Monthly Archives: July 2017

Mommy’s Little Creative Story Teller or Pinocchio?

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Pinocchio-wallpapers

“Are you sure Daddy said you can have another treat” I asked my daughter, and she responded, “Yes!” I then raised my eyebrow looking at her intently. She nervously asked, “Why are you looking at me like that, Mommy?” With a frantic voice, I said, “Oh my goodness! Your nose! It’s growing!” I chuckled to myself as she recanted her statement claiming, “No, Daddy didn’t say I could have another treat. Then, she quickly touched her nose, her eyes welled up wth tears and her voice began to waver as she inquired, “Mommy, is my nose still growing? I don’t want to be like Pinocchio!”

My four year old looked so concerned and weary, and I actually felt bad when I saw her ready to cry because I was just playing around and did not anticipate that response from her. Also, I try my best to use positive reinforcement rather than focus on the negative. We actually did have a conversation about the importance of telling the truth, and she usually does. But on an occasion or two when I know she may be “fudging” the truth a little, I just scratch the tip of my nose as I ask her again, and she’ll tell the truth without me uttering a word. I definitely don’t want to stifle her creativity and do encourage her to share stories, but I’m hoping we can use those “tall tales” to promote her cognitive development and  imaginative play.

Does your child like to tell “stories?” What techniques do you use to keep them from being little Pinocchios?

All the best,

Tanya

 

Put on a Happy Face: My Little Girl Makes Me Smile

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With concentration, she held the chalk between her fingers first making a large circle, rubbing away part of it to start over again for precision then continuing by making smaller circles inside of the larger one. I then asked, “What are you drawing sweetheart?” “A happy face!” my daughter responded as she finished up her drawing with a smile and even eyebrows, “And it has to be perfect,” she continued. When I asked why she chose to draw a happy face, she told me, “Because I’m happy, and I love making happy faces.”

To hear my daughter say she’s happy and to see the smile on her face or the happy faces she draws fills me with so much happiness. Not a day goes by that she doesn’t put a smile on my face. Even when she may sulk for a bit, have to receive a warning if she’s misbehaving, or be upset because she believes it’s unfair that she can’t get a toy from the store or have a piece of candy, before long, she’s back to her jovial self bringing light into my life and all those with whom she comes in contact.

She always manages to bring a smile to my face, and I look forward to many more happy, smiling faces in the future courtesy of my little girl.

All the best,

Tanya

Winter Fun in the Summer at the Philadelphia Zoo

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“Can we go down the snow slide again, Mommy?” my daughter pleaded. A couple of weeks ago, she had a playdate with her friend from school at the Philadelphia Zoo. Even though I have a membership, somehow I didn’t know about the fun interactive winter exhibit that’s absolutely perfect during these hot summer days. We actually stumbled upon it while looking for Bear Country and to see the flamingos and couldn’t resist getting a feel of the snow in the the summer.

Even though there is an additional fee on top of general admission or a membership (which Alison, the mother of Quinn’s friend kindly covered), it was well worth it. The girls had so much fun. Actually, we all did! They excitedly went up the long and steep staircase several times trying to help carry their snow tubes to slide down “the Snow Leopard Slope, a 120-foot-long, 20-foot-high, snow-covered incline.” They made little snowballs to throw at the targets, made a couple of snow castles and slid around trying to maintain their balance as they climbed the little snow mountains. It’s good that we found the winter at the zoo area after seeing most of the animals because getting the girls to leave this area was no easy feat.

If you haven’t been to the zoo in a while, just would like to go again or want to do an outdoor activity and still keep cool, take advantage of Winter at the Philadelphia Zoo. It’s. fun for both children and adults alike. I’m tempted to take Quinn back before it ends on August 20th so that I can go down the slope a few more times too.

All the best,

Tanya

Life’s a Beach: Fun in the Sand and Ocean with My Little Girl

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Toes wiggling in the sand with a smile on her sun-kissed face. Then waves crashing against her body reaching her shoulders at times as she squealed and yelled out, “Here comes another wave!” I am so happy that we decided to take our daughter to the beach for some summer fun in Ocean City, Maryland and most recently to Atlantic City, as a much closer commute.

Quinn’s first time down the shore was when she was merely three months old when we just walked the boardwalk, but in the years to follow, we’ve made our way down to the actual beach and in the ocean and had the time of our lives enjoying nature together for hours.

This year, my four year old had fun collecting seashells and building sandcastles with her dad and cousins too. She also insisted on being making “mush,” a combination of sand and water, and being buried in the sand. While sand has a way of sticking around for days and even weeks after leaving the beach, it is well worth it to build wonderful memories as a family and to see that smile on my little girl’s face. Here’s to many more visits to the beach throughout the rest of the summer and in the years to come.

All the best,

Tanya

Throwback Thursday: Swinging Right Along with My Little Girl

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May 2014
May 2014
July 2017
July 2017

Even before my daughter was a year old, she loved to get in the swing, and she was so excited when my husband installed one for her on our tree in the front yard, but as the weather started getting warmer a few months ago, my little girl, who is now four years old, struggled to get in and out of the swing. She informed her father and me, “I need a big girl swing! This one is too small for me now!”

Wow, it seems like yesterday when Quinn would giggle as I pushed her in the swing and was still learning to talk. Now, she does well with articulating herself and even remembers what I taught her about swinging by herself. “You can push me for a little bit, and then I can use my legs to keep going higher and higher,” she told her dad after getting on her newly installed swing a few days ago.

Quinn and I both enjoy looking at pictures, and she especially loves looking at pictures from when she was much younger. When she came across some of her in the swing, she commented, “That’s when I was a baby in the baby swing. Wasn’t I cute? Now, I’m a big girl in a big girl swing!” I just thought to myself, “Where did the time go? I guess we’re swinging right along.”

All the best,
Tanya

What Would We Do Without It Wednesday: Thankful My Little Girl is Grateful

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With a smile on her face, climbing up her “new” jungle gym, my daughter said, “Wasn’t it nice of the neighbors to give this to me!” “It sure was,” I told her. She then proceeded to ask, “Why did they give it to me?” To which I responded, their children outgrew it, so they thought you would like it. “Wow, that was very thoughtful!” Quinn informed me. “Yes, it sure was.” I said.

More and more frequently, I hear people talk about how it’s a cruel world and that everyone is out for themselves or how so many people, especially the younger generations, have an attitude of entitlement. While it may be somewhat true, I sincerely do not believe all people are this way. I have been trying my best to instill positive values such as gratitude and hopefulness rather than entitlement and hopelessness in my four year old daughter, so it warms my heart each time she not only utters the phrase thank you but expresses her gratitude by acknowledging how thoughtful the other person is. I always tell her that when people do something nice or out of the kindness of their hearts, it must be acknowledged because they did not have to do anything.

Just yesterday, my uncle asked her is she wanted to help frost a pink lemonade cake for the July 4th cookout, and she was so excited and said, “Uncle David picked me to help with the cake! That was very nice of him.” After helping, she told him, without me coaching her, “Thank you for allowing me to help decorate the cake, Uncle David.”

I truly believe gratitude goes further than we think and that one is never too young or too old to display it. The world is not so cruel as long as we contribute some positivity towards it. I hope I am modeling a behavior where my daughter will continue to feel the same way I do well into adulthood.

All the best,

Tanya

Splishing & Splashing: Backyard Fun in the Summer

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“You want to get in too, Mommy?” my little girl asked as she splashed around in her brand new wading pool. “No, I think I’m too big, honey,” I informed her. With a smile, she quickly slid over telling me, “There’s plenty of room for you right here, Mommy!”

When I was a little girl, I loved getting in the wading pool with my sister. We’d sometimes be in there for hours until we were shriveled up like prunes. “Look at me, I’m swimming, Mommy!” Quinn excitedly told me as she got down low and stroked her arms in the water.

Watching her brought back so many wonderful memories and also reminded me that while going to a water park or a large pool can be fun, sometimes it’s nice to have a little fun together right in our own back yard.

All the best,

Tanya