Solution to the Door Dilemma

It's been a little while!  We enjoyed our long weekend, celebrating both Valentine's Day and Family Day.  We kept our weekend pretty low key; I was pretty under the weather for most of it, but certainly did enjoy some family time.

When I was thinking about what to write today, I decided to share a recent "innovation" I've had to help keep Little Smiling Man safe while keeping my sanity in check.  A few months ago, Mini Muffin learnt how to open doors.  She had been closing doors for a while, but being able to open them as well was a complete game changer!  Now, she enjoys asking for "privacy" and coming and going as she pleases.  She also loves that now that Little Smiling Man is mobile, he can follow or sometimes even chase her.  Sometimes, we close the gate at the top of the stairs, and the kids free range between the hallway and bedrooms while I do laundry, change bedding, etc.  In general it wasn't a big deal - until the door opening situation developed.  Now, it is very common for Mini Muffin to run down the hall ahead of her brother and slam her bedroom door (Mama cringes).  Twenty seconds later, the door opens so that she can check to see if her brother is at her door, and when she sees that he is, she slams the door again (Mama cringes again).  Twenty seconds later, repeat, and so on.  The door slamming has been driving me crazy.  But, beyond my nerves, I'm scared for Little Smiling Man's fingers!  I'm afraid they'll be caught in the door, or worse on the hinge side.

A quick survey of Google told me to get a pool noodle, cut it into foot long pieces with a lengthwise slit.  That way, it would fit across the top of the door, and the door would be unable to close.  Well, funnily enough, pool noodles are in pretty short supply in February. 

So, one day last week as I was folding laundry and found myself yelling that Mini Muffin needed to stop touching doors, it hit me!  An easy solution, and better yet, a solution for which I had all the required materials!  And just like that, my problem was solved.... I hung a folded hand towel in the middle of each door upstairs.  It is easy to remove, very convenient and in ready supply.  The thickness and placement on the door dictate how close to closing the door can come, and they're easy to remove when the doors do need to close (like nap time).  Mini Muffin hates this innovation since her game is ruined, Little Smiling Man has safe fingers and can get into any room he wants, and Mama no longer cringes at the sound of slamming doors.  Of course, I do spend a little more time keeping Little Smiling Man out of Mini Muffin's room when she doesn't want him there, but that seems a small price to pay. 

So here it is... my simple solution to the great door dilemma!

An easy way to keep little fingers safe!

Valentines Completed!

We finally finished!  24 Valentine's Day cards from a two year old have been completed!

We started on Sunday, and finished this afternoon (Thursday).  Obviously we spent just a little bit of time working on them each day, and it worked out very well since it stayed fun for Mini Muffin the whole way through.  She's always loved craft time, and since every time we sat down there was a new component to work on, they made for a pretty interesting project.

Our process was as follows -

First, I prepped the cards and used my Cricut to cut out hearts.  I then put glue on the hearts and passed them to Mini Muffin to stick to the front of each card.  Some of them are very centred... others not so much.

Next, I addressed the cards, and Mini Muffin "wrote" in them with pink crayon. 

And, finally we pulled out my container of dollar store craft goodies (pom poms, flowers, jewels, etc), and Mini Muffin showed me where she wanted glue on the front of each card to finish up decorating them.  Luckily for the first two thirds she was happy just putting one thing in the middle of the heart.  Towards the end, the cards were becoming pretty heavily adorned (and time consuming as well!).

Tada!  Beautifully decorated cards for friends!

I love the end result!  I think she did a great job, and they're definitely from the heart.  Tonight, I'll attach a mini container of bubble solution to each of them, and they'll be ready to go!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Simply Delicious - Fruity Oatmeal Bites

Little Smiling Man has seriously been enjoying raspberries this week.  It's the first time in a couple of months that we've had them on hand, and he will truly eat as many as I give him.  He just can't seem to get enough!

This morning, I decided to make a quick and easy breakfast I haven't made in ages and that Little Smiling Man has actually never had before (and would give him that raspberry taste he loves so much)!  I originally came across this recipe on an online forum focused on babies, as an idea for baby finger foods, and have made it many times since.  It's a fun way for babies and toddlers to enjoy their oatmeal, and makes a nice change from the usual cereal, bowl of oatmeal or toast.  It also makes an easy breakfast or snack on the go since it's a non-sticky finger food.  Enjoy!

Fruity Oatmeal Bites

Cooked bites, after being transferred from plate.

1/2 banana
5 raspberries (approx.)
1/4 cup quick cook oats

1.  Thoroughly mash banana and raspberries.  The banana should be mashed until the point that it's pretty much smooth.
2.  Mix in oats, making sure that they're thoroughly coated with banana.
3.  Transfer to a plate, forming the mixture into a square.
4.  Microwave on high, for approximately three minutes.  You're looking for the oatmeal to be held together enough to lift off the plate as a square, but still soft enough for little ones to enjoy.  If it's undercooked it will be too soft to transfer off the plate, and if it's over cooked it gets very chewy/hard as it cools.  It may take a few times to find the right time for your microwave.
5.  Cut into bite sized pieces and serve once cool enough.

Ready for little fingers!

The final verdict?  Little Smiling Man thought it was fantastic and gobbled the whole thing up.  I suppose it's not really surprising since bananas and raspberries are two of his favourite things!  I suspect that I'll be making this one for him many times in the future.  We may also start experimenting with a few variations, like adding some nut butter for protein, or using different berries.  So many possibilities.... 
     

Cutest Conversation

Mini Muffin will be two and three quarters this weekend.  Where has the time gone?  She's very talkative these days, and enjoys telling us all about the world around her in a stream of consciousness style of monologue.  Sometimes she comes out with some real gems!

As I write, she's having her nap.  We went through our normal naptime routine, but diverged slightly for a very cute conversation once the lights were out.  Normally once the light is out, she knows she needs to be still and quiet.  Today however, as we were holding hands and she was settling in to her rest, she said in a very serious voice:

"Mommy, can I talk to you for a couple of minutes?"

I felt like I was in one of those parenting videos - this would be a defining moment where my child would learn that she can always talk to me and that I'll always listen, and it would help her to grow into a confident and well adjusted kid.  Feeling like she was about to open up her little heart to me, I replied:

"Of course you can, sweetheart."
"Okay... So, how is your day going on?"
(stifling a chuckle) "I'm having a very good day, thank you.  I've been having a lot of fun with you and your brother.  How is your day going?"
"My day is good.  I got to play, and I had peanut butter bites for lunch...  How is my brother's day going on?"
"He's having a pretty good day I think.  He got to play with his baby friends this morning.  But, I think he's pretty itchy as well, so that's not great."
"He's having a rough day I think, if he's all itchy."
"I guess he is.  Now, we can talk more after your rest, it's time to be quiet and still now."
"But, we're talking about our day!"
"Yes, and I love hearing about your day, but it's time to be quiet and still for your rest.  We'll talk lots more after you wake up."

What a sweetheart!  I thought it was the sweetest thing when she wanted to ask after my day, and she did so in such a serious way; it let me know that it was important to her.  I thought it was cute that she mentioned her lunch as a highlight, since I had specially made her favourite lunch for her.  And, I thought it was so sweet that she wanted to know about Little Smiling Man's day as well. 

The whole thing was just warm and fuzzy and oh so cute.  After she finished talking, she snuggled in and drifted off for her rest.  It really was one of those parenting moments that you just want to hold onto and play back in your mind as they grow up and change.  I am so fortunate to have such a precious little daughter!

Kid's Books We Love - B is for Breakdancing Bear

Earlier today, we were reading a recent addition to our favourite books - B is for Breakdancing Bear.  My sister discovered this book, and gifted it to us for Christmas.  I have to say, it's fantastic - it's so much more than your average ABC book!  It's been in heavy rotation ever since we received it, and as such I decided to highlight it as the first in the "kid's books we love" series (read more about the background for this series here).

Available for purchase via Amazon (and other great retailers)

As the cover boasts it's "an awesome alphabet of astonishing animals", so there's a surprise at each turn of the page.  You will not believe what these animals get up to - they're DJs, they ice skate, they zip line, they box.  It makes for a fun read, full of laughter and surprises.  Can you think of a better way to learn your alphabet than through fun and laughter? 

Little Smiling Man is still a bit on the young side to be really into it, though he does keep grabbing at the pages so he must be somewhat interested.  Thankfully it's a sturdy board book, so it stands up to his attempts to take over our reading sessions! 

Mini Muffin loves it.  Simply loves it.  A typical reading goes something like this; I read the start of each page - "A is for acrobatic..."; then Mini Muffin chimes in - "Alligator!".  She's even learnt a few new animals through the process, such as the Officer Orangutan, and the Undercover Urchin.  A typical reading session that involves this book often includes at least two readings, if not more, and she has fun with it each time.

So, all in all, this is a kid's book we love - it's fun, educational, surprising and silly.  And, with a title and cover art that feature a breakdancing bear, how could you go wrong?  If you choose to search this one out, I hope your family loves it as much as mine does!

A Sprinkle of a Celebration

Over the weekend we enjoyed getting together with some good friends to play, visit and celebrate.  My two best mommy friends have daughters who are within six weeks in age to Mini Muffin, so we've always had fun getting together.  One of them also has a son who is only two weeks younger than Little Smiling Man, so we have also very much enjoyed getting the boys together and spending time together during our maternity leaves.  The third friend is due with a little boy in just a few weeks, so we will all have "matching" families!

We took some time for the girls to play (which we all wish would happen more often), and to celebrate the little man that will soon be joining us.  Since showers aren't a thing for second babies, we had a little "sprinkle" to surprise her.  We had snacks, cupcakes, lots of fun, and sent her home with meals for her freezer to help during those first few hazy weeks with a new baby.  She was surprised, and very pleased with the home cooked food she received, and, well, everyone loves cupcakes.  Especially chocolate ones with creamed cheese icing!

My original vision was a bit grander... there would be nicely decorated cupcakes (or even a cake!), the girls would do a Valentine's Day craft, and not only would I have food for my friend's freezer, but would also send her home with fresh baked muffins.  I held fast to this concept... until about 9pm Saturday.  At that point, the Thai Coconut Chicken I was making for her was about 75% complete, the cupcakes weren't started, and I had no craft planned (let alone set up).  Thinking forward, I realised that to have my husband, myself, and both kids fed and dressed, a snack set out, and the house play date ready by 10am the next morning when our guests would arrive, would be a feat in itself!  I quickly readjusted my priorities.

First, the chicken supper for my friend's freezer.  Sending her home with delicious and easy suppers was the big driver for getting everyone together.  Once it was cooked, the pot was relocated to the garage to cool overnight.  My original vision of giving the meal in a foil pan over rice was dashed when I realised that I forgot to get the pans.  However with hindsight I realised that gifting the meals in freezer bags would make for smaller storage in what would hopefully be a freezer full of good food!  And, it was super easy to finish off in the morning.  Phew!

Second, the cupcakes to celebrate with!  I used a mix (gasp!), and got them baked before bed.  Icing waited until morning, and instead of fancy piped decorations with blue tinted icing, I used some blue candies I'd picked up ahead of time just in case.  It was a super quick alternative that gave almost the same effect.  As a bonus, everyone seemed to enjoy the contrast of sour candies with sweet cake and icing.

It's a boy!  Chocolate cupcakes with creamed cheese icing... mmm...

In the end, we were ready and waiting for our guests.  The girls had a blast, and after playing in princess dresses we even had to do a thorough de-glittering of our basement (surely, that's the sign of a good party!).  We all enjoyed a healthy snack of cheese, crackers, apples, grapes and milk, and then indulged in cupcakes.  The cupcakes were definitely a hit - both of my mommy friends requested to take some home!  And, everyone left just after noon to head home for nap time. 

Looking at the morning as a whole, I think it's fair to say that it didn't match my original vision, but the most important elements were there.  Friends both little and big, fun, laughter, and a cause to celebrate.  We didn't need fancy cupcakes, structured activities, or bags and bags of food to send home with our friend.  We needed to take some time out, enjoy our children, and gift what we could to our friend in celebration of her growing family.

It really was a perfect morning to remember.

We love books!

Books have always been a huge part of my life.  My father was an elementary school resource librarian and (as you'd expect) a huge lover of books, so from a very early age I had 'appropriate literature' readily available to me at home.  As I got older, my father knew the librarians at every school I attended, so I always had dedicated and passionate resource librarians looking out for me and suggesting fantastic books for me to read.  As an adult, we regularly exchanged books as a family, reading and discussing and enjoying great literature.

Now that I'm a parent, I'm doing my best to ensure that books are a huge part of my children's lives.  My father always said that adults should read picture books too.  I never really understood it, but now appreciate that a good picture book can have strong meaning, and a well illustrated picture book has a work of art to share with every turned page.  We have books all over the house, so there's always a book close at hand.  As a result, we probably read a dozen or so books a day and cuddling up for a story is definitely one of Mini Muffin's favourite pastimes.... and favourite ways to procrastinate on actually going to bed! 

This morning, before we'd even had breakfast, Mini Muffin presented me with a pile of books to read.  As I considered the nine (yes, nine) books that needed to be read I thought to myself "Yup, we definitely have a book lover on our hands!  Success!".  We got through about half before hunger took over, and we finished the rest up after breakfast.  It made for a great start to the day!

Morning reading requests - nine books!

All of this got me to thinking.  We've been discovering so many fantastic books lately, I think that in the near future I'll start writing a few posts that share some of our favourite kid's books.  With so many books to love, and so many choices in the bookstores, I might as well put my two cents out there as to the best and brightest offerings out there!  I hope you'll enjoy the series - stay tuned!