Tag Archives: Mommy’s Baby Steps

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

 

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

Terrific Toy Tuesday: Up, Up and Away with My First Flyer

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my-first-flyer“It’s flying, Mommy! It’s flying!” my three year old screamed with excitement. Just this past Halloween, my daughter was an astronaut, and with her love of aircrafts I knew she’d just love Little Tikes: My First Flyer. It was one of her favorite Christmas gifts and has proven to be one of her favorite toys because as with most children, they tend to move on to the next “big” thing leaving yesterday’s toys discarded, but not this one!

Almost every day after school Quinn will ask me or her father, “Can I fly my helicopter today?” It’s a cool little gadget appropriate for her little hands with a basic remote control that allows her to fly, steer and land the helicopter. Also, it took her no time to figure out how to use it. It comes in red or blue with white trimming and even has sound effects as it takes off and lands. Needless to say my husband, who is really into aircrafts and even has his undergrad degree in aerospace engineering, enjoys using this toy just as much if not more than my daughter.

While the regular price is just about $45, I managed to get it for just $26.99 from Toys R Us during one of those one day blockbuster deals. I did read some reviews claiming that it is flimsy or that the propeller breaks easily, but we haven’t had that experience at all, especially considering how rough and heavy-handed my little girl can be with her toys. Actually, for us this is not just a toy but it helps with coordination, direction and patience with flying, steering and landing the helicopter. I’d highly recommend My First Flyer to anyone who has a child expressing interests in aircrafts or just vehicles in general.

Here’s a little video to demonstrate the excitement my daughter had on Christmas day seeing the helicopter fly.

All the best,

Tanya

Food for Thought: Thank You for Trying Something New, Little Girl!

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2017-01-23 17.39.10.jpg“No thank you!” is usually the response I get when I offer my three old food she’s never had before or  just believes is yucky, which is just about everything. With her being in preschool for the past four months, it’s been a struggle to find a lunch she will eagerly eat. Almost always, her lunch box comes back with half eaten or barely touched meals. I often remind her about how just a year and a half ago she was open to eating all kinds of foods, but as her independence and voice has increased, her willingness to try new foods has diminished. While I know this is the plight of many parents, I think my daughter just might be changing her tune when it comes to trying new foods.

This Saturday, we had a dinner date with my sister and niece and ordered some wings as an appetizer. Initially, Quinn had no interest in trying the food and even handed me her little saucer and said, “No thank you, Mommy. I don’t want any.” Since I know she is a finicky eater, I did not plead with her to try one. But then, on her own, she said, “Mommy, I want to try a piece of celery!” I was astonished and responded with a smile on my face, “Sure, you can try a piece.” As I suspected, she didn’t like it so much, but I was proud that she took a bite. Then shortly thereafter she asked to try a piece of the carrot and said she liked it. We all were surprised.

Figuring that this was an anomaly but not wanting to let this newfound interest in trying new foods go to waste, I prepared salmon for dinner today, and I am proud to report that she actually ate it and said she liked it. I know it took me years to try new foods, all the way up to adulthood, so I’m hoping to break that cycle with my daughter and continue to introduce her to healthy and yummy foods.

All the best,

Tanya

Reflections on 2016 with My Little Girl

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Excited After a Stroller Jog

Just about three years ago I started my “Mommy’s Baby Steps” blog chronicling my experiences as a new mother and the experiences of my little girl discovering the world around her. It’s been a wonderful experience, and I love being able to look back on some of the entries I’ve composed to see how much we both have grown.

No doubt, 2016 was a year full of memorable moments, and I am proud to note that I surpassed my goal of one post a week and nearly doubled the 77 posts I did in 2015 with 133 posts in 2016. Of course, each post is special to me, but some of my favorite posts from 2016 are as follows:

Snow Much Fun With My Little One: (Posted onJanuary 24, 2016): We haven’t had much snow yet n 2017, but last year’s moment was fun for us both. Quinn actually remembers being in the red sled and has asked me on multiple occasions when it is going to snow again so that she can use it.

What Would We Do Without It Wednesday: Let’s Exercise with a Shake Break (Posted on February 24, 2016: My little girl, loves to exercise and get moving. Even a year later, she wants to do a “shake break.” It’s a great  way for us to spend time together and exercise.

Terrific Toy Tuesday: Boy Oh Boy, Race That Car Girl” (Posted April 12, 2016):Quinn still loves playing with cars, and I love that she enjoys all different types of toy without them being designated as “boy” or “girl” toys.

Simple Sunny Sunday Sayings From My Little Girl (Posted on April 24, 2016): In 2016, Quinn has bestowed so much wisdom, often beyond her years. This post was just one of the many examples of how she teaches me everyday and still does.

What Would We Do Without It Wednesdays: The Roller Coaster of Life (Posted on July 27, 2016): My little girl had just turned three in May, and she was such a brave girl getting on a roller coaster for the first time. This moment just reminds me of the many more milestones we both have in store in the future.

Terrific Tuesday: The First Day of Preschool (Posted September 6, 2016): This was a major change and milestone for Quinn and for me and still is ongoing. I see her now interacting more with the teacher and her school friends and enjoying the many activities.

There are so many more posts that I thoroughly enjoyed composing, but I’d like to save some on which to reflect when my little girl turns three, which is in just four months.

When people say, “Where did the time go?” I definitely can relate to that statement, but having these blog entries is a terrific way to reflect back on memorable times as a mommy with my little girl.

All the best,

Tanya

On the Fifth Day of Christmas, My Little Girl Gave to Me…Excitement of Spending Time with Family

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Quinn and Nana
Quinn and her big cousin

On the Fifth Day of Christmas, My Little Girl Gave to Me…Excitement of Spending Time with Family

“Are you excited about Christmas?” I asked my little girl. “Yes!”she responded. When I asked her what she was most excited about, I anticipated her saying presents, Santa or something along those lines, but with a big smile on her face, she said, “Having fun and spending time with Nana and Kenzie (her big cousin). I love seeing them, Mommy!” She continued, “I can’t wait to spend all day with them and the rest of our family.”

Sometimes, we all get so busy with work, our immediate families and other obligations, so I truly look forward to getting together on Christmas, and it’s even more wonderful to know my three year old looks forward to it too. While we may not have a large family, we have a close-knit one, and it pleases me so much that at a young age Quinn appreciates her family and the importance of spending time with each other, especially around Christmas.

All the best,

Tanya

On the Third Day of Christmas, My Little Girl Gave to Me…Being Mesmerized by Christmas Lights

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On the Third Day of Christmas, My Little Girl Gave to Me…Being Mesmerized by Christmas Lights.

“Is it dark enough to see the lights, Mommy? Can we go outside to see them now? Is Santa in the window too?” My little girl excitedly inquired. Looking at the twinkling Christmas lights is a simple activity, yet it’s something I’ve always enjoyed doing because it brings me joy and puts a smile on my face. Quinn loves looking at the lights too and wanted to go outside with me with no coat (I convinced her to put one on) just to see the light decorations on our house.

This year, we added Santa and Mrs. Claus in the downstairs windows, the nostalgic leg lap from “Christmas Story” on our front porch, a snowman and Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer in the front yard and moved the reindeer and sleigh with gifts that light up to the side yard. Another feature that’s not exactly lights is a digital decoration where Santa is busy placing presents, going into his red sack or eating cookies in our the second floor window using the special projector by the company AtmosFX. It is so realistic that my three year old along with some guests at our annual holiday party really thought Santa was upstairs in our room.

While there will be a little bump in our electric bill, having those beautiful Christmas lights twinkle and having Santa greet us in the window makes it feel a lot like Christmas.

Here’s a little clip of us looking at Santa in the window.

All the best,

Tanya

On the Second Day of Christmas, My Little Girl Gave to Me…Fun Decorating Our Christmas Tree

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Turning Off The Light to Check Out Our Tree
Proud of Our New Tree Decorations
Our Rainbow Tree

On the second day of Christmas, my little girl gave to me, fun decorating our Christmas tree.

“Next year, let’s do a fun tree, Mommy!” my little girl suggested back in 2015. For the past few years, even before Quinn was born, our tree could be classified as sophisticated, so when Quinn asked about a fun tree, it was right on time because I was eager to break up the monotony of the same decorations year after year. Shortly after Christmas last year, I started googling “fun Christmas trees,” but the types were vast. So I thought, why not ask my daughter what she thought would be a fun tree, and she immediately said, “How about a rainbow tree just like my playroom!?”

I was instantly on board, told my husband, and we were both on the hunt for after Christmas discounts on ornaments since quite a few would be required, especially with the tree in previous years just having blue, silver and gold ornaments. Then, in September, I saw a commercial for a Christmas tree light called “Tree Dazzler.” I did a little research and found that it was a knockoff of the original “Geek My Tree,” from Shark Tank which comes with an app, unlike the Tree Dazzler, and far more color sequences to set the lights to do just about whatever you want. Though much pricier than the “Tree Dazzler,” it goes perfectly with our rainbow theme, and I was able to set the lights to be in accordance with the color order of the ornaments.

Not only was it fun decorating our tree together, it was a wonderful way to reinforce sorting, color recognition and the order of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. The decorations are certainly more fun and playful now, just like my little three year old wanted. Quinn is very happy with the new tree decorations, and so am I.

All the best,

Tanya