Unsolicited: Parenting Stories and Advice

When I was a student of mathematics, the guess and check method was always my LEAST favorite way of solving any problem.  It was so much work - the guessing AND the checking, the reguessing AND the rechecking.  My paper would wind up looking like a total bloodbath of numbers and ink.  It was always a last resort for me.  I'd try anything else first even if it wasn't situationally appropriate -hmmm, what if I rewrote this math problem in iambic pentameter?!?  I was so relieved to get to college, major in English, and leave guess and check in the past - words rule, numbers drool.  Little did I know that good, 'ole G & C would make a roaring and irrefutable comeback when I became a parent.  See, in the hospital they give you this baby.  Maybe some swaddling blankets. That's it.  There's no mathematical formula.  There's no algebraic equation.  Just a baby whose needs you need to figure out PRONTO.  Like #38 on Math II of the SATs, but with more at stake.

It's no secret that I had TERRIBLE classroom management skills when I became a teacher.  What do you mean the kids aren't going to do exactly what I tell them to do the first time?  Luckily, I had the fortune of working with a teacher with amazing classroom management skills and I began to hone my techniques to the point where I didn't need to worry about management anymore.  Even though I had this experience, I still expected Leo to listen to me the first time I asked him to do something. hahahafail.  Eventually I realized that I could use some of my teaching skills to make this stay-at-home mom thing easier.  Planning - I think I've mentioned this is a previous post, but I really feel so much better about the day when I have a plan going into it.  Even if we wind up deviating from it, having a morning and afternoon outing, and a morning and afternoon indoor activity provides some structure for my day and for the kids.  If I have a plan, I'm much more likely to e

Before I had Leo, I thought that feeding times would consist of us looking lovingly into each other's eyes, reveling in our newfound mother-son bond.  WRONG.  Feeding Leo was quite the stressful experience and I eventually came to believe that to look at Leo while he was eating was to effectively erase our chances of a good nursing session.  I began looking anywhere but Leo and he would look at the world around him while eating.  Since we weren't staring into each other's eyes and riding off into the sunset on a horse called Nursing, I came up with lots of other things to do with this time.  Here's some things to do while feeding: Look at each other.  Even though this didn't pan out for Leo, Seth and I do enjoy the occasional staring contest while he's lunching.  I like to sing little songs and make faces  and talk to him about how he's choking me with my own necklace.  This doesn't usually seem to distract him much to my surprise and it is a nice way

I can't believe it's been so long since...okay, I can believe it.  Time flies with two kids, but that's no excuse for not updating Seth's legions of fans on his development. Since our last post, Seth has gone from being a newborn to being quite the active little dude.  He's really starting to come into his own as a baby and assert his personality with increasing flair. Seth loves to "chat," blow raspberries, laugh, smile, and grab his feet. Looks: Seth has more hair than Leo did at this point, but with a substantial "cry it out" bald spot on the back of his head.  His eyes are still a bright blue, depending on what he's wearing.  Seth has continued to gain both height and weight very well - this past month he jumped all the way from the 3% - 6% in weight!  Woot! Eating: Seth continues to love to nurse, and we have begun our journey into the land of solid foods. We've tried cereal, carrots, avocado, and sweet potato in th