Tag Archives: Tanya Harris Franklin

Thanks to My Little Girl, Everything’s Sunny This Sunday

By
2016-04-07 09.49.49

I Just Love Looking at that Sweet Face!

This past week has been a bit of a struggle being away from my daughter four out of seven days. I posted entries about missing her but also about how sometimes we need time apart to grow closer together. It was wonderful getting to see her through FaceTime and Nest (formally drop cam) a few times, and it pleased me to see her face light up when she heard my voice and saw my face.

She was so excited to see me this Sunday morning. We had a relaxing day playing Candy Land, dancing around being silly and just sitting there while she played “hairstylist” and brushed my hair. Being away from her for that short duration of time makes me so grateful for moments like this with my sweet little girl.

All the best,

Tanya

What Would We Do Without It Wednesdays: Momma Bird Watching Over Her Birdie Nest (Video Chats)

By
2016-04-04 20.53.41

My Little Girl Waving at Me Through Our Nest Cam

Just this past Monday, I posted a blog entry about missing  my little girl since I’ll be away for many days this week. I didn’t get to kiss her goodnight on Monday and will be away for the next three days. I’ll miss both her and my husband, but it’s great to know that with today’s technology they’re only a Skype, FaceTime or Nest visit away. On Monday, when the event I attended was ending, I quickly checked in on my little girl through our Nest Camera (formally called drop cam), which has been a wonderful resource since Quinn was a little baby, and was able to say goodnight to her from afar. Though she could only hear my voice, I could see her little face light up as she waved goodnight to me with her Christmas pajamas on that she requested her dad let her wear.

This evening, we did a test run with Skype to ensure that it works when I’m away which makes me feel less guilty being away from her and eager to see her face and hear her voice when she’s on my mind. While one can point to the negatives associated with technology and its advancements, I am extremely grateful to be able to connect with my daughter and to see her smiling face. What would we do with out!?

All the best,

Tanya

Terrific Toy Tuesday: Let’s Shape Up and Have a Ball!

By
2016-03-18 09.47.45

Quinn Getting Ready to Insert Her Shapes into the Shape O Ball

My grandmother ran a daycare in her home, and when I was younger I’d come over often and play with the other children and toys too.  One toy I enjoyed playing with was a red and blue ball with yellow handles on the sides and different yellow shapes. I would challenge myself  and other kids to see who could get all of the shapes inside the ball the fastest, similar to the game “Perfection.”

When my daughter was not quite a year, we were at a “Home Show,” and low and behold, I saw that very ball I played with when I was younger at a Tupperware station. I had to purchase it for  Quinn. Initially, she would chew on the shapes or play around with the ball, but just about two years later, she will announce, “This is a square!” or “Here’s the triangle!” before inserting it into the ball. What really impresses me is that she will count the sides too. “The Octagon has one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight sides!” Then there’s times when she just wants to roll the ball back and forth, then empty the shapes and start naming them and counting the sides all over again.

Even though my little girl loves toys with all of the “bells and whistles,” it’s nice to know that she enjoys a basic toy from my childhood which is helping with her cognitive development.

All the best,

Tanya

PS. This toy is available on Amazon too.

Mommy’s Monday Moments: Missing My Little Girl

By

2016-03-11 14.15.41“Absence makes the heart grow fonder” is one of those cliché phrases people utter to soothe others or themselves when they are away from their loved ones. Even though there’s some validity to this phrase, it unfortunately is not soothing me as I cope with being away from my daughter throughout the course of this week. Shortly, I’ll be traveling a little over two hours away to Harrisburg, PA for a work-related function and will miss our daily bedtime routine of me hugging her, kissing her and telling her I love her and she doing the same to me. Then I’ll be traveling to the Washington, DC area this Thursday through Saturday and will not see her in person until Sunday.  Thank goodness for FaceTime, Skype and Nest.

We had some fun earlier today doing activities, and I’m going to make sure we enjoy each other tomorrow when I get home from work and Wednesday when we have the entire day together. Yes, I’m sure we can both benefit from having time apart to miss each other and recharge, but I truly do treasure our time together, and it’s moments like this when I appreciate the bond we have even more.

All the best,

Tanya

Just Thirty More Days and My Little Girl Will Be Three!

By

2016-04-03 17.52.39Who hasn’t heard the phrase, “Time flies?” It couldn’t be more true when it comes to children. One moment, I’m holding my newborn in my arms watching her coo, rocking her to sleep, and the next moment I’m watching her run and jump and listening to her tell me how much fun she had at the park. For the past few months, my husband and I have been prepping our daughter to no longer say that she’s two. When someone asks her how old she is, Quinn proudly responds, “I will be three on May 3rd!” Most recently, I’ve found that I too require some prepping as my daughter reaches three years old. There are so  many more milestones she will reach, and more of “baby girl” will be left behind as she continues to discover the world, evolve and become more independent. Wow, it’s just thirty more days to go. We have a Mickey Mouse Countdown tool which only heightens the anticipation. In the words of my little girl, “It’ll be here before you know it!” I have a feeling that she’ll be excited and more than ready. I just hope that I will too.

All the best,

Tanya

What Would We Do Without It Wednesdays: Hairstyles for Little Girls

By

While having a little girl is fantastic, doing her hair can not only be a struggle but quite time consuming too. “Is it time to get my hair done?” my soon-to-be three year old inquires. When Quinn was just a little over one years old, I posted a blog entry regarding the strategies I employ when doing her hair entitled, “It’s My Hair, and I’ll Cry if I Want Too Baby!”. Almost two years later, she’s far more patient and will even make requests. “I want three ponytails Mommy: two in the front and one in the back!” This was actually my favorite hairstyle when I was younger.

Having go-to hairstyles is great because over time I’m able to do them much quicker, but I must admit that I sometimes dread having to do my little girl’s hair every day for a half hour to even an hour. This is when I am so grateful for people who post Youtube videos and pictures on the braiding styles they’ve done for their little girls. I’m no braiding expert, but I’m very proud with the progress I’ve been making with doing Quinn’s hair. When I finish, she’s so excited. “Can I look in the mirror to see my hair Mommy?” Of course I say, “Yes.” Then without my prompting, she will say, “I love my new hairstyle Mommy! I have to show daddy how cute my hair looks!” She especially loves when I put beads in her hair. I think she likes the jingly sound.

It makes me feel good knowing that my braiding skills are steadily  improving. I don’t know what I’d do without them. I’m sure my daughter appreciates them too.

All the best,

Tanya

Terrific Toy Tuesday: First You Crawl, Then Walk, Then Run, Then Jump & Then Skate!

By

Before you learn to walk, you have to crawl. After walking, comes running and jumping. Now that spring is finally here, my little girl and I can have some outdoor fun with running, jumping, skipping and skating too! One of my favorite activities when I was younger was skating, and now my soon-to-be-three year old is following in my footsteps, or shall I say “skate steps?” What’s interesting is that when I polled my students, many of them abashedly confessed that they don’t know how to skate or have only been once. Quinn loves putting on her unicorn “Radskullz” unicorn helmet, knee guards and Minnie Mouse glitter roller skates to practice around the house. The real test, in the weeks to come, will be going outside. While I’m happy that she loves “toys” that get her up and moving, I have a feeling that I’ll be more nervous than she is.

All the best,

Tanya

Mommy’s Monday Moments:Fear Not…Well Fear A Little

By

2016-03-28 10.57.01

Quinn Watching the Tiger Up Close at the Zoo

Since my little girl was one, we’ve taken frequent trips to the zoo. One of her favorite stops is the Big Cat Exhibit. “Can we see the tiger and lion video at the end?” is a request she would make without fail. We’ve been to the zoo twice this year since it’s gotten warmer, but a major change has occurred: a major brain shift I’ve observed. While Quinn, my soon-to-be three year old, doesn’t mind observing the tigers, lions and cheetahs in the zoo displays, she has become fearful of the video she once loved and asked to watch a few times each time we went to the zoo.

There is this one scene in particular where the tiger is attacking an antelope which never phased Quinn in the past. So I was caught off guard today when Quinn cried out, “I’m scared Mommy! I don’t want to see the video anymore! Please Mommy!” I’ve never heard such fear in her voice before. I could see that she was really terrified. When I asked her why she was scared, she said, “The tiger was not playing nice with the other animal and was hurting him.”

In this moment I wondered.  What happened? What changed? Then it occurred to me; my little girl is growing up. Her brain is evolving. She’s entering the next phase of many more to come. I hope I’m able to model bravery and to help her address any fears she need to address as she continues to learn more about herself and her surroundings.

Best regards,

Tanya

A Happy Easter with My Little Girl

By
Quinn and her Nana

“Yay! The Easter bunny came and left me a basket with special treats!” My little girl excitedly said. She spent a good portion of the day opening her surprise eggs and creating her own to share with me and her father. It’s amazing how much she’s grown within a year. She wanted to describe the color, shape and overall appearance of each item she came across, and I was eager to listen.Going to her nana’s (my mother) house was a special treat too, and really made her day. Though she is still learning the “real” reason for celebrating Easter, this was a happy day for my little girl.

All the best,

Tanya

Making Easter Eggs to “Dye” for with My Little Girl

By
Ready to Dye Eggs

When I was younger, I loved dying eggs with my mom for Easter. Now, I’m able to keep the cherished tradition alive with my little girl. There’s so many styles from which to choose instead of the basic color dye, but I wanted something that was not too messy yet fun for my soon-to-be three year old. At Target, one of our favorite stores, we located a decorating kit to transform the eggs into zoo and circus animals for five dollars. Quinn enjoyed dying the eggs but really loved decorating them as animals, as did I.

Now, there’s one major problem. They’re so adorable that I don’t think my husband, Quinn or I can bring ourselves to eat them. It’s a good thing that we only decorated four as animals and left the rest in plain colors. It looks like it’s going to be a Happy Easter for our new egg friends: the tiger, zebra, giraffe and elephant. Happy Easter to you and your family.

All the best,

Tanya