Laurin and Kelly Talk

Don't Make Me Stop This Car and Spray Valium!

Kelly, you've talked to me when I'm in the car with the kids. It can get pretty loud. Travel with the twins was never a big deal when I had my big crossover car, but ever since my lease expired and I decided to drive my daughter's teensy, tiny 2-door Civic, riding in the car has been sheer, unadulterated hell.

I may have to admit this car is too small for my 5' 11 3/4" frame, let alone energetic six year-old twins sitting in each other's personal space for twenty minutes to and from school each day. If I had to carpool under these conditions I might try to stuff my sweaty sock in someone's mouth if they laughed at me, too.

I have invented a product that solves my problem. It is a ceiling-mounted aerosol misting machine, like the deodorizing ones in public bathrooms, that sprays a soothing Valium or Xanax mist throughout the car at periodic intervals. Huh? Huh? Good, right?

My prototype for this remarkable invention is not quite finished due to various legal and moral roadblocks, so the method I am currently using is yelling "Don't make me stop this car!" every few yards. Not only do I say it, I actually do it.

I give them a very clear warning to stop whatever they are doing to potentially make my eye tic permanent. If they continue, I pull the car over at the next safe opportunity and we sit quietly. They hate this. It's like time-out in the car. I won't consider moving the car until they are perfectly quiet. This really is quite effective, and isn't likely to lead to my arrest.

I drink a lot of coffee in the car and have been looking for a cute travel mug. Also, I'm like most moms who get sick of the sound of their own voice sometimes, so when the kids go off I'm planning to just hold up my new mug.

 

Update: I linked up at Blissfully Domestic - Week 13.  Check out what everyone is up to over there.

Related Posts: I Swear I Didn't Copy Dooce

The Best Things in Life are Free!

A Free Online Tool to Teach Kids to Read

Kelly, both of my kids are very computer-savvy, but Jake really loves it. It amazes me that he will act like he can't find a pair of shoes that are literally 12 inches away, but he can navigate a computer program like a ninja. I think he even coded a website the other day!

I heard about a great site to help kids learn to read from Jake's teacher, and when I checked it out I was amazed. It's the Starfall Reading website and it is an unbelievable resource for helping kids learn to read. Computer learning is essential for Jake because he tends to get easily frustrated and a nicely designed website helps hold his attention.

The site has a simple and easy to use interface that is very quick to load - cutting down on the frustration my kids feel on some of the flash sites. Every word on the site is clickable and will read aloud. The words pop up on a writing tablet style page so it is constantly reinforcing what they learn in school.

I can't say enough good things about this site and how much my kids love it. Click on the Parents link to find out everything Starfall has to offer, and the Downloads link has a huge program of printable exercises for kids to practice their handwriting. They also have a store where they sell their Zac the Rat books, phonics sets, and products.

I love that my kids are learning so much on the computer, but it's really cutting into the mama's blogging time.

This post was linked up at Blissfully Domestic, where you can read tons of great posts on how others are blissfully domestic this week. 

              

Polliwalking

Kelly, say what you will about the aesthetics of Crocs, but they have served us well. I literally cannot think of a better shoe for my son, who has trouble with shoes due to a fine motor issue.

Jake needed a new pair of play shoes since he has outgrown his sole remaining pair of Crocs. He actually broke the strap off the other two pairs he had. I don't think that is easy to do, but he's ummm....active?

I have been reading about another Croc-like shoe called Polliwalks and got him a pair of the gator style this weekend. I think they're pretty cute because they have animal shapes on the bottom of the shoe that leave an imprint in sand or dirt, or on a hard surface if you step in water first.

They also seem more shiny and less likely to show all that muddy water, dirt and sand your kid will be playing in. We will definitely be buying more Crocs in the future, as I don't know how long Jake will agree to wear cutesy shoes like these. But for now, we're Polliwalking. However, if they come out with an adult version, I shall boycott Polliwalks forthwith.

Raising Money Savvy Kids

Kelly, even before I had kids I had the thought that educating them about money was one of the most important lessons I would need to teach them. Of course, there has never been a better time to teach our kids how to respect and handle money, and I found a great piggy bank from Money Savvy Generation to help me out.

This seems like the right moment for my kids to begin learning about money. The twins will be 6 in January, the mama needs Christmas gift ideas, and I'll pay them very well if they start cleaning the house for me! Six is old enough to Swiffer, right? The house needs painting...

 

I have always liked the idea that kids should split up their allowance money among saving, donating and spending, but the idea of having separate jars for all of these things seemed unworkable to me. But, this little piggy I love. There is even an investing slot.

These piggy banks are designed for kids from 4 - 10, but Money Savvy Generation has products for the older kids as well, plus lots of resources, handbooks and sticker charts to help teach kids about money.

Know what I want my piggy bank to say? Nordstrom, Sephora, Shopbop, and Starbucks. What would your piggy bank say?

 

Weblog World - Great Gift Guides 2008

Featured Post Through Christmas

Kelly, of course you know today is Black Friday, arguably the busiest shopping day of the year. I typically don't go shopping for Christmas on this day, more due to procrastination than my desire to avoid crowds or anything.

The YouTube Dog from The Soup

Kelly, you know I love The Soup. On Friday night they had a new spaghetti cat, this funny little dog with the strangest bark. Joel McHale called him YouTube dog. I can't stop looking at him, or her.

I know there are those of you who get annoyed with people who excessively post YouTube videos, so I ask you, if the Internet didn't want us to post YouTube videos on our blogs, would they provide us with embed codes? I don't think so.

 

Here's a link to a perfectly clear video of YouTube dog if you are loving him that much.

The Thanksgiving turkey recipe will be up tomorrow. It's almost finished, but I had a busy day. My friend and I took our kids to see the Imax Madagascar 2. It was really cute, except for the first 5 minutes which are a parents worst nightmare of child abduction, and the horrible giraffe "dying holes". Other than that, we all loved it and the kids sat still. Movie win.

Related Posts: So Stinkin' Cute I Can't Stand It

The Elf on the Shelf is in the House

Hi Kelly, I have secured The Elf on the Shelf. Repeat, I have the elf! After reading about how other bloggers have been getting their kids to behave using the elf, I decided to get one for the twins. Plus, it sounds like a fun Christmas tradition.

The Elf on the Shelf was created by a mom as a way to explain to her kids how Santa knew if they are being naughty or nice. The elf appears after Thanksgiving and sits on a shelf "watching." He "returns" to the North Pole each night to give a behavior report to Santa, re-appearing in a different place in the house each morning. Part of the fun is the search to find the elf in his new position.

A special apology goes out to my friend Deb for trying to convince her for ten minutes over the phone today that she was an idiot for not being able to find the elf site using google when it was really my bad because I kept insisting it was elf in the box, which possibly is some kind of indication of naughty thoughts on my part.

On an unrelated note, I was notified by Erin's teacher that she is being tested for the gifted program in kindergarten. I mention this only because it finally explains why I have never been able to out-fox her on any level. It also probably means that she might not be out-foxed by the elf either.

Top 5 Favorite Children's Books

Laurin - We love to read at our house and we're always trying to find new books.  And even though C-Dog is starting to like the library, it's hard for me to get there and then returning the books on time is another story.  So I was thinking about having a book swap with some friends that have kids the same age.  (Just another reason to have a party and drink wine). 

I also heard about Bookswim.com.  It's an online book rental library similar to Netflix.

Either way, having books available and reading to our kids (even as babies) is one of the most valuable things we can do for them.  The Noggin Network and PBSKids always say to read to your kids 15 minutes a day--I agree with this, if not, more!

Here are our top 5 favorite books (at the moment).   

1.  Jamberry by Bruce Degen

2.  The Fire Cat by Ester Averill

3.  One Hungry Monster by Susan Heyboer O'Keefe

4.  Chugga Chugga Choo Choo by Kevin Lewis

5.  What Makes A Rainbow?  by Betty Schwartz 

    

Let's All Go To The Lobby

Kelly, I bought Erin the cutest shirt by Mini Rotation a few months ago in a local children's boutique and was able to find the line on Olliebollen. I was browsing their tees and really liked the hotdog and mustard one for Jake.

  

Well, the retro style of the shirt made me think back to being a kid and the ad movie theaters played before the movie to get you to buy treats. Remember "Let's all go to the lobby.."?

It seems I'm on a You Tube kick lately. It's so fun to remember something and then go watch it immediately. I'll bet this You Tube thing catches on soon! Here is the original, vintage version which was created in 1957.

But first, here are some wonderful online kids' boutiques to check out. Cute Little Clothes, Olliebollen, Black Wagon, LaLa Baby Boutique, Baby Wit, and Wild Dill.

 

Labeling Your Kid

Kelly, my biggest fears as a mother involve a lot of scary "what ifs".

What if you are in a store or amusement park and in a split second you find your child isn't beside you?

What if your child wanders away from their field trip group and the teacher doesn't notice?

What if your child with a peanut allergy is given peanut butter and crackers by a volunteer caregiver at church or pre-school?

And the mother of all fears  - What if my child is abducted by a stranger? 

I'll leave that last terrifying reality for another day, but one thing that may provide an extra layer of protection, and mental stability for the mama, for the times your small child is out of your care is a pre-printed wristband from Mabel's Labels.

When kids are either too young to give pertinent details to the authorities or they forget the personal data that we've drilled into their heads, the 411 wristband is a durable and eye-catching label for your child. Mabel's also has tons of other labels for clothing, shoes, and all the other stuff kids lug around.

The wristband provide a means to contact the child’s parent or to learn vital information like the child’s first name, the parent’s first name, cell phone number, and any allergies or special needs the child may have. You get 30 for $21.

I think this is a terrific idea and wish I'd know about them when my son was small. Having raised a child with a food allergy, I know how unsettling it can be to have your vulnerable child out in the world and in the care of others.

Thankfully, Jake has grown out of his peanut allergy, but sadly still doesn't like peanut butter. Erin won't eat it either. Blurgh.