Mixed Observations From My 3.5-Year-Old

Welcome to the September 2015 Carnival of Natural Parenting: Kids Blogging
This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have let their children take over writing and sharing.

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I know I've probably said this at every stage of my son's life, but this current stage has got to be my favorite.

Specifically, I love how verbal Bug is. I love how his use of language has evolved over the past few years, how's he's always gaining more vocabulary words and improving his ability to clearly pronounce the words he already knows. I love how he's forming opinions on various subjects. I love how he likes to tell little stories about things that have happened recently or describe the plotlines of books he's been reading.

And, as any parent knows (or will know soon enough, if they've only got pre-verbal kids so far), sometimes the things that come out of his little mouth are simply amazing. Sometimes he makes me laugh, and other times he offhandedly offers up comments that would be offensive in different circumstances and from a different speaker. Sometimes his astute grasp of matters just blows my mind.

Showing off his glitter tattoo from a library event. He wanted a spider that was yellow and orange and red and pink.

I know it's impossible to really accurately portray just how much I love the things my Bug says using written words, so I'll just pass the mic to him, so to speak. Below are a handful of quotes from my little guy, along with a smattering of pictures of recent creations and general cuteness. Enjoy!

He always loves coming to Penzey's, the spice store, with me, probably because he gets to color and then hang his artwork on their wall.

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First, a brief interview:

How old are you?
     I'm three years old.
What's your favorite cartoon and what's it about? 
     The world one [Word World], how to make letters. How to make things.
What are you good at doing?
     Scootering!
What's your favorite color?
     Black. And green, blue, and red.
What's your favorite animal?
     Yucky snails right now, because I really love them. And kitties do love snails!
What's your favorite book?
      Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs
What's your favorite game to play with Daddy?
     Pathfinder. First, I need a little guy, then I find a path, then I go into the big Ender Portal,
     because the Ender Portal that I go in is very, very dangerous.
If you could change your name, what would you change it to?
     Mommy. Or Green.
What is your favorite food?
     Vegetables. Pasta and chickpeas.
What is your favorite toy?
     My rabbit. It's hiding somewhere.
What's your favorite thing to do outside?
     Make construction sites.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
     I really want to go to work. [He wouldn't specify what kind. And that was the end of that.]

In case you're wondering, this is how Bug plays Pathfinder. We'll make a (tabletop) gamer out of this boy yet!

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When I fart in the water it makes bubbles! And now I'm gonna make a really big fart. And it'll make a really, really, really, really big bubble. And then I'll go inside it. But then you can pop it and I'll be free again.

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Mommy, your butt is so squishy!

A self-portrait.

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I love the rabbit song. But then a skeleton came along and died the bunny. And now it's gone forever.

A little creation.

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Sometimes, Bug and I play this game where we go back and forth saying different parts of each other that we love. And sometimes, he picks rather obscure things about me to love.

Me: I love your... shoulders!
Bug: I love your elbows!
Me: I love your tummy!
Bug: I love your belly button!
Me: I love your ears!
Bug: I love your earwax!

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I love you right up to the moon! And then over the moon, and into a forest, and through a field, and into a barn.

Playing with watercolors. His grandma says he's channeling a little Bob Ross here.

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Bug: I like Warrior 2. I also like Warrior 5.
Me (perplexed): Warrior 5? How do you do Warrior 5?
Bug: You put one leg up like this, and both hands down. No, Mama, you're doing it wrong.

You know how Trader Joe's gives stickers to kids at the register? Well, this is where most of Bug's usually end up.

Showing off the (somewhat creepy-looking, but don't tell him that!) mask he made.

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Visit Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!
Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:
(This list will be updated by afternoon September 8 with all the carnival links.)

• Life in Mexico—from the perspective of my 13 year old son — Survivor's teenage son at Surviving MexicoAdventures and Disasters shares his perspective on living in rural Mexico.
• Baby Boy Working & Blogging — Baby Boy takes over the blog, he has so much work to do. Then, Life Breath Present writes a letter from his perspective about her working and blogging.
• Videos of a family learning & having fun — Prompted by her kids, Lauren and the rest of the crew at Hobo Mama have started a YouTube channel of Pirate Family Fun & Learning.
• Mixed Observations From My 3.5-Year-Old — Holly at Leaves of Lavender shares some fun quotes from her 3.5-year-old son, along with some fun pictures.
• My 7 Year Old’s 5 Favorite Things About Homeschooling — Dionna at Code Name: Mama's son, Kieran, has always loved homeschooling. Today he is sharing 5 of his favorite reasons.
• A Four-Year-Old with A Lot to Say — After a summmer full of fun, Todd talks for the blog Parental Intelligence about all that he enjoyed such as time visiting with Grandma and Grandpa that included going to a play Grandpa wrote that his uncle acted in.

Never Stop Learning

Welcome to the August 2015 Carnival of Natural Parenting: Life Learners
This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama. This month our participants have talked about how they continue learning throughout life and inspire their children to do the same.

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When I was younger, I used to secretly believe that others were judging me for the amount of "formal" education I had completed.

I graduated high school, then I pushed my way through two and a half years of community college. With an associate degree to hang on my wall, I was ready to be done. I was burned out on school. I didn't want to take on gigantic loans in order to complete a four-year degree. I didn't even know what I'd major in if I did keep going. And since I was about to move out of my mama's house and into my own apartment, with my then-boyfriend-now-husband, I knew I would need to devote my time and energy to working and paying the bills.

I was at peace with that decision on a personal level, but since I had so many friends who got a Bachelor's and beyond, and since I worked with so many people who had so much more education than me, I always found myself wondering on some level whether it was really enough. Would people respect me more if I had a higher degree? Would I get paid more? Would it be worth the time, energy, and money to pursue more schooling? Should I go back?

Ultimately, I never did go "back" to school. Well, I'm currently working on a certificate program, but I never went back for a B.A. And I'm not sure that I ever will.

But that doesn't mean I stopped learning.

On the contrary, I think that the most important things I know now are things that I have taught myself in the years since finishing high school and college. (I don't actually remember much of what I learned in school, to be honest... I was always good at writing essays and taking tests, but not at actually retaining information for long-term use.)

Most of the things I pride myself in knowing now are not subjects I set out to learn about. Not formally, anyway. Most of them are, to me, life skills. Things that, as I grew and understood myself better, I realized I needed to know more about in order to become the kind of person I aspired to be. Things that can be taught in a classroom, but that really need to be experienced in real life in order to fully have a handle on.

When I first moved out, I honestly didn't know how to cook. This was despite growing up with a mama who cooked for most of my younger years, despite voluntarily taking a cooking class in high school. Sure, I could bake cookies and pumpkin pie. I could make macaroni and cheese from a box and heat up frozen veggies. I could boil frozen tortellini and dress them with jarred marinara sauce.
But I didn't know how to cook. And I realized that if I wanted to be successful and happy as a vegetarian, I needed to learn how to cook. Real food. And so I did.

My mama is fond of saying that anyone who can read is capable of cooking. And that is so completely true, at least in my experience. I bought cookbooks and found recipes that sounded appealing. I looked up cooking terms on the Internet when I didn't understand them. I got into the kitchen and, by golly, I learned how to cook! Sure, I failed on a number of occasions along the way. I burned things, undercooked things, turned out a few meals that D and I couldn't eat more than a single bite of. But the more I practiced, the better I got. And while I'm certainly no expert chef now, I can cook the kind of food I like and want. And I am relatively confident that I can pick up any new cookbook, any new recipe, and have a good chance of successfully reproducing that meal on my own.

Teaching Bug to knead bread.

For me, that's the way a lot of learning has happened over the years: a willingness to discover new skills + lots of reading and researching on my own time.

When I wanted to learn how to knit, I took a class to help me get the basics down. I followed the class up with lots of practice and a bunch of pattern books. I'm not a particularly talented knitter, but when I have the time (not often, these days), I can follow almost any pattern and produce something workable.

When I decided I wanted to learn how to can things, I bought a book, hit the farmers' market for some produce, and made a few jars of jam. I've burned a batch or two, but I've also become proficient enough that I haven't bought jam from the store for years.

When I wanted to learn more about yoga, I started out with DVDs and books, then eventually graduated to taking live classes. I can practice now at home, on my own, building strength and flexibility on my own schedule, when I need to decompress or just get comfortable in my own skin.

When Bug watches me practice, he usually wants to practice too! Which then encourages me to practice more often!

When I was pregnant, I picked up tons of books to learn how to give birth. After I finally figured out which books were the good ones, I learned the basics but ultimately learned that I'd have to rely on myself, since birth is truly not something you can learn ahead of time (although classes and reading are a great way to prepare yourself!). And when I opened myself to trusting my intuition, I learned that I could, in fact, give birth exactly the way I wanted to. All of my parenting "skills" have been acquired in much the same way: listening to my intuition and reading any and all books that seem to speak to the kind of parent I want to be.

When I wanted to start making Halloween costumes for my son, I went out and bought a sewing machine. I poured over the instruction manual, learned how to read patterns, watched a few videos on YouTube, and eventually turned out a pretty decent costume. Since then, I've made pajama pants for the entire family, and I'm looking forward to some other sewing projects in the future.

These skills have served me so much better than anything I've ever learned in formal school. And I learn more every day, simply by continuing to remain open to new experiences.

This is not to say that there is no value in formal education; there is plenty, and different amounts work for different people. But school is not the only place where learning takes place, and learning doesn't stop once we've got that diploma hanging on the wall. We are so much more than the sum of our degrees and certificates.

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Visit Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting! Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:

• The Financial Advice That Saved My Marriage — Shortly after they got married, Emily at Natural Parents Network and her husband visited a financial planner. Many of the goals and priorities they set back then are now irrelevant, but one has stuck with them through all of the employment changes, out-of-state-moves, and child bearing: allowances.
• Lifelong Learning — Survivor at Surviving Mexico--Adventures and Disasters writes about how her family's philosophy of life-long learning has aided them.
• Inspiring Children to be Lifelong Learners — Donna from Eco-Mothering discusses the reasons behind her family's educational choices for their daughter, including a wish list for a lifetime of learning.
• Always Learning — Kellie at Our Mindful Life loves learning, and lately she's undertaken a special project that her family has been enjoying sharing with her.
• We're all unschoolers — Lauren at Hobo Mama embraces the joy in learning for its own sake, and wants to pass that along to her sons as she homeschools.
• My children, my teachers — Stoneageparent shares how becoming a parent has opened doors into learning for her and her family, through home education and forest school.
• Never Stop Learning — Holly at Leaves of Lavender discusses her belief that some of the most important things she knows now are things she's learned since finishing "formal" schooling.
• Learning is a Lifelong Adventure — Learning has changed over time for Life Breath Present, and she is more excited and interested now than ever before.
• Facebook: The Modern Forum — Dionna at Code Name: Mama explains why Facebook is today's forum - a place where people from all walks of life can meet to discuss philosophies, debate ideas, and share information.
• 10 Ways to Learn from Everyday Life (Inspired by my Life in Japan) — Erin at And Now, for Something Completely Different offers tips she learned while living in Japan to help you learn from everyday life.

8 Summer Picture Books for Toddlers & Preschoolers

Welcome to the July 2015 Carnival of Natural Parenting: Summer Fun
This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have talked about how to get out and enjoy the warmer season as a family.

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It's officially summer, and what better way to celebrate than with a good book?
July is when the temperatures really start to heat up in Southern California, and on days when we don't have a car, going out to parks or the beach isn't really an option. So instead, we fall back upon our favorite pastime: reading.

With that thought, here is a (short) list of eight picture books that I feel really embody the feel of summer. If you're looking for something new to add to your bookshelves at home, or even just something to borrow from your local library, give one of these a try.

Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey

A little girl goes blueberry picking with her mother, while a little bear goes blueberry eating with his mother. But little ones sometimes get tired of walking, and before they know it, the families have gotten separated and all mixed up! I loved this book when I was a child, so I made sure to find a copy after I had a child of my own. And, not surprisingly, my son loves this story! Blueberry season is in full swing around here, and he just loves curling up with a big bowl of blueberries and our battered well-loved copy of Blueberries for Sal. The story is sweet, and my three-year-old loves the pictures, despite the fact that they are black-and-white. This is a year-round favorite for us, but it just seems extra perfect during the warm months when blueberries are freshly available.

Poppy the Pirate Dog by Liz Kessler

When the Brown family goes on vacation to the seashore, they bring along their dalmatian dog, Poppy. And when Poppy finds a skull-and-crossbones scarf at a local store, it doesn't take long for the kids to dub her "Poppy the Pirate Dog." The family tries all kinds of boat trips that week, but none of them seem quite right to Poppy. Will she ever find her pirate ship? Aside from the fact that this story takes place during summer vacation, Poppy the Pirate Dog has a sense of adventure and playfulness that just embodies the summer season. This book consists of five short chapters, and this format combined with its simple vocabulary make it a great choice for early readers, although even non-readers will love the story and adorable pictures.

Let It Shine by Maryann Cocca-Leffler

If you're looking for a short, easy read, then Let It Shine has you covered. Except reading this book is, for us anyway, anything but short! Sure, there aren't a huge amount of words, but just exploring the gorgeous illustrations in this book will keep little ones busy for a good while. These pictures invite so many questions, both on the part of parents (as an educational thing) and on the part of curious youngsters. Some people think that this book (and the others in the seasonal series) are best suited for really young kids, but don't be surprised if your child continues to enjoy it through preschool and beyond.

Biscuit's First Beach Day by Alyssa Satin Capucilli

It's time for a beach adventure with Biscuit, everyone's favorite yellow puppy! (Well, perhaps not the favorite of everyone... I know a lot of parents who quickly get tired of the endless "Woof, woof!"s, but we continue to enjoy this series in our home.) Biscuit plays in the ocean, hunts for seashells, and has a picnic with his friend, Puddles, and the little girls who love them both. Biscuit's First Beach Day is great for younger readers, although most preschoolers will love it too, especially if they are a fan of other books featuring this undeniably adorable puppy.

Llama Llama Sand & Sun by Anna Dewdney

Llama Llama is off to the beach with his mama! This cute, short (did I mention it's short!?) board book is full of touch-and-feel action. There isn't much of a story, per se, but there is plenty for little fingers to explore, and the simple rhyming words make it potentially a good teaching book for learning readers. This one probably won't hold the attention of little ones over the age of four or five, but for really, really little kids, especially kids who already love other books about Llama Llama, this one is pretty fun.

Baby Loves Summer! by Karen Katz

What kinds of fun summer things can baby discover in this lift-the-flap book? How about ice cream, an inner tube, and, of course, the sun! Here's another one that's great for young readers, but probably won't really be enjoyed too much by older preschoolers or kindergarteners. Karen Katz's bright illustrations and fun patterns are much loved by children (my three-year-old son still adores her books!), while the lift-the-flap format is great for babies and toddlers (so long as parents can accept the fact that the flaps will most likely be torn off at some point...). Personally, I am less fond of this book than some of the others by this author, but my son loves it all the same.

The Berenstain Bears Go to Camp by Stan & Jan Berenstain

A list of summer picture books wouldn't be complete without one celebrating the honorable tradition of summer camp, even if most preschoolers are still years away from the experience. When Brother Bear and Sister Bear agree to try out Grizzly Bob's Day Camp, they're not sure what it'll be like. But it only takes a few days before they discover just how much fun camp is, and soon they're playing games, making crafts, and developing new skills! Like all Berenstain Bears books, The Berenstain Bears Go to Camp is a big lengthy for a picture book, but my son, at least, loves it anyway. The book has a nice message and the usual cute illustrations, and it's in heavy rotation in our home.

The Sunchildren: Celebrating the Summer Solstice by Ancient Amber

For families who are interested in celebrating the season in a nontraditional way, the books in "The Sunchildren" series have you covered. Celebrating the Summer Solstice is about just that: creative thanksgiving for the beginning of summer. The artwork is friendly and fun, and the clever story will appeal to all children, while parents will find themselves charmed by the idea, even if they themselves don't celebrate the solstice.




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Visit Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!
Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:

• All my Summers — The Barefoot Mama reflects on summers past and talks about the changing dynamics of her family life.
• Wild summer days — Stoneageparent shares some of the many delights the summer offers to her already nature loving, outdoor family.
• How to Make a Messy Fun Car Emergency Kit (+ a Recipe for Homemade Disinfecting Wipes) — It can be a huge pain to clean up muddy, sandy kids before they climb in the car, but what would childhood be without the wonder of dirt and mud and nature?! Today Dionna at Code Name: Mama is sharing a few handy things to keep in the trunk of your car year-round so that you feel more comfortable with the mess.
• The Best Part of Summer — Rachael at The Variegated Life has a portable escape route that helps her enjoy all of summer.
• 8 Summer Picture Books for Toddlers & Preschoolers — Holly at Leaves of Lavender offers a list of eight picture books that celebrate the warmth of summer.
• How to help your kids run a marathon, mile by mile — Lauren at Hobo Mama shares how to make a family racing goal manageable even for movement-averse children with regular small-scale training and lots of motivation.
• Montessori-Inspired Compass Rose Activities and Outdoor Compass Walks — Deb Chitwood at Living Montessori Now shares links to free Montessori-inspired compass rose printables along with compass activities and outdoor compass walks ... perfect for summer learning.
• Summer Takes — A quick look through pictures of what Life Breath Present and family have been up to so far this summer!

A Letter to Myself

Welcome to the June 2015 Carnival of Natural Parenting: Talking to Yourself
This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama. This month our participants have written letters to themselves. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.

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Dear Me of Three Years Ago,

Four months old. Hard to believe, isn't it? This is such a precious time.

Wait a second, I hear you saying. If you're about to go off on some sentimental BS pontification about how I should enjoy this moment because he'll grow so quickly... You can shove it.

Crazy mama of a four-year-old!

I get it. I really do.

Having a four-month-old is hard. Really freakin' hard. You're still sleep deprived, and the fact that you only sleep in two-hour increments (when you're lucky) has really started to take a toll. You feel like a zombie during a good portion of your waking moments. Your boobs hurt, even though both you and baby have mostly gotten the hang of breastfeeding. They still leak sometimes, too. That breastfeeding hunger has you in its grasp, and you feel constantly ravenous (and your nursing station always seems to be out of healthy snacks). You are always parched; even when you drink water all day, you're still thirsty.

But this really is a sweet time. It may be hard to fully appreciate now, but life as you know it just keeps on changing, and soon you'll miss these days.

I'm not just talking about the "he'll never be this small again" thing, although that is absolutely true. There are so many aspects of life right now that are soon going to change dramatically.

I mean, right now, you're really in a great place. Physically, at least. The postpartum bleeding, the lochia, is completely gone and has been for awhile. Your regular monthly cycle hasn't come back. You've moved beyond the worst of the breastfeeding issues, and have settled into a comfortable rhythm of feeding completely on cue. Baby still sleeps a goodly chunk of every day (spoiler alert: in three years, he'll hardly be napping at all), which means you can still slip in a daily nap or two of your own with relative ease.

And when you're not napping, you still have time to do some uninterrupted reading. Take a shower, perhaps. Or maybe even watch a little Netflix. Please take advantage of this now, because when you get to where I am, it's a whole lot harder. You probably don't want to know how little time you'll be able to carve out for movies when another few months (or years) have passed.

And now that you've well and truly gotten into a babywearing groove, you're much more mobile. During those times when baby doesn't just fall asleep while nursing, you can instead strap him to your chest and let him snooze there. You can get up and go! You can do almost anything!

It's hard to believe, but someday you will miss these days where the only thing you're expected to do is sit around and nurse a baby. Seriously. No one expects you to do much of anything around the house right now, because being a mother takes almost every ounce of your energy. Before you know it, you'll have to find time to get your home back to some semblance of clean again. At least every once in awhile. You'll have to start cooking real food again (although that's more because you want it than because anyone else expects it of you). You'll actually have to start folding the laundry again, rather than just leaving giant piles of clean clothes for the family to sift through.

And speaking of breastfeeding, have I mentioned how awesome it is that you're still doing so exclusively?! Good job, you/me! You want to know what one of the bonuses of exclusive BF is? Being able to eat pretty much whatever you want. You need those extra calories every day, after all, and you already know that you'll drop the baby weight eventually. No rush there. Eat all the trail mix and dried fruit you want! Enjoy those occasional milk shakes! Your body is burning through it all, believe me, so enjoy that freedom while it lasts. Because it won't be for too much longer.

I'm not trying to make light of things, I'm really not. I'm not so far beyond those challenging early days that I've forgotten how hard it is to learn how to be a mother. That is an ongoing task, and three plus years in, I still learn something new every day. Please don't beat yourself up too much for all the things you don't know yet. You have plenty of time to learn more. Just keep on going to your friends and family for advice, reading, and, above all else, trusting your own instincts. It's an ongoing process, and your parenting skills will continue to evolve as needed.

Let me get a bit sentimental here, though. It really does go by fast. If you ever start to get sick of breastfeeding constantly, well, remember that someday your baby will no longer be nursing at all. If holding him for almost every waking hour of the day makes your arms ache, understand that you're providing him with the secure attachment he needs right now... and someday soon, he'll hardly let you carry him at all, and you'll only get the briefest of hugs and kisses. If you get tired of being the only place where he wants to sleep, know that eventually he'll climb out of your bed all on his own, retreating to his own sleeping nest after those middle of the night snuggles.

You'll miss these days. It's hard to imagine, but you will. Having a four-month-old is so hard sometimes that it's easy to lose sight of how wonderful it is, too.

Soak it up while you can.

Love, me

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Visit Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting! Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:

• Dear Me. — Meegs at A New Day writes to her decade-younger self offering a good reminder of how far she's come, and she addresses some fears she wishes future her could assuage.
• Reflecting on Motherhood with Parental Intelligence: A Letter to Myself — Laurie Hollman, Ph.D. at Parental Intelligence writes about raising her two loving, empathic sons with Parental Intelligence and finding they have become industrious, accomplished young men with warm social relationships.
• A Letter to Myself — The Barefoot Mama writes to herself in the moments around the birth of her daughter.
• A Letter to Myself — Holly at Leaves of Lavender offers a missive to herself in the past... three years in the past, to be precise, when her little one was only four months old.
• Dear me: Nothing will go the way you've planned — Lauren at Hobo Mama gets real with her just-starting-parenting self and tells it to her straight.
• A Letter to the Mama Whom I Will Become — Erin from And Now, for Something Completely Different writes a letter to the Mama whom she will one day be, filled with musings on the past, present, and future.
• Dear Me of 7 Years Ago — Lactating Girl at The Adventures of Lactating Girl writes to her pre-baby self telling her about the whirlwind she's about to enter called parenting.
• Talking to My 18 Year Old Self — HannahandHorn talks to herself as she is just entering college.
• Dear highly sensitive soul — Marija Smits tells a younger version of herself that motherhood will bring unexpected benefits - one of them being the realization that she is a highly sensitive person.
• Talking to myself: Dear Pre Stoneageparent — Stoneageparent enlightens her pre-pregnant self about the amazing transformations life has in store for her after having two children
• Dear Me: I love you. — Dionna at Code Name: Mama wrote herself a few little reminders to help her be at peace with who she is in the moment. That may give her the greatest chance of being at peace in the future, too.
• My best advice to the new mama I was 8 years ago — Tat at Mum in Search shares the one thing she wishes she'd figured out earlier in a letter to her 8-years-ago self (that's when her first baby was 6 moths old).
• A Letter to Myself — Bibi at The Conscious Doer sends a letter back in time eight years to her darkest moment post partum.
• To me, with love — Jessica at Crunchy-Chewy Mama makes peace with her past and projects what a future her will need to hear.
• To Myself on the Last Day — Rachael at The Variegated Life tells her panicked last-day-before-motherhood self not to worry.

Saving Family Stories

Welcome to the April 2015 Carnival of Natural Parenting: Family History
This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama. This month our participants have shared stories, lore, and wisdom about family history. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.
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When I was in high school, my English and history classes were kinda/sorta combined into a program called American Threads. If I remember it correctly (this was 10+ years ago, mind you), the biggest idea was to try to tie together themes between the events we were studying in history and the books we were reading in English.

Like most of high school, I don't really remember very much of what we taught. (I was a great student... when it came to memorizing facts to pass tests. Long-term retention? Not so much.) I remember playing this fantastic role-playing game related to the American Revolution. (I remember that because, of course, role-playing games are AWESOME.) I remember the names of some of the books we read (but again, not much about the books themselves; lots of those are back on my mental reading list, to be revisited someday). I remember that we really didn't get as far in history as we had been promised at the beginning of the year.

What I remember most was this big personal history project we did. It involved family trees, collecting old photographs, and stories. I learned a lot about my family through that project. I'm pretty sure I even have the final project saved away in a box somewhere.

Now that I have a child of my own, I find that I appreciate the ideas behind that project a lot more. At the time, it was a lot of work and stress to put together. Looking back now, it was nice to have a chance to compile some old pictures and to learn more about my parents and grandparents, and to have some of those stories written down to refer back to later. No matter what, so long as I keep my copy of the project, I will always have some pictures from my childhood, pictures of my parents when they were younger, pictures of my grandparents. I will always have some of those family stories written down.

To be truthful, it actually kind of makes me want to gather more stories, more photographs, so that I will have them for Bug when he's ready to learn more about his family.

What to do? I want to start collecting family history for my son. I want to ask my parents and in-laws to write down stories for us, in their own words, about things in their lives that are important to them. I want to encourage them to tell more stories around the dinner table on the occasions when we are all gathered in one place. I want to get family trees and create photo albums.

I want to know about favorite memories from childhood, notable vacations or camping trips, journeys to foreign countries or across our own country.

I want to know what school was like, both for the novel experience of comparing school experiences between generations (because surely there's a big difference between my high school years and those of my mother, for example) and because, as of now, there's a good chance my son will be homeschooled and never know what a formal school setting feels like at all firsthand.

I want to know about college experiences, as well. Bug has many family members who went to college for different reasons, and at different stages in their lives. I want to know about what was studied, and whether it eventually led to a career. I want Bug to understand that sometimes we know early on what we want to do with our lives, but it's also perfectly okay to change your mind a few times.

I want to know birth stories. I want Bug to hear his own birth story, of course (and I love talking about Bug's birth, so there's little chance of him not knowing it!), but I also want him to hear about what birth was like for his grandmothers, his aunt, other family members. I may have an ulterior motive here, since I'm a birth junkie and I want to do my best to normalize birth for him, but I also think that birth just makes for some neat family lore.

I want to know all kinds of other stories about family. I want Bug to know where his grandmas and grandpas were born. I want him to know about the places they have lived and what kinds of jobs they have worked. I want him to hear stories of favorite pets, first cars, and famous ancestors.

Are you reading this, family? Write down your stories! Put them in your own words, with as many details as you can remember! Add pictures, if you have them!

And if you're not my family, consider writing down your stories for your own children and grandchildren. Someday, they will thank you for them!
***
Visit Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting! Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:

• They Come Through You — Aspen at Aspen Mama shares what her late-discovery adoption means to her and her family.
• The Shape of Our Family: Musings on Genealogy — Donna at Eco-Mothering delves into her genealogy and family stories, observing how the threads of family reveal themselves in her daughter.
• Hand family stories down to the next generation — Lauren at Hobo Mama asked her father to help her son learn to read — never expecting that Papa's string of richly storytelling emails would bring a treasure trove of family history into their lives.
• Saving Family Stories — Holly at Leaves of Lavender talks about why she thinks it's important to preserve fun and interesting family stories for future generations.
• Serenading Grandma — When Dionna at Code Name: Mama started playing violin in the fifth grade, her grandma and mother were the biggest part of her musical cheering section. Her grandma urged her to keep playing and reminded her that someday she'd be thankful for her talent. As was so often the case, her grandma was right.
• Family legacy ambivalence — With a family history of depression and suicide, Jessica at Crunchy-Chewy Mama frets about her children's emotional health.
• Seder and Holy Week: Family Traditions, Old and New — As an Episcopalian whose children's ancestry is five-eighths Jewish, Becca at The Earthling's Handbook values the annual Passover seder that connects her and the kids to family traditions.

The Days Are Just Packed

Welcome to the March 2015 Carnival of Natural Parenting: Day in the Life
This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have given us a special glimpse into their everyday.
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Life is always busy when one has a toddler!

Busy in a good way, of course. Most of the time.

Our days are filled with all kinds of fun. Breakfast...

Om nom nom.

Baking...

We would probably bake things every day if Bug had his way!

And of course, snuggles. Endless amounts of snuggles. I am so blessed to have a child who is so sweet and loving, who always has hugs and kisses for me and seems to care as much about my happiness (well, sometimes) as I care about his.

I love him so much I can't even.

Bug is an early riser. That means that most mornings, he wakes up sometime between 5:00 A.M. and 6:00 A.M. And no matter how kindly I ask him to try to sleep some more (or grumble at him to get back in bed, as the case may be), once he's up for the day there's no stopping him.

"Wake up, Mommy! It's morning!"

So after we get some food going, we usually have some quiet time at home. Partially because I need time for the caffeine to kick in. Partially because nothing is open that early in the morning. Partially because it's often too dark to go to the park. So we read books, or we color, we do housework, we play Minecraft, or we otherwise just spend time together.

Sometimes, coloring will actually entertain him long enough for me to get something done on my own!

I freely admit that Bug does get some cartoons every day. That's the best way for me to get my workout in, and since exercising helps keep me sane... well, sometimes a mama has to do what a mama has to do, right?

What we do during the day depends on all kinds of different factors. What day of the week is it? Do we have a car? Did we make plans with friends? Do we need to pick up more bananas? On Thursdays, we almost always go to the library for story time, and sometimes we go on Mondays as well (for sign language story time, which is twice a month). There are at least 5 parks within walking distance of us, and we try to go to a park of some sort at least once or twice a week. If we need to go to the grocery store, I usually end up getting Starbucks, because... well, Starbucks. Earl Grey tea lattes. Need I say any more?

Them cake pops, though. (And no, he doesn't get them very often. Stop judging me.)

One of the great things about living in San Diego is the abundance of beaches. There are so many beautiful beaches in this area. And since our weather is usually so pleasant, we can even hit the beach in winter.

Regardless of what we do, we try to get outdoors for at least part of the morning, weather permitting. Burn off some energy and be home by lunchtime.

At Sunset Cliffs in San Diego.

Bug is currently in the process of giving up his daily nap. Which makes life all kinds of fun for me, let me tell you. Most days, he does not nap, and most days he does pretty well without it; later in the afternoon, he might get a bit crabby or have small meltdowns over otherwise inconsequential things, but for the most part he has been handling the shift in his sleep patterns pretty well. (I, on the other hand, have been having a bit more trouble with it, but I am slowly adapting too.) But he does still nap once or twice a week, thankfully.

The elusive nap.

In the afternoons, whether a nap happened or not, we usually just hang out close to home. More reading, playing with his toys, doing jigsaw puzzles. Riding his tricycle outside, decorating the sidewalks outside with chalk.

Our neighbors love the brightly colored sidewalks! Right?

Often at some point, we make a trip to the mailbox. Bug loves going to the mailbox! He loves getting to run around outside, he loves seeing if there is any mail for him. (And often, there is; between his Highlights High Five magazine, books I order him from Paperback Swap, and little packages from his grandma, Bug does get mail with some regularity.)

Ready, set, GO!

Even the AAA magazine is exciting when you're three.

Eventually, it's time for dinner! I also feel blessed to have a child who will eat most anything I put in front of him. Whether it's pasta filled with veggies, omelets, tempeh chili mac, chana masala, stir fry, or something else exciting from one of my many cookbooks, Bug usually happily eats whatever D and I are eating.

More noms!

The bedtime routine starts sometime after dinner; the exact time depends on whether or not he took a nap (he goes to sleep earlier on no-nap days), what time D got home from work (sometimes he gets to stay up just a bit later to get some time in with Daddy), and whether or not he needs a bath.

Bug does get a bath (or a shower) most days. The vast majority of the time, it's just regular, clean water he sits in; he likes bubble baths sometimes, but I often don't use any kind of soap if he hasn't gotten particularly dirty. I try to get his hair wet, but I hardly ever shampoo it.

Why yes, that handle is reflective.

The rest of the evening routine consists of pajamas, bedtime snacks (sometimes it's the rest of his dinner, sometimes it's yogurt, sometimes it's an egg or some carrots or some fruit...), brushing teeth, and books, of course! (We read all day, actually; I couldn't even tell you how many books we read in a typical day.)

In our home, we read books about vegetables. Wearing underwear.

Then it's lights out! Nursing and snuggling. Sometimes a few songs.

And then sleep. Glorious sleep.
***
Visit Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!
Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:

• A Day as Mama and Data Manager — Becca at The Earthling's Handbook explains what she actually does as data manager of a social science research study, as well as Mama to a baby and a fourth-grader.
• Pictures of a Day — A photo montage of a typical day in the life of Life Breath Present! You can see how she wakes up and spends her time in quiet, to Baby Boy sleeping at dinner, making natural products, and so much more!
• Escaping a Mekong cityscape for a slice of rural life — It's often necessary for Nathalie of Kampuchea Crossings to escape the heady concrete jungle that Phnom Penh is rapidly becoming, for the calmer environment of rural life.
• Community-schooling — Dionna at Code Name: Mama and her family don't *home*school, they *community* school!
• A day in the Life in La Yacata — Read how Survivor and her family at Surviving Mexico Adventures and Disasters spend their Sundays off-grid in rural central Mexico.
• Day in the Life of the Cole Family — Stoneageparent details the everyday life of her family through twelve photos taken over twelve hours
• The Days Are Just Packed — Holly at Leaves of Lavender talks about the beauty and simplicity of daily life with a toddler.
• A Day In The Life of a Heavily Pregnant Naturally Parenting Mama — At 37 weeks pregnant, Sam Vickery of Love Parenting shares her current reality as she naturally parents her four-year-old and awaits her sweet baby.
• My Life in Pictures on a Random Day — Donna at Eco-Mothering captures a random winter day in Rhode Island through a series of snapshots. What seemed boring at first made her smile in the end.
• How One Book Inspired Our Whole Day: A Day in the Life — How to plan the whole day with a toddler after reading one book together from Rachael at B is for Bookworm.
• A day in the life of an unschooling, work-at-home family — Lauren at Hobo Mama shares a picture journey through a typical day with three little homeschooling boys.
• Day in the Life of a Toddler — From mess making to cleaning up to trying new things, All Natural Katie shows the life of a toddler.
• Things I have done today (and every other day for the past seven years) — Marija Smits shares what a 'normal' day looks like in her crazy world of kids, writing, creativity and household chores!
• Just Another Wednesday — Lactating Girl at The Adventures of Lactating Girl shares a glimpse into a typical Wednesday in her family's life.
• Day in the Life — Dr Sarah at Good Enough Mum gives us glimpses of her life as a British GP and mum.
• Our days, these days — Dietary restrictions and health issues take a lot of time for Jessica Claire at Crunchy-Chewy Mama, but she still follows her passions and tries to show up for her kids.
• A (Typical) Day in Our Life — ANonyMous at Radical Ramblings describes a typical day with two kids, eight cats and two dogs.

DIY Nursing Bra Conversion

Welcome to the February 2015 Carnival of Natural Parenting: Do It Yourself
This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants are teaching us how to make something useful or try something new.

***

I've been doing a lot of sewing lately.

I bought myself a sewing machine perhaps a year and a half ago, which is something I had wanted forever. I have dreams, my friends. Dreams of making curtains, of making blankets, of making occasional articles of clothing for my family (I did make my husband, son, and myself matching pairs of pajama pants for Christmas this year!), of making renaissance faire and Halloween costumes (last year, Bug was the man with the yellow hat, from Curious George).

What can I say? I just like sharing pictures of my boy!

Of course, many of my sewing dreams are on hold. For one thing, it's difficult to hang curtains in an apartment. For another, well, have you ever tried to sew with a toddler underfoot? Bug wants to push buttons. Bug wants to help me guide the fabric through the machine. Bug wants to (un)thread the needle. Bug wants to try his hand (er, foot) at using the foot pedal.

So when I do get to sew, it's usually in my husband's man cave, which is not really set up for being a sewing room. But the important thing is that I do get to sew occasionally!

And so when I say I've been doing a lot of sewing lately, I mean I sometimes sew in fits and starts, doing a project here or there, then putting my machine back into its lovely case for a few months or so, until I find a new project I simply must try out.

Today's project: convert one of my regular bras into a nursing bra. Because I'm cheap and don't want to buy an expensive one from the store. (And because, despite everything everyone has ever told me about how being a mother gives you bigger breasts, mine have stubbornly remained quite small, which makes it ridiculously hard to find nursing bras in the store that actually fit me!) It's really quite simple to make your own, and doesn't require a huge time commitment.

The convenience!

DIY Nursing Bra Conversion

Supplies Needed:

• bra (one that fits you well, please!)
• something to attach the bottom of the bra to the strap (I'm going to make slightly fancier strips of flannel cloth, because I can. But you can go much simpler; for the first nursing bra I ever converted, I used a soft shoelace. I've also heard elastic works well.)
• a clasp of some sort (hooks/eyes are cheap and easy to find; snaps might work if you're small-chested like me, some people use swimsuit hooks, or you could get fancy and get some actual nursing bra clasps; for this project, I am cannibalizing one of my nursing tank tops for its clasps, and the instructions will reflect that)
• thread (the same color as the bra, although I used a contrasting color to show a little better)
• needles (or a sewing machine, which I used)

1. Cut the strap from the bra cup. Make the cut right about at the level of your armpit, which will likely be about an inch above it, depending on the style of your bra.
2. Measure out whatever you plan to use to reattach the bottom of the cup to the strap; this will provide a little bit of support, and keep your bra from just falling apart when you detach the cup to nurse. Make sure that whatever you use follows the curve of the cup, so that it won't be cutting against your skin in any way when you are wearing the bra. And then add an extra inch or two, just for good measure. Cut two (one for each side).
3. Attach the bottom of your fabric strip/elastic/whatever to the cup. You may want to have it toward the middle of the cup, for a little support, or you may want to just attach it near the edge, if you worry about it being uncomfortable. Definitely make sure it's not going to be in a place where it will interfere with baby latching on!
4. Here's where the instructions get a little muddled, as it kind of depends on what kind of clasp you are using on your bra. I used nursing bra clasps for this one. Take the bottom part of the clasp; attach the top of the bottom clasp to the bra strap by threading it through the slit, folding it under, and sewing it closed. Attach your fabric strip/elastic/whatever to the bottom part of the bottom clasp, in the same manner as you attached the bra strap.
5. Attach the top clasp to the cup of the bra, by threading the very top of the cup through the slit, folding it under, and sewing it closed. Make sure you have the piece the right way so that it can attach to the other part of the clasp!

Various steps in the process. Feel free to leave comments if you need clarification, and I will try to explain better! And as you can see, you don't need to be good at sewing to make your own nursing bra.

And that's that! Pretty simple; the first one you make might take awhile, but even with no experience in the process it's a pretty quick process. You'll never need to buy a nursing bra again!
***
Visit Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!
Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:

• DIY: Homeschooling — Have you considered homeschooling but aren't sure how you could make it work? Kerry of City Kids Homeschooling offers some do-it-yourself encouragement in a guest post at Natural Parents Network.
• Super Easy Berry Freezie — Tracy at Raised Good shows how to make healthy, delicious, dairy-free ice-cream for toddlers and their families in under 10 minutes.
• How to Get Kids to Behave in Church — Becca at The Earthling's Handbook explains how she's been able to participate in religious activities that mean a lot to her, without being separated from her kids.
• Valentine's Slippers — A sneak peek at Life Breath Present's crochet process with some slippers for Hun for Valentine's Day this year!
• DIY Nursing Bra Conversion — Holly at Leaves of Lavender provides a quick tutorial for how to convert your favorite regular bra to a nursing bra.
• Make your own soothing postpartum pads — Lauren at Hobo Mama shows you how to freeze padsicles for perineal comfort after birth, plus bonus healing options.
• Beginning Knitting Project for Kids: Knit a Pikachu — What do you do with all of those practice squares you knit when you are a beginner? Turn them into Pokemon! Kieran, 7-year-old son of Dionna at Code Name: Mama, brings us a video tutorial for this awesome knitting project for kids and adults.
• Name Creations: An Inspiring Project that Builds Self-Esteem — Children love their names. Learn easy instructions for children, tweens and teens to put a dramatic name on their door or room wall from Laurie Hollman, Ph.D., at Parental Intelligence.
• Water-Bead Sensory Bottles for Babies, Toddlers, and Preschoolers — Deb Chitwood at Living Montessori Now shares a tutorial for making a rainbow of water-bead sensory bottles along with ideas for using them with babies, toddlers, and preschoolers.

This post is shared at the Healthy, Happy, Green, & Natural Party Hop on 2/9/2015.