Tag Archives: Tanya Harris Franklin

Mommy’s Monday Moments: Fulfilling My Little Girl’s Dream and My Bucket List by Swimming with a Dolphin

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“Mommy, are you going to swim with the dolphins? That would be so much fun!” my three year old exclaimed as she looked at the website of tourist attractions in Mexico with her daddy. I responded, “I don’t know, honey. Maybe.” I never did anything like that before, but as a result of my daughter’s enthusiasm, I strongly considered doing it. Last week, my husband and I vacationed in Mexico while Quinn stayed with my mother, and when the hotel representative of tourist attractions presented the brochure about the Dolphin Discovery, I felt that I was destined to do this activity to fulfill my little one’s dream as well as my very own “bucket list.”

We arrived at our destination on Sunday, and to ensure that I didn’t have too much time to change my mind, I booked the Dolphin activity for that Monday. I’m a novice swimmer, so I purposely didn’t ask how deep the water as to minimize any anxiety, and I found myself channeling my daughter’s fearlessness as I got into the water. It was such a wonderful experience. Upon entering the water, I felt calm, and my heart was no longer racing from fear but just from the excitement of interacting with the dolphin who had such a sweet and calming aura. I jokingly told my husband that I want one as a pet because they just seem so loving.

After being away from my daughter for a week, she first gave her father and me big hugs and then asked, “Did you swim with the dolphins, Mommy?” I proudly said, “Yes, I did sweetie.” Then, I gave her a plush dolphin along with a dolphin t-shirt as souvenirs, and she was very excited to receive them and asked when she can swim with the dolphins too.

Had it not been for Quinn asking me about swimming with the dolphins, I wouldn’t have stepped outside of my comfort zone and ventured out to do something new and daring. Who would have ever thought that my three year old could evoke the quality of fearlessness within me? This truly is a moment I will never forget and owe this experience to my daughter.

All the best,

Tanya

What Would We Do Without It Wednesday: Soaking Up the Sun & Catching Waves with My Little Girl

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“Here comes another wave, Mommy!” my little girl giddily told me as she tried to wiggle out of my grasp to jump and splash in the ocean by herself as the wave came our way. A couple of weeks ago, I posted a blog entry about having some summer fun with my daughter, so of course this includes going to the beach to have a great, fun-filled day, which we did yesterday.

Since Quinn was one years old, she’s enjoyed splashing around in the ocean, so now that’s she’s three, she can’t get enough of it. “I love being in the ocean!” she cheered with uncontrollable laughter when each wave splashed up against her, and even after one was tall and powerful enough to reach her face and push her back causing me to grab hold of her even tighter out of nervousness, she had a big smile on her face as she rubbed her eyes from the water getting in them. “I’m ready for another wave, Mommy!”

Going to the beach with my sister and her kids definitely added to the fun in the water and building castles in the sand. Plus, with bringing our own refreshments and snacks, we saved a good deal of money.  It was just a matter of paying the gas and tolls to get to the beach. Another bonus is that there are some amusement park rides for the kids to enjoy after the beach activities. The main issue was convincing my daughter to leave when she was having so much fun. There was some pouting and a bit of whining, but I assured her that we’ll be coming back a few more times before summer ends. I’m thoroughly enjoying my summer fun with my little one!

All the best,

Tanya

Mommy’s Monday Moments: Happy 4th of July!

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2016-07-04 16.52.14“Look, my shirt has a flag on it! What does it say, Mommy?” my three year old inquired. “America!” I responded. She then asked, “What’s America?” “America is where we live: The United States of America,” I told her. With an critical look she informed me, “We don’t live in America. We live in our home.” I explained to her, “Yes, our home is in America.” “Oh, our home is in America. Okay!” she said as I envisioned the lightbulb laminating over her head.

My little girl is very familiar with the American flag and the colors red, white and blue, so I took it for granted that she knew that we live in America. It was a wonderful opportunity to provide her with a little history lesson on why we celebrate the 4th of July and what the United States of America represents. It’s much more than cookouts, fireworks and fun at the beach; it’s the land of the free where the opportunities are endless for my little girl.

Happy 4th of July to you and yours!

All the best,

Tanya

Christmas in July with My Little Girl!

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When I was a little girl, I loved Christmas, not just because I received presents, but there is just something so magical and joyous about this time of the year. My three year old is no different. Though it is now July, she will still sing the Christmas version of the Sesame Street Parade and still makes references about Santa. So when we went to have a Day Out With Thomas Last weekend, I figured it would be a great idea to stop off to the National Christmas Center, which was not too far away in Paradise, PA, before going home. At first, my husband joked that the place was closed because there was only one car in the large parking lot, but I assured him that I double checked the hours online.

Upon walking through the entry door, it was beginning to look a lot like Christmas. There were decorations, trees and Santa. It was set up like a Christmas Museum, and there was a $12 fee for touring the facility. I was glad that the parking lot was empty because we were able to take our time without the bombardment of several people. The Christmas displays were from Nativity scenes around the world, the evolution of Santa Claus around the world and even Christmas through the eyes of children from different decades and countries among other displays.

Quinn enjoyed the exhibits, but something I did not think about, however, was that while there were many cardboard cutouts of Santa, decorative figures and even lifelike mannequins of Santa, Santa, in human form, was not there. This did not sit well with my daughter who kept asking, “Where’s Santa? When are we going to see Santa?” I had tot explain to her a few times that he was in the North Pole working, which she eventually accepted.

I would recommend this place to anyone who loves Christmas and has children who love Christmas. Just make sure the kids know that the “real” Santa will not be there. It was a lovely family experience and brought back some great childhood memories for me too.

All the best,

Tanya

What Would We Do Without It Wednesday: Wishes Do Come True! Dancing With Super Grover

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The music was pumping. Everyone was clapping, cheering and so excited. Then, suddenly and unexpectedly he reached out for her hand to join him in a dance. I’ve never seen my little girl so happy, starstruck and enamored all at the same time. It was Super Grover, one of her absolute favorite characters (Quinn even insisted on making a Super Grover pumpkin last Halloween.) asking her and my niece and even her little Grover who she carries everywhere to join him in the Sesame Place Parade.

Mind you, she loves the parade and will request to watch it frequently on Youtube. Seeing the parade live is a treat, and she would have an absolute meltdown if we were to ever leave before the parade occurs at Sesame Place. This truly was a special and memorable moment for her, and I’m so happy I quickly whipped out my iPod to record it for her. Though she occasionally danced and followed the moves, all she wanted to do was hold Super Grover’s hand and stare at him. This was just last week, and we just went back again today with our season pass she was not selected this time, and she thought Super Grover did not want to dance with her anymore. I had to reassure her that this was not the case, but this also allowed me to teach her another lesson about once in a lifetime events and how we must be grateful for them.

Regardless of our ages, we all deserve to have those opportunities and moments in our lives. It pleases me so much that I was there to witness one of these moments with my daughter. What would we do without them?


All the best,

Tanya

Terrific Toy Tuesday: Remote Control Thomas the Tank Engine

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“Full steam ahead!” Thomas the Tank Engine says as he moves forward after my little girl presses the green arrow on her remote control. She received this toy this past Christmas, and since we had a Day Out with Thomas the Tank Engine this past Saturday at the Strasburg Railroad, she’s been wanting to play with it more frequently. This is a wonderful toy because it not only reinforces colors but it helps with her sense of direction with moving forward and moving backward and is a perfect size for her little hands. It also allows her to problem solve as Thomas gets stuck in a corner or is too close to another toy. “I need to have Thomas back up and turn around,” Quinn says. Another benefit is  that the batteries last a long time too because they have yet to be replaced, and it is not six months later. I wish I had something like this when I was younger.

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)

A Fun Day Out With Thomas the Tank Engine

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“Look, Mommy! It’s Thomas! He’s pulling into the train station!” my daughter excitedly informed me. I must admit that I was just as eager as she was to hop aboard and take a train ride on Thomas the Tank Engine. Yesterday, my husband and I took my little three year old along with my mom to the Strasburg Railroad Station in Gap, PA (not too far from Lancaster, PA) for this all day adventure.

It was a lovely, sunny day, and there were so many happy children wearing their Thomas shirts and cute little conductor hats. Since I had the feeling that Quinn would thoroughly enjoy the train ride, I opted for the $32 package that included a ride on Thomas (about a 18 minute ride), his best friend Percy (about a ten minute ride), the tour train (about a 45 minute ride) along with many free activities and photo opportunities with the Thomas and Percy as well as Sir Topham Hatt.

I was pleased with how well-organized the event was. There was on-site and off-site parking with adequate shuttle buses that ran quite frequently. There was one waiting when we arrived and one waiting when we were ready to go back to our car, and there was no fee for this service. Also, there were plenty of restrooms available, some standard and some port-o-potty with outdoor stations for hand washing. I also found the food to be tasty and reasonably priced considering how much they usually cost at these type of events. The kids meal, for $6.99, came with either chicken or a hotdog, fries, a juice, apple sauce and a whoopee pie for dessert. Even better, we were permitted to bring our own little lunch bag with snacks and drinks to save a little money.

While were were in line waiting to get on Percy, my mother and I were conversing with the family behind us. The grandmother was telling us that she’s been bringing her grandson every year since he was a year old. Now he’s six. This event is a wonderful tradition for both kids and families alike.

Though Quinn was all tuckered out from all of the fun and activities and dozed off on our third train ride, she had a ton of fun and was so excited when she saw Thomas and Percy actually talking (Yes, they actually talk!) She even said, “I can’t wait to come back!” Now that I know Thomas and Percy will be visiting again in late August through September then again in November, we just might have to have another Day Out with Thomas the Tank Engine very soon.

All the best,

Tanya

What Would We Do Without it Wednesday: Fun in the Sun on a Summer Day

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2016-05-23 12.59.51Though we’ve been experiencing some warm and even hot days for the past couple of months, the start of summer just occurred a couple of days ago, and my daughter and I are both excited to have some fun in the sun. Whether it’s going to the park, the zoo, Sesame Place or just playing in the front yard, the long summer days seem to enhance the level of fun we’re having. This summer is especially special because it is the last one that Quinn will be home with her father and me full-time as she starts school this fall. I’m truly enjoying these moments with my little girl and don’t know what I’d do without them. As the cliche’ phrases go, “She’s only a child once” or “Childhood is fleeting,” so I want to not only have fun with my little girl this summer but to make memories that we’ll both cherish and reminisce about as she gets older. Here’s to a wonderful summer with my little girl!

All the best,

Tanya

Terrific Toy Tuesday: Colorful Fruits and Veggies

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“I have a banana, a lemon, corn, a yellow apple and yellow pepper,” my three year old informs me as she takes fruits and veggies from her basket. When she was just over a year, I purchased the learning resources farmers market color sorting set to help her learn colors, but they do so much more than that. Now that she is proficient with all of her basic colors, she likes to sort and identify the items based on what is a fruit and what is a vegetable. What’s great is that she has realized that apples come in multiple colors, such as red, yellow and green. The same goes for grapes and peppers.

Quinn likes to count up the items too. This is great because when it is time to put them away she will occasionally count them and say, “There’s supposed to be six purple fruits and vegetables, but there are only five. We’re missing one, Mommy!”

My little girl even wants to use them when we play in her kitchen or sit down for a meal she prepared. “Would you like a tomato and carrot, Mommy?” she will ask. Now if only we could get beyond pretending to eat healthy veggies and get her to try them in real life!

All the best,

Tanya