Yesterday my classy girl and I were walking through Central Park on our way home from her piano lesson. We have had so much snow, she is actually tired of sledding. Thank goodness because I’m exhausted! But as we walked she focused in on the many varieties of snow people decorating the park’s paths. In addition to the classic snowmen in various, colorful attire, there were snow bears (above) pigs, fairies, snow cats and dogs, and then we saw it. “Mom, look, that snowman has boobies!”
Ah, yes she did. Now as an urban parent, I- like most of you- am usually prepared for the many “interesting” sights and sounds we encounter on our journeys. But I admit this snow woman took me back. Perhaps it was because of her amazon-like features. She was at least 7 feet tall–and she was kneeling. She was also naked and, as my daughter said, she had a rather large butt. But her head, face, and hair were absolutely amazing. Someone had put an incredible amount of work into this sculpture. The face was almost Botticelli-like and the hair that cascaded down her ice shoulders was made of hundreds of tiny snowballs so that she appeared to have ringlets. She was actually quite beautiful–out of place in the park–but beautiful.
We didn’t stop to admire the details. But we did talk about her. Fortunately, my daughter has seen some of the naked Botero sculptures so the conversation was easy. I continued our pace so as to allow for the art conversation without greater scrutiny of the snow sculpture. I also didn’t want to get too close just in case there were other surprises around or under the ice maiden. Sorry, I did not take a photo to share.
As the day wore on, the weather warmed which inevitably brought more people out of their apartments. I am sure this particular snow sculpture caused a bit of consternation for a number of families in the park. Some chuckles, too. So if you happen to be near Central Park near the basketball courts, close to the Met, or anywhere there are ice sculptures, be ready. Out there among the snow bears, snow pigs, and snowmen with corn cob pipes, there could be a Fellini-like sculpture that reminds us as parents to always be ready.
Healthful Mom, Deborah Hernan
Founder, Ottilie & Lulu
A dad of three is the brains behind an innovative website that lets babies and toddlers play internet video games – with no mouse! Jim Robinson was frustrated when his older kids enjoyed exploring internet games, only to have their little sister left out. So, he created KneeBouncers. This one-of-a-kind website is loaded with 18 games – so little kids can make magic happen on the screen… with any tap on the keyboard. Already, a million parents around the country are logging on. It’s a free program!
The characters, like Sly Cat, are colorful and fun. The sounds the games make are a joy to little ears. The games are interactive and educational. Really, the whole package is so brilliantly put together, I can’t imagine a toddler not enjoying time playing on KneeBouncers! They just use the keyboard in a carefree sort of way by pressing any key to play! Both my kids loved the site when they were younger!
Apparently kids were THE fashion accessory at many New York Fashion Week shows. Maybe designers have run out of inspiration? Maybe it’s because people are following the blog of a 13 year old? Maybe people brought their kids because they were off from school for winter break? Whatever the reason, I asked myself if I would bring my child to a few fashion shows?
As with most things, there’s a lot to consider. The time of day, the designer in question, the type of fashion clothes being shown, would my daughter enjoy it and would it bother other people? I asked myself why I was even considering bringing my daughter to some shows. What am I trying to accomplish? First of all, I would only consider taking my youngest daughter to see some fashion shows. She loves fashion. She is learning to sew. She loves the creative process and might enjoy the experience of seeing a few fashion shows in person. Of course, the fashion shows couldn’t interfere with school, they would have to be during the day and I would have to feel comfortable with her being able to handle the noise and the crowds. So just as I was thinking that I might consider taking my daughter to a fashion show another thought popped into my head.
If she experiences Fashion Week when she is 7 years old, what can she aspire to at 13? At 20? At 35? And that to me is what it all boils down to. I think I would rather talk about the fashion shows, share pictures with my daughter and take her once she turns 20. It’s nice to have something to dream about, plan and look forward to. What do you think? Would you take your daughter to Fashion Week? At what age? Post a comment and let us know your thoughts.
contributed by Chief Princess Mom, someone who loves girls special occasion dresses
image from thephotoholic
If it hasn’t already happened, pretty soon your Classy Girl is going to be talking to you about having her first sleep over with her BF. As a Mom, your first thought will probably be excitement because your daughter is starting to develop her independence. Your second thought: “Wow, my husband and I can go out that night to a movie and/or dinner–and we don’t need a baby sitter. The third thought: “Is she going to make it through the night?”
Well, I don’t know the answers to any of these questions, but I can help you add a little fun to her send off. Try an adorable overnight bag from Sassafrass. You know your classy girl is going to need something to carry all the stuff she will need to get her through the night: her favorite night gown, her favorite bear, puppy, bunny, etc., her slippers, tooth brush, her favorite tooth paste, hair brush, hopefully her Ottilie & Lulu Clean Skin Face Wipes, and of course, a complete change of clothes for the morning. Luggage seems too drastic; after all, it’s only for over night. But a cute overnight bag…well, it sort of reinforces that it is only for one night. The mermaid is only one of the soft, washable fantasy bags that come in everything from princesses, to dragons, to elephants. Your classy girl can have her own signature overnight bag for $24.95. And believe me, it’s not a bad idea for your daughter to have a signature bag when the sleep overs grow to include 3 or 4 girls. She has a somewhat better chance of coming home with her own stuff!
A few months ago my daughter chose the hermit crab for her overnight bag. She takes ownership of her bag and the responsibility of packing for herself. (Of course, I check.) There is something that makes me smile when I see her walking out the door with her hermit crab bag. But it doesn’t come close to the smile on my face when she comes home the next morning.
Healthful Mom, Deborah Hernan
Founder, Ottilie & Lulu
My husband and I were shocked with the reality that our 5-year-old daughter has Juvenile Type 1 Diabetes. Earlier this month we took her to her pediatrician as she had increasing thirst and was going to the bathroom frequently, getting up 3 times a night to do so. The onset was not as frequent, of course, but over a two week period had become noticeably worse.
Initially, we were able to reason it with, “It’s winter, the air is dry and her room is the hottest room in the house when the heater is on.” We also reasoned that she didn’t have any other symptoms. Then her appetite increased tremendously. But, she had gone through this before with a growth spurt so again, we had a “valid” reason not to suspect anything. Finally, the two days prior to us finally taking her in, she became fatigued, appeared pale and even her teacher noted she just didn’t seem right in class.
I’ll admit that I had the thought of diabetes running through my mind. We have friends with a son who was diagnosed at age 5 and I remember her talking about how he would drink so much and use the restroom frequently. I mentioned my concern to my husband but we didn’t act on it. Finally, the night before we brought her to the doctor, I declared that she must go in and I knew it was diabetes. The next morning, she woke up nauseous and dry-heaving, another sign of uncontrolled diabetes.
Her pediatrician had her do a urine test and before even speaking to us, called ER to speak with the endocrinologist on-call. My daughter’s keatone levels were high. Diabetes.org explains, “when your cells don’t get the glucose they need for energy, your body begins to burn fat for energy, which produces ketones. Ketones are acids that build up in the blood and appear in the urine when your body doesn’t have enough insulin. They are a warning sign that your diabetes is out of control or that you are getting sick. High levels of ketones can poison the body. When levels get too high, you can develop diabetic ketoacidosis, or DKA.” Essentially, my daughter’s body was starving.
While I kick myself for not having listened to the nagging feeling in my gut (or God whispering me a warning!), I am so, so thankful that we brought her in when we did before her condition was worse.
We spent 4 days, 3 nights in the hospital. The first 24 hours were especially hard as they poked her little fingers every hour, drew blood every 6 and we had to listen as 2 other pediatric patients went into Code Blue, one of them losing her battle. The next 2 days were greatly improved as my classy girl was taken off her insulin drip and was able to go to the fun playroom on the unit. She received visits, balloons and cards from many friends.
My husband and I went through intense diabetic control training with the endocrinology team. We practiced giving shots to each other, learned how to calculate the insulin dosage and got a glimpse of what life would look like with a diabetic child: living by the clock, charts and carb counting. We also spent a good deal of time with the nutrition team learning what she can eat and how to manage her diet.
Now, two weeks later, we are settling into a routine. This non-analytical mom is learning new management skills, our whole family is eating higher quality food and I’ll admit, we are saving money by not going to Starbucks or eating out! My daughter is a trooper, handling her new disease like a pro. She very matter-of-factly explained to her classmates that if she didn’t have her insulin shots she would die (how awful is it for a child to have to know that truth?!); she takes her 4 shots a day and 8-10 finger sticks a day like a brave little girl. Sometimes she cries but I certainly don’t blame her for that! Sometimes I cry at the reality of her being insulin dependent for the rest of her life, at the thought of diabetic complications and knowing that there is nothing I can do to change our reality.
But, there is hope. With a healthy diet, plenty of exercise and consistent monitoring she’ll live a great life. We’ve talked to many families already who were in our place before and their children are healthy and happy today. Whatever the next hurdle is, we’ll deal with that then. For now, we consider it our mission to educate others about Type 1 Diabetes (there is a huge difference between type 1 & 2!), help raise awareness and funds for research. Our calling in life, our children, has not changed but our mission has been redirected. I hope that through my posts, other parents will recognize type 1 diabetes onset before it results in Ketoacidosis, what you may be able to do to help reduce your child’s risk of unset, and if your child already has Type 1, then we can be a support to each other.
Until the next post, be well and hug your children!
Contributed by:
Uptown Mom