by Whitney
My stepmom is the awesomest grandma. Or maybe it’s that she’s the awesomest stepmom. She sent us a package in the mail, inside which was a craft project for Julian, but she did all the messy stuff herself and included every single item we’d need to do the project. Sometimes I cannot believe my luck. (Nice work, Dad!)
Apparently this week includes a Jewish holiday called Tu Bishvat. I am not very observant as a Jew, so I had never heard of this one. It’s like a New Year for the trees. Or something like that. (Read it for yourself on Wikipedia.) When Julian and I called my stepmom on the phone to have her explain the package she sent, she told Julian it was time to say Happy Birthday to the trees.
He couldn’t wait to dig in to this project. The package included two pinecones, with yarn attached to them so we could hang them in the trees. There were two tupperware containers, one with birdseed and one with some kind of sticky high protein mix. There were plastic knives inside.
What I’m bragging about here is that I did this craft project with my three-year old and did absolutely no preparation myself. I so appreciate this clutter-free gift (something to do, not something to own and display in my house) that I want to tell the world. Or at least the Internet.
If you’re stuck doing it with your preschooler yourself, just slather some peanut butter on a pinecone, roll it in whatever you have around the house (breadcrumbs, sesame seeds?) and hang it on a tree with a piece of yarn.
Come back the next day and marvel at the sneaky birds that ate your pinecone. I swear my preschooler was peeing in his pants he was so excited. (Ok, my fault for letting him go without diapers.)
by Heather
Both of us Rookie Moms have parents who were divorced before we were in pre-school, and both of us want to have long epic marriages that last for 50 or 70 years (long after our diaper-wearing boys are out of the house). In that vein, here are some of our best tips for looking out for your marriage:
- Go on dates. Figure out the childcare thing and make it happen. Aim for once a week. Commit to every other week.
- Have little impromptu dates at home once the baby is in bed. Light a candle. Try to make a souffle. Have fun with it.
- Have more sex. My friend’s OB told her that if you have sex three times a week for three weeks in a row, it will totally kickstart your libido. From my informal polling, that seems about right. Try it for yourself. The Top Five Parental Sex Aids according to dadcentric may give you some ideas too.
- Be ok with a little counseling. Baby makes three was a huge freaking adjustment for my household and if the same is true for you, it’s ok to find a family or couples counselor to talk through your newfound issues. A mom’s group can also be a big help for the slightly-less-traumatized.
- Have something interesting to say once in a while. Read a non-parenting book, turn on NPR, eavesdrop on the interesting people in your neighborhood cafe.
I’d like to sum up with the words of wisdom our friend Julie told us right before Whitney got married, “Marriage is not 50/50, it’s more like 90/10, sometimes you’re the 90 and sometimes you’re the 10″ so deal with it.
by Whitney
My friend Amanda lives with her husband and son and daughter in Portland, so she’s done this maternity leave thing twice. Once with Jed, and now that he’s in preschool, with baby Willa.
She’s done us the favor of laying out a plan for the week that offers a rainy day option for each day, because in Portland, you never know…
Don’t forget - if your city hasn’t been represented yet, you can write it up for us. Send your suggestions to moms at rookiemoms dot com.
Monday
- Rainy Day: Book Babies at Sellwood-Moreland Library (11-11:30) followed by lunch at Grand Central Bakery (kids’ area in the back) at 7987 SE 13th Street
- Sunny Day: Oregon Zoo ($9.50 for adults) - make sure to get animal-shaped French fries at the Africafe. Also check out the zoo concert series. You can bring a picnic dinner and hang out on the lawn.
Tuesday
- Rainy Day: Oregon Museum of Science and Industry [OMSI] ($9 for adults) - go the Science Playground upstairs and visit the 0-24 month section or brave the sandbox.
- Mommy Matinee at the Kennedy School ($3 at 1pm)
- Sunny Day: Take a walk in the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden - Admission is free on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Stop at the farm stand on 28th street just north of the Garden and buy some cracked corn to feed the ducks for $1.
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by Heather
If you still have that yoga ball around (and you’re not currently using it for ab work), get it out to thrill and delight your baby. We kept ours in Holden’s room for about 22 months — until his new brother was born and the room just got too crowded.
Each morning, he found some new way to explore it. Try one of our home-tested ideas or come up with more of your own:
- Pepper likes rolling around on her tummy on top of the ball. Her mom, Jeanine, supplies the balance.
- Holden [pictured] really likes sitting next to it and pushing on it. When it gets far enough away… it rolls back and he is amazed.
- Julian loves standing next to it while Whitney dribbles it by smacking her hands on top of it. Whoa.
