Naps

I can't say enough about how much I appreciate naps. Mostly Samantha's. I'm especially reminded of this when she doesn't take them. I'm used to having a well-rested little girl whose happy energy carries her through the day, and 2-3 hours of time each afternoon to actually accomplish something -- work, chores, blogging, or even *gasp* a nap for myself!

For the past month, my little 19-month old hasn't fallen asleep for her naptime 2 days each week, which has made her overtired and me falling behind on a lot that needs to get done around the house. (mountain of clean laundry, anyone?) Thankfully, I've felt confident that putting Samantha to bed early on the no-nap days will help her make up at least a little bit of the lost sleep without making her wake up super early.

My trusty Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child book has been a lifesaver in getting through this and so many other sleep challenges in my toddler's life so far and helping her develop better sleep habits. She's in for a lot more running around, active playtime and a slightly earlier bedtime for the next few mornings to hopefully get her nap fully back on track and both of us better re-energized during the day.

Bouncy, pouncy fun

By this time in the summer, it's felt like we've exhausted most of the ideas for fun places to go and things to do where a mom and a toddler won't overheat...and that are really cheap or free. We've loved the pool, splash pads, and the occasional mall playground, but when my friend M told me about an indoor bounce house & inflatable activity play place that had a FREE toddler time, I jumped (ha ha) at the chance to go.

Our 18-month olds were among the youngest kids there, but they loved to bounce and even go on the 16-foot slides with their moms' help. This place, Ipez, lets parents go on the bouncy stuff with their kids to help, and that made it even more fun for Samantha. We loved giggling with delight together as we bounced and pounced around. I loved it too. I've got a lot of kid in me, so I admit, I'll go back, even to just get my own Tigger on.

If you're not from central Florida, look for these kinds of places near you. It's a blast. Any other ideas for summer fun? Please share.

Crib Playtime

Want to know one of the best combinations ever of time to yourself and a good activity for your older baby/toddler on up?

Crib Playtime -- A.K.A. the Play Nap, Room Playtime, Play Yard Time, Alone Playtime, etc.

When Samantha was smaller, her morning nap was the time where I took a shower and was able to steal some precious time to myself to get something done, read a little, or check Facebook. As she dropped her A.M. nap, I wondered if I'd be smelly and tousle-headed until the afternoon every day or have to get up (horror!) at 5:30AM to be showered before Sam's early wake up.

Enter Crib Playtime. Most every morning, I gather up a couple of Sam's favorite toys that keep her busy and one toy that she ONLY gets to play with during Crib Playtime. She and those toys go in the crib for about 20 - 25 minutes while I shower and dress.

Everyone benefits. I get clean and presentable. Samantha's learning more about entertaining herself and building focus on just an item at a time. We've done Crib Playtime for several months now, and most days she asks for it and plays happily the entire time. Recently, she's liked bringing odd things into the crib with her like a brush and her polka dotted diaper cover. She has fun, so why not?

A friend of mine does 'Alone Playtime' with her two kids. The younger one plays in her crib, and the 4 year old plays in his room while she gets ready for the day.

Gotta love a win-win situation.

A Home Worth Buying in Any Market

We're so proud. Our daughter became a homeowner at 11 months old. Her grandparents paid cash for it and gave it to her as a gift, so there's not even a chance of her defaulting on the mortgage. Granted, she's taller than parts of its plastic roof and the gutter plays 'the eensy weensy spider', but it's got some of the best features a toddler could want. Mommy likes playing with it too, she has to admit. Plus, it keeps Samantha having fun and learning, so what's there not to love?

We all wonder if we're making a good investment when we fork over a larger amount of money for something, toys included. Samantha and her cousin each have Fisher Price Learning Homes, and both homes have gotten heavy use. Like most toddlers, Samantha loves to imitate what the big people do, so ringing the Learning Home's doorbell, opening and closing the mailbox to get her own little letters, turning a light on and off, and opening and closing a door have been favorite pasttimes.

Of course, there are a variety of not-so-realistic features like a spinning garden with a pink rabbit, a phone book of animals and the aforementioned musical gutter, but those have tons of appeal as well. Here's Sam demonstrating the gutter ball drop in its counting mode:



Like the 'welcome home' song that the Learning Home plays, "you can learn the alphabet, colors, shapes and so much more." through the house's sounds and happy music. Yes, you will memorize most of what the home says, but the phrases and songs are a lot more appealing than most toys. (At least in my opinion; my husband doesn't like them as much, but I'm the one around the house more often. ;) Plus, he likes the sounds of some singing maracas that bug the heck out of me.)

Not surprising to me, the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio gave a high rating to the Fisher Price Learning Home (look for the comments with the Learning Kitchen). We've made up a number of games with the home too. I'll knock on the window, and when Sam opens it, her stuffed dog pops his head out and barks at her. Good for lots of giggles. We like hooting like the owl and crowing like the rooster with the night and day dial, and putting junk mail postcards and small toys in the mailbox for each other to discover.

For lots of fun for your 1-year old, it's well, well worth the $60 to $70 for the great times to be had with the Learning Home. Imagine how much you'll get done while your toddler has a blast.

Edamame. Your toddler make like it. Really.

I have to say that edamame (steamed young soybeans) was not one of the first things (or even first dozen things) I thought of as healthy finger foods to feed my toddler. The word edamame conjures up images in my mind of furry bean pods, vegetarian cafes, and women who wear long skirts with little bells on them and burn incense. I know people who love eating edamame, but I've never really gotten into it.

We were stuck in a finger food rut with our daughter, and I didn't want to add any more high carb offerings. My husband and I brainstormed other ideas, and edamame made the list. Our grocery store (Publix) had shelled ready-to-eat edamame, so into my cart it went.

I easily popped a handful little beans out of their translucent skins and set them on Samantha's high chair tray like I was giving her some Cheerios and not an unusual vegetable. One went into her mouth, then two, then six. She gobbled up all the edamame on her plate and asked for more.

Steamed young soybeans as a great toddler snack? Who knew.

Plus, they're super-healthy. The United States Department of Agriculture states that edamame are "a soybean that can be eaten fresh and is best known as a snack with a nutritional punch". Edamame contains protein, which further helps stabilize blood sugar, antioxidants, and omega-3 fatty acids. They also contain a high source of vitamin A, vitamin B and calcium.

Convenient, healthy, and soft enough for an older baby or toddler to chew. They're worth a try; your child might like them too.