Author Archives: Tanya H. Franklin

Mommy’s Monday Moments: Missing My Little Girl

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2016-03-11 14.15.41“Absence makes the heart grow fonder” is one of those cliché phrases people utter to soothe others or themselves when they are away from their loved ones. Even though there’s some validity to this phrase, it unfortunately is not soothing me as I cope with being away from my daughter throughout the course of this week. Shortly, I’ll be traveling a little over two hours away to Harrisburg, PA for a work-related function and will miss our daily bedtime routine of me hugging her, kissing her and telling her I love her and she doing the same to me. Then I’ll be traveling to the Washington, DC area this Thursday through Saturday and will not see her in person until Sunday.  Thank goodness for FaceTime, Skype and Nest.

We had some fun earlier today doing activities, and I’m going to make sure we enjoy each other tomorrow when I get home from work and Wednesday when we have the entire day together. Yes, I’m sure we can both benefit from having time apart to miss each other and recharge, but I truly do treasure our time together, and it’s moments like this when I appreciate the bond we have even more.

All the best,

Tanya

Just Thirty More Days and My Little Girl Will Be Three!

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2016-04-03 17.52.39Who hasn’t heard the phrase, “Time flies?” It couldn’t be more true when it comes to children. One moment, I’m holding my newborn in my arms watching her coo, rocking her to sleep, and the next moment I’m watching her run and jump and listening to her tell me how much fun she had at the park. For the past few months, my husband and I have been prepping our daughter to no longer say that she’s two. When someone asks her how old she is, Quinn proudly responds, “I will be three on May 3rd!” Most recently, I’ve found that I too require some prepping as my daughter reaches three years old. There are so  many more milestones she will reach, and more of “baby girl” will be left behind as she continues to discover the world, evolve and become more independent. Wow, it’s just thirty more days to go. We have a Mickey Mouse Countdown tool which only heightens the anticipation. In the words of my little girl, “It’ll be here before you know it!” I have a feeling that she’ll be excited and more than ready. I just hope that I will too.

All the best,

Tanya

What Would We Do Without It Wednesdays: Hairstyles for Little Girls

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While having a little girl is fantastic, doing her hair can not only be a struggle but quite time consuming too. “Is it time to get my hair done?” my soon-to-be three year old inquires. When Quinn was just a little over one years old, I posted a blog entry regarding the strategies I employ when doing her hair entitled, “It’s My Hair, and I’ll Cry if I Want Too Baby!”. Almost two years later, she’s far more patient and will even make requests. “I want three ponytails Mommy: two in the front and one in the back!” This was actually my favorite hairstyle when I was younger.

Having go-to hairstyles is great because over time I’m able to do them much quicker, but I must admit that I sometimes dread having to do my little girl’s hair every day for a half hour to even an hour. This is when I am so grateful for people who post Youtube videos and pictures on the braiding styles they’ve done for their little girls. I’m no braiding expert, but I’m very proud with the progress I’ve been making with doing Quinn’s hair. When I finish, she’s so excited. “Can I look in the mirror to see my hair Mommy?” Of course I say, “Yes.” Then without my prompting, she will say, “I love my new hairstyle Mommy! I have to show daddy how cute my hair looks!” She especially loves when I put beads in her hair. I think she likes the jingly sound.

It makes me feel good knowing that my braiding skills are steadily  improving. I don’t know what I’d do without them. I’m sure my daughter appreciates them too.

All the best,

Tanya

Terrific Toy Tuesday: First You Crawl, Then Walk, Then Run, Then Jump & Then Skate!

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Before you learn to walk, you have to crawl. After walking, comes running and jumping. Now that spring is finally here, my little girl and I can have some outdoor fun with running, jumping, skipping and skating too! One of my favorite activities when I was younger was skating, and now my soon-to-be-three year old is following in my footsteps, or shall I say “skate steps?” What’s interesting is that when I polled my students, many of them abashedly confessed that they don’t know how to skate or have only been once. Quinn loves putting on her unicorn “Radskullz” unicorn helmet, knee guards and Minnie Mouse glitter roller skates to practice around the house. The real test, in the weeks to come, will be going outside. While I’m happy that she loves “toys” that get her up and moving, I have a feeling that I’ll be more nervous than she is.

All the best,

Tanya

Mommy’s Monday Moments:Fear Not…Well Fear A Little

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Quinn Watching the Tiger Up Close at the Zoo

Since my little girl was one, we’ve taken frequent trips to the zoo. One of her favorite stops is the Big Cat Exhibit. “Can we see the tiger and lion video at the end?” is a request she would make without fail. We’ve been to the zoo twice this year since it’s gotten warmer, but a major change has occurred: a major brain shift I’ve observed. While Quinn, my soon-to-be three year old, doesn’t mind observing the tigers, lions and cheetahs in the zoo displays, she has become fearful of the video she once loved and asked to watch a few times each time we went to the zoo.

There is this one scene in particular where the tiger is attacking an antelope which never phased Quinn in the past. So I was caught off guard today when Quinn cried out, “I’m scared Mommy! I don’t want to see the video anymore! Please Mommy!” I’ve never heard such fear in her voice before. I could see that she was really terrified. When I asked her why she was scared, she said, “The tiger was not playing nice with the other animal and was hurting him.”

In this moment I wondered.  What happened? What changed? Then it occurred to me; my little girl is growing up. Her brain is evolving. She’s entering the next phase of many more to come. I hope I’m able to model bravery and to help her address any fears she need to address as she continues to learn more about herself and her surroundings.

Best regards,

Tanya

A Happy Easter with My Little Girl

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Quinn and her Nana

“Yay! The Easter bunny came and left me a basket with special treats!” My little girl excitedly said. She spent a good portion of the day opening her surprise eggs and creating her own to share with me and her father. It’s amazing how much she’s grown within a year. She wanted to describe the color, shape and overall appearance of each item she came across, and I was eager to listen.Going to her nana’s (my mother) house was a special treat too, and really made her day. Though she is still learning the “real” reason for celebrating Easter, this was a happy day for my little girl.

All the best,

Tanya

Making Easter Eggs to “Dye” for with My Little Girl

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Ready to Dye Eggs

When I was younger, I loved dying eggs with my mom for Easter. Now, I’m able to keep the cherished tradition alive with my little girl. There’s so many styles from which to choose instead of the basic color dye, but I wanted something that was not too messy yet fun for my soon-to-be three year old. At Target, one of our favorite stores, we located a decorating kit to transform the eggs into zoo and circus animals for five dollars. Quinn enjoyed dying the eggs but really loved decorating them as animals, as did I.

Now, there’s one major problem. They’re so adorable that I don’t think my husband, Quinn or I can bring ourselves to eat them. It’s a good thing that we only decorated four as animals and left the rest in plain colors. It looks like it’s going to be a Happy Easter for our new egg friends: the tiger, zebra, giraffe and elephant. Happy Easter to you and your family.

All the best,

Tanya

What Would We Do Without Them Wednesday: Family

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Quinn and Her Big Cousin

“We are family!” Sister Sledge released this song just a couple of years after my birth, and though it has a catchy beat and even says, “Everybody get up and dance,” there’s something touching about the theme of having family. While it was great when it was just my husband and me, becoming a family unit with our daughter, who will soon be three, has been a wonderful feeling and taken our relationship to the next level.

Another line in the song, “I’ve got all my sisters and me” makes me grateful to have my sister and appreciate the relationship that my daughter has with her big cousin, who is more like a sister than a cousin. Quinn’s little face lights up whenever she mentions her cousin’s name or knows she’s going to see her. They’re six years apart, and her big cousin is such a great role model for her. Sadly, I know there will come a time when her cousin will become a teen and may not be interested in hanging out with her little cousin, but until then, which may hopefully not come, I don’t know what I’d do without my sister or what Quinn would do without the close bond she has with her sister/cousin. It’s such a blessing having family.

All the best,

Tanya

Terrific Toy Tuesday: What a Colorful Puzzle!

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A little over a year ago, I posted a blog entry entitled  “50 shades The Complexities of Learning Colors Toddler Style “and how tricky it was teaching my daughter, who was not quite two, colors with the many different shades and combined hues. Now, a year later, she has mastered the many different shades and will even say, “This ball is a mix or blue and green” or “This shirt looks like red, but it’s a dark pink, right Mommy?!”

Though we’ve been going over colors since before she was two and even have a color of the week, I cannot take full credit for Quinn’s ability to distinguish colors. One of her favorite games has been an excellent teacher when Quinn wants to apply what she knows independently. I ordered Preschool Colors through Amazon.com, and it teaches more than colors. It helps Quinn problem solve and learn the names of different items. This is one toy we both really love, and I would recommend to any young child learning colors or who just likes doing puzzles.

All the best,

Tanya

Mommy’s Moments Monday: On the Run With My Little One

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Excited After a Stroller Jog
Relaxing after a Stroller Jog

Since my daughter was just under a month old, she’s been accompanying me a strolls, fast-paced walks and jogs throughout our neighborhood. We get fresh air, she takes in the many sights, observing her environment, and I do the same while getting my heart pumping with some good exercise. We haven’t been on as many stroller outings within the past few months because of the cold weather, but since March, we’ve been going out quite frequently.

It’s been great, and we often stop off to the park, but there’s a major change I noticed in Quinn during our stroller walks and jogs. Last year, Quinn was content with just looking at her surroundings and occasionally offering commentary on what she saw. Though I would have my headphones on with my music at a low decibel, I’d engage her in discussion, asking her, “Do you hear the birds chirping?” “Is that a squirrel I see over there?” “The light is red. That means we need to stop.”

Now, the tables have turned drastically. There’s no need to engage Quinn at all because  she has countless questions and observations for me. “Mommy, the light is green. That means we can go!” “Look, Mommy. That man is walking his doggie. Where are they good no?” “Let’s go faster, Mommy!” No more can I jog with music when I’m with my little girl because I’m too busy listening to the sweet sounds of her voice and amazed with how articulate and observant she’s become within such a short duration of time. It’s moments like this that make me look forward to the occasional run with my little one.

All the best,

Tanya