Category Archives: Baby Musings

Celebrating Four Fantastic Years: Happy Birthday to My Sweet Girl!

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Four: a nice and even number. There’s four seasons, four elements, and today makes four years since the birth of my sweet little girl. What a fantastic four years it’s been watching her grow and become her very own person! She loves learning, is so inquisitive and is already in tune with her emotional intelligence and is often the consoler when she sees that someone is upset.

At age one, I was in awe with her ability to walk, at age two, I was eager to listen to her talk, at age three, I enjoyed observing her continue to discover the world and further develop her cognitive skills, and now at age four I look forward to and encourage her questions and interests, even when they seem endless, because I am grateful to have her in my life and love seeing the world through her eyes.

While it may be Quinn’s “happy birthday,” it is my happy day as well. She’s added so much meaning to not just my life but my husband’s life, our extended family and friends too. I hope she grows up knowing how much of a gift she has been to us all and that she feels loved not just on her special day but everyday.

All the best,

Tanya

Easter Fun at Shadybrook Farm

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“Look at all of the eggs I got!” my daughter shouted with a smile on her face as she came running back from the field with my mom, her nana. We just love going to Shadybrook Farm for their pumpkin patch and Halloween activities, so we were definitely excited to attend their “Easter Eggstravaganza” activity this weekend. Instead of taking a hayride to the pumpkin patch field, we, along with other families, were taken to an Easter egg field where children were permitted to fill their baskets with six eggs apiece and then select a special gift upon returning from the field. I was so excited for Quinn as it brought back memories of when I was younger and went on an Easter egg hunt.

In addition to getting treats, the Easter bunny was available to take pictures, and there were many other fun activities for the children and adults alike to enjoy. It was definitely worth the fee of $10 per child and $5 per adult. Plus we were able to get a discount by donating in a canned good. If you’re looking for a fun family activity, I highly recommend coming to Shadybrook Farm. It most definitely may become one of our family traditions.

All the best,

Tanya

Can’t Be Late for an Important Date: Easter Fun at the Mad Hatter Event

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Last year, I took my daughter to the Mad Hatter event celebrating Alice in Wonderland and the different characters at our local mall, and we had such a wonderful time. So when I received an email to RSVP for it this year, I wasted no time adding us to the list.  I just love when I stumble across something that both my daughter and I can enjoy, and I love it even more when it’s free! Alice and the Queen of Hearts made appearances, there were coloring, crafts, tasty treats and the Easter Bunny was there too. I initially stood off to the side as Quinn went to meet him, and she then turned towards me, signaled with her hand saying, “Come on, Mommy! You can be in the picture too!”

Though her smile was not as big as mine, she said, “I was so excited Mommy! The Easter Bunny gave me a high five and a fist bump!” This weekend, I actually had three stacks of papers to grade and was tempted to not attend the event since we had a play date scheduled for later, but boy am I glad that I did. Seeing how excited my little girl was made it all worth with it.

All the best,

Tanya

P.S. If you live near Willow Grove Mall, there are two more free Mad Hatter events on April 5th and April 9th. Click here for more information.

Excited for Spring with My Little Girl

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Our Snowman Has Melted
Decorating for Easter
Having fun with Decorations

“Do you know that today is the first day of spring?” my little girl asked with excitement. I responded, “Yes, I do!” “Now that it’s spring, the flowers will start to bloom, the grass will start to grow, and I’ll be able to ride my bike outside and go to the park more!” she exclaimed. “Yes, you’re right again,” I told her. This conversation took place today as we were driving home from her preschool to our partially snow covered yard with melted snow water flowing down the sidewalk and street.

Today, we spent a little time outside reminiscing about our snowman we built last week who has sadly melted away. On the bright side, we put up Easter and spring decorations knowing that sunny, warm spring days are ahead.

We both look forward to each season together. It’s such a blessing to observe Quinn grow and reach milestones while enjoying nature and all the fun that each season encompasses with my little girl. Here’s to kite flying, bike riding, nature walks, trips to the zoo and just spending time with each other. Here’s to “springing” into more outdoor fun!

All the best,

Tanya

Proud Parents, Praise and Positive Reinforcement

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“Are you so proud of me for putting my clothes on all by myself?” My little girl inquires with a smile on her face and my reflection in her brown eyes. If she displays a unbecoming behavior, she may ask, “Are you disappointed in me?” I remember when I was younger and how I lived for the praise of my parents and was so disappointed in myself if I disappointed them. I was such a sensitive child and wanted nothing more than to please my parents and can see that same sensitivity and desire to please when I look at my daughter and listen to the inflection in her voice.

There’s such a thin line between overly doting over a child and giving him or her the praise necessary to thrive, feel loved, reinforce positive behaviors and be successful. With this in mind, I often wonder if I’m on target with my daughter and if she knows how proud I am of her. Even as an adult, I often look for the approval of my parents, and while I seldom receive that phrase, “I’m proud of you!” from my father, I’m blessed that my mother has always demonstrated it because her praise and support has helped to shape me into who I am today.

Gratefully, Quinn has a father and mother who acknowledge her efforts and offer her positive reinforcement. Though there may be times when she may do something that upsets us or that we do not agree with, I hope she always knows how proud of her we are and how much we love her. I pray that as she gets older she will also be proud of herself and who she becomes in life.

All the best,

Tanya

Snowy Day with My Little Girl

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“Let’s have fun on this snowy day just like Peter,” my daughter insisted as she started to lie down in the snow to make a snow angel. The snowfall this year has been minimal, and she would ask me quite frequently, “When it it going to snow, Mommy?” So my daughter and I were both excited to have enough snow to play in even if it is supposed to be spring next week.

Quinn wanted to make everything from foot prints in the snow to a snow angel, to snow balls to a snow man, just like we read in Ezra Jack Keats’ book Snowy Day. I think it’s wonderful that the book inspired her, well inspired us both. Yes, shoveling the heavy snow for a path way and digging out my car may not be much fun, but at least it’s good exercise and leads up to me playing with my soon-to-be four year old in the snow.

To top it off, we came in the house and and enjoyed some tasty hot cocoa. Then Quinn said, “Thank you Mommy for playing with me on this snowy day!” his really put a smile on my face, and I hope his will be a lasting memory for her like it was for me. I’m so happy we got the snowy day we’ve both been longing for, which was a terrific way to close out the winter.

All the best,

Tanya

 

Can’t Get Enough of Dr. Seuss!

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2017-03-01-09-01-32“The Cat in the Hat is coming to my school tomorrow! Right, Mommy?” my little girl excitedly says. “That’s right,” I say with a bit of a raspy voice. I’ve been a bit under the weather all this week, but I couldn’t let the weekend come and go without acknowledging how much Dr. Seuss has impacted not just my daughter’s life but mine too. Quinn was so excited to wear her special cat in the hat outfit this past Wednesday and was eager to tell me about meeting the Cat in the Hat and all of the fun Dr. Seuss activities they did and books they read at her school. “Cat in the Hat! That rhymes, Mommy!” my three year old informs me. Then she insisted on coming up with her own rhymes just like Dr. Seuss, who was born on March 2, 1904, over 100 years before my little girl was born. It’s amazing how his gift lives on and still brings joy to so many children and adults alike. I still love Green Eggs and Ham and How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and my daughter does too. Here’s to igniting that love of reading within my daughter while reading more and more books from the Dr. Seuss collection and beyond.

All the best,

Tanya

All the best

 

Mommy’s Monday Moments: “Skating” Along with My Little Girl

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“If I practice, I’ll get better and better and be able to do some skating tricks?” my three year old inquired. “Yes, you sure will,” I assured her.”She followed up, “Then I won’t need you, and I’ll be able to skate by myself?” “Yes” I paused, “you will!” While I’m so proud of the many milestones my little girl has reached, hearing her actually say that she won’t need me anymore makes me feel so uneasy. About a year ago, I did a blog entry about Quinn skating for the first time, and now a year later she is feeling more confident and even wanted to let go of my had a few times when we were at the skating rink for her cousin’s birthday party this past Saturday.

Skating, just like walking, requires the ability to balance, but the risk of falling, going too fast or crashing into someone or something is much greater. So of course I’m both looking forward to and dreading the day that my daughter no longer needs to hold my hand while skating. At this point, something that offers me solace, not just with skating but with all of the different skills Quinn’s mastering, is that she understands the importance of practice. She even said, “If I work really hard, I’ll get really good at skating !” With this in mind, maybe she will know when she is ready to step out on the skating rink floor by herself, and it will just be up to me to be willing to let her hand go.

All the best,

Tanya

The Abundance of Wonderful Works of Art from My Little Girl

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With a smile on her face and excitement in her voice, my little girl will ask, “Do you like it, Mommy? Did I do a good job?” at least once a week when she brings home a work of art she created at her preschool. Even though my three year old started school about five months ago, her big accordion art portfolio I got her is already overflowing, and I can barely squeeze one more piece of art in it, and like most parents, I don’t want to discard anything and even have a difficult time making room on the display board I put up for her because I just don’t want to take anything down.

Actually, I’ve left the task of taking down art work in partially in Quinn’s hands and will inform her that in order to hang up her new art work we need to remove something else. So far it’s been working out really well, and she uses logic to take down art work. For instance, she suggested taking down anything Christmas or Hanukkah related since both holidays are in December so that she could make room for her Valentine’s day art work. She decided to keep her snowman up saying, “If it doesn’t snow again to make a real snowman outside, we ‘ll always have my snowman, right, Mommy?”

To be honest, part of me misses doing art projects with my little girl prior to her starting school, so we did both the finger painting one a few weeks ago (only her painting is on display even though she insisted on me putting mine on the board too), and it was an awesome way to reinforce that red and blue make purple. Plus, she was so excited and impressed with her art work that she wanted to bring in her project so that her teachers and the class could see it for show and tell.

Who knows how many works of art we’ll have by the end of June? I guess I better purchase a couple of more art portfolios to house her many masterpieces. I’m actually considered scanning some of them or putting together a little scrap book, as time permits, so that she can look back on her work and how much she’s progressed as she gets older.

All the best,

Tanya

A Happy Valentine’s Day with My Little Girl

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“Look at all of the cards and treats I got, Mommy!” my little girl beamed. She came home from preschool so excited to show me everything she got from the Valentine’s day party at her school. Last year, Quinn was just two and still at home with her father and me, so this year was quite a big deal. It was nice to see that big smile on her face and for her to be excited to give cards and gifts to her classmates, teachers and to me as well. I love my daughter year round of course, but it’s nice to show a little more love and to get a little more love on Valentine’s Day.

All the best,

Tanya