Fruit Salad…yummy yummy

One of the best things I can do for Devin is allow him to conceptualize and create his own fruit salad. He loves fruit as is, but he loves fruit salad even more! Making fruit salad is a great way to do little side activities, like, colors, shapes, textures and even smells. I'll let Devin tell me what he wants in it, and I even let him help me wash the fruit and decide how to cut it. Today, I gave him the option of two types of apples, and even whether he wanted the peel off and how he wanted it sliced or whether he wanted it cubed. We also put grapes in and cut bananas. I recommend it highly for anyone who wants to experiment with their child in the kitchen. It'll promote healthy eating habits, as well as allow bonding time. Also, I let Devin help me pick fruit at the grocery store so he can know how to pick out fruit properly. And then when we are done, he always can't wait to sit down with a bowl of his very own creation! Hopefully, one day, we'll be able to add other things other than fruit, like granola, etc. Try it today!

What’s the deal with baby proofing?

So since we've moved in the new house, will be two months at the end of the month, I haven't had a chance to properly baby proof the house. My main concerns have been with the outlets, the gas stove, and the stairs. I haven't been too quick about getting outlet covers, because , one I'm going to need a million of them, and two, I think Devin is old and wise enough to leave them alone now, but I definitely want to get them before Alyssa starts crawling around. But with all the scares with carbon monoxide, especially because this is the first time I'm dealing with a gas stove, my biggest fear is Devin will turn those knobs like he is pretending he is flying a space ship, and leave the gas leaking in the house. And since it's pretty much odorless, at least that's what I've read, we probably won't know it's leaked much until it's too late. So I ran out and got the knob covers for the stove which fit over the knobs, and lock, so the children have to press the button to open the flip top and reveal the knob underneath. WELL, Devin was never interested in the stove, for the going on two months we've been here. But, it's funny, he didn't start becoming curious about them, until I put the knob covers on them! "What's this mommy? Why did you put these on here?" And he's already trying to figure out how to open them up and every time I open them up to cook, he's looking over my arm trying to see how I'm doing, and asking me why I put them there. So it seems as though I could've shot myself in the foot with this one…I really believe it's the whole "forbidden fruit" syndrome; basically wanting to mess with something that he can't mess with ultimately, because I've "mess-proofed" it. So now, he pays attention to it way more than he did when the knobs were naked. So, I'm wondering if baby proofing is really the best thing. Does it allow them to notice things that are instantly not accessible and make them wonder why they aren't accessible? Then you have to worry about when they go to other people's homes, and if they aren't baby proofed, then you have to watch them closely because they won't know how to deal with things correctly at non-baby proofed homes. So I'm not sure how I'm going to handle baby proofing this second go round. But it does have me wondering about the validity of the whole ritual….

“Pay attention to me mommy”

It's been a while since I've updated my blog, and I enjoy writing, it's a nice outlet for me, but finding time to do so is very difficult. Sometimes I feel I deprive my children of me when I try to have some "me" time, but it seems as though I truly never have "me" time. So as I'm researching stuff online today, my oldest, Devin, actually says "Pay attention to me mommy". WOW, talk about heart break…if you were standing in the next room, you could've heard it. I was totally unaware that he could actually feel as though I wasn't paying him any mind, and to be honest, I was so engrossed in what I was doing; I actually forgot he was standing there for five minutes or so. How could he ever feel as though I was neglecting him? We read books, we talk (all the time), we play games, we watch television, and I try to incorporate him in everything I do; including cooking and cleaning. So why for this split second did he think I wasn't paying him any attention?

Could it be I created a monster? Maybe I spend too much time paying him attention that when it's gone, he doesn't know how to act? And since Alyssa, my daughter, has been born, I've found it even harder to stretch my attention to everyone, including her, Devin and hubby, and still have time for myself. And I feel when I don't have "me" time, I tend to snap and overreact for no reason. And I know it's because I'm overwhelmed and need time to unwind and basically decompress. And I always catch myself doing it, and having to apologize for it. It's got to be a known fact, that when you are overwhelmed, you lash out.

So now I'm on a mission to find ways to prioritize and schedule more, so I can equally give attention to all, including myself.

I'm thinking:

• Movie Time with Devin & Alyssa: Alyssa is really starting to notice the tv, so how much fun would that be to have a time designated to watch movies together on a blanket on the floor while eating a snack, like popcorn?
  
• Walking around neighborhood: when it starts getting really warm, we could probably take a walk around our lake in our neighborhood and feed the ducks
  
• Game Time: Alyssa of course would sit on my lap, but Devin and I could always play some random made up card game
  
• Exercising: Dancing is one of our favorite pastimes, and even Alyssa has learned to like it when she's in her carrier, so I could always incorporate some exercising into it; I love multitasking, lol
  
• Wii: Devin loves playing the wii and what better way to unwind and spend quality time with him
  
• CPU time: Devin is really good with playing with the computer, so I could always set up our secondary laptop, let him play for an hour, while I check emails. Kill two birds with one stone!
  

Anybody has any other suggestions?

About me...

First post on my blog...yeah!

I've been blogging for some time, but really on yahoo or myspace. I never had a blog site, so I'm excited! I love to blog, so I'm happy to be able to start an actually blog site.

My name is Samantha, I live on the outskirts of Houston in a city named Pearland. I'm originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana but moved her after I married the love of my life on July 29, 2000. We had our first child on January 11, 2005. His name is Devin. He is a silly, happy child, who loves playing with his cars, our family dog, video games, and anything else he can find to keep his attention. We are expecting our second child, a girl, due on December 11, 2005. I don't know why I can't stay away from these winter babies, especially these babies surrounding Christmas time! Yep, between birthdays and Christmas, I'll be broke.

I love to do anything crafty; sew, stamp, make candles, just about anything! If I hadn't tried it, I'm willing to try it! I like to decorate, read, write, watch movies, shop hang out with hubby and play with my little one. I even enjoy cooking every once in a while. I stay at home with my child but I like to make personalized party favors and invitations on the side for extra cash.

Anyway, I'm planning on posting every day, so I hope you decide to stick around and enjoy!

How do you parent?

Today, mostly out of antsiness, I found myself passing time on the internet on various parenting networking sites. One popular one in particular, babycenter.com, caught my eye with it's "community" features. I have been on baby center since the conception of my first child, but never took part in socializing with other soon-to-be moms on the website. So, with the impending arrival of my second lil' one, I decided to join a couple of groups to meet some other moms and read some of the posts, etc.



One of the questions they ask you during the making of your profile is "what is your parenting style?" I sat there for a while, wondering what exactly my parenting style is. I've heard of the textbook styles of parenting: authoritarian way, the permissive way, authoritative and lastly the neglectful. Wikepedia defines authoritative as expecting the child to comply to parental rules and directions and for parents and child to have an open dialogue about the set rules and acceptable behaviors. Authoritative parents allow their child to be independent letting them make their own decision and explore things more freely. They also set limits, demand maturity but when they discipline, they expain the motives for doing so. The complete opposite is the authoritarian parenting style. They have high expectations for their children to obey the rules and do not explain why the rules are set the way they are. They are also more prone to hit their child during discipline.



Permissive parenting is the parents are non-demanding, but offer nuturing and acceptance of the children. This parent wants to basically be friends with the child, and sets rules, if any, based on the child's wants. Neglectful is pretty much similiar to permissive parenting, but the parent is not involved at all in the child's life other than providing the basic needs.



I'm not sure which category my parenting style falls into. I'm more authoritarian if anything, but thinking about it made me wonder about how one knows how to parent anyway. I'll ask Devin to do something for me, for example, help with grocery bags, and nine times out of ten, he'll tell me no. Sometimes I'll explain why I need help, or why he should help me, other time, I just give up and don't even fight with him about it. I try to explain everything to him; if he asks me why he can't do something, I'll tell him why. I'm always hoping to appeal to his sensible side, hoping one day he'll tell me "okay, mom, that makes sense" and then if the situation ever comes up again, he'll reason with himself about whatever it may be. To me, that makes for a self-sufficient well being, hopefully so he can make the right decisions when he gets older. But maybe I'm asking too much of a three year old... he is still questioning why I have a baby in my tummy and he doesn't?



Either way, as parents, we have a very big influence in the way our child will eventually be as an adult. Negative parenting affects the child either with drugs, sex, crime, or even how they interact in other relationships. See more information here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parenting_styles. It's alot of pressure on parents, to make sure they do right by the kids. Who wants their child to grow up all messed up with issues because of the way you treated them as a child? Talk about pressure!



But how do you know if you are doing it right? How do you know if one thing you do "wrong" may not affect your child for the rest of your life? I am almost positive that every adult with a kid now is trying to raise their child different that how their parent raised them. I'm also almost positive that every adult with a kid probably resents one or two things their parents did to them while they were a child. I'm just hoping, however I handle this parenting thing, my children will grow up healthy, happy and self-sufficient.