PSA on carseats

Before my little PSA, here's a fun picture comparison. Here were my two boys in their carseats on the day we brought Parker home:


And here they were about a month ago on the last day Parker used the infant carseat:


How quickly these babies grow!

Now I'm going to get up on my soapbox for a moment, which is something I try not to do...

A few people have asked me. "When are you turning Parker around in his carseat? He is one now, you know." Many people believe that once your child is one year old and at least 20 pounds, you should turn him around. Well, you can (by law), but you should not. The American Academy of Pediatrics now officially agrees; they released a recommendation that parents NOT turn children around until they are age 2 or have reached the rear-facing limits of the carseat (this varies slightly by carseat and not all carseats CAN rear face). The AAP cites research that indicates children are up to five times safer when rear facing in a carseat until two years old.

I knew this when Thomas was a baby, that it was safer. We kept him rear facing until he was about 18 months, but we had his seat forward facing in Trey's car and he got used to that and started whining in my car. We won't do that this time around. Because while I knew it was safer to not turn him around, I had not seen real proof as to why. Then I stumbled across some links on YouTube that changed my mind.

In this video, my greatest interest is in the part that starts at about 1:44 into it where it compares identical crash tests on rear- and front-facing carseats. It's startling. Here's the link if you don't see the video below: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psmUWg7QrC8


There are also websites and videos I've found about real children who have been horribly injured (neck injuries) in accidents where they were forward facing in a carseat before age two.

While this is the decision that is right for me, I also recognize that we all make the decision that is best for our child and our family and I won't look funny at any one for choosing something other than me (just as I would hope others would do for me!). I just think that often times people do not know, so I thought I would share.

A few other tips and rules you may not know.... When rear facing, the straps should be at or below a child's shoulders. When forward facing, straps should be at or above. Always use the strap level closest to the shoulder. And the chest clip (as I always have to remind my husband!), is a "chest clip" not a "belly clip." It should be at chest level with the top of it at the armpit. And straps should be snug enough that you cannot pinch the strap with any excess material.

There is also much research out there about the importance of a five-point harness carseat, and it is why Thomas will not be in a booster until he is closer to age 5 (if I can help it), but that's a story for another post. :)

This concludes my PSA. :)

Memorial Day fun

We drove up to my parents' house on Memorial Day for a delicious hamburger lunch. My brother, his wife and my niece were also there. As soon as Parker saw Eliza come in the room, his entire face lit up. I think he was happy to have someone his size to play with for a change. Someone who wouldn't try to drag him around and knock him down at every turn. Someone willing to play a little game of peek-a-boo!


Eliza is growing so much!


After lunch, I tried (unsuccessfully) to get Parker to take a nap and Thomas & Eliza prepared to go down to the beach for a little water time. Mother Nature had other plans. It was quite a downpour, so once Parker decided not to nap, we all just hung out on the porch for a while until the rain cleared. Nannie was happy to have her three SC grandkids around her:




And Thomas was busy being Thomas (he's getting a haircut tomorrow!)...


When the weather improved we ventured down to the lake and Parker tested out the water (it was VERY cold!):


He decided he'd rather look, not touch...


Then he decided he liked the view from Daddy's arms best of all...


Thomas, on the other hand, did his best to play Papa's Assistant on the dock as he was trying to fix the ropes for "Jimmy's boat," as Thomas says (we can't seem to get him to use the Mr. & Mrs. titles for the Barrys. He loves "Jimmy & Brenda!").

It was a great Memorial Day with family. Good food! Good times!

Two little waterbugs

My friend Emily and her family were spending the week at Kiawah last week and asked us to come out and play. I took the boys on Friday and we ended up meeting them at the pool. For me managing the boys by myself, I think this turned out to be a much better option than going to the beach. I was glad it all worked out for the best, and the boys had a ball!



This was Thomas' first time in a pool since two summers ago. With Parker being a newborn last summer, we went the beach a few times, but never a pool. It was his first experience with swimmies and he did fine. He didn't, however, have much interest in venturing off the steps though. We were there for about four hours, and other than a few minutes of bravery and a little time out to have lunch, he spent the entire time on the steps. He didn't seem to mind one bit!



That's Thomas & Emily's youngest son Ben. Parker spent some time in the pool in a little shaded float (it's on the left edge of the picture above), but as he did not take a nap on the way out there as I had hoped, he was a little cranky unless being held, so I never got a picture of him in the pool. For a short time he watched from the side:


Parker loved being in the water though. I would hold him out and he would float up on his belly and kick his feet behind him. He was quite the little waterbug...far more adventurous that his big brother! And the rest of the time, I just held him and he semi-napped with his head laying on my chest while I held half of him in the water.

Eventually it was time to go and Thomas pretty much immediately asked if we could come back.


And the best part about it was, it wasn't long before the trip home became very quiet.


Thomas fell asleep almost immediately, and Parker didn't fight it for too long. You can kind of see him in the mirror above, but here's a closer look:


And when we got home I managed to unpack the car and do a few other things and they were still sound asleep in their seats:


I carried Thomas upstairs and he went right back to sleep (this rarely happens) and then did the same with Parker too. They were conked out! Thanks to Emily and your family for allowing us to share a fun pool day with you!

Bob the Builder live show

Last Wednesday, as I've mentioned, I took the boys to see Bob the Builder (and I forced Nannie to come along too...she was easy to convince) in the live show of "Spud's Big Mess." I was pretty sure Thomas would enjoy it and I was most happy to see that he did. Though at the end, I must say, it was evident that we had missed naptime, but it was worth it.


I brought Thomas' toolbelt and hat with us (and was so glad I did since they sold similar items for $20 each there! The set he had from Target was about $12 for everything!). But when we first got there, I asked him if he wanted to put them on and he said no. Then we walked in and he saw another boy wearing his gear and immediately he was ready to don his own.



Thomas was extremely eager for the curtain to rise and once it did, he was not disappointed. He was so excited to see Bob the Builder and his friends singing and dancing.


In attendance were Lofty, Dizzy, Scoop, Spud & Bob...


Mayor Bentley, Scrambler & Wendy, too.


And because all children's programs seem to have one politically correct message or another, the team's project was building a windmill-powered recycling center. Ha ha.

No matter the message, the kids were mesmerized and completely entertained.



Among the pricey items for sale (like a plastic mug for $15 and the aforementioned hat for $20), was this silly little lighted windmill thing, also for $20. I initially balked at buying such an overpriced toy that will probably break within a month, but once the show started and Thomas saw all of the other kids playing with theirs, I couldn't help it. During the intermission I made a quick trip the lobby to get one for Thomas. I'm a sucker for my kids sometimes. :)


All in all, it was a great show and well worth the price we paid. Thomas and Parker both enjoyed it so much. Thank you Nannie for coming along with us and making it a much easier outing for me! Can I say again how much I am loving your retirement? :)

Week in review

Whew! What a week! We made it through the first week with no school, but it sure was busy! Let's see... For a recap:

Monday: can't even remember Monday; seems like an eon ago
Tuesday: Aquarium and met Bob the Builder
Wednesday: went to the live Bob the Builder show at the Performing Arts Center
Thursday: Dinner downtown with friends to see a band in which their friends play...kids had a ball!
Friday: Took the boys to Kiawah to spend the day at the pool with a friend and her boys
Saturday: Trip to the pediatric ER for Thomas (canceled plans for Spoleto Children's Festival; he's fine now, btw)
Sunday: We all rested. Boys both slept in (past 8:00!!!) for a very welcome change.

And along the way Thomas thought it would be fun to try to prove me wrong. He decided he is not too big for the Jumperoo!


Parker decided that food belongs in his hair, but he does enjoy semolina pastina:


Food. He wears it well, and often.


Thomas got caught red handed...or more like blue and green handed...


And I've decided that life would be so easy if I could get the boys to always just stay put in the laundry basket:


More details on some of the week's events to come soon...

Thomas meets a "superstar"

Thomas met a superstar today...at least as far as he is concerned. We went to the aquarium today to meet some friends and we had a great time. We had not been out the house in a few days and today was our first Tuesday without school, so it was great! A few of Thomas' school friends were there along with some other friends. It was perfect! And to top it all off, I knew there was a possibility he would meet a (preschooler's) superstar...and he did!



I forgot my camera, so all I had was my cellphone, but it worked well enough. That's Thomas and his friend Eli along with Bob the Builder! Thomas was so excited and completely in awe. He just kept looking up at Bob and followed him wherever he went. It was great.

The aquarium folks were staging this picture of Bob surrounded by kids, but it was not good from a lighting perspective. Still you can see Thomas looking up at Bob...


There is a live Bob show in Charleston tomorrow and we will be there. I bought tickets before they even officially went on sale as a birthday gift for Thomas. He saw a little commercial on a video once of "Bob dancing" (it was a recording of the live show) and he loved it. He asked me to play "Bob dancing" over and over and over again. And even though he's not as into Bob as he once was, I know he's going to love the show tomorrow.

The Aquarium sent out a notice last Friday about a special members only event with Bob today at the aquarium to meet him and build a wooden sailboat. I called right after I got the email (about three hours after it was sent out) and the event was already booked up. I didn't realize until after I got home today that our names were on the waiting list (didn't know there was one!), but it was okay. I think all Thomas wanted to do was meet Bob and we accomplished that. We already had today's trip planned when I found out Bob would be there and I figured maybe if we hung around long enough he'd show up and he did. It was great.



Thomas didn't want to let Bob go. He just wanted to keep hanging out with him. Though he did ask me, "Why is Bob not talking?" :) I told him that Bob is going to sing and dance tomorrow and he needs to save his voice so he can sing for all the children.



I look forward to tomorrow and seeing how much Thomas (and Parker) enjoy the show. I know we won't be able to get up close and personal with Bob tomorrow so I'm so happy he had this little treat today!

Limbo video

Thought I'd share a little video from the class party. I took it during the game of Limbo. Notice that I had to stop recording to go rescue Parker (who seemed to want to take his own turn. I told him it wasn't fair since he could naturally get much lower than the other kids.). :)



Kids are cute. Though I realize this video is not really all that interesting. It was much more fun being there and watching the little kids try this game.

Last day of school

Today was Thomas' last day of school! i'm so sad about it...partly because he is just growing up so fast, but also because now I've got to entertain him those two mornings a week. I'm sure I cannot even come close to creating any kind of art projects and other things like he has been doing at school.

Today his class had an end-of-the-year party:


It was a luau theme and very cute. That's Thomas sitting next to his friend Ella. She is one of the few who is also switching from two mornings to three next year (like Thomas) and I'm hoping that they will be in the same class.

As usual, the kids enjoyed their party and their special snacks:




Parker enjoyed it from the sidelines...


After snacktime the kids tried their skills at a game of limbo:

Thomas' technique needs a little work. :)

Ella decided to make the game really hard. Limbo LOWER now...




Parker and Ella's little brother enjoyed testing out the toys. They're looking forward to their turn at the 2s class in Fall 2010. Oh my! That's just next year! It has been funny this year because about half of Thomas' classmates have siblings the age of Parker and all of them are boys!

Parker cannot wait for his turn!


Thomas' first year of school has been great. While I cannot believe how quickly it has gone by, I'm so thankful for all that this year of school has done for Thomas. When he first started going last August, he was timid and every morning I dropped him off he would cling to me and usually cry. Today when I took him he started running into his classroom as soon as he rounded the corner and the room was in sight. I had to follow him in there and ask him to tell me goodbye. That's about how it has been for weeks (or months!) now.

His class was perfect...six boys (two named Thomas and two named Parker!) and six girls. He has made new friends and learned so many new things. When he first started going last summer he didn't participate much with the art projects, but now he comes home with such elaborate creations. I know I have to keep them forever!

His teachers have been wonderful. They always have two teachers in the classroom (a lead teacher and an assistant). The assistant position actually changed three times in his class this year, but he has loved all three and transitioned quite well. In the end he finished with these two teachers and they have been fabulous. And they both say that Thomas is a very sweet boy.


(Mrs. K is the main teacher (the one holding Thomas) and Miss C is the assistant.)

Yes, Thomas only went two mornings a week and I know it was only a class for 2-year olds, but I still felt a lot of pressure to choose the right school for him. I think we did. We couldn't have been more pleased. Mrs. K said Thomas loves school and she thinks he will do great transitioning to three mornings next year. He would be going to a bit of summer camp this summer, but he has to be potty trained first. Since that is not going so well, he's currently not scheduled to go until late July and early August. We sure are going to miss school!

As an aside, I should mention that I begged Thomas for 30 minutes to let me take a picture of him with his teachers. He kept telling me no, even to the point of tears. He does not like to pose for pictures! I kept offering all sorts of bribes. Finally, we were two of the last people there and I was still trying. I threw out an offer for a "stick popscicle" as soon as we got home (you know, the cheap Flavo-Ice things that come in the little plastic wrappers and you have to push them up?). And he said, "Okay." And then he posed and smiled perfectly. Little stinker. If only potty training could be that easy!

Showertime fun

One of the things Thomas enjoys most about going to his Nannie & Papa's house is bathing in their spacious shower. He gets all sandy down at the lake and then comes and enjoys a nice, very long shower. I tried to avoid taking any truly "naked" pictures, but I'm sure I'll end up taking a few of these down. But for now, I thought I'd share.

He really enjoys the hand-held showerhead:




Getting clean is so much fun!


But it's really hard work!


If he was Miss California, would this picture make him lose his crown? Or rather, maybe if he was Miss California we'd have much bigger problems on our hands. :)

(The crocs, by the way, are for slip prevention.)

I'm sure he's to blame for a higher water bill for my parents lately!


Oh, to find such joy in the little things!

Caterpillar picnic videos

As mentioned in the previous post, all of the 2s enjoyed their annual Very Hungry Caterpillar Picnic at James Island County Park last Friday. It was a lot of fun. And even though they opened up the new playground just in time for the picnic (which was great), what Thomas really, really liked was the Spray Play area across the field. Here are some videos that show a little bit of how much fun he had...

In this first one, the little boy in the red bathing suit who is rolling on the ground with Thomas is his buddy, Braxton. He has the cutest smile.






He's behind the big fountain (you can see him for a moment at the left side) at the beginning of this and then runs to the right side.



Thomas cannot wait to go back and I'm trying to use a return visit as bribery for potty training. We'll see if it helps!

Though I will say, I imagine on any given day it won't be just a bunch of 2-3 year olds. I think Thomas' teacher estimated it was 80 kids (2-3 year olds). It was wild!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Picnic

Last Friday, we attended the annual Very Hungry Caterpillar Picnic at James Island County Park for all of the 2s classes at Thomas' school. He had so much fun. Thomas was very excited about it and the weather was perfect that day. Parker seemed to enjoy it too and I'm sure looks forward to his own picnic in two years!

All the kids wore the t-shirts they made in class. Thomas was very proud of his.


I should have made him stand a little closer to the banner, but he was in a hurry to get over to Spray Play.

The park recently renovated the playground and it was supposed to be finished before the picnic. Then they told us it would not be ready until later that afternoon. Apparently the right people made phone calls and it was magically ready the morning of the picnic (as had been promised).

Thomas enjoyed the new play area (and Parker liked all the new shady spots)...


But as soon as the water was turned on at the Spray Play area, he wanted to check it out. He ran across the field very excitedly:

(He's the little guy to the right)

As the videos in the previous post attest, he had so much fun.




This is Thomas and his buddy Braxton. That was the first name he ever told me of a friend at school and he still talks about him (and playing trucks with him) all the time. I'm sure he will miss Braxton over the summer and next year (they will not be going the same days next year).


I don't know these girls, but Thomas is never afraid to make new friends. He likes to talk to everyone!


Parker watched from afar and enjoyed an occasional misting from the fountains:


Finally I convinced him to leave Spray Play and come have our picnic lunch under the trees. He ate quickly so he could get back to enjoying more fun and games, like trying his hand at baseball.


And bubbles!


Just to show the other side of their cute shirts...


Thomas has had such a great first year of school. He has only gone two mornings a week, but he has really enjoyed his time there. Nowadays when I take him to school, he starts running when he gets in sight of his classroom and only tells me goodbye if I ask him to stop playing long enough to do it! It seems forever ago that he was shedding tears, holding on tightly to my legs. I'm so proud of how well he has done.

I know he will miss his teacher dearly. He has loved her so. At the picnic he wasn't cooperating well for a picture with her, but we managed to make one work.


He only has one more day of school left! I don't know who will be more sad about that on Thursday, him or me!?! :)