Parenting Sites 411

Today’s parent blogger interview is with another 451 Press blogger, Jennifer Remeta. She keeps us up to date on her adorable son, Alex over at Parenting Toddlers.

I sent her a list of questions and she promptly returned them with answers and everything!

So, meet Jennifer, add her to your feedreader, and tell her Alli sent you!

First, if you can pass along any basic info you are comfortable sharing…

My name is Jennifer Remeta, I’m 30 years old and I live in Greenville, South Carolina with my husband, Nick, my adorable son, Alex, and my three furkids, Diesel the Great Dane, Abby the Lab, and Pandora the Queen Cat. Nick and I have been married three years in September, and he truly is my perfect match.
(more…)

I really hope you don’t get tired of me telling you how excited I am that our neighborhood is getting a playground. The build starts today and I was so excited I couldn’t sleep past 5:30. I finally got up at 6 and cleaned the kitchen, something I needed to do, but still I don’t usually do that at 6 am. My husband is a team captain for a part of the project, so he had to be up earlier than normal.

I am on-call for childcare. If someone shows up at the site and needs childcare, the organizers will call me to go get the kid(s). On Saturday, the biggest day of the build, I will be actually working on site, doing level 1 type jobs- raking mulch, sanding wood, painting, or working the volunteer table. We have some friends who will be watching Fuller, so that takes the pressure off me.

Thinking about serving and helping others has kind of been a theme in our family lately. I know that Fuller is too young to fully comprehend what is going on this weekend, but he will benefit from the hard work of the many neighbors who are coming together to build this great playground. And when he is older I will expect that he will want to give of his time and talents in a similar fashion.
(more…)

My sweet friend Cass tagged me for this meme and it is perfect for this blog. Thanks Cass!

I have to admit that favorite kind of blog to read is the family or parent blog. I want to know that others are dealing with the same stuff that we are or are paving a path that we will be heading down soon. It is great that so many parents are willing to have a voice in this blogosphere and share their family stories.

Here are the rules:

1. Write a short paragraph at the beginning of your post and link back to the blog that put you on the list in the paragraph. This isn’t a suggestion. You need to break up the duplicate content string. Someone took the time to add you so the least you can do is give them an extra linkback.
2. Copy the list of originals below COMPLETELY and add it to your blog. If you would like a different keyword for your blog then change it when you do your post and it should pass to most blogs with that keyword.
3. Take the adds from the blog that added you and place them in the “Originals” list.
4. Add no more than 5 new parenting or (Mommy/Daddy) blogs to the list in the “My Adds” section. (I’m having a hard time limiting it to five!)

My add ons:
Three Sons and a Princess
Moot Thoughts and Musings
A family runs through it
Uglyhead
Parenting Toddlers

The originals:

Lala Girl
The Bookworm Broadcast
Parenting Sites 411

Cass Knits
Geni Desu Yo

No Average Mom
Notes From The Trenches
Busy Mom.net

Groovy Mom
Coffee Time
My Thoughts, Ideas, and Ramblings
Toil

The Ridiculously Mundane and the Oh so Humdrum…

My Single Mom Life
Tips From The Money Goddess
Army Mom: New Jersey

Melissa’s Place

blogroll, parenting blogroll, meme

Our week is a bit busy here in Chattanooga. Our neighborhood is getting ready to build a long awaited playground and it is just steps from my back door. We are very excited. I actually have put off putting any slides or climbing things in our backyard because of this project.

Playground safety is very important. Even though our playground will be brand new and following all kinds of safety regulations, it is still important to be aware of how to keep our kids safe.

Supervision
Last week our local news was buzzing over the near abduction of a little boy from the local playground. Supervision of your kids is a must at the playground. It seems like a no-brainer, but it is at the top of my personal list for safety. It isn’t just because of the possibility of missing kids, but adults can often see the dangers that kids can’t.

The National Program for Playground Safety has an excellent section on supervision:

NPPS recommends that supervisors follow the ABC’s™ of Supervision. Supervisors need to Anticipate preventable problems and hazardous situations. Behavior means being alert and attentive. Despite the type or Context of the play area, whenever children are on the playground, adults should be present.

(more…)

I’ve mentioned before that our television viewing area has two PBS stations- one for Chattanooga and one for Georgia. It is kind of like a mother’s little helper everyday. In fact, this post right now is being brought to you by the words Curious and George.

I was a big fan of Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood. My cousin likes to tell the story of how I always knew when Mr. Roger’s would be on, even though I couldn’t tell time. I would drop whatever I was doing to go watch Mr. Roger’s. I have fond memories of Sesame Street and Reading Rainbow. I am glad to pass this along to Fuller in his early development of learning skills.

Last week Fuller’s morning viewing schedule was interrupted by nice ladies telling the kids to get their parents so they could hear an important announcement about their station. It was the standard “Please give to PBS” pitch that comes about once a quarter.

Our PBS station, WTCI, has a Kids Klub program where you can support the station and get a bunch of kid stuff in return. For $40 we got a Curious George t-shirt and tickets to a lot of local attractions. Fuller’s name will be on TV the week of his birthday (every kids’ dream, right?), and we get to go to a special fun day at Lake Winnie this summer. The nice ladies wore me down and I called up to pledge my $40. Fuller’s t-shirt should be here in 4 to 6 weeks. Hopefully it will still fit.

Another bonus of watching so much PBS is that we heard about the Family Fun Day with the Walk Around Cookie Monster. It was held this past Saturday and I made it a point to get out of the house and take Fuller to meet the famous Cookie. It was also another small way to support our local PBS station ($3 per person to get in). And Fuller got to do one of his favorite activities- bounce in an inflatable obstacle course.

Is public television part of your family? Do you support local public television? Do you remember PBS as a kid?

PBS, Public Television, television, Cookie Monster, kid’s tv

Saturday night we were in a hotel but we dutifully changed the clocks in the room so we wouldn’t miss breakfast with the grandparents in the hotel restaurant. I mean, they were paying, how could we miss out?

But since we sprang forward our lives have been operating on a hour difference. Last week we got up at 7:30. This week we are getting up at 8:30. Last week I went to bed at 11, this week I actually get to see Jay Leno’s monologue. And Fuller goes to bed at 8:30 instead of 8.

Then Fuller got the allergies, I got the allergies, and it all seemed really messed up.

I got a comment in my family blog that setting a lamp with an automatic timer would help the kids adjust. That seemed like such a simple idea. Her kid knows that his mommy won’t come into the room until the light comes on. Since we haven’t been beyond our yard since Monday (we go to the doctor today), I haven’t had the opportunity to pick up a timer for his lamp. But I think I am going to give that a try.

This is where segue to other great ideas that parents have and point out the fun site ParentHacks.com

If you haven’t seen this website yet, and you are a parent, then you really need to get over there. They have great parent to parent advice on how to meet the challenges of parenting.

Need a cheap bedrail? Try a swim noodle.
Missing instructions to some of your kids’ toys? I found toy instructions wiki through Parent Hacks.
Are you resisting potty training because it is scary and have no idea how to approach it? Um… not me? Well, this ping pong ball idea seems like a good hack to strive toward. I mean, for someone to strive for.
And since we aren’t talking about me, maybe I could have passed this glow stick during bathtime idea to someone who’s two year old screams like he is being abused whenever he touched the water.

If you have a hack, tip, or product recommendation, contact them and let them know.

Have a great weekend. We will be recovering from the attack of the allergies and maybe getting to visit with Cookie Monster. Really!

daylight savings, parent hacks, parenting tips

Fuller spent a lot of time outside on Tuesday. The weather was in the high seventies and everything seems to be blooming. Including the blooming box of tissues.

Wednesday, Fuller woke up with a runny nose, lethargic attitude, and a slight fever. By the end of the day I was worried that he had an ear infection because he acted in pain whenever he would drink something or swallow.

I told my husband I would decide today if I should take Fuller to the doctor. I think that window has closed though. Fuller is acting normal with a cough and stuffed nose, but eating and no fever.

I admit that I am one of those people who hates the process of going to the doctor and I really don’t want to do that to Fuller. And I really, really don’t want to be one of those moms who takes her kid the to doctor every time he sneezes or coughs. But then again, if something like this happened in our area, it does make me a bit more concerned.

Seasonal allergies are a bummer and I wonder what I can do to help him. He doesn’t really communicate his aches and pains intelligently, though he does demand an “issue” when he sneezes.
(more…)

It is being reported that Disney is launching their own parent to parent site.

…the new site is a one-stop site for parents, especially mothers, providing everything from Internet search to user-generated articles on key topics such as education and food, and, eventually, a “ParentPedia,” a compilation of information on 1,000 topics that can be expanded by users.

The site, to be announced Tuesday in Los Angeles, will go live later this week at http://www.family.com and remain in beta, or testing, stages until the summer, said Paul Yanover, executive vice president of Disney Online, a unit of the Walt Disney Internet Group.

It sounds like something very similar to the current form of Club Mom- some established mommy bloggers, parenting experts, and information from other parents. The announcement comes tomorrow, so I look forward to checking it out when the site goes live.

It brings a new meaning to “mouse” and “computers.”

Disney, Disney Family site, Clubmom, Family.com, parentpedia

Yesterday I was wearing green shorts and a navy shirt. Today I am wearing navy shorts and a green shirt. Yeah, my wardrobe is exciting. Ever since I started staying home I think I have made a real effort to shower and dress almost everyday. I told my BFF last week that I allow myself one PJ day a week and that usually falls on Thursday for some reason.

Well, dressing efforts aside, I am aware of the fact that Spring is invading on Winter’s territory and we are seeing warmer and warmer days here in Chattanooga. Yesterday I kept the doors open all day, letting the sunshine fill the house and Fuller run in and out as he pleased. As I said, I was wearing shorts. Fuller was wearing corduroy pants. A bit different in the seasonal wear, for sure.

One of the activities that I hate is the swapping of the clothes each fall and spring. We don’t have enough room to keep all the clothing out all year, so it becomes a big thing to take out all the clothes, go into the attic, bring down the next seasons clothes, and then put away the old clothes, put them back into the attic, and then make sure all the clothes get into the correct drawers. I hate this ritual with a passion that usually ends up with clothes piled around the house for days. I procrastinate a bit, yes.
(more…)

We are leaving at 9ish to head south to Atlanta. I can’t wait for this vacation, our family needs a little break and fun. This past month of being at home full time has been wonderful, but we need some time away from these walls.

We are almost packed, but I am trying to make sure I have all pieces of clothing (socks too) and all various cords that go to all electrical items we require for travel (camera, camcorder, laptop, ipod, DVD player… the list goes on and on).

So, I leave you with an open mic kind time. In the comments section, if you desire, leave a note as to where you like to go for a family vacation.

vacation, family travel

I am so excited for today’s interview with Loretta Oliver. Loretta is an online friend of mine who lives in Newport News, Virginia. She is smart, crafty, and has four boys (Dylan, 9 almost 10;, Lucas, 8; Noah, 7; Ethan, 6)! In September she will have been experiencing marital bliss for 10 years.

My dream is to be smart, crafty, and have four boys, so I am kind of internet stalking her for a little while. I don’t think she minds too much though.

I asked her to be my first parent blogger interview because she was the one who made the hand prints for my rating system when I do an “official” review of a website. Yeah, I haven’t done one in a while, but this is about Loretta, not me.
(more…)

Thursday we leave for Hot-lanta, and every second I am thinking about what needs to be done and how to get it all done with a toddler pulling at my pant leg or asking to eat for the gazillionth time in 10 minutes.

Now, I have to explain that we have traveled plenty with Fuller in his two years in life. He flew on an airplane when he was 3 months old and took an 8 hour car ride a few weeks later. When we traveled to Ohio for his first Christmas, I overpacked for both him and me. One trip back home we left Fuller’s entire suitcase at his grandparents’ house. We took him camping one Thanksgiving and a bunch of our luggage got lost on a highway somewhere. This included our backpack to carry him when we went hiking. (We didn’t go hiking.) He screamed bloody murder on a short flight from Atlanta to Chattanooga last May.

Yes, we have traveled with the boy.

And yet, I still worry and fret just the same.
(more…)

We are having so much fun with Fuller learning his letters. He really started it on his own, due to a Leapfrog DVD and Leapfrog Fridge Phonics set given as presents from one of his aunts. One day my husband started picking up magnet letters and asking Fuller what they were and Fuller kept giving correct answers. Then we started putting groups of letters together and asking him to pick out a certain letter and Fuller was all for that as well. It was amazing to see.

So of course all I want to do it keep giving him stuff to learn. We work on colors (using colored blocks), numbers (he knows 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 really well), and we try to exceed the daily recommended allowance of reading each day. Today he really took an interest in watching us write the letter “A” on his chalkboard. Damon tried to help Fuller write “A” and he sort of got it, but just the fact that he is interested thrills me to no end.

Which brings me what I have been searching for on the internet recently- google searches for “handwriting lessons” and “teaching kids to write.” Not that I think I need these today or even next month, but I have a del.icio.us habit that is difficult to break. I see a site, think it could be useful later and Bam! I have tagged it for del.icio.us.

I know that Fuller won’t be proficient in writing for a few years, but like I said, I like to keep this information for future use. And with the way technology is today, I wonder if he will be better at typing before he masters his pencil grip.

handwriting, handwriting resources, education

In an attempt to keep a blogging schedule, I return to parent/ child news items that interested me this week:

Enjoy your weekend! I am going to play it by ear. The sun is shining today, so I am sure we will have some time spent outside getting fresh air.

Welcome to March, where we are currently living out the “In like a Lion” part of the adage about this month. We have rain! We have seen lightening! The wind howls outside our windows, and my dog, who is scared of her own shadow, is glued to my leg. The words “spring storm” are going through my mind right now.

This storm works in my favor because I hate going out of the house with a toddler in yucky weather. Sometimes it is necessary, but today we are cabin bound. I get to finish the laundry, go through and file some papers, and focus on keeping Fuller happy.

I have two activities planned for today’s fun- finger painting and waffle making. Finger painting is currently on of Fuller’s favorite things and waffle making is necessary for easy breakfasts. I like to use the Master Mix recipe from the More with Less cookbook, make about 30 waffles, and then freeze them. Then when it is time for Fuller to eat one, I pop it in the toaster and in a few minutes he has breakfast!

Cooking with kids is a great educational experience from any age:
Mommy needs coffee, how many scoops of coffee beans? Let’s count! 1! 2! 3! 4! 5!
We need to mix the egg with the milk. Let’s stir (motor skills) clockwise (directions) and count to 10.
Can you pour the water? (motor skills)
The oven is… hot! (hot and cold awareness)

When kids get older there are math conversions and the science of cooking all available as learning opportunities. And creativity abounds when you decorate or even plate a meal.

One fun web resource is Spattulatta (warning, music). Have you seen this before? The website is focused on cooking for kids. It features Liv (age eight) and Belle (age ten), and a few guest chefs, in their own online cooking show. They have webisodes that each have a theme and five recipes.

All videos require Quicktime, and each recipe is written out on the right side of the page. The site offers more than recipes. They also have basic skills videos, like chopping an onion. The girls were able to interview a celebrity chef, and have been guests on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. And it isn’t all about cooking- there are crafts to keep kids busy as well.

There is a Spatulatta cookbook coming out soon (Fall of 2007), which I think might make a great gift for my nieces and nephew. I’m sure their parents will love having them cook dinner so they don’t have to.

So I am off today to stay dry and make waffles. What do you do to keep from going nuts indoors all day?