Tag Archives: Mommy’s Baby Steps

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

Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Preschooler Style

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“Did you know that Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream, Mommy? Not a dream when you go to sleep but a dream where everybody is treated nice and everybody is equal,” my four year old informed me. I shook my head in agreement and asked, “What else do you know about him?” My daughter continued, “He’s not alive anymore, but we’ll be celebrating his birthday on Monday, January 15th!”

All week long, she and her classmates have been learning about Martin Luther King Jr, what he stood for and how they too can have dreams to make this world a better place. Her show and tell project was to draw a picture about how she can make the world a more peaceful place and what her dream for the world is.

Just last week, Quinn and I started sorting through her old toys determining which ones she wanted to keep and which ones she wanted to give away, so her response to making the world a peaceful place was giving away some of her toys to children who don’t have toys so that they can be happy and have fun. She even said that it is a way to show kindness to others. I was so impressed with her willingness to give to others. She also, said holding hands and giving hugs to her family and friends makes her feel good and might make them feel good too.

While we cannot control the views and actions of others, we most certainly can control ours, and if we make a conscious effort to learn from Martin Luther King Jr and other great leaders who were about peace, that’s a great start!

My daughter constantly reminds me that it is easier than we think to be kind to people. I have a dream that I will instill positive values within my daughter so that she will grow up to treat all people with kindness thereby doing our part to make the world a better place.

All the best,

Tanya

I Don’t Want to “Let Go,” But I Must Let My Daughter Build Without Me, Occasionally That Is!

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She took a quick look at the next instruction and then surveyed the table in search of the next piece. “Here it is, Mommy!” Quinn said with enthusiasm. She then shared with me, “The pink piece goes right here!” Building with Legos was one of my favorite activities when I was younger. Well, actually, I still enjoy building with Legos, so I enjoy partaking in this activity with my daughter.

Before we got started with her new Lego set, she examined the box and informed me, “It says this is for children who are five years old to twelve, but I can still do it even though I’m four!” I shook my head in agreement and let her know that I can be her helper. “Thanks, Mommy, But I might not need your help. I just have to follow the instructions and pictures.” While I was proud of her wanting to do it by herself, in that moment I was a little disappointed that she didn’t need nor want my help.

She made me think about how there will be times when I need to just be content with observing and letting her take the lead so that she may grow and become her own person. I must be happy that she wants to build on her own and wants to be independent. Now, we can occasionally build using our Legos side by side with her knowing that I am there for her if she needs me to help with instructions or to locate a piece to construct whatever she may be building.

All the best,

Tanya

Happy Starting Off the New Year with Goals and Guidance from My Little Girl (2018)

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“Happy New Year,” my daughter said in a low voice as we all finished the countdown and watching the ball drop. With her party horn by her side and her eyes noticeably heavy, my husband hugged her and gave her a kiss on her forehead saying, “You made it, Quinnie! You made it to midnight! It’s now a new year: 2018! Do you want to blow your party horn?” She silently shook her head no as she gazed at the people celebrating on TV. Her listless response was a sharp contrast to the excitement she had earlier during the countdown2noon at the Please Touch Museum blowing her horn, cheering and dancing around. My poor four year old was determined to stay up to bring in the new year, but she was completely exhausted.

This morning, after getting some much needed sleep, my daughter excitedly informed me, “Today is a new year, Mommy! It’s January 1st, 2018! What would you like to do in the new year?” My response was, “I want to reach the different goals I have for myself.” She then said, as a matter of fact, “You know, you can do whatever you want in the new year. We can even work together to be happy and reach our goals…just like my goal was to stay up for the new year!” I was impressed with her logic.

How sweet, I thought to myself. My daughter has the right idea and is on to something many of us, including me, fail to realize at times. Often, when we establish goals in the new year and focus in how we can accomplish them all on our own when in actuality there are people in our lives who love us, care about us and are more than willing to lend a hand or just a listening ear to help us reach our goals.

Yes, my daughter may only be four years old, but knowing that she loves and supports me and believes in me and my goals makes them that much more attainable. Here’s to a happy new year filled with many goals accomplished (one including more family togetherness) in 2018.

All the best to you and your family in the new year!

Tanya

On the Ninth Day of Christmas, My Daughter Gave to Me…Fun Reading Christmas Books Right Before Sleep

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On the ninth day of Christmas, my daughter gave to me…fun reading Christmas books right before sleep. With the anticipation of Christmas building, Quinn and I decided that we’d check out some books about the holiday to read as her bedtime story everyday this week leading up to Christmas.

So far, we’ve read, Daddy Christmas and Hanukkah Mama which is a wonderful story that demonstrates how a family celebrates both religious traditions. This is perfect because my daughter goes to a Jewish school and learns about Hanukkah. Grace at Christmas is a great story too about a little girl who lived with her mother and nana who was used to a certain Christmas traditions that would change this Christmas as a result of some visitors staying with them. A Very McStuffins Christmas is fun story involving Doc McStuffins from the cartoon, and The Day Santa Stopped Believing in Harold is a funny reversal tale of Santa not believing that Harold is who he says he is and staking out his house to make sure he’s the one asking for certain gifts.

The books remaining are Santa Claus and the Three Bears, Are You Grumpy, Santa? and the classic, The Night Before Christmas. I truly enjoy reading the Christmas stories  to my four year old possibly more than she enjoys hearing them.She even counts down how many books we have remaining knowing that we only have a few more days left until Christmas.

All the best,

Tanya

On the Eighth Day of Christmas, My Daughter Gave to Me…A Gingerbread House Sweet Treat!

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On the eighth day of Christmas, my daughter gave to me…a gingerbread house sweet treat! “What do you want to make this year?” I asked my four year old. “A Shopkins gingerbread house just like last year!” For the past three years, one of our Christmas traditions and fun activities has been making a gingerbread house together.

This past weekend, we had a fun time working on it, and I was impressed with how much Quinn’s grown in her creativity and dexterity. We made a good team as I squirted on some of the frosting while she held the frame of the house together. Then she came up with her special color pattern of adding the candies after I helped with the design on the rooftop.

Of course, my sweet girl asked if she could have a few of the extra candy treats not used as part of her decoration. Then, it didn’t take long before she wanted to take a little bite to share with her daddy. With a chunk taken out of the rooftop, our Shopkins Gingerbread house is on display adding to our Christmas decorations and memories.

All the best,

Tanya

On the Sixth Day of Christmas, My Daughter Gave to Me…Festive Music By Charlie Brown and Friends

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On the sixth day of Christmas, my daughter gave to me…festive music by Charlie Brown and friends. “Close your eyes, Mommy!” my daughter signaled as she got ready to press the button of one of the characters. She then said, “You can now open your eyes, Mommy! Which character do you think is leading the band this time?” I thought for a few seconds and said, “Linus!” She shook her head, “Nope, but I’ll give you a glue. The person is next to Charlie Brown.” I then shouted, “Lucy!” Quinn smiled and said, “Yes, you got it right!”

Last year, I purchased a Mickey Mouse character musical set from Hallmark, and this year, I could not resist purchasing the Peanuts set with Charlie Brown, Lucy, Schroeder, Linus and Snoopy. This one even has the option of adding spotlights, which I just had to have and my four year old loves. Since the holiday season has been in full swing, not a day goes by that she doesn’t press a button or two to hear a Christmas tune by one of the characters. She even inquired if I thought Sally, Charlie Brown’s sister would be added at some point. It’s such a cute set, and I think it will become a collectible and one of the decorations Quinn will look forward to in the years to come.

 

All the best,

Tanya

On the fourth day of Christmas, My Daughter Gave to Me…A Train Ride with Santa Through the City

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On the fourth day of Christmas, my daughter gave to me…a train ride with Santa through the city. “Here he comes, Quinnie! He’s on his way!” I told my daughter as Santa made his way up the train aisle. How excited she was as Santa gave her a special Strasburg Railroad ornament for our tree and took a picture with our family. Not only did we see Santa on our forty-five minute train ride, but we were entertained by carolers and people playing Christmas songs with their instruments. There were even Christmas activities at the Strasburg Railroad, such as meeting Mrs. Claus and writing a letter to be delivered to Santa, taking in the beautiful sceneries and doing the different Christmas activities.

This was actually our first time having this experience, and I have feeling that it will become one of our many fun Christmas traditions. Maybe next time we’ll pay a little more to dine on the train while meeting Santa.

All the best,

Tanya

On the Second Day of Christmas, My Daughter Gave to Me…Too Much Fun Decorating

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On the second day of Christmas, my daughter gave to me…too much fun decorating and one great outing selecting our Christmas tree. Whether purchasing a real Christmas tree  or digging the artificial one out of the attic or basement, the hope is that it will be a fun time for all decorating the tree and that it will not be just one person doing all of the work.

Luckily, my four year old loves decorating and wanted to start putting ornaments on our tree as soon as it was erected in our dining room corner. We waited one day in the event that the tree expanded some after being tied up to our car and in the cold, and that Sunday after Thanksgiving we got to work.

Last year, Quinn wanted a rainbow tree and asked for the same this year. While she handled the lower colors: green, blue, purple and pink (I know pink is technically not in the rainbow, but Quinn loves the color), I handled the upper colors: red, orange and yellow. This was such a great activity because Quinn loves sorting the colors as she did last year. This year, she even asked if her doll’s could help. How could I refuse? “Sure, the more the merrier,” I told her.

After we finished decorating, she asked me, “Do you think Heavenly Brownie (That’s what she named our tree) likes the way we decorated him? Do you think he’s happy to be in our home?” I responded, “Absolutely!”

All the best,

Tanya

On the First Day of Christmas, My Daughter Gave to Me…Help Selecting Our Christmas Tree

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On the first day of Christmas, my daughter gave to me…help selecting our Christmas tree. Since Quinn was one year’s old, we started the tradition of getting our Christmas tree the weekend after Thanksgiving. Now that she’s four year’s old, there is no containing her excitement, and just like her Mommy, she wanted the biggest, widest and tallest tree available. Good thing her daddy was there to reign us both in as we had our eyes set on a nine foot tree that would’ve surely scrape our ceiling.

As simple as this task can be, having it as a tradition makes it so much more meaningful, especially now that my little girl not only helps to pick out the tree but has taken over with the naming of our Christmas tree: a fun tradition my husband and I started for her first Christmas. We’ve had BG, short for Big Green, BGJ, short for Big Green junior and BG3, short for Big Green the third. This year, Quinn picked a very interesting name: Heavenly Brownie! When I asked her what made her come up with that name, she said, “I just like it!” Who knows what we’ll call our tree next year, but I’m definitely looking forward to the experience.

Here’s to fond memories with our 2017 Christmas tree: Heavenly Brownie!

All the best,

Tanya