by mayberry on June 9, 2008
Recently my husband quizzed Jo about most tradeable lunchbox items. We were surprised to learn that the hierarchy went something like:
Ice cream [unclear how this is a packable lunchbox item, but whatev] –> trumped by Chee-tos –> trumped by Fruit Roll-Ups.
To find out what we thought–and win your own carton–head on over to
The Full Mommy (where there are other giveaways underway, too).
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The wonder-Grandma is here and as befits a woman of her stature, we’re making her help with home improvement projects, yardwork, and kid-wrangling. See you in a day or two.
by mayberry on May 19, 2008
I always thought it would be very cool to have a carnivorous plant. I mean, how excellent is that? It’s a plant, it’s entertainment, it keeps down the insect population in your home. Triple winnah. But apparently, the Venus fly trap requires more care than your average houseplant. For starters, you have to know to “Never, never, never feed your fly trap hamburger.”
Seeing as how I have never managed to keep a single plant alive ever (I’m not kidding. Thumb=pitch black), it really wouldn’t be a good idea for me to take on a plant that’s temperamental and might bite off my finger if I made it mad.
That’s why the pretend Venus Fly Trap from the Discovery Channel Store is a good idea, and why I reviewed it today on behalf of Parent Bloggers Network. Come find out more about what we thought at The Full Mommy.
Also, pls note that speaking of bugs, am heroine and stereotype-buster. Last week a kid brought a spider into my daughter’s classroom after school and the teacher and other mommies were freaking out. I helped him corral it into a small, clear container with a magnifying lens on top so he could observe it for awhile and then dump it outside. Oh yeah. My kid is totally going to be at the top of her class now.
by mayberry on May 7, 2008
Over at The Full Mommy today I’m reviewing Were You Raised by Wolves? by Christie Mellor, author of The Three-Martini Playdate. I had trouble deciding whether it should be shelved under “humor” or “how-to” but really, it shouldn’t matter (unless you’re actually running a book store or library). It’s a funny, witty book that also gives step-by-step instructions for making a bed, washing dishes, and boiling an egg.
Go, see what I mean. Thanks to Parent Bloggers Network.
by mayberry on April 19, 2008
For better or worse (usually worse), my sister-in-law is a very … direct person. You might even say “blunt” or “tactless.”
She is, however, a very good gift-giver, especially for the kids. She consistently picks spot-on presents, toys they enjoy right away and continue to play with often. Even this year, when she flat-out told us that she’d forgotten their birthdays up until three days before (see line 2 above). The gifts were obviously the product of a sweep through the Chinese discount store–random, inexpensive, and labeled entirely in Mandarin–and still the kids loved them. Fake bronze, fire truck-shaped pencil sharpener? Opie thinks it is awesome. Glue-backed, 99-cent Hello Kitty wall hooks? Jo oohed and aahed.
Oh, and that’s also how I came to live with 20 totally realistic looking plastic stag beetles (link NSF the weak-stomached).
And even though it is hard to top those creepy crawlers, they are not the best gift the SIL has ever given. Nope, that was when she went ahead and pointed out (I told you, she will say anything) that it was dumb for us to give gifts to each other, when we were pretty much just swapping one gift card for another. She gave me the gift of cutting her off my gift list and that, my friends, is a pretty present indeed.
I am quite sure I don’t want to get in my SIL’s head, but the idea of a site to help men give good gifts to the women in their lives is a cause I can certainly support. Thanks to Parent Bloggers Network for this week’s Blog Blast.
by mayberry on April 17, 2008
You have to agree that there is almost nothing cuter than a kid in a pair of spunky rainboots. There’s something about encasing those sweet little feet in some brightly colored rubber that just makes grown-ups swoon. Maybe it’s the cheeriness they bring to an otherwise crummy day, or the fact that to kids, rainy days mean puddles! and how fun is that?
All this to say that when I had the opportunity, via Parent Bloggers Network, to try out some Vincent Shoes for my kids, I went for the boots. Check out the full review (plus a discount code!) at The Full Mommy.
by mayberry on March 29, 2008
Yesterday evening, Opie had a high fever and so was unusually content to lounge on the couch watching Noggin. (He’s fine now.) Jo, disdaining the “baby shows,” decamped to the backup TV in the basement. She proceeded to holler up the steps every few minutes with some desperate need or another. Finally, Jeff taught her how to use the intercom feature on the telephone so she could call him if she needed something.
Naturally, five minutes later she did. I heard his end (snicker) of the conversation: “You called me on the phone because you need me to wipe your butt?”
True story. And that is something nobody told us before we had kids.
by mayberry on March 21, 2008
I’m back home.
Alive.
Barely.
Much more to say but for now, I point you to my latest Full Mommy review–of the DVD that did, in fact, get me through some of the hairier moments of this trip. I mean, produce a brand-new Bob the Builder DVD and you are bound to buy yourself a little bit of time and maybe even a few words of thanks to boot.
(It didn’t, however, earn me the title “Best Mom Ever.” That I got when I offered up ice cream for dinner in the Detroit airport. Bribery will get you everywhere.)
by mayberry on March 7, 2008
Recently my mom mentioned that she still has my boxed set of Little House on the Prairie books, and noted that soon I’d be able to begin reading them to Jo.
I can’t wait! When I was 8 or 9 (and probably 10 or 12 too) I’d start with Little House in the Big Woods and continue right through to The First Four Years without stopping. Then I’d go back to the Big Woods and start all over again. My set came in a yellow cardboard box and all the spines of the books were yellow too, with cover art and interior illustrations by Garth Williams. The set looked so impressive there on my bookshelf.
I remember watching the TV show, too, but it was the books that really enthralled me. I even got to visit the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home & Museum. I still remember I had a souvenir mug that I took to school for show and tell. I wrapped it carefully in a dishtowel for the walk, but I still dropped and broke it–a terrible loss.
There are legitimate concerns about the depictions of Native Americans in the books. I hope that I can use them to start discussions about racism and the way people feel about those who are different. I still believe that the books are an incredible window into American history. And they are a pleasure to read, which is more than I can say for many of the other books I slog through for the sake of my kids (Magic Tree House, anyone? For the love of god, Mary Pope Osborne … you are writing for beginning readers. Why must you litter the page with sentence fragments?). I know I’ll smile when I see that big yellow box on my daughter’s bookshelf.
Inspired by today’s blog blast on behalf of Highlights High Five (which I reviewed yesterday). Write your own post by midnight PST–that still gives you four hours!–for a chance to win a subscription to the magazine.
by mayberry on March 6, 2008
OK, I know I’m mixing my children’s media here, but that song is an earworm if I ever heard one.
What I’m really talking about over at The Full Mommy today is the new, younger-kid edition of Highlights magazine, called Highlights High Five. It may not have any dopey morality tales (and who knows–today’s Goofus & Gallant are probably more subtle than they were a generation ago), but it does have a ton of fun features for kids ages 2-6.
Get the full scoop over at the The Full Mommy — including details on the craft that kept my kids busy for more than an hour. If you want in on that action, Parent Bloggers Network is holding a blog blast tomorrow, and they’re giving away 5 subscriptions.
by mayberry on February 29, 2008
Even before they’re born we try to find similarities between ourselves and our children. He’s a night owl, like his daddy. She never stops kicking; she’s going to be athletic just like me. We peer at their scrunchy newborn faces and look for family resemblances in noses, chins, eyes.
And then—lookalikes or not—they go ahead and prove how different they are every day. Still I’m amazed when my children display talents I never had. Where I was a skinny, weak klutz, my daughter is strong and athletic. My academic strengths were in reading, writing, foreign language; she finds Spanish class “boring.” She can read, but she prefers not to (although, thank goodness, she still likes to listen to read-aloud books).
But give her a page of math problems or tell her to count to 100 and she’s off to the races. Where did this child come from? I don’t know, but I’m pretty excited to find out where she’s going.
(Want to brag about your child? Blog blast today … or just tell me in the comments, because I am almost as proud of your little monkeys as I am of my own.)
