Circus, or is that Drama, Camp
As you may, or may not, be aware, Chloe spent this week at Circus Camp. Since we are homeschoolers, sending her off to a camp where we knew none of the teachers, none of the kids and none of the parents was unchartered territory. Each day Chloe came home with stories about her activities, her
emotions
Chloe has always been a monkey, climbing whatever she can find — support pole in the basement, swingset in the playground, the car. Not surprisingly, going to gymnastics class is of her most favorite things to do. She’s ready to head to class far earlier than she needs to be and forces me out
happy birthday, free range kids
Last year, I wrote that camille and I were less than impressed with the book Free Range Kids by Lenore Skenazy. While that is still true, I find daily inspiration from her blog. I admit it. I am one of those parents. My kids roam freely. I don’t need to know where they are every
looking back
What do you want your kids to remember when they are adults and look back at their childhoods? The other night at the cabin, as the girls giggled and chatted deep into the night, I could feel myself getting more and more upset. Why were they not respecting my need for sleep? Didn’t they know
jeans!
after having resigned myself to never being able to find jeans for the girls, we finally managed to find some with adjustable waistbands! At Target! (At our SuperTarget that will be closing next month….we are not sure what we are going to do once it does….where else can I get cat food, butter, jeans, etc
pizza party
last year, I started a “tradition” of having potluck dinners about once a week. However, our crazy travel schedule soon got in the way. The few weekends that we were all home at the same time were full of errands and chores that were otherwise getting put off. Finally, four months after Rob has returned
innocence of children
are discussions of death appropriate for young children? moreover, what young child has never seen death? is it possible or even appropriate to avoid discussing death with young children? yesterday, I read a facebook comment from a mom who expressed her opinion that she did not want to listen to a kids’ radio station that
personal choices
as a parent, I prefer to have my kids use crayons and colored pencils — not markers. play with simple, wooden toys. you know me. i was the cloth diapering, baby wearing, breastfeeding, birkenstock wearing mom. flash forward to the time past diapers and nursing. to the time when the kids get allowance. not allowance
old friends
or are they new friends? Though we had never met them before yesterday, I’d definitely have to say they are old friends. When I was pregnant with Camille and back home from ICU and the hospital, I was busy reading and learning all I could. With no family and very few friends around, I felt
First Free-Range Children Fear
One of my fears of giving Camille more independence is that she doesn’t “pay attention.” And yesterday that led us to a scary, difficult situation. In the end, all turned out fine, but it did highlight that she (and I) need to practice more. If we are to go separate ways, it is not enough
Free Range Kids – Part II
When we returned home from DC, my amazon package was waiting. I had to finish Percy Jackson before I dove into the Free Range Kids book that I discussed earlier. Camille read it and remarked that the parents in it were just nuts. That should have been a good warning sign that I wasn’t going
free range kids
I haven’t (yet) read the book Free-Range Kids: Giving Our Children the Freedom We Had Without Going Nuts with Worry by Lenore Skenazy, but it is intruiging…the idea that kids should be given a lot more freedom to wander than they are. Much of the time, I don’t give my kids as much freedom as
Listen to Your Buds
On two of my other websites Kids Place Live Fans and Gooney Birds Kids, I recently posted a semi-PSA about a campaign called Listen to Your Buds. This got me thinking. How many kids do listen to their music and too loud, and why? I don’t know, I’m curious. For me, the rule has been
The Stroller
Remember my post about buying a stroller for Chloe. not to play with, but to ride in? Well, last week we took it to DC and it was wonderful. Not all wonderful, of course, but overall, wonderful. I didn’t enjoy having to drag it through security, especially since I am now dragging two laptops with
Too Much Play?
At the grocery store the other day, I heard a mom tell her young daughter “You play too much!” That really got me thinking…what is too much play? Chloe’s homeschooling has been a huge challenge for me the past few months. I started her on the same curricula that Camille had used for first grade
Being a Parent
Lately on our trips to DC, Chloe has refused to go out. This refusal is difficult since the reason we go to DC, besides to see Rob, is to take advantage of all the city has to offer. Chloe does like to go out (not everyday — she’s a homebody), but her tiny little self
Indicative
I say to the girls "10 minutes." Camille responds "ok!" Chloe responds "but I have to finish… " iPhone in hand
Lemonade or Acid?
What’s your outlook on life? Do you make lemonade from lemons? I think, in general, I try to make lemonade. I try not to bemoan “Why Me?” but looks for ways to make something good out of something bad. Camille is like this to an extreme. Something happens, and she manages to find the silver
Two Mommies
Let me first state that we are very open to same-sex couples with children. No problem at all. I came home today from a stressful day of yard sales; stressful only because I was in charge (as neighborhood association president) and did not cancel the event. When the rain poured down, so did my tears.
GBK Gwyneth
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