Category Archives: Toddler

Budget-Friendly Weekend Fun / Covid19 / Motherhood / Toddler

Quarantine Activities

March 16, 2020

Looking for something time-consuming to pass the time while quarantined? May I suggest: breastfeeding.

Here are some ideas for adults and kids to stay sane amidst the insanity (please note that I have two toddlers, so a lot of the “kids” ideas are geared toward that age range):

For Adults:

  1. Baking/Cooking: with or without your kids! I make dinner every night sans children, but am planning on having the girls help me make blueberry pancakes, oatmeal, zucchini muffins, and chocolate almond milk, among other things. (We love the book Pretend Soup for easy recipes to make with kids.)
  2. Date Nights at Home: use this time to reconnect with your partner on the cheap. Maybe drink that nice bottle of wine you’ve been saving, or break out a board game!
  3. Drinking: make your own cocktails!
  4. Getting Moving: I’m feeling really pumped about the fact that we quit our gym at the end of last year in favor of setting up a small home gym. I’ve subscribed to Bar Method Online and this pregnancy/postpartum workout for years now, and recently purchased a barre off craigslist (though I used the back of a chair or edge of a table to do the workouts forever).
  5. Organizing/Cleaning: this is a great time to clean out your closets, weed out unused books and toys, organize the fridge and pantry — the possibilities are endless!
  6. Go Green: maybe it’s time to revamp your cleaning materials and figure out how to ditch the chemicals while saving on cost and packaging! Here’s what we use for laundry detergent and our everyday cleaning supplies. I should note that I recently made my own disinfectant spray as well, since vinegar hasn’t been tested on  . I added 2 tbsp bleach to 4 cups distilled water and spray it on commonly touched surfaces then let it air-dry. (Please note that it shouldn’t be sprayed on fabrics — because, BLEACH — so I stick to spraying it on faucet handles, doorknobs, toilet flushers, cabinet pulls, etc.)
  7. Helping Others: If you’re looking for a way to do good during the quarantine, consider supporting local businesses by buying gift cards, or by ordering coffee or food from a local cafe or restaurant and having it sent to a nearby medical facility (call ahead to facilitate with the medical center first). Many small exercise studios are offering web-based streaming classes at a reduced price. You can also have your kiddos write letters or draw pictures to send to nearby senior centers or nursing homes — get creative!
  8. Start a new hobby: or hey, maybe resurrect an old one — like your blog that you started 10(!) years ago!

For Kids:

  1. Send mail: set up a weekly “mail day” where the kids draw pictures to mail to friends and relatives. My kids love to send and receive mail, so we will definitely be sending out some pictures to grandparents, family and friends (I love to ask them what they would like to say to the person and then transcribe it on the back of the picture they drew. A lot of the time it’s random and hilarious tidbits like “This is a cat holding a sword and red is my favorite color.”)
  2. Wash toys outside: fill one plastic tub with soapy water and another with clean water and let the kids “wash” things like legos, metal kitchen toys, bath toys, etc.
  3. Pool party: put on swimsuits and hop in the bath in the middle of the day. (This is especially good on really hard days when everyone is falling apart.)
  4. Get outside: go for a hike, ride bikes/scooters outside, go for a walk down the block
  5. Nature scavenger hunt: send kids outside with a list of nature items to find. Draw pictures for kiddos who don’t read yet (make it simple, like “find one green leaf”, “find a rock that looks like an animal”, etc.)
  6. Dance party: put on special dance clothes (whatever the kids deem that to be) and put on your favorite Pandora/Spotify station (the ABBA Pandora station is fun for this)
  7. Audio books: our kids are obsessed with audio books — so much that we gave them an old iPhone and a bluetooth speaker so they could listen to them whenever they wanted. I made this playlist for Prim to listen to at rest time, and it’s become a favorite for all day.
  8. Decorate delivery boxes: if you’re anything like us, you’ll be getting quite a few deliveries in the coming weeks. We give the boxes to the kids to decorate with crayons, paint, etc. and they turn them into a rocket ship or school bus before we toss them into the recycling.
  9. Afternoon tea: serve tea (herbal, with honey) or hot chocolate (or whatever!) with a fun little snack (maybe tiny, crustless sandwiches and cookies). Teach kids to drink with their pinky up. Speak in a British accent. Pretend you’re royalty and ask, “What is a week-end?
  10. Kids yoga: we love Cosmic Kids Yoga for “active” screen time.
  11. Library hour: set a timer and tell kids to explore books quietly. Tell them they can choose a certain number of books (maybe two each) that you will read to them aloud when the timer goes off. (Good for days when you’re losing your mind and need a little silence.)
  12. Pull weeds: fun after it’s rained (plus, free child labor!) Tell them they can look for worms and slugs too.
  13. Ooey-Gooey: (this was a favorite of ours as kids) — combine cornstarch and water in a plastic tub and let kids play with it outside. It goes from feeling like a solid to a liquid — fascinating!
  14. Blind taste test: cut up pieces of fruit, veg, whatever, and feed it to the kids with their eyes closed and see if they can guess what it is. Have them do it to you too (it’s funny for them to see an adult get it wrong!)
  15. Circle/sharing time: have dedicated time each day to sit together, sing a song, and talk about today’s activities. Allow them to “share” something: they could talk about a special toy, or how they’re feeling that day, something they’re looking forward to, etc. Structure is really helpful for young kids, and they may be missing this aspect of school while stuck at home.
  16. Weather/day of the week/date report: in the same vein as #15, designate one kid to ask Alexa (or google, or the internet) about the weather, then have them “report” it to the family. Have another kid ask about the day of the week and date and report it.

If you have more suggestions, please feel free to add them in the comments! 

Covid19 / Motherhood / Toddler

It’s Corona Time! Our daily schedule for social distancing

My usual state: unkempt hair, zero makeup, workout clothes, with a cute babe on my hip. It’s like I was BORN for quarantine.

In case you’re looking for a way to structure your days at home, I thought I’d post the rough outline of the schedule we’re following for the time being. Keep in mind that, like everything else with children, some days are unpredictable and it’s good to leave a little wiggle room and give yourself and your kids a break when everyone is just falling apart. I’ve built in some options for screen time, even though we generally limit screen time to pizza/movie night (Thursdays) and here and there on the weekend. This is unprecedented territory, so everyone deserves to be given a giant break on the “rules” — even kiddos. Remember that this is temporary and going back to “real” life is going to be an adjustment for everyone no matter what, whether the kids have been having ample screen time or not, so make sure to keep that in mind if you’re falling into the “I’m rotting my kids’ brains” mindset. Say it with me: this is TEMPORARY and they will be FINE.

We stick to bedtime and mealtimes strictly, rest/quiet time is non-negotiable, but the start and end times tend to vary a bit, and the other activities are more suggestions and a way to guide the day. (It’s also nice to have an answer for the inevitable “I’m bored.” Well, guess what? It’s creative time! So you can draw, paint, play with playdoh — whatever!)

I should also note that we have a newly-3 year old (Lark) and 4.5 year old (Prim), who generally go to 2 and 4 days of half-day preschool when not quarantined, respectively, and an almost 5 month old baby (he’s exclusively breastfed and hasn’t started solids yet). Those of you with older kiddos might want to structure in some more dedicated “academic” time — I personally don’t think this is necessary for a 3 and 4 year old. We will be “learning” via cooking and baking activities, getting outside to explore nature, and we will continue to use our words to explore our feelings and solve problems with parents and siblings, as they will (inevitably!) crop up during this weird, weird time.

TimeKids ActivityTimeMom Activity
7:30amKids wake up / independent play7:30/8amWake up / nurse baby
8amBreakfast8amKids’ Breakfast
8:30amCreative time (drawing, painting, playdoh, kinetic sand, etc.)8:30amClean up kids’ breakfast / make adult breakfast + coffee
9amCoffee + FaceTime family and friends
9:30/10amSnack + FaceTime9:30amBaby Nap 1 (nurse) / House tasks
10/10:30amActive time (backyard) or active screen time (kids yoga, etc.)10/10:30amWorkout (can move to 12:30/45pm if busy with kids)
11:30amLunch11:30amKids Lunch
12pm-2pmRest/Quiet Time: nap (Lark 3yo) / art + audio books (Prim 4.5yo)12pmPut all kids down for rest/quiet time (nurse + Baby Nap 2)
12:15pmMom lunch
12:30/45pmRelax / Workout / House tasks
2pmSnack + activity2pmKids snack + activity (see upcoming “Quarantine Activities” blog post)
3pmActive Time (backyard)3pmClean up / House tasks / Catch-up time
4pmKids choice / independent play (screen time if crazy)4pmBaby Nap 3 (nurse) / Cook dinner
5pmDinner5pmDinner
5:30pmActive time (go for walk outside, ride bikes/scooters, etc.) / Possible screen time if kids are losing it5:30pmTake kids out for active time
6:00pmClean up toys6pmClean up dinner
6:30pmTreat (if doing dessert)6:30pmNurse baby
6:45pmBath time / jammies / stories / songs6:45pmStart bedtime routine
7:30pmBedtime7:30pm Kids bedtime (nurse baby)

PS: If you’re wondering more about the kids or my schedule (my day is very exciting and involves LOTS of laundry), feel free to ask. I usually workout at home (we quit our gym after Sky was born), so this isn’t a huge adjustment from that perspective. I have been doing Bar Method Online and this pregnancy/postpartum workout series for years (I signed up after I had Lark in 2017 when I realized that my core was wrecked from back-to-back pregnancies). We also recently purchased an elliptical, which was an investment for sure, but it has been such a lifesaver for both KC and I.

List of fun quarantine activities for kiddos coming up next! Stay tuned…

Covid19 / Motherhood / Toddler

Checking In

Just doing the best we can with what we’ve got over here.

How are you guys doing? I realize it’s been a hot minute since I’ve been on here, but since we’re supposed to only connect digitally for the foreseeable future, I thought now was probably a good time to pop back on here and check in with you all.

I hope you’re all managing the Covid stress and making the best of this crazy time. (Honestly, if I didn’t have kids I would kind of be stoked about a few weeks of telecommuting and hanging at home — haha.) Our preschool has not cancelled classes yet, but we made the decision to keep the kids out starting last Thursday and will continue to do that for the foreseeable future. We’re all just trying to think of the greater good right now! And we’re very lucky that this doesn’t impact our lives too much since I’m not working right now, so I can do my usual job of watching the kiddos while KC gets through the last few weeks of busy season (yes, in case you were wondering whether it’s a total luxury to have a stay-at-home wife, let me assure you — IT IS.) 

We’re only on day three of social distancing over here, but I thought I would put up some of the few things we’re doing to keep from going isolation-crazy. First, I should note that we are “social distancing” in tandem with my sister and her kids. We decided that we would be each other’s lifeline through this, since our kids go to school together and we’ve all been pretty much exposed to all the same germs up to now. We’re shuttling the kids back and forth between our two houses so we can all have a change of scenery now and then. It’s helping us from a sanity and logistical perspective too — because I’m tackling dinner for everyone one week, and she’s doing it the next, so we can go a full two weeks (maybe longer!) without having to hit the grocery store.

I’ve put together a schedule for the kids that we’re doing out best to follow. I’ve kept a lot of things flexible (and built in wayyyy more screen time than they’re generally allowed during any given week) to account for changes in weather and attitudes. I’ve also put together a schedule for myself to try and adhere to, so I don’t just start drinking everyday at noon in an attempt to survive until bedtime.

I’ve also got a running list of fun activities to do with the kids in the afternoons or when the wheels are falling off. I shared it with my best mama friends who were nice enough to add their ideas alongside (BECAUSE WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER, GUYS.)

I’ll write up our schedule and activity ideas on another post, so keep an eye out — it’ll be coming shortly! 

Lark / Motherhood / Toddler

Motherhood Update: Lark at 2.5 years

August 16, 2019

Larky inherited my skintone, and therefore will be inheriting my love of sun protection (hopefully).

Saying: Lark is in full conversation mode these days, and the things that come out of her mouth are often unintentionally hilarious. She loves imaginative play and is often yelling at Prim to come join in on whatever fantasy she’s creating. Though 2.5 is such a fun, verbal age, I am lamenting the end of Lark’s soft r’s (she’s recently started calling our nanny “Morgan” instead of “Mow-gan,” which is heartbreaking) and she’s also started calling me “Moooo-ooom!” like the teen she apparently is (I usually answer with a similarly intoned “Laaaa-aaark!”

Eating: Lark is much less picky than Prim (thank the lord, because I don’t know that I could manage to battle both of them every night) and will almost always try what’s put in front of her (and usually eat all or most of it.) She has caught on to some of her older sister’s phrases though and will regularly scream “I DON’T WIKE THAT!” and “I want SOMEFING ELSE!” so, y’know, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows — she’s still a toddler.

Lark’s Favorite Things: Lark is very imaginative and loves playing dress-up and pretend. She can often be found in the playroom “putting the babies to bed” while wearing some sort of amazing ensemble like a rainbow tutu, fairy wings, a magenta fleece hat and sequined Minnie Mouse ears.

Reading: Lark is currently very into The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry and The Big Hungry Bear as well as Love You Forever and Giraffe’s Can’t Dance.

Larky wears her feelings on her face just like her mama.

Latest trick: Lark recently learned how to climb in and out of her crib, after Prim convinced her to climb out of our travel crib on a recent trip to Tahoe. I’m happy to report that this hasn’t been too problematic yet. It’s more that she now has the option to climb out in the morning and go up into Prim’s bunk bed, where the two of them will play and talk until the green light comes on. Though, the pair of them walked out of the room at 8:30pm last night — an hour after I put them down — to tell me that Lark “had a bloody nose” (she didn’t). Luckily I was able to usher them both back to bed without much issue.

Favorite toys: Lark is very into cooking in the play kitchen and can regularly be found stirring a pot of felt food while wearing a “glove” (aka an oven mitt). She will present whatever she’s made and proudly announce, “It’s lemonade!” “It’s soup!” or “It’s chocolate milk!”

Sweetest things: Larky definitely has her own personality and is pretty independent, but man does this girl love her sister. While I suspect that she might have a little bit of a harder time adjusting to a new sibling than Prim did (Prim is pretty much always pumped to have a potential new playmate), I think she will also be so sweet to her new little brother when he arrives. He’s certainly been getting lots of Larky love and attention in my belly!

Aggressive snuggles while watching The Lion King.

Favorite thing about this age: Two and a half is such a sweet age. Lark has so much personality, but is still the snuggliest little thing. She’s really straddling the line between little kid and big kid, and it’s so sweet to watch her navigate relationships with Prim and other big kids, while still holding onto a lot of that little kid sweetness.

Birthdays / Motherhood / Primrose / Toddler

Motherhood Update: Prim at 4 years

May 23, 2019

I don’t know that anyone has ever enjoyed a birthday quite as much as Primrose. This girl lives for a celebration.

Saying: Prim is still chatty as ever and cracks us up with her dry wit and inadvertent imitations of us. Recently Larky was whining about something and Prim looked at me, rolled her eyes, sighed and said “Llama drama” (a phrase KC and I like to use to describe the high emotional atmosphere of our house). 

There was also a morning recently where I wasn’t springing out of bed when Prim came upstairs to tell us the “green light’s on” and KC was jokingly giving me a hard time about it (growing a human is exhausting, leave me alone). KC turned to Prim and asked, “What are we gonna do with Mama?” and without missing a beat she responded, “Throw her in the trash!”

Eating: Prim is still proving herself to be a picky peanut, though our approach to mealtime hasn’t changed. She regularly forgoes dinner, taking a few bites and declaring that she’s “done,” only to (of course) ask for a treat later. We don’t have treats every night (not by a longshot), but on the occasions when we do have them, Prim is required to eat more than just a few bites of dinner in order to have one (and trust me, it’s TORTURE for all of us). She does still surprise us with the things she will try (and inevitably she generally ends up loving whatever it is that we’ve cooked). Her current favorite thing, aside from pizza and spaghetti and meatballs, is “casserole” made from spaghetti squash. Go figure.

Prim’s Favorite Things: Prim is very active and loves going to the park, riding her bike, and sailing around the house on her scooter. She also loves to sing (loudly) in the car and negotiate everything (cough, I can’t imagine where she got either of those traits from).

Reading: Prim received a few new books for her birthday and is currently obsessed with The Circus Ship. She also loves Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse, All the World and Make Way for Ducklings.

Latest trick: We got Prim a “bike with pedals and a kickstand” for her birthday, just like she had been requesting for months. She’s a pro on her balance bike, so we figured now was a good time for a bigger frame. We had her try a few different bikes at a local shop before her birthday, but found that the pedal brakes were proving to be really difficult for her. After some research, I found this bike that’s specifically designed for kids who are used to a balance bike. Because it has hand brakes instead of pedal brakes, it’s apparently easier for them to master. Even though Prim has been sailing around our cul-de-sac on her balance bike for months now, I was shocked when four days after her birthday she hopped on the new bike and took off on two wheels like a pro.

Favorite toys: Prim received a Woody doll from our beloved nanny for her birthday, and it’s currently her most prized possession. She carries him in the car, on errands, and he’s generally not far from whatever she’s doing at home. She loves showing people her “cowboy doll” and demonstrating how you can pull the string to make him talk. She even secretly wrote her name underneath his boot during rest time one day, which might just be the cutest little sneak ever.

Sweetest things: Prim and Lark are still the sweetest little friends. They still share a room and know that they need to wait for their “green light” to go on in the morning before getting up. They often wake before the light, but spend the first part of the morning together playing, often with Prim climbing into Lark’s crib. Watching them in the monitor as they giggle and chat and seeing their sweet relationship is maybe the best thing about being a parent, period.

Favorite thing about this age: While there’s challenges with every age (hellooo asserted independence!) four is proving to be such a fun, sweet age. Prim is really feeling being four (the confidence!) and the complex conversations we’re having these days are so fun. I love hearing about her day at school (usually the biggest piece of intel I get is about what was for snack) and hearing the funny little anecdotes she holds onto for when KC gets home from work. Prim is outgoing, determined, and just the most inclusive, interested little person. She’s such a joy to be around and the best big sister I could ever ask for, for Larky and Baby #3.