I realize I don’t link to other sites that much, but I came across this post and if you have an extra 5 minutes it is worth reading.
Grilled pizza post coming later today…
Category: Kids
Cora and Kit ~ 13 Weeks
Today you are 3 months old. Chubby and smiley, it is hard to believe your first day on this earth looked like this…
When we brought you home, we introduced you to Kit.
April 11, 2009 ~ 9 Days Old
At one month, we dressed you in longer clothes so you would look bigger.
May 2, 2009
At two months
June 2, 2009
Three months old today.
July 2, 2009
Cora and Kit ~ 12 Weeks
We almost have a smile….
Winners of the BornFree Bottles Gift Set
The winners are of the BornFree Bottles Gift Set are:
Here are your random numbers:
10 167
Timestamp: 2009-06-25 02:47:27 UTC
The Diaper Diaries and Jessica!
I am really excited because I met Jill from The Diaper Diaries at Blissdom in February, back before we all knew she was going to have baby #3.
Check your inboxes ladies an email is coming soon!
Cora and Kit ~ 11 Weeks
I cannot believe she was once smaller than Kit!
Notice Cora is sporting some Bum Genius. Cloth diaper update coming soon.
BornFree Bottles Giveaway!
A few weeks ago I was asked if I wanted to try some BornFree bottles for Cora. I was using Dr. Brown’s bottles because I liked the vacuum tube, which reduces fussiness. When I found out BornFree had a similar system, I decided to take them up on their offer.
BornFree bottles are BPA free, which is very important to me as a mom. If you are not familiar with the issues surrounding BPA in plastics here is an excerpt from a Scientific American podcast.
Why should you care? Well, BPA is a component of the polycarbonate plastic in eyeglass lenses and DVDs among other things. And high levels of it have been linked to heart disease, diabetes and liver failure in humans, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association.
In fact, the National Toxicology Program warns that BPA may cause babies to develop abnormally. The Canadian government went so far as to ban it in baby bottles as well as listing it as a toxic substance. But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency maintain that BPA is perfectly safe.
Congress, for its part, is considering banning the substance in some products. In the meantime, note that items made from BPA are typically marked with a number seven. These plastics should never be microwaved or exposed to hot liquids—heat can dissolve BPA into what you’re drinking. Better safe than sorry.
I fall into the better safe than sorry group and am trying to eliminate BPA plastics in our home. Especially ones that touch our food.
Personally I liked the shape of the BornFree bottles as they are short and fat. This means they are less likely to tip in the fridge and with 16 hands reaching in there on a regular basis, bottles tend to get knocked around. They also fit nicely in my cooler bag, which was a problem with the taller Dr. Brown’s bottles.
The BornFree bottles also have one of those, who knows how it works but it does, valve and vent system to reduce vacuum build up and help reduce fussiness. The nipple on the bottles is more natural (sorry, couldn’t think of any other way to describe it), and seems like it would work well for breastfed babies who take an occasional bottle.
Over all, I really like the BornFree bottles. They are easier to take care of and clean compared to the Dr. Brown’s bottles and are dishwasher safe. Cora seemed to like them too. I wanted to get a picture of her using the new bottles, but then I realized I am the main photographer and feeder, hmmmm.
I realize that BornFree bottles are not the cheapest choice, but it is important for me to buy a bottle that reduces fussiness and is BPA free. Everything BornFree makes is BPA free and this weekend all the products on the website ship for free in celebration of Father’s Day. They sell everything from sippy cups to teethers and even glass bottles!
The generous folks at BornFree have gone a step further and are offering two of my readers BornFree gift packs. Included in this gift pack are four bottles and a sippy cup. Even if you don’t have a baby, this would make an awesome baby shower gift! To enter the giveaway leave a comment. For a second entry tweet about this contest and leave a comment. This contest ends Tuesday June 23rd Cora time.
Cora and Kit ~ 10 Weeks
It’s a knock out!
How to Make it Easy for Someone to Watch your Kids
This weekend my husband and I are attending the HEAV convention in Richmond, Virginia. Since we don’t live in Richmond, my mother-in-law is staying at our house to watch the children. Taking care of kids while the parents are away is a tough job, but you can show your appreciation by making it as easy as possible for someone to watch your children.
Here are some tips, a few might be very obvious, but you never know.
Leave your contact information. Cell phone, hotel information, schedule, anything that would help your caregiver get a hold of you whether it be an emergency or just a simple question.
Leave local contact information. While you might have your address and home phone number memorized, your caregiver probably does not. Leaving this information along with the names and numbers of neighbors or close friends will be very helpful in case of an emergency.
Create a schedule that details your children’s day. Do they take naps or watch a specific show at a certain time? Creating a schedule will help your caregiver keep your child in a routine.
Leave a stocked fridge and pantry. I always have meals in the freezer and lots of breakfast and lunch options when I go out of town. This gives your care giver one less thing to worry about while you are gone. You do not want your caregiver to have to haul your 4 kids to the store because you only bought enough milk for 2 days and you are gone for 3.
Speaking of leaving, leave any car seats your children might need and make sure your caregiver knows how to use them. While it is probably unlikely that they will be going anywhere, you don’t want your children improperly buckled or put into the car without their seat.
Leave a Child Medical Consent Form for each child. If you google the words “child medical consent form” you will find tons of options. Some are free, I am not an expert in this area, but it is important that your caregiver has your consent to seek medical treatment for your child in case of an emergency.
Leave a list of guidelines. Are your children allowed to watch television, when is bedtime, can they play outside without supervision? If your caregiver is not familiar with your daily routine this will make watching your kids much easier for them. A list of guidelines means you are setting the rules, not the caregiver and it decreases conflict while you are away.
Leave a clean home and clean laundry. If you leave a mess you will most likely come home to a bigger mess. If you leave a clean house, you will most likely come home to a moderately clean house. Don’t expect your caregiver to clean up a mess you made three days earlier. Clean laundry ensures that everyone will have enough clothes while you are away and no one needs to do laundry while you are gone.
Leave cash. It is always nice to leave some cash for the caregiver to use in case they do need to run to the store, pay the yard guy, or order a pizza because the oven broke in the middle of dinner.
Lower your expectations. It is okay if your caregiver does things a little bit differently than you do. The kids might stay up a few minutes past their bedtimes or get a little dessert after dinner, accept it. ( I am not talking about a caregiver that provides regular care for your children) If you are like me, there are two reasons you have someone watching your children, either you are in labor or at a homeschool convention. So, cut your caregiver some slack and remember that your kids will survive even if they eat hot dogs for lunch and dinner while you are gone.
Note: This post applies to planned getaways. I realize there will be emergencies in which you will not be able to do many of these things. In those situations I am always thankful to those who have been able and willing to help out with the kids, whether it be for a few hours, or several weeks. (Thanks Mom!)
Cora and Kit ~ 9 Weeks
Time is flying…
Explore Your City this Summer
This week’s Works for Me Wednesday is the Mom I’m Bored edition. I chuckled when I read this because my kids rarely say those words. When those words are uttered from a Happy child, chores are almost immediately assigned. My kids know better than to claim boredom, because cleaning soon follows.
Since we move every 2 to 3 years we try to explore our local area during that time. I kind of see it as a 2 year vacation to different spots around the United States (and overseas). Even if you have lived in the same place your entire life I am sure there are places you have not discovered, or at least your kids haven’t visited them yet. Why not make a list (with the help of your children) of all the places you would like to visit this summer? Then you can spend one day a week, or more checking out your local area.
Most cities have many free, or almost free events, especially in the summer. A quick search on swagbucks provided many free ideas for my local area. For example did you know that the service bands give FREE concerts almost every night of the week in Washington, D.C.? If you don’t feel like driving into the city, Allen Pond Park in Bowie also runs a free concert series over the summer. Another great resource for finding fun, kid approved activities in your area is the Kids Love Travel
Here is the plan. Next week the kids and I will make a list of every place we would like to visit in our area. Then working from the list we will try to visit one place each week. Since our summer is about 10 weeks long that means at least 10 new places we have discovered in the greater D.C. area.
Since I am a homeschooling mom and I just can’t resist turning everything into a school project my kids will also “review” the places we visit. I have one child who loves to take photos so he will be our official trip photographer. The kids will have fun and lea at the same time!
I tried this technique a few months ago and the kids didn’t mind writing and taking pictures of their adventure. Below is their opinion on the National Wildlife Refuge.
From my reluctant writer:
The center was really cool. I liked the tram ride the second most. The coolest thing was the animals in the glass walls. The center is a great place to go if you’ve never seen a beaver dam, turtles, and/ or eagles. So you should go MOM, it is cool, trust me. I mean please go mom. 🙂
From my child currently going through IEW.
On Sunday, April 19th, my dad took me and five of my siblings to visit the National Wildlife Refuge. Riding a tram around the grounds, we learned about some of the animals that inhabit the refuge. While the area was pretty, it would have been prettier still if we had gone later in Spring, when more of the plants had grown their leaves back. The visitor’s building had even more information about the creatures that live in the refuge. Eagerly, we felt the skins of animals such as rabbit, opossum, fox and otter. The refuge also had an auditorium where they were showing a movie on wetland wildlife.
The National Wildlife Refuge is a fantastic place to learn about endangered wildlife. Throughout the visitor’s center, there are numerous informative exhibits. Because it is a child-friendly place, there are many hands-on activities. Someday I would love to return with my family.
Photographs from my 12 year old.
The National Wildlife Refuge Center is free, but the tram ride costs $3 for adults and $1 for children under 12.
Between day trips and cleaning out my entire house my summer seems full already. What are your summer plans?