Educating Miss Amber

Have You Dug Wall Drug?

2012-05-25T15:19:00.001-07:00

I couldn't pass up stopping at Wall Drug on our way home last weekend. We had to take the obligatory picture with the Jackalope, Liam got his very own badge with an oath of office stating that he would "obey {his} parents and all authority figures," and the birthday kids got matching faux coonskin caps. It was a pretty amazing end to a good trip.

sickly

2012-05-23T17:35:00.002-07:00

strep throat (for mama) + new teeth (for Liam) = a day spent watching vintage* cartoons on YouTube

Liam got a stuffed Cookie Monster from our friends for his birthday, so we've been singing C is for Cookie to Liam lately. Craig's way better at it than I am, so I had to turn to YouTube for help today.

Then Liam decided to dance his cares away to the theme from Fraggle Rock.

This one got a little long for Liam, but he thought it was hillarious when Animal started singing "mama" about a minute in.

*It's a sad day when you start calling cartoons you watched as a kid "vintage."

imagination as big & open as our skies

2012-05-21T21:27:00.000-07:00

I need to give a shout out to my sister, who is the coolest 20-year-old ever. She may have spent her birthday hanging out with Liam and me at the South Dakota Children's Museum. When we pulled up, we both wondered what we had gotten ourselves into. There were kids running all over the place and a couple of buses outside. I should have known the place would be packed on a Friday during the last week of school.

A boy in one of the elementary school-aged groups, whose name was Liam, must have kept wandering away. The mother who was supposed to be chaperoning them said, "Where's Liam?" Liam looked around like "here I am." When I finally saw the older Liam, I got a glimpse of my future--blonde hair, glasses, and a Star Wars shirt.

Fortunately, by the time we finished eating lunch with my college roommate, the place had pretty much cleared out. I was a little worried that there wouldn't be many exhibits for Liam, but he really loved the place. I think his favorite part was pulling the pegs out of the giant Lite Brite. The garden and water exhibits were also a lot of fun.

A Road Trip DIY

2012-05-18T04:00:00.000-07:00

Every one-year-old needs a shirt with the mythical creature of American folklore that is the Jackalope for his first trip to Wall Drug. Right?

I recently discovered that this method for dyeing fabric works really well for covering up blowout stains on white onesies.

The website does a really good job describing the process, so I won't go into too much detail. I do want to share a few tips, though:

-Since I was only doing one onesie, I cut the recipe in half.
-When rinsing, it is best to make sure to rinse until the water runs clear.
-When I washed with cold water, I didn't have much trouble with bleeding, but I did run into a little bleeding when I washed with warm water. Fortunately, I washed the onesie with a load of towels, so it didn't really matter.

In order to create the transfer, I used these transfers and purchased the image from this Etsy shop. I printed the image on the transfer, trimmed the transfer as close to the image as possible, and followed the instructions provided to iron it to the onesie.

When I showed it to Craig, he said, "Nice. You don't see too many items with the action shot of the Jackalope." Liam is going to be the most unique baby at Wall Drug.

the future's so bright + the lost sock

2012-05-16T20:29:00.000-07:00

The future's so bright, Liam's gotta wear shades apparently. I promised myself I would never be that mom who made my kid wear baby sunglasses just because they look cute. Yesterday, though, as Liam was shading his eyes with his hands, the nine millionth person stopped to tell me that I should buy Liam some baby sunglasses. This morning, as we embarked on our road trip, I couldn't resist picking up these shades. Liam thinks they're hilarious. He laughs as I put them on then pulls them off and puts them back on again.

Liam hates socks. Kick proof, high socks, ankle socks-- he finds a way to get them all off. When we stopped at 1880 Town today, I used the restroom in the gas station before making my way to the entrance. Ever since Liam has outgrown the baby carrier, peeing in public restrooms has become nearly impossible. He somehow managed to pull his socks off and pulled himself up to standing using the door. So, there I was, nearly helpless as my child stood barefoot in a public restroom. So, I finished as quickly as I could, grabbed him and the socks, and turned around to flush. Somehow, just as I was flushing, the sock fell in. Now, we're left with a lonely sock.

I walked out into what felt like hurricane force winds, and as we approached the entrance, I counted three Head Start buses and two school Suburbans. Today just wasn't our day 1880 Town. Liam will have to wait until another day to earn his deputy badge from Marshall Jim Kinney.

Road Trippin'

2012-05-16T04:00:00.000-07:00

Road Trippin' by Amber on Grooveshark

Liam and I are heading out on a little road trip across the great state of South Dakota today. We're doing it old school with burnt CDs and NPR. We're hoping to hit up 1880 town (because, seriously, who doesn't want a free sheriff's badge?), the Children's Museum of South Dakota, and Wall Drug with some family and friends in between.Wish us luck.

Life Lately, v. 3

2012-05-14T20:09:00.001-07:00

Grand Marshal

I picked up this cheap, lightweight stroller for a little trip Liam and I are taking this week and decided to take it out for a test drive this weekend. As we walked down the street, Liam waved and shouted "heyy" at passersby as if he were the grand marshal at some parade.

"I Knew It"

Liam and I spent our Mother's Day planting flowers. When I showed Craig these pictures, he said, "I knew it."

"You knew what?" I asked.

"I knew you only bought that hippo watering can for the pictures," he responded.

Okay, Craig, you caught me. It's from the One Spot at Target, though, and I couldn't resist.

Liam is an Old Man

I love dressing my kid like a little old man. Argyle sweater vests, button downs, corduroys, driving caps--I love them all. And I couldn't resist when I found this little cardigan with the barn scene on the back for 50 cents at the YMCA rummage sale. I can't wait for fall.

So Big Caught on Video (finally)

Yard Sale Season

2012-05-14T04:00:00.000-07:00

As I was packing up a few of Liam's 12 month clothes, I realized that I have way more baby clothes than I will ever need, even if I do have another little boy, so I decided to have a little yard sale. I had originally planned it for last weekend, but the weather was terrible, so I decided to postpone it. On Thursday, I checked the weather, and it looked like we were going to have a beautiful weekend, so I put up an ad on Craigslist, and I woke up early Saturday morning to hang a few signs around town.

Liam's only job was to sit in the yard and look cute to attract the people. It was a good thing, too. One older guy said, "Now, I didn't see you in the newspaper." I guess I'm not on top of things enough to get my yard sale in the newspaper.

You know who frequents yard sales-- old people in search of kitschy shit (and me apparently). So, yeah, the baby stuff wasn't a very big seller. The I Love Lucy Barbie, the Grand Funk Railroad record clock, and anything with a pink flamingo-- all gone.

One lady said, "My grandson is already a lot bigger than he is." Then she looked over at Liam, and turned to me and asked, "Is he walking?"

"Not yet," I said. "Soon, though."

"Oh, well, my grandson is all over the place."

Just when I was ready to say, "Okay, you can leave now," she said, "He's cute, though, and look at all of those teeth."

That's right. He may be little. He may not be walking yet. But he's cute, and he's got a lot of teeth. Thankyouverymuch.

In the end, it wasn't all that stressful, we walked away with a few dollars in our pockets, and we celebrated by eating some frozen yogurt downtown, so it was a good day.

For My Mom

2012-05-10T19:05:00.002-07:00

I couldn't let this week go by without a little shout-out to my mom. Mom, thank you. Thank you for all that you've taught me over the years, things like making sure to hang items on my walls in odd-numbered groups, and that capri pants make short people look shorter, and horizontal stripes make you look wider. All of these are rules that I've broken at some point in my life, but I've never done so successfully.

And thank you for those big things you taught me, too. As I stand in front of my class, I occasionally remember you standing in front of us with that excitement-- shouting things like "Reading is knowledge and knowledge is power."

You taught me how to have fun, too, and to not take life so seriously. I'll never forget one Christmas break during college. You and I went for the local sports bar for supper, and we decided to play Keno. As the numbers showed up on the screen, you said, "C'mon, Mama needs more money to buy Christmas presents." Nothing like keeping it classy.

I love how much you love life, I love that you're a wonderful grandma to my son, and I am forever grateful for all that you've taught me.

Life Lately, v. 2

2012-05-09T19:52:00.000-07:00

Birthday Boy

We celebrated Liam's birthday last night with a small celebration-- cupcakes, grilling, fire, and friends. It was a good night.

Mom's Little Helper
Tonight I was folding laundry. I noticed Liam watching me closely, so I showed him how to fold the blanket I was folding. He grabbed a pair of my underwear. I gushed, thinking he was going to help me out (not that I usually fold underwear, but it was cute nonetheless). He looked at them for just a second, and pulled them over his head giggling. What a goofball.

Liam's a Dentist
Drooling, red cheeks, and more fussiness than usual-- all telltale signs of teething. I swiped my finger around in Liam's mouth, and sure enough, there were two little nubs coming through on the top, numbers nine and ten for this little one-year-old. Later on, I was holding him, and he stuck his finger in my mouth, checking my teeth out. No new teeth for this mama.

Cheap Thrills

2012-05-08T05:32:00.000-07:00

Over the course of the next two weeks, Liam's toy box is sure to be overflowing. The funny thing is, you could give him a drawer full of old kitchen utensils and a box and he'd be just as happy as he'd be with a brand new flashing Fischer Price toy. (Most of the time, he's happier with the box and kitchen utensils.)

I hate to admit that it took reading a book to think to tape a picture in the bottom of a box, but I actually got the idea from Gymboree's Toddler Play.

When I discovered this activity to help fine motor development in toddlers, I was sold. All it took were some dollar store pom poms and an old egg carton. Once Liam discovered how much fun it is to scatter the pom poms all over the floor, he was sold, too.

Check out other cheap (or free) activities here.

Party Preparations

2012-05-07T04:00:00.000-07:00

We didn't get to have the small birthday party we had been planning for Liam last week due to Craig's crazy work schedule, but we are planning a small gathering this week. I stopped at the party supply store on Saturday. As I walked in, a woman was paying $125 for the decorations for her daughter's high school graduation reception. I quickly discovered that if I chose to buy the matching invitations party blowers, hats, banners, candles, and thank you notes, I could easily spend that much on my son's first birthday party. I promised myself that I wouldn't go that over the top for a party he surely won't remember.

I started prepping the orange ice cream last night, which is much easier than I expected. I'm looking forward to trying it out once it's frozen.

We also sent out invitations for Liam's family birthday party on May 19.

Finally, thank goodness for mothers in law who are into scrapbooking. Liam's scrapbook wouldn't have been nearly as elaborate had I been in charge of putting it together. My only job is to slip the pages inside those plastic sleeves, and thus far, I haven't even been successful at getting that done.

I'm guest posting today over at The Mommyhood Chronicles while Melissa recovers from her trip to Hawaii. Melissa started commenting on my blog pretty early in my blogging career, and I quickly discovered that she and I both had little boys who are just over a month apart. She is one of the sweetest bloggers out there, and I have to give her credit for giving me the idea to do the Saturday laugh posts.

Life Lately

2012-05-04T04:00:00.000-07:00

The Other Liam

Shortly after Liam was born a friend stopped by with her two little boys. "Mom, there's another baby Liam?" her two year old asked. It turns out there's another Liam that lives on our street. If I don't redshirt Liam, they'll most likely be in the same class. The poor kids will always refer to each other as "The Other Liam."

A couple of weeks ago The Other Liam's mom was having a garage sale. We decided to stop by and pick up some clothes. Lately, Liam's been rocking a few of The Other Liam's old shirts.

Snacks for Ages

Did I ever tell you guys how much I regret allowing Craig to convince me to get a Sam's Club membership? We stopped in a couple of days ago to pick up some groceries. We left with no fewer than twelve pounds of snacks for Liam. The kid should be equipped until he enrolls in preschool.

Imagine the following conversation:

Craig: Throw those animal crackers in the cart, too.
Me: (confused look)
Craig: What? He likes them.

What one-year-old needs four pounds of animal crackers?

Laid Back

Liam and I have been walking a lot more lately. It always makes me giggle a little bit when I peek over the umbrella on the stroller to see him with his little feet propped up, kicking back, enjoying the scenery.

So Big

2012-05-02T04:00:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I taught Liam how to do so big. He learned it on the second try, so clearly, I am the mother of a boy genius. I know that millions of babies in this country learn how to do so big before they're a year old, but I was so proud. This past weekend, I decided to try to teach Liam how to hold up one finger when somebody asks him how old he is.

First, I modeled it for him. Then, we did it together. Finally, I decided it was time for some independent practice. "Liam," I said, "How old are you?" He excitedly threw both hands in the air-- "so big." I guess we're going to have to keep working on "How old are you?".


Liam's too busy playing with his birthday present to show off his so big for the camera.

Also, the winner of the Beautiful Oops book is Megan. Send me an e-mail with your address, and I'll get it in the mail to you.

Thanks to all of our friends both near and far for the birthday wishes. We really appreciate it.

One Year Old

2012-05-01T05:07:00.000-07:00

*There are no pictures to go along with this post because the kid is too quick to get caught on camera these days.

Dear Liam,

One year ago today I found myself caught up in the whirlwind that is motherhoood for the first time. You came into this world pretty quickly, and you still haven't slowed down.

You aren't quite a toddler yet, which surprises me considering how easily you pull yourself up and around and crawl so quickly from room to room. Take your time, though, Liam. Your mama was an early walker, and she's probably the most uncoordinated person you'll ever meet.

You have learned so many new things this month-- you clap, wave, and do "soo big" when I ask you how big you are. You have an ever expanding vocabulary. You say "mama" and "dada." You say "nana" when you're hungry and say "d-d-d-" when you hear the dogs barking. You occasionally greet your daddy with "heyy." You are Mr. Personality these days, too. Not only do you dazzle the ladies, but I caught a little old man waving at you at the store the other day. So sweet.

You still love music. Last night I put on some music before bed, and you clapped along with the beat, danced around, and threw yourself on the bed. I hope you never lose that love.

Liam, it's so hard for me to put into words how lucky I am to have you. You've changed me. You've made me a better person, and for that I am forever grateful.

Love,

Mom

Great With Child

2012-04-30T04:00:00.000-07:00

I'm so glad I took Courtney's recommendation and read Great With Child. I found myself nodding in agreement throughout the book, and there were a few moments that I nearly laughed out loud at Beth Ann Fennelly's observations about motherhood.

So many parts of this book resonated with me. When Fennelly says, "That's the other thing that happens when you become a mom. You feel more deeply. You become capable of a raw, scary fullness of emotion that tenderizes the hardened muscle of the heart." I couldn't agree more.

Then there's the part where she talks about her perfectionist tendencies and how they relate to motherhood. She said it so well when she said, "So that's the type of kid I was, and that's the type of mother I have to struggle not to be. Because that eager patch-earner still lurks in me, Girl Scout Guide in hand, pencil behind ear. And while being a Model Citizen might help in certain places, like airport security or bake sales, it's not the most practical training for the wild territory of motherhood." While I wasn't a Girl Scout, I can definitely relate to that feeling.

I like when she shares those little moments of motherhood, too. I really related when she talked about bringing her daughter to bed when she woke up in the midst of a thunderstorm. She said, "I carried her into my bed, which I try not to do often, telling her this was a special treat, but not telling her the treat really was all mine." A few weeks ago, I found myself in a similar situation. Craig was working late, and Liam cried out. He must have been having a nightmare or something. Normally, I would have just given him his pacifier and he would fall back asleep. I'm not sure if it's because I feel like my baby is growing up too quickly and I want to feel needed again, but for some reason, I felt compelled to bring him to bed with me. I agree that the treat was all mine.

Great With Child wasn't originally intended to be published. It started as a collection of letters written by Fennelly to one of her former students, Kathleen. I'm so glad it was published, though, because even though I'm almost through my first year of motherhood, I still need the reassurance of knowing that I'm not alone in this journey.

Bits + Pieces: Birthday Edition

2012-04-27T04:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Lindsey at You are the Roots for suggesting Bob Dylan's books to me several weeks ago. He's getting Forever Young for his birthday.

Also, if you haven't entered the birthday giveaway to win a copy of Beautiful Oops, be sure to do that. Liam cracked open his copy tonight, and he loves all of the flaps and fun illustrations.


Also, Liam's not really into sippy cups anymore. We've graduated to cups as evidenced by the big spot of water on his shirt.

We're hoping to have a small birthday gathering some time next week before Liam's big birthday party when we go to visit my parents on May 19th. We're going to have a fish theme with Goldfish crackers, these sandwiches, and orange ice cream. There's rain in the forecast, but we're hoping for warm enough weather to grill and enjoy a fire.

I've been fighting to urge to order these Liam the Brave Sheets (and just about everything else in this shop). I'm trying to curb my Internet shopping habits, but seriously -- Liam the Brave Sheets. Perfect for an explorer room. Don't you think?

Finally, since I missed Poem in Your Pocket Day, I wanted to share this poem. I hope Liam eventually takes this poem to heart and remembers it for many birthdays to come.

LISTEN TO THE MUSTN'TS
by Shel Silverstein

Listen to the MUSTN'TS child,
Listen to the DON'TS
Listen to the SHOULDN'TS
The IMPOSSIBLES, the WON'TS
Listen to the NEVER HAVES
Then listen close to me--
Anything can happen, child,
ANYTHING can be.

Liam: Super Shopper

2012-04-26T04:00:00.000-07:00

I'm not usually the type of mom who promises her kid prizes for being good (especially when he doesn't really understand that he's being promised a prize for being good.) However, Liam totally earned this Brown Bear Brown Bear from Kohl's the other day. (Plus, since it's Brown Bear Brown Bear, I feel like I'm promoting literacy.)

We had to pick up a few things after I got off work. I didn't plan to be gone past Liam's bed time, but we were. Yet, Liam was amazing. I couldn't have asked for a better kid, especially considering the circumstances.

This totally surprises me because last summer, Liam was the worst. shopper. ever. Then, this fall, things started slowing down for Craig and we either went shopping together so one of us could entertain Liam while the other picked up what we needed, or I just left the boys at home so I could pick up what I needed and head home. Now, Liam's earning himself stickers for staying buckled in the cart, waving at people in line behind us, and dazzling little old ladies with his smile.

Alphabet Project Outtakes

2012-04-24T04:00:00.001-07:00

I did a horrible job of taking monthly pictures of Liam. They were usually a day or two early or a day or two late. I didn't get any of those monthly stickers, I didn't have a sign, and I didn't take them in the same chair or with the same stuffed animal.

In order to redeem myself, I decided to put an alphabet book together for Liam's first birthday. I really enjoyed looking back at some of the pictures of pre-blog Liam.

Like this picture in one of the onesies my friends decorated for me at my baby shower.

And this picture of Liam in his new hat at five weeks old. This is the first time I caught his smile on camera. Even if it was just gas, I will always cherish this picture.

The Tortured Artist & A Birthday Giveaway

2012-04-24T04:00:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, when we went to the art museum, there was a table with crayons. Liam didn't really know what to do with the crayons. I realized that I didn't really do a good job of exposing him to those kinds of things. I remembered that I had some of the Melissa & Doug triangle crayons at home from my evenings spent tutoring a third grader in the months before Liam was born, so I decided to drag them out over the weekend. Liam picked up a crayon and immediately threw it against the paper. "Really, Kid?" Craig said, "Are you going to become a tortured artist on us?"

While we were art museum, we also discovered the book, Beautiful Oops. It's a really cute book about the beauty and opportunity we can find in the mistakes we make. Liam is really into interactive books, too--flaps, die cuts, gears, he loves them all. I immediately went to the book store, where I ordered not one, but two copies because I wanted to share this book with one of you.

To enter: Just leave a comment below telling me your kid's favorite book or favorite project to do at home.

The winner will be chosen via random.org next Tuesday, May 1st (Liam's birthday!) at 9:00 p.m. MST.

That Time I Thought I Almost Killed My Kid

2012-04-23T04:00:00.000-07:00

Before I start this story, I need to share a story from a few weeks ago. Craig and I went to a barbeque with a few of our friends, who also have kids around Liam's age. When the conversation turned to milestones and food, I started to get really uncomfortable, because these are two things I'm pretty self-conscious about. At one point, I shared that Liam really likes strawberries. One mom chimed in, "Um, berries are one of the most allergenic foods. You really shouldn't feed them to babies until they're at least a year old."

I wanted to say, "Actually, I checked, and they're not." But, instead I just let the conversation proceed. I don't think this mom was trying to judge me or make me feel inferior. I think she just didn't know any better, and was trying to impart some of the infinite wisdom she had gained in the six months of parenting she had on me. I kept feeding berries to Liam, partially out of spite, but mostly because he likes them.

Fast forward to Thursday night. On Wednesday, he had started getting what I thought was a diaper rash, and I chalked it up to the fact that we recently switched diaper brands. By Thursday, when I got home from work the rash had spread down his legs, and little blisters had started to form on his elbows, his feet, his hands, and on his cheek. It had been Craig's day off, so I said, "Craig, what did you feed him today?"

"Oh you know, the regular things," he said before proceeding to list five or six things including this berry applesauce. While I tried to stay calm-- his breathing wasn't labored or anything, inside I was freaking out, "Oh my God, she was right." So, I called the on call nurse at our local hospital (the clinic was closed at that time). She told me she couldn't diagnose it over the phone, but I needed to be sure to monitor his breathing and make sure he didn't get a high fever. She said I could bring him in or wait and take him to the clinic the next morning, but he should probably be seen by a doctor to make sure everything was okay.

Craig and I continued to worry about what it might be, and we finally decided to run him to the Pediatric Urgent Care in a nearby town. It turned out to be Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease, which in comparison to an allergic reaction didn't seem all that bad, and I got to spend an extra day home with Liam on Friday.

Earth Day Reads

2012-04-22T16:48:00.002-07:00

Liam and I picked up a few great Earth Day-related reads from the library recently, so I thought I'd share.

First of all, we read First the Egg by Laura Vaccaro Seeger. This was a great story. Liam really liked the die-cut pages. He'd get really excited each time we turned the page. I also thought the simple words and illustrations worked well for this story.

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We also grabbed The Water Hole by Graeme Base. As with most of Base's books, this had fantastic illustrations. I liked that this was a counting book, but it also had a story to it. It had die cut pages, too, showing a shrinking watering hole as it travels through various countries and continents. The book also had a lot of onomatopoeia, which Liam always enjoys.

Finally, we read Me, Jane by Patrick McDonnell. This was a sweet book about Jane Goodall. I liked that one of the pages had drawings that Jane had actually created herself as a child. Overall, I think it did a great job of sharing Jane Goodall's story.

Fresh Squeezed

2012-04-19T19:57:00.004-07:00

I keep hearing rumors of a warm weekend ahead. It makes me long for summer days spent lounging, sipping lemonade, and eating frozen treats.

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Don't Rock the Boat Baby

2012-04-18T04:00:00.000-07:00

On Defiance

2012-04-17T04:00:00.000-07:00

"Oh, hey Mom. You didn't want all these books all over the floor? Here. Why don't I give you a cute look. Is it okay then?"

Last night when we got home from daycare, I put Liam in his high chair to eat his usual afternoon snack, Annie's Bunny Grahams. Liam started throwing the bunnies off the tray.

"No, Liam," I said.

He dangled one more graham over the side of the tray.

"Liam, I said 'no'," I said again.

He looked at me, gave me a little smile, and dropped it, as if it was his one last act of defiance before finishing the grahams.

Liam is a pretty good-natured kid, but after much debate, Craig and I decided it's important to set certain limits for him. I've had a hard time deciding where to draw the line, though. While I think it's important to allow him room to explore and experiment, at some point he needs to know which behaviors are acceptable and which ones are not. I try to avoid being that mom who's constantly saying "no." I don't want to be the mother who's kid defies me because I'm overbearing and authoritarian. At the same time, it makes me feel really good when Mae tells me how glad she is that he listens when she has to tell him "no." (Even though in the back of my mind I'm thinking, "At least he listens to you.")

What about you? Where do you draw the line?