Tag Archives: cat

Grooming Doom

The sulk face Yesterday evening was a dreaded night in our home, one that left my husband and me stewing in the heavy reproach that afterward permeated throughout the house. We’d perpetrated grooming night. Because each of our pets makes such a fuss, albeit in their individual ways, about grooming we figure it’s easier to do it all at once. They each get their coats brushed and nails clipped all in one go. Lately we’ve been doing the former outside, which keeps our hardwood floors cleaner and the house freer of dander allergens. It’s this outdoors grooming that really upsets … Continue reading →

My Wedding Night

We were finally married and because we did not have a big reception we had a great dinner with all the friends and family that did come to share that wonderful day with us. My mother, sister and one of my friends came down to Texas from Massachusetts to share in our wedding. It was great to see them so we wanted to include them in our wedding night party. This was their first trip to Texas so we wanted to do the tourist things we went to a country bar in Fort Worth called Billy Bob’s. It was fun … Continue reading →

Make Teacher Gift Giving Fun

The end of May is like Christmas around here, in terms of gift buying. With Mother’s Day, graduation, and various weddings, I’m just about tapped out. Then, just when I think I’ve caught a break, I get an email from my kindergartner’s room moms reminding me that the end of school is just around the corner and I’m responsible for coughing up a thank you and birthday gift for my daughter’s teacher. The email was sent to the parents of all the kindergartners offering to pool our money to purchase a large gift. We also have the option to make … Continue reading →

Fun With Cookie Cutters

My daughter loves my mom’s Chocolate Bar Cookies. The giant sweet treats are filled with coarsely chopped Hershey bars instead of traditional chocolate chips. While they may not taste exactly like an ordinary chocolate chip cookie, they look just like the popular snack. At least they did before my daughter came up with the brilliant idea to use her favorite dinosaur cookie cutter on mounds of dough. Truth be told, the cookie cutters work better on sugar cookie dough, but my daughter was determined to make a chocolate chunk dino and didn’t seem to mind that her T-Rex came out … Continue reading →

Fun in the Sun

Its spring and toddlers are out in the yard again. It is the time for sand boxes, plastic lawn mowers that resemble those their parents use and all kinds of fun activities in the sun. The sun, however, poses a major threat to toddlers. Even on cool or overcast days when the sun isn’t shining bright or heating everything to feel warm to the touch, it can still cause sunburn to the sensitive skin of toddlers. It is very important to use sunscreen. Don’t forget to reapply according to the instructions on the bottle. It does wear off and your … Continue reading →

Entertaining Toddlers

Toddlers have a very short attention span. In order to keep them entertained, there are many tricks that parents have learned to make their lives easier. This includes what to have in the car to entertain children during heavy traffic and what to have to lessen their anxiety in the waiting room. Let’s look at some ideas for entertaining toddlers. Busy Bag for Cars A busy bag for toddlers will come in handy when you get stuck in traffic or have to wait in the dentist or doctor’s office. Filled with special goodies that your child doesn’t get to play … Continue reading →

Enjoying the Shadows

Yesterday my son and I ventured outside to enjoy the relatively enjoyable temperature, the sunshine, and some free time together. Since the weather has been uncharacteristically cold and snowy for this part of the country we haven’t been spending as much time outside as we’d like. Coupled with the increasingly busy schedule my wife and I have been encountering lately our family time has mostly been spent cooking, eating, and trying to relax & do work at the same time (something that doesn’t really make sense or necessarily work). As always, I noticed changes in my son from before the … Continue reading →

Beach Baby

Living near the beach, my son has been a beach baby since he could sit up. He was crawling in the sand long before he could walk. He’s the second generation beach baby as I have plenty of photos of myself on the beach by the age of two. The beach holds a lot of fun for a toddler. The sand is fun to play in. It doesn’t seem to matter if they are playing with the sand with their hands or building a sand castle with shovels, sand is just simply fun. We’ve taken my son’s beach toys out … Continue reading →

Toddler Fun Foods

It can be difficult to get toddlers to eat. Most are finicky eaters and do not like to try new foods. Several toddlers only want their favorite foods and complain about trying different foods. Making “fun foods” can help convince your toddlers to try new and healthy foods and snacks. Let’s look at some “fun food” ideas: Fun Shaped Sandwiches Take any peanut butter and jelly sandwich and cut it with a cookie cutter for an instant favorite. Use cookie cutters for ham and cheese sandwiches, tuna salad sandwiches or any kind of sandwich that your child eats. If it … Continue reading →

The Gift of Self-Entertainment

When I was younger I was sometimes bored. Somehow I imagine this happens to lots of kids but it certainly felt like it was only me who was afflicted at the time. Strangely, I credit many of my successes and talents to these periods of boredness. I can juggle; balance 6ft. ladders (and other objects) on my chin; perform a variety of wonderful coin; card, rope, and other magic tricks; and compose spreadsheets; deal with software issues; and probably some other things I’ve forgotten along the way. The point is this: boredom can be a motivator. Imagine my joy, then, … Continue reading →