Here’s the main key to our sanity these days, with Reilly starting a whole new round of the terrible twos (right before he turns three): our oft-mentioned wonderful neighbors and our babysitting co-op. We have been getting out for a date night at least once a week routinely for quite a while now. We have a lot of neighbors with young children, so this was a no-brainer, but you could start the same thing with one friend and keep on expanding. (more…)
We have now experienced 3 car trips in a row with a pukin’ kid. Delightful!
Aside from the fact that it takes a pHD and a monumental physical effort to take apart the car seat to clean the straps and then reassemble it, and uses up half of Reilly’s wardrobe before we’ve even gotten to our destination, it’s incredibly sad to see the poor little guy toss his cookies.
He’s been quiet and stoic each time. This time he said “I coughed, mommy.” Broke my heart! You know he was feeling awful before it happened, but didn’t have the words to tell us about it.
So I’m wondering, has anyone else out there had this problem? We’re looking for tips. Any foods to avoid or that are good to eat before or during the ride? We’ve heard give ‘em Benadryl and will check with our wonderful docs at Union Ave Pediatrics, but would prefer any non-drug approaches. We gave up on reading in the car after the first puke experience, stopping at McDonalds after the second, and now will avoid cranberry juice prior to a long ride. We’ve also stocked the car with a roll of paper towels. But we were wondering if anyone had a more comprehensive list so we can maybe avoid a fourth episode. Ideas?
Being an early computer geek ( bought my first computer, an Apple IIe when I was about 14), and enjoying my fair share of video games, I can certainly relate to this article on Wired.
You Grew Up Playing Shoot’em-Up Games. Why Your Kids Can’t.
Although I guess I’ve been spared in a couple of ways; knowing how addictive computer games can be, I’ve not bought a gaming console. And since Ruth isn’t a video game player, it doesn’t make for good family time. But I see a day soon when we will have to make the decision of what game system to buy for the family, or else assume that Reilly will be spending more time at his friends houses. I’m hoping we can make gaming time family time, and choose titles that we can all enjoy.
Mike found a great article in The Green Guide: Green Room to Grow In about it being easiest to make greener/healthier lifestyle changes when you have a baby. This article has some great things to think about in terms of what your child is exposed to in the nursery, but even I started to read it with the “oh give me a break that’s not going to kill them” outlook.
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…If you define “success” as one parent being able to finish 90% of their dinner while the other gets about 75% complete, and this being accomplished in about 80% of restaurant visits.
1. Pick restaurant where there will likely be other kids under 5
2. Order drinks
3. Choose from the menu as soon as the drinks arrive
4. Bring snack along which child can eat while waiting for dinner
5. Favorite book/small toy can sometimes be successfully used to distract while waiting
6. CRUCIAL STEP - As soon as dinner arrives, ask for the check
7. CRUCIAL STEP NUMBER 2 - As soon as check arrives, pay for it
8. Have a great time watching child make complete mess of dining area
9. If you want to make some good wife/husband points, take child on tour of restaurant while your wife/husband finishes their dinner/margarita/beer
10. Bonus step - If you want good service again the next time you visit, pick up rice mounds, stray french fries or mac-n-cheese from under the table before exiting establishment (oh, and a nice tip helps too).
Good luck and Bon Appetit
We are extremely fortunate. Our house came with a wonderful neighborhood and a built-in extended family. By the time Reilly was born there were already, or on the way, 11 other children. So we have a half dozen or so new parents in our little block. We have become a pretty close knit group and one way we have been able to have some quality husband/wife time is to have one of the parents come over after we put our son to bed, or do so for another neighbor.
Just the other night, I went over to our neighbors house after they put their kids to bed and they went out to explore downtown Tacoma on a Saturday night where they were happy to find out that the new tequila bar, the Matador, has happy hour from 10 p.m. on. They got some quality grown up time, and I got a couple chapters read in my book.