Tag Archives: Mommy’s Baby Steps

The Magical World of Disney with My Little Girl

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“Are we really going to Disney World?” my daughter asked as she waited to board her first airplane. “Yes, we are!” I told her in my high pitch voice just as excited if not more than she was. Just a couple of weeks ago, my husband and I took our five year old to meet Minnie, Mickey, all of the princesses, and many others for the very first time. Actually, it was my first time too, and I was in absolute awe. Though there were times when the rain was relentless, it didn’t put a damper on our bright, fun-filled days, and the sunshine and warm weather was welcomed with open arms.

We spent six days at Disney: three in Magic Kingdom, one in Animal Kingdom, one in Epcot and one in a Hollywood Studios, and we enjoyed every moment. The crowds were not overwhelming. Our longest wait time was twenty minutes, and our fast pass selections were right on target. We all agreed that Pandora: Avatar Flight of Passage was one of our favorites, and with the nearly three hour wait time, I am so glad it was one of our fast pass picks allowing us to wait just about five minutes to board.

The cast members and staff were consistently friendly and extremely helpful which added to our wonderful experience. Meeting all of the princesses and characters with my daughter, and seeing her face light up is something I will hold on to for years to come.

In the words of my daughter, “I’d love to come back to Disney World again and again!”

Here’s to magical, memorable moments with my family!

All the best,

Tanya

The Most Colorful…Happiest…Kid-Friendly Bedroom Ever! Troll Style!!!

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“You’re the best Mommy ever! My new bedroom is troll everything!” My daughter shrieked as she wrapped her arms around me with joy. Just a little over a month ago, Quinn turned five years old, and one of her wishes was for a big girl room. She bounced around some ideas for a while but eventually decided on a Trolls as her theme. When I asked her why to make sure it was what she really wanted, her response was that she loves the movie “Trolls” and wants a happy, colorful and fun space just like they have. I thought that was an awesome reason, and was eager to get to work.

We established the wall colors and accent items using Poppy as our inspiration: pink, aqua and sea green. After searching for the perfect twin bed to replace Quinn’s toddler bed, I found the perfect one fit for a princess at Target and was able to order the comforter and sheets through Target as well as a Bed Bath and Beyond. We were able to bring some of Quinn’s Troll toys into her bedroom to display, and I purchased a few more as a special surprise. While at Walmart, I stumbled upon a sea green bean bag that matches perfectly with her room and took the time to paint a night stand that was originally white to match the decor of her room.

To promote reading, I got some Trolls books that my daughter loves reading as part of her bedtime story or when she’s simply relaxing in her bed waiting for the day to start. Target, my main go-to store, had a lamp that doubles as a night light that Quinn uses every night and day as she reads at night.

I wanted some wall art with Troll characters, but couldn’t find what I was looking for, so with my graphic design background, I designed and had canvases printed up with the different characters.

When Quinn or anyone who has come to visit comes into her bedroom, they can’t help but feel happy because it’s such a colorful and inviting place. This truly was a fun project for me, and seeing how happy and appreciative Quinn was when her room was unveiled filled me with so much joy.

All the best,

Tanya

It’s My Fifth Mommyversary!

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My Mom, My Daughter and Me
My Mom, My Daughter and Me

Last week, I celebrated my daughter’s fifth birthday. Today, I celebrate my fifth anniversary as a mother. Wow, I cannot believe that I’ve been a mother for five years. I’ve learned so much along the way from my mother, family, friends, other mothers and especially my daughter. Creating this blog, “Mommy’s Baby Steps” and posting about my journey as a mother has been a wonderful experience too. I’ve learned that my journey as a mother is full of many destinations and sights to see. Some places I will love, embrace and want to stay forever, and there will be some that I am eager to leave, but they are essential and a part of motherhood. All in all, I am grateful so blessed to be a mother. My daughter has played an integral role in helping me evolve and grow, and I couldn’t imagine my life without her.

Happy mother’s day to you and yours.

All the best,

Tanya

Never Too Young for “Old School” Toys: Slinky Fun!

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“Mommy, what’s this called again?” my soon to be five year old asked as she played with one of my favorite old school toys. “A slinky, I told her.” She then followed up asking, “How does it work?” I was so eager to tell her, and once I showed her once, Quinn was hooked. It wasn’t a tablet or electronic device that made a lot of sounds. It wasn’t a video game nor something that would interact with her. It was just a basic slinky, and it consumed her for at least half hour or more as she strategically held on to the slinky trying to get it in the perfect position to reach her goal: get it to “walk” down an entire flight of stairs.

When her dad arrived home from work, she couldn’t wait to show him how she mastered the slinky. I too was excited for her to show him her new skill. Oftentimes, people say that kids these days only want the latest gadget or handheld device, I say that just isn’t totally true. Sometimes an “old school” toy can keep their attention and give them fun for hours. It was a nostalgic moment for me, and it felt so good teaching my daughter how to use and have fun with a slinky.

All the best,

Tanya

 

 

Making a Wish with My Little Girl

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“There’s one right there, Mommy!” my daughter excitedly told me. “Where?” I asked. “Right there!” she said as she hopped out of her wagon to pick what I’ve always called a “wishy flower” or simply a “wish.”  There’s always been something magical about that “flower” some may refer to as just a weed. I remember being filled with joy as I blew away those seed heads of the dandelion.

When I watched my daughter perform the same action, I was taken back to my childhood. I remember closing my eyes and silently making my wish right before I blew all the seeds away. Even now, when I come across one, it’s difficult to resist the temptation to pick it and make a wish. Finding hope in a weed and seeing its beauty is something not just children but adults should embrace. I wish that my daughter and all people will remain hopeful and cherish the moment of having hope just like being compelled to blow a wishy flower.

All the best,

Tanya

A Happy Easter Weekend with My Little Girl

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This Easter weekend flew by so quickly, but I couldn’t let the day go by without acknowledging and celebrating the fun moments I had with my daughter. We spent time with our family, something we both look forward to doing. We went on an Easter egg hunt yesterday, dyed eggs, and at Quinn’s request, we made rice crispy treats. She woke up excited to see what she received in her basket and immediately wanted to divide up her treats with her father and me so that we’d have some Easter treats too. I’m so grateful for such a sweet and thoughtful daughter. Happy Easter to you and yours.

All the best,

Tanya

Mother and Daughter Twins: Flattery from my Little Girl

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“Mommy, do you think we can dress alike or wear the same colors for the performance tonight?” My daughter asked. “Sure, honey. Why do you like dressing alike?” I inquired. To which Quinn exclaimed, “I love when we’re twins! Then I’m just like you! Do you like being me twin?” I smiled and said, “Of course, I do.”

Since my daughter was a baby, I’d often dress us alike or in color coordinated. Now that she’s almost five, it melts my heart that she wants to dress alike and will request that we do. Though, in my opinion, she resembles her father more than she resembles me, I am so flattered that she wants to be just like me. We do have similar mannerisms and personality traits. Many people often tell me that I am a caring and thoughtful person. These are attributes I clearly see in her.

Of course, I would never intentionally try to make my daughter a carbon copy of me. I simply want her to learn from me and always put forth her best effort. It am, however, flattered that my sweet girl looks up to me and wants to be my twin.

All the best,

Tanya

Surprise! LOL with My Little Girl

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“See, this little sister is color changing, and she squirts water from her mouth,” my daughter explained as she showed me the enclosed booklet. My four and a half year old was so articulate and had no problem telling me all about the different L.O.L. toy options and how these little surprise toys can be categorized. There’s Big Sisters, Little Sisters, Pets, and charm fizz all waiting in different size L.O.L. Balls in the aisles of Target, Walmart and other retail stores where children, young and old, empty the shelves hoping to collect all within a series or that special one that will fulfill the collection group.

While they do come with little pieces and are basically knick knacks that amount to clutter over time, I do love seeing my daughter’s eyes light up as she unpackages her latest L.O.L surprise. She has even made an effort to take on chores around the house to earn them. I know I would have wanted them when I was her age, so I find myself laughing out loud as she surprised me becoming the teacher and I becoming the student learning all about L.O.L surprises.

All the best,

Tanya

Along for the Ride: Another Milestone Boost for My Little Girl!

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“It’s perfect!” my daughter says as she smiles sitting with her elbows on the armrests of her new booster car seat. Just a couple of years ago, we had to replace her first car seat as her legs grew longer, and about a month ago, we found ourselves in the same position again as we struggled to snap the three point harness on Quinn’s car seat. Being in the 95th percentile for her height, my four year old is reaching certain milestones ahead of schedule and refuses to slow down. She was so excited to get her booster seat and asked, “Can I be in charge of unbuckling myself when we get to our destination, Mommy?” I told her, “Sure, you can.”

As much as I love seeing her grow and know it is imminent, there are times when I feel like we’re in the fast lane, and I’m just along for the ride asking her to slow down just a little. I want to enjoy the sights and sounds along the way. I want to take in the scenery and commit it to memory. Yes, at the end of the day, it may just be a booster seat, but it represents change, growth and time, and while I am certainly not the driver at all times, I am grateful to be a passenger in the vehicle of my daughter’s life.

All the best,

Tanya

Celebrating Multiculturalism Preschooler Style

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Tomorrow starts multicultural week at my daughter’s preschool, and the children will bring in special snacks that represent their culture or heritage. Quinn’s very excited about it, and I am too, but I initially drew a blank on what we would make to represent our culture or ethnicity. There will be Greek, Polish and Ecuadorian snacks, which is awesome, and while I know my genetic makeup from 23 and me, (There’s some West African, South African, Asian, Irish, English, Scottish, Indian and a few others in there), when it comes to my culture and ethnicity, I simply identify as African American or simply American.

So instead of focusing on a treat that represents us as solely Americans, I thought it would be nice for Quinn and I to bake a treat that represents the importance of family and togetherness. “So your grandmother, my great grandmother, showed you how to make the chocolate chip cookies we’re baking, Mommy?” my daughter asked as we got all of our ingredients together to prepare baking. “Yes, she did, Quinn!” She then followed up, “And the hermit cookies too?” I confirmed, “Yes, the hermit cookies too.”

Even though she’s only four, she was more of the chef, and I was her assistant. She added all of the ingredients, with the exception of me cracking the eggs, and she even sifted the flour. “This is baking soda, not baking powder, right Mommy?” she asked. “Yes, you’re right, honey!” I told her. The experience of baking with her reminded me of the moments I shared with my mom and grandmother learning to cook and bake.

Then, when Quinn said, “I love baking with you, Mommy!” it melted my heart because, a cliche as it is, one of the main ingredients in baking is “love.” While we could have just went to the store and purchased some chocolate chip cookies, part of our culture is togetherness, teaching each other and being supportive of one another as a family. Today, was a wonderful experience, and I hope Quinn’s classmates are able to not just enjoy the cookies but taste the love and energy that was put into baking them.

All the best,

Tanya