GotchaBaby

October 16, 2010October 14, 2013

In the Blink of an Eye: From Strollers to First Grade

This weekend I rounded up all of the parts for our mega-infant travel system: the car seat, the two bases, the stroller (with a clock and thermometer), all the head rests, and the cold weather boot. Yes, our travel system came with a little piece of material that you can wrap around the bottom of the car seat in cold weather, to keep baby’s feet warm. *SIGH* I loved that travel system. (It took me three hours to choose it. You can read about it in this very long post, scroll down till you get to “Stroller Shopping”)

The travel system is heading to Chicago, where it will welcome my newest niece or nephew home next spring, which is very exciting! Junior has had his fill of being “the baby” on BgK’s side of the family, so it’s definitely time! (Right now, he’s the youngest of 10 grandkids on that side)

Anyway, it’s clear we’ve moved on from infants in our home — we occasionally use our umbrella stroller, but mostly Junior runs wherever we venture. The infant toys are packed away, and the house is littered in small toy cars and cool girl toys like the Littlest Pet Shop. Oh, and I’m shopping for A FIRST GRADE CLASSROOM FOR MY GIRL.

Due to recent life events, we need to find a school for MaM for next year, not 7th grade like we thought. I’ve been to one, and Monday I visit another. If this one doesn’t seem to fit the bill, I’ll have to extend my search. Because she’s been in Montessori for the past three years, I’ve been wondering how she would a)assess in a more traditional setting b)respond to more traditional instruction.

Enter the Kaplan Test Drive Program. As a Kaplan Test Drive Mom, MaM and I will have access to their online tutoring programs for the next 8 weeks. While I’m confident that MaM doesn’t need remediation, per se, I’m very curious to see how she’ll do using this program. Every school I’ve checked into touts technology as a component, and I wonder how she’ll use those learning tools. I wonder how she’ll do following simple oral directions without manipulatives (a major component of all Montessori instruction), I wonder how she’ll applying what she’s learned with Montessori materials to other experiences.

The Kaplan Test Drive program should give me that feed back and more. It’s a personalized program that moves at the child’s pace, going through a math and reading curriculum. MaM’s done the pre-tests and enjoys doing the activities. She’s also enjoying earning points that she can use on actual prizes. I hope that by the end of the program I can get a good sense of what she knows and what skills she may need to practice more.

You know, because she’s heading to first grade next year.

(Disclosure: this is the first of two posts sponsored by The Kaplan Test Drive Mom program and Mom Central. I am receiving access to the Kaplan Tutoring site and a gift card in exchange for this review. All pangs of cutting the apron strings are my own.)

September 23, 2010October 28, 2012

Know Magazine

MaM has hit the question stage in her young life. Not the “why” stage her brother is in, but a whole different kind of question stage. Here’s what went down last night as she was getting ready for bed:

“Mommy! Dad showed me the moon is out tonight ,and so’s Jupiter!”

“That’s great honey. You saw the planet Jupiter?”

“Yes, I did. Mommy, who drives Jupiter?”

“Who drives it?”

“Yes. Who drives it? Honey, it’s in orbit around the sun like our planet, Earth.”

“What’s orbit?”

“It means that something goes around something else. Jupiter and Earth orbit around the sun.”

“Oh. What does Jupiter look like?”

“It’s very big, and it’s read and has a big spot on it, there are also nine moons.” (I think. Is it red? or is Mars?)

“But what are the people like on Jupiter?’

“There are no people on Jupiter.”

“But I want to SEE Jupiter. I want to go there!”

“Well, Jupiter is very cold, you’d have to take a spaceship there” (I think it’s cold. Which planet is Jupiter? M V E M ….?)

“A spaceship? How do you drive a spaceship?” (are they called spaceships? can you even ever get there? would it take light years?)

“Well a space ship travels in space ,and you have to be an astronaut to work in one.”

“An astronaut? What’s an astronaut?” (Where are those Tang commercials when you need them?)

“Well, an astronaut learns all about the spaceship. Most astronauts have been in the Air Force , and you have know a lot of science.” (Is it the Air Force? or is it Navy? Are they even training new astronauts? Is NASA defunct yet?)

Enter Mad Science’s KNOW Magazine. KNOW Magazine is a new, advertisement-free science magazine for kids ages 6-9 yrs old. Colorful photos, activities and interesting articles for parents and children alike will engage any budding scientist. I think MaM is seriously going to dig the experiments. I’m just hoping I can keep up with her!

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Mad Science and received the products necessary to facilitate my review. In addition, I received a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate.

September 22, 2010October 28, 2012

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Today’s my mom’s birthday. It’s also her best friend’s birthday. And my brother-in-law’s birthday. And my nephew’s birthday. And my friend’s mother-in-law’s birthday. Two friends celebrate Friday. Three friends celebrate next Tuesday. I celebrated my own birthday earlier this month, the day after another brother-in-law, and two days before two adoptive mama friends became mamas to babies born on September 11th .

Over cake and ice cream Sunday (for my mom and myself) we determined the only months our immediate family doesn’t celebrate birthdays are May, July and December. Other than that, we have birthday cake nine months out of the year!

On my in-laws side things are a bit more lopsided. Granted, there are a lot more people (BgK is the oldest of seven), but still, here’s the break down is this – ten of twenty one birthdays are celebrated in September-October-November. TEN.

It’s not your imagination or just my Facebook calendar that says September and October are birthday months–it’s an actual statistical fact. The most common American birthday? October 5th! (I have one friend celebrating that day, then 8 more with other October birthdays, just on Facebook)

1-800 Flowers has some fun things planned this fall in honor of all these birthdays. See what they’ve got going on over on Facebook www.facebook.com/1800flowers you could win flowers for a year — or follow them on Twitter www.twitter.com/1800flowers .

Is there a day or a month that is full of birthdays for you? Is it a fall month, by chance? Inquiring minds want to know!

And for those birthday flowers you need to send (the above images are just a small sample of what’s available):

Save 15% on Birthday Flowers & Gifts at 1-800-FLOWERS.COM. Promo Code: BIRTHDAY15

(Disclosure: this is the first of two posts in a series for 1-800 Flowers.com promoting their Deliver Birthday Smiles Campaign. I am receiving a free product for participating in this promotion)