Our little Girls

I have been trying to write a blog about the girls for a few days and just keep getting stuck and cant finish it for some crazy reason. I love my daughters more then anything and am having a hard time putting my feelings in to words. So i decided to stop trying. So here are my little girls Emmalynn will be 3 November 21st and Alyssa will be 3 November 30th. That makes them 9 days apart. They might not both be mine by blood but no one can take the love i have for both of them. My girls will never question my love and i hope Alyssa will never feel like i love her sister more because tho i loved Emmalynn first i love them both the same. I am so lucky to say that i have 2 little girls. Mommy Loves you Emmalynn and Alyssa.

 

Wordless Wednesday

Bug the last few weeks:)

Easter 2013

This year for Easter it was just bug and I. Bugs dad was on the road. So on Easter we did a small egg hunt in our yard and  after then played with bubbles. On the Monday after Easter we did Easter brunch with my mom and siblings. We did a egg hunt for the kids and all of the kids got Easter gifts from grandma and uncle James.

Do's and Don'ts of Sensory play

We enjoy sensory play and try to do it a few times a week to read about the benefits of sensory play please click Here.  That link will explore the benefits and reasons to do sensory play this one is about what to and not to do.

Do's

• Allow plenty of time
• Expect a mess
• Set rules and stick to them he have 3 rules they are no throwing the material, no dumping the material out, and now  putting it in the mouth
• Remind you child of the rules every time you have sensory play
• Stay calm and that them direct the play
• Enjoy the experience with your child
  

Don'ts

• Force you child to play
• Set a time limit
• Get upset when they make a mess
• Discourage them from putting there feet, face,or sitting in the tub
• Leave them unattended

Our favorite Sensory materials are
Dry corn, rice, pasta,water beads, cloud dough,play dough, and beans. But remember the options are endless this summer we will do shaving cream

What are you favorite Sensory materials?

Toddler chores

Emmalynn is a little over 2 and in the last few months i have been having her help around the house more.

Clear her dishes
After all meals and snacks bug dumps the uneaten food in the trash and then puts her plate, bowl, and silver wear in the sink.

Put dirty laundry in the laundry room
Any time i change Emmalynn's clothes she has to take the dirty ones to the laundry room

Pick up her toys
Before bed i have her help me clean the play area and put the toys away.

Pick up trash around the house 
We walk around and look for any stray trash in the house and pick it up.

Help sweep
For Christmas after she turned one she got a play broom and mop she has since gotten really good at sweeping and now helps me sweep the kitchen and bathroom.

Switch laundry
Emmalynn loves throwing laundry into the dryer and shutting the door.

Put laundry away
She helps me carry laundry to the different rooms and then will help put it in her dresser.

Do your toddlers help you around the house? If so what do you have them help with and do they enjoy it?

Tantrums and How I Handle them

Bug is a little over 2 and can throw some wicked Tantrums. Here is what i do to prevent them and stop them.

Distract
This works well when i can see a fit coming. at home i often distract her with a favorite toy, Music or by being silly. When we are out its a little more difficult and i keep a stash of suckers in the bag they are a great distraction.
Stay Calm and Speak Calmly
This is one i often have trouble with but i have found that if im not staying clam and speaking calmly to her then her fit escalates.
Get down to Child level
I do this anytime i need to have her attention. I get down on my knees and have her look at my nose. By doing this i am not intimidating her by towering over her. This allows us to communicate more efficiently therefor resulting in less tantrums.
Give her a break
When she has gotten cranky or is overwhelmed she is more apt to throw a tantrum so if i give her a small break either in her room or in a quite place with a book and a blanket she is able to calm her self down and act correctly.
Count
I use this before and during tantrums. I count to 5 but rarely get all the way to 5 because bug has learned that if i am counting then she needs to stop what she is doing. 
Time out
This has became a huge help in out house if i have tried everything else and she is still not calming down then i out her in time out and she stands in the corner for 2 minutes this is normally enough time for her to calm down and stop her fit. 
Remind them that you love them
After a tantrum i will talk to Bug and tell her that i love her very much but she was being naughty and that's why she had to take a break or stand in time out

Toodler hair

 These are a few ways i do my toddlers hair. My daughter has enough hair that if i leave it undone it looks like the first picture.  I know i could cut her hair or give her bangs. But I am one of those moms that wont cut her hair until she asks me to. So it will be a long while before i cut her hair so I just take the time to put her hair up most days.

Pig Tails

Fishtail Braid

Pony Tail

Double Fish tail Braids

Top up

Multi Band Pig tails

Crossed multi band top only

Regular Braid

wordless Wednesday~Zoo

Finger Painting

Emmalynn loves to finger paint we do it often and she always enjoys it this time i painted too. Normally i just watch her but this time I wanted to paint as well. 

Top left: Look mommy i painted my face

Top Right: Mommy I'm messy

Bottom Left: Painting pictures

Bottom Right: A few of our Paintings the top one that's completely covered i did.

10 Deadly car seat mistakes you might be making

1. Using your car seat wrong! Nationally, the misuse rate for child safety seats is over 80% and as high as 95% in some areas. That scares me more then i can put into words. Please make sure your using your car seat correctly and have the installation checked by a professional.

2. Using Both the LATCH system and a seat belt to install your car seat.  I understand the thinking that using both is safer when in fact its not. Use one or the other but never both. Just use the one that gets the best fit and you are most comfortable using. If you prefer to use LATCH and want the seat in the center, make sure your car has center LATCH (many do not)

3. Infant Carries should NOT be used on top of shopping carts! I know you have seen other moms do this but they are not made to work with a shopping cart. Visit here for more info

4. Forward facing to soon. even tho the law states that you can turn an infant at 1 year and 20lbs the American Academy of Pediatrics now advises parents to keep toddlers in rear-facing car seats until age two, or until they exceed the height or weight limit for the car seat.

5. Winter Coats and Car seats don't mix.

6. Chest clip belongs on the chest not the belly. Chest clip should be even with the armpits.


7. Not reading the owner manual. Always read the owners manuals for your vehicle and carseat thoroughly.  They often contain specific information about carseat installation that may not be obvious.  Some models may vary from what you would expect.

8. Make sure the harness is snug. You should not be able to pinch any strap or put more then one finger between your child's collarbone and the strap. The straps should be as Snug as a hug.

9. Don't buy used car seats. You never know the history of a seat when you buy used and saving money isn't worth risking your child's life.

10. Make sure the seat is adjusted correctly for your child and the way they are facing. Keep the harness straps at or below the shoulders while rear-facing and at or above the shoulders while front-facing.

Toddler Activitys

 

Top Left: Color Matching with candy land

Top Right: Playing with her Tag Jr. Books

Bottom Left: Dress up and putting on fake makeup

Bottom Right: Trying to write an E

Wordless wednsday~Chuck E. Cheese

Cute toddler things

Emmalynn does some funny stuff

Emmalynn was holding a Giraffe and I was holding a Lion

Me:Roar

Emmalynn: Mommy Raffies don't roar

Me:But lions do

Emmalynn: Oh Roar

Before Bed emmalynn was counting her toes

1,2,1,2,4,3

I touched Emmalynn's nose

Emmalynn: my nose (touches nose) my nose

Me:Yes that's your nose

Emmalynn: my nose mommy

wordless wednesday:)

Wordless Wednesday

Dressers are heavy espically to a toddler

About a week ago Emmalynn was laying down for her rest and i was opening a package we had gotten in the mail. I was glad that she was quite and  had my lunch in the oven and the all of a sudden i hear a crash that sent me running to her room. My sweet little girl had managed to pull the dresser on her self. It took all the strength i had to get it up enough to get her out and a phone call to my brother to have him stand it back up. She had no injury's other then a black eye and a few other bruises from the stuff on the top of the dresser falling on her head. A few of her toys were under the dresser on the ground holding it about 4inches off the ground i know this was her saving grace and had she not made a mess before pulling the dresser on her self I am sure that she would have been hurt. We have since anchored the dresser to the wall and am only writing this now because I don't want any other mother to go through the fear I experienced because we didn't think about attaching the dresser to the wall. Empty Emmalynn dresser is 115lbs(empty and it was full) she is 30lbs so i know it could have hurt her badly.

Mother, Aunts, Grandmas, or anyone with a toddler in you life please urge parents to anchor heavy stuff to the wall. We used these .

helping anchor the dresser to the wall:)

Toddler Activitys this week

Pom Pom pushing: Small container with a hole big enough for pom poms to fit through with a little force. Emmalynn Loves this she will  play with it for 20-30 minutes at a time
Christmas movie with popcorn and hot coco

Coins in to Piggy Bank: This is just a cheap bank i got from Dollar tree i think with a bunch of change for her to put in it. She will also play with this for at least 20minutes
Christmas Count down with books: 24 wrapped books she gets one every day  up to Christmas
Visiting Santa

Watching a Movie on the i pad: She was finishing her movie that she had watched in the car on out drive that morning
Red Bead sensory bin: Small Plastic bin with red beads for playing it. Her facorite thing was to drop them like in the above pictue

Drawing on the Easel: Our easel is from ikea. She loves drawing at this thing and will stay at it for a while

This is not everything we did this last week. It would be way to much to post all the activity's we did.

Top 10 reasons extended rear facing is for us

Some of these will be funny and some serious.
1. It's 5 times safer to leave a toddler rfing until the max of your seat.
2. On long car rides miss bug will sleep (forward facing she won't)
3. She can't kick my seat if she's rear facing.She just kicks her own
4. It protects her neck and spine.
5. When I go through drive through I don't have to share. I can a hand her a healthy snack and drink my coffee in peace!
6. I have never had a toy chucked at my head. Tho she has chucked them at people in the 3rd row (sorry guys)
7. She can see everything we see just after we pass it.
8. I can easily hand stuff to her i just reach back without looking and she takes it.
9. She looks so comfy especially when shes all cuddled in with a movie and blanket for long car rides
10. Her legs are supported and not just dangling
These are not in any order and yes she has forward faced in her dads car a few times because the car seat will not install correctly rear facing.  Emmalynn will be 2 on November 21st is 3feet tall and 30lbs she is still comfortably rear facing and will continue to be until she has outgrown her seat.

Emmalynn Rfing at 17ms

Toddle Along Tuesday ~ favorite toddler toys

Bug is 22months so we are fully into toddler hood.

Her favorite toddler toys are...

Balls

She has more then just those but that all i could find at the moment.

Dolls

This is most of her babies I think we are missing one or two

She also has a stroller and car seat for her babies

Books

We have books all over our house for her and she almsot always has one with her.

Lastly

The ipad or my iphone

 

Extened rear facing

When emmalynn was born it was a no brainer to put her rear facing(its the law) at the time i planned on switching her to forward facing at 1 year and the weight requirment. But then i started to do some research and learned that its up to 5 times safer for a child to rear face until the age of 2. Even after 2 its still safer for a child to rear face.

 I have talked to lots of moms and those that switched at a year always have a reason. I have heard some of the folowing and more.

My child is tall it jsut looks uncomfortable. My daughter is in the 95% for height she is tall and just fine.

My child crys the who time they are in the car seat rear facing. Emmalynn crys as well but i give her a toy or a book

Her feet are touching the seat and i am worried a broken leg. "there is not a single documented case of children's legs, hips, etc. breaking or being injured in a crash due to longer rear-facing. There are plenty of cases of head and neck injury in forward-facing children that could have been prevented if the child had remained rear-facing. However, even if a leg or hip were broken or injured, it can be fixed. A damaged spinal cord (from forward-facing too soon) cannot be repaired and subjects the child to lifelong disability or death." {from http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/stayrearfacing.aspx}

But all of those are just EXCUSES!!

Please do the research beofre you switch your child!

What you would rather happen if your child is in a car wreck

Forward facing crash test

Rear facing crash test

Rear facing is safer

Emmalynn Rear facing at 16.5 Months in a Graco myride 65

she is upset that she has to be in the car seat