Author Archives: Tanya H. Franklin

What Would We Do Without It Wednesday: Let’s Exercise With a Shake Break!

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2016-02-15 11.27.40It’s a rainy day and too stormy to go outside and splash around in a few puddles with my little girl. We’ve played games, build towers with Legos and started doing some Easter decorating, but she’s still full of energy and says, “Can we have a shake break next, Mommy?” No, this is not a milkshake; it’s actually a fun, age-appropriate exercise video for young children that I found on Youtube.

“Pancake Manor” is the name of the organization that put together this video with characters who favor those from Sesame Street. Reggie and his friends get my two and a half year old dancing, singing and learning all at the same time, and her father and I can’t help but join in the fun. Since Quinn was just a couple of months old, we exercised together with “Happy Baby” workouts, and just last year around this time, I posted an entry about how much she enjoys going to The Little Gym. So it pleases me that she still looks forward to exercising and even says, “Exercising is fun, Mommy!”

If you want your child to enjoy exercising or just want him or her to burn off some energy while having fun, I highly suggest this video. What would we do without Pancake Manor for producing such a cool video and Youtube for making their videos accessible?

All the best,

Tanya

Terrific Toy Tuesday: A Civil Engineer in the Making (My Duplo Block Enthusiast)

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2016-01-09 17.52.52

“Let’s build something, Mommy,” my little girls excitedly says. Three to four days a week, she puts in a request to build with her Lego Blocks. Well, they’re actually Duplo Blocks by Lego which are a little larger than standard Legos and easier for her to handle for her age. Since I was a little girl, I’ve always loved constructing my own buildings and looking at pictures of Lego constructions trying to recreate them. Now, Quinn is following in my footsteps.

For Christmas, one of her gifts was a Disney Princess Duplo Princess Collection set. At first, she wanted to recreate the buildings from the pictures. The Cinderella castle was her favorite, then Ariel the Mermaid’s castle and the Snow White’s castle. Within the past month, she has taken it upon herself to intentionally mismatch the pieces with the different castles to build her very own castle creation. “Mommy, this time Snow White is going to have a slide instead of Ariel,” Quinn informs me. I am also pleased that she is starting to build on her own without my assistance, other than asking me if I like her castle.

This is a terrific toy for kids from two to one hundred and two. I’m looking forward to eventually taking my little girl to Legoland or her first Lego exhibition. Who knows, maybe she’ll become a Lego enthusiast or even a civil engineer.

All the best,

Tanya

Mommy’s Memorable Monday : Learning How to Swing

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img_1640-1“It’s a nice day! Can we go to the park today, Mommy?” my little girl asked. Though it’s February, I honored her request on this unseasonably warm Monday, and this outing conjured up some childhood memories of my own while my daughter had fun and asked to get on the “big kid” swing all by hersel.

I remember like it was yesterday when my mother taught me how to swing. “When you go up, put your legs up. When you go down, put your legs down!” Wow, it still amazes me that I recall what my mom said and used the exact words to teach my daughter. Even though it’ll be some time before she is swinging like a pro, she impressed me with how quickly she caught on and followed these instructions. The level of excitement I had for her was similar to the excitement I had for myself as a child, if not more. I all sky wanted to giggle and cheer along with her as she went up and down in the swing.

Then, she decided to recite the alphabet as she swung…well excuse me my almost-three-year-old-in-May! Before I know it, she’ll be challenging me to a contest to see who can swing the highest and fastest. Who would have thought taking a quick trip to the park would be so memorable?

 

 
All the best,

Tanya

No More Hanging on to Secrets for My Little Girl

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2016-02-10 10.42.25While it was only a little over a year and a half ago that my little girl began putting together two and three word sentences, it seems like she’s been talking since day one. My soon to be three year old (in May of this year) has become so articulate, has questions about everything and wants to share information about everything too. This has been a wonderful experience because we’re having actual conversations where she is responding and engaged in what we’re talking about. She’ll ask me, “How was your day, Mommy?” or “Did you have a good night’s sleep?” When I tell her we will be going somewhere, she’ll ask, “Are we going to Target?” This is one of her favorite stores.

Now, she reminds me of those cutesy children on TV shows who tell any and everything. Just the other day when we were at The Little Gym, she informed her instructor, “We went to Target today. After class, we’re going home for lunch. Mommy said I can’t have a cupcake because I can’t have special treats all the time!” When her father comes home from work, she tends to give him a full report of what we did, and she will do the same for me when I come home from work. Interestingly, she even includes if she didn’t listen or misbehaved at some point throughout the course of the day. “We had breakfast. I ate waffles and sausage. Then I brushed my teeth and used the rinse cup. We played in the play room. Then we went to Target and got milk, cheese and some cereal for you, Daddy! When we came home, Mommy made lunch. I didn’t eat all of my sandwich, but I had a good nap.”

I knew my days were numbered when it came to purchasing gifts and other “surprise” items in front of Quinn, and now with her wanting to share everything she knows, hanging on to no secrets, it looks like I’m going to have to shop for those “special” items without her. When I purchased Valentine’s cards, she couldn’t wait to tell him that we got a special card for him.

On the bright side, my little girl not keeping secrets is great and will come in handy when she does eventually start preschool. It is comforting to know that she is capable of sharing what she did for the day and the interactions she has with others as this will put my mind at ease.

All the best,

Tanya

What Would We Do Without It Wednesday: Fun Brushing Teeth

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Brushing with the Magic Timer App
Brushing with the Magic Timer App
Brushing with the Magic Timer App
Brushing with the Magic Timer App

Immediately after breakfast and right before bed, my little girl will say, “Mommy, let’s go to the bathroom so I can brush my teeth!” I love hearing the excitement in her voice and seeing her willingness to brush her teeth like a big girl.  “Today, I want to brush my teeth with Rapunzel…No, I want to brush them with Doc McStuffins!” my two and a half year old informs me.  She is not imagining that these different characters are visiting her. They actually are interacting with her through my iPad.

Shortly after Quinn turned two, I went from purchasing the training toothpaste to Oral B’s Stages 2+ toothpaste, and I noticed a free downloadable Magic Timer App. This is an awesome app that plays a little music as the time counts down from two minutes with the toothbrush scrubbing the screen to reveal a picture of a Disney character or two. The toothbrush actually moves from each quadrant on the screen every 30 seconds to let the child know it is time to brush a different section of teeth. Then, at the end, the child earns a star on the calendar along with a sticker in a Disney book. There is also a parent feature and a section for entering rewards when the child visits the dentist and has no cavities.

Of course, Oral B had to find a way to make some money from the free app, so in order to get new sticker books a new toothpaste or toothbrush product must be scanned. The default sticker book is Mickey Mouse. So far, we’ve purchased Minnie Mouse, Doc McStuffins, Disney Princesses and Cars toothpaste to collect different sticker books, Needless to say, we have enough toothpaste to last her for a year or so, but it’s worth it since my little girl is so excited to brush her teeth.

This app is perfect not just for young children but any child or even adult who needs a little motivation when it comes to brushing his or her teeth. It helps to develop good habits and holds the “brusher” accountable as the stars fill up on the calendar and the stickers fill up in the digital albums. It is probably one of the reasons my little girl did so well at her first dental appointment.

All the best,

Tanya

Terrific Toy Tuesday: Tea for Two Anyone?

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2016-01-08 13.24.17“May I have two spoons of sugar please?” I ask. “Yes, you may.” My little girl says as she uses her little spoon and scoops the imaginary sugar into my teacup. I just loved having tea parties when I was a little girl, and now I get to enjoy them with my little girl.  It’s such a wonderful way to not only interact with one another but to improve her vocabulary, ability to follow directions and expand her imagination. Initially, she would just ask if I wanted some tea. Now, she will say, “What would you like with your tea? Do you want a heart shaped cookie or a round cookie?”

This activity enables her to practice counting and decision-making skills too. She sets up her  Fisher Price Magical Tea for Two Set on her serving tray all by herself, and says, “It’s time for tea!” Since the set only comes with two cookies, when she is serving her father, me and herself tea, she’ll inform me, “You had a cookie last time, Mommy. Now, Daddy gets a cookie.”

When we have our tea parties, I sometimes feel like I am holding up a mirror as my two and a half year old utters statements she has heard me say  or way in which she says these statements to demonstrate her good manners. One time, she commented on my sugar intake telling me, “I don’t think you need anymore sugar, Mommy. You already had three spoons! How about some milk or cream instead?” I can tell that she likes being in control and asserting herself. What I like is that she does it in a playful and respectful way.

Here’s to more tea parties with my little girl!

All the best,

Tanya

Mommy Memories of Memorable Moments Mondays: How My Little Girl Has Grown!

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Quinn at One Week
Quinn at Five Months
Quinn at Two and a Half Years Old

Though I have only been a mother for a little over two and a half years, I can confirm that the rumors are true: the time from infancy through toddlerhood (and probably beyond) really does fly by. If you’re not a picture taker, I’d urge you to become one because even as a person who has a fairly sharp memory, short term and long term, I find that some moments I consider to be memorable (Who and I kidding…all of them are to me!) are not only fleeting but blurring together.

Every once and a while, my little girl will do something that conjures up one of those memorable moments. One in particular is when she squeezes her 39 inch long body into her infant to toddler rocker and will insist on keeping the pull toys on which make it even more difficult for her to fit. “I love this chair,” she exclaims. I then can’t help but think about when she was just a week old relaxing in her infant seat and how excited I was when she started reaching out for the toys in front of her and spinning them around a few months later. It was our “go-to” chair when I was grading papers, and Quinn wanted to be nearby but not necessarily held.

Of course, I love watching my little girl grow in a multitude of ways, but I also love just reminiscing and thinking about how much she has grown and how much we have grown together as mother and daughter.

All the best,

Tanya

My Little Girl! My Valentine!

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Every evening, since my daughter was an infant, I say, “Mommy loves you!” as I put her to sleep. As she was just learning how to talk, she would repeat what I said with a smile on her face, “Mommy loves you too!” I would chuckle and say, “No, Quinnie, you say, “I love you too, Mommy.” Now, without prompting and at times when it’s least expected, my two and a half year old will say, “Mommy, I love you so much.” It really melts my heart. Yes, Valentine’s Day for most is about romance, but I could not imagine life without celebrating it with my little girl: my valentine!

All the best,

Tanya

What Would We Do Without It Wednesday: Thanks for Everything Daniel Tiger

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Daniel TigerIt’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood when my two and a half year old listens, follows directions, says please and thank you, shares, takes turns and is just an overall pleasure to be around. While her father and I would love to take all of the credit for how well-behaved and mannerly our little girl can be, we most certainly couldn’t do it without our neighborhood friends, Daniel Tiger, his family and friends.

cover170x170Each morning, since Quinn was a baby, I’ve been playing a little mood music while we eat breakfast and get started with the day. About a month ago, I purchased Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: Life’s Little Lessons from iTunes since she enjoys watching the show from time to time. This is one of the best purchases I’ve made for her because she will not only request that we play Daniel Tiger music, but she will sing along with the songs and even apply some of the principles mentioned in the songs.

When we are playing together or she’s playing with other children, she’ll say, “We have to share and play together! That’s what Daniel Tiger says.” Then she will follow through and share with whoever she’s playing with. Or when she needs to go to the bathroom, even in stores, she sings, “When you have to go potty, stop and go right away!” Then we are off to the restroom. I’ve even got her to try a few new foods as a result of listening to the song, “Try a New Food. It Might Taste Good.” Also, if I’m being honest, many of the songs address issues not just children but adults too, like anger issues. “When you’re feeling mad, and you want to roar, take a deep breath, and count to four!” Every once in a while, I find myself counting to four to relax, and it works!

What would we do without Daniel Tiger? He’s always welcome in our neighborhood!

All the best,

Tanya

Terrific Toy Tuesday: Memory

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Playing Minion Memory
Playing Minion Memory
Playing Minion Memory
Playing Minion Memory
Playing Minion Memory
Playing Minion Memory
Playing Minion Memory
Playing Minion Memory & Collecting Matching Cards
Playing Minion Memory & Collecting Matching Cards

One of my favorite childhood games to pass the day away either by myself, with my siblings and mom or friends was “Memory.” Now, it is one of my favorite games to play with my two and a half year old daughter, and it’s becoming one of her favorite games too. Though the game is for ages three and up, she quickly grasped the concept, and after dinner she’ll ask, “Can we play the Minions Memory game please?”

When I played it as a youngster, I did not think about the cognitive aspects of the game, like sharpening my memory and the critical thinking and strategizing associated with the game. I was just focused on winning and finding the most matches. That seems to be Quinn’s focus too as she sometimes sneakily and sometimes unabashedly turns over multiple cards hoping to find a match. But it pleases me to know that this is a wonderful game for her cognitive development and for us to have some mother/daughter bonding.

Playing games with children, especially with my young daughter is tricky because I am not only teaching her the game but want to help her develop confidence in playing it. Since there are nearly fifty cards, we usually do half so that the game is not too long and to ensure that finding matches is not too daunting of a task for her. Then, I hold back and allow her to win. When she does collect more matching cards than I do, her little face lights up, her hands start waving as she holds on to some of the cards, and she dances around cheering, “I won, Mommy! I won! Guess what, Daddy! I beat Mommy at the Minion Memory game! I must admit, however, that Quinn is getting better and better, and I have a feeling that she will be beating me at memory in no time without me “helping” her to win.

All the best,

Tanya