Valentines from the Kids

As the kids have gotten older, I've found it hard that we're starting to live our own little lives apart from each other. Oliver's gone to school 4 days a week, and Jo is in class a couple mornings a week while I do school practicum. It's not all negative, though. I absolutely love that we get to do fun things like plan valentines for them to give to their friends! This one is a simple idea that I saw on Facebook and Pinterest.

                         

It was easy enough to do, especially since their class size is so small. I bought a bag of cheap lollipops, and then I took pictures of the kids making a fist.

I printed out a sheet of twelve (after adding a side border), and then I used scissors to poke a hole (a hole puncher probably would have made the job a lot easier).

We "Camped" in a Yurt!

We took the kids yurt camping! Camping is a loose term here.

Yurts are semi-permanent structures, and they kind of remind me of a circus tent. They're becoming a little common in state parks throughout the country, and I thought it would be a good way to stay overnight at a state park with the kids. The yurts have bunk beds, a futon that folds out into a full bed, and electricity. There's also a facility located there with a flushing toilet, running water, and a shower. It was a perfect weekend getaway with two little kids.

The only public yurts in Iowa are these two at McIntosh Woods State Park, which is in the northern part of Iowa (about halfway between Des Moines and Minneapolis). The state park itself is pretty small, but it's located on Clear Lake, which is large & beautiful. We could see the lake from our yurt! I wrote about our yurt camping adventures on my travel blog, here.

Des Moines Science Center

Andrew's befriended one of his new coworkers already, and he was kind enough to give us passes to the Des Moines Science Center (normal price right now is $11 for an adult and $7 for a child). It completely surpassed our expectations.

The first room we entered was about air and wind. There was an air drum we pounded on that moved some dangling, sparkling circles. There was a giant hair dryer that kept beach balls suspended in air. Our kids were excited about this contraption:

The kids drop a ball into one of the holes and stick a tube in that blows air. The ball shoots through the tubes and comes out another hole. I was amazed at all of the little, little kids who were able to do it. There were kids under 2 participating! I think the only tough part was sharing the balls with each other.

The next station was quite busy. The littlest ones enjoyed just playing with the balls. Our kids were old enough to have fun with the air. It blew through those tubes, and it was strong enough to suspend the balls in the air.

The nanotechnology section didn't interest the kids, even though they had some stations meant for younger kids. So, we went upstairs to the climate area. The kids got to press buttons to light up a map of Iowa. One button would light up the rivers, one would light up forests, and another would light up where people lived. Jo loved pushing those buttons.

There was a green screen, and the kids got to be on TV! Oliver loved it.

Then we found the greatest station of all. There was a giant... Mouse Trap game on the wall. I don't know what else to call it. Kids dumped balls into a basket, which were fed through tubes, blown down a track, bounced all over the place, and came back out. I'm pretty sure the kids spent more than half an hour playing there.

There was a station for teams of kids to build an arch out of foam blocks. None of the bigger kids seemed interested in building an arch, so the station was filled with little kids just playing blocks. Jo was one of those kids.

Oliver & Andrew built cars out of Legos to race against other kids. Oliver won!

In the space station, the kids played with more blocks. Jo stacked Duplos.

Oliver and Andrew built space ships!

Oliver's rocket:

We went in the theater to view a movie on stars and constellations. It really freaked Jo out, so we had to run out of the theater. Oliver was crushed! He kept asking to go back to see the stars. I think one of us will have to go back to the theater with just Oliver... maybe when Jo is busy stacking blocks!

Mud!

February Snow

We finally got some more snow! We've been desperate for snow here in the Denver area. Our climate is so dry. If we don't get enough snow, that spells bad news: droughts and wildfires. Even people who hate the snow are relieved to see flakes fall because, as you'll hear people say, "we really need it."

When a good snow finally falls, we have to get out and enjoy it! Oliver did a good job enjoying the snow.

 Joanna didn't enjoy the snow so much...

Growing Up is Hard to Do

When I was young, my mom constantly reminded me not to try to grow up fast. "You only get to be a kid once," she'd say. Typically, that was in reference to us wanting to, say, wear makeup. Her point was that there's plenty of time to be "older," but there's only a short time when you get to be a kid.

I think many parents today have a similar idea, but they take it to an extreme. Rather than encourage their kids to enjoy childhood, they seem to force them to stay babies. It's important to me that I enjoy all of Oliver's stages. Sometimes, I get a little wistful that he's such a big boy (learning to walk and talk), but I'm also excited for him and look forward to bringing him to the park and MOMS Club in the summer, when he can actually run around with the other kids.

A couple of months ago, I was at the grocery store, and there was a boy who had to be twelve years old sitting in the baby seat of his parents' cart. He was getting close to puberty and sitting in the baby seat of his parents' cart. The baby seat. I casually observed the kid to see if he seemed to be physically challenged or something. He moved his legs and talked to his parents and seemed otherwise normal. It was asinine. I see kids who are 4, 5 and 6 riding in the cart in places like Target, and I think their parents must be flipping crazy. They're kids, they have energy, and they need to walk. Still, I keep my mouth shut. The 12 year old almost got me to speak up, though (don't worry; I held my tongue).

Of course, if your child is, say, four years old, and you're spending all day walking at a place like Elitch's or Disney World, then, sure, let your kid ride in a stroller if they really need it. I think that age is the limit, though. If your child is older than four and isn't suffering from an injury or disability that keeps them from walking, then that child needs to walk. In my opinion, of course.

As a parent, I think it's my responsibility to slowly teach my child how to be independent. Early, it starts with things like encouraging him to crawl, stand, walk and speak. They learn consequences, rewards and punishment. Soon comes the potty and teaching early basics like drawing on paper, the alphabet, and easy numbers. They learn rules to games, how to interact with other kids, and how to be polite. When they're in school, they learn to take standardized tests. If they don't do their homework and don't do well on tests, they learn they get poor grades. They learn to study and write papers. You teach them how to shop and cook. As they get older, they learn to care for other kids and start baby-sitting. Soon, they have adult responsibilities like driving and jobs. Then, they have to learn how to balance a checkbook, apply for scholarships, and gather materials for college applications. Then, you have to say goodbye. They're adults, and they're on their way. They're 18, they're studying to get a career, meeting future spouses, and planning their own families. You have eighteen short years with your kids at home to teach them how to behave like adults and succeed in the world. If you spend the first 6 years of their life treating them like a baby and then send them off to school, what the heck is going to happen to them? Is it up to the teachers to teach them how to act in addition to teaching them physical science, multiplication, and history?

Honestly, I won't want all parents to be just like me. I know I tend to go to some extremes, and a lot of parents are against things like early potty training. That's fine. As parents, we need to do what we think is best. However, sometimes I think parents don't always think about the repercussions of what they teach (or fail to teach) their children.

I'm sorry, but I'm not about to be the parent that has their child wait until he's four to sit on a potty and pee, pushed around in a stroller until he's 7 or the parent that shows up at the school of their 12 year old fighting for them to get a better grade, even if he didn't do the homework or do well on the tests. I'm going to love my child and guide him into independence so he can stand on his own to feet, and so I can feel confident that he's going to succeed when he's able to leave me in less than 17 years.

Oliver's over 6% of the way the adulthood. Chew on that fact and remember that you should encourage your kid to be a kid--get dirty, play sports, climb trees--and keep them away from advertisements that teach them to be sexy, wear inappropriate clothes, and use drugs. However, that doesn't mean you should keep your kid from growing up.

Wwwwooooossshhhh. I feel better after ranting!

Friends and the Ridge Mall

I met my friend, Sam, and her husband, Jim, and son, Charlie, at the mall in my hometown of Chicago Ridge. Oliver is currently half of Charlie's age, and I love hearing (and now seeing!) what Charlie's up to. It let's me know what to expect during each of Oliver's stages.

Eighteen-month old Charlie has an incredible amount of energy! He'd run from activity to activity, easily able to run and climb and work the more interactive toys at the mall's play area. He'd get a little peeved at having to leave one fun thing, but just as quickly as he got upset, he was happy again. What amazed me the most was how quickly he went down for a nap. Sam mentioned it was his nap time, so they gave him his pacifier and sat him in the stroller. Within minutes, he was sound asleep.

Oliver didn't know what to make of all the kids in the play area. He doesn't see many other children, so he just sat and stared at them in awe. At one point, we moved away from Oliver's owl toy, and a little girl (who couldn't be much older than two) picked it up and handed it to him. It was so cute!

Sam's expecting her second baby in January (the same month of Charlie's birthday), so we browsed the clearance racks, looking at newborn baby outfits. I have to say, little girl outfits are always cuter than little boy outfits. I told her she's in trouble if she has a little girl!

After a couple of hours, Oliver and I left. I knew it was getting close to his nap time, and, unlike Charlie, my little man doesn't typically go down for naps as easily. We left just in time because Oliver threw a fit the whole way home! I bet Sam and Jim won't believe me that I said that because my Ollie Bear was the perfect gentleman at the mall. He can get pretty upset, though, let me tell you!

Sam, it was wonderful getting to meet your family. Your husband is so nice, and your son is so smart and fun! We're both very lucky ladies, and I'm glad I got to see you again after all these years!