Archives for July 2013

Neighborhood happenings

July 17, 2013

Did you know that I also write for The Neighborhood? I mostly contribute posts on various safety topics, but I sometimes write about my experiences as a military spouse.

I’d love for you to check out my two most recent posts on The Neighborhood. Who knows, you may learn something!

Using Technology to Communicate With Deployed Family Members

Gone are the days of solely relying on snail mail to communicate with our loved ones who are deployed. And thank goodness! In this age of instant gratification, waiting weeks to hear back from a deployed spouse or family member would be brutal.

Here’s how you can use technology to communicate with your serviceman while he’s overseas.

Keeping Track of Kids at Large Events

Growing up, I was always overprotective of my little sister. Now that I’m a mother, I’m just as vigilant about my son’s whereabouts in public places. Previously, my husband and I had been able to keep him secure in his stroller on family outings like, for example, to the Iowa State Fair. But now that he’s nearly two, he’ll surely want to walk the grounds with us when we go again this summer.

Whether you’re taking your children to a state fair, an amusement park, or an outdoor concert this summer, here are ways to keep track of your kids at large events so that everyone can feel relaxed and enjoy themselves.

(image source)

A polka dot birthday cake

July 16, 2013

At Levi’s second birthday party on Sunday I served a simple Costco sheet cake. Although it was delicious, I’ll be the first to admit that it wasn’t terribly creative — especially compared to other second birthday cakes I’ve recently seen. Ashley and Aron baked Hudson a firetruck birthday cake, and my friend Shira baked her daughter a polka dot birthday cake!

Shira’s polka dot cake was so impressive that I had to ask her how she did it. Lucky for us, she was happy to share her inspiration and step-by-step instructions:

(photo by Once Upon A Pedestal)

“My daughter, Naama, loves bubbles, so my original idea was to make a bubble cake. When I searched for “bubble cake” on Pinterest, I came across this pin and instantly knew I had to try it! (In fact, it wasn’t until I found that cake that I actually decided to invite people over for a party! Before that we were kind of on the fence about having a second birthday party.)

I made the cake using this recipe, but I adapted it to make it parve (dairy free), as all my baking pans are parve. I would’ve used a cake mix like I did last year for Naama’s first birthday cake, but I could only find a parve yellow cake mix, not a white one. I thought this polka dot cake really needed white cake, so I made it from scratch.

I made the dots first using my adapted recipe for the parve white cake and baking them in a cake pops pan. I knew I wanted six different colors for the dots, so I divided up the batter into six small bowls and added a bit of Wilton Gel Food Coloring.

(I used regular food coloring last year for the purple cake, and although I felt like I needed to use a LOT, the colors didn’t turn out that vibrant. The gel worked so much better and created much brighter colors!)

I baked the cake pops for half the recommended time — until they were just formed but not cooked through. Then I let them cool completely. They were a little funny looking when they came right out of the pan; there was a volcano top and a ring around the middle where the two sides of the pan met. I simply trimmed off the excess to make nice little dots.

Next I made a second batch of white cake batter and layered a small amount in three pans. To make one cake big enough for the whole party, I used three nine-inch round pans (the original recipe called for six-inch round pans). I placed nine cake balls in each of the three pans, trying to stagger the colors, although I wasn’t too concerned because I knew any pattern would be fun! Then I covered the pops with the remaining batter and hoped it would bake up around the dots.

(photos by This Little Life of Mine)

When the pans came out of the oven, I finished the cake like I would’ve any other, frosting each layer and then frosting the three tiers together. I used canned frosting because a) it’s delicious! and b) I wanted it to be really white so that the colorful polka dots really popped. The “2” created from sprinkles was also a Pinterest find.

I was so nervous to cut the cake at Naama’s birthday party because I wasn’t entirely sure how the polka dots would come out. But it turned out perfectly, and Naama’s face when she saw the cake and candles made it totally worth it. She was so super excited!”

P.S. – The beautiful purple ombre cake that Shira baked for Naama’s first birthday last year!

Happy always and ever

July 12, 2013

Today is Levi’s second birthday! (But if you ask him how old he is, he’ll tell you that he’s four!) My parents are in town for the weekend, and we’re going to celebrate Levi’s special day by eating chocolate cake — the birthday boy’s request.

Next week I’ll share Levi’s two-year-old portrait and my letter to him, as well as photos from Levi’s birthday party this coming Sunday. I’ll leave you with a sweet birthday sentiment from Sandra Boynton’s book Happy Birthday, Little Pookie.

So here’s to a child who is joyful and clever.

Happy day, happy year, happy always and ever.

Happy birthday to my big guy! I love you!

What’s the best age difference between kids?

July 11, 2013

My younger sister and I are three years apart. Three years and one day, to be exact.

Growing up, the majority of my friends were either three years younger or three years older than their sibling. (The majority of them also had just one sibling.) So I always thought a three year age difference between siblings was standard. Standard and practical — that way, only one child would be in diapers at a time.

When my husband and I first started talking about having children, I expressed an interest in becoming a family of five. Although my sister and I are close now, there were times when we didn’t get along. If there were three instead of two of us, there always would’ve been somebody else to turn to during conflicts.

Plus, three’s a party! A fun mix of personalities!

As we pondered our future family, I realized I’d have to rethink my three-year-age-difference philosophy if we were going to have three kids. Would I really want to deal with maternity clothing and leaky breastfeeding boobies over the span of six (or more) years?

But if we were to have three kids who were each two years apart, I’d have to get pregnant every 14 months. I had barely reclaimed my post-pregnancy body when Levi was 14 months old. Would I be willing to give it up again so soon after getting it back…twice?

When Levi was one, I spied two pregnant moms at Gymboree supervising boys around the same age as Levi. At the time, I couldn’t imagine chasing a one-year-old Levi while visibly pregnant with another baby. But is a two year age difference (or less!) between kids the new normal? It seems that more and more parents are choosing to have babies two years apart (or less!) rather than three.

Perhaps families are favoring a two year age difference because many woman are getting pregnant “later in life” (in their 30s instead of their 20s — so old!) and therefore have a shorter window of time to make babies. Or maybe they just want their children to be close in age. But at what cost to mom’s sanity (and figure)?

What do you think is the ideal age difference between children?

P.S. – Do you want to know what Levi is not getting for his second birthday tomorrow? A baby brother or sister!

P.P.S. – What’s the best age to become a mom?

(Photos of Jora Vess from Domestic Reflections and her adorable children taken by Kim of 180360. These insanely gorgeous images make my uterus ache for two more babies.)

Levi’s last day of school

July 10, 2013

(photo of Levi sliding down a toddler-sized slide at a neighborhood playground)

Today is Levi’s last day of school. School’s not out for summer. It’s actually his last day at his current Montessori school. I’m pulling him out. He’ll begin a new Montessori program at a different location next week.

I feel guilty about taking Levi away from the teachers and classmates he’s gotten to know and like these past five months. I also feel guilty because Levi is thriving at school. But I’m not pulling him out of his current school because I’m disappointed with his Montessori education. I’m pulling him out because I’m disappointed with the administration.

In early May, I sent the following email to the administrative assistant, asking her to forward to it the appropriate contact person:

I appreciate that there is a jungle gym, swings, a sandbox, and a backyard available to the kids, and I know that the teachers do their best to keep their eyes on everybody. However, with the toddlers and primary students running around at the same time, it gets a bit hectic out there!

In the five minutes I was in the backyard this morning to pick up my son, I saw an older kid near the jungle gym sprawled flat on his back, a toddler girl hit with a ball, and Levi fall down a concrete stair while following two older boys (who know how to use stairs!).

I’m not necessarily sure what the solution is — fewer kids on the playground at once? more teachers outside? (I know that 1 of the 3 teachers in Levi’s classroom will go on a lunch break at that time.)

I thought I would bring my concern to your attention because another mother confided in me that she shares the same concern. Yes, I know that kids will be kids, and that we can’t shield them from everything, but I do wonder if there’s a way to make the backyard a little bit safer for them to enjoy.

Though enraged from what I witnessed on the playground, I thought I handled myself professionally and was anxious to receive a response from somebody in the office acknowledging my concerns.

I didn’t receive a follow-up email or a phone call that day.

Only the toddlers were in the backyard at pick-up time the next day. Even the teachers commented on how much less chaotic it was in the backyard. Although the children were safer, I was fuming because my concerns were never acknowledged by the staff. At that moment, I couldn’t think of anything more unprofessional than ignoring the concerns of a parent who pays for their child to attend that school.

A couple of days later I did end up meeting with the liaison between the teachers and the administration to discuss my email. However, I found her too agreeable during our chat, too willing to consent to the safety issues I brought up, including the fact that the jungle gym was too big for toddlers. It felt like lip service.

In the following weeks, I became hyperaware of potential safety problems. My frustration levels with the lack of attention paid to maintaining the facility was rapidly rising. When the door fell off Levi’s beloved play kitchen, it took days for his teacher to address the problem — only after I brought her a screwdriver from home. She ended up popping the screw through the wooden door, which wouldn’t normally be a big deal except that the kitchen’s still out of commission…two months later. Why doesn’t the school have a handyman on call? Or a toolbox?

I had to listen to my gut rather than my heart.

We found another Montessori with newer facilities and two separate outdoor play areas, including a toddler-sized space with sandboxes and age-appropriate Fisher-Price slides. The icing on top? The cost of admission will be nearly $200 cheaper a month.

(Yes, I did ask how they could afford to charge so much less than his current school while maintaining their standards and felt comfortable with their answer.)

I still feel guilty about making Levi say goodbye to his teachers and friends, but I have to follow my maternal instincts. My son’s safety comes first. I also wonder if maybe I’m more worried about my ability to transition than Levi’s. After all, two year olds are quite adaptable. Thirty-somethings, on the other hand…