Oh it is that time of year!!! I LOVE checking into everything going on in the area and exploring with my family. I usually plot out all of the different “to-do’s” in the area and my family hits the festivals and fairs with grins and giggles. I know how overwhelming it can be to try and figure out the good places to go and things to do so I thought it might be helpful to share some fun things going on in the area.
The day I found out my child had a sensory processing disorder (SPD) was the end of our search for answers to her strange and “different” behavior. The silver lining was that we FINALLY had an answer for her terrible tantrums, her OCD tendencies, and her “clingy” personality. Sensory processing disorder is a condition in which the brain has trouble receiving and responding to information that comes in through the senses. … Some people with sensory processing disorder are oversensitive to things in their environment. Common sounds may be painful or overwhelming.
Oh Boy!!!! “Now What?” How could I possibly help my child overcome some of her obstacles when the world was telling me to go in a thousand different directions? After much research and trial and error, I had my go-to toys that truly helped her overcome her SPD obstacles.
A six year old, a 3.5 year old and a 6 month old…
Those are the ages of my three beautiful girls. Those are also the ages of three little ones going to their first amusement park to have yet another new adventure in their short young lives. If you are anything like me, you feel the stress of the trip the day you think up the idea to go on it. What should we pack to eat? Should we pack or buy our food while there? How will the girls do without their naps? What should I pack for snacks? Does the park allow food from the outside? What should the girls wear? What if it rains? etc.
AHHHHHHHH……
I have learned that if you want success in the summertime (assuming you are staying home with your kids OR need some ideas for the afternoon after work and dinner), then you must have an action plan. If want to Read more…
Sibling rivalry…UGH!
It amazes me how much I was wrong. Wrong about how parenting really went, wrong about how simple I believed parenting to be, wrong that I thought our girls would just “get along” without my husband and I intervening….LOTS of wrongs to try to make RIGHT with trial and error. To this day, we are still learning and adapting to a new way of life with 3 girls. Our oldest two are so different…complete opposites. Honestly, I LOVE the fact that they are different from one another and have different interests. That being said, I was unaware of how difficult it would be to mesh the two personalities together and have them get along. For some reason I assumed that the two lovely ladies would magically understand each others differences, love one another and want to spend every waking moment together…BWAHAHAHAHA!!! Being naive as a parent can be one the most beautiful things or, in my case, one of the most detrimental things.
My little bundle of joy is almost 6 months old and I just remembered the doctor telling me that I should be trying cereal or first baby foods between the ages of 4 and 6 months. Oops! So I frantically ran to the grocery store, bought some rice cereal, and mixed it with formula to “try” what I should have already started. What I quickly realized is little Miss Tawny is NOT ready for foods. This started to alarm me and I decided to do some research about baby food readiness. What I found to be the “norm” boils down to 5 characteristics your infant will display letting you know they are ready to move beyond formula and/or breast milk.
Being a mommy can be tough, trying and HARD. Between cleaning the house, getting everyone ready and out the door for school, working, planning and making dinner; finding time for yourself seems far from reach. Been there and done that…and I have learned through trial and error how to carve out time for myself as a busy mom.
It isn’t about squeezing out a minute or two here and there, but more about intentionally making time for YOU. At first, it may seem or even feel selfish to take time just for you but if you neglect yourself for others too long, it starts to break your spirit. Keeping the person (YOU) in tact before “Mommy” is key to successfully feeling like your tank is always full or better yet, overflowing.
Being a mommy of 3 beautiful little girls, you would think that I have this whole “breastfeeding thing” down pat but the truth of the matter is it has all recently just clicked with my last daughter who is now 5 months old. My advice to any new mother…take as many breastfeeding classes that you possibly can. What seems like should come instinctively as a woman/mommy, actually comes with great frustration and angst for some.
As a former teacher, I heard it from parents time and time again…”Why is my child failing or not doing well in (insert subject)?”
My response was always the same…”What have you been doing at home to reinforce what is being taught in school?”
Going on vacation during Spring Break can be what’s on everyone’s minds…but what if it just isn’t in the budget? Or what if you have a 4 month old at home and even thinking about traveling and staying in a hotel…dragging TONS of baby gear, working around naptimes, etc. just doesn’t sound enticing (Ahem…this couldn’t possibly be us right now-LOL)? What is a family to do?
In comes the art of the ‘Stay’cation!