Cool Beds. Gro Clocks. Video Monitors. Waiting....

For us, those were the "key" things for transitioning our 3 year old twins from cribs to toddler beds.

I often see messages on chat boards about how to transition children from cribs to beds so, I decided to throw this post together so I could add my .02 to the conversations from now on.  Because as you know, I ALWAYS have SOMETHING to say about EVERYTHING...LOL!

In all seriousness, I hope this might be helpful to parents in the beginning "thoughts" of the BIG transition from cribs to beds...

WAITING

Out of ALL those things, WAITING was probably the most important.  We didn't have monkeys.  Ave & Bryce loved their cribs and I am pretty sure they would have comfortably stayed in them for another 3 years and we would have had no concerns with that EXCEPT that we travel.  A Lot.  And playpens are no longer an option for sleeping arrangements for the kids when we are visiting others.  They, unfortunately, are too big for them now.  When other parents ask my opinion about moving their children to beds, the first thing I always say is keep them in a crib as long as possible.  It is a comfy, safe "cage" sleeping environment for them and if there is no immediate "need" to have them in beds, why rush it??  After all, they've got the rest of their lives to sleep in beds.  LOL!

Since our travelling plans this summer dictated our "need" to make the move, we started the transition from cribs to toddler beds almost 2 months ago and it has been one of the easiest transitions so far in their short little lives.  I think that is because we gave it some serious thought and planning before jumping into the unknown abyss of giving them free reign in their bedrooms.

BEDS

For our kids, that meant really COOL BEDS & PUMPING UP the big transition a few days before.

Bryce fell in love with his CAR BED instantly.  I know if I had one of these I wouldn't want to get out of bed either!

Ave loves Princesses and so we totally pumped up this "Princess Dollhouse" bed.  Her eyes could have lit up her dark room with the excitement she felt for her own princess bed...

Whatever bed you choose for your little one, I highly recommend keeping the crib up (if room permits) for TWO reasons.  #1- If the child struggles with the transition and prefers the crib, it is there for them to use.  Some kids might be apprehensive to move to a BIG bed and having the crib there may make them more comfortable.  #2- If the child decides not to follow the expectation of remaining in their new BIG KID bed, then the rule is that they need to sleep in their crib until they are ready to "follow the rules" (We kept ours set up more for this reason rather than the first.)  After the second week, we took the cribs down.

GRO-CLOCKS- This is a  MUST (in my opinion)!

These little things carry a big price tag ($50/each) but they carry an even bigger benefit.  You can set these things to "wake up" anytime you like.  We set ours for 7:00am.  There is a cool feature where you can set a time for naps and weekends but we've kept it simple...so far!

The kids say "Good Night" to the sun and they know that they can not get out of their bed or make excessive noise until the sun "wakes up" in the morning.  Works like a charm!  We took it one step further and made the rule that they can call out for mommy and daddy when the sun "wakes up" but they still can't leave their beds until we come in to get them officially up.  Again, works like a charm!

Here is Bryce ALERTING me to the fact that it is 7:00am and that THE SUN IS UP!!!  LMAO!

PLAYING BIG BROTHER- Video Monitors

I purchased video monitors shortly after the kids turned two in anticipation of the transition from cribs to beds.  I was not keen on the idea of having to run up and down our two storey home to put my little munchkins back into bed every couple minutes (as it turned out, that wasn't the case but I wasn't taking any chances).

The couple of times, make that exactly 2 times my son has got out of bed, I simply pressed a button on the video monitor and told him to get is butt asked him to please get back into bed.  Once he figured out I had "eyes" on him, no further escapes have been attempted...LOL!

In the next week or two, these video monitors will come in handy as we will begin our transition from pull-ups to underwear and the whole rule of "you must stay in your bed" will now become, "unless you have to use the washroom".  This one, I think, will be challenging but again I have no intentions of running up and down those darn stairs...I'll keep you all posted on how THAT goes!

Anywho, these are few points of interest for parents heading into that often dreaded transition from cribs to beds and I am hear to say that it doesn't have to be a challenge.  Just a little planning ahead & some clear expectations can help make it smooth for everyone!  

GOOD LUCK!

Fevers. Hot Days. A MUST HAVE!!!

So, we just got over two kidlets with raging fevers last week and  I am 99.9% sure I would have been in the emergency room without my trusty rusty Arctic Bandannas!  (For my Canadian friends, THESE seem to be the same idea and are available at Home Depot.  I also just got word from a reader that these are available at Mark's Work Wearhouse!)

These things were developed for the outdoor-sie person in mind but I have found a far more useful application for them since we are not outdoor-sie people another way for these things to come in handy...when my kids get fevers.

Along with a strict medication schedule of alternating Tylenol and Advil, I stick these babies around their little necks and switch them off every 15 minutes or so, depending on how "hot" they are running.  I have been constantly able to break a fever in less than 1/2 hour.  Honestly, it's these little inventions that get the fever under control and the meds I give are to make sure IT STAYS under control.

Since hot days are not the "norm" here in Calgary, we haven't had to use them for sun relief but they will be one of the first things packed into our bags when we head to Southern Ontario this summer!!

How do they work?  It's as simple as 1, 2, 3!!!

Step One- Place the Bandanna in a bowl of cold water.  After 15-20 minutes or so, the beads inside will have absorbed the water and it will feel all "jelly-like" and cool to the touch.

It will double in size when it is ready to go!

Step Two- Place around the child's neck and wait for the MAGIC to happen (the magic I speak of is the fever coming down in 15 minutes...{just in case you missed that above}...LOL!).

Step Three- When all the "sickness" has passed, simply let it dry out on the counter and it will return to it's original state!  Repeat as necessary. (I've had this one for 2 years and can;t tell you how many fevers it has soothed!)

Note: In the event you don't own 4 like me, it only takes a minute or two to cool down a Bandanna that is warmed in a cold bowl of water.  

(Hmmmm...I guess I really DON'T need that many!!!)

Happy Father's Day to TWO of the BEST Dad's I Know...

This is an oldie but goodie so, I am republishing it to honor my husband and daddy...TWO of the best dads I know!!!

They say a girl tends to marry someone much like her Father and I am proud to say that I sure did!  WAIT!  Don’t be too quick to say “Ahhhhh…that’s sweet!”  I did marry a man just like my dad…the good, the bad & the ugly!  (Mostly good though!)

This is my Dad!  Actually, I still call him Daddy at the age of 37 and he still calls me “Baby” (yes, I am the youngest and the “favorite”…LOL) and I cherish this!  So many of my friends get a “kick” out of our interactions because when we are engaged happily it is the most loving, caring thing to watch but when we are at “odds” fireworks and daggers ensue…but no matter what, we will always be “Daddy & Baby”!

 

This is my Husband!  Actually, I like to call him Sweetie and he calls be “Bum” (endearingly, of course). So many of my friends get a “kick” out of our interactions because when we are engaged happily it is the most loving, caring thing to watch but when we are at “odds” fireworks and daggers ensue…but no matter what, we will always be “Sweetie & Bum”!

 

This is my Dad and Husband!  No.  No he is NOT his biological son, I am my daddy’s baby but they sure do look a lot alike don’t they?  Eerie…I know! LOL

 

These are the two most important men in my life and they always will be! (My son Bryce will always be my most important “young man”)  It really is amazing how similar my dad and husband are…they DO have some differences but mostly similarities. Here are just few... 

• I am happy that they love me unconditionally, regardless of how many times I have “totaled” the vehicle or said something that I regret. 
• I love that we love each other so much that they can drive me CRAZY and to the point of delusional rage (ok, slight exaggeration).  Perhaps,  I love it more that this brings us closer together rather than drive us further apart. 
• I love that they protect me and stand up for me even when they shouldn’t. 
• I love that all they have to do is give me that special “look”, the one that is ONLY meant for ME and a great BIG hug and the troubles of my day, week, month or year just disappears, if only for the moment. 
• I love that they are hard-working providers that indulge me from time to time with “things” I don’t really need but REALLY want. 
• I love that they always support and find value in my dreams and life endeavors, despite how absurd they may be.
• Above all else, I love that they love my children with every sole of their being and that they will make them feel as special and loved (and crazy at times) as I do.

I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have had a man like this in my life from the time I came into the world and now one until my time on earth comes to an end.  I can only hope that Ave finds a man just like her Daddy & Grampa, so she can feel the love and security that I have and continue to feel and I pray that through their example, Bryce will grow into the same wonderful husband, father and grampa.

I LOVE my Daddy and I LOVE my Baby Daddy so very much!

Happy Father’s Day to all the GREAT Dad’s out there and here's a big "shout-out" to all the lucky “gals” like me!!

Songs That Make US Sing Link Up! I am not embarrassed to admit...

...that I totally LOVE Taylor Swift!  I think her music is catchy, wholesome and it never fails...it makes me SING!!!

You don't need to be a blogger to post your favorite song of the week you know.  Just head toyoutube.com and find the song you are singing, copy and paste the www. address below in the link box and add your name to the name box.  DONE!  You'll be officially part of the cool crowd, ok, not the cool crowd but of THIS cool party!  Come on...link up a tune for me to sing to too!

Come join me and Becca from Because I'm the Mommy (she "called" me this week to let me know she'll be a little late to the party BUT she WILL be here!!!) and link up to our Playlist of songs that make US sing!  Here are just a few guidelines or at this point...forget the "rules" and just link up!!!

1. Please Join the TWO of "Us" (we're so much more than just songs...LOL) If you're a new joiner please leave us a comment so we can join you back!

2. Pick A Song...any song that makes you wanna sing! Old-New-Country-Pop-Punk...anything goes. (Let's try to keep it family friendly if we can...LOL) If you want, tell us why the song makes you wanna SING!

3. Add your link to the "Playlist"

4. We'd REALLY like you to copy the Linky Code (just click on "get the code") in to your post so your blogger buds can join in on the fun or link back to the both of us so they can at least "find" the party, but you don't have to.

5. We'd love to see the video of your song (which can easily be shared via youtube.com) but if you just wanna list your favorite song of the day, we're "cool" with that too!  

In 3 weeks and 3 days I will be on a greatly anticipated Girlz WEEK LONG Getaway to the East coast.  I am sooooooooo excited!  Like, "pee in my pants" (almost) excited!

This will be the first time in 3 1/2 years that I will be away from my children for that long AND away with my besties!!  (Thanks mom and dad and Aunt Chery for watching the kidlets)  

I just know that it's gonna be a total blast.  

We're gonna feel like we're 22 again...

A Fail-Proof Father's Day Gift!!!

What man (or woman for that matter) doesn't LOVE bacon and chocolate?!?!?!  Combine them together and what do you get??

Candied Bacon Fudge...a fail-proof (homemade) Father's Day gift for those special men in your lives!

It's really easy, just a little time consuming BUT I managed to whip this together in between tending to a fevered child, serving breakfast TWICE (long story) and having coffee with a girlfriend.  Ya.  I'm kind of a Super-Mom...today!  LMAO!

Candied Bacon Fudge

12 Strips of raw bacon

½ cup brown sugar

3 cups white sugar

2/3 cups of evaporated milk

¾ cup of butter

12 squares of semi-sweet baking chocolate, chopped

1 jar of marshmallow crème

1 tbsp. vanilla

To Make the Candy Bacon: Coat raw bacon with brown sugar and bake in oven at 350 degrees until crispy being careful not to burn. Remove and cool.

To prepare fudge: Combine sugar, butter and evaporated milk in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for 4 minutes or until a candy thermometer reads 234 degrees F, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add chocolate, marshmallow crème and vanilla; stir until completely blended and chocolate is melted.

Line a 4 1/2-inch x 9-inch loaf pan with foil or baking paper, extending foil over edges of pan.  Arrange 3 strips candied bacon in bottom of lined baking pan; top with of the fudge. Repeat with 2 more layers of bacon and fudge. Cover and refrigerate for until firm. 

Note: With the extra fudge mixture and 3 pieces of bacon…line a second loaf pan, pour fudge in and crumble bacon and stir in (Now you have one for YOU!)

I EVEN had time to take some pictures of the process for those of you who may be visual, like me!

1. Line a loaf pan with foil or wax paper. (I also gave it a quick spray of Pam to avoid sticking)

2. Coat 12 pieces of bacon with brown sugar and bake in an oven at 350 degrees until crisp...be careful not to burn them like I did to 4 pieces!

3. Once the bacon is cooked, set aside to cool and begin the fudge mixture by bringing the milk, white sugar and butter to a boil.  Be sure to STIR CONSTANTLY for about 4-5 minutes.

4. Remove from heat and stir in the marshmallow creme, chocolate and vanilla until all is combined.  This requires quite a bit if elbow-grease and takes a few minutes.

5. Place 3 strips of candied bacon on the bottom of the loaf pan.

6. Pour fudge mixture over top to cover and a bit more then place 3 more strips of bacon and pour more fudge on top then 3 more strips of bacon and pour enough fudge mixture to fill the loaf pan.

7. So, you are likely gonna have some fudge mixture leftover so quickly line another loaf pan with wax paper (or be prepared and have one pre-lined) and pour the remaining fudge into this loaf pan, crumble the extra 3 pieces of bacon you have and give it a little mix and now you have some for yourself!!   (You're welcome..LOL!)

8. For an added touch, I printed out the recipe and mounted it to card stock...

...attached them to gift bags and stuffed them with tissue.  

VOILA!  A Fail-Proof Father's Day Gift!!!

Happy Father's Day to all those GREAT Dad's out there!  

P.S.  I wished you lived closer daddy because I know you would have LOVED this! xoxoxo

My Mommy Bucket List...

I am a pretty fun mom.  Most of the time.  

I like to sing and dance and act silly.  I try to expose my children to new any exciting adventures...that are not too messy or out of our "schedule" of living.  Ya, I know.  I need a Mommy Bucket List because I have noticed lately that the kids are missing out on some pretty FUN things because THIS mommy is too uncomfortable to step out of her mommy comfort zone which, for clarificiation purposes,  is just within the limits of messiness.

And so, I have decided to post my Mommy Bucket List and set a rough deadline of 6 months to cross all the following things off.  (As you read through these, keep in mind that I REALLY am a fun mom, I just have a hard time with mess and late night acitivties.  That all.  No biggie...right?!?!?!)

#1  I will allow my kids to have a total blast jumping in some puddles.  For many of you, this is probably something that is done on a fairly regular basis when mother nature has sent some rain from above.  For me, this is a total NO-NO.  I am cringing as I think about the mess it will create but a smile is also on my face as I think about how much fun the kids will have.

#2  I will allow them to eat an entire cupcake or piece of cake without taking of all most of the icing.  Again, M-E-S-S-Y! Again, I am cringing.  I could care less about the sugar, it's the mess that icing creates.  To push the envelope even further...I must make sure it is not vanilla frosting but a really bold color that will likely stain their cute little hands and faces.

#3  While we are on the subject of eating messing things.  I will allow my children the pleasure of eating one of their favorite meals, spaghetti, WITHOUT taking their shirts off and wearing a bib.  I will also not cut it into tiny little pieces and leave the spaghetti noodles long AND add tons of sauce.

#4  I will provide my children with the opportunity to FULL access to their water table and mud in the backyard.  I will NOT monitor the mess they make and/or provide any reminders about trying to "keep things clean".  I will also NOT USE the outside hose to "spray" them down afterwards.

#5  I will create opportunities that requires them to stay awake past their bedtime. I would love for them to watch the stars one night while I am home in Ontario, see a firework display, attend a drive in theatre, play glow stick bowling or other really cool things in the dark with glow sticks and experience the fun of sitting around a campfire singing songs and roasting marshmallows.  Note:  As long as I cover 2 of these items I can cross the entire point off my bucket list (my list. my rules.  LMAO!).

#6  I will invite all of Ave & Bryce's friends over, that's a total of 8 children, and throw the most MESSY SUNDAE MAKING PARTY ever!  I am talking sprinkles, chocolate sauce, whipping cream, candies, spoons WILL BE optional...the whole MESSY 9 YARDS AND I will not once attempt to wipe hands or faces until they are done enjoying their special treat!

#7  And this is a biggie!  I will take my kids to the beach and NOT COMPLAIN.  I will get down in the sand with them (cringe) and build sand castles with water  and I TOO will come home with sand in every nook and cranny of my body and I WILL NOT COMPLAIN.  I. Will. Not. Complain.

So, there you have it.  For many, this may seem like a list of "What?  Those are some of the basic fun things kids should be allowed to do...you suck as a mom!" AND I couldn't come up with a defensible argument to that point.  However, I will say, that I HAVE recognized my weaknesses and I am making a plan to face them head-on!!

Wish me luck because 6 months passes quickly and I think I might give my kids a heart attack if I hit them with all these "off limit" activities in one week...LMAO!

What are the odds when a pedestrian goes up against a vehicle??

A vehicle will  "win" it every time.  Sadly everyone looses when there is an accident involving a pedestrian and a vehicle AND I don't think some parents are setting their kids up for a fair fight!!

In my observation, one of the most dangerous things so many Albertans (and maybe in your neck of the world) are teaching their kids is that they have the right of way over vehicles.  To me, this is such an absurd lesson to be teaching children, either consciously or subconsciously which is why I am posting this rant message today.    I am specially pointing my finger at Albertans because in the 3 areas of the world that I share my time with, Alberta is the only place I have encounter pedestrians who truly believe they have the right of way.  In parking lots, crossing the street (at non pedestrian crossings) and navigating the world on foot in general.

I come from a small town in Northern Ontario and one of the first life lessons I can remember being taught was "ALWAYS LOOK OUT FOR CARS BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT LOOKING OUT FOR YOU!!".  When I am in Ontario and Florida my friends and family have to actually reprogram me not to stop in the middle of some road or parking lot to let people cross because in those areas of the world pedestrians don't move an inch and actually frantically wave me past because they understand that they DON'T have the right of way (unless it is a pedestrian walkway, of course).

However, here in my beautiful city of Calgary, the mentality of 'right of way" is completely opposite and lately, it's been blowing my mind.  I am so frustrated with the amount of adults, with and without children in tow, stepping out into traffic while paying no mind to the oncoming vehicle(s).  The confidence in which these people break stride across the street or in a parking lot screams, "YOU HAD BETTER STOP BECAUSE I (we) HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY!".

To some degree here in Calgary, that is true or at least perceived to be true by drivers and pedestrians alike.  We have probably the most pedestrian crossings, playground and school zones per capita than anywhere else on earth (I make that claim loosely because I seriously have no idea but it seems so) and we have VERY STRICT laws in place to protect pedestrians, as we should but unfortunately it is of my opinion that this has caused people to be cocky have a false sense of safety.

Before I go any further, I do not proclaim that drivers are innocent.  We all need to slow down, pay attention and be more aware of pedestrians to help prevent injuries or deaths.  Sadly, not ALL drivers share this responsibility.  I have been know to drive a little too fast and a little to distracted at times but mostly, I am a very safe, aware driver who keeps the safety of everyone in my vehicle as well as the members of my community a priority.

What I AM saying is that pedestrians, specifically those in Calgary, need to start owning some of the responsibility in the equation of Safe Driving + Safe Walking= Safety for ALL.

I did a pretty extensive search for statistics in Canada regarding pedestrian accidents and unfortunately, Canada doesn't seem to think those are all that important.  However, I did manage to find a site with a wealth of information on preventing injuries and saving lives of all Canadians.  From farm injuries to sport safety and everything in between, including a really cool Walk This Way assessment tool for children and communities, it's something worth checking out at their site called Parachute

To go to point on this rant message, I found the following "Rules" for children AND parents to try to instill a "walk safe" mentality in our children.  I've copied and pasted the following right from their website and have ADDED my 2 cents in the red font...

What are the top five road safety rules for my child?

Walk with your child and talk with them about pedestrian safety! These top five tips will help you show your child how to cross the street safely:

1. Stop. Think, look and listen for vehicles. Check both ways before crossing the road. Don't be preoccupied with anything but safely navigating from point A to B.  Yes the sky is blue and the grass is green but keep your eyes forward and side to side! Thank you.
2. Cross only at intersections. Never cross in the middle of the street or between parked cars and never run onto the road.  Because I will seriously KICK YOUR A$$!
3. Recognize and follow the crossing signals. Even when the signal tells you it is safe to walk, make sure the street is clear and all cars have stopped before crossing. Vehicles are MUCH larger and DEADLIER than you are therefore, you DO NOT have the right of way...E-V-E-R!  
4. Watch out for cars coming out of driveways and alleys. Remember how mommy almost hit that really nice old couple last week driving out of the driveway?  Ya.  Pay attention please because not everyone does All.The.Time.
5. Use streets with sidewalks. If there is no sidewalk, walk facing traffic, away from the road if possible, and in single file.  Or better yet, DO NOT walk where there is no sidewalk!  By the way, where could you possibly be going (that is of any good) where there is no sidewalks?!?!?!

Top five tips for parents

1. Model safe behaviour. Practice the safe pedestrian habits that you want your child to copy. Even if you are in a hurry or running late and for gawd sakes, put the phone away and pay attention!  Monkey see.  Monkey do!
2. Start with your toddler and gradually teach them about safety as they grow. Use opportunities while walking to have conversations about safety. Avoid long-winded lectures that your child may not understand yet. Go ahead and give a long lecture if they break any of the "rules".  In fact, get angry about it so they know how serious walking safely really is!
3. Until your child reaches age nine, make sure he crosses the street with an adult or older responsible child. Continue to walk with your child and teach him how to cross the street safely, adjusting conversations to match your child's level of understanding. This site has some very convincing data regarding the "magic" age 9 (when kids are typically developmentally able to safely navigate the world independently) however, I truly feel this is a matter of individuality.  Regardless, when you feel your child is ready to be more independent, they should be able to safely and correctly demonstrate the needed skills, WITHOUT FAIL (see below).
4. Have your nine year old show you that they know how to cross the street safely. Ask them to point out the risks and tell you what they would do. Spy on them periodically.  That's right, hop in the vehicle and follow them around.  I am NOT a helicopter parent but sometimes spying has it's place in parenting!  Because I tell you if I EVER see my teenage kid saunter across the street like they haven't a care in the world like so many do these days, I might run them over myself.  (Kiddin')  (kinda)!
5. Age nine is just a guide Some children may not be ready until later. When your child is more independent, continue to create opportunities for regular discussions. Listening to your child will reveal how confident they are traveling independently and if they have any concerns.  Agreed.

Well, I guess that's all I gotta say about that...for now.  I am trying to do MY part while driving, walking and most importantly, in the way in which I am raising my kids to WALK SAFE!