boy mom – Page 3 – Paige is Parenting

I guess toddlers really love stickers

I had read somewhere in the social media parenting sphere about the power of stickers for keeping toddlers occupied during family restaurant outings.

Well, technically they were talking about making a “busy bag” for your toddler to keep them happy and occupied after the joy of eating a meal wears off (so basically ten minutes into your meal).

But stickers played a big role in the busy bag and was credited for keeping this mom’s toddler content for almost the entire meal.

I love the idea of a Busy Bag and I’ll make a post some time in the future on the contents of Jameson’s once I actually put one together. But I figured it was a good idea to have him play with stickers first, to make sure they were something he would be interested in.

The outcome: he freakin’ loved it.

“Wow mom, you really knocked it out of the park this time.” – my toddler, probably

Sure, he needed my help to peel each sticker off (the fine motor skills of a nineteen month old, of course), but after that he was happily placing the stickers on the paper and enjoying the sensory input of stickiness on his fingers.

He also had a blast putting the stickers on himself, which gave us both a good laugh.

“Enough with the pictures, lady. Hand me another sticker.”

I’d say playing with stickers held his interest for almost twenty minutes! Whenever I do get around to making his Busy Bag, stickers will certainly have a place in there!

Do you make Busy Bags for outings where your child has to be seated for long periods of time? What are the all stars of your bag?

Weekend roundup: Jan. 16th

We had some seriously freezing temps here in the Northeast this weekend, so there was lots of time spent indoors and zero spent towards our 1,000 hours outside goal.

I know that there is a saying about there being no such thing as bad weather (only poor clothing choice), but I’m just not at the point where I can (or want to) take my 1.5 year-old outside when it’s two degrees out.

But there is always next weekend and hopefully warmer winter days ahead of us! What’s that you say? February will only get colder? Well, f***.

Anyway, we still had a lot of fun indoors. There was lots of play-doh time.

We’ve learned not to eat play-doh, but still do a sampling here and there

Time spent cuddling and playing cars, of course.

Jameson turns anything into a car ramp nowadays.

And we even had our old neighbors over to go swimming at our apartment’s indoor pool! They have a son that’s Jameson’s age, so it’s always a fun time.

My favorite part of this weekend? Date night with the hubby at one of our favorite restaurants. My mother-in-law watched the baby while we went out for some much needed couples time.

Side note: How nice is it when you get to have an amazing dinner and not do the dishes afterwards?

What I’m reading with my toddler this week

One of my earliest childhood memories is of my mom reading Disney’s picture book version of The Jungle Book to me.

I’ve always loved to read and I think a big part of that was my mom making a point to sit and read with me every day, until I was old enough to read on my own.

Reading with Jameson when he was just a bitty peanut

It’s why I also make sure to read at least one book a day to Jameson.

Have I skipped a day before? Of course! Life can get crazy and I’m only human, after all.

But more often than not, we read our one book a day (which usually turns into 2 or 3 once we get started, but 1 book is our minimum!).

We are lucky enough to live close to a secondhand bookstore, and get lots of great pictures books that range from $1-$5 each!

Shopping secondhand is great for picture books because 1.) picture books can be PRICY when purchased new and 2.) shopping secondhand often means finding interesting and lesser known books that don’t always make their way into the big bookstores for very long.

Here are the books I read with Jameson this week:

Cute baby tootsies for the “toe” part of this title!

From Head to Toe by Eric Carle

This book is visually beautiful and great for introducing mimicking movements to toddlers (“Can you do this? I can do it!”)

Jameson sat in my lap and was really engaged throughout our reading. This book will be a repeat in our home for sure!

If I were a puppy by Anne Wilkinson

A cute touch-and-feel board book. He liked feeling the fluffy tail the best.

Potty Superhero by Parragon Books

This was a cute book for introducing potty training to Jameson. He’s not really into superheroes though, so it didn’t hold his interest too much.

Pop-Up Peekaboo I Love You

This is one of Jameson’s favorites! We read this book every other day and he now imitates smooching noises when we get to the two sheep kissing on the last page.

Where’s Spot by Eric Hill

Another favorite of Jameson’s and an almost daily read in our house! This is a fun lift-the-flap book that has good, simple repetition for toddlers to pick up language.

After a couple weeks of reading this book, Jameson began to say “no!” along with me as we searched for spot (and cracked up laughing)!

Back to work

Yesterday was the first day back to work for me, and back to daycare for Jameson since our Christmas/New Years COVID quarantine.

It was a great day for both of us, but still a bit of a mixed bag of emotions for me.

As happy as I was to see my student again, I will miss my time at home with my little guy.

I’m starting to realize that one of the hard things about being a working mom is going back to work after long stretches at home with your kid(s).

That stretch of one-on-one time brings a renewed feeling of “leaving” him to go to work all over again. Not as strong as the very first time, but like the sting of ripping at an old scab.

That Jameson loves going to daycare and seeing his friends makes it easier. I feel less guilty knowing that he’s spending his day somewhere he enjoys, at least.

Are you working parent? Do you find that “working parent guilt” amps up after time off with family?

The 1,000 Hours Outside Challenge

Have you heard about The 1,000 Hours Outside Challenge yet?

Created by mom of five, Ginny Yurich, the challenge is for families to spend 1,000 hours playing outdoors.

Our “Day 1” of the challenge was January 2nd, at a beachside trail

In Yurich’s podcast by the same name, she explains that the premise for 1,000 hours of outdoor play came from the statistic that, on average, children in the United States spend 1,200 hours a year in front of screens.

Yes, you read that right. 1,2oo hours of screen time!

For me, hearing that statistic was shocking. But it also made me feel like if we can manage that many hours with a tablet or tv, maybe 1,000 hours of outdoor play isn’t so impossible after all.

To make it even easier for families to keep track and stay motivated throughout the year, Yurich has an instagram account that she updates frequently, as well as tracking sheets on her website.

She even has an app by the same name! I’ve downloaded it and it’s pretty good for keeping me motivated so far. Although I will say that it does glitch out fairly often and kick me out of the app (but I’m sure it’s relatively new and so, I don’t mind it so much).

You can track time, photos taken, and little notes from your outside time in the 1,000 Hours Outside app.

To be honest, as a working mother of a toddler with a pretty strict weekday schedule, I’m not sure if my family will meet the 1,000 hours of outdoor play goal.

But I plan on trying to anyway. If we manage to reach even 500 hours of outdoor time this year, I’ll be overjoyed.

I think the best thing to do when it comes to goals like this is make a really good effort every week. Then give yourself some grace when life or the weather gets in the way.

What do you think about The 1,000 Hours Outside Challenge? And are you up for giving it a try with your family this year?

Until next time! -Paige

Fleeing the flu!

Well, D got the flu while traveling for work. How he managed to not get Covid while being around me and the baby, but get the flu right after, is insane to me.

But somehow, here we are. The good thing is he got it while traveling, so the baby and I hopefully weren’t exposed to it.

We’re not taking any chances though, so the baby and I are staying at my parent’s house this weekend!

Having fun in Meemaw and Grandpa’s playroom!

Before we left, we got to enjoy some time playing in the snow at home. Good thing we did, because it is a frosty 18 degrees here in upstate NY!

Not sure how he feels about this whole “snow” thing

There hasn’t been a lot of time to write while at my parents’, but I’m hoping to get back into my flow once we’re back home tomorrow. Hope you all have a nice weekend. Stay warm out there!

Happy to be here and anywhere

Jameson finally tested negative today! We took full advantage of the nice weather and went on not one, but TWO outings!

Our first stop: Honey Joe’s Coffee House

Having an entire indoor playground to himself is a pretty great way to end quarantine!

Jameson and I got up super early (not on purpose. Diaper leakage and soaked mattress at 5 AM. Blah.) so we stayed local for the first outing.

Thankfully, one of the many coffee shops in our neighborhood has an amazing indoor playground. J got to run around and play. Mama got to sip on an iced coffee. Perfection.

Stop Number Two: Stepping Stones Children’s Museum

Desperate to make the most of today’s good weather, since we’re expecting a snow storm tomorrow, we ventured out again after Jameson’s nap.

This was his first time at the children’s museum and he was a big fan! They have a gigantic dinosaur model that moves and roars, which J kept imitating even after we left. Safe to say we’ll be heading back soon!

We ended the day with a mixed bag. I expertly ordered Ubereats to arrive with dinner almost exactly when we got home (score). And the baby went to bed without a hitch. (Double score).

On a sad note, D is now stuck at a hotel in Jersey with flu-like symptoms and is too sick to drive home. With the snow storm coming, he might not get home until late tomorrow night. If he even feels well enough to drive by then.

Anyone else out there expecting a winter storm this weekend? Are you the kind of person who looks forward to snowy weather or do you dread it? I’m not a fan of the snow but I’m excited for Jameson to experience it!

Adventures in quarantine

Another day here in quarantine after the baby and I tested positive over the holidays. D had to stay in Jersey for work tonight and the weather was too crummy for a walk, so today was the definition of a stir crazy day.

“Hello, down there! What’s it like in the outside world?” – my toddler, probably

Jameson and I quickly ran through my list of fun things for the day and leaned heavily into the Disney channel for entertainment. We watched Encanto TWICE today. Yes. Twice. Yea, it’s a lot of tv.

He started the day off snuggly and ended it like this. #personalspacemom

But the truth is I don’t feel bad about today at all. We’ve done a ton of fun, crafty, Pinterest worthy stuff since we’ve been stuck inside from Christmas Eve on. Today was one of our last days in quarantine.

It was raining. It was Wednesday for crying out loud. And did I mention it was raining?

So anyway, tonight I am raising my cup of decaf coffee to all the mamas and the papas out there who ran out of ideas around noon and watched one too many animated musicals. I see you. I feel you. Hell, I am you. Cheers!

Paige is parenting

The last time I posted on here, I was just starting my maternity leave. As of today, my son is 18 months-old. So yes, it’s been a while!

The transition from pregnancy to parenthood was a whirlwind of change. Beautiful, chaotic, messy, perfect change. It probably wouldn’t be that far from the truth to say that it has taken this year and a half of being a parent for me to find the calm and the joy in it. The feeling of maybe, possibly, having a handling on things a bit more.

So, what’s new?

CAREER:

The one that keeps the lights on: Well, I have a new job for starters. I’ve changed from freelance tutoring and advocacy to homeschooling. Since the pandemic and virtual learning, I discovered that there are great, stable jobs for teachers willing to take the reins on the academic parts of homeschooling that can be overwhelming for parents. My student is awesome and the hours are flexible enough for this mom to a toddler.

The one that I’m striving towards: I am doubling down on my efforts to sell at least one of my books by the end of this year. My children’s book, Zamaya the Great, is in the querying stage (super exciting). I’m currently working on the second draft of my Fantasy Realism novel. Guys, I really like this book and I can’t wait for it to be ready for someone other than myself to read!

FAMILY:

D and I made it official and got ENGAGED this past summer! I’ll share the sweet story of that on another post.

We moved to a different apartment…and then a different apartment in the same building. We just love packing tape and cardboard boxes…ha. We’re still in Stamford, CT though!

Jameson was born! By far the biggest change since we last spoke is that I gave birth to my sweet boy. He is now a one and a half year-old TODDLER and I still can’t handle the off-the-charts cuteness that is my own kid.

I’m sure there are loads of things to mention as well, but I’m drawing a blank. It’s like when someone asks you what you like to do for fun and suddenly you can’t think of anything to say except “you know, hanging out”. Ah well, mom brain/life brain!

Peace out for now! -Paige

Pregnancy Week 35: Maternity Leave

The days of putting up my feet and nesting have finally begun! And not a moment too soon! I don’t think my feet and ankles could have taken any more of chasing two 5 year olds around all day.

This past Friday began the start of my maternity leave. I plan on resting and nesting, of course, while also completing my online board certification of Special Education Advocacy.

The goal is to complete all or most of this course before baby boy gets here. That way I can enjoy my time with him fully, then dive right into starting my consulting business in the fall (when he will hopefully be on a solid sleep schedule).

I am so excited for D and I to be parents and get to care for this new little life of ours.

I am also excited for the swelling in my feet and hands to disappear, and to be able to roll over in bed without getting out of breath! Haha

Highlights:

•baby boys Estimated Fetal Weight scan put him in the 60% percentile for growth and right on track!

•I started my maternity leave this week

•our hospital bags are almost completely packed

Lowlights:

•swollen feet are a daily thing

•carpal tunnel syndrome in both of my hands thanks to this all of this fluid I’m retaining