I’ve conferred with my friends who all have or have had children in school and just one young one at home, and it’s official: having your child load reduced for a few hours each day, it’s like a vacation. Not the fruity-drinks-on-the-Lido-deck kind, but more like a nice hike in a State Park kind. You’re still going to break a sweat, you’re still going to work a bit, but it sure as heck isn’t like having all (or you know, both) your children around all the live long day.

So what have we been doing?

We’ve been going to library story hour.

We’ve been meeting friends for coffee and lunch.

We’ve been hosting friends.

We’ve been playing a bizarre version of tennis where we use a tennis raquet like a hockey puck and hit a wiffle ball down the driveway.

We’ve been grocery shopping.

We’ve been watching Sesame Street every day at 10:30, and Word World every day at 11:30.

We do some secret things we don’t talk about with MaM , like steal away to the Children’s Museum with friends who are visiting for the day!

He’d like to start motorcycle riding lessons next week, but I think we’ll be holding off at least for a few more months…..

Want to learn more about the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis? See my post at the SavvySource City Guide!

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My was fabulous, fun, busy, and filled with family….and it was exhausting.

It all started Saturday morning when I packed up the kids and brought them down to the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis for the Beatles cover band, Brit Beat. They were amazing, and the kids humored me by sitting through their “Ed Sullivan Era” set. MaM needed earplugs. Jr danced. Then they wanted to see the rest of the museum.

Typically we go for 2-3 hours at the most, and we hang out in just a few exhibit rooms. Saturday, however, the kids were on the move. We saw probably 75% of the museum, and they spent 5 hours in constant motion, with only a 20 minute break for lunch.

They played with Barbie, dug for dinosaurs, played at the train table, flew to Egypt, road the carousel, and checked out the newest exhibit, Rock Stars, Cars and Guitars.

For the down-low on Rock Stars, Cars and Guitars, check out my review at Savvy Source. If you’ve got a budding rocker, you won’t want to miss it!

Five hours later I was able to convince them it was time to go home. Jr was asleep before we pulled out of the parking garage. He slept for the 20 minute ride home, and then was recharged for the afternoon. Funny how 35 yrs makes a difference.

When we got home? I waved briefly to BgK, and then went upstairs and took a two hour nap!

And that was just Saturday……

MaM was thrilled there was a red-headed Barbie!

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I SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED a NaPoBloMo, which is kind of amazing. And really, it wasn’t a big deal or very tedious, except for this past weekend when I posted really lame posts from my iPhone really late at night. Other than that? It was fun.

But here’s the new: I have a new internet gig over at SavvySource.com.  I am the new city editor for Indianapolis, and I’ve worked my fingers to the bone building content for the Indianapolis page to launch. In about two weeks, I’ve built all of the content currently on the page. I now know when and where storytimes, free movies and special events are happening around the city. It is very cool and very fun and I’m looking forward to featuring ALL of what Central Indiana has to offer!!

So….go check it out if you’re so inclined. And let me know if there’s something around Indy you love that I’ve omitted, or if there’s a special event coming up that I can add. I’ll be adding events weekly!

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Goodbye to crawling and hello to running

Goodbye to pointing and hello to to talking

Goodbye to his rear facing car seat and hello to a forward facing one

Goodbye to his crib and hello to his floorbed

Goodbye to all things baby and hello to all things boy.

His favorite things are:  “Go Colts Football!” “Race Cars!” “Big Trucks!” “Yogurt!” “Milk!”

He follows his big sister around like she’s in charge.

He gives bear hugs and open-mouth kisses.

He gets very concerned when he hears, “Baby crying. Baby CRYING!!”

He asks, “Why?” and “Where’d _______ go?” incessantly.

It’s hard to believe he’s only been around for two years, because we don’t really remember life without him!

Happy Birthday Sweet Boy!!

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A few weeks ago, I was contacted on behalf of  Sunsweet Growers and was given the opportunity to try a Sunsweet product.

I have to admit, I was skeptical. When I think of prunes, I think of my grandparents kitchen. I can picture the box sitting on top of their refrigerator, and I associate them with my Pop-Pop. Past that, I’ve never thought much about them. I didn’t feed them to my kids as infants, for I’d heard tales of their magical digestive powers and chose to steer clear.

So yesterday, with some hesitation, I opened a 60 calorie pack of cherry-essence prunes. Guess what? They aren’t dry and sticky like I thought they were. They are sweet and juicy. They are actually kind of delicious. I actually kind of have to pace myself to make sure I don’t eat too many!

Today we packed a picnic to take to the park, and MaM immediately noticed the foil package in her lunch bag. I told her they were healthy fruit snacks. She ate one and ran to the playground. She said she didn’t really care for it. Later, when Jr. was interested in his lunch, she showed him the new fruit snacks, and encouraged him to try it. He did, and then she tried it again. This time, they both ate two and were laughing hysterically the entire time. Success!

SunSweet has consulted with dietician Carolyn O’Neil and together they are offering 10 Tips for Tiny Tummies. It’s a good list for starting to introduce new foods to children who may be resistant.There are also resources on digestive health, an issue I know many moms take seriously. In a house where goldfish crackers and string cheese rule, trust me, I’m familiar with those struggles!

In our house, I was surprised about the first thing I had to get across to my children:

1) Be polite about the food on your plate. This means, not using words like “disgusting” in relation to foods I’ve chosen to serve.

After about 18 months of enforcing this rule, MaM is fairly polite most days about foods with which she’s not familiar. I am still working on getting Jr. not to throw food he’s not interested in, he still has a way to go in that department!

2) I’m sure each child is different, but for MaM, I’ve learned not to draw attention to any new foods. I’ve learned to serve just about anything with a dab of ketchup, and probably she’ll dip it and try it. Tonight she tried a samosa (she told me she didn’t care for it, and nicely put it aside on her plate) and she tried tilapia and she ate every bite I had given her. I was kind of amazed, and thought it was good timing, considering this post.

So tell me…what do you do to introduce new foods to your little ones?? Do you have tried and true methods for keeping your kids regular?? Please share!

Disclosure: Thanks to SunSweet for the free product coupon and reusable shopping bag in exchange for this review. The opinions in this review are expressly my own.

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On the video page there’s a link that says “share” and it says I’ve shared it successfully on WordPress, but I sure can’t see where it’s been shared.

So here’s the link– http://www.colts.com/sub.cfm?page=video&content=98c2c079-79b2-458c-839e-f2c49b5232ba

The boy now sits, riveted, saying “And-roo, football, again!” over and over as the video plays. He’s the boy in the still photo at the beginning of the video (looks similar to the one above) and he’s running toward the end zone around the :50 second mark (in the #44 Dallas Clark jersey). You know it’s him by his crazy hair!

Day 8 of NaBloPoMo is done! Phew!

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I wasn’t kidding when I said to be sure all the crayons got put away.

The boy has painted his town red!

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Saturday involved footballs, motorcycles, and WNBA basketball.

Open House at Lucas Oil Stadium

Indy West Harley Davidson Open House

BgK won tix at 4pm for the 7pm tip-off. When he told MaM they were going, she said, "Yeah! I get cotton candy!"

Sunday was slightly calmer….Church, the pet store, playground play & cookout with friends, then MaM’s first night of Vacation Bible School.

What she gleaned from tonight?

“God is EVERYWHERE.”

She’s exactly right.

How was your weekend?

Day 6 of NaBloPoMo? In the bag…

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At the ceremony, there was a sweet slide show, capturing their time in their elementary classroom, as well as their preschool days. That was fun and it made me a little nostalgic for some of the students I’ve had in the past.

Then we got to the part of the program where they showed baby pictures. And those funny moments in the bathtub, the cute baby’s first halloween pictures, the required “smash cake” photo, those were in there too. By the time it was done, I don’t think there was a dry eye in the room.

Time is so fleeting. Sure when I’m up to my elbows in vomit, or calling about the upteenth ear infection it seems like it will never end. But it will. And knowing that (and seeing that slideshow) makes me really want to be in the moment and enjoy the wee-ones.

Right Now.

So right now, on June 3, 2010, here’s what shakin’ in our house:

As I type, the kids are zoned out in front of Blues Clues. They’ve just gotten home from their 2nd to last day ever of the little daycare we’ve been a part of for four years. (MaM is there this week since school’s out but I’m working on my classroom)

Jr. is a chatty, chatty boy. He loves race cars and big trucks with all of his heart. He plays with his Little People Parking Garage like it’s going out of style.

MaM is a collector of silly bandz and she’s becoming a big reader. She tries to read every word she sees. She only wears big puffy dresses. They have to have layers, and they have to twirl. She won’t even try them on if they appear not to be of the twirling variety.

At the Children's Museum this weekend

Day 3 of my attempt at NaBloPoMo is complete!

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