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Overheard

05 Mar 2010 by Just Precious

While giving Little a bath:

Mommy! I see her p-e-n-i-s.* –Middle

She doesn’t have a p-e-n-i-s. –me

What’s that called again that she does have? –Middle

Its called her v-a-g-i-n-a. –me

Oh. And what’s that called in Spanish? –Middle.

I really don’t remember that, buddy. –me. (They don’t teach those body parts in high school Spanish. I don’t even think I learned it in my university class at Villanova.)

Oh. Well, what’s it called in my school’s language? –Middle.

You mean Hebrew? –me.

Oh, yeah, Hebrew. –Middle.

You know, I have no idea. You should ask Marci. –me.

That’s a great idea, Mom. Marci knows everything. –Middle.

*No, we don’t typically spell out words in our house. We call them what they’re called. I just included the dashes to keep the pervs at bay.

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Category: parenting 2 Comments

What we’re reading now

05 Mar 2010 by Just Precious

In honor of America Reads, I’m highlighting some of our favorite reads recent obsessions:

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Book 1) We’re reading a few pages as a family. The boys love cuddling with me as I read the story aloud. I’m amazed with the vocabulary words we’re learning and Middle’s comprehension is continuing to grow. I wouldn’t have noticed that had I not selected this book. After the first book, we’re going to take a L-O-N-G break from Harry, though. I think book 1 is enough dark story-telling for a 6 and 4 year old. Not sure what chapter book we’ll select next. They do love the action, the mystery, and the magic of this one. Suggestions?
Magic Tree House Series I started reading this series to Big about 2 years ago, but he quickly grabbed a book from me and started reading on his own. Actually, at first I didn’t know it. But I found that I’d be reading aloud to him and he was predicting a little too well. It dawned on me that, perhaps, he was reading ahead. He’s currently on book #29.
Little Quack Its pretty rare we leave the library without at least one of the Little Quack series. To say that Middle is obsessed puts it mildly. Of course, I adore these books, they’re so sing-songy-sweet and the illustrations are worth of a Julie-Award for cuteness.
The Buffalo Soldier: A Novel I decided to sample Amazon’s Kindle on my ipod and I’m loving it, especially because I read on the Eliptical and Treadmill. It certainly helps that I downloaded this fantastic book by one of my all-time favorite authors, Chris Bohjalian.
The Very Lonely Firefly board book This is a favorite among Little’s bedtime books. She reaches out and touches the “bright” part of every page. And then she turns the page (page-turning is new this week!). When we get to the “surprise” ending each night, I turn off the lights and look at the blinking lights. Such fun for her and I love how it embraces the senses.

The Yahoo! Mother Board is discussing how we celebrate reading this month. Link to more of the ideas at the group website.

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Category: parenting 4 Comments

Celebrating reading: Naturally

04 Mar 2010 by Just Precious

I love reading. Always have. There’s something about finding a good book and not being able to put it down that lifts m yahoobadge y life into relaxation.

Its part of the reason I became a teacher. When asked why I wanted to teach, I would respond: I want to teach kids how to take the words they know to make beautiful pictures and stories. I want to teach them to use what they’ve learned to enter new worlds and experiences.

When I met the Huz, he didn’t read. Much. Unless it was related to financial matters or studying for the CPA exam. I knew I couldn’t change him, but I knew I could encourage him to enjoy life through books like I did. It took a while: studying for the CPA exam takes up a lot of reading time. But he saw me reading each night before I went to sleep, he experienced me getting lost in a book at the beach and pool, and, before a vacation several years ago, finally asked me to suggest some books for him. Since then, every time he has a book to read, I’ve noticed he’s more relaxed. Books do that.

Of course I wanted to help my children embrace reading as much as I do and, luckily, its been easy. The kids went through the usual steps: gnawing and drooling on books, reaching out and feeling the pictures, pushing pages, turning pages (Little is at this point now), making up stories and words to go with pictures, and listening. Listening. Listening. Listening.

There has never been a time the kids have pushed away books–primarily because we’ve been role models. They know we read. They know we love to. Every room in our house has a table with a book on it. And we welcome times to sit quietly and read. We read in bed, on couches, while breastfeeding (okay, only I do that), in the car, on the toilet. We even read during potty training to make the process easier and more calm.

Actually, the only time we’ve noticed hesitation toward books and reading is when its pushed. I’m a big believer in letting the kids read when they’re ready. There’s absolutely no reason for a child to read first in his class. If he does, great. But if he doesn’t he’s not going to be any further behind in the end. Everyone will learn to read on his own time.

I see parents pushing reading with flashcards and software programs. While its fine to present them to kids and let the kids know they’re available, its not okay to make them learn until they want to.

Reading is supposed to be fun. As the NBA says, its “FUNdamental”. Reading is fun. But only if you suggest it as so. When parents make reading a job, its reflected as such in their children’s attitudes.

But I digress. Around here we each have our own books. We read series. We read novels. We read board books. We read as a group and we read on our own. We are always welcome to grab a book, and if we’re caught reading we’re offered quiet time. (In other words, when Big or Middle grabs a book and settles in to read, everyone is reminded that he is focusing on the book and to please leave him alone.) Reading happens everywhere. And in my home, that’s how it should be.

This post was written in response to the Yahoo! Mother Board’s topic for March 2010: Celebrating Reading. Check out all my Y! Motherboard’s friends responses to this topic.

For more information on ways you can introduce and celebrate reading in your home, check out

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Category: education, parenting Tags: family, home, reading 3 Comments

And this is why we all need a calendar. Or, at least, to set our e-calendar alarms.

03 Mar 2010 by Just Precious

: Image by Laughing Squid via Flickr

After an incredibly busy day of fundraising, shopping and selling with the PTO, the kids and I dined with Whitney and the gang and headed home where they were dressed and ready for bed, saving time to read the next part of Harry Potter.

Midway through Chapter 8, the Huz came home and sat quietly with us. We put the bookmark in, and began discussing our days. Somewhere along the way, Big mentioned that I’m about to become 18 + 18. (Makes it sound really old, right?)

At which point, the Huz says: Wait, tomorrow’s your birthday?

Yes, Daddy. -Middle

It’s March 4. -Big

Yep. Do I look 35 or 36? -Me

Wait. I thought your birthday is Thursday? -The Huz

Tomorrow is Thursday. -Big

Tomorrow is Thursday? How did that happen? -The Huz

I smirk. (We all know what’s coming, right?)

Can we celebrate Mommy’s birthday on Saturday? -The Huz

Nope, we have plans with friends. -Me

Sunday? -The Huz

Big has a birthday party. -Me

Huh. Tomorrow’s really Thursday? -The Huz

Its fine. It’s 18 + 18. A really, really busy day, anyway. I’d love to just kick my feet up and relax. So, Huz, if you read this, please note that tomorrow is Thursday and I would really, really appreciate it if you come home early and help get the kids to bed. ‘kay? Oh, and honey? Maybe you should set your Outlook calendar alert system to alert you about 2 days ahead of birthdays.

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Category: parenting Tags: birthday, Harry Potter 4 Comments

Yes, I’m guilty of an affair.

02 Mar 2010 by Just Precious

With shoes, silly!

Those of you who have been reading me at Mommies with Style may recall that I have been referred to as “the shoe guru.” I’ll admit, I know exactly where it came from. You see, Whitney and I went up to NYC for our first children’s trade show and I had only one goal in mind: to find toddler shoes for my, then, little guy, aka Middle.

Anyone who’s been to, or can even imagine, a children’s trade show will realize just how many toddler and baby shoes I came across. The market isn’t just full of them, its saturated. I spent the better part of the day learning the ins, outs, bottoms, tops, cuffs, closures… of toddler shoes. Toddler -odiatry was explained to me, time and again. As were breathability and, of course, how unique each shoe was.

I recall getting on the train that afternoon, excited, exhausted and with so much shoe knowledge I couldn’t think of much else. I might have dreamed shoes.

I can’t help but walk into our local shoe boutique to snobbily eye-up all the shoes they have in stock. I love it when my kids are wearing shoes they don’t carry and that I get to introduce them. Admittedly, the fact that I know more than most of their employees and that the manager and I have an ongoing conversation about proper fit and flexibility may be a little much. And just the fact that he knows me so well, that when my husband went over recently to return a pair of socks, he asked how I was doing and where I was, by first name.

The Huz wasn’t sure what to make of that. I mean, he knows Charlie’s not my type, but when Charlie shared the newest brand of baby shoes with him, the Huz was a bit concerned. Was he supposed to just buy them? Charlie was pretty excited to share that See Kai Run had switched to a better leather that won’t scratch. And then he showed the Huz how their Penguin Sneaker Cleaner cleaned his shoes just as well as Middle’s.

Okay. So Charlie may know me pretty well. And my kids, too (okay, just their feet). But he’s a nice guy who gives me leads on sale prices about a week before the sale starts. Of course he’s my friend!

Did I mention that my feet are small enough to fit in the store? Did I mention they’re a kids boutique, but sell brands like UGG and Northface? Suddenly, my little shoe store friendship isn’t so strange, now, is it?

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Category: parenting Tags: See Kai Run 3 Comments

The most important message: You have to believe in You

01 Mar 2010 by Just Precious

Another snow day here in the Philadelphia region, but this time I was prepared. Following school Wednesday, we raced over to the library to collect a few books, movies and a wii game (that’s right! Our library has wii games for $3 for a week.)

The kids usually grab a trendy movie that I really don’t want to see, something like Super Mario Brothers or Bakugan. But every now and then I convince them to borrow a movie that I’d like to see. This time it was Angels in the Outfield.

If you don’t recall the movie, its about a failing California Angels professional baseball team that’s getting a little help from some foster kids and some real angels. With big-name stars like Danny Glover, Tony Danza, Christopher Lloyd, Matthew McConaughey (!), and Dermot Mulroney (I know, I had no recollection of all these stars in the film, either), its a very fun family* movie.

So, my point. The point of the movie is really that you need to believe in yourself. The kids didn’t quite get that. Which lead to a great discussion of believing in yourself: that others put value in you, but for you to get something done, you have to believe that you can.

We went on to discuss how this affects us in real life. Even Middle, age four, was able to tell us times when he needs to remember to believe in him. Which is huge for him.

The discussion was focused on the kids and times when it helps to believe in themselves, it made me pause to think about adult lives, and how important it is to believe in yourself.

Parents, this is huge. For a lot of us, we loose something of ourselves when we become parents. We’re nervous, we start self doubting because we know that nothing is more important than the health and safety of our children. Our confidence takes a beating with every owie and each ear infection. Each time our child fails, we wonder if its something we’ve done. (And, don’t forget, failure is a great teacher). Our confidence is spoiled. And, often, we loose the belief that we can do it.

For those of us that stay home, this affects us later, as well. We’ve doubted ourselves so often that we begin to loose our confidence professionally, even socially. So that when its time to go back to work we’re struggling to remember how to do an interview or how to present ourselves. And how, we fear, will we convince the employer that we can do this job, when raising a child left us with so many questions? So much uncertainty?

The lesson in Angels in the Outfield is universal. You have to believe in you: first and foremost. You have to have that confidence in yourself to model to your children. You have to have it to get anywhere in life. You have to have it to succeed.

Sometimes it takes an old movie to remember that, while there may be angels among us, even they can’t make things happen without you being there first.

*Note that there are a few A-word mentions, but they’re stopped about half-way through the movie when Roger, the boy, explains that Angels don’t like curse words and perhaps they’d help out more if the coach cleaned up his mouth.

This post contains affiliate links.

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Category: Uncategorized, education, parenting Tags: angels in the outfield, confidence 6 Comments

What do vitamins & healthy supplements really teach kids?

28 Feb 2010 by Just Precious

My kids are not soda drinkers. They’re barely juice drinkers. In our house, its a lucky day when you get orange juice for breakfast. We’re strictly water and milk.

So when WAT-AAH contacted me to send samples for review at Mommies with Style, I wasn’t sure about it. The purpose of WAT-AAH is to give children a hip and healthy alternative to soda and juices. It doesn’t have coloring, artificial flavors or sugars. Actually, its completely pure.

Of course, pure is what I already give to my kids.

Still, we tested it, and you’ll find a thorough review from last week on Mommies with Style.

But I have to mention my kids’ reaction because, Just Precious, afterall, is my reaction page. They were so into the idea that they were drinking a drink that gave them energy or healthy bones. It led to a great talk about vitamins and minerals that are good for you (which, of course, jumps right onto my latest soapbox, right?) But it also brought up a bit of a concern for me and the Huz.

Big brought his WAT-AAH bottle with him to his basketball game on Saturday. As usual, he was high-energy-all-over-the-court-in-your-face. That was the constant. The change in our “review testing experiment” was that he was drinking WAT-AAH Energy. Of course, he liked it. It’s water with oxygen, for heaven’s sake. It was refreshing and tasted fresh (yes, I tasted it, too.)

At dinner after the game, he was telling us about his favorite play, the one where he “jumped really high, missed the ball, but then it landed right in my hands! And I took off down the court and no one could catch me. And it was because I had super energy because I was drinking my WAT-AAH Energy drink.”

Hmmm… is this really what I want my guy thinking? That a drink that contains only pure water and oxygen is what makes him super speedy and full of energy? Shouldn’t he be taught that we don’t need substance to make ourselves who we already are, or can be?

I’m all for teaching kids that there are ways to help us to better our bodies. (Again, let’s look at my Let’s Talk About Food agenda, shall we?) But do we want them to think they need to rely on supplements, at such a young age?

All points being equal, WAT-AAH is truly brilliant, from their clever story to their fantastic packaging and a taste that just yells, well, WAT-AAH.

WAT-AAH sent me a sample for review on Mommies with Style. They also offered a giveaway to the NY International Children’s Film Festival through my blog. This post, however, is just my opinion and thoughts.

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Category: education, parenting Tags: children, education, Health, Nutrition, supplements, vitamin Leave a Comment

We listened and still said “no”

26 Feb 2010 by Just Precious

Its not that it doesn’t happen. It’s just never happened like this.

Today Big, age 6, acted about age 12. He reminded me of the time when I was 16 and pitched my parents on the need to buy me a Geo Tracker. (It even sounds like a toy now, doesn’t it?!) Big wanted to join Club Penguin.

Apparently, on Friday, he succeeded in defeating Sensei, a big guru penguin on the popular children’s community and games website, owned by Disney. According to Big, once you defeat Sensei, you become a Ninja, and your next step is to become a Fire Ninja, but you can’t do that unless you’re a member. And membership costs $5.95 per month.

Asking me about membership Friday, I already knew my answer was “no”, but explained that he’d need to discuss it with the Huz and me, together. And so, on Sunday, he apporached us. He was ready to go with a full-on pitch. He started out explaining what he’s learned on Club Penguin. Then he went on to tell us about reaching Ninja-status, how important this was to him, and how much he wanted to continue.

While he didn’t have the posterboards that I had describing my finances and how I planned to pay back a loan from my parents, should they purchase the Tracker for me, he did offer, twice, to pay with his own money. And while we do allow him spending money and offer him the ability to make his own choices for spending his own money, membership to Club Penguin requires parental permission, and we weren’t buying his paying the $5.95 per month, for a year. In fact, when we helped him to figure that the cost would be over $70 a year, he paused. I’m sure he considered the LEGO toy he could get in place of membership.

Still, he persisted. He continued to calmly explain how much he wanted to play. But where he got stuck was when I asked him what else he does at Club Penguin, besides the karate-style game (which is really just a dressed up rock-papers-scissors game); I’ve watched him play. I’ve seen him take care of Puffles (the penguin pets you can adopt). I’ve watched him interact with other penguins. He reads the comments and directions on the screen. Had he cited these particulars I may have been encouraged that he is getting something out of the website, but he couldn’t get past the karate game. He couldn’t get past the fact that he wanted to move up in the game to another level.

It wasn’t enough. We calmly complemented his drive, motivation and thorough pitch. But membership to Club Penguin, we decided, isn’t worth the money right now. The kids have enough toys, enough games, enough electronics. And, I pointed out, there are plenty of other websites he’ll enjoy just as much, if not more, that are free. We just haven’t found them yet.

Big wasn’t happy. He moped a bit. But he understood that we weren’t going to change our opinions on this one, and that there are other things more worth the energy.

Today he played the free area of Club Penguin. And then he asked me to find a different website that he could explore. Then he forgot about Club Penguin as he played Magic Tree House’s webpage. We’ll see what else there is to explore tomorrow.

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Category: parenting Tags: Club Penguin, Walt Disney Company 5 Comments

In 5 minutes

25 Feb 2010 by Just Precious

So, one thing I liked about Eliza, Uma Thurman’s character in The Motherhood, which I reviewed on Mommies with Style this week, was the way that she just jumped on, blogged for 5, then ran off. I always feel that I have to sit down and B-L-O-G. You know: Process it. Think it through. Write. Rewrite. Edit. Check. Add. Edit. Rewrite. Schedule. Revise. Reschedule. You know?

So, in Eliza’s spirit, I’m taking 5 and just writing. Whatever I want to write.

Ummmm.

Ummm.

Hmmmm.

Okay. My mind went blank.

Blank. Like the snow. Wait. What snow? Did someone say snow? Oh yes they must have. They must have threatened severe snow because there was no school today. None. sNo.

So, rather than a relaxed Thursday while the kids were in school, we had a relaxed Thursday with the kids in wiiville and TVville because I only have so many snowy day tricks up my sleeve. I mean, what are we on? Snow day 7 this year? Really? Can someone please tell me the last time in one school year we needed 7 snow days?

I bet someone is really rolling around in this one at our school district. Oh! The humiliation! Dude!! This is a job! You’re allowed mistakes, but don’t be afraid to call everyone to school for a few hours and then host an early dismissal. Look, I know the pains of an early dismissal. I get the stress. I get the troubles of trying to find all 3000 parents in your district before you send their children home to locked doors and buckets of snow on their heads. I get that. But, snow-day-caller, today you called a snowday on a perfectly fine day. We woke up and there was nothing on the ground. Maybe a little rain falling. A few flakes. But nothing. And you called school off for the day. And now that its 2:45 and my kid should be getting on the school bus to go home, I check out outside and, nothing. Nothing.

Please, snow day caller. Don’t call another day unless your eyes show you snow.

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my pyramid

23 Feb 2010 by Just Precious

Image via Wikipedia

In our call last week, Secretary Vilsack shared that a new Food Pyramid is planned to be unveiled later this year to reflect the findings of many different studies, and to encourage, or course, healthier eating. Here’s the big surprise, many active parents don’t realize that the pyramid has changed since we were in school.

While its true that the pyramid will be changing, that doesn’t stop the need to learn healthy eating in the mean time. The Department of Agriculture created several great webpages to teach children and families basics of healthy eating, starting with the pyramid.

My Pyramid for Kids includes an interactive game where kids ages 6-11 race through space learning about healthy eating. Also are links for parents, a worksheet, a coloring page and teacher resources.

The Preschoolers Pyramid page was built for 2-5 year olds. On this page you and your kids can create a “pyramid plan” for your kid, based on his age and amount of daily activity. Parents can also learn ways to be more healthy with your children. Note that this page is not for Preschoolers to play but for parents to learn how to better help their children.

There’s also a page for moms and moms-to-be which focuses on pregnancy and breastfeeding health. Easy to read, its worth checkign out if not for review, than to answer quick questions if you fall into either of these catagories.

What’s the point? Well, if we want our children to make wise choices in eating, its going to have to start at home. Parents need to make sure that their children’s plates are colorful, serving the correct number of grains in relation to dairy. And we need to teach our children, outside of school, what’s important.

Additionally, if your schools aren’t teaching your children about healthy eating, its your job to encourage the School Directors to put health back into the curriculum. And there’s no better way to do that than to come armed with knowledge, as well as suggestions for teaching.