Yea for books! Here are some of our favorites from this month:
8/13/11
Personal Preference
One of the most challenging aspects of being the parent of a two year old is realizing that this little person has his own set of preferences that need to be respected.
At our house that means that t-shirts trump button downs, yogurt has to have blueberries or strawberries, and the Bob the Builder theme song is sung at bedtime.
Thankfully, one of Little E's favorites right now is his "shark show," the Blue Planet documentary.
8/7/11
World Breastfeeding Week: Part 2
This week I meant to post a lot more about breastfeeding, but life happened. While there are lots of things I would like to share, I'm going to wrap up this topic (for now).
To follow up on Part 1, here is an excellent blog post on Sorta Cruchy:
Breastfeeding As Worship
Finally, I'd like to share what I learned from breastfeeding Little E.
The most important and empowering things I learned from an extremely difficult, but ultimately rewarding breastfeeding experience were:
Breastfeeding is about more than the milk. It is also about bonding with a precious child.
and
While breastfeeding is an amazing way to bond, any parent can bond with their baby, regardless of thier ability to breastfeed.
Here are two articles on bonding through breastfeeding:
Breastfeeing Helps Mothers Bond With Babies
Comfort Nursing
To follow up on Part 1, here is an excellent blog post on Sorta Cruchy:
Breastfeeding As Worship
Finally, I'd like to share what I learned from breastfeeding Little E.
The most important and empowering things I learned from an extremely difficult, but ultimately rewarding breastfeeding experience were:
Breastfeeding is about more than the milk. It is also about bonding with a precious child.
and
While breastfeeding is an amazing way to bond, any parent can bond with their baby, regardless of thier ability to breastfeed.
Here are two articles on bonding through breastfeeding:
Breastfeeing Helps Mothers Bond With Babies
Comfort Nursing
8/4/11
Teaching the Toddler: Sensory Activities
One of my favorite things about Montessori is that although you can purchase some beautiful, useful products, you can also do so much for free or at least very close to free!
Little E is very interested in using his senses to discover the world. Here are some of the fun, free sensory activities we did today:
Beans: I poured some dried kidney beans, black beans, pinto beans, and peas into a bowl. I cut off the lid of an egg carton. Wow, easy and Ethan loved it. He tried using a spoon, but preferred his hands. Mommy needs to remember to give Little E something to define his work area (a tray or placemat) because our beans went everywhere!
We went to the park and played in the "river." He kept telling me, "Mom, the river is nice."
At the park we collected sticks, leaves, pinecones, and bark. For the rest of the day Little E kept asking to play with his leaves.
We compared texture, sizes and shapes together and pretended we were trees waving in the wind.
Then I let him play however he wanted. He told us all about the "great big" leaves that were the mommy and daddy and the tiny leaf that was the baby. He made the parent leaves take turns holding the baby, driving it in the "car," feeding it green beans (Little E's favorite food right now), giving it a bath, and putting it to sleep.
Little E is very interested in using his senses to discover the world. Here are some of the fun, free sensory activities we did today:
Beans: I poured some dried kidney beans, black beans, pinto beans, and peas into a bowl. I cut off the lid of an egg carton. Wow, easy and Ethan loved it. He tried using a spoon, but preferred his hands. Mommy needs to remember to give Little E something to define his work area (a tray or placemat) because our beans went everywhere!
We went to the park and played in the "river." He kept telling me, "Mom, the river is nice."
At the park we collected sticks, leaves, pinecones, and bark. For the rest of the day Little E kept asking to play with his leaves.
We compared texture, sizes and shapes together and pretended we were trees waving in the wind.
Then I let him play however he wanted. He told us all about the "great big" leaves that were the mommy and daddy and the tiny leaf that was the baby. He made the parent leaves take turns holding the baby, driving it in the "car," feeding it green beans (Little E's favorite food right now), giving it a bath, and putting it to sleep.
8/3/11
World Breastfeeding Week: Part 1
On Sunday I was sitting in the foyer of our church building watching Little E and over heard a conversation between a woman in her early 20s and a middle aged man with a new baby. The conversation went something like this:
Woman: Where's your wife? Is she here today?
Man: She's pumping some milk for the baby.
Woman: Gross! Don't tell me that.
Man: What's gross?
Woman: I don't want to know what your wife does with her boobs.
Man: But, that's what you'll be doing one day if you have kids.
Woman: Maybe, but I won't talk about it.
That got me thinking about how much work there is to educate people about breastfeeding.
In our congregation women leave the worship service or class and go into a little room if they have to breastfeed. Many pump milk or bring formula if they want to stay in the meetings. I when I was breastfeeding I often chose to wear a cover-up or blanket and stay in the meeting while Little E ate. But I was one of the very few women who did so.
While I can see why some people, especially in a conservative Latter-day Saint area wouldn't want to see women exposing themselves all the time, it seems a little excessive to have to "hide" a normal function of life.
8/2/11
Stories from RS: Episode 4 - Love
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. - 1 John 4:7
In my quest to be more Christlike, I am striving to feel His love more and to share His love more. Unfortunately, I don't feel or act this way as often as I should. But, I am thankful to a loving Father who sends his Spirit to remind me.
I hope you enjoy this program from the Mormon Channel that I found last night:
8/1/11
Etsy Love
While searching for things to add to the boys room, I stumbled upon these great Etsy stores. Enjoy!
Oh, What Do You Do In the Summertime?
My aunt used to have a room in her house she called the "gangrene" room, a place where stuff accumulated and that had no dedicated purpose. Little E's room has become like that:
With Squirm the Second arriving in November I have had a renewed desire to get the boy's room looking more like a kid's room and less like a random place to store junk. In our tiny two bedroom space is at a premium, but I think I can clear most of the things out and make this room look inviting and interesting.
With Squirm the Second arriving in November I have had a renewed desire to get the boy's room looking more like a kid's room and less like a random place to store junk. In our tiny two bedroom space is at a premium, but I think I can clear most of the things out and make this room look inviting and interesting.
After considering lots of cute options for a theme, I think we are going to do woodland animals.
Some of the projects I will be working on:
- Clear enough space for a recliner or armchair for nursing Squirm the Second
- Put up thermal blackout curtains in a chocolate color
- Make a Montessori-style floor bed frame for Little E:
- Refinish the crib with a dark stain
- Number branch like this one, but in the shape of leaves:
- Owl mobile for Squirm the Second's crib:
- Make some cute bedding for the boys
It's a lot to do, but I'm excited to get started!
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