Kid Fun - Sorting Beans!

I'm not one of those bloggers who spends their days coming up with unique/cheap/sensory games for their kids.  My kids play video games.  They play with legos.  They play with my phone.  Every once in a while though, I come up with something a little different.  Today it was an inspirational bag of mixed beans from the grocery store!

I hate beans, so when I saw this bag of beans, it looked more like arts & crafts materials than food, but it can be a sensory toy too.

  It's a pretty simple idea - dump some mixed beans onto a tray or bin (or onto a table if you're brave) and have your preschooler sort them by type, size, color, shape...  it's up to him & you. 

 
We sorted into an ice cube tray because I had one handy, but you cold sort into an egg carton, a muffin tin, little bowls, or even just piles.  The idea is to work on concepts like big/small, same/different, colors, shapes.  And it's fun for kids to play with them.  They have a nice tactile feel, too. 

With the stormy, snowy, icy, cruddy weather we've had, this was a fun and easy indoor activity for a bit.  

So what happened to November?

That's the big question, isn't it?  What happened to November?  I'll tell ya, if I can sum up theme with one phrase, it'll be this: Everyone Got Sick.
Sure, it started with Sarah and Chris trading sick days, but not super sick.  Then came Chris being super sick.  Like down & out for about a week.  I think it was the flu, poor dude was full-on miserable.  Then as that was wearing off, Sarah ended up at the pediatrician for a checkup and bam - ear infection.  Then the very next day - I kid you not - the VERY NEXT DAY I woke up with a sore throat.  And that was it.  All down hill.  Sick sick sick for over a week.  The flu, I think.  Fever, aches, headache, chills, cough, congestion. Grossnesss for DAYS.  And not just me - Jason had it too!   And you know what's not fun?  Being sick when the other adult in the house is as sick as you are.  
It was so pathetic.  The two of us, bundled in blankets and suffering through hours of bad TV for a week.  Oh and we had to cancel our Thanksgiving plans.  So that was a little unexpected fun for November, my first ever TG dinner to prepare.  Can't let the kids down, ya know?  
So I bet you are wondering what's going on in the house...NOTHING.  A zillion things to do and we've all been too sick to get anything done.
Needless to say, I'm glad to put November behind us and I'm so looking forward to December and Christmas and 2014!

Getting Away

I'm not quite sure how we got to the 12th of August before I realized, but wow it's been over a month since the last post!  Typical for this time of year, things at our house have been busy with the pool and a trip to the beach.  All in all I was there for about 2 weeks with the kids.  Here are some highlights!

We are big fans of south Jersey and the beaches there.  In addition to days on the beach we made it to mini-golf, the zoo, out for ice cream and the boardwalk to ride some rides.
The best part of any vacation is coming back home feeling refreshed and, for us, refocused.  We're recharged and ready to rock and roll on the kitchen.  Look for updates soon!

Thoughts on Parenting a Challenging Kid

Year three for Chris was a tough one.  He seemed to take "terrible twos" to new heights in terms of shenanigans, difficult behavior, and meltdowns.  He destroyed furniture, drew on walls, smeared poo, screamed, ran around like a lunatic.  He threw food, dumped cups of ice water, and generally caused chaos wherever he went.  He pushed us to our limits on many occasions.  There were times when I just walked into the bathroom, closed the door behind me and burst into tears.  How could this little person push me over the line? 

I read books and sought advice from friends.  The more I read and talked, the more I felt as if it was my fault that things were like this.  I was told that he wouldn't do this stuff unless I was "letting him get away with it" or that we "need more rules".   I felt hopeless and miserable.  

I started to wonder what exactly people thought was happening in a house like mine, where there's a wild one.  Do people think that I sit back with my eyes shut and let the walls crumble around me?  Do they think we equip him with sharpies and scissors and let him loose?  The truth is that even if there are rules for behavior, some little ones will challenge them and a time out isn't a deterrent.  He just wasn't connecting the behavior with the time-out in a cause & effect way.  

Over the year we got better at being his parent.  We turned around his dresser so he couldn't climb the drawers or empty them out.  We took the shades out of the windows so he couldn't pull them down and took all books from the room to prevent shredding.  We installed gates EVERYWHERE, bought cups with lids for us and put knob covers on any door we didn't want him to open.  Yeah, it might sound like lockdown, but we turned our home into a place that would reduce his temptations so there would be less frustration for us (and more sanity) and more days where we had no time-outs or yelling.  We were ALL happier with things this way.  It's not pretty, but it's not forever.  

Somewhere along the line things started to change.  I'm not sure when exactly, and I honestly didn't realize how much things had changed until a friend who I rarely see said to me "From your posts on Facebook, it sounds like things are getting better".  And I thought....yeah, it had been a while since there was an "incident" so extreme that the world would be amused at hearing about it.  I started to think about my little boy (who was now 3 years old) and how far things have come in the last 6 months and it's remarkable.  He's still him but he's a better listener, time-outs ARE an effective deterrent for naughty behavior, and we even put the shades back in his bedroom.  He's not a perfect child, but his behavior is so changed that we feel hopeful for the future.  

So what was it that helped?  I think setting him up for success by extensive childproofing his spaces was really important.  But the biggest factor was just him growing up.  Maybe his behavior was related to the frustration that comes with limited verbal communication, maybe it was impulsiveness, maybe it was lack of cause & effect understanding.  I don't really know for sure, but things are better and I'm thankful.

To parents of a challenging child, who are at their wits end, who are in tears, or finding themselves saying "NO", "Stop that", "Don't touch", "Put it down", "Let go", or "Please do not eat that" more than they say anything else, please know it won't be forever.  It's not like a light switch.  The change can sneak up on you, and one day you will find yourself in a much calmer, happier place and wonder how the heck that happened.  

As they grow - progress photos :)

It was a few years back that I took the kids for a walk and the light was just so pretty and the buds on the forsythia were just blooming so I snapped a few photos.  Turns out it was one of my favorite photos that I took that spring.  And last year I decided it would be fun to recreate it (sorta) and this year we took another.

It's not an exact recreation, but it's more like just a photo in the same place at the same time of year.  A great way to see the kids grow year over year.  
It's also made me realize that that pink dress may be ready for retirement - this is the 3rd year she's had it!

Toys are for KIDS

Now this is a home & family blog, but every once in a while, something comes up that I feel the need to comment on.  And here we are.  
Toys are for kids.
This past week there was a news article online about how NERF would soon begin producing toys for girls.  Pink bows that shoot little foam arrows.  And isn't this great because now GIRLS can have what was once a BOYS toy.  Now some feminists may stand up and shout HOORAY for girls because now they are included.  I ask why wouldn't you buy your child a NERF toy before?  Are girls only allowed pink & purple toys?  Are toys that are blue, yellow and black solely a boy's domain?   
Read about "NERF for girls" here 
The article I read talked about the increasing popularity of archery among girls and cited popular culture such as Disney's Brave and The Hunger Games as places with strong female characters who use a bow and arrow - but I ask you this:  Did Katniss or Merida carry a PINK BOW AND ARROW????  NOOOOOOOO!  

We have seen this before.  It's been less than 2 years since LEGO introduced "LEGO Friends" - which is basically a line of pinked up LEGOs where the minifig "people" have boobs and long hair.  I was appalled when I saw them and promised myself that I would not be buying them.  But my daughter has fallen prey to the "for girls" marketing and asked Santa.  And Santa delivers.  
Curious about Lego Friends - see here
Another great example is "engineering" toys.  It's a well established fact that there have always been more boys than girls who show interest in engineering, math and science.  One line of thinking is that toys "for girlls" don't play on those strengths and by the time kids get to school, boys have an advantage.  So one company (or person, I don't really know) has invented a toy "for girls".  Guess what.  It's pink.  With cutsey ribbons & figurines. There is really nothing wrong with this toy - other than at first glance it seems a bit pricey and limited in functionality (but it's not even "out" yet, so what do I know).  My bigger issue is this - what's wrong with getting your daughter some k'nex?  Legos? How about Lincoln Logs - would you buy them for your daughter if they were "Pink'n Logs"??  
Check out Goldie Blox here - http://www.goldieblox.com/ 
As an alternative - how about this?  Is there anything about this that says it's for boys only?  

And available now on Amazon  
So there are pink toys, what's the big deal?  I'll tell you what the big deal is.   
Anyone with girls & boys may overspend on 2 sets of gear and toys.  Pink pack & plays, strollers & car seats that "can't" be passed down.  Waste of money.  I had a girl first and mostly avoided being pinked out on major purchases, but I did fall victim to the trend later on. 
Does too much pink stunt development?  I have no proof of this, but if all your kids toys are pink, how will they learn colors?   Seriously.  I've seen pinked out toys of all sorts - pink doctor kits, pink stuffed puppies, pink sorting blocks. 
The problem with all this nonsense isn't that girls only want pink, it's that parents feel like they need to cater to the pinkness to appeal to girls and it just isn't true.  Does an infant girl really have a preference for pink?  And would a little girl really turn down toys in a rainbow of colors when they are older?  I think not.  It is a self fulfilling prophecy I think - the more your pink up your girl, the more she may grow to feel that only pink will do and maybe that if it's not pink, purple, or bejeweled, that it's not "for her".  
Maybe I've got unrealistic expectations - that my daughter will get to decide what she likes.  That her world will not be defined by a color or by ruffles and bows.  
And you know what?  It's not just about the girls - it's about the boys too!  I want my boy to grow up in a world where he can play with "girls toys" too!  He should be free to play in a plastic kitchen, cuddle a baby doll, or even play dress up.  I want him to view girls as kids first rather than some strange pink version of himself.  If we color all girls as pink and all boys as blue, then we're limiting them.  We're segregating genders for no good reason at a very young age.
The world is full of powerful cultural influences to define gender roles.  It's nearly impossible to avoid it, and I'm not suggesting that we should, but I do think we should strive to have our children free to decide what they like, how they like to play, and to explore their world without a pink or blue filter.
For what it's worth - my big girl spends more time playing with the "gender neutral" Duplos than with her pastel LEGO Friends, her bow & arrow set is brown, and her favorite color is orange.

Trials of Toddlerhood

I figured now was as good a time as any to pop onto the blog to address where I have been and why there have been so few posts.  Well, I hate to blame my children for my problems, but what's a girl to do?  My son, Chris, is 2.  He's a tough 2 and as his mom, I've been quite challenged lately.
It's not a simple thing.  Due to potty training issues (and some serious clean-ups that come along with it) we have basically given up on a daily nap.  So there goes my 2 hour window for productivity each day.  He's a curious kid and requires pretty close supervision or else we're left with messes to clean up.  I think he might be a wizard with the way he's able to come up with a marker or crayon out of thin air to "tag" walls.  
I don't want to get into it too much because the last thing a person needs is a permanent internet record of all their toddler shenanigans.  But suffice it to say, mommying a little guy takes up a lot more of my "free time" lately and so I just haven't had the time I really want to spend on the household stuff.
I'm hoping it won't last though.  I miss crafting, DIYing, and working to make our home better.

So what to do if you lose power for a few days...

As I sit here there's a powerful storm churning out in the Atlantic Ocean.  And for the past 2 days I've been hearing all about it from the weather guys who love to hype up a weather event.  This time around it's really starting to sound like being in a mid-Atlantic state ha put us in the path of what they're calling the frankenstorm, and while we aren't likely to get major damage or flooding at our house, there's a good chance we might lose power for a while.  If that happens I'll probably freak out a bit because I'm pretty plugged in most of the time, but we'll survive.

Here's my contingency plan for how to beat the boredom -

Batteries & flashlights.  Or a lantern!  We actually got this great LCD lantern thing from my parents at Christmas last year.  It has 4 mini-lanterns that come apart so you can wander off to the bathroom to with a nice light.  A lantern really fills up a room with light better than a directed flashlight does.  And face it, when it gets dark at 6:45 PM, I'm really not ready to just go to bed.

Board Games!  Scrabble, Monopoly, Boggle or old fashioned card games are great for the adults.  Memory, Candyland, Old Maid, and Go Fish are good for the little ones. 

Keep electronic devices charged.  OK, so that's not quite "roughing it", but face it, when your books are on a Kindle, you have games on an iPad, and your only means of communication is a cell phone, it would be a good idea to do what you can to have those things available to you.  Bonus points for a portable DVD player.

Decluttering - after spending 2 days in my grandparents house in June going through closets, drawers, and attics, I know that electricity is a "nice to have" feature of decluttering rather than a necessity.  A lantern and trash bags are the only essentials!

Crafts!  Make sure you stock up on crayons, paper, markers, coloring books, scissors or anything you frequently use for crafting at home for either you or the kids.  Don't count on a glue gun as the power may go out.  I also stock up on new coloring books to break out on rainy days.

Alright folks, that's it for tonight.  I've been working on my indoor prep, tomorrow is outdoor prep - gutters, yard cleanup, un-decorating (no need for Halloween decorations to become projectiles!).  Hopefully this whole shebang amounts to not much more than a few rainy days!
 

 

 

Pumpkin Patch 2012

What do you do in mid October on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon?  YOU GO TO THE FARM!   Last weekend we took our annual trip over to a local farm & orchard to do farmy things.  

We took our first-ever hayride.  

The kids played at a HUGE playground.  

We saw animals (mostly chickens).  We had a picnic and funnel cake. And, of course, we picked out pumpkins to carve for Halloween!

Beautiful day and tons of fun!

Please Stand By...

Last Friday afternoon I was sitting here and minding my own business when Chris-the-Destroyer peered around the screen of the laptop and smiled.  Then he proceeded to spit a full mouthful of juice straight into the keyboard.
OMG!!!!!
Honestly I was at a loss.  So he spent the next 15 minutes in time out.  He didn't like it, but I don't really think he understands that it was a big deal.  
I turned the computer off and left it keyboard down on a towel to dry out.  Jason popped off a bunch of keys to clean it and was able to hook up an external drive to back up all the photos & important stuff.  
Every time the computer was turned on it did all kinds of weird beeping or scrolling but that seems to have stopped.  And for a while half the keys didn't work but things seem to be improving and I have high hopes of this thing being fully functional sooner or later.  We did spend a few days talking over a plan to look for something new!   I'm not sure what the precise timeline will be, but I think soon I'll be blogging from a shiny new laptop.
So that's all, really.  Just wanted to pop on and say hi and explain where I've been.   I hope to have some "real" stuff for you all this week.
Parenting PSA - beware smiling toddlers with sippy cups

Thoughts - 10/15

I love the DIY stuff, the projects and the crafts, but sometimes it just doesn't happen.  There are a million reasons why - but I'll talk about what's been going on here lately.
#1- we had a MAJOR push on Sarah's room over the last month or so.  She's moved in (sorta) and we're feeling a little burned out.  We just wanted a smidge of relaxation on a weekend instead of working 'til the wee hours and missing a few football games on TV.  We still have a ton of projects to do which will make it to the blog, but those are on hiatus for a week or so.
#2 - Just this past weekend I spent most of Saturday outside on a project (which WILL be shared), but we're only halfway done and the interesting/exciting parts haven't happened yet, so no post on that.  It's good and we will be VERY glad to have it all done.  It's been exhausting work though, so we took Sunday off.  Hint:  It's dog related.
#3 - I'm short on ideas in the craft department.  Usually when I get burned out on DIYing - like the thought of painting or sanding something just is so unappealing - it's time to bust out the Mod Podge, craft paper, or sewing machine.  But I'm plum out of ideas - oh and I still haven't replaced that ever-so-important piece of the sewing machine.  I don't expect this dry spell to last long, though.
#4 - Kids.  There are times when we'd love to spend every waking hour just banging out projects, but the kids just won't have it.  They want to go to the park, play on the swing-set, hit up the firehouse open-house or church fair, and watch family movies.  We love indulging them on this stuff, but the time spent does come out of our DIY time.   It's a balancing act - we love the results of our hard work but we need to be mommy & daddy too.  
Not that I'm making excuses, just tryin' to keep it real here in blogland.
What are the thing that get in YOUR way?  Kids?  Work?  Flu?  Or just a little lazy??

Big 6th Birthday Round-Up

I figured that with all my bellyaching about not having enough time to post or get projects done it might be a good chance to share a bit of what's been going on here.  It's Birthday season - my big girl and her dad have back to back birthdays!

You might think that after 6 years of this, that I'd have it down, but producing two birthdays at once seems to  get the better of me every time.  This year we were also trying to reach a few milestones on Sarah's bedroom redo (that will be addressed in another post soon).  And on top of that, I was selling a bunch of outgrown clothes and toys at a local consignment sale, so there was all that prep-work to do.  And because of all these pitiful excuses, Jason got a bit short-changed on his b-day gifts.

So since Sarah is 6, birthdays are a pretty big deal.

We started with having a few neighborhood buddies over for a little cookie decorating on the actual day (a Thursday).  We didn't really do presents that day or anything because we were planning a family get-together on Sunday.  The kids had fun and made a mess.

Sunday came and we had my parents and brother over for some lunch.  Meatball sandwiches!  Plus cheese curls, cole slaw, chips, etc.  It was a good day for a warm lunch outside on the screen porch.  Then we did presents.

She truly loved everything - including her new bike!  Her old one was just a tiny 12" thing and this one is a whopping 18" size.  When we were putting it together, it seemed so big, but she hopped right on and was on her way.  Training wheels will come off soon, I think.

We finished off with cake.  Rainbow :)  Special request.

Mental Note - I need to take more photos.  Every day :)

Quick & Easy Craft: Halloween Felt Board

Alright people, things here this week are kinda crazy - we have a ton to do and who would I be if I didn't do everything in my crazy head to procrastinate, so instead of fiendishly cleaning my kitchen while the kids watched a movie, I decided to bust out a Halloween crafty project.  YAY!

This one is supah easy and cheap if you have any of the following:

• Spray adhesive
• Exacto Knife
• Foam core board
• Felt

If you don't have those things, then it's time to haul buns to Joann, Michaels, ACMoore, or other crafty supply house and get some.  That's what we did straight away after Kindergarten pickup today.

I picked out a black foam board and two big pieces of black felt.  Now if you want to wait in line to get felt by-the-yard, it might look a smidge better (my board has a seam down the middle), but I was lazy and had 2 hungry kids so no waiting.

I also snagged a selection of smaller (8x11") felt pieces - they're like $0.35 each.   Two orange, green, black, blue, pink, yellow, etc.  Whatever makes you happy, but I think green, orange and black are critical.  I also grabbed an exacto knife (different brand, but the same thing) and spray adhesive.

Once you've got your supplies, you're ready to rock and roll!

At home I sprayed the foam board with the adhesive and following directions on the can, I let it set for a few minutes before laying on the big black felt.  The adhesive remains tacky for about 10 minutes to allow for repositioning if necessary.  I let it completely dry for about an hour.  This is not an exciting step to photograph, but here it is anyway:

Once we were ready, cut shapes out of the felt with scissors.  I free-handed the pumpkins, but if using a template would be more comfortable, then print one out (use Google to find a pumpkin image) and go for it! We also cut out stems, arms & legs, silly hats, and face pieces.  Really you can cut out whatever shape you think your pumpkin might like to wear - pants?  Hula skirt?  Stiletto heels?  And go for a variety of face pieces - smiles, frowns, scary, silly - the idea is that this is a toy and a decoration for your play space.

I used 3M Command picture hanging strips - which are AWESOME - to attach it to the wall.

Chris & Sarah LOVE this silly thing!  Chris needs to learn more about sharing and turn, taking, but he can easily play with this on his own.  YAY!

So there you go!  Craftacular!!

Linking up to the following fantastic linky parties:

Wow Me Wednesday @ Ginger Snap Crafts
Live Laugh Linky @ Live Laugh Rowe
Crafty Soiree @ Yesterday on Tuesday
Keep Calm & Link Up @ Becoming Martha
Happy Hour @ Design, Dining & Diapers
Pomp Party @ Create. Craft. Love
Twirl & Take a Bow @ House On The Way
One Creative Weekend @ One Creative Mommy
Make It Monday @ Brassy Apple

It's the Little Things

Sometimes there are small projects that just seem like they never get done.  My house is full of these.  Any one of them would take "10 seconds", but for some reason they just never happen.  One of these is baseboards in our living room.  Let me back up for a sec....

When we bought our house we were super excited to find hardwood floor under the icky carpet.  We removed carpet from the whole house only to find some damage on the floor in the living room, plus a HOLE in the floor in the dining room.  A hole.  About 3 inches across and clear through to the basement.  To make a longer story short, we ended up replacing the hardwoods throughout the first floor, and removing the baseboard to do it.  That was 2007.  It's now 2012 and we're still trying to put the mess back together LOL.

The first room to get baseboards was the dining room.  That was a few years ago.  Then came the living room - all but the corner back by the kitchen.  And that's what Jason was able to get to this weekend!

Of course he wasn't alone - Chris helped!

Now because our house is extra special and doesn't have studs in the "right spots" Jason sort of popped a nail in and out of the wall over and over until he could find and mark where the studs were in the wall.  There were probably 8-10 holes in the wall, but the baseboard covered it all up.

And for those who may wonder, we DO have a studfinder!  But the plaster is so thick on the old walls (works fine on newer drywall parts), that the studfinder errors out.

Just had to include this pic.  While he wasn't able to find studs, Chris was able to locate his belly button.

Putting up the baseboard was literally less than a day (really just a side project tacked onto a bigger project),   but it makes such a difference in how the space looks.  It was just a good reminder to take a look at the little projects on your to-do list and bang one or two out over a weekend and see if you like your place a little more.

Parenting PSA: Beverage Security

When you're a young 20-something you always hear advice to keep an eye on your beverage in a bar.  It's a good idea, but when your bar hopping days are over you had best continue the practice. Otherwise when you turn your back, you might find that someone short has spiked your ice water with Legos.  Or plastic hardware.

Summer's End

What is it about the end of summer that makes me feel a little sentimental?  I think I've always felt this way about the end of summers, even going back to childhood.  I guess it's a bit of sadness at getting back to such  rigid structure that comes with the school year.  I say sadness, but I really am looking forward to the year, too.  Sarah is starting Kindergarten, Chris is starting a toddler preschool program.  Big adventures for both.

Overall, we had a great summer.  We did a ton and were still able to relax and enjoy as well.

Here's a few highlights of our summer:

June (ok, maybe that first one is may :)

July - we went to the shore

August - lots of work on Sarah's room - plus as much fun as we could pack in.  But apparently I took no photos.  Well, I did, but nothing awesome enough to share.  Mostly stuff inside the house.  I resolve to take more photos this fall of fun stuff like pumpkins, church fairs, Halloween costumes, birthdays, and turkey dinners.

A New Crafter?

Sarah came out of her playroom last night with a little container (from the Target dollar bins) that she had glued paper to.  And colored all over it.

She said:

"I just thought it needed a new look."

OMG, she's a little crafter in the making.  I can't wait until we're  Mod Podging together and talking about spray painting random stuff from around the house!

Rental House Vacation Tips for Parents of Toddlers

When you are the parent of a small child, whether that child is a peaceful cooperative angel or whether that child is some sort of mischievous imp, your kid won't be any less destructive in someone else's house than they are in your house.

 1. Lockdown the bedroom. Pick a bedroom for the toddler carefully. We chose the smallest bedroom with one window. That means that worst case scenario, only one roman shade to pay for. I also took out the tv, both lamps, alarm clock, framed art over the bed, and turned the dresser so he couldn't open the drawers. It might also be a good choice to remove the dresser altogether as my kid tried his darndest to completely destroy it. Luckily I'm pretty sure it's not an antique handed down from French royalty or something.

 2. Bring toys, small quiet ones, new ones are best.  You leave your house and drive to your vacation spot and after you've unloaded the car and you're hot and sweaty and ready for your first umbrella drink on the deck, your kids are staring at you saying, "I'm bored".   Yeah, been there, done that.  Solution: "Hey, go check out this cool new thing!"  If you present your toddler (and/or older kids) with something they haven't seen before, you'll probably get enough time to suck down half of a cool beverage before they get tired again. Kids need stuff to do and although you may be happy to watch birds or boats go by, this just won't cut it for them.  Legos, rubber figurines, trucks, barbies, whatever floats your kids' boat, bring it.  But don't bring anything big or you'll be annoyed that you have to do just as much cleanup on vacation as you did at home.

3.  Don't forget that your kid has to eat!  I know your rental said that the house was fully stocked, but face it, the realtor and homeowner may not realize that your mind includes sippy cups and plastic plates.  It's no big deal to throw a few plates, bowls, cups and tiny silverware into a bag and bring it along.  I went to Ikea and picked up a fresh stock of this stuff on the supercheap.  I also grabbed a pack of Solo cups/tops/straws at Target for on-the-go beverages.  Not a green solution, but very convenient.

4.  Have food rules.  Now I have fond memories of my kinda-grandmom having firm rules about food in the tv room at their vacation house.  And when I was 12, I thought it was superstrict, but not having to vacuum goldfish out of the carpet and couches everyday is really nice.  I may need to institute this rule at home because it really was nice not having cups and bowls all over the house.

5.  If it's broken, then fix it.  Properly!  Face it, your kid might break something.  It happens, a lot.  If it happens on vacation, then you should consider whether you can fix it.  Last year Chris ripped the upper rack of the fancy dishwasher and broke some plastic part.  I ordered a new part and installed it myself for $36 (probably a lot cheaper than a local repair guy or reporting it to the realtor).  This year Chris tried to destroy a dresser and I attempted to do a repair and it turned out bad.  If you will be doing a repair, do some research on the internet or visit the hardware store to make sure you're using the right kind of glue, screws, etc.  And that you have the proper tools.  If something is broken and you aren't able to properly repair it, then be sure to tell the realtor.  This is what security deposits are for.

6.  Try to relax.  Vacation is supposed to be a fun and happy time for everyone, but it's easy for things to get stressful for parents.  If your kid seems to be living on donuts for breakfast and ketchup for dinner, just try to remember that this is but a week in their lives and that you can get back to normal when you're home.  And remember, next year your toddler won't be a toddler anymore.

Oh and as a safety reminder - bring along some childproofing equipment (gates, cabinet locks, outlet covers, etc).  When cleaning our place, my dad found that Chris had done this to a bunch of outlets behind the dining table:

Big boy bed time!

In an unprecedented second trip to Ikea in a month (YAY!) we decided to just go ahead and get a bed for Chris.  The main concern with keeping him in the crib was the potential for injury on an escape attempt.  Just because he has escaped 475 million times without incident, that doesn't mean that he won't land wrong next time, right?  The second benefit of getting him into a bed is that it's on "the list".   So off we went to the epicenter for cool and modern Scandinavian home decor.  A family trip, always fun.

We checked out twin beds and beds in the children's section. We hemmed and hawed over pros and cons of one vs. the other.  And we went with a "junior" bed from the children's section.  Here's a few reasons why: 

• Chris is just 2 years old.  We can get 2-3 years out of this junior bed. .
• He's currently sharing a bedroom with a big sister.  For the immediate future, space in the room is an issue, a junior bed will fit better.
• The junior beds from the kid's section are very cute.  The twin beds are geared toward adults/teens and not little kids.

There were a few cons to the junior bed, not the least of which is that due to the fact that it's not a common size, sheets are not available anywhere but Ikea.  I figured this wasn't a huge issue as I can make some.  As soon as I get a new cord for my sewing machine.  (I know, it's been like 2 months.  I should just stop procrastinating and order one.)  For now we picked up 2 jersey knit sheets at Ikea.

The other major con is the fact that this bed will not last Chris until he leaves for college.  We are totally ok with that!  We had actually planned on upgrading Chris' bed regardless in a few years. See, Jason built Sarah's twin bed a few years back and we love it, so we figured he could just do it again (choosing.a different design).  Whenever this is no longer needed, we'll just CL it.

Why not a toddler bed?  A toddler bed is a great idea because they allow you to continue using the crib mattress and linens and many cribs convert into one. Mine didn't so I'd have to buy one.  The annoying thing was that I wasn't able to find one locally (didn't try too hard) and the few people on CraigsList I contacted never wrote me back.  And I wanted one NOW and not in the XYZ business days it would have taken WalMart to get one in.

Back to the story...we picked out the bed, mattress, a few sheets and came home.  Jason disassembled the crib and stowed it away in the basement, I moved the dresser to the opposite side of the room to cover the cable outlet.  Here's a little pic to explain what the heck I'm talking about.

Then Jason assembled the bed.  It was your standard flat-pack Ikea assembly job with cartoon directions and little Allen wrenches.

Chris got a little practice in right before I got the sheets on:

After some additional purging of a few larger items from Sarah's side of the room it was bedtime!

I wish I could say that transitioning Chris to a "big boy bed" has been a painless and smooth process.  Actually it's been pretty much a nightmare scenario where he gets out of bed 300 times before he finally falls asleep after 3 hours. **sigh**

Suggestions on how to do this better would be welcome!