working mom – Page 2 – Paige is Parenting

My toddler’s speech progress

I am writing this post with a happy heart. With speech sessions occurring 1-2 times a week, and lots of practice and repetition at home, Jameson’s speech is really blossoming.

Two months ago I had Jameson evaluated by the Birth to 3 services that CT offers. I had noticed that ever since his ear infections became chronic his speech development had almost completely stalled.

At two years old he was only saying about 30 words, but used babbling and pointing as his main form of communication.

Everyone around me was telling me to give him time. I lost count of how many people told me anecdotes of kids they knew who never spoke a word until 3 or 4, etc. Their intention was to make me feel better of course, but as a special educator who frequently worked with kids well out of toddlerhood who were nonverbal, my heart was still worried.

What if he never caught up with his peers? How would limited language affect his behavior? His emotions? His ability to learn and to be understood?

I spoke to a friend of mine who is an Occupational Therapist and doing that gave me the nudge I needed to make the call and get him evaluated. She assured me that the only negative that would come from an evaluation was a wasted hour if they decided his development was fine. And wouldn’t the peace of mind offered by the results be worth it in the end?

It was.

The evaluators came to our home and assessed Jameson’s skills through that play, observation, and a parent/caregiver questionnaire.

At the end of the assessment I was able to hear the results immediately. It was as I suspected: my sweet boy had a mild speech delay that was also effecting his ability to understand (receptive language).

The morning of his surgery to get tubes put in and adenoids removed. All went well, thankfully!

Cut to two months and a surgery to get ear tubes put in, adenoids removed, and countless speech sessions later. I’m so happy that I went with my gut and got to the bottom of Jameson’s speech delay.

Yesterday he said I love you for the first time.

He now says small phrases like we’re here and where’d they go on a daily basis.

He’s able to ask for help and name items he wants when given a choice of two.

Yes, my heart is singing today because I’m so happy for my little boy.

1,000 hour outside: progress update

Since January 1st, we have been on a mission to get to at least 500 hours of outside time by the end of this year. Sitting here at the tail-end of July, I am happy that 500 hours was our goal rather than the full 1,000.

Walking to the farmers market and getting some fresh blueberries to snack on. 30 minutes earned!

We finally cracked 100 hours at the beginning of this month. My husband laughed when I told him that and he said, that’s it? But I was and am very proud of the 109 hours Jameson has gotten so far this year.

I know it might not seem like a lot compared to the grand 1,000 hours goal, but I know we aren’t nearly done yet. This goal has really changed the way I plan our days now and I truly feel like Jameson has been benefitting from the time spent outdoors.

Having our meals outside. Another way we’ve been getting some more fresh air in.

We had a rough start to the challenge with pretty brutal winter temps and a fairly rainy spring. I know that doesn’t deter some families from heading into the great outdoors, but I’m just not there yet. Especially because Jameson’s speech is still developing and he isn’t able to tell me when he’s too cold or uncomfortable yet.

I’m pretty confident we will meet our mini goal of 500 hours outside this year, and I’ll be happy for that. And I think next year could be the year we tackle getting 1,000 hours outside, as we are working on building a house in upstate New York on 3.5 acres. What better motivation to step outside than having the space to run around and play in the grass?

Also, this mama can’t wait to have a nice cup of coffee on our own front porch.

Playing our way to 1,000 hours outside

The weather is finally warming up here in Southern Connecticut and we are loving it!

To be honest, the beginning of 2022 hasn’t held a lot of outdoors time for us, with the temperatures falling so low. I know that some people don’t mind freezing temps, but I get too nervous to risk it, since my son can’t really speak yet.

One of our favorite places to go has been our local botanical garden. It’s been a great way to immerse ourselves in nature and gives Jameson plenty of opportunity to explore and climb.

Why use the steps when you can scale the rocks?

We’ve also had fun visiting our local nature center, which has an awesome outdoor playground.

The playground is built into the side of a tall hill, which makes it seem like a part of the landscape. It’s beautiful to look at and lots of fun for kids!

I’m going back and forth about actually committing to a membership to the nature center though. It’s fun, but we already have so many memberships to other places in the area. But maybe a few more trips will convince me!

We’ve also spent a lot of time at our local playground. Simple, fun and always a good time!

Is it warming up where you are, or are you lucky enough to live in a place with year-round warm weather?

A getaway for mom and dad

For the first time in the history of parenthood for D and I, we took a vacation without the baby last week. It was fun, relaxing, and of course a bit anxiety provoking, not being with the baby for seven days.

But I will say that I feel way more refreshed as a parent and as a partner.

COSTA RICAN ADVENTURE

We started the week in Playa Coyote in the Guanacaste Region. We visited on the tail-end of the (very) dry season, and so were blessed with some rainy nights that helped cool down the land.

We got to eat a ton of fresh, local seafood and relax at the beach.

For this leg of the trip we stayed at an Airbnb home. This allowed us to go food shopping among the locals and save money by preparing some of our meals ourselves. Okay, by D preparing the meals…he is the chef in the family. But I did pour us some coffee now and then! lol

One of the delicious breakfasts prepared by D on our vacation

UP IN THE CLOUDS

To end our trip, we drove up to the cloud forest in Monteverde. I figured that was just a cutesy name, having done absolutely zero research on this area before we arrived (we added it to our itinerary as a last-minute decision during our trip). Well, I was wrong! It turns out, we were up so high that there were driving through ACTUAL CLOUDS! It was amazing and an unforgettable sight.

We spent the last two nights of our trip at El Silencio, which is a beautiful resort located in these mountains and surrounded by nature that looks as if it came straight out of a postcard.

View from El Silencio restaurant’s outdoor seating

Our drive to the resort took us (literally) up in the clouds

We got to go rapelling down a small waterfall, ziplining over the jungle canopy, and hiking to local waterfalls.

This hike was insane, but the views were worth it

Oh, and a spa. And a hummingbird garden. And more delicious food.

Guys, it was seriously such an amazing time. I highly recommend a mom and dad solo vacation to care for your self and your relationship.

I will admit that our trip was not the cheapest getaway and might not be right for everyone’s budget. But I think that even a mini staycation could be just what the doctor ordered for any couples out there feeling burnt out.

Playful Practice: learning how to pour and drink from a cup

This weekend wasn’t very eventful (hence no weekend roundup). Jameson had a slight fever and runny nose, so we chose to stay indoors and do laidback family things instead.

After watching my toddler run around and spin in circles like a tiny, adorable tornado, I thought it might be good to pull out a calm activity before lunchtime.

So I set up a large towel and Jameson’s plastic highchair tray cover on the kitchen floor. Then I got out some cups and filled them each about 1/4 of the way with water.

Already a master of eating peas out of a cup. Could drinking water be next?

Drinking from an unlidded cup was a skill I had tried to teach Jameson when he was much younger, simply by giving him a teeny cup with a bit of water at dinner time.

Each time he would pour the water into his cup and laugh. After the eight or ninth refill, my husband gently suggested that maybe dinnertime wasn’t the time to have our son giving himself a makeshift bath.

So I put the big boy cup away and caved into the widely accepted toddler sippy cup.

But I’ve always felt that Jameson was capable of drinking from a regular cup, if given enough chances to figure it out.

So I am on a mission to use our weekends to figure it out. And also, have some fun.

So far, J is still dumping all of the water out into his lap and then taking a sip from the cup. Which is super adorable but not practical. It’s fun to watch his eyes scrunch up as he wonders where he went wrong.

He actually wiped up some of his spills with the paper towel!

I’ve been doing my best to model how I hold the cup and take a sip, without saying what I’m doing (the Montessori way). I’m excited for the day that he will figure out that he has to bring the cup to his lips without flipping the cup over first.

I must say though, he’s really getting there with his pouring! He got a couple of splashes of water from one cup into the other during our practice time!

When did your child learn to pour and start drinking from unlidded cups?

Or are you working on that now?

The oddball pickiness of a toddler at mealtime

My toddler is a fairly adventurous eater. This is partially because D and I eat a varied diet and have been giving him the same meals as we eat, since he was old enough to eat them. It’s also because our son doesn’t seem to have any sensory issues with food textures.

Always partial to the almond croissants, of course

Being a special education teacher, I’m well aware that some kids can have serious sensory aversions that have nothing to do with whether or not you did “baby-led weaning” with them (no matter what the hardcore weaners will tell you).

But luckily, Jameson seems to tolerate all kinds of textures pretty well.

So yes, my son is a good eater, but he’s also a toddler. Meaning he is starting to assert his independence around at the dinner table (and the lunch table, and the breakfast table…).

When I say that, I don’t mean he’s throwing massive tantrums and flinging peas on the wall every day. Although, he’s done each of those things at some point or another, being a tot and all.

What he’s been doing lately is some kind of “choose one” toddler ritual where he will pick one food on his plate and eat only that food.

“Chicken and potatoes? Sorry, but I’ve decided that only peas are worthy of my palette today!”

“Nice try with the bacon, egg and cheese, mom. But I’m only eating oatmeal today, k?”- my toddler, probably

Also, I’ve had to hide the fruit bowl from view during dinner.

Yes, really.

If he catches a glimpse of a banana or a cherry tomato it is game over. He will immediately decide that what we have served him is straight-up trash and only seventeen bananas will do.

Jameson was on cloud nine at the apple orchard this past fall

Looking around online, it seems like this is a normal part of the toddler stage, and that it should pass eventually.

For now, I’ll be doing my best to not make a big fuss about him only eating parts of his meals…and hiding the fruit bowl like a crazy woman at dinner.

Has your toddler went through any picky eating stages that made you scratch your head or laugh? I’d love to hear about it!

What I read with my toddler this week: February 5th

It was a 4-day work week for me, which meant more opportunities to read with Jameson (and get some of my own reading in).

Here’s what we read this week:

T. Rex distributed by Smithsonian Kids

This is Jameson’s current favorite to skim through during diaper changes. He loves roaring like a dinosaur!

Also, the finger puppet aspect of it made for lots of giggles when we read it together. 10/10. Highly recommend!

On Mother’s Lap by Ann Herbert Scott

I loved this book for many reasons. The story was, of course, a big part of it. The takeaway being that there is always room on mother’s lap.

I also appreciate a book with beautiful pictures and diversity. This book checks both of those boxes.

Jameson sat with me for part of the reading and played nearby for the other part.

He seemed to like the pictures, as he kept coming back to peek at the next page.

Scholastic mini board books

Jameson has taken a serious liking to these in the past few months. We read one of these books at least three times a day!

Romeo and Juliet: a counting primer by Jennifer Adams

Full disclosure: I bought this book at a secondhand bookstore solely because of my love of Romeo and Juliet.

When I was in high school, I must have read through the play dozens of times.

I loved that each reading meant discovering something new in the story, and how beautiful the lines were.

When I sat down with Jameson to read this, I was pleasantly surprised that he really enjoyed this book! Maybe it was the beautifully contrasting colors on every page, or the counting aspect, but he loved it.

He even requested a reread, which I always count as a sign of a well-loved story!

What have you been reading with your child this week?

A very busy weekend- Jan 28

A very busy weekend means that this post is coming to you on a Wednesday instead of a Monday!

Consider it your pass to daydream about all of the fun things you’d like to do this weekend as you’re sitting at your desk 🙂

Saturday:

The big snow storm visited us here in Fairfield County!

Unfortunately, Jameson was still feeling a little under the weather, so there was no playing in the snow for us.

BUT he did have fun playing with some dried oats while I made oatmeal that morning.

I gave him some kitchen tools to scoop and sift with, but he had the most fun just using his hands to scoop and feel the oats.

This was another weekend where we did not add any hours to our 1000 hours outside goal, mostly because of the cold and Jameson being under the weather.

Warmer days, where are you?

Sunday:

I spent the entire day at a blood drive my Junior League chapter was co-hosting for the Res Cross.

Our goal was 28 donors and we managed to get 40 donors! I was so worried that the storm from the night before would deter people from coming in, but it was a huge success.

D and Jameson had some fun, dad and son bonding time while I was at the blood drive. I made it home in time for dinner and bath time.

Monday

Jameson and I met up with some friends at one of our favorite coffee places, Honey Joe’s.

While I chatted and had some mom time, Jameson got to play with his buddy on the indoor play sets.

It’s crazy how much his climbing and maneuvering skills have improved since the first time we came to this play area. He really is becoming a big kid right before my eyes!

After our fun morning, I dropped Jameson off at daycare for a half day so I could drive to my sister-in-laws studio salon.

And she blessed me with these beautiful brows!

This is my first time getting my eyebrows micro bladed, but I love it.

So that was our weekend! I have another long weekend coming up again, so we’ll see what we get into then.

Have a good week, everyone!

Finding “Montessori moments” as a working mom

A couple of weeks back I checked out a book called The Montessori Toddler from my local library.

It’s an amazing book and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to add more aspects of Montessori learning/lifestyle to their home.

With that being said, there were some things in the book that felt a bit overwhelming to me, a working mom.

The reality is, if you work a full-time job, you just don’t have as many hours in the day with your child as a parent that is a full-time caregiver or even works from home.

This realization got me thinking about ways I can fit “Montessori moments” into my time with my child, to get all (well, most) of those great experiences with less of the fuss.

Here are some ways I’ve been putting this into practice so far:

Teaching my toddler how to pour into a cup

The other night, Jameson only wanted the peas on his dinner plate…and then some “to-go” peas afterwards. He also felt like rummaging through his cups and plates cabinet.

Cute an “aha” moment for a teaching opportunity.

Teaching opportunity? Just let me eat my peas in peace, mom.

I put some extra cups on the ground and sat with him. Then modeled how to pour the peas from one cup to another, using two hands.

I went as slow as I could so that he could see the steps I was taking. I also made sure to not talk while doing my demonstration, because apparently talking while demonstrating makes toddlers confused about whether they should be watching you or listening to you.

I don’t know about all that, but I kept my mouth shut anyways. Well, at least most of the time. I mean, it’s weird to be that quiet for so long, right?

But anyway, Jameson had a lot of fun watching me pour his peas in different cups. He tried pouring them himself and I have to to say, his skills have definitely improved from the other week when we tried this with water.

Letting my toddler choose his outfit in the morning

Jameson’s room isn’t set up for a tiny Montessori style wardrobe to be set up, so I’ve improvised by making the top shelves of his toy rack into clothing choice baskets.

This works for us because a. It doesn’t take up any additional space in his already small room and b. I now have the shelving space to use for this since I’ve started rotating his toys to play with and keeping the rest stored in his closet.

Okay, so I will admit that I have been so-so about remembering how to do this.

This is relatively new for us and there have been a few mornings this week that I’ve scrambled for an outfit for him, completely forgetting that I have two preselected ones for him to choose right across the room.

BUT the mornings I have remembered this have been mostly successful thus far.

Two of the times he picked an outfit, he seemed really excited about it. The third time, he pushed both of the choices away from him and did not want to be bothered.

I’ll chalk that time up to him watching Sesame Street when I asked him.

Pro-tip: when attempting Montessori independence fostering activities and rituals: make sure frowned upon screen time tv characters have not hijacked your child’s attention.

All jokes aside, the point is that Montessori doesn’t have to be elaborate or time consuming. You can pick and choose what works for your family and toss the rest.

Either way, you’re doing a great job. Now excuse me while I go sweep up some random peas I just found under the dishwasher. xx

Weekend roundup: January 23

It was another cold one this weekend, but that meant it was perfect for having some fun indoors in our area!

Jameson and his cousin (left) on the big school bus at Stepping Stones

Saturday

D and I take turns sleeping in on the weekends, and yesterday it was my turn (hallelujah). While I slept in, D and Jameson went grocery shopping.

Later in the afternoon, we met up with some family to go to Stepping Stones Children’s Museum in Norwalk, CT.

Stepping Stones is a great place to take toddlers because there is just SO much to do. From water play to make believe to a life-sized, moving dinosaur! This place knocks my socks off and I’m 32.

A cool make believe/ dress-up area at Stepping Stones

Thankfully, Jameson feels the same! This kid has a blast everywhere he goes, but he especially loves it there. We got to share our favorite place with his cousin, Sebastian, so that made it even more fun.

Sunday

We started the day off pretty laidback. Watched some Blippi with Jameson’s morning milk and then had some fun with Play-Doh.

We love Play-Doh and Christmas pajamas, no matter what month it is

After his nap, we went to the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, CT. This is another one of our favorite places to visit when it’s too cold to be outside.

Fun fact: D and I used to have a huge freshwater fish tank in our first apartment. At one point we had an eel and a stingray! It’s something we plan on having again when we buy a house. Sadly, it was too difficult to find another apartment that was okay with a 500 gallon fish tank moving in with us *sigh*.

Our old fish tank that’s we somehow fit into our 900 square foot apartment

Did you and your family get into anything fun this weekend?