Life with Captain Fussybuckets

Age Four: The Land of Make Believe

Gena — Sat, 18 May 2013 19:44:28 +0000

Oh, age four. What a fun age! The Captain is four and a half now and his imagination is running wild every single day. It actually started long before age four, but he is more imaginative now than ever before. Every morning he wakes up and goes directly to his room (because he sleeps on our floor half the night, remember…yes, still….) and picks out a "costume." He finally realized that we can't go out and buy a costume for everything he wants, nor can I sew a costume every time he wants one. He's learned to make do with what he has, and I must say, I have been impressed with some of the stuff he comes up with!

Who wants to be a Superhero Knight Firefighter?

Or what about "Space Boy?" I don't remember what exactly prompted this costume, but he wanted an astronaut costume and I gave him a few boxes and scissors and told him that he would have to work on that one himself. I did offer some cutting help, but the rest is all his idea. Pretty good because it satisfied him and he was proud of his costume!

Then there was the time he learned about Moses and the Ten Commandments. The couch was his mountain, he made the Ten Commandments out of cardboard and paper, and then strapped a Slinky around his waist to climb the mountain. ha! I'm pretty sure Moses didn't have the security of a harness around his waist, but this Moses did.

He read about Hawkman, the superhero, in a book and had to become him. Those are his hawk wings, of course!

I'm sure you can tell that this is a police officer, protecting our backyard from bad guys. He's got his police badge, wallet, walkie talkie, and gun. Yes, that stick is a gun, all under a belt that's incredibly too tight.

This is the latest character. The Captain saw an episode of "The Wild Kratts" on PBS yesterday, for the first time. It's a show about two adult brothers who rescue animals and teach about science and the world around us. Half of us is a cartoon, and the Captain loves this show! Here he is in his Wild Kratts costume… which he wore outside… in the heat of Texas… but he didn't care because he was a WILD KRATT!

This kid certainly makes every day an adventure for all of us. And lucky for him, his little brother D is more than willing to accompany him in all of his adventures!

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Dallas Ladies, Join the Old Navy Pretty Muddy Run!

Gena — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:55:44 +0000

This Pretty Muddy post was written by me on behalf of Old Navy. All opinions are mine.

Old Navy is bringing the popular Pretty Muddy Women's Run to Dallas! The Run will be at Skyline Ranch on June 1st of this year. (address: 1801 E Wheatland Rd. Dallas, TX 75241) So what is the Pretty Muddy? It is a fun 5k adventurous obstacle course mud run for JUST women! Spend time outdoors with your friends, get dirty, and have fun in this muddy adventure.

After the race, participants will be treated to a fashion show by Old Navy, showcasing the lastest in activewear fashion trends. Old Navy's active wear line offers an assortment of styles and colors at the affordable price Old Navy is known for.

Old Navy GoDry Running Top in Carbon

Old Navy printed compression capris in Black Jack 2

The Old Navy Compression Collection features items such as solid color leggings and color block capris, sports bras, tank tops, shorts, and jackets. The Compression Collection offers performance fit for added support and a slimmer silhouette. Great news for those of us that are self concious while we work out, or even for hiding certain areas and still being stylish. The collection is designed with the highest level of technology, made with cotton, spandex, and GoDry fabric, which allows moisture to be quickly wicked away, leaving you dry and comfortable. The clothes also offer flat lock seams and tag-free labels to prevent chafing and make sure that your workout is all you're thinking about! Old Navy Active Pants also feature the fuss-free storage of keys, iPods, or other workout essentials.

Don't forget to use code "BLOGON" to save $10 off of your Pretty Muddy registration in DALLAS!!

Will you be participating in the Pretty Muddy in Dallas or another city this year? Have you participated in the past? I'd love to hear about your experience!

Photos courtesy of Pretty Muddy & Old Navy.

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Wordless Wednesday: Alpacas!

Gena — Wed, 15 May 2013 19:37:33 +0000

The Captain's "preschool" got to visit an alpaca farm recently. He LOVED it. These alpacas are just too cute!

The post Wordless Wednesday: Alpacas! appeared first on Life with Captain Fussybuckets.

Those Tricky Sleep Transitions

Gena — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:22:52 +0000

Do you ever wish your kids would just stick with what works? It seems like as soon as we find the perfect schedule, get the routine down to a science and everyone is well-rested, they suddenly stop napping or begin catapulting themselves from the crib. What is a tired and bleary-eyed parent to do? Whether this brings to mind your first or fifth child's latest antics, all of us have to face the same challenges and make it through to the other side!

These are the major transitions to prepare for (newborn-age 5):

• Moving from watching sleepy signs to going "by the clock"

• Dropping the 3rd nap

• Going from 2 naps to 1

• Crib-to-bed transition

• Saying goodbye to the final nap

When to make the switch & how to make it as painless as possible:

Moving from watching sleepy signs to going "by the clock" can be confusing, especially when the overtired zone comes on like a storm. The general rule of thumb here is that babies under 4 months of age need to have very brief periods of wakefulness (between 1-2 hours is plenty). The 4-month mark isn't magical and all babies aren't automatically able to be awake longer just because they hit this age. However, it is around 16 weeks that we see a shift in the amount of wakefulness babies can tolerate, along with specific "clock times" that are optimal for restorative sleep.

When your baby is approaching the 4-month mark, you'll begin to notice that she's able to stay awake a bit longer without getting into the overtired zone quite as soon. You'll also begin to recognize consistency in her morning wake time (6-7am), her bedtime (6-8pm) and the timing of her morning nap (around 9am).

When these times fall into place, it's time to begin working toward a consistent afternoon nap in the 12-1pm window. This is accomplished by gradually keeping her awake longer after her morning nap, but not pushing her too far that she gets overtired. 10-minute increments every few days is fast enough, but only if she had a great, restorative night's sleep and a quality morning nap. If you find she's having trouble falling asleep and wakes too soon from this nap, this means she not quite ready to make the jump, and it would be beneficial to wait a week or 2 and then try again.

After the afternoon nap falls into place the late afternoon/early evening nap will follow suit, along with a bedtime around 6-8pm. Dropping the 3rd nap is a fairly easy one because it usually starts with a blatant refusal to sleep most days in the late afternoon. You may also get lots of fussing which results in a nap that begins and ends too late. This is detrimental because she won't be ready to sleep at a healthy bedtime hour. Remember: It's always, always, always better to put children to bed early rather than put them down for a catnap late in the day. The sleep in the early part of the night is the best quality sleep they can get and will restore their little bodies better than at any other time.

You'll find that she needs the 3rd nap some days and won't settle at all on others. If you count over 4/5 days in the week that she wouldn't take it, then it's time to throw in the towel and shoot for an earlier bedtime until she adjusts.

Going from 2 naps to 1 is a transition that has forever been on my hit-list. It's very messy and makes life difficult for everyone involved until things are smoothed over. When I see it coming I hold on for dear life and look longingly for the light at the end of the tunnel. It all starts when she's around 15 months of age. The sweet baby who *always* takes a great morning nap suddenly begins to spend most or all of the nap period talking, playing, whining and rolling around wildly. She may trick you and fall asleep right at the very end of the naptime and then sleep for an hour or more. This late morning nap will make her afternoon nap fall at a time when her body tells her not to sleep, so she'll fight that later nap, become overtired, cry at bedtime… and the cycle repeats.

Some babies continue to take a super morning nap, but it's the afternoon nap that suffers. She just won't be able to fall asleep easily and when she does it's either too late or ends way too soon to be considered a restorative nap. If she plays/fusses through either nap consistently 4-5 days out of the week, it's time to work toward 1 consolidated daily nap. Begin this transition by shooting for a nap as close to noon as possible. If your child wakes up before 6am, try to keep her awake until 11:30 and then each week push it later by 15 minutes until she's able to make it to 12/1pm. If she wake up after 6am, try to keep her awake until noon. Keep in mind that this is a slow process and it will take a few weeks to iron out the kinks. There still may be some days mixed in when you'll want to put her down for 2 naps because of the activities going on, and that's ok! Continue working in the direction of one nap starting around 12/1pm.

As soon as this becomes consistent and you can tell she's well rested throughout the day, and wakes up happy in the morning and after her nap, you can expect this schedule to remain consistent until she grows out of her nap altogether. Don't forget that it's important to get her down for an earlier than normal bedtime while this transition is taking place. As she get used to the new routine and begins to take a longer nap, the bedtime hour can be moved back to it's original time.

The crib-to-bed transition is not as obvious as the other ones because in this scenario you're not only dealing with sleep issues, but you're also taming the toddler tornado. It's sometimes hard to tell if she's ready for the new found freedom of a bed or if she just needs discipline. From my experience, it's wise to wait as long as possible to make the switch. Do whatever it takes to keep her in her crib until her 3rd birthday, if possible, because when toddlers are already testing the waters while in the crib, the problems get exponentially worse when we make it even simpler to cross the bedtime boundary lines.

When it's time to move her to a bed, make sure she is already very familiar with your expectations at bedtime and through the night. I always recommend purchasing a programmable sleep clock (i.e SleepBuddy Sleep System) and introducing it BEFORE she actually moves to a bed. This is especially beneficial for climbers because they get used to the family sleep rules while they're still in a comfortable, familiar place. After the move, have a plan of action and stay with it! Consistency from the very beginning makes all the difference and sets the stage for success. If you want her to remain in her bed all night, place her back in bed without attention (positive or negative) EVERY SINGLE TIME. Don't let up, don't bring her into bed with you, don't get sucked in…stay consistent and she'll learn that bedtime is bedtime, no matter what strings she tries to pull. This transition typically takes about 2 weeks for the child to feel confident and comfortable in her new surroundings.

Saying goodbye to the final nap has always been bittersweet for me. The hassle of naptime is over, but the mid-day break for Mom is greatly missed. This transition usually takes place between 3-5 years of age. If you think your child is ready to drop this nap and she is closer to 3, make sure she's getting enough outside, gross motor activity and that she's going to bed at a reasonable time (between 6-8pm). Sometimes the refusal to nap at this age is due to lack of exercise and/or overtiredness from a bedtime that is too late. Try to get her blood moving in the morning and push the bedtime earlier for a few nights to see if she starts napping again. Another thing that has worked wonders for me personally is to loosen the reigns and take the pressure off of her to fall asleep at naptime. Tell her that she doesn't have to sleep, you just want her to rest for an hour in the dark, and then she can play for 30 min-1hr independently. Inevitably she will fall asleep while "resting". Yes, it's ok to use reverse psychology once in awhile - it works!

The #1 way to tell when the nap truly needs to stop (after trying the ideas above) is typically when the child just isn't tired enough to nap at her usual time, so she falls asleep later and later in the afternoon which makes bedtime a fight. This late nap will cause her to go to bed way too late, wake up with an empty sleep tank and the cycle will continue until you've got a hot mess on your hands. If she is consistently staying awake for an hour after being put down for her nap, allow her to get up and play quietly for 30-60 min. This is a great way to introduce her to "quiet time" so that you can still have your break in the middle of the day and she can engage in imaginative, solo play. All of my children who no longer nap have a "quiet time" each day and it's one of the best parenting moves we've made thus far. If we have a busy day when we're not home for quiet time, they all ask for it and plead to have a few minutes of alone time. I think it's important to allow kids time in the day to rest, relax and just be.

Well, there you have it! The major transitions of baby and toddlerhood explained and solved. Visit Healthy Happy Sleep for guidance and encouragement with your child's sleep issues.

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BIG thank you to Laura Swartz from Healthy Happy Sleep for sharing this helpful information. Laura is the mother of five and a certified sleep expert through the Family Sleep Institute. Laura is qualified to work with newborns through age 5, as well as multiples and children with special needs. She is also the creator of the Sleep Buddy Complete Sleep System.

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New Moms Will Love The Mombo Nursing Pillow!

Gena — Sat, 11 May 2013 14:17:10 +0000

This nursing pillow post brought to you by Comfort and Harmony. All opinions are 100% mine.

When the boys were babies, I wanted to love my nursing pillow, but I found it to be more of a nuisance than a help because it was just too thin and not practical. When I saw the new Mombo Comfort & Harmony nursing pillow, I knew there was more to love!

The Mombo has so many great attributes and can be used for nursing and beyond. (Baby D, at age 2, has already claimed it as his own pillow and loves laying on it!) Mombo has a unique shape and a two sided design called Firm2Soft, so you have two choices to better suit you and Baby. The Mombo also features a vibration feature to soothe Baby while lounging. It is easy to take out to replace batteries and turn on. I found this to be VERY helpful, as no one wants to mess around with batteries when Baby is unhappy:

I love the beautiful prints available on the covers, too. This is the cute "Elapaloo" print that came with mine and the other side is soft and plush! There are many other prints and fabrics to choose from.

The Mombo nursing pillow is a very well made, high quality pillow that is sure to last through multiple children. I could see a new mom receiving the Mombo at a baby shower and taking it to the hospital or birthing center, nursing her baby in it, then as the baby grows older, using it for tummy time or just to relax and watch the world around them! And as Baby D has proven, it's great for toddlers and older kids, too!

This and other Mombo products are available at Babies R Us. The Mombo without cover sells for $29.99 and the covers are $12.99 and up.

Follow Comfort & Harmony on Facebook and Comfort & Harmony on Twitter, too. (Comfort & Harmony are the makers of Mombo products.)

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My Do It!

Gena — Fri, 10 May 2013 19:27:30 +0000

Baby D is two. He has become very independent in the past few months and while it is a natural, good part of his development, but it sure is tiring on his mommy! I remember when the Captain went through this phase, his favorite phrase was "My do it!" and D is no different. Everything must be attempted at least once by himself before allowing anyone to help and if you don't allow him to at least try to do it himself, a meltdown is sure to occur.

The other day we had just gotten the car inspected and they gave us a free car wash. They left the car in line for the car wash and I quickly put D in his carseat. He yelled "NO! My do it!" and then proceeded to climb completely out of the car and climb back in and attempt to buckle himself before saying "help, please." There is no such thing as hurrying with an independent two year old.

D gets very upset when I don't let him pour his own milk or juice but I've been there with the Captain and I am not letting him attempt this until he can successfully fill his water cups in the tub without overflowing! Practice makes perfect and he doesn't pour anything but water….yet!

One thing that he rocks at is cereal. I always eat my cereal on the couch in the mornings and I remember the Captain always wanted to, as well. Well, of course that meant spilled milk and cereal often. I remember moving the couches to clean them and I'd always find a small, dried up puddle of spilled milk that I thought I got all of but clearly I didn't! Well, now D eats his cereal without spilling much at all and then drinks the milk, then puts the bowl in the sink. I am quite proud of him! We trained him well! ha!

As trying as the independent two year old stage can be, I know it gets worse before it gets better. The Captain was a bit more trying when he turned three up until about 3 1/2. It's okay though, every phase is pretty awesome with these guys!

Do your kids' independence drive you nuts sometimes? Does it ever get better? :)

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Give and Receive Quality Time – SocialBlackout for Mother’s Day

Gena — Fri, 10 May 2013 01:10:07 +0000

I participated in this SocialBlackout campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for MetLife. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

I love my little family. We like to celebrate holidays for a week or more. The boys and hubby took me out on Monday for pizza and said it was my Mother's Day meal, (but it really wasn't.) Then the boys made me a Mother's Day craft and the Captain brought home a special Mother's Day gift that I'm not supposed to open until Sunday. I'm sure we will go out on Saturday night, but we are definitely avoiding the Sunday lunch rush!

Mother's Day is definitely about celebrating moms, but I think it's also about celebrating the kids that made us moms. That's why I think it is BRILLIANT that MetLife has created the SocialBlackout movement to challenge everyone to log off of social media on Mother's Day, May 12th, and focus on family time.

My kids are (thankfully) not old enough to have to worry about social media, but I think we will leave the TV off, as well, so we can spend quality time together. I try to stay off the computer on Sundays anyway, but I will make an extra effort to stay off the iPad, too, this Mother's Day. I am sure Hubby will be on board with this great idea, too! Yay for QUALITY, screen-free family time!

If you'd like to show that you're logging off of social media this Mother's Day, here is a fun profile picture to use:

For more information on this great movement, visit the MetLife Facebook page and commit to going (or rather, NOT going, to this event!)

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Eco Friendly Mother’s Day Crafting with Elmer’s Naturals

Gena — Thu, 09 May 2013 20:48:33 +0000

I participated in this Elmer's Naturals campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Elmer's. I received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

Both of the boys are really into crafts right now. It doesn't matter what it is, if it involves any kind of paint, makers, glue, etc, they're super excited. That's why when we received our box of Elmer's Naturals eco friendly glue, this was the genuine expression on the Captain's face:

I was excited, too, knowing that Elmer's Naturals is made from naturally occurring ingredients like corn and soybeans and available in recycled packaging. Elmer's Naturals are strong, safe, non-toxic, and washable, just like Elmer's traditional school glue. The pourable Elmer's Naturals glue is 99% natural and the glue stick consists of more than 88% natural ingredients.

The boys wanted to craft as soon as the package was opened, so I decided that we should make a fun torn paper flower with Elmer's Naturals glue and paper. I showed them how I would do it and let them do what they wanted. D found the glue stick most fun:

The Captain really liked the pourable glue and had fun tearing the red and green pieces of paper to make his "redbonnet," as he called it:

He had been making a Mother's Day surprise for me at school, so he wanted to turn his craft into a Mother's Day gift for me, which I thought was very sweet!

The Elmer's Naturals pourable glue is clear and more like gel glue than the traditional white glue. It's a bit stickier, but not too hard to manage. If I was given the choice of regular glue or Elmer's Naturals, I would gladly choose Elmer's Naturals every time. Both the pourable glue and glue stick were easy to use for both boys.

Elmer's School Glue Naturals became available nationwide in JoAnn Fabric stores in April 2013 and are coming to Michaels stores this month, amongst other stores. A 4 oz. bottle of pourable glue and a two pack of glue sticks retail for $3.29 each. A thirty pack of glue sticks will retail for $16.99 for educators.

Eco-friendly tidbit: empty Elmer's school glue bottles – both natural and traditional – can be recycled at home by consumers. In schools, the glue bottles and glue sticks can be recycled through the Elmer's Glue Crew® Brigade® with TerraCycle and schools can earn monetary donations and other rewards for recycling!

Want more fun crafts? Try Elmer's Road Trip Fun Travel Bag, Swim Crown, or more fun crafts found at the Elmer's site. Make sure to check out the Elmer's "Pin to Win" Sweepstakes, too! Share your earth friendly creations for a chance to win Elmer's Naturals prize packs and a $100 gift card.

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Wordless Wednesday: Baby Blackberries

Gena — Wed, 08 May 2013 20:58:14 +0000

We have baby blackberries on our blackberry bush! Here's hoping they grow into deliciousness!

The post Wordless Wednesday: Baby Blackberries appeared first on Life with Captain Fussybuckets.

Baltic Amber from Spark of Amber Calms and Heals

Gena — Tue, 07 May 2013 16:12:15 +0000

This baltic amber post has been sponsored and was written by me on behalf of Spark of Amber as part of the Green Moms Network. All opinions are mine.

Baltic Amber is a 100% natural resin found in Lithuania and the Baltic sea region. Baltic Amber is not only very beautiful, but healing and calming as well. When it is worn against the skin, the succinic acid is released through the skin's warmth. Baltic Amber has been used by Europeans for centuries for pain relief and as an anti-inflammatory agent. Baltic Amber has been used for immunity building, respiratory infections, teething, headaches, carpal tunnel pain, and much more! [information from Spark of Amber website]

Amber teething necklaces have become very popular in the United States in the last few years, but baltic amber is great for all ages. Amber has helped with adult allergies, morning sickness, tummy troubles, and more. The beautiful pieces from Spark of Amber are great for fashion, as well as calming and healing for Moms like me!

I have enjoyed wearing the Spark of Amber bracelet, pictured above. It is beautiful and it's amazing how no two pieces in the bracelet are exactly alike. I can definitely feel a difference when I wear the bracelet. This "Savannah Sunset" bracelet sells for $24.99 on the Spark of Amber website.

Spark of Amber offers genuine, authentic, 100% natural Amber teething necklaces, bracelets, and other jewelry pieces for all ages. Spark of Amber is a United States company, run by a work at home mom, Julie, who outsources her products to three women in Lithuania who make the jewelry to support their families. It has been professional tested and verified authentic. Spark of Amber's products are affordable and they even offer free shipping!

Visit Spark of Amber to see all the beautiful pieces of jewelry they have to offer. Make sure to follow on Facebook and Twitter, too.

Spark of Amber is giving one Life With Captain Fussybuckets reader their own baltic amber bracelet. Just enter in the Rafflecopter form. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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