Tag Archives: Tanya Harris Franklin

Off to School: One Down & One to Go!

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2016-09-02 09.20.03

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

School’s Back in Session: Preparing for a Major Change with My Little Girl

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2016-08-16 17.38.46While summer may not officially be over, the start of my fall semester begins tomorrow. I’ve been teaching at the same college for nearly ten years and am typically nervous on the first day, but this time, my anxiety is heightened at the thought of knowing that having my daughter at home full-time is swiftly drawing to a close. My husband and I have been blessed to work out a schedule where I’ve worked from home on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and he on Tuesdays and Thursdays to be there for our daughter. This year, I’ll be experiencing two major changes because I’ll be on campus Monday through Friday, and my daughter will begin preschool for the first time the day after Labor Day.

Usually, the night before the semester starts, I’m concerned about having a good first day, have a nightmare or two about something crazy happening in the classroom and hoping that everything go smoothly, but this time, I’m joining the ranks of many parents who are concerned about the morning juggle of getting their child or children ready as the ready themselves to go off to work or school. Though I’m sure everything will go well tomorrow morning, I can’t help but think about how I’ll miss the routines my three year old and I have when we’re home together. We’ve both gotten to know each other so much and enjoy each other’s company, and part of me will miss that time together.

I am, however, so grateful for all of the time we’ve spent together, especially this summer during my break> I just have to remind myself that through these changes will be new and wonderful experiences that will bring my daughter and I even closer together this semester.

All the best,

Tanya

Fun at Hershey Park: Sweetening the End of the Summer with My Little Girl

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“I want to take a picture with the chocolate bar, Mommy and then get on rides!” my three year old excitedly said. It was her first time at Hershey Park just yesterday and today. Actually, it felt like my first time because I haven’t been there in over five years and then about fifteen years before then. My husband, daughter and I all had a great time, and me, being the type “A” personality that I am, fell in love the Hershey’s Park’s app which allowed me to create a to-do-list and even filter the rides based on the ones my little “Hershey’s Kiss” was able go get on based on her height.

We spend most of Saturday getting on all of the rides, almost all 46 of them: some two and three times. Though it rained (even torrential downpours at times) off and on today, (Sunday), Quinn enjoyed playing in the rain and jumping in puddles. We were able to play a few games and get on a couple of rides when the rain cleared up for an hour or so at a time. We didn’t let the rain dampen our spirits because we enjoyed ourselves by spending a couple of hours in the Hershey’s Chocolate World too. What an awesome experience for all ages!

This truly has been a summer of fun with my little one right before she starts pre-school for the first time. I’m so glad  we were able to close out the summer by having some family fun at the sweetest place on earth, Hershey Park!

All the best,

Tanya

Picture It: Through the Eyes of a Three Year Old

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“I’m taking your picture, Mommy!” my three year old informs me. She loves taking pictures or videos with my iPod, especially of her father and me. A few months ago at the end of the spring semester, I did a post on how one of her photos revealed how consumed I was with marking papers and tying up loose ends with limited time for playing and how I was looking forward to having more free time with her.

This time, she caught me preparing a salad for my lunch shortly after we ate breakfast. While it may seem random, it displays how children are always watching even when we may not notice it or think they are. Right now, Quinn is going through a phase where she doesn’t want to any veggies. My hope is that the more she sees me making healthy choices the more she will be willing to follow my example in the future. Nothing is “picture perfect,” but I picture myself doing the best I can do to set a good example for my little girl.

All the best,

Tanya

Countdown to Preschool: Just a Month Away

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For a little over three years, my husband and I have both been blessed to have flexible work schedules so that we can work alternate schedules during the weekdays to care for our daughter. While we’ve both enjoyed being home with her and being able to watch her grow and reach many milestones firsthand, the time has come for Quinn to start preschool so that she may not only have the experience of a school setting but so that she can develop friendships with other children her age. Quinn will often ask, “When will I start school?” or say, “I can’t wait to go to school and have friends,” so I am confident that she will be ready next month around this time. I’m just hoping that I’m ready. For now, we’re enjoying this last month we have together with some fun-filled outings and mommy and daughter time together.

All the best,

Tanya

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Quinn’s Stylish, Pouty Smile, As She Calls It

 

Mommy’s Baby Steps: 200 Posts & Counting…

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2016-07-27 12.14.48I’ve always enjoyed writing as a way to not only express myself but to travel on my journey of life. Though I still have much further to go on the journey of motherhood, I’m so excited that this is my 200th blog post on Mommy’s Baby Steps.

As the old sayings go, “Time flies…” and “They grow so quickly within a blink of an eye.” My three year old daughter has taught me so much about myself in such a short period of time. Revisiting some of the early blog posts leaves me in awe with how much we both have grown and developed. I’m truly looking forward to continuing our lifelong journey together and sharing our experiences together as we both continue to learn and grown from one another.

Here’s to the next 200 posts and beyond!

All the best,

Tanya

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

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2016-07-27 17.38.39

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: Oh So Big & Brave But Still Too Little

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This past Friday, my daughter and I went to Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, a huge water park. Though it was fun, most rides have a minimum height requirement of 48 inches, about seven inches more than my taller than average three year old.

Of course, Quinn sought out the tallest most daring rides (ones that even made me think twice) and begged, “Mommy, please can we get on the huge slide?!” I tried to explain to her that she just was not tall enough, but this was not sitting well with her. How grateful I am that we went along with my sister and her kids who were able to have fun with Quinn in the Blue Lagoon wave pool and get her mind off of the other rides. Then, we went to Caribbean Cove which is also age appropriate for Quinn, but she insisted on going to the area with more slides: Discovery Bay.

Since this was our first time, I was not aware that there is a 42 inch minimum height requirement in this area, an inch more than my daughter’s height. As my nine year old niece climbed the rope ladder to get on the slide into the water, my little girl was bravely climbing right behind her. She got all the way to the top, maybe about six or seven feet up, and was just standing there not going down the slide. Then my niece yelled down, “The life guard said Quinn’s not tall enough!” I felt so bad as I looked at Quinn became to pout and cry out, “Why can’t I go down the slide? I want to go down the water slide, Mommy!”

I’m sure it was not comforting to her, but I reassured her that she will be tall enough next year to go down the slide. We then found a slide that was just right for her size, and she was content and went with the flow. I do, however, have a feeling that when she is tall enough for these rides, she’ll be eager to get on the 54 inch requirement rides. Next time, I’ll be sure to take a look at all of the height requirements beforehand so that I know exactly which rides are “height-appropriate” for my brave little girl.

All the best,

Tanya

 

STEM Fun: Learning at the Franklin Institute with My Little Girl

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With a huge smile on her face, my three year old exclaimed, “This place is awesome!” as we explored the many exhibits at the Franklin Institute. This actually was her first time at the Franklin Institute because I was waiting for her to be a little older to be able to enjoy most of the exhibits and activities, but with the Science Behind Pixar exhibit and deciding to get a membership with 15 percent off, I figured it was time. Also, I thought this would be perfect for Quinn’s cognitive development, especially since she’s developed in the STEM areas.

Upon entering the Pixar exhibit, she quickly spotted Dory, Buzz Lightyear and many others and excitedly fiddled around with the interactive components with her two cousins and auntie, who joined us, and her go-to phrases of the day became, “Look at this, Mommy!” or “What’s this, Mommy?” We both learned so much and had a wonderful time, and I was eager to explore some of the exhibits throughout the rest of the museum as I became nostalgic about my own childhood and class trips to the Franklin Institute.

Since she is young, My sister and I wondered if Quinn would be afraid of the giant heart that allows museum goers to walk through it. She had so many questions about what everything was and wanted to know about the heartbeat sound she heard when were inside; she loved it and asked to walk through three more times. She had a blast in the Sir Isaac Newton’s Loft testing her own strength and learning about gravity. Another exhibit we explored that was new to me because it was not around when I was a child is the sports zone. We all had so much fun. Quinn was able to race the Philly Phanatic, her older cousin and even me too. She worked on her jump shot, did some surfing and practiced her stance and baseball pitch.

I’m looking forward to many more visits to the Franklin Institute with Quinn to explore some of the exhibits we didn’t make it to during our the first time. I’m also excited to go back to the ones we thoroughly enjoyed not just during the summer but for months and years to come. If you’re in the Philadelphia, PA are and looking for a fun, family activity that promotes learning in the STEM area, the Franklin Institute is the perfect place.

All the best,

Tanya

Terrific Toy Tuesday: What’s Sand Without Sandcastles?

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“Yay! Look at my sandcastle, Mommy! It’s perfect!” my little girl asserted as she cheerfully smiled and pointed at what she created with her big cousin. While most adults may go to the beach to soak up the sun, relax and maybe even read a book, it’s a summer playground or a kid’s construction site to create works of art and intricate buildings.

A couple of weeks ago, I took my three year old to the beach along with my sister and her kids. Even though she certainly enjoyed playing in the ocean and “catching waves,” she equally enjoyed playing in the sand. When I informed her that we would be going to the beach, she requested, “Can I bring my bucket, shovel and other toys to build a castle, please, Mommy?”

I recall having so much fun building sandcastles and trying to get them “just right” when I was younger with the accurate combination of water and sand. In helping Quinn and her cousin, I had to make sure it was all about them having fun and me keeping my type “A” personality under control. As long as it was perfect to them, it was perfect to me! This brought back such wonderful memories and is a great summer toy to ensure long hours of enjoyment at the beach.

All the best,

Tanya