A new name

Introducing GrowingUpFree!

Well, if you found your self here at the old blog- boygirlboybabes I have made the switch to a new name -growingupfree and new look (you're actually seeing the new look already)...All my old posts and comments from here have been transfered to the new blog address and all my new posts will be there too..

So from here just click over to the new blog...and then keep going there!!! If you want to comment on any past posts please go to the new blog and comment there ...Thanks so much!

See you at GrowingUpFree.blogspot.com

Valentine from a first grader

How sweet, my first Valentine thought out and written by my oldest.  The first time your child writes you a letter or a card on his own is so special.  He wrote us a very nice card at Christmas too, but this is super sweet being a Valentine...

Thank you Tovrea, Great job on your letter today, it is wonderful, it makes me smile, and what fantastic handwriting!  I ollso love you too!

Happy Valentines Day! and photos of the week

For Valentines Day this year I made photo valentines for the kids to give to their friends at school.  I have to say it was not my idea as I saw this on another mommy blog, a few actually, I think this idea has made the rounds of favorite ideas from one mom to another. Anyway, being a photo card it was right up my alley and so here it is:

 

probably should have used a different color than red, it's a little hard to see on the red bricks, but it is his favorite color...it says 

"Happy Valentine's Day! your friend, Tovrea"

In the photo, I had the kids stick there hands out with a fist and then made slits above and below the fist on the print to slide the lollipop in.  Tovrea was excited to have 3D Valentines this year and CoCo is still not sure what she is suppose to do with them but she said it was sooo cute!!  Hope they have fun today at their parties!

Happy Valentines Day to you!

A dragon, a bear and a cowboy

Tovrea likes to draw and he has an amazing sense for color.  I find his art is so vivid and I am always impressed with the what he chooses to put together.

He had absolutely zero interest in arts and crafts in preschool. He was always attracted to the building of blocks, imagination play with costumes, and rough housing with the boys. In kindergarten last year, I put him in an after school art class and he loved it. He would come home with great big smiles and would proudly hand over a painting.  Finding a talent is rewarding and can be a great confidence builder.

It can be overwhelming as a parent wondering what activities will be right for a child.  It is great to have an array of activity choices- sports, music, art, science, languages...the list could go on.  Sometimes I feel like we throw the activity puzzle pieces in the air and see what pieces land in our hands.  Fortunately, the "art" piece was a perfect fit!

Writing her name

We have all been a little under the weather this week.  Lots of colds, stuffy heads, the usual winter blahs.  I still managed to capture a moment that usually just slips past a parent.  My daughter has been asking about writing her name lately.  She watches Tovrea write and she wants to be like her older brother.  So she asks frequently..."Mommy, will you help me write my letters?"  The letter C is officially called "the letter CoCo", she recognizes it all over the place. This week, she sat by herself and just wrote her name down, as if she has been doing it on her own forever... Here it is...(granted there are only two letters that get repeated, but she is only 3, I think it's pretty good for 3!)

"Mommy look, I wrote my name..."

I was happy to capture the moment in a photo, and she was happy to show it off!

Photo of the Week

It's been a quiet, cold, and snowy week.  

Three thoughts

It's been a few days since I posted, you would think with all the cold weather and days spent inside I would have posted more than usual.  The things is that I have had a couple of projects in mind and just have not been able to get them going. Being inside for days has put a damper on my creative spirit so, I have been quiet this week, just wanting to snuggle up and watch movies.

For today, I want to tell you what is on my mind.  First, I have been wanting to put into writing all three of my birth stories. I have them floating around in my head and I have bits and pieces written down but I would really like to have the stories told in one place. This, of course, is not a quick post and will take some time and thought. I plan to still post little stories of our days in between working on the birth stories.

Second, I have been looking into different blog formats.  I know, already in my long blogging career, haha! I do like boygirlboybabes but I am considering making some changes and thought I should do it now when I only have these first few weeks to transfer.  Waiting till later in the year would just be more to transfer and tweek and so why not just work on it on now.  So there may be changes coming to the name and the look, and all this thought has been distracting this week.

Lastly, I have to share my thoughts on a tv commercial meant to encourage parents to immunize against pertussis.  Have you seen it? It's the one that starts off with a mother holding a crying sick baby, and she says:

"The safest place in the world for your baby is wrapped in your arms, it can also be one of the most dangerous."

GASP!!  I understand the reference to the fact that un-immunized babies catch the disease from caregivers, but it is just an awful approach. Let's just clear the air real quick, I believe immunizations are important and save lives.  What I have complete disdain for is the fear, not that your child will get sick, but that you, the mother, caused it.

I couldn't be more disturbed by an add campaign that instills fear in a parent that holding your baby is not safe or worse that it is "dangerous".  Please!! Don't we have enough fears? Let's not encourage the thought that we are doing something wrong and that we are the reason are kids get sick and hurt.

Mothers- HOLD those babies tight in your arms, it's so good for you and the baby and it makes you a great mother!...(and you know, get their shots too...)

Ohhh! .. it's snowing again! Where's my friend the sun, to cheer me up and keep me from my inside thoughts???