adorable. It’s green, blue, and red, which we bought at Wal-Mart. It doesn’t match the wallpaper, of course, or anything else in the room, for that matter.
- There are no curtains for the window. I wouldn’t even know how to hang them if I had some.
- I find random baby room decor at Target when it’s marked down, and occasionally, I buy it. So Eli’s room has a few animal plaques here, some safari animal clings there, and a wooden sign that says “Thank Heaven for Little Boys” over his window (this sign was a gift, actually). All of this is hung on top of that wallpaper. (Sometimes, if you stare at the walls long enough, you can make out new images, like those old Magic Eyes books.)
- We’ve moved a few times since my kids were born. Therefore, Eli’s room is also our storage/junk room. This is fine for now, since he only uses the room for sleeping. Other than the crib and wall decor, it’s pretty much my dumping ground for extra books, picture frames, and boxes. His closet is our extra storage closet.
- My daughter Lucy’s room is painted blue. Go figure.
- I try to stay away from Pottery Barn Kids, Babies R Us, and other baby specialty shops as much as possible, to keep my envy in check.
As much as I wish I could have a nursery that is airy and bright and serene and precious, with gliding rockers and lullabies playing, it’s just not in the cards for me. And frankly, the kids just don’t even know any better.
Have you got any confessions you’d like to share? Anyone out there in a similar boat?
p.s. I recently painted these letters to add to the decor, and I am pretty proud of them.
This summer, my daughter had the opportunity to play with lots of her friends’ toys, but one of her favorite
s was the water table. She likes dipping her hands in water and playing with sand. On this same day, she couldn’t even be pulled away from the table to take pictures with everyone; she stuck by that table with great determination, as seen on her face.
When I asked the other moms in my playgroup if they liked this toy, they said yes, but one mentioned how she didn’t like the sand. After these pictures were taken, they removed it from the table. Apparently, it attracted bugs.
I recently noticed a water table offered on my local Freecycle, and I wondered if I should go through the trouble of acquiring it. How many of you have water/sand tables? Is it a must-have for your toddler? What inconveniences have you noticed with keeping one? What other toys were indispensible for you this summer?
I think I have a record player, or should I say cd player, implanted in my brain. It causes my voice to repeat things over and over. Does this happen to you too?
I enjoy the tracks where my mouth says things like “I love you”. Things like “we don’t put pillows over the baby’s head”, not so much. When it comes down to it, sometimes I get so tired of repeating the same things over and over, know what I mean?
Things like:
- Stop whining!
- Get off of your brother; He is asking (okay screaming) for you to stop sitting on him.
- Please follow mommy’s directions.
- Will you please stop leaning on me and sit all the way in your chair (at dinner).
- Trowing a fit will not get you what you want.
- Pick up your toys or they will be taken away the next time I come in here and they aren’t picked up.
- We don’t hit in our house, we use our hands to show love.
- Don’t run away from me!
- If you get up from time-out before the timer goes off there will be further consequences.
- Get in your car seat!
- Why are you out of bed?
- Because I asked you to do ________.
- Go to the potty BEFORE any pee-pee gets in your underwear!
I think I might have said all of those things in one day! The trick is to say all of these things in a voice that isn’t angry. And boy does that get hard when I’m tired–or just sick and tired of repeating the same things over annoying behavior. The truth is that I should not be surprised that my children misbehave and don’t do everything they are supposed to do. Shocking, I know. They are kids and they aren’t perfect–just like I am not. But in all honesty, sometimes I wish that they never misbehaved. I have to remind myself that their mistakes are chances for them to grow in their character (mine too) and opportunities for me to show them that I love them despite their misbehavior or bad choices.
Sometimes when the broken record is playing I have flashbacks into my own childhood when my mom would say some of those same things to me. So weird.My hope is that on the days where I am repeating all the “behavior correction” tracks that I can squeeze in the tracks that tell them:
- I love you.
- Let’s have some special play time.
- You are important to me.
- I’m so glad you are mine.
- I love how God made you.
- You are significant.
I once heard that for every criticism you tell a child they need to hear 5 positive things about themselves. That is hard to do some days. I find it too easy to get into the pattern of just correcting behavior and being nitpicky rather than enjoying the day given to me and cherishing the everyday moments with my child. I mean, if I ask one of my kids to put something away and they want to spin in circles instead of walk on the way to putting it away, does it really matter? I’m learning how to let some of those things go so I can spend more time loving on my kids and laughing with them.
What phrases do you find yourself saying over and over again? Is there anything you say now that your parents used to say to you? And tell me your secret about how you speak kindly to your kids when they are whining about wanting to watch TV for the 150th time that day!
I have had really good experiences and one bad experience in the booster seat department, and decided to share these experiences with you! To be fair, I have only “tested” three different seats, so there may be other great options available. I invite you to share what you love/hate about your booster seat in the comment section!
Fisher Price Healthy Care Deluxe Booster Seat
- What do I love about this seat? Almost everything! The price is great – around $25.00, it’s available in stores so you don’t have to wait for it to be shipped, it is very durable, it’s somewhat easy to clean, the pieces all fit in the bottom rack of my dishwasher, it’s portable, the kids like it, and it’s very well made!
- What do I NOT love about this seat? Food crumbs get under the seat and so I do have to VERY regularly (after every meal!) clean underneath and around the chair, and that’s about all I can say negatively about this booster!
- Bottom line? I definitely recommend this to parents looking for a booster seat for their child! It’s affordable, does the job, and is best of all STURDY and well made!
BabySmart Cooshie Booster Seat
- What do I love about this seat? My child can climb into it by herself, it is INCREDIBLY easy to clean my chair without having to unbuckle straps, the booster itself cleans very easily, it’s a super cute color, it’s SIMPLE and does not have unnecessary gadgets, and it’s easily removed when I need the chair for a bigger person.
- What do I NOT love about this seat? The price. After tax, I spent $40.00 on this seat and that’s just too pricey for my everyday shopping. We used some birthday cash Darah received and I don’t know if I would have splurged otherwise. That being said, if I would have known how much I was going to love it, I may have splurged.
- Bottom line? It’s a little pricey for what it is, but if you have $40 just laying around, it is definitely worth it! If not, maybe ask Grandma for one for your child’s next birthday or Christmas! I will say, that as much as I like the Fisher Price booster, this one is DEFINITELY much nicer! This seat is not recommended for any child under the age of 2 1/2.
Safetly 1st Fold N Go Deluxe Care Booster
- What do I love about this seat? Umm…it’s a booster seat, and it’s cheap (selling for $20.00).
- What do I NOT love about this seat? Where do I start? Like I said above, it’s CHEAP! The back of our booster broke off within a few weeks, my daughter’s little teeny peanut size body was too big in it for her to be comfortable, the tray is ridiculously difficult to maneuver, and it lasted about a month before I said “forget it!”
- Bottom line? Don’t waste your money, time, or energy on this product!
I’d love to hear your experiences with booster seats! Please leave a comment!
As I get ready for my daughter’s first day back to preschool tomorrow, I’ve been reflecting on our summer. Living in South Texas means we have not spent the entire summer outdoors soaking up the sun. It means we’ve been inside… A LOT! It’s way too hot here to spend much time outdoors. Neither one of my children are big on sprinklers or the baby pool, so I’ve had to think outside the box a little to fit in their much needed physical activity.
Here’s some ideas for those of you who are looking for indoor alternatives to the backyard jungle gym when it’s too hot, too cold, or too rainy to go outside and play:
Create an indoor obstacle course
- Put masking tape on the floor to create a balance beam, set up cones for your child to kick a ball around, have them circle the table once, and climb through a tunnel. Throw the couch cushions on the floor and tell your child that the floor is a lava pit, so they have to jump from couch cushion to couch cushion to stay out of the hot lava!
Let your child ride their bike inside!
- Well, maybe not your 7 year old’s two wheeler bike, but bring the tricycles, cozy coupes, and other ride on toys (with gentle tires) out. We do not have carpet downstairs and I haven’t seen one scratch on our floors from the ride-on toys.
Indoor Trampoline
- Like this one! We haven’t added this to our family of toys. I lost the “rock, paper, scissors” match with my husband over this. I think my kids would totally love it and it would be awesome for Darah’s gross motor delay. I’m a tad bitter about it and don’t want to talk about it any more. Maybe I can secretly tell Grandma to buy them one for Christmas…
Push Toy Racing
- You know the grocery cart, baby stroller, radio flyer push wagon, and other random push toys you have all around. Create a start and finish line and let the races begin!
Indoor play gym
- Nobody said those backyard play gyms had to go in the backyard. I know plenty of moms who have them inside their playrooms, and they probably get more use out of them than if they were in the backyard!
Little Tikes Slide
- We don’t have enough room for the big playgym, but we do have enough room for a toddler sized slide. My kids LOVE this slide and it stores easily in closets when you want to put it up.
Classic Indoor Games
- You can be conventional in your attempt at facilitating physical activity for your child while staying inside. Games like ring-around-the-rosey, indoor soccer and tag are easy and great exercise for both you and your child! These conventional activities will also be great bonding time for you and your child.
Field Trips to Indoor Play Gyms
- The new thing in our city is indoor play gyms. Right now, they are really hot spots for play dates. Basically, they are giant areas filled with toys, moon bounces, rock walls, etc… for children. I have one near me that is only for children under the age of 5 and the toys are all geared toward smaller children. Check your area for one. They can be pricey, but I have always felt satisfied with my purchase during afternoon nap time. My kids nap extra hard on days we visit these play gyms! Another alternative is heading to your neighborhood Chick-Fil-A!
How have you incorporated physical activity in your child’s day while staying indoors?
