Wordless Wednesday

September 17, 2008

But it’s not what it looks like! Click here to see what really happened…

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guilt-free chocolatey goodness

September 15, 2008

Last year I wanted to dress the girls up as M&Ms. I brought it up with Marsy last week, and she gave me a funny look. Apparently it’s a dumb idea because according to her kids only dress up as princesses, super heroes, witches, or pumpkins for Halloween.

I tried to push the M&M idea by letting her design her own candy character on the M&Ms website. This is what Marsy & I came up with for her and baby:

But it didn’t work. The answer to the costume question is still up in the air. Marsy changes her mind everyday; I might just see what’s available in the neighborhood costume exchange so I don’t waste any money. I figure I can’t go wrong with anything Disney or Princess-y. As for baby… she’ll probably be stuck wearing her big sister’s old witch costume if I can figure out where I stored it.

Want to become an M&M yourself? All you have to do is go here: www.m-ms.com/us/becomeanmm/ and follow the step-by-step instructions to customize your character. When you’re finished, you can buy custom merchandise, download it to your computer, print it, email it to a friend, and even play games with your new character! How cool is that! My daughter had a blast creating a likeness of herself.

What’s your favorite kind of M&M? I love peanut, especially mixed with popcorn! YUM.

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It all started with a piggy bank…

September 14, 2008

On her last birthday, Marsy received a beautiful piggy bank from her savvy auntie, Monica. It’s so cute, and even has her name hand-painted on it. Immediately the money she got in her birthday cards went in there, as did the loose change from her daddy’s pockets.

I thought about it for a few days, did a little research on allowances both online and by talking to some friends with older kids, and decided it was the right time to start our own system. She was already showing interest in dealing with money, so I knew that was a good sign. My dilemma was whether to tie the allowance to chores or not. Ultimately I chose the former, because I didn’t want her to think that we were giving her money “just because”. I explained to her the concept of having a job and responsibilities, and how sometimes you get paid for that. Her “job” would be to keep her room tidy, clean up her toys after playing, and put her dishes next to the sink after each meal. I figured 3 responsibilities for a three-year old sounded fair. At the end of each day she would get 50 cents to put in her piggy bank if all her chores were done. She made her first purchase with a combination of gift cards and allowance money a few weeks later - a V-Tech Kidizoom digital camera.

Dealing with the steady stream of “I want that!” and “Can I buy this?” is easy. If she sees something she wants, I tell her that she has to save up for it. We still buy her Christmas and birthday gifts obviously, but anything extra is up to her. Her most recent purchase was a light-up hula hoop and a 3 gallon container of bubble solution. I didn’t think the hula hoop would have a long life (considering she doesn’t know how to use it) but she loves it. She still uses her camera on a regular basis also, and other than a few scuffs, it’s in pristine condition. Maybe the fact that she bought it herself makes all the difference.

It’s been almost a year since she received that piggy bank, and although I still have to remind her about her chores once in a while, she carries them out without complaint. Her fourth birthday is less than a week away, so it would make sense to add one more task to her daily chores, but I’m not going to. She is great about helping me when she sees me doing household work (transferring clothes from washer to dryer, sorting socks, unloading the dishwasher, watering plants, etc) so I think she really understands the concept. I’m still not sure if I’m going to raise her allowance, though… but I still have a few more days to ponder that question.

I wrote this post to participate in this week’s Parent Bloggers Network Blog Blast. It’s sponsored by Capitol One, which just launched an interactive Moneywi$e eLearning tool to help you learn about money management, as well as how to talk to your kids about it.

Category Posted in Kids, Mom Tips 4 Comments »

The Responsibility Project

September 12, 2008

A while back, Liberty Mutual ran this commercial about doing things for strangers:

Other commercials have since followed. They showcase the concept of “paying it forward,” where someone sees another person doing a good deed and is then inspired to do something similar for a stranger. People responded extraordinarily well to these commercials, so the insurance company decided to create a series of short films and a website to further explore the idea of “doing the right thing.”

Liberty Mutual thinks that “the more people think and talk about responsibility, the more the world becomes a better place.” Maybe I’m too optimistic, but I totally believe that. It’s so important for me, as a mother, to instill important values in my daughters. They’re almost always by my side at this point, but as they get older and start going to school, I won’t always know what they see and hear when I’m not around. So it’s crucial to talk about this now.

The Responsibility Project website includes resources to help families discuss the subject of personal responsibility and the importance of showing consideration for others. There is a blog with provocative articles and stories about responsibility, several discussion guides, and - my favorite feature of the site - a variety of short films.

Marsy responded very well to the animated film “Dinner For Two” . It had her laughing out loud within the first minute, yet at the end she still understood the underlying concept of it - the importance of sharing, and how fighting affects everyone around you. There are 8 other wonderful films to watch, so check them out with your kids when you have a few minutes to spare. It’s worth it. Thank you to Mom Central for introducing me to yet another wonderful parenting tool!

This begs the question - what’s your policy? What does responsibility mean to you?

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Wordless Wednesday

September 11, 2008

Can you figure out what this is?

Click here for another pic and the answer!

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You know you go out to eat too much…

September 10, 2008

When your daughter starts designing restaurants with her blocks!

Last weekend we had dinner at the place where I used to work. I don’t usually like to eat there because our meal is frequently interrupted by ex-coworkers stopping by to say “hi” or “when are you coming back,” which is nice, but kind of ruins the experience. My food gets cold, my kids get impatient, and having to introduce MilkDud to so-and-so gets old after a while. I stopped working there back in 2005, so I figured after 3 years it’s highly unlikely that I’ll know anyone, considering the high turnover rate in the industry.

We had to wait a bit before we were seated. Marsy ran around the host stand, marveling at the beautiful designs painted on the columns and ceiling of the restaurant. Once we were seated, she still couldn’t take her eyes off the ceiling, and asked me “Mommy, is there another restaurant up there? I remember riding an elevator up to the other restaurant.”

My jaw dropped. She remembered! There IS an elevator that goes up to the second floor, which houses offices and training classrooms. It’s only accessible to staff, since you have to go through the kitchen to get to it.

Why was I so shocked? Because I took Marsy to work with me for a short period of time. When she was 3 months old. I would carry her in her infant car seat on the elevator every morning, and she would sit there happily, or in her travel swing, for a few hours everyday. It was great while it lasted, but the arrangement didn’t sit well with the area director, so I decided to resign when Marsy was 5 months old. She hasn’t been upstairs since. So you can see why I was amazed at her memory!

I remember being on an airplane with my mom when I was 2 or 3 years old and seeing Santa Claus. I also vividly remember playing on a Slip ‘N Slide at around the same age. That’s all. Nothing significant, really.

What do you remember from your early childhood? (if anything)

Category Posted in Contemplation, Kids 4 Comments »