Tag Archives: Toddler Fun

In “Tune with My Squad” on Halloween!

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I love dressing up with my daughter for Halloween, so when we both decided on being “Tune Squad” characters, Lola Bunny and Granny, after seeing the new Space Jam Legacy movie over the summer, the wheels were turning on how to bring our characters to life.

Granny was much easier than Lola Bunny. I ordered the Tune Squad jersey top and shorts through Amazon, and then ordered the sweatshirt through Etsy, just in case it got chilly. My granny wig, accompanied with glasses, a glasses chain and necklace came from Amazon as well. It just so happened that I had blue tights to wear under my shorts and blue and orange sneakers to match my outfit.

Lola Bunny, on the other hand, required me to use my creativity and crafting skills. It was hard to find the kid-size thick jersey top and shorts, but I stumbled upon a Tune Squad dress on Target’s website. I then found the blonde wig through Amazon. Though there were some rabbit ears available, they were either the wrong color or just looked cheap. So I decided to make Lola Bunny ears after watching a helpful YouTube video. I got all of my supplies, including a cute tail to add to the dress, from Joann Fabrics, and they turned out better than I had hoped.

Since Quinn’s dress was sleeveless, a sweatshirt would definitely be needed, but after searching for a while, I failed to find a Tune Squad sweatshirt for kids in blue. So I ordered a plain blue sweatshirt through Amazon, purchased picture files through Etsy, printed out the images on iron-on paper, and made a Tune Squad sweatshirt with Lola Bunny. Quinn loved it and thought I purchased it that way. I also found a Lola Bunny mask on Etsy, which was perfect!

The take our costume to the next level, we found a matching Tune Squad jersey for our toy poodle and a basketball purse for trick or treating.

Of course, doing Halloween activities, family fun and trick or treating makes it all a memorable experience. But putting my time, effort and creativity into making our costumes come to life makes it that much more special!

Happy Halloween!

All the best,

Tanya

A Few Days as an Empty Nester: Enjoying Adult Time But Missing My Little Girl

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Yesterday, while walking my dog, I came across a neighbor who was walking her dog. We stopped and chatted for a bit as our dogs “chatted” too. Then she asked, “Where’s your daughter? Is it too early for her?” When I informed my neighbor that Quinn was having fun at a granddaughters’ sleepover my mom puts together every year and how excited she was to go, my neighbor smiled and said, “I’m sure you’re excited too! You get a few days to yourself!” I nodded, but I wasn’t as excited as some parents may be.

Yes, we’ve spent so much time together as a family, especially with the restrictions and home schooling of 2020 and half of 2021, and while I do enjoy having some time to myself to just relax or maybe watch shows that may not be age appropriate for my eight year old, I really do enjoy her company. Also, I don’t know how many more years I have for if and when she decides that she doesn’t want to hang out with me. Even if I’m lucky enough for that day to never come, at some point she will go to college or venture off on her own, and I won’t see her as much, so I want to take advantage of the moments we have together.

My mom has been sending me pictures for the past few days of their activities, and it’s clear that Quinn is having a wonderful time with her cousins and Nana, which I’m more excited about than me having time away from her. She’s a great kid with a bubbly personality, and I’m excited to have her home in the next few days.

All the best,

Tanya

Playing it Cool, and Celebrating National Ice Cream Day with my Sweet Girl

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There seems to be a national holiday for just about everything from chocolate to spaghetti to pizza day, so National ice cream day is certainly no surprise. Though I recall celebrating it a few years ago with my daughter at the Please Touch Museum, I lost track of the day until it came up in my photo memory.

What made it extra special this year is that I purchased an ice cream maker, and it just so happens that we made our own ice cream together! I have fond memories of ice cream socials when I was younger. My mom would allow my siblings and me to pick out toppings at the store and our favorite flavor ice cream.

What made eating ice cream special was not just picking what we wanted but socializing and experiencing togetherness as a family. That’s exactly how I feel when having ice cream with my husband and daughter. Making it together just adds the cherry on top.

All the best,

Tanya

Anticipating Celebrating My Daughter’s Birthday!

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In a little over a week, my daughter will be eight years old! Time is flying by! It’s actually been about a year and a half since she did her first YouTube video on her channel, Quinnie’s Fun House. She’s created so many cool, fun and educational videos that children and some adults may enjoy and even learn from,and I am so proud of her! We’re both so excited that she has a little over 90 subscribers, and she is hoping that she will reach 100 very soon. Want to wish Quinnie a happy birthday? Subscribe today to make it extra special!

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

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

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