My baby can read

My baby can read...

No not this baby...Although she is recognizing some letters and can count to 10, almost.

This Baby...

Who is soooo not a baby anymore....because he is now 4 and has started preschool....

Practically a man really. A man who drinks chocolate milk and has a stuffed mouse named Moppy.

No.... I didnt use My Baby Can Read.

Look at that baby! With the hat. Guess what kid? You also have to pass college Algebra. Recognizing your toes from a tiger wont get you that far in life! Good luck with that!

I am here today to urge you not to buy into that infomercial. ....The infomercial I would buy into however is that brownie pan that makes the individual brownies so they all have that "corner piece" affect. Thats amazing! Truly. Sign me up!

But back to Your Baby Can Read....I have news for you....this product is really called "My baby can memorize flash cards." Or...it could also be called "TV babysitter." But it really shouldnt be called "your baby can read".

For all of you who are thinking about buying into this program.....I need to share something important to you.....get ready...here it is....

TV time will not make your child a genius.

There I said it. Class dismissed.

.....No wait...come back...I have more to say.

Let me explain...

This program is aimed at getting your child to read by memorization or by sight. Now dont get me wrong. There is something to be said about sight words and visual context clues. Sight words are words children should learn through time and not have to spend time sounding out. Common words found in almost every book out there. www.k12reader.com/dolch-word-list/ (Downloadable lists for those interested)

Visual context clues help a child with difficult words....for example....if you child is reading a book and comes across the sentence "The cowboy rode his horse." And your child says "The cowboy rode his HOUSE."....and there is a bicture of a cowboy...rising a horse...you can point this out..."Is that a house? No a horse." See? Helpful.

However if your child sees a picture of an elephant and the word elephant is written on the page (or flashcard, or screen) and your kids yells ELEPHANT! ...pssstt...he's not reading...he sees an elephant. Thats why he's yelling.

Kids are smart and have the capability of memorizing...however memorizing is not the same as reading and take that same word out of the flashcard or screen and without a picture...can your kid read "The ELEPHANT was too sad and lonely to perform his circus trick?" Im going to guess no.

Look Im not trying to come down on any of you "My Baby can Read is the best thing since the brownie pan infomercial!!" people. I just ask you, if this is such a phenomena...such an amazing system, why isnt it in every preschool in America? Recommended by teachers? Why isnt illiteracy a thing of the past?

Why if only these people had a TV...then they could read!!( Is it me or is there something wrong with that?)

If you are really looking to get your child reading. Start him with phonics. Letter sounds. Blends...that sort of thing. Leapfrog has asome great fridge toys that use magnet letters and the sounds they make. Most the time they make a "clatter clatter" sound when they hit the tile floor over here. Followed by Addi's "uh oh."

Read to your children. TV CANNOT replace the influence of learning you have on your child. Be skeptical of products that are built with an "easy out" (as in plop your kid in front of the TV and he'll be a genius in no time!)

This article was passed on to me by a friend, because she knows the kind of stuff that can get me blogging. www.psychologytoday.com/blog/rewire-your-brain-love/201005/your-baby-shouldnt-read While I agree with what this article has to say about the importance of parent attachment and actually tuning into your kids learning and who they are as a whole.The article questions whether or not pushing your child to read early on is a good thing or not for them developmentally.

In the article it is said, "Louise Bates Ames, PhD, as superstar in child development...stated a delay in reading instruction would be a prevenative measure in avoiding nearly all reading failure."

Really?

Hi Louise....I'd like you to meet my 3 year old....Here's a picture of him riding a house...um...I mean horse.

My son has an insatiable hunger for reading and numbers. Been that way since he was a really little guy. For those of you who know Connor, you know what Im talking about.

Some kids are into trucks. Some kids are into playing ball....my kid is into mapping out the shortest route to his grandmother's house in Georgia on Google maps.

Its just who he is. Actually I was worried for a little while because he WASNT into trucks or ball. He just wanted to play with numbers. ALL THE TIME. Over time I just began to learn this is what he liked to do. Eventually the truck time came for him (thats what we are currently crazy about. Cars!)

But still to this day, he is most happy settling down with a book or rearranging number magnets on the fridge and announcing the "number of the day!"

When did learning get into the mindframe that it comes it flashcards? Or workbooks? Or thanks to Robert Titzer....TV? Challenge your children, dont buy an easy way out. If you have already bout this system I would encourage you to use it sparingly and not as a replacement for actual one on one time with your child and a great book (not a Kindle mind you, a book....).

Facebook...the good, the bad, and the uncomfortable

Do you remember myspace?...

Nah...

Neither do I. Neither does anybody else.

We might be saying the same thing about facebook soon, according to what Aol news says or that segment on NPR, because of Google +.

I know the two questions running through your mind right now....

1. WHY do you still have aol????

and

2. What is Google + ???

And my answers to both are...I havent the faintest idea.

I do love me some facebook though, as does most of the world (but not China, interestingly enough. I saw that on a facebook "special" on CBS. Thought provoking stuff.

I post at least once a day. And I do enjoy reading everyone else's posts...most the time. I appreciate facebook for being a link to long lost friends, and friends you currently have. Good way to have the granparents see the kiddos too.

But is anybody with me, about stuff on facebook, that annoys you? To no end?

And its bad, you know....because these are your friends...well facebook friends anyway. You know...That CBS special was talking about the word "friend" and how facebook has radically changed the meaning of that word.....like I said...intriguing stuff....

So without further ado...I present...

Stuff that really annoys me on facebook.

(If any of my facebook friends are annoyed with me after reading this, dont change your ways because of this post. You be you, man. Just be you. Go on.)

What annoys me on facebook....

1. Most Twitter updates....because I don't understand half of what you are saying on the facebook feed.

2. People who share ridiculous intimiate details or conversations about/with their significant other regarding their breakups/makeups....really...have a face to face conversation.

3. I'm sorry if you are sick...I really am...and feel free to post that you arent feeling well...because we all need a little sympathy...but words like"snot, diarrhea, mucus," and so on, really dont belong on the home news feed. I feel bad that snot is running out your nose like the Niagra Falls, really, I feel horrible for you. And kudos to the analogy. Top Notch. But I don't really need that much detail.

4. The Goodbye Cruel Facebook. AKA ...Threatening people you are about to delete friends off your Friends list. Its okay....just delete me. I understand. Its not you. Its me.

5. People praying on Facebook. Dont get me wrong. I am a Christian. I pray. I love Jesus. I like encouraging words on facebook. I like Bible verse quotes on facebook. ....however...Jesus does not have a facebook page. Sorry if this offends my fellow Christian friends....but this is weird.

6. People who post something that cause other people to ask more details, and then that person says they'd rather not talk about it, or its personal or private. Then....how about you dont post about it on Facebook and then I wont get all nosy and ask. I don't get it.

7. A friend of mine mentioned this the other day, and I whole heartedly agree with him...."Would you guys make it more interesting (facebook) and stop quoting song lyrics...no really you're the only one who listens to that song." Agreed.

8. Do not post "I'm bored", "hi" or "I don't have anything to say.".....and dont be surprised if no one comments on your awesome post.

In contrast however....things I do like about facebook...

1. Articles you find interesting.

2. Articles you find not so much interesting but more outrageous, and which makes me want to blog.

3. Funny pictures, of you, your kids or your cat ....because cats are funny.....yes they are...they are hilarious! They are!

See? Funny!

4. And anything else in between.

So off to facebook with you now. Go on. I'll see you there. Unless you deleted me after reading this.

Birthin Babies

Remember my "teeth sucker" post?


www.applesauceisthenewblack.blogspot.com/2010/12/mommy-wars.html


Here's a warning....don't be a teeth sucker while reading this post.


Here's another warning..there will be pictures of birthing in this post...but nothing that will make you blush. So if you are uncomfortable with that...you are probably a 10 year old boy....I jest I jest...

I'd like to talk about something that really bothers me. It goes along with my mommy wars post (see above link). "Superiority birthing." Thats what I'm calling it. Thats not a true term by anymeans...but I think it fits the notion of what I'm talking about.


The idea that one way of birthing is more honorable, more "work", more true, more noble, more right, less self serving, less invasive,... less...or more of someone else's experience.


I've got a severe problem with that. If you feel that you have had a more superior birth than others and are offended by my "naiveness"...then I'm sorry if you feel like you need to "unfriend" me on facebook. I'll carry on, although I just don't know how you will carry on with your help with Farmville without me. *tear



I'll start here...

I am a 2 time c-section mom. And I wouldn't have had it any other way.















(Eeks! Blood!.....It's ok...just breathe)




Connor was a scheduled c-section. And when I say "scheduled" I mean: The doctor said my baby was huge and he was afraid I would labor and tire myself out and end up with a c-section anway....so they scheduled me for a c-section.


I didnt have months to get used to this idea...I had 2 weeks. And in those two weeks I did a lot of praying and crying....mainly because I am the world's biggest chicken when it comes to pain. I already was a little freaked out by the idea of a vaginal birth. (Did she just say "vaginal??" Yes.... yes I did. Let's continue...). But now we are talking surgery. Surgery people! Whith scalpels and everything!

And then came out Connor...all 9.12 lbs of him. My mom said she over heard a couple speaking in Spanish at the nursery window, pointing at Connor, saying he looked like he ate one of the other babies. Every nurse who came into my room, would look at Connor, then at me, and then back at Connor and then would say, "You DID have a C-section right?"

So let's pause for a moment, for any teeth suckers, who may be saying...yeah but you could have still birthed that 9lb 12 oz butterball! It's possible.


Yes...it may have been possible. I may have labored for 30 plus hours, done some damage to myself birthing him, he may have had to be pulled out with forceps. Or you never know...maybe almost 10 pound babies, just. POP right out. Could happen.










But when I look back at my birthing experience with my son (yes I do feel like a C-section is still "giving birth.")








And my birth experience with my daughter....








And I honestly feel, like I gave birth the right way...for me. I do not feel cheated in any way. I feel like I battled through my surgery to have my babies, just like another mommy would battle her way through labor for her own baby. I think C-sections have a nasty stigma that go along with them. I was not FORCED into a c-section. My C-section was not the "easy way" out of giving birth. (Believe me, there is nothing easy about surgery that makes it difficult to get up and walk, and to take care of a newborn at the same time). I did not choose a C-section for my body's appearance sake...because C-sections do not magically leave your tummys all flat and smooth. again. Who has two thumbs and could totally use a tummy tuck? This girl. And when the medical community figures out how to make that happen with the use of a pill that magically tightens up your skin, I'll be first in line!


I do want to say that I do sympathize with the mommies who may have C-sections thrust upon them in an emergency situation or that they are so tired that they simply cannot go on laboring. I had 2 weeks to get used to my upcoming c-section. The idea of surgery...any surgery...can be scary and when you have planned on delivering your baby in a certain fashion, I can definitely understand a disappointment. A good friend of mine had this happen to her, and from what she has shared with me, it was a difficult experience. She is now due with baby number two, with a repeat C-section delivery in a few weeks! And I pray her experience will be much easier! :)


On the opposite end of C-sections....I'd like to share with you the birth of Samuel...


not a C-section birth...but a birth spent in many hours of labor,(26 hours, I'm told) joyfully endured by a friend of mine, Tara.



Natural and drug free at a Birthing Center and assisted by a midwife and doula!!! (That man in the picture is not the midwife or the doula by the way, that's Angel, Tara's hubby)










Samuel's appearance into the world was long anticiapted and he truly is the answer to prayer for his mommy and daddy.

Being a C-section mommy, I can also appreciate the beauty and the joy of a birth, like Samuel's that was so lovingly and thoughtfully planned. It was important to Tara to have her birth experience not take place in a hospital. And from what I understand...her experience was extremely positive at their birthing center.


Many would raise an eyebrow with the idea of not having a baby in a hospital, but Tara and her husband had to think what birth experience was right for them. And looking at her pictures, and hearing her talk about her experience of delivery, it is so evident that they made a wise decision in this area.


I hope, especially us moms out there, remember this important point when it comes to the birth choice of your friends....


-Do not express you "don't like" or could "never think of" having a baby in a certain fashion...especialy if the person you are talking to, has had a baby in that fashion. Because what you are really saying is that "I don't approve of your birth choice."....just cause you say it with a smile or a look of "concerned shock." Doesn't make it any better.


All of us moms....have gone through some kind of battle to give birth to our babies, whether it was with drugs or natural, with a c-section or a v-bac.....it was all "labor."



Did you see that?....the use of irony?....with the word "labor?"....I know....hilarious right?



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You people are no fun.















Sigh......

Shhh... I'm on the phone!

Connor's Elmo Counting phone conversations that have taken place recently....

Connor: Uh, Hello, is this Coca-Cola? Yes? Can I speak to my Wila please?" (His grandmother)....

:::Hangs up the phone::: "Uh ...Wila can't talk now they said. She is still working."

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Connor: "I'm going to call a dinosaur, Mama!"

Me: "You do that."

:::Dials the dinosaur telephone number (I imagine their cellphones look like the Zack Morris cell phone) and waits for a dinosaur to pick up the ringing phone:::::

Connor: RAWR!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Connor: "I'm going to call Eta (his great grandmother...we have weird names for our family members)

.....:::Squeaky voice:::: "Uh Hello, my BOY! :::::Oh Hi Eta! How are you? I'm doin good. "

:::hangs up the phone::::

Connor: "Eta can't talk now, cause she's still at the bingo.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Connor: "I have to call 911"

Me: "Why?"

Connor: "There's in emergency in heaven. Some guy was driving his car and another guy crashed him cause he was driving crazy."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

3...2...1

So today I will share with you something that is becoming somewhat of a tradition in our house.



We are big on countdowns in our house. You kind of have to be when your 3 year old is number obsessed and your 1 year old is showing the same early signs of loving numbers. (As the microwave counts down, Addi grunts as each number passes....8 (heh!)...7(ba!)...6(gah!)...so on...



(I personally am quite pleased she is becoming a numbers kid as well...she and Connor can someday have lengthy conversations about numbers and mommy wont have to pretend that numbers fascinate her)



Anyway countdowns...any time we take a trip we put up a countdown to build up anticipation for the kids... Connor loves to take a number off each morning...marking the days left before we leave. Yeah I'm that kind of mom.

A few weeks ago we went on a Disney trip and we of course had a countdown. I started laminating my countdowns because we use them so often and I was having to make new ones each time.



So we now have a permanent Disney countdown (Because our family is a Disney Family...despite my husband's grumblings...)


The number countdowns are Disney paint color samples I got from Lowes or Home Depot (I can't remember which one now...all those hardware shops are the same to me)







So basically each morning he takes a number down and the day we leave..he takes the last piece down....You can imagine how anticipation builds....especially when it's Disney! :) Iadmit....this countdown builds anticipation for me too.


We have another countdown coming up...our beach countdown. Another one Ive laminated for long term keeping.

































This one will be going up soon.



My son recently asked if we could have a countdown to our countdown.









Thats where I draw the line.

Timetable

I hate TheBump. com.

Right now someone is asking themselves....what is that? The Bump? Well it is not a website about speed humps or that weird lump on your head, that is the cause of you avoiding that super cute short summer do.

Thebump.com is a baby website. While I was pregnant with Connor I was a total Bumpee...I'll admit. It was a paranoid pregnant woman's dream come true. Don't know if you can eat fish while pregnant? Find it out at TheBump.com... Want to know if the gas you are experiencing is normal for being only 15 weeks pregnant? The Bump can tell you! Does this look like a double line on a pregancy test? Not sure? Post your peestick on The Bump.com and 35 women could assuredly tell you if it was a positive test or an evaporation line...seriously. (See this is why no men follow my blog...for posts like this.)

When I was pregnant with Addi, I went less to the site...because I already knew what fish I could eat, gas was the least of my pregnant woes, and you've seen one peestick...you've seen them all. But I did visit every so often to read up on an occasional pregnancy issue...

I still get emails from the Bump...at the beginning that was cute because it would give you a month by month insight as to what your baby was doing or how your baby was developing in the womb. Like...your baby is now the size of an ipod (I seriously got that one once) ....and your baby can suck her thumb now, can blink her eyes and can tapdance on your bladder to showtunes...that sort of thing....

But now the emails....I have begun to ignore totally.

Connor was one of those babies that pretty much did everything on time according to what various doctors and TheBump emails said. Rolling over: 3 months..Teeth: 4 months... crawling 8 months...walking 12 months....He could have been like the posterboy for TheBump...seriously...

But I have begun to resent TheBump and its assuming timetable of baby actions. Because of what my daughter is teaching me. My daughter has had her own timetable. And while it has caused us some concern, she is doing all things on her own time. And it's totally okay. These Bump emails werent worded " this normally happens at this time"...it was more like, "Oh, your baby is crawling!"...ummmm no she's not.

Addison has had some difficulty in the area of crawling and sitting up. She rolled at month 4 no problem. But when it came to sitting up and crawling...she just wasnt interested. So I did what any other concerned mother would do. I talked to friends with children., I talked to her doctor, I talked to another doctor..and most were nonchalent about it. She'll crawl when she's ready. But in my heart I felt that there was something more to this.

And you know what? She did eventually start to crawl! She started an army crawl at 11 months and started sitting up at 12 months. We found out this is due to a condion called Hypotonia..which is a fancy medical term for low muscle tone. She does not have a severe case of this, thank goodness, but she will be needing to go through some physical therapy to strengthen her muscles and to get her back on track. She now can pull herself to a standing position, loves to try to walk around the house, and we've seen her crawl on all 4s a few times and we could not be happier with the progress she is already making! We are in the process of starting some physical therapy for her soon. She is beautiful, smart, funny, amazing, and is so strong willed. We couldn't be more proud of our little Addi!

But all through these months of Addison not developing in the same way as many other babies her age....TheBump emails came along...."Month 6! Pulling up!" or "Oh Baby! Month 8! Start baby proofing your outlets mommies, because baby is about to be crawling all over your house!" or "Month 12...your baby is beginning to walk. Make sure you go out and buy baby her first pair of Adidas shoes and enroll her in her first triathlon because running is not far behind!"

Shut up TheBump.com

Click. Delete.

My baby has had her own time table. Nothing is wrong with her, she is doing things on her time and God's time. I resent the timetable when we stress in schools that EVERY child is different...and while I undertsand a time table is needed in order to make sure children are developing and are also needed so that we can have intereventions early on....I feel like sites where I can view a complete stranger's peestick is not the most credible source to tell me what my baby should be doing or how she should be developing. Send me recipies for homemade baby food, Thebump.com. Send me a list of the hottest baby name trends...send me a recall list of toys that contain lead. Dont send me an email, congratulating me of what my baby is doing...when she isn't doing it at all.

Yes, I unsuscribed by the way.

Listen to your mommy instincts when it comes to your children. Talk to your doctors with your concerns. Talk to mothers around you who have gone through similar issues.

And don't panic if a mom site sends you an email that your baby should be reciting Hamlet at age 15 months. Remember, ladies, every baby is different and if that baby can recite Shakespeare at 18 months...all is well. We must accept our own timetables after all.

In honor of those who make me a mama....

20 things I love about my kids.....

1. There's never a dull moment with them around
2. My Connor still says "Jee-jus" when referring to Jesus.
3. That they genuinely love each other. Connor has such a heart for his sister.
4. That Addi will say "No-no" and shake her finger while doing so.
5. They can entertain each other in the car.
6. They have the same nap scheddule. (Good timeout for mommy!)
7. That Addi has to hold every baby doll/stuffed animal and will pat them on a back when you tell her to "Hold them like a mommy." Nothing like seeing your daughter pat the back of a stuffed spider.
8. That they both prefer fruits and veggies to junk. (I hope this lasts a lifetime)
9. When Connor gets so excited because he is such a "big boy". He really does take a lot of pride in that.
10. When Connor gives Addison snacks and tries to feed her like a puppy.
11. They both have a love for music (also hoping this one lasts a lifetime too...sorta a requirement in our family)
12. When Addi calls out for me....Mama! Love hearing that.
13. That my son honestly just LOVES to learn. He is too smart for his own good. But I love that math and reading is his passion at 3 years old.
14. My son still insists from time to time for me to hold and rock him. I just tell myself I wont get this too much longer with him.
15. That I can look at my daughter and it takes my breath away how much she looks like me.
16. That they both have a love for Disney (Im working on Addi)...(because I love Disney...I'm working on Sean too ;)
17. That my son genuinely misses his daddy when he is away at work during the day. Makes his coming home at the end of the day so much sweeter.
18. Bath time...two kiddos in the tub...wet and lots of cleanup later ...but a lot of fun.
19. How my son can make me laugh (internally) when I am upset with him... "No mommy! Don't make that face! I only want you to make happy faces!!" -As he hides his eyes behind his hands.
20. How Addi will knock her cup off her tray purposefully and the look at us and say "uh-oh"