Baby D is almost 22 months old now. He just loves taking off his clothes and running around in his little birthday suit. That is very normal at this age and  it is kind of cute and funny. The problem comes when he is alone in his bedroom. He strips down and takes off his diaper. For two days straight, I walked in to a room full of little poopies spread (and smeared) all over his room! He had also taken aim at his carpet and bed!

A friend suggested a possible solution to this problem. She said to put his diaper on backwards because he might have a harder time removing it. I am going to give it a try but have a feeling that mischevious Baby D will work his way around that one quickly enough. I also wonder if a backwards diaper will absorb properly, and I already have a problem with him waking up wet. Another thought she had was putting a onesie on him because the snaps might deter him.

I would truly appreciate any suggestions that someone might have. It wouldn't be a big deal for him to take off his clothes but I am starting to dread opening his door after a nap. I already know what he ate, I don't need to be reminded in this yucky way!

I am not sure why there is a need for a potty training awareness month but, June is it! Luckily, I only have one more little boy to train. He is not ready yet, but I am looking forward to the days of all undies and no diapers!

Is your little one ready to train yet? If you are not sure, you can take this potty training readiness quiz to find out. While we are on the subject, how about leaving your best training tip here in comments? Your tip might just be the one that helps another mom get over this hump!

At my son's baseball game last evening, my husband mentioned that he does not think I am as "focused" as I was before I had kids. To borrow a term from the kids that cause me not to be focused, I say "Well, DUH!". 

I truly hope to get back to being more "focused" when my boys are older. I am using quotations around the word "focused" as a way of trying to be slightly sarcastic. See, there were many responses I could have given my husband. I am sure he is not quite as "something" as he used to be either. Instead of finding flaws to sling back at him, I prefer to "focus" on this post and tell you that I found an article that explains why I have this problem.

The article is called  Mom,Interrupted and is on ParentingHumor.com. It explains just how I feel and why I am not "focused", but in a very funny way. Now, what the heck was I doing???

I am a little late here today. Little Baby D is sick and has thrown up three times. Normally I would not take my child to the doctor's office for that but considering what he did on Saturday, I had to play it safe.

We went away for the long holiday weekend. Another couple joined us and we all enjoyed the beautiful weather. We had a cookout on Saturday with barbecued chicken and rock fish. I had to run inside to get something so I put my husband to the task of keeping an eye on Baby D.

When I came back outside, my husband informs me that Baby D reached into the trash can and pulled out the discarded chicken package. Ewww!!! I immediately took him inside and washed him up. He seemed fine so I just crossed my fingers and hoped for the best.

The doctor said that it is probably not salmonella because he has not had diarrhea. She told me to let her know if he were to get diarrhea and also to bring in a sample. Hopefully it is just a little tummy virus and not salmonella after all!

After reading a lot of information on products containing BPA (Bisphenol-A), I ended up deciding to replace all of my sippy cups. They were due to be replaced anyway as they were showing a lot of wear.

I started researching cups made of material that did not contain BPA. During the first stage of my research, I was quite disturbed. The cost of BPA free sippy cups were utterly ridiculous! It was quite obvious that some manufacturers were taking advantage of this scare. Some cups were as high as $17 a cup! Um, sorry.... no way will I pay that much for a sippy cup.

Finally, my search led to an old standard when it comes to baby products. Playtex makes a sippy cup called the Playtex Baby Coolster Tumbler. It costs a reasonable $4.99. The Playtex store is out some of the colors but a lot of other sites carry these cups. I bought mine on at Toys R US and Amazon carries them too.

There are more advantages to these cups. They do not have a spout. This helps train kids better for drinking from a regular cup in the future. Also, a cup without a spout is better for speech and is recommended by speech therapists. I was not sure how my 21 month old would do without a spout but I had no need to worry. He loves this cup and drinks from it just fine!

The cup does not leak. Now, we all know that if you hold a sippy cup upside down and shake it, a few drops will come out. That is true about this cup too but what cup doesn't? This cup is definitely one of the better ones when it comes to not leaking. Overall, I love these cups and so do my sons! If you are interested in BPA free cups that do not cost an arm and a leg, I highly recommend these!

My youngest little guy is 21 months old. He is talking quite a bit these days. Practically every day, he surprises us with by saying a new phrase.

Every night when I tuck him in to bed, I say "I love you" several times. A few nights ago, Baby D surprised me as I was closing his door by saying "I love you" back to me. It was so sweet! He has continued to do this each evening. Awww, it just melts me every time!

Baby D seems to know what it means even if it is not said to him first. His big brother was leaving for school this morning. He gave Baby D a hug on his way out the door. Right before he walked out, Baby D said "I love you". That just melted my big and tough 9 year old, who was just so happy to hear that from his baby brother. We all enjoy waiting to hear what he is going to say next!

I must ask: Is it just me and my kids?? Is it normal to dread taking your children to the grocery store (or most any other store for that matter)? Are my boys extra naughty or is there a boat full of mothers in the same situation?

Generally, I do my grocery shopping on the weekends so my boys can stay at home with my husband. Sometimes I need to go in between and it turns out to be an unnecessary stressful event.

Baby D is 19 months old and has been difficult at the store for the last several months. As the groceries pile up in the cart, he squirms around in his seat and reaches behind him to grab at the items. Next thing I know, he is trying to eat away at some package. The bread gets squished, he gnaws at some cardboard or is trying to get his hands on the dirty meat.

Today I had to run out and only needed a few groceries. Although he could not get to any of the food, he practically threw a tantrum the whole time! As soon as we got back in the truck, he was happy as a lark!

I won't even go into the nightmares that my 3 year old presents at the store. Quite frankly, even my 9 year old son makes a shopping trip more difficult than if I was alone! Geesh, should it be this hard??

My youngest son is very attached to his special little blanket. This is my first child that has formed an attachment to a security object. His reaction to his blanket is quite adorable although it comes with some challenges! 

I have to be sneaky when it is time to wash his little blanket. If Baby D sees me putting his blanket in the washing machine, he gets very upset. I have tried to find the exact same blanket at the store it was purchased from but have been unsuccessful.

Why do some children form attachments to blankets or other soft objects while other children could care less? Does it mean they are insecure or more needy? ToddlersToday.com says it is actually a very healthy attachment:

"Studies have shown that children who are attached to security blankets are securely attached to their mothers and psychologically healthy," says Dr. Julie Lumeng, of the University of Michigan's Center for Human Growth and Development in Ann Arbor, Mich. "The same studies show that when these children are in stressful or new situations – for example a new playgroup, preschool, going to the doctor's office, a babysitter – that if they have a security blanket they are much better able to keep themselves calm than children who do not have such an object. These children are actually better able to socialize, to learn and to regulate their emotions when they have a security blanket."

Personally, I love having a Linus baby! He is so cute and cuddly with his blankie and it makes him happy.

Could it be that time already? My youngest son is 19 months old and I believe it is time to put away the crib and bring up the toddler bed. Dan has looked at me with his evil little grin and attempted to start climbing out of his crib. Although he has not actually climbed out yet, I think he would be safer in a toddler bed at this point.

My middle son was 18 months when I transitioned him. He had climbed out and IN his crib several times so it was very clear that I had to change his bed situation. He was thrilled to have a new "big boy bed". The transition could not have gone any smoother and I hope it will be just as easy with Dan.

Here are a few safety precautions I plan to take first:

• Get a wall anchor system to attach his dresser to the wall so there is no chance of it falling on it if he attempts to climb it
• Put new safety latches on the drawers of his dresser. There are latches on there now but some need to be replaced.
• Get a lock for his closet door. He has no business in there.
• Put a child proof door knob cover on the INSIDE of his door. I do not want him to be able to get out on his own at this point. I did this with his older brother rather than putting a gate in his doorway and it worked beautifully. I will hear him if he wants me.
• Of course, I already have all of the electrical sockets child proofed.

Some articles say that you do not necessarily need to move your child to a toddler bed just because they climb out of the crib. I personally think that that it is necessary. Even if your child is a good climber, there is always the chance that they could fall and break something. Besides, if they are climbing out I think that is a good indication of being ready for an older type of bed.

Here are a few tips for the transition (after you have made sure your child's room is as safe as possible):

• Introduce the toddler bed early in the day, not right before bedtime. Let your child enjoy it and explore it well before they are expected to sleep in it.
• Be sure to put your child's favorite stuffed animal or blanket on the bed when you introduce the bed to your child.
• Keep your child's bedtime routine just the same as it has always been.
• It is normal for your child to get out of the bed and try to play. Come back in the room and gently remind your child it is time to sleep and put him/her back in the bed. This will go on for awhile but they will get the idea.

This is my last baby and my last crib. It is a big milestone but it is time to embrace it. My little men are growing up!

I belong to a mom's group. A mother in the group expressed her hesitation and fears about sending her son to preschool for the first time. She said she was a nervous wreck and kept second guessing her decision to send him. The first day ended up going very well and although she cried, her son did not.

Although I am home with my children, I made the decision to send my son to preschool last fall. I felt that he needed the social interaction with other children. Also, I wanted him to get a sense of a structured learning environment before he entered kindergarten. It has gone amazingly well and I am very glad I sent him.

For me, the decision was not as hard to make as it was for the lady in my mom's group. After having three kids, I have learned a few things along the way. Most of what I learned stemmed from a natural progression rather than a great epiphany.

With my first son, I coddled him more and gave in to what he demanded more. With my second, I learned to say no better and stick with it. I was able to "train" him more rather than letting him "train" me! By the time I had my third son, my "devoted" time with him was spread out between three children so it was another learning adjustment for me. What I found out through these years are things I wish I knew the first time around:

• It is okay to say no even when you are met with a disappointed face
• A little bit of crying it out is necessary sometimes so that your child understands you mean it
• Train the child before he/she trains you because SOMEONE is getting trained, let it be you!
• You don't have to entertain the child every second of the day. Let them find ways to entertain themselves otherwise they will grow up getting bored easily.
• If they don't eat at a meal, don't stress about it. You really can't make them eat and they will eventually eat when they get hungry.
• It is only natural to want to overprotect your child and keep them with you safe and sound. However, teaching your child to be independent is probably one of the best things you can do for him/her.

That last item leads me back to preschool. Aside from teaching some basic pre-K skills, it helps them to learn how to be independent from Mommy. Sure, they could learn this in Kindergarten but I think these days children need this before they reach elementary school. With so many working mothers, there is a large percentage of kids that are already advanced (compared to 20 or so years ago) by the time they reach kindergarten.

I think my friend made a great decision to send her son to preschool. When my youngest guy gets to be that age, I will send him too.

I am always on the lookout for something fun to occupy my sons that will also benefit them intellectually in some way. The latest activity around here has been puzzles. With spring coming, I am starting to think of things to do that involve more activity and exercise.

A mom friend mentioned a book to me called Itsy Bitsy Yoga for Toddlers and Preschoolers. I looked it up and I must say that it sounds like an ideal way to help your little ones get some physical activity. There are so many benefits to yoga and it makes sense that young children would probably enjoy this. These activities would be fun to do with my 3 year old and my 18 month old.

From their website:

Yoga Can Help Your 18-Month to Five-Year-Old Child Have:

• Fewer Tantrums
• Better and longer sleep
• Increased motor coordination
• Improved listening and ability to follow directions
• Better self-expression
• Higher self-esteem
• Easier relaxation
• A healthy and fit lifestyle

I just might give this a try. Maybe I could do my workout and my boys could do these yoga activities at the same time. That just might work!

When I arrived at my son's preschool the other day to pick him up, he just didn't want to leave. He was busy working on some puzzles and was very absorbed in it. I was kind of surprised at how much concentration he was putting into the project.

I decided to buy him some puzzles for home since he seemed to enjoy them so much at school. I bought him two puzzles that contained 25 pieces and he mastered both of them the first day. He is just three so I was rather impressed! He would put one together, do the next one and start all over again. These puzzles really occupied him for a long time.

At preschool, they have been talking about the solar system and now my son knows all of the names of the planets. He likes to talk about them and name them for us. On my search for even more puzzles, I found this wonderful solar system floor puzzle by Melissa and Doug. It contains 48 pieces and once again, my son mastered it the first day!

Working on puzzles help children practice many skills that will help them in school. Kidsource.com talks about how: "Puzzles in Early Childhood Education: Putting the Pieces Together":

"When children work on puzzles, they are actually "putting the pieces together" in more ways than one. Puzzles help children build the skills they need to read, write, solve problems, and coordinate their thoughts and actions—all of which they will use in school and beyond. Find a puzzle with a picture that has particular interest for your child, and you may help her begin to recognize colors and letters, and come to realize that the sum of parts make up a whole—a concept that will help her with math later on. By inserting pieces into the puzzle, children also develop the muscle group used for writing, or the "pincer" grasp."

Further into the article, they list how many pieces are appropriate for each age. Boy, was I impressed when it said that "Five-year-olds can handle large or small piece 18 to 35 pieces puzzles" and here my three year old is handling a 48 piece puzzle in one day. I actually think their age range guide seems a little low, but it made me feel good!

If you ask any parent what their favorite sound is, most of them would answer that it is the sound of their child laughing. If you have not seen this video already, you should watch it. It is the cutest little boy just cracking up! His father is so happy hearing his little guy laughing this way.

Baby D is almost 18 months old. He is sure talking a lot these days. The sound of him talking is such sweet relief to me!

My first son started talking early and was (and still is) a very chatty fellow. Unfortunately, my middle son had a speech delay. It came as a really big surprise and was quite distressing.

I called my local Infants And Toddlers Early Intervention program when he was around 17 months old. If he had been my first child, I am not sure I would have called them so early. Luckily, I had my oldest son to compare his speech progress to, and recognized early that he was delayed. (Not every child develops the same so you cannot always use a comparison. However, it helped me recognize the problem earlier since I was not a first time mother.)

He has come a long way with his speech and does not qualify for services anymore. I am so glad I was able to get help for him early. I have always had the fear in the back of my mind that Baby D would have speech issues as well. It is with great joy that I am writing this to say that he is right on track with his speech development!

It is so important to seek help as early as possible if you think your child might be behind in any development skills. Although it might be hard to face, early intervention is your best tool to help your child. Here is a  language development chart from Child Development Institute that can tell you if your child is progressing in typical language development.

Reports of sluggish sales by retailers are creating great prices for last minute shoppers both in stores and on-line. If you have money left to spend, now is the time to get out there and get those deals!

One such sale kicks off today at Gymboree. Their Big Red Balloon semi-annual sale is in full swing, so if you still need Holiday gifts check them out. Avoid the crowds by shopping on line, what a beautiful thing!

I laughed as I read this today. Can you guess who I am talking about?

1.  If I like it, it's mine.
2.  If it's in my hand, it's mine.
3.  If I can take it from you, it's mine.
4.  If I had it a little while ago, it's mine.
5.  If it's mine, it must never appear to be yours in any way.
6.  If I'm doing or building something, all the pieces are mine.
7.  If it looks just like mine, it's mine.
8.  If I think it's mine, it's mine.

If you guessed a toddler then you are absolutely right! I haven't met a toddler yet that doesn't own everything.

My middle son, Lou, has always been so good about going to bed at night. That is, until now. All of a sudden he is scared to be in his bedroom during the night.

Lou is three and has started hearing "noises" in his room. He has also requested a second night light. He wants to sleep in my room and has started throwing a fit each night to do so. I am fairly firm about going to bed so I usually get him settled in after reminding him that he is safe. However, he has also started waking up in the middle of the night crying and I am less firm when I am half asleep. At that point, I usually give in and let him come in with us.

I wonder what has brought on this new fear for him? Why has he suddenly become fearful at night? Well, it seems to be typical for this age. http://www.kidsgrowth.com has an article entitled Mom - There's a Monster in the Closet! It makes me feel a little better knowing that Lou is just going through something that is normal for his age:

"Around the age of three or four, many children begin to experience certain fears when they go to bed. Their imagination can invoke monsters or ghost images in the closet, under the bed, or somewhere in their bedroom. They may experience bad dreams that seem very real to them. Children this age are able to imagine scary situations because they begin to think about possibilities of harmful things happening to them."

I really hope this difficult bedtime phase ends soon. Last night Lou threw such a fit that he woke up his sleeping baby brother. That was the last thing I needed was to have two of them crying that late in the evening. I am like most mothers and value a little bit of time after the kids go to bed. I am very tired at that point in the day and want to unwind and relax!

Does anyone have some great suggestions for me? I know this is just a phase but if you have any ideas that might have worked for you, I would love to hear them.

Sometimes we all say dumb things to our kids in hopes that they will change their behavior. We make threats that we will never follow through on which only reinforces the child's bad behavior.

Try to be more creative in your thinking. It is not always easy to outwit a toddler, lol, but it can be done! CNN.com has a cute article about this in their parenting and health section. Quirky Discipline Rules That Work is an article by Barbara Rowley where she tells us an idea that helped give her more time in the evening:

"You can't just announce a rule to your husband and kids that says, "Bedtime has to go really smoothly so I can get a break at the end of the day." It won't happen. But if you flip the problem and make a rule about you instead of telling everyone what they have to do, it all falls neatly -- and miraculously -- into place. When this occurred to me, back when my oldest was 6 and my youngest was nearly 2, I announced to Anna and Taylor that the U.S. Department of Labor had just created a new rule and I was no longer allowed to do any kind of mom jobs past 8 in the evening. I would gladly read books, play games, listen to stories of everyone's day, give baths -- the whole mother package -- before then. Then I held firm -- I acted as if it were out of my hands. Sort of like Cinderella and midnight. Suddenly, my 6-year-old (and my husband) developed a new consciousness of time. My daughter actually rushed to get ready for bed just after dinner so that we could have lots of books and time together before I was "off." My husband, realizing that if things dragged past 8 he'd have to face putting both girls to sleep himself, became more helpful. Anna's now 11, and my hours have been extended, but the idea that I'm not endlessly available has been preserved and integrated into our family routine."

I can see how this worked because children are impressed by authority (maybe not my authority but everyone else's it seems!). The article contained several other good ideas and presents it all with a chuckle.

Another orthodontist appointment has come and gone for my son.  At 11 he has spent more time in a dentist chair then I have in my entire 33 years of life.  Not for poor teeth health, but for lets say bad decisions on a bicycle and the layout his mouth decided to take.  I joked at his appointment that he would soon have a million dollar smile.

The reason I bring this up is because I was reading an article on teeth health and the importance of good hygiene.  Due to all of the work my son has had and will continue to have on his teeth, he has really struggled with how to take care of his teeth around all of the work.  I remind him daily how important it is for him to take good care of his teeth. 

Now I know if he is having difficulty then maybe there is another child struggling or even a parent that might be having difficulty in how to explain proper care and why it is so important.  The article, Caring for Your Child’s Teeth, is offered by Family Education.

As parents, we need to remind our children that dedication to taking care of their teeth will pay off in the long run.  They will have healthy teeth and a great smile!

Can you imagine being two again and every time something didn't go your way you dropped to the ground in a screaming fit? They are known as temper tantrums. I have lived through them for years with my children and have to say that I am glad to almost be out of that stage. I love Momsquawk's great tips on Temper Tantrums........

Instead of working on solutions to solve the problem, the best approach is to minimize the number of tantrums a child has.  Here are some recommendations :

• Encourage your child to use words
• Set reasonable limits
• Keep a daily routine
• Avoid situations that will frustrate your child
• Avoid long outings or visits
• Be prepared with healthy snacks when your child gets hungry
• Make sure your child is well rested
• Distract your child
• Be choosy about saying “no”.
• Let your child choose whenever possible

The good news is that tantrums almost disappear when the child is around four years old.  As always if the tantrums are getting out of control or if he hurts himself consult your doctor.

I think it is important to choose your battles. When you constantly say no it becomes meaningless. If all else fails, go to the store and buy some bubble bath and lock yourself in your bathroom. I have found this does wonders. Oh yeah, don't forget the ear plugs.

I have to remember that my daughter is three and a half so there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I know that when she is off and going to school I will probably wish she were home throwing a fit.

The adorable little 3-year-old boy currently snoozing on my living room floor looks sweet and harmless, but he's actually quite the tyrant about some things. First, his name is Nate. He will not abide anyone calling him anything else. Not "big guy", not "honey", "sweetie", or any of the other myriad things old Southern ladies like to call little boys.

"I'm just Nate", he tells them. I've talked to him about being polite to people, but he is obstinate. None shall call him anything other than Nate.

The other thing he is dictatorial about is putting his own clothing on. Nate wants to pick it out. Nate wants to put it on. "Let Nate do it," he says. Fine. I will.

So today we went to visit the school my mother teaches at. Hordes of sixth graders crowded around Nate. "What a cutie!" "Awww, what a sweet baby!" Of course, Nate was not going to let this fly. "My name is Nate."

We walked along with my mother and the sixth graders to the lunch room. I overheard a kid say "His pants are on backwards." I looked, and lo and behold, Nate's shorts were on backwards. Ay yi yi. I'm sure these kids will soon be voting me Mother Of The Year.

My four year old daughter is sort of a tomboy. Whenever we go to the McDonald's drive-thru she always requests the "boy toy" for her happy meal. Go figure. I've offered her dolls and her sister has offered lip gloss from time to time but she is happier playing with dinosaurs and hot wheels.

I've come to the understanding that it is not my job to influence her with gender biased toys. Whatever keeps her creativity sparked and her learning encouraged is fine with me. But when I saw this super, cool, modern day, doll-house, on the Baby Gadget Blog, I actually shed a tear for the realization that this product would not be gracing our playroom any time soon.

This mod, Plexiglas, doll-house is one of the coolest toys I've seen in a long time and the bloggers at mod mom agree.  Momoll, a Zurich based company, has handcrafted dollhouses, stacks of apartments and pint-sized kitchens. They are made out of slotted plywood componets in a subtle, Scandinavian color palette.  The best part about these toys are their ability to collapse for easy storage. There are no nails, hinges or glue which is meant to make it easy for kids to put their toys away and parents to appreciate "no assembly required". 

According to Baby Gadget, Momoll has kids furniture in the works as well and soon their toys will be available in US stores such as Kid O and Pomme.  Until then, you might want to brush up on your German and checkout their website for some great pictures of their modern toys. As far as my daughter goes...I can only hope.