Wordless Wednesday==Evan's Video

Weil Baby giveaway!!

This weekend a friend of mine and I hosted a Weil (pronounced WHILE) Baby party.The products are BPA and EA free, do not need to be sterilized, and the bottles and cups are interchangeable. Along with these, they are just an all around awesome product!

Since I received more then enough products for my party, I have decided to hold a giveaway for those things I will not be using! Currently, these NEW products are only available at Babies R Us and the Weil Baby site.

The contest is for:

WEILBABY 5 OZ Tritan™ NURSER BOTTLE (GLASS)
WEILBABY 9 OZ Tritan™ NURSER BOTTLE (PLASTIC)
2 COUPONS FOR FREE 5OZ OR 9OZ BOTTLES (UP TO AN $8.99 VALUE)
10 COUPONS FOR $5 OFF A $15 PURCHASE
2 COUPONS FOR A FREE ORIGINS MINI FACIAL

Contest instructions: 

Respond as a comment: How do you view things now, as a mom, that is different from the way you viewed things before becoming a mom? (IE news stories, wars, food, TV viewing, anything!) 

I will have one of my kids pick someone by random at the end of October!!

Flat O Mites playtime!

We decided to have some fun with Flat O before bedtime last night. He had a blast building, playing on the computer, and playing with the kids.

Here he is helping Wyatt and Michele build

And then he decided to tackle a couple buildings of his own! I must say, he did a terrific job!!! He is one great builder!

He got a little jealous that I was taking all the pictures, so he wanted to take one of his own! Not bad if I do say so myself!

He saw that Nick was on the laptop and wanted to join in on what he was doing. Nick seemed to have no problems with this, and even let Flat O play a game! Nick said Flat O was a great video gamer!

 

Then Nick decided Flat O Mite was bored and played around with him...

After all that, Flat O Mite was very tired and wanted to go to sleep. He fell asleep on the couch!!! 

Flat O is happy Wyatt is feeling better, and we might be able to have a few more adventures during the weekend, before Flat O goes to his next destination!

Michele made the honor roll!!!!!

Michele made the honor roll at school!!! I am so very proud of my first grade princess! She is also very proud of herself. I hear nothing but awesome comments from her teachers about how smart, polite, well behaved, and friendly she is! She makes her mama proud!

Here she is receiving her award

Wyatt was very good while watching the ceremony (Evan was in his sling, so he couldn't get a pic taken!)

Nick's class was also there!

She was a very proud little lady!

I am so very proud of all of them! Nick is also enjoying the academically gifted program, and says he wishes all his classes were AG. We are going to try to get him into a Magnet program for next year, Michele too. (Nick will be in middle school!) If I could afford Montessori, they would go there!!!! (Luckily we have a Magnet Montessori, that is part of the school system!)

Congrats Michele!!!! We love you!

Flat O Mite's learning adventures

Flat O Mite noticed that Wyatt and the kids have an abundance of puzzles and other fun learning things, so he asked Wyatt if they could do a puzzle together.

Wyatt chose his Little Einsteins puzzle

Flat O enjoyed that very much and was happy with the end results...but we were missing a piece!

Then Flat O wanted to play with Wyatt's Little Einstein cards and learn his letters! He did a very good job, and recognized a lot of letters. He is one smart flat guy!

Then they took a break, and Wyatt rode Flat O around on his bike! Wyatt even let Flat O Mite take a spin himself!

 

Flat O is now waiting to be sent to Gilly and George for their next adventure!We can't wait to see who WE get next and what adventures we will have with our next Stanley!

Flat Stanley Flashback

Doing this Stanley project made me remember that Nick, too, did this for a friend way back when. If I remember correctly, it was for my February 2003 moms group. It was a little different then, as we only printed him out and took a picture, instead of sending him on to other people. I like how we are doing it now!! Here is a picture of Nick, 3 years 8 months,  and Michele, 1 yr 4 months and Flat Stanley! 

 

Flat O-Mite's Adventures In Shopping!

So today we took Flat O Mites shopping. He was quite excited! He helped me pick out my coupons

Then he hopped in the binder for the ride to the store

Wyatt and O picked out a cart, and Wyatt made sure O was strapped in nice and safe!

O and Wyatt were very helpful on our trip, and neither asked for candy!!! :)

After our shopping trip, Wyatt asked if we could take a trip to McDonald's, and so we did.

O Mite had some Sprite and a cheeseburger...

Then it was time to get the older 2 from school. O Mite had fun talking with Wyatt...

And even came up to the front to talk to me!

Wyatt is not feeling to great tonight, so Flat O Mite may not have too many more adventures before he departs to his next destination. He had a lot of fun though!!!

He does want to get a couple photo ops with the other kids, so we will have to make a point of that!!! 

Flat Stanley Adventures Part 2

Wyatt got Flat O-Mite in this round. I must say, he is a very well dressed guy!! He belongs to our friend Blu Simon.

Wyatt was very happy to see him arrive in the mail!

He was very tired from his trip, so the first thing he wanted to do was join Wyatt's little brother Evan for a nap.

Wordless Wednesday--playdate exhaustion!

Shaken Baby Prevention

 There have been so many stories in the news lately about parents and caregivers shaking a baby or toddler out of frustration. It is very sad that there is not more training to prevent this tragedy from happening to an innocent defenseless child.

About 2000 babies and toddlers are shaken each year. That number is outrageous!

Do you have a plan to protect your child from Shaken Baby Syndrome?

If you’re a parent or caregiver,  you need one, because in as little as five seconds your child’s life can be changed forever.
Shaken Baby Syndrome occurs when a baby or young child is violently shaken. As little as five seconds of shaking can cause irreversible brain damage or death. Some of the permanent effects of Shaken Baby Syndrome include:

• impaired motor skills
• impaired cognitive skills
• blindness
• cerebral palsy
• hearing loss
• spinal cord injury
• paralysis
• seizures

When an infant or young child is shaken the brain bounces back and forth inside the skull, causing blood vessels to tear and causing damage to the brain. Imagine a covered plastic container filled with gelatin. Mild shaking will cause the gelatin to separate from the sides of the container, harder shaking will cause the gelatin to break up, and prolonged severe shaking will cause the gelatin to liquify until it can be poured out of the container.

Violent shaking causes immediate damage to the brain, so symptoms of Shaken Baby Syndrome will usually appear right away. Symptoms may vary, and often appear to be a minor illness. Some of these minor symptoms are:

• Trouble sucking or swallowing
• Decreased appetite
• Trouble sleeping
• Fussiness or irritability
• Vomiting

Severe shaking causes more brain damage and obvious symptoms:

• Difficulty breathing or turning blue
• Lethargy or unresponsiveness
• Convulsions
• Unconsciousness

If you suspect your child is a victim of Shaken Baby Syndrome call 911 or take your child to the emergency room right away! Immediate medical attention may save your child from permanent problems and may even save your baby’s life.

As serious as Shaken Baby Syndrome is, it CAN be prevented! No one wakes up in the morning and thinks “I think I’ll shake a baby today.” Most Shaken Baby Syndrome occurs when a parent, babysitter or other caregiver becomes frustrated and loses control. The most common trigger for Shaken Baby Syndrome is inconsolable crying, but toilet training and feeding problems are other major triggers.
Everyone knows that it’s normal for babies to cry, but that doesn’t make it easy. Babies cry for many reasons and what matters most is how you deal with the crying. Some of the reasons that babies cry are:

• Hunger
• Tired
• Bored
• Scared
• Overstimulated
• Understimulated
• Too hot
• Too cold
• Wet
• Dirty diaper
• Anxious
• Sick
• Uncomfortable
• Want Mom/Dad/Other caregiver
• Just want to

When a baby is crying our instinct is to try to comfort the baby. Many times the baby can be comforted, but sometimes the baby is going to cry no matter what you do. Here are some ideas you can try to help soothe a crying baby:

• Check for illness or pain
• Feed slowly, burp frequently
• Change baby’s diaper
• Take baby for a walk outside
• Swaddle or cuddle baby in a blanket
• Play quiet music
• Run a vacuum or hair dryer away from baby
• Gently rub baby’s tummy, back or bottom
• Pat baby’s bottom gently and rhythmically
• Snuggle baby against your chest
• Rock
• Sing, read a book, talk softly
• Put baby in a baby swing
• Give baby a warm bath
• Reduce light, noise and movement
• Put baby in a vibrating infant seat
• Encourage baby to suck a pacifier or your pinkie finger
• Put baby in a sling or other baby carrier
• Try TV to distract baby
• Nurse baby if you’re breastfeeding

Having a plan for dealing with frustration is the key in preventing Shaken Baby Syndrome. Sometimes babies cry and can’t be soothed, no matter what you do. When you feel yourself getting upset remember that it’s more important to stay calm than to stop the crying. Some ways to keep your cool are:

• Gently place baby in a safe place, like a crib, and leave the room for ten minutes
• Imagine yourself in a relaxing place, like a beach
• Listen to music
• Call a friend or relative
• Take a shower or bath
• Exercise
• Read a book or magazine
• Close your eyes and take deep breaths
• Ask friends or relatives for help
• Count to 100
• Write down 5 best things about yourself
• Write down 5 best things about your child
• Do housework, like vacuuming
• Use positive self-talk such as “I am a good parent” “I can stay calm” “Baby knows I love him”
• Do something that makes you laugh
• Rip up a telephone book or newspater
• Beat on pillows, cushions or a mattresses
• Join a parenting group for support and encouragement
• Yell in your head, into a pillow or in a room away from others
• Call the baby’s doctor or a nurse helpline
• Whatever else it takes to keep yourself calm and your baby safe

Babies cry, but if you have a plan to soothe baby, to keep yourself calm and where to get help you can keep your baby safe from Shaken Baby Syndrome. Remember that it’s more important to keep yourself calm than to stop the crying, and NEVER shake a baby or young child!

Please don't shake me! I am FRAGILE!

Lego creations!

My friend Julie over at Just Playin' Around posted an entry about a creation her son C built with Duplos. So I wanted to share Wyatt's most recent creations. He will spend hours just building with his Duplos. We have about 3 or 4 huge buckets of them, so I am sure the possibilities are endless!

 

It is so fun watching him build, and he occasionally asks me to help as well (usually when something falls off!) He is such a fun little man!

Montessori Method and Preschool

I have always home schooled through preschool, using a Montessori type (child-led) method, with some typical structure thrown in, for school readiness. Certain aspects of the Montessori Method can be scaled down to a homeschooling environment, which works best for preschoolers!

During the day I will take out the sorters, foam letters, coloring sheets, and other learning resources. Throughout the day, I let Wyatt lead me to what he wants to do, and we learn from there. If he wants to go outside and look at the flower, we do that

Or if he decides to play with some State cards...

He also loves to read his books and play with his LEap Frog learning toy.

Every moment can be a teaching moment! I love the Montessori Method because it gives the child a chance to leaen what they feel like learning that day!