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Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Short and Sweet

One of my favorite bloggers, Linda of All & Sundry, wrote about her holiday weekend in 46 words or less which I thought was just brilliant. So brilliant in fact that I just might start writing all of my posts this way....starting with this one.

My Memorial Day weekend in 46 words or less....

Two cookouts, watermelon covered kids, homemade Marionberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream, delicious cheeseburgers, time spent with great friends, farmers market, swimming lessons, sunshine, gardening, riding bikes, trips to the park, one really great nap, popsicles, laughter, fun, two exhausted little boys on Monday night.

And you?

Monday, May 18, 2009

Toy Envy

When I was a kid growing up some thirty odd years ago, I played with sticks and rocks and made mud pies in my back yard. I wore checkered and striped polyester, and I didn't even ride in a car seat - hell, I didn't even wear a seat belt.

Times sure have changed. My boys ride in car seats and wear helmets and blah, blah, blah, and they have way cooler clothes than I do and their toys - well, let's just say that just might have a slight case of toy envy.

There are soooo many cool toys on the market now - things that I would have never imagined when I was a kid. But all of that selection and the overwhelming coolness of everything can honestly be a little overwhelming sometimes. But that's where ebeanstalk can help because they have already done the work for me. Visit ebeanstalk.com and see for yourself. And since times are tight but birthdays still roll around anyway, all of my readers will get 15% off their first purchase - just enter the code TGS345 at the shopping cart. Happy shopping!


Ebeanstalk is dedicated to a baby's development. And we select the best baby toys matched to a baby's development. To see great information on how a baby grows up, check out the info on our baby toys page.


Picking toys for a baby is not as simple as it sounds. Here are some quick baby facts:



  • Toys for a newborn baby: A newborn baby is briefly looking at objects and attempting to imitate facial expressions. They can follow objects with their eyes and usually quiet down, when they are picked up.

  • Toys for a three month old: They will enjoy ‘frolic play', reaching for objects and will repeat enjoyable activities. Believe it or not, they will respond to ‘no' (about half the time) and will start babbling.

  • Toys for a six month old: They'll search for hidden objects (object permanence). They'll reach for themselves in the mirror, play peekaboo, crumple paper, roll from their stomach to their back and even respond to their name.

  • Toys for a nine month old: They are pushing toy cars, playing pat-a-cake and looking for hidden sounds. The baby toys they are playing with are also getting more fun.



Monday, May 11, 2009

Only One Complaint

I have to say that this was one of the best Mother's Day weekends I have had so far. My only complaint is that that it went by too quickly. We spent the weekend on the coast in a quaint little beach house tucked away in what is easily a little slice of heaven on earth. My husband's second cousin owns the place and they rent it out to family and friends. This was our first time staying there, but I can guarantee we will be back...often. Here's some pictures from the weekend.

This is the front of the beach house.

This is the view from the deck. Not too shabby!

We enjoyed lunch with a view from the kitchen window

We flew kites

We played peek-a-boo

We climbed rocks

We discovered fantastical creatures on the beach

And we played with wet, sandy beach dogs

It was truly a wonderful weekend

Thursday, May 7, 2009

If you give a Mom a Muffin.......

My friend Heidi sent this to me on Facebook and I just had to share. It is too true! Now, I've got to get the laundry going..


We are fans of the "If You Give..." books by Laura Numeroff in our house so this definitely struck my funny bone:

If you give a mom a muffin, she'll want a cup of coffee to go with it.

She'll make herself some.

Her three year old will spill the coffee;

She'll wipe it up.

While wiping the floor, she'll find dirty socks.

She'll remember she has to do laundry.

When she puts the laundry in the washer, she'll trip over boots and bump into the box of Goodwill items.

Bumping into the Goodwill items will remind her that she has to get these boxes out of her basement and into the car.

When she puts the boxes in the car, she'll find a bag of groceries;

This will remind her she has to cook dinner.

She will get out the chicken defrosting in the fridge.

She'll look for her cookbook, "101 Things to do with Chicken."

The cookbook will be sitting under a pile of mail.

She will see the NetFlix movie she meant to send back and the phone bill, which is due tomorrow.

The checkbook will be in her purse that is being dumped out by her one year old.

As she bends down to rescue her purse, she'll smell something funny.

She'll change the baby's diaper.

While she is throwing the diaper away and searching for the hand sanitizer, the phone will ring.

Her three year old will answer and hang up.

She'll remember she wants to call a friend - not for coffee, but for a very strong drink.

Thinking of drinking will remind her that she was going to have a cup of coffee in order to stay awake for the rest of the day.

And chances are...

If she finds her cup of coffee (which she has to reheat by now),

Her children will have eaten the muffin that goes with it.

Now - what I would like to know is what other tasks/simple activities of daily living do you attempt to accomplish with your children around? Do you have any luck getting them done, or do you always wind up getting sidelined?