Unsolicited: Parenting Stories and Advice

I have to say, it feels pretty great to be one of your kid's go-to people.  I always wanted to be a parent and have my kid come to me instead of someone else when they are sad or hurt or want a banana and, yay!, now my dream has come true and I'm one of a few select people who Leo seeks out.  That being said, everyone should be able to experience the joy that is Leo when he feels really comfortable with you.  So, for those of you who don't have the privilege of spending all your time with this kid, I thought I would write a bit about how to be a rock star in Leo's world so that when you come over for a playdate (and I take a nap), you'll be ready to go.  First, when you come in, it's totally awesome to say hi to Leo, but don't be offended or hurt if he doesn't respond. He's just playing hard to get. So, just toss off a "Hey, Leo" and then... Second, wait and see what he does.  The best way to get a toddler to respond to you is to r

It recently occurred to me as I was working up a sweat while rocking Seth to sleep that the physicality of this ritual is no joke.  I was becoming overheated and uncomfortable in my long sleeved shirt - sure signs that I was burning calories/am out of shape/the heat was on - and I thought to myself, what if someone made this into a workout?  Then I wouldn't have to use nap time for my working out, I could do it pre-nap time and then use nap time for...napping!   Granted, this workout is only going to work out for you (see what I did there?) if you have a baby who needs rocking.  BUT, correct me if I'm wrong, what baby doesn't need rocking, at least in the beginning? You should mix and match the following exercises in whatever order/duration works for your baby, but the following order is what works for Seth (and my cardiovascular/muscular systems).* Exercise 1: Deep squats.  Bend at the knee and do as many as is necessary to stop your baby from screaming like a banshee

I never thought I'd be writing a post about my 2 year old AND my 4 month old, but here we are and we are so very lucky to be here! These sibling photos keep getting better and better! Happy! Hey Mom! Leo has been doing a tremendous amount of growing (emotional, physical, and intellectual) in the last couple of months.  He now regularly says Mommy, Daddy, along with a variety of other words and even some multi-word phrases.  Admittedly, it is unclear whether or not he realizes that "Where'd it go?" is three words and not just one really long word but we'll take it!  We have also been very excited to see that he is now addressing other people by name as well - good practice for his years as a politician.  He follows directions (that he wants to follow) and he really loves group hugs.  His favorite activities of the moment are reading(still!), climbing, walking animals or driving trains across the floor, and running like a maniac down the