Pittsburgh Mom

Contest - Spring clothes shopping! Win a $50 Old Navy Gift card

Heather — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:04:00 GMT

It was 60 degrees today!! I think we are all doing a huge happy dance that the snow is finally giving way to warmer temperatures and we can finally find our mailbox and yard again. I know that this week of warmer temps has had me dreaming of not only spring, but summer. I have spent hours virtual window shopping for bathing suits, sundresses and flip flops. I have already made my annual trip to Old Navy for our supply of kid polo shirts and water shoes. Now I just need it to be 80 degrees.

And, of course, because I like to share my favorite things with you (and I love to give you options that are not always SPECIFICALLY for kids, I picked up a couple of gift cards while at Old Navy and now I get to give them to you!

This contest is simple. It is for 2 $50 gift cards to Old Navy. I will draw two winners and each will get a gift card to spend on themselves, their kids or whoever else they feel the urge to shop for. Look at some of the fun stuff you could do with $50

For Mom: (total outfit cost - $44.50)

Or for the little man: (Outfit $27)

For the little lady: (two dresses total: $34.50)

I suppose there's stuff for Dad too, but I'm not going to think about that :)

Fun stuff!! I'll run the contest from now until March 25 and then draw the winners.

To enter, just reply here and tell me who you'd spend the money on!

I said I'd never....cook separate meals

Heather — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:04:00 GMT

I could write a whole book called "I said I'd never..." As my friend Karen says "I was a much better mother before I had kids" (maybe THAT should be the title of my book) :) One of the things I swore I'd never do and was all Judgey McJudgerson about cooking separate meals for the kids. I said horrible things like -

"I'm not a short order cook!"

"This isn't a restaurant!"

"My kids will eat what I make or they will go hungry!"

"I can't believe she feeds her kids toddler food, my kids will eat real, big people food"

"I'm going to be such a better mother than her" (ok, I didn't say that one, but lets' face it, we all think that before we have kids, right?)

And guess what....

I make separate meals every night. I'm so ashamed. I'm hanging my head here. I don't know how we got to this place. I remember very vividly going to San Antonio with my mom and Matthew when he was about 8 months old. He ate refried beans and rice and chips and enchiladas and loved it. I was so proud. I thought that "eating normal people food" would continue, but somehow it didn't.

I blame it on McDonalds and other restaurants. Everywhere we go the kids menu consists of the same things - chicken nuggets, mac-n-cheese, hot dogs, etc. And my kids started eating those things and loved them and now if I presented a plate of refried beans and rice to my children they would look at me like I have three heads.

So what about the promise that "they will eat what I make or go to bed hungry"? Here's what happened to it: I haven't slept in 5 years. Not the whole night. What little sleep I do get is very near and dear to me. And I'm too afraid that if my kids have an empty stomach they'll sleep even less than they do (if that's even possible). You see, it's all about sleep for me. Food = sleep. And I love sleep.

So I let my kids pick their dinner every night and it consists of every toddler food on the market. I'm not proud. But I'm honest.

But, here's why I'm writing this post.

1. So you, too, can tell me that you do the same thing and make me feel less terrible about my parenting skills ;)

2. To tell you about our recent victory!

Last week I made lasagna. I never expected my kids to eat it. I had the mac-n-cheese all ready to cook when Matthew asked if he could have taste (!!). We're working very hard with him on at least trying new things and because he's such a good, well-behaved kid, he will do it.

He doesn't always like it and our rule is that he doesn't have to eat any more if he doesn't like it, but now that he's 4 1/2 he'll actually be honest and not automatically hate everything (unlike Ben who just says "That's YUCKY!" without every so much as sniffing it). He's found several things that he likes. There's a light at the end of the corn dog tunnel, people!

Back to the lasagna. He tried it and he loved it. He had 5 servings! (yes, five, that's not a typo!) And so I put some on Ben's plate and he started picking at it too, and before I knew it his was gone as well.

It was the first time that I can remember (other than pizza night which doesn't really count) that we all sat down and at the exact same meal. Veggies, lasagna and bread. I'm not sure I've ever been so proud.

So I'm hoping for more victories like the lasagna.

Anyone have any picky toddlers that ended up liking "big people food"? What was it that you served that they liked? I'm ready to keep this ball rolling.

When kids say embarassing things

Heather — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:50:00 GMT

We teach our kids that honesty is important. We teach them never to lie and always tell the truth. But often, the subtleties of exactly WHEN to tell the truth and when to say nothing are lost on the preschool mind. We had one of those such occasions over the weekend.

We started the boys in swimming lessons last Saturday. As we were finishing, a gentleman came into the pool area and took the lane that the boys had been swimming in. To understand the story you should know that the man was rather large.

After we changed and were walking out we were overlooking the pool area from the glass-enclosed lobby above and Matthew and Ben were trying to figure out which lane they had been in during their lesson. Ben was arguing for lane #3 when Matthew piped up (quite loudly)

"No, Ben, we were right, there, where the fat man is swimming!" Horrified I told Matthew that we don't call people fat. He responded with "but Mom, he has a LOT of blubber on him! and when people have a lot of blubber they're fat". He made no apologies, showed no shame. He was telling the truth and really didn't think he had said anything wrong. I nearly died as the other onlookers in the lobby just snickered. I explained that we don't say that people have blubber on them and call them fat because that might hurt their feelings. He then said "well, he's down there, he can't even hear me". I wasn't winning this argument.

It turns out that last week in school they did a unit on hibernation. The teacher taugth the students that animals have a layer of fat called blubber on them to keep them warm in the winter. My smart kid connected the dots and decided that if people have that same layer of fat it, too, must be called blubber.

How do teach your kids to be honest and "correct" with words but then also teach them when it's not appropriate to use them? Poor Matthew was very confused and ashamed that I was reprimanding him when he was just stating what he had learned. I had a hard time arguing with that.

So what have your kids said in public that left you wanting to crawl under a rock?

Clean floors in 3 easy steps!

Heather — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 20:14:00 GMT

I'm all about creativity on days when we're stuck at home. This morning I found the ultimate in productive creativity. Let me share with you:

How to Clean Your Kitchen Floors in 3 Easy Steps

Step 1 - Give the kids the special treat of painting the entire kitchen floor

Step 2 - Child labor to clean up mess while teaching the valuable lesson that we must clean up our messes

Step 3 -Mommy enjoys a nice hot cup of coffee while admiring her clean floors

An an unfortunate addendum - Step 4 - Call the carpet cleaning company (mental note, make sure to make boundaries more clear next time)

CONTEST CLOSED - Win some amazing Pittsburgh Popcorn

Heather — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 03:51:00 GMT

This contest is totally unplanned, but the real purpose of this site is to let you all know about the wonderful things this city has to offer and throw "Heather's Favorite Things" out there to see who else likes them.

And every now and then I find something I absolutely must share with you all (well not you ALL, I'm not Oprah, with one lucky winner).

Now that I've removed my face from inside the tin of popcorn where it has been residing for the past 48 hours I must offer this contest just so that I can tell you all about Pittsburgh Popcorn. Why?

I'll tell you...

You see, I don't really care for popcorn. I'm way more of a chocolate freak than I am a salty snacker. I'd never choose popcorn as a snack, ever.

But as I said, I've been shamefully eating up all of the belated Valentine's Day popcorn for my dear husband (who IS a salty snacker). I thought it would make a perfect gift for him, and one that I could keep my always-dieting butt away from.

I was wrong. So very, very wrong.

I have absolutely no idea what they put in that popcorn but I"m pretty sure it's some sort of mind-altering chemical that makes even non-popcorn lovers unable to stop eating.

And my kids are sold, too. I've never seen Matthew shovel any food item into his mouth faster than he did the Wisconsin Cheddar variety. I, myself, preferred the Crunchy Caramel. Mike was wild and crazy and liked to eat a piece of each at the same time. (I went with a combo tin of the two mixed).

After I'd purchased the tin I happened to ask what their most popular flavor was and was told it is the Peanut Butter & Chocolate (just typing that makes me want to order some rightthisveryminute!).

I can assure you we'll be back. Often. Maybe too often for my butt.

I'd heard about Pittsburgh Popcorn before, but as I said, I'm not a popcorn eater, so I'd never tried it. Just about two years old, the store is owned by Rob and Genalle Day, a husband-and-wife team who met while working together at a popcorn store in New York City.

With eight regular flavors (including the cheddar, chocolate peanut butter, and cinnamon toast) on the menu, plus a rotating list of "flavors of the week" (including some crazy ones like smoky chipotle and dill pickle), there's sure to be a flavor to please any palette. The folks at The Pittsburgh Popcorn Company will ship to anywhere in the Continental United States and the prices range from $3.50 (for a small bag) to $10.75 for a large bag. Souvenir tins start at $14.95 for a 1lb tin and go as large as a 3.5 pound tin (that sounds wonderful).

So, as a way of sharing this with all of you, I'd like to offer a contest. I'll send a 1 lb tin of any flavor of Pittsburgh Popcorn to TWO lucky winners. And I'll STRONGLY encourage everyone else to get your (small, but soon to get bigger) butts down to the Strip District (or their second location in the Cultural District) and try some for yourself. It truly is a Pittsburgh treasure.

To enter, tell me which of their flavors you would most like to try (you can read about their flavors on their site here

I'll run the contest from now through March 1 then pick two winners to send the popcorn to.

You can find The Pittsburgh Popcorn Company at

Strip District		Store hours:
209 21 street, Pittsburgh, PA		M – W: 10 – 4
412-281-5200		Th, Fr: 10 – 4:30
		Sat: 9 – 5
		Su: 10:30 – 2:30

Downtown (Cultural District)		Store hours:
822 Liberty ave, Pittsburgh, PA		M – F: 11 – 7
412-281-2499		Sat: 11 – 5
		Sun: closed

The logic of a 4-year-old

Heather — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 20:32:00 GMT

I always enjoy reading the "funny things kids say" threads and discussing them with friends. (Except, of course, when they're not really that funny but the parents' think they are). I have a funny one I thought I'd share with you, in the hopes that you find it funny too (and if not you can nod and smile and pretend I'm funny).

Last week, after several days (and by several I mean SEVEN LONG DAYS) alone with the kids because of the snow storm I was at my wits end. They were being relatively good, but we were all feeling cooped up and bored with our routine of finding creative things to do in the house. Ben was being unusally cranky by the seventh day (he was also fighting a cold).

This is the boy that never naps. In fact, he doesn't sleep much at all. Some days he really needs a nap...but getting him to take one is a challenge (and by challenge, I mean pain in the ass).

I dediced to try the "lay all the couch cushions on the floor, pop in a movie and pretend we're camping" approach, hoping he would fall asleep.

And guess what, he did! Less than half way into the movie he konked right out. Matthew stayed awake to watch the whole movie.

Less than an hour into the nap of all naps (which, when I can get him to sleep, will last hours...long, peaceful hours), I got up to go into the other room for ONE MINUTE.

One lousy minute!

And then I heard arguing. It went something like "uh uh! Nut uh! ut uh! Nut uh!" and there were two little voices, not just one.

It didn't make sense, Ben was asleep!

Ben proceeded to wake up and be EXTREMELY grumpy (the only thing that makes him more grumpy than not taking a nap when he needs one is being woken up from a nap before he's done napping) and I yelled for Matthew to come in and demanded he explain why (oh, god why!?!) Ben was awake.

And he said....(wait for it...)

Well, well, well....I woke him up to tell him he was sleeping.

No joke.

Somehow I don't think he'll end up in Gifted Education. ;)

So what funny logic have your kids come up without of the blue?

CONTEST CLOSED- Win tickets to see Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Heather — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 02:30:00 GMT

Thanks to a generous donation from Pittsburgh Musical Theater, we have some tickets to give away to some upcoming productions. First on the list is their production of Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat has proven to be one of the most enduring and endearing shows of all time. Taken from the book of Genesis, the story of Joseph and his 11 brothers is the first musical by Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice. Joseph is wrapped in a tuneful score that runs the gamut of rock'n roll styles. The message of hope in the story reveals a truth of our humanity: "One can never know how events will turn out, so trust your individual values." This season, don't miss Joseph. After all, any dream will do.

Presented by: Pittsburgh Musical Theater
Venue: Byham Theater - [ View Seating Chart ]
Thursday, March 18 - Sunday, March 28, 2010

The contest is for a family-four pack of tickets to see the show on March 18, 19 or 20th or 26, or 27th.

I'll run the contest from now through March 10 and draw a winner then.

To enter, you must Name three brothers and three colors in the coat

Good luck!!

(and look for another Pittsburgh Musical Theater contest soon to win tickets to see Annie!)

Finally on the positive side of the snow clothes equation

Heather — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:08:00 GMT

Sorry for the lack of posting. As you may have guessed, we've been under 2 feet of snow and while we were lucky enough to keep our power most of the time, we lost internet/phone/cable and I've been relying on my iPhone to keep me connected with the world. (And DVDs to keep my kids sane).

Growing up in the Buffalo area, this kind of snow is not something new for me. Shoveling it is new, though! I never really realized that, while we had tons of snow, my dad has a plow and always has, so I never have shoveled a driveway like this in my entire life. I've been spoiled :)

We're running out of things to do, as I'm sure most of you are. I'd love to hear some creative ideas for your "snow days". We've baked, we've played games, and we've done some crafts (good timing for Valentines Day cards). And most importantly, we've played in the snow. A lot.

You see, this year is the first year we've "gone into the black" on the magical "snow clothes equation". This "Heather invented equation" goes something like this:

Amount of time it takes to put on all the snow clothes, boots, hats + the amount of time you scream "Stand Still!!" divided by the amount of time actually spent outside = snow clothes equation.

In winters' past, we would take 20 minutes to put on all the crap and the kids would want to come back inside after 10 minutes. It was so frustrating. This year, however, we've tipped the scales and the boys have played outside for an hour or more, making the effort to put on the snow clothes well worth it.

This pleases me. Greatly.

So have you conquered the snow clothes equaiton yet?

Now, if only I could get the same results with the "crafts/crap equation". That one is: the amount of time getting the crafts out + the amount of time cleaning divided by the amount of time the kids actually spend DOING the craft. We're still WELL in the red on that one.

Happy snow day folks, enjoy. Stay warm.

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Potty training update

Heather — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:35:00 GMT

I got so much good advice (and sympathy) after my Potty Training Hell post that I thought I owed you all a little update.

Last Friday Ben woke up and pooped in his little potty (he's done this before...if it's right in front of him and he happens to have to go, he'll go in the little potty. But once it was out of sight it was most definitely out of mind). We praised him, as usual, and went about our day.

Saturday he did it again.

Sunday he was playing in the family room and suddenly ran to the bathroom (like he does when he has to pee) but then he yelled to us that he'd pooped in the potty. Sure enough he did.

Monday he did it again.

Tuesday they called me from daycare saying that he'd gone on the potty there.

Wednesday he went on the big potty at home, before we all even woke up, then came and woke us up and made the whole family come and look at his poop (fun times, nothing like waking up to that).

I'm in shock. It's like he just made up his mind that it wasn't so terrible and now he hasn't had an accident in a week. The last piece of the pie is getting him to go when we're out somewhere and he might have to hold it. So far it's always been at home or school where a bathroom was just steps away. We'll see how that part goes this weekend.

I have absolutely no advice, because if anything, this has taught me more than ever that Ben is in charge. And I also know that at any point in time he might decide it's not cool anymore and we'll be right back where we started. But for now I'll take it. Ben does things when Ben wants to do things and he is in complete control.

And he knows this.

And he loves it.

CONTEST CLOSED- Win passes to Pittsburgh's newest playplace, Jumpin' Castle

Heather — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 19:52:00 GMT

By now you've all read my review of Jumpin' Castle in Warrendale, right? (just nod your head and play along). If you haven't, you can read it here. Go ahead, read it now...I'll wait...

OK, now that we've got that done, let me tell you that we have some play passes to give away!!

Peggy, the owner of Jumpin' Castle has generously offered to give away 10 play passes. We'll draw five lucky winners and each winner will get two passes. Each pass is worth 1 entrance/play pass or 1 hour of kid sitter service.

In case you still didn't read my review (shame on you for not following directions), I'll tell you a little about Jumpin' Castle.

Jumpin' Castle is an interactive indoor children's play center complete with a huge castle-themed play structure, complete with:

spiraling dragon slide
a 7 foot fast drop slide
trolley glide
spiral tower climb
pendulum walk
and an 8 foot suspension bridge!

In addition to the climbing structure, Jumpin' Castle has...

an enclosed basketball room
a large air bounce
a 7 ft air hockey table
a 12 ft x 10 ft traversing rock wall
a mini trampoline
an arts & crafts coloring table
a castle puppet theater
Mega Blocks Adventure Castles

Located at the intersection of Warrendale-Bayne Road and Route 19 in Warrendale, Jumpin' Castle is open M-Th 9:30-9, Fri & Sat 9:30-9:30 and Sunday 11-5. In addition to parent-present play, Jumpin' Castle offers a kid sitting service for kids age 3-11 and birthday party packages.

Even if you don't win the contest, be sure to check out their discount coupon on their website at www.jumpincastle.com

I'll run the contest from now through February 14 and draw the winners then.

To enter, reply to this post with "The Mac Daddy made me Jump! Jump!" (tee hee, I love being able to tell people to say silly stuff)

Pittsburgh Family Fun - Jumpin' Castle

Heather — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 01:30:00 GMT

Pittsburgh Family Fun Goes to Jumpin' Castle

I think I may have a problem. I'm a stalker. I stalk new play places. I'd seen a sign up near the Warrendale-Bayne Road and Route 19 intersection in Warrendale (think Cranberry) for a few months. The sign read "Jumpin Castle coming soon!". That certain sounded like a kid place! I Googled, I asked friends in other cities - nobody had ever heard of it. I was forced to put it out of my mind. Until one day, when driving by that same intersection I saw some balloons that announced "Jumpin Castle Now Open!". I nearly got us killed finding a way to quickly change lanes and pull in to see what on earth this place was. I left the kids in the car with Mike (which is very cruel...to leave the kids parked in front of a new playplace full of fun stuff with huge windows for them to gaze in to) and went inside to get some info and ended up talking with the owner.

Jumpin' Castle is indeed a playplace. It's your typical "socks off, lots of fun climbing, jumping, pretend play, etc. playplace." Their website bills it as "an interactive indoor children's play center complete with a huge castle-themed climbing structure, indoor basketball court, air hockey table, air bounce, and much more! "

Facilities
I think that accurately sums it up. The inside is not large. It has everything listed on the site, tidily packed into a rather small square footage. This has both advantages and disadvantages: on the upside parents can easily feel comfortable relaxing, reading a magazine or visiting with friends without the fear of "losing" a child, and on the down side it can get very crowded easily.

My kids were in love with the bouncy house (and the balls that they let you take in with you) and the huge blue slide on the climbing structure (about 5 kids wide, they can have races). Matthew also played game after game of air hockey while Ben enjoyed playing with the MegaBloks Castle.

What I was most impressed with was the staff. Not only are they professional and courteous, but they go out of their way to make sure the kids are having a good time. More than once I can recall hearing a staff member say "Matthew, want to play with me? Let's play air hockey!" or "Hey, Ben, I'll help you build that castle, how should we do it?". The kids all wear their nametags on their backs so the staff can easily identify them and call them by name. By the time we left I felt as though they knew each of my kids for years. The kids adored the attention and I appreciated the help/break. They even offer free WiFi for parents!

The facilities are obviously perfectly new and pristine. And the quality of toys is excellent. The owner even replaced a trampoline early on because she felt the original one was starting to show wear and she wanted to keep everything in perfect condition. Three are some beautiful painted murals and pieces (a puppet theater, etc) that the owner herself painted. They definitely kept kids in mind when designing the site, including pint size toilets and plenty of soap (they prefer real soap over Purell).

Food
My only complaint is the eating situation. The rates advertised mention an "all day pass" but that does NOT include and and out priveledges. And no food is served there. And you're not allowed to bring food in (due to food allergy fears). So that means play all day until your kids get hungry. They have begun to allow people to eat in the small lobby area if you want to bring your own lunch or snacks, so that's a workable compromise. When we went we brought sandwiches and snacks and just went out to the lobby when we needed to eat. They do sell some juice and other drinks at the front desk.

Price
The price is also a bit steep, at $12 per child. After you start multiplying that by 2 or more it can really add up. (*Although I see that they are now offering a $4 off coupon on their home page! Yay for coupons!) The group rates ($10 for 4-7 kids, $8 for 8 or more kids) start at just four kids, so if you go with a friend and you each have two kids you can qualify for a group rate. They're very flexible on this, too, if you tell them a group is coming and you don't all arrive at the same time they'll still give you a group rate. Everyone was so acoomodating. Toddler rates are $6 (for kids 1-2, under 1 is free) or $4 for the group rate.

Birthday Parties
Birthday parties are very resonably priced. Starting with a minimum of just 8 kids (below the 10+ that most places require) and $10 per child for 2 hours of play and access to the party room, I think it's a great bargain. Party guests can bring in their own food and cake and will have a dedicated party hostess.

Babysitting
Jumpin Castle also offers a drop in babysitting service for kids 3-11, much like Giggles & Smiles. At $10 per hour, it's cheaper than Giggles & Smiles, and again, the staff really goes out of their way to play with the kids, especially the ones they're babysitting (babysat kids have a different color name tag). I'd have no hesitation dropping off my kids to play there. None at all.

The hours are also great, offering evening hours with the potential to play after work

*Another way to earn coupons is to join their Birthday Club

Overall, I'm thrilled to see a new play place in the Pittsburgh area and I think this one is a winner. It's definitely worth a trip to the North Hills to spend a day jumping and playing. Just make sure to pack a lunch and wear clean socks!

(and stay tuned for a Jumpin Castle contest - hint hint!)

Details

Jumpin Castle
901 Warrendale Village Drive
Route 19 & Warrendale Bayne Road
Warrendale, PA 15086
ph: 724-933-5272

Hours

Monday - Thursday - 9:30 AM to 9:00 PM

Friday - Saturday - 9:30 AM to 9:30 PM

Sunday - 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Price

The Jumpin' all day play pass is available for you to join your child here at the Castle. A parent or guardian must remain in the center.

Under 1 Free
Ages 1-2 $6.00
Ages 3-11 $12.00

Similar to the all day play pass, group rates are available for parents and guardians who remain in the play center. At least 1 adult must be present for each group.

Groups of 4 to 7 $10.00 per child
Groups of 8 or more $8.00 per child
Toddler (ages 1-2) $4.00 per child

Photos

The castle climbing structure was custom designed and offers many points of entry (including a staircase for the younger/shorter kids) and two slides

The bounce house and climbing wall are big hits with the slightly older kids

A toddler area offers plenty of play things for the smaller kids

The party room is spacious, clean and right off the main room so easy to access.

Potty training hell

Heather — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 14:53:00 GMT

Oh my god.I have "The Rage". Are you familiar with "The Rage"? It's when you just want to beat someone or punch a wall, and you spend your time screaming inside your head, tense and annoyed at everthing. Yes, I've got it. And it's all because of potty training.

I thought I was a good potty trainer. What I have learned is that my first child was a good potty trainer, it had NOTHING to do with me. My second, child, though, true to his personality, is to put it bluntly, a shitty potty trainer. Literally.

Matthew was a breeze. We waited until he turned three (I'd seen too many friends try early and then spend months or even years trying to get their kids trained, I had another child in diapers so I was in no hurry, it wasn't like diapers would end for me when Matthew got PT'd). Once he turned three we bought him cool underwear, read some books and bought him a GeoTrax train. The train was the key. He was allowed to play with the train if he was sitting on his potty chair. He'd sit there for 10-15 minutes and pee and after just a couple of times he got it. Pooping was even easier because he could "feel it coming" more and would always go to the bathroom. Unless he fell asleep I could count on one hand the number of accidents he's had since that day with the train. Within two weeks he was nearly 100% daytime potty trained. Ahhhh.

Then I met Ben. Have you met Ben? If you have you'll know just what I mean when I say Ben marches to the beat of his own drummer. He does things HIS way, nobody else's. He could be labeled as a difficult or spirited child but I just prefer to call him Ben. He's got a strong mind and I love that about him.

That said, he makes my life difficult. A lot.

And potty training is probably the worst thing yet. I hadn't planned to start until he turned three, just like Matthew. But daycare was starting all the kids in his class in September so I went with it. Ben is very smart. He got it right away, he wasa rock star. He was pee trained almost immediately, even during naps.

Then it became not fun anymore and he started having accidents and not caring. He'd decided it wasn't a big deal and so he peed his pants. We've gone back and forth on that, sometimes he does really well, other times he could care less and he just pees in his pants.

But the pooping. Oh My God, the pooping is going to make me loose my mind.

I think that Ben started out with some bad assocations with pooping on the potty (he was often constipated and it really hurt...those were the times that we caught him in time to put him on the potty so he associated the potty with pain - but we're over that now). Ben is that kid I never thought really existed.

He's the kid that would rather poop/pee in his pants than stop doing what he's doing. He can't be bothered. I'd heard about these kids but never really believed it. Oh, boy, now I do.

We've tried all the "recommended" things- sticker charts, candy, bribes, encouragement, threats, and even punishment (yes, I know they say you're not supposed to punish him but sometimes putting him in time out is a real trade off over me beating him which is my desire when he poops on my carpet).

The ONLY glimmer of hope we've had is that he has, twice now, pooped in his little potty chair if it's right within his sight when he has to go. But if he's not within five feet of it, all bets are off. Monday morning, for instance, he woke up, and promptly pooped in his potty, then came and woke us up to tell us. This morning, however, he went downstairs to get a puzzle and the urge came so he just pooped right on the carpet. Argh!

My only other plan at this point is to buy some more small potty chairs and put them wherever he might be (I'm not above following him around with a potty chair). He's too short to get up on to the regular toilet by himself, and doesn't seem to have the control or desire to hold it for the amount of time it'd take to get to a potty, hence the small potty chair right in his face or nothing. If this doesn't work I'm out of ideas. I don't want to put him back in diapers or pull ups because he's doing so good with the peeing and I know him, if he had a pullup on he'd most certainly just pee in it over stopping playing.

I'm pretty sure at this point he mostly "gets it" (he might still have some trouble controling it) but he certainly understands that he's *supposed* to go on the potty, he just is choosing not to.

I'm so sick of being elbow deep in poop. It's not cool.

Anyone have any other bright ideas or want to commiserate with me? In the mean time I'm going to fight my rage with a candy bar.

Every parent's dream come true - finding a good babysitter

Heather — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:56:00 GMT

Mike and I have been talking for month (years?!) about getting a good pool of babysitters that we can call on for things. When Matthew was first born my mom came down to Pittsburgh once a month or so for the wekend and we got time out then. Mike's mom would also act as a go-to babysitter when she was still alive. We also had a couple of neighborhood girls that could babysit if needed.

But things have changed. My mom has a new job that gives her many days off at a time, so she still comes down but it's for longer periods of time and less frequent. Mike's mom died in August,and the babysitters we used to use have gone off to college.

It's time to find some new people. We've been doing the same thing...have nothing "important" to do so we neglect to find a sitter and then when we actually NEED a sitter we have nobody to call because we don't want their first time to be a long and important night (in case it wasn't going well and we'd need to come home)

So last week I was talking to a neighbor and she gave me the names/numbers of two sitters that she uses. I also have the names/numbers of two more that another neighbor uses. Even though we have absolutely no reason to go out (except to preserve the sanity of our marriage) we decided to schedule some low-key short date nights. We'd stick close to home, just be gone an hour or two and be prepared for lots of questions/the call to home home.

I scheduled one for last Saturday. Her name is Carly and she's in 9th grade. I prepared the boys, which was no easy task.

You see, my kids don't like being left with anyone. They much prefer mom and dad every day, every time. They dont' get excited about going to school or about babysitters. I think it stems from the fact that a)we work so they kids don't have time to get sick of us and b)we're damn cool parents* :) (*even it's not true, it makes me feel good to believe this so don't burst my bubble, k?)

We were both super nervous at how the boys would react to a new person. We were afriad of the crying and hanging on to a leg as we dragged them toward the door. We played the cowardly card and snuck out when they weren't looking. We left our cell phones on the table, ate hurridly and rushed home in 1.75 hours.

We stopped at the basement steps, just listening. Listening for the screaming, the crying, the "I want my mommy!".

All we heard was silence peppered with the occasional burst of laughter. We walked in the door and neither boy ran to greet us. Neither one said "You were gone too long!", they just kept playing and said 'Hi guys!"

Turns out they had a fantastic time (well, Ben will say he had a terrible time but Ben also says he had a terrible time at Disney World, so that's just Ben, I don't think he really gets the question). Matthew was in love. Carly was his new best friend.

After I took her home I realized that she had not only kept the boys safe and happy but she had washed the dinner dishes and put on their PJs without being asked. And when I asked Matthew how much he had for dinner he said that Carly divided his dinner in two sections and told him he had to eat one entire section and then he could have a snack (making deals...played like a true mom!).

The next day we went to the Carnegie Museum to see the dinosaurs. When we left Matthew exclaimed "That museum was so cool! I want to come here again and next time I want to bring Miss Carly!"

As a fellow parent, I'm sure you can share in my sheer and utter joy at finding a sitter that we love.

Now we just have to pray she doesn't a)move b)get too busy c)get too cool to babysit

We're trying a second one this Friday, just because. Two dinners out in two weeks is crazy, but I'm terribly excited. Here's hoping this one is a keeper too!

Pittsburgh Family Fun - Lilliput Play Homes

Heather — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 03:55:00 GMT

Today's Pittsburgh Family Fun is brought to you by a guest blogger, Karen Bridge. Karen is the mom of two young boys, Noah,4, and Jake, 3.

Pittsburgh Family Fun goes to Lilliput Play Homes

It is another bitterly cold day in Pittsburgh and you are looking for a fun place to take your kids and hopefully be able to find some other Mom's to talk to. Why not try Lilliput playhomes in Cranberry township, just 20 minutes north of Pittsburgh. They also have a second location in Peters Twp. in the South Hills. The playground is open from 10 am until 3pm weekdays. They charge $8 per child over the age of 3. (Children under 3 are free with a paying older sibling.)

Lilliput has built a miniature town within their sales floor. There is a nice sidewalk that your kids can use to stroll (or run like maniacs) between the many different buildings. Or if they are in the mood they can play on the giant wooden Rainbow swingset.

If your child likes trains he/she will absolutely love the Lilliput station. It has a giant train table that is guaranteed to keep kids busy for hours. The train table is so big there are rarely any problems with children getting into fights over the trains.

Lillibucks coffee is another favorite. Your kids can pretend to make coffee, and then serve it to their customers. (sorry all of you Starbuck-a-holics, it is only pretend, but they do supply coffee free of charge to the adults:), There is a cash register and also a library inside. To the right is the grocery store which is packed full of pretend food.

Your kids can go to the Lilliput garage to gas up their vehicle, or if they are so inclined, they can go inside to pretend to put tires on the car, or change the oil. Perfect for the mechanic in your family :)

The firehouse is adorable. The kids can dress up like real firemen and even use a hose to pretend to put out a fire. If you have a child that is obsessed with anything that has to do with firemen, this is the place for them. They will have tons of fun!

Overall, Lilliput is a great place to spend an afternoon during these cold winter months. You are allowed to bring your lunch and eat at any of the tables they have set up in the kitchen area. There are vending machines with drinks and snacks available.

The South Hills location offers slightly different playhomes and lacks the Rainbow swingset.

The Rundown

Lilliput Play Homes
20804 Rte 19n, Cranberry TWP, PA 16066
724.778.3322

4125 Washington Road
Peters Township
724-942-3022

Photos

St. Baldricks Foundation- Local mom shaves her head for charity

Heather — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 17:14:00 GMT

While this isn't a "typical" blog entry, I just have to tell you this story and hope you'll help.

I have a former student/current friend (I love how students turn into friends once they graduate, it's a great part of my job - but I digress...) who is doing something absolutely crazy.

She's shaving her head. For charity.

Sara-Summer Oliphant is a local mom of four healthy kids but after hearing about an organization called St. Baldricks on a message board she frequents, she felt compelled to do something. "At first I joked about it, but then I really started thinking about it. Over the summer had gotten to know a family in California via Facebook whose 7-year-old son, Dylan, was battling cancer for the second time in his short life. Thinking about all they had been through, and what so many other children and families are going through, shaving my head seemed like an easy way to raise money to battle this terrible disease." Oliphant said.

The St. Baldrick's Foundation funds more in childhood cancer research grants than any organization except the U.S. government, more than $12 million in 2009. Volunteer "shavees" shave their heads in solidarity with kids fighting cancer and family and friends give generously - worldwide. What began as a challenge between friends has grown into the world's largest volunteer-driven fundraising event for childhood cancer research. The St. Baldrick's Foundation uses the donations to fund childhood cancer research grants.

Each year, more than 160,000 kids are diagnosed with cancer, and it is the number one cause of death in children.

Sara-Summer has a wonderful outlook on giving to charity, "Up to this point, I've been so blessed in that all 4 of my children are healthy. I don't think there is any reason to wait for somebody close to me to become sick to do my part."

Sara-Summer hopes some friends will come through on promises to knit her some hats to get her through a chilly Pittsburgh March and said "I'm sure there will be days that I look in the mirror and wonder what I was thinking, but that is when I can look at my kids an remember I did it so some day there will be a cure for cancer and little ones like them won't have to suffer the way so many do today."

Sara-Summer will be collecting donations to the St. Baldricks Foundation and is trying to raise $5,000. Let's help support her!!

You can read more of Sara-Summer's story and donate on her St. Baldricks page here http://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/sarasummer

And if you want to watch and cheer on our fellow Pittsburgh Mom, Sara-Summer will be having her head shaved on March 13 at the Claddagh Irish Pub in the South Side Works.

Let's support Sara-Summer and the St. Baldricks Foundation!

DONATE!!!