Tag Archives: Motherhood

Mommy’s Monday Moments: Taking Time Out to Reflect

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2016-11-09-15-48-13“Are you still doing your blog entries?” and “I haven’t seen any post from you in a while?” a few of my family members and friends have been inquiring. Since my daughter started school and I started having a five day a week teaching schedule instead of two, it’s been a very busy transition. Between Quinn wanting to play from the moment she arrives home from school until dinner and then after dinner until bath and bed time; and with me tending to grading, prepping and other teaching duties, my entries have not been as frequent these past couple of months.

Needless to say, I miss sharing what new “mommy steps” I’ve taken and reflecting on what’s going on with Quinn. As the fall semester draws to a close, I’m eager to post a little more not just for me but to continue chronicling different events and activities involving my little three year old so that she may one day read them and know how much I love her and want the best for her by trying to be the best mom I can be.

Here’s to more  mommy steps and blog entries in the weeks to come!

All the best,

Tanya

Being Thankful is In Order: Family, Fun & My Little One

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2016-11-27-20-00-39“Look what I made!” my little girl exclaimed. It was a cute paper bag turkey. Upon arriving home, I noticed the red heart label that read, “What I am thankful for.” Each colorful feather had a name. First was Grover, Quinn’s best Sesame Street friend who’s been with her through thick and thin. I thought to myself, “Okay, fair enough.” The next feather said, “My Daddy.” But of course her daddy would follow.  Then, to my surprise, third said, “Mickey Mouse.” Mickey Mouse, I thought. Really, Mickey Mouse is next? I tried to keep a big smile on my face as my three year old watched my expression when I saw that the very final feather, said, “My Mommy.”

Of course, me being the critical thinker and over analyzer that I am, I wondered if the teacher put the feathers in the order Quinn stated what she was thankful for, or if it was just random. I wanted to ask, but my husband tried to reassure me that our daughter is not more thankful for Mickey Mouse than she is for me. So he asked her, “What are you thankful for, Quinn?” She quickly responded, “Mommy, Daddy, Grover, Nana, Kenzie, Auntie…” She named quite a few more of our family members and her friends. “Whew, that was a close one!” I thought.

Then, on Thanksgiving, my niece asked Quinn what she is thankful for, and she said, “Mommy, because she always plays with me and has fun with me.” That really made my day and melted my heart. I know Thanksgiving was just a few days ago, but not a day goes by that I am not thankful for the bond that I have with my little girl and how much we are both growing together.

All the best,

Tanya

Off to School: One Down & One to Go!

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Having Fun in My Office Before Class

Last Monday was my first day back, and it was tough leaving my daughter on the days when we would usually be together, but thankfully, we had a transition. My three year old was able to spend time with her nana when I was teaching class and even joined me on Friday as I conducted my children’s literature class since she does not start school until this upcoming Tuesday.

I spent most of today making sure all of her belongings she will take to school have labels with her name on them, selecting and ironing her clothes for the week and packing up snacks for the both of us so that the mornings can go as smooth as possible.

In doing these tasks, the reality is definitely setting in: Quinn is a big girl now and on her way to preschool. I’m so glad that I did practically everything today so that we can just enjoy time together tomorrow on Labor Day. I’m just hoping I can keep it together when she officially starts school on Tuesday, especially since I won’t be able to be there to drop her off since I have early morning classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

All the best,

Tanya

What Would We Do Without It Wednesdays: The Roller Coaster of Life

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First of Many Roller Coaster Rides

“Wheee…yaaaay! This is the best ride ever, Mommy!” My adventurous three year old screamed out as we quickly whipped around the corner on the Vapor Trail Rollercoaster lead by Super Grover at Sesame Place. It was just a couple of weeks ago that my little girl got on the roller coaster (or any roller coaster for that matter) for the very first time after my nine year old niece asked to get on. Quinn just made the age requirement, yet an adult had to accompany her.  I was a bit nervous about her reaction and just making sure she did’t slide out of the seat, but she did very well and begged to get on a second time along with my niece. Since there was really no line, I obliged because I could handle a kiddie roller coaster, right? Wrong!

I was quickly reminded why I don’t get on roller coaster rides like I did when I was younger. Ever since I had Quinn, my stomach sometimes gets so topsy-turvy from too much motion. It can be anything from going up and down on a swing too high or for too long to spinning around too quickly on the tea cups (yes, the tea cups). As I was trying to get rid of that “woozy” feeling, Quinn was excited asking to get on a third time, and I had to tell her maybe next time and just endure the pouting and tears welling up in her eyes.

While I could have focused on the negative and allowed the roller coaster to take me down the first time and avoid it on future visits, I decided to focus on the positive.  As Quinn is having fun, she’s learning what she can handle. I too am relearning what I can handle or not handle as well as I once did on the roller coaster of life.

So when I showed my husband the picture of Quinn and me on the roller coaster from today, in a surprised tone he asked, “You got on a roller coaster again?” To which I responded, “Yes! From the last experience, I learned that I have to follow certain roller coaster guidelines for myself: no food at least an hour before riding and no back-to-back rides under any circumstances. As long as I do that, I’m good to go!”

What would we do with out roller coasters allowing us to experience ups and downs and the twists and turns of life.

All the best,

Tanya

Mommy’s Monday Moments: My Little Girl’s Name is Poppin’

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Years before my daughter was born, my husband and I knew her name. I’m one of those people who believes that we often are allegorical representations of our names, and I wanted our child to have a name that empowers her and demonstrates her abilities. Quinn means intelligent, and Victoria means victorious. Though it is 2016, we purposely selected a gender neutral first name where she will be recognized for her intelligence as a person rather than people focusing on her being a smart or capable in her abilities for a “girl.”

Surprisingly, when we went shopping the other day we stumbled upon one of my favorite childhood and adult treats with her name: Quinn’s Real Butter & Sea Salt Microwave Popcorn! Not only did it have her name, but a mother started the “Quinn’s Snacks” company on behalf of her son, Quinn, because she wanted more healthier options for him. This popcorn is made with no chemical coatings, basic Non-GMO ingredients, Butter that’s rBGH-free and real butter instead of butter flavoring, and actually taste good too. I’m looking forward to us trying out some of the other snacks.
While I initially selected Quinn’s name to represent her intelligence, I think it is so awesome that it now represents a brand that makes healthy options for children and adults that has received many accolades and positive reviews for clean packaged, Non-GMO foods.  Also, it’s terrific that the company includes my favorite treat because Quinn certainly is one of my favorite people.
All the best,
Tanya (Allegorical Name: Fairy Queen)

Mommy’s Monday Moments: Meet Momma Bear!

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Momma Bear

Today was my three year old’s second dance class, and she’s doing a wonderful job transitioning and not having me in the class with her. Unfortunately, the inevitable happened within a blink of an eye. As I looked through the glass observing Quinn have fun following along with the dance instructions, another little girl, who was having a hard time and refused to hold Quinn’s hand as the teacher instructed, decided she would take out her aggression on my daughter with a quick swat to the back of her head.

My little girl’s demeanor quickly changed as her smile morphed into a frown with tears welling up in her eyes. Though she tried to maintain her composure and did not burst out crying, it took everything in me to contain myself and remain in my seat as I muffled my deep sigh which caught the attention of the other parents except the one whose child hit mine, of course. The teacher handled it very well and stopped class to discuss why hitting is not allowed and not nice, but I found myself feeling helpless. I was not able to protect her, and I really am not sure what technique I should have her employ to address aggressive children who choose to hit her or put their hands on her.

When I was younger, I was not aggressive and did not like confrontation nor conflict. Quinn seems to be the same way. My dad would say, “If someone hits you, you better hit them back!” I just did not agree with this way of handling it then and do not now. On the other hand, I dreaded being bullied and found myself at the end of harsh treatment from children quite often. I want Quinn to stand up for herself but in a civil way. I asked her if she enjoyed class today, and she said, “I had fun until someone hit me. Why did she hit me, Mommy?” It upset me quite a bit, and all I could tell her at this point was, “If someone hits you, tell them to please stop and that it is not nice to hit.” I know this may not solve all of the future problems, but for now I think it is age appropriate. I hope and pray that there will not be many more situations like this, but Momma Bear needs to be ready when and if they do.

All the best,

Tanya

Mommy’s Monday Moments: My Little Girl’s Dancing Without Me, & I Couldn’t Be More Proud

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Dance Class

Quinn in Her First Dance Class (The Other Children’s Faces Are Intentionally Blurred)

Yesterday, I posted a blog entry on my three year old transitioning from our mommy and me class to an independent class at the Little Gym. I was a little nervous since this was her first class without me, and I knew I would miss our class together. Today was her first dance class, and my little girl made me very proud as she followed the instructions of the teacher (at least 90 percent of the time) and danced around eagerly in her little tap shoes and then ballet shoes along with the other children.

Her former teacher at The Little Gym jokingly commented on how I was nervously pacing the floor looking into the classroom through the glass window while Quinn was full of smiles and probably wouldn’t have even noticed if I stepped out of the waiting area. While part of me wanted her to miss me and long for my presence in the classroom, it makes me feel good that Quinn is growing up and becoming more independent. Though I could see what was happening though the large glass window, it was a different experience for me because I could not hear all of what was going on in the classroom, and Quinn certainly could not hear me over the music and instruction from the teacher with it being in a separate room.  This is a perfect example of the experiences to come. Sometimes there will be limitations on what I can do as Quinn’s mommy, and I may be forced to just observe as she makes decisions as my big, little girl. Here’s to fun-filled classes for Quinn and her continued growth and development socially, mentally, emotionally and intellectually!

All the best,

Tanya

 

Let’s “Scramble”for Words as Easy as ABC: What to Do When My Three Year Old Wants to Play Scrabble

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Wanting to Play Scrabble
Learning to Play Scrabble

Yesterday, my teenage nephew and I played “Scrabble” while my three year old daughter, niece and husband played “Pop the Pig.” Every so often, Quinn would sneakily creep over to our table and take a tile or two from my rack and scurry away giggling. This morning, upon arriving downstairs and seeing me take the “Scrabble” game box from the dining room table to put it back with the other games, she pleaded, “No, Mommy! Please don’t put the game away. I want to play Scramble!” As I explained, “Honey, you need to be a little older to play “Scrabble,”(I thought it was cute that she called it Scramble) and you need to know how to read.” She persisted, “But I know how! I know all of my letters in the alphabet. This is an “S.” This one is a “C…” She identified every letter in the word Scrabble and every letter on the tiles on the box and then told me, “See, I t0ld you I know how to read. This means we can play, right?”

I was impressed with her logic and argument for why she should be able to play, so we did a variation of the game, which is meant for ages eight and up. She purposely sought out the colored blocks on the board and identified the letters then looked for the tiles to spell what she saw, such as the word “double” and “word.” Then, I would ask her to find specific letter tiles or to find one that makes the “Ba” sound or “What letter does Kangaroo start with,” and she’d find the tile and put it on the board. This was enough to make her happy playing the game an feeling like she was spelling words.

Something I thoroughly enjoyed doing when I was younger and still do today is playing Scrabble. Yes, it can be a long and somewhat arduous game as I run out of letters or spaces on the board, but I love the way it stimulates my mind and critical thinking. Plus, I may learn some new words along the way. I’m looking forward to playing Scrabble the “right” way with my little girl when she is a bit older and “really” does know how to spell.

Al the best,

Tanya

Mommy’s Monday Moments: You Steer. I’ll Pedal.

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Today, my little girl and I went to the zoo, and we did the swan boat which requires the riders to pedal and steer. It wasn’t until we got on that my daughter realized that her three year old legs would be unable to reach the pedals. “I want to pedal, mommy!” she pleaded. After informing her that her legs just are not long enough, I asked for her help with steering. Of course, this was tricky because she’s still learning how to steer her little bicycle, so I had to help her out some, and she repeatedly told me, “I can do it, Mommy! I want to do it by myself.”

In this moment, I thought about how there will be times when I will want to take the wheel but must step back and let her steer the course of her life with minimal interference from me. For now, my job is prepare her for the many obstacles on the course and to give her the necessary training for driving herself in the right direction throughout her life. It’s amazing how a fun activity left me in a pensive state over my daughter steering the course of her life. But then again, I’m glad that her well-being is always on my mind and pray that I am currently providing her with the necessary lessons to eventually steer herself.

All the best,

Tanya

It’s My Third “Mommyversary!”

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Third Mommyversary
Third Mommyversary
Third Mommyversary
First Mommyversary
Second Mommyversary

Wow, it’s hard to believe that less than a week ago,I was celebrating my daughter’s third birthday, and now it’s my third anniversary as a mother. While my little girl has grown physically, and emotionally, my role as her mommy has too. Though I do still question if I’m making the best decisions for her and often pray that I am being a “good” mother, I am feeling more and more comfortable in my role as her mom. As I continue to take baby steps as her mommy, I’m not toddling as much as I did in the beginning, but every once in a while I have a misstep and may get a “metaphorical” scrape on my knee. But I’m getting better at dusting myself off, treating the scrape so that I can get back up and keep going on as her mother and role model.

Composing these blog entries about our journey together as mother and daughter is part of what helps me grow and embrace our bond. It gives me the opportunity to reflect on how far we’ve both come. I truly am grateful for the experience of motherhood because it has actually helped me to evolve into a better version of my former self not just for my daughter but for my husband, my family and friends and definitely for me as well.

Here’s to my third “mommyversary” and many more to come, and here’s to mothers everywhere celebrating motherhood. May you be recognized for all of the sacrifices, lessons, love and compassion you’ve displayed not just on this mother’s day but year round.

All the best,

Tanya