Little Monkeys | Playgroups are No Place For Children

Entries Tagged as 'Little Monkeys'

Why Yes I DO Have Thoughts on This!

My friend Shannon is expecting her first baby on my son’s birthday! She recently emailed me and asked my opinion of some baby gear. I got so excited to be asked for my opinion that I nearly wet myself from the excitement.

Here’s what I told her about my opinion of travel systems…

“As far as the stroller system, here’s what I recommend…(feel free to do with this info whatever you please!) Graco MetroLite stroller!!!!! Only 17 lbs! It’s a travel system, which I DO think is good. Why, you ask? Well lemme tell ya…if you plan to ever go anywhere then you’ll want a really good stroller. Unless you get a really expensive umbrella stroller, then it’s a pain in the arse to push around. Once Baby is strong enough to hold up her head, then you won’t necessarily need to use the carseat in the stroller. However when Baby gets tired, he might want to be reclined in the stroller for a nap. Umbrella strollers don’t have that feature. Also if you go shopping at the mall, the MetroLite has a basket on the bottom to stow away purchases and purses and whatever else you’re carting along. The umbrella stroller doesn’t. When Baby gets hungry while you’re out and about, you’ll want a tray on the stroller for the cheerios and sweet potato puffs. The umbrella stroller doesn’t have a tray. If it’s bright and sunny out and you want a cover over Baby’s little head, you won’t have one large enough on an umbrella stroller.

Some people really like umbrella strollers. I think they are very useful if you plan on traveling long distances or by plane a lot, as they take up less space. That doesn’t mean you won’t need a better stroller for everyday use, though.”

Whew!

I feel really strongly in favor of the Graco MetroLite! GO Graaaaaaaaacccccccccoooooooooooo! Go!

I feel equally as strong about my disdain for the Diaper Genie. BOOO! Two thumbs down! If I had more thumbs, I’d put them down, too. The insert refills are expensive and once Baby makes stinky poops, I don’t think it actually masks any odors.

BOOOOO!

Now, I have plenty more opinions, but this post doesn’t need to be 40,000 words. I’d like to know some of your opinions about your favorite and detested baby gear.

Here’s what you do…Tell Shannon about one MUST HAVE baby gear item and WHY! The WHY is most important. Then tell Shannon one eye-roll worthy baby product and WHY! Again, the WHY is very important.

I’m certain Shannon appreciates all of our ~~assvice~~, er, I mean ADvice.

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Tags: Ask Teh Internets, Little Monkeys, Mommydom by Jennifer
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For Ella

On this date, just one
year ago, I first met you
My beautiful girl

Your feet were so big
for your wee little body
So was your wailing

Week after week you cried
pleading for me to help you
My heart was broken

Eventually
smiles emerged, I forgave
and basked in your light

You blossomed and grew
becoming my laughing girl
Social and snuggly

Charming everyone
Smiling, you wave, and say hi
You make me so proud

Not so secretly
I soak up every minute
being your favorite

You are one, my sweet.
I grasp for words just to say
how much I love you

To play along for Haiku Friday, follow these steps:
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2. Sign the Mister Linky below with your name and the link to your haiku post (the specific post URL, not your generic blog URL). We will delete your link if it doesn’t go to a haiku. If you need help with this, contact Christina or myself. REMEMBER…ONLY sign Mr. Linky if you have a HAIKU POST.

3. Pick up a Haiku Friday button to display on the post or in your sidebar by clicking the button above.

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Tags: Little Monkeys, Pictures, haiku friday by Jennifer
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Lollipop, Lollipop, Oh Lolli, Lolli, Lolli, Lollipop…Dun, Nun, Nun, Nuh

Carson had his very first lollipop the other day.

You would have thought that I’d given him an entire gallon of yummy guacamole and a bag of tortilla chips and told him to go to town. Or possibly that’s just me.

I’d gotten two lollipops from the bank teller and decided that it would be safe to give him one as we drove back home. (To be clear, I actually was doing the driving, Carson was safely strapped into his carseat in the backseat. Just wanted to clear up any confusion.) I offered Carson the choice between red and orange and he chose the red lollipop.

It’s times like this that make me realize that I should NEVER EVER EVER EVER leave home without my camera.

The look on his face was priceless when I gave him the lollipop. It’s like he couldn’t believe I’d given him the most amazing surprise in the entire world., despite the fact that he wasn’t sure what to do with it. I explained that he was supposed to lick it.

Ever so carefully, he slowly stuck out his tongue and gently licked. His eyes grew wide, a smile spread across his face, and he started giggling.

**giggle, giggle** “This cirtle tanny is dood!” (translation: this circle candy is good!) **giggle, giggle**

“It’s called a lollipop, Carson. Do you like it?,” I asked, also giggling.

Apparently he DID like the lollipop quite well. It took him until almost dinnertime nearly four hours later to finish it, only taking a break for a short nap. Thank goodness the excitement never wore off so that I was able to get his picture.

He never did stop giggling.

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Tags: Little Monkeys, Pictures by Jennifer
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Let’s Hear From Our Judges

The response I got to yesterday’s post truly shocked me. I haven’t mentioned this before, but before I hit *publish* on a post, I like to guess the number of comments I’ll receive for it. I guessed yesterday’s post to be a 34 and thought that it wouldn’t really be a post people felt compelled to comment about. Apparently I underestimated people’s feeling about children’s bedtimes.

Most comments were positive, but I got the feeling from a few comments that you felt very defensive about my opinion of early bedtimes, pointing out when I already had, that I was being judgmental (paraphrasing). When I thought about it, I certainly cannot blame anyone for feeling defensive since I’ve read many others’ posts that have left me feeling that same way and wanting to defend my parenting decisions. In fact, yesterday there were a few comments where I felt judged for judging. How’s that for irony?

I suspect, though, that each and every one of us has tsk tsked someone else’s parenting decisions. If you were to say you’ve NEVER judged someone else, I’d probably call you a liar (under my breath). Oh yeah, I said it, a LIAR. Liar, liar pants on fire.

There are many issues that I think, for me, I can safely say are truly off limits for judging. Choosing how to feed your infant, choosing whether to stay home with the kids or work, choosing how to birth your children, these are all things that I strive to never, ever judge or criticize. In fact I cringe whenever I read a post about why breastfeeding is the best for everyone and that everyone MUST try it and that there is no reason not to. Or when someone says that it’s okay for a mom to work when the family needs the money, but otherwise, no. Or when people feel like they must educate people about a VBAC after they’ve already chosen to have a repeat C-section.

These are the type of things that literally make my heart all racy and my stomach flutter to read. I get very nervous when people judge these sorts of things.

We all do the best we can do for our kids.

Conversely, though, I fully admit that I’ve judged for lots of other things. A mom putting sweet tea in her kid’s sippy cup? A little girl that I think is dressed like a tramp? A mom not watching her brat kid at Chick-Fil-A? Oh, I’ve judged.

I think that through blogging, though, I’ve learned to be less judgmental about how others parent their kids. There are millions of us mommy and daddy bloggers out there that come from different backgrounds with a wide-range of experiences and beliefs. I’m continually learning and expanding my point of view through reading about lives that are not a part of my own reality. So all the while, as I sit back and occasionally judge, I’m trying not to. I’m attempting to be more understanding and accepting.

I’m not perfect and won’t ever be. Neither will you.

We all do the best we can do for our kids.

Now! Moving right along! *claps hands* On a completely unrelated note, have any of you tried the Strawberry Banana V8 Fusion? Oh. Mah. Gah. DELICIOUS. Just like a smoothie, no blender needed. You’re welcome!

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Tags: Little Monkeys, Mommydom, Need to Know, blogging, confession by Jennifer
52 Comments »

Study Confirms, Early Bedtime Makes Mother Less Crazy

I’ve taken to grocery shopping late in the evenings, after the kids are in bed. Walking up and down the aisles, enjoying my solo jaunt and searching for much needed items like Spotted Dick and Ovaltine, I’m always surprised when I see people shopping with their children that late in the evening. Since my children go to bed between 7 and 7:30, I guess I assume that everyone does things in their house the way I do them in mine.

Both Carson and Ella get up between 6 and 7 every morning, regardless of what time they go to bed. They may as well go to bed early, I say. Personally, I cannot imagine my children going to bed any later than 8 since it’s an absolute MUST that I have my own, childless time in the evenings. I’m certain that without those two glorious hours before my own bedtime, I’d be a very disturbed human being, complete with glue eating and conversations with imaginary hippos.

So when I see people with their kids, especially young kids, at Meijer at 8:30 at night, I find it odd. And I wonder how they manage, parenting so late into the evening. Aren’t they tired of their kids? Don’t they know their kids should be in bed? Don’t they want their own time?

cue announcer’s voice, “The role of Judgy McJudgerson is being played by Jennifer today.”

Of course all this judging has made me rashy (I feel guilty when I judge others, please forgive me) and wondering when you all put your kids to bed. If you put them to bed after 8, why?

No judging from me, promise. I’m truly curious how everyone handles bed times. Also, no judging or superior parenting struts from anyone else…please refer to my comment policy in my right sidebar if needed.

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Tags: Huh?, Little Monkeys by Jennifer
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Slide

Where’d my baby go?
Once so needy, difficult
Now independent

“No Mommy. Carson
do it by hisself.” I watch
as he runs away.

He looks to make sure
I am watching, his face beams
as he climbs higher

I see no fear, as
he reaches the top, “ready,
set, go!” Down he slides

I swoop him up and
hold him close, sniff his boy smell
Dirt, grass, sweat, and love

To play along for Haiku Friday, follow these steps:
1. Write your own haiku on your blog. You can do one or many, all following a theme or just random. What’s a haiku, you ask? Click here.

3. Pick up a Haiku Friday button to display on the post or in your sidebar by clicking the button above.

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