Preparing for 2 Under 2

It has been quite a while since my last post.  We have been very busy planning for the arrival of baby boy C in November!  (We were surprised and thrilled with this unexpected blessing at the end of February!)  After reading NUMEROUS blogs and analyzing my home I have created a binder of checklists and collected resources for Eric and I to use (as well as visitors willing to help) while I am off on maternity leave with 2 under 2. 

The Binder:

I selected a plain old 1" binder with nothing fancy and I did not bother with colored copies.  While I spent time creating the lists, I did not want to invest all of the money I usually invest in binders in case this one is not used or destroyed in the process. 

In the front pocket I created a "How You Can Help" list and it includes everything from walking one of our dogs to buying me a Starbucks latte.  :)  I have also included small helpful tasks (like setting up for M's bath) or making me a sandwich.  People always offer to help and I am rarely prepared to accept it.  This way I have a list of suggestions for people who offer!

The first page in the binder is a "We Are All Out Of..." running list.  Since I will have Eric, my family, and Eric's mother visiting and staying to help I thought that by having one convenient place to write down "Paper Towels" or "Ketchup" would be a good idea.  Later in the binder I have a list of our online shopping accounts (Weis Online Grocery Shopping, Amazon, Sams, and Drugstore.com) that ANYONE can use in our family to order these supplies.

Anyone with one child knows that sleep deprivation is a reality and no one functions their best when sleep deprived.  For this fact alone I created a "Nightly Preparation Checklist" for Eric (or Eric and myself) to make my days at home with the boys easier.  It includes everything from setting out a can of soup for me to eat, to prepping M's meals, to restocking diapers at the various changing stations (since we will have 2 boys in diapers.)  My hope with this incredibly detailed list is to avoid having to remember anything small and avoid unnecessary chaos during the day.  The list is divided into "zones" of our house and what needs to be done in each zone is then detailed out. 

Next in the binder I have M's current schedule in case he is left with someone else or someone offers to help with him for the day or part of the day.  I also have a list of his favorite activities and where they are located and a few rules/expectations that we have for him.  He is VERY good about cleaning up after himself so we would like that expectation to remain consistent.

Since my parents and Eric's mother plan on helping us while I am off work, I have prepared a "General Cleaning" list for them to use while with us.  If they would like to help me clean (obviously they are under no obligation), I won't have to be interrupted to explain how to clean the house or where to find things (the next list is a "Where is..." list).  Again, I was terrible at articulating to people what I needed help with and how things are done.  I always figured it was easier to just do it myself.  I am hoping that by creating these lists/systems that I will relax a little bit in my controlling ways and allow those that offer to help, help!

Food is a big deal, especially when you have a family of four to take care of.  In hopes of maintaining my own milk supply and be a good breast-feeding momma, keeping my family's diet healthy, and not spending an excessive amount of time/money on food, I have prepared a few helpful lists.  The first is a "Stacie's Sunday Lunch/Snack Prep" list.  This lists foods to purchase and cook/prep that I can eat throughout the week very quickly.  Items include slicing cheese for cheese & crackers, making a simple pasta salad with cheese, and cutting raw vegetables to eat with sandwiches.  Since Eric will be around on Sundays to help with the boys I am hoping that we can do some weekly food prep as well.

Next, I have created two weeks of menus (hopefully I can craft another week or two before C arrives).  These menus include the menu item, the grocery list organized by department, and the recipes.  I slipped each menu packet in it's own page protector to keep it all together.  Then I included the log-in information for our online shopping accounts.  This way any of our parents or Eric can log-in, order the groceries, and pick them up.

This all may turn out to be a tad excessive once C arrives.  My goal is to streamline the systems and tasks in our home so that we spend the minimum amount of time away from our boys or worrying about household tasks.  This will probably be my last baby and I don't want to miss even one extra second of it withe groceries or cleaning.  So if the binder goes unused, so be it, but at least I was prepared!

The House:

I read over on Daily Mom a few tips and tricks to preparing and surviving 2 under 2.  I have taken some of her advice and have prepared the house accordingly.  SHOWERING.  I loved being able to take a shower every morning after I had M.  I would nurse and snuggle him and then tuck him back into the Fisher Price Rock 'n Play and hop in the shower for 5 minutes.  This time around I picked up a very cheap Pack 'n Play to plop M in while C is tiny and I will tuck C in the Rock n' Play for what I hope is a 5 minute morning shower.  I also have an old (unused) clear shower curtain that I found still in it's package in the basement.  I may swap that out for my current shower curtain so that I can keep an eye on the boys.  Right now M plays with a small basket of toys on the bathroom floor when I shower, but I don't know if he will be able to leave C alone if he is left out and about in the bathroom.  NURSING.  Since I plan on nursing again Eric and I have a few plans for M during this time.  First, we do not believe in using the TV.  This may change as needed during my leave, but for the most part we do not plan on allowing him to watch TV.  Instead, our kitchen and family room are already M proof and are very safe places for him to play with his toys.  So, I would be able to nurse on the sofa while he plays.  I also have baby gates on each of the boy's bedrooms so M could play with his Duplos in his room while I nurse or he can play in C's room while I nurse in the glider.  Last but not least, there is a basket of toys in our bedroom that M can use if I am nursing in bed.  As long as Eric and I stick to keeping things tidy, M should be safe to play while I peacefully nurse.  He loves to read so I just ordered more books for him to read and I have made about 100 Busy Bags and Quiet Boxes for him to use.  We are hoping to save those strictly for nursing times to make them extra special.  Over at Daily Mom they suggest preparing an emergency toy cabinet.  So, off I went to 5 Below where I found a Play Dough factory, dinosaurs, stickers, and some FANTASTIC Duplo knock-off kits.  I stuffed my purchases in the entertainment center as a last resort for M.  OUT AND ABOUT.  I am not too worried about this one.  M loves to hold my hand and walk and I plan on baby-wearing C.  At this time M "holds the tire" when I have him out of his car seat and I am digging in the back of the car for items.  He would easily sit on the floor of the car and wait as well.  I do not plan on going out a lot in the beginning either (I am on unpaid maternity leave for 5 months...I can't really justify shopping.)  The diaper bag isn't really a concern either.  I saw on Pinterest the idea of organizing the diaper bag with clear zipper pouches so I stocked up on those when I was pregnant with M.  All I have to do is tuck my nursing pouch back in the bag for C with a change of clothes, burp rag, and newborn diapers.  Easy!  STOCK PILE.  Daily Mom and many other bloggers suggest stock piling the non-perishables and toiletries.  Well, I have successfully stockpiled paper towels, toilet paper, diapers (for both boys), wipes, and toiletries for Eric and I.  I have a few casseroles in the freezer and extra boxes of pasta and jarred spaghetti sauce.  We also bought a quarter of a cow this spring so I have plenty of roasts and steaks that are easy to thaw and throw in the crock pot or on the grill. 

At this time, 6 weeks from my due date, this is what I have done to be prepared for enjoying every second of 2 under 2.  Hopefully some of my preparation works out for the best so that Eric and I can just enjoy every single moment (good and difficult) with our adorable boys!

Daycare Selection

Daycare selection can be incredibly overwhelming, even after a "final" decision has been made.  How do you know it is the best fit for your child?  For your family?  For your schedule?  M is currently with an in-home daycare provider that he adores and we love that he loves her!  However, her schedule is no longer conducive to ours.  What do we do?  Take unpaid days of leave to cover the multitude of unpaid vacation days she takes?  Send our child away overnight to my parents' home?  Pawn him off on a neighbor?  The alternatives seem ridiculous.

I believe in paid vacation for our sitter and the occasional sick day.  In fact in her contract she has the same number of paid days as I do as a teacher.  I fully support this and paying her to take days like Thanksgiving and Christmas off.  It is the unpaid days I am struggling with.  It is considerate of her not to charge for these days, but then what do I do with my child?  I am barely being given one months notice and she has taken close to 10 unpaid days this school year (not including her paid vacation days and her sick days - totaling close to 12 days).  When I discussed with her the number of days she closes on average a school year back in August I was told that she might close two or three times for illness and take vacation days around the holidays.  Ultimately she saves her vacation time for the summer (when M is home with me.)  Clearly this is not what is happening.  I was not told that unpaid days were an option for her or that she would be taking this many days off.  This is a huge inconvenience and I am not sure how to handle the situation.

If I am not going to switch M to a new sitter or center, then I guess I should request a calendar of her planned days at the start of the school year so that I have plenty of time to accommodate her schedule.  But my question to you... When does it become too much?  When do I switch to a new place for M?  I am not blessed with family close by or back-up childcare so I really need a reliable sitter.  Thoughts?  Are my expectations (either way) unreasonable?

Preparing to Homeschool for Preschool

My husband and I both work full time as teachers.  I am a middle school teacher and he teaches elementary school.  We love our childcare provider and do not plan on changing M's daycare arrangement at this time.  So what do we do about preschool?

Our daycare provider is not a licensed preschool teacher and does not have a preschool program to which she follows.  She does lots of crafts and activities with the children - sensory activities as well as letter and number activities.  However, I am not sure if it will be enough to adequately prepare M for kindergarten.  I am also not aware of any preschool programs that run in the summer or all day so that M would be able to attend.  So, with my elementary education degree and certification I am going to attempt to supplement M's education at home by homeschooling him for preschool.

Where to begin...

As with all educators, I started by looking for standards for my state so that I would have a list of goals (standards) that I could use to construct my activities around.  By using the state standards I am ensuring I am properly preparing my child for entering a Pennsylvania kindergarten classroom.  Standards at this age should be fairly similar amongst states.  You can find the standards in two easy to read PDF formats through Pennsylvania Early Learning: Keys to Quality or the Pennsylvania Department of Education websites.

Next I began Pinterest boards of toddler activities and preschool ideas.  I have begun collecting ideas for busy bags, sensory bins, worksheets/activities, and crafts.  Since M is 13 months, I have focused primarily on creating busy bags for him to begin using in the next few months.  He also has a few sensory bins.  He ADORES playing with the pom pom sensory bin I made for him and using all of the little bowls and scoops with them. 

Since I know have an idea of what types of experiences and skills I will need to reinforce at home with M, enter the Target $1 bins...
I feel like it is a common trend to be a working mother and TOTALLY OBSESSED WITH TARGET!  (In fact I think all moms are obsessed with Target!)  I have also made a few trips to the local Dollar Tree for supplies.  This is what I have gathered thus far...

TARGET:

• Workbooks
• Flashcards
• Art supplies
• White board
• Puzzles
• Books
• Maps
• Games/spinners
• Manipulatives - foam blocks and small objects to count

DOLLAR TREE:

• Organizational bins
• Measuring cups/spoons
• Scoops and bowls
• Ice cub tray
• Metal tray
• Pom poms
• Books
• Puzzles
• Flashcards
• Photo albums (to put flash cards in and to allow M to write on them)
• Sponges (to make blocks)
• Magnetic letters (mine are left over from my college days, but I know they carry them at our Dollar Tree too)
• Shoelaces
• Foam (and other art supplies)
• Pebbles
• Small erasers 

After gathering supplies and making lists of things to make/buy I started patrolling Teachers Pay Teachers for FREE preschool activity packs.  There were SO MANY!  I just adore the themes too!  I have spring, fall, and winter theme packs (all free) that have math worksheets, word walls, crafts, etc... all included.   What I couldn't download for free I previewed and began generating myself on the computer.  (I am currently working on these super cute worksheets that introduce colors to the preschool aged child.)  While I was downloading I went ahead and burned everything to a CD to give to my daycare provider just in case she was interested in using some of the activities - like the Gingerbread Man Theme Unit - with her older kids.

There were a few things I wanted to buy and did not want to have to print or make so I returned to my FAVORITE source for early childhood and elementary resources - The Mailbox magazine.  The magazine can be pricey to subscribe to so when I can, I borrow the new copies (and the old ones) from the elementary school library.  However, individuals (like me) can register and create an account to access their THOUSANDS of FREE resources.  They have everything from clip art (to use as decorations, crafts, props, and felt patterns for a felt board) to worksheets and units.  In addition, the sell e-books for as little as $1 (on sale) and consistently mark their print publications down as well.  Just recently they had a sale where I could select 7 books and only pay $35.  (These books retail from about $8 - $20 individually.)  The books I ordered (in this shipment) all included laminated tear out activity sheets that I did not have to create anything for.  Books with math centers, language arts centers, games and activity cards, and task cards.  One book has 8 (?) different story books the child can create and color with the laminated figures to go with the storytelling.  It is AMAZING!  I have also purchased entire units on insects, gardening, and dinosaurs.  The prices and quality can not be beaten.  I have used The Mailbox in my classroom for years and I can vouch for the quality of their products.  (I am in no shape way or form receiving any compensation for this post.)

Now on to assembly and organization.  This is where I am currently in the process of preparing for homeschooling.  My husband thinks that I am crazy for preparing so far in advance, but I figure M is only going to become more active and sleep less in the years to come, so why not prepare early!  I used many Pinterest ideas for busy bags and quiet boxes first.  I assembled all of my different busy bags, sorted them by skill the child is using when playing with the busy bag, and then placed them in quiet boxes - one for each day of the week.  For example, each box contains a fine motor skill busy bag, a building busy bag, a book, a sorting busy bag, and then a busy bag related to numbers/letters/colors.  M will be able to take the bin for the day and play with the items in that particular bin.  I am hoping that with this built in rotation of activities he will not get bored with them.  I of course have extra bags that I plan on rotating in and out (if I have time) using in the car, carrying in the diaper bag, or making available all the time.  I also created three sensory bins - pebbles/rocks, small erasers, and pom poms (or fuzzies in our house) - with one tub of sensory bin tools (ice cube tray, funnels, cups, measuring spoons and cups, scoop, and large tweezers).  At 13 months M LOVES to play with the pom poms and placing them in the different cups and then taking them out.  It is so cute watching him play!!!

As for the educational books and units I have purchased and downloaded.  I have the play dough play mats in sheet protectors (I did not want to pay for them to be laminated yet), all things alphabet are hole punched and placed in the brad part of a folder, cute units are still on a flash drive and have not been printed and sorted yet - it is a little early for that, word wall words are printed and need to be colored and cut, and I have begun assembling The Mailbox materials in Ziploc bags.  I am almost finished cutting out the storybook characters and I plan on using them this summer with M on our trip to Canada.  I know he can't color his own story yet or read, but I think he will enjoy hearing the story with the little characters to go along with it.  I have not decided if I am going to put felt on the back to use with his felt board (I bought cheap canvases at A.C. Moore and wrapped them with felt) or magnets for his tray.  So many decisions...

That is where I am in the process and I hope that this does not blow up in my face in the coming years.  I am not planning on over-educating my child or taking away his freedom to play and learn through play.  My hope is not for my child to grow up faster, be placed in a special program, or attend a "gifted" school.  I just want him adequately prepared for kindergarten and have problem-solving skills.  In my math classroom I taught through game play for years.  I plan on integrating a Montessori approach to my homeschooling and setting up a Montessori inspired playroom when he is older.  It is so important to let children learn through play and interaction with their environment.  However, as an educator I also understand the importance of learning to sit still for short stretches of time and practice handwriting through worksheet practice. 

Feeding M

It is so hard to find information (and then make decisions) on how to feed a toddler (I can't believe I am calling M a toddler!)  I am overwhelmed with my lack of knowledge and the confusing information that I do find.  M just turned one and he has four teeth.  He eats VERY healthy, but I feel as though I have fallen into a food rut.  At the start of the year M was sent with the following food to school each day...

1 hard boiled organic egg

4 oz. homemade fruit (strawberry/banana/mango pouch or applesauce)

4 oz Stonyfield organic yogurt

1 Organic Valley cheese stick (sometimes string cheese, sometimes Colby jack)

5 oz. soup (Healthy Valley Organic Minestrone without salt or Chicken Rice without salt)

1/2 an avocado

a small snack cup of Plum Puffs or Annie's Cheddar Bunnies

From 8AM to 3PM he ate all of the above.  He did not care much for chicken or other meats so the big source of protein he got was the egg.

So, back to the drawing board I went.

I found a recipe for healthy spaghettios, made a batch, and he LOVED THEM!  Spaghetti-os were a winner!  He can't seem to get enough.  I used this RECIPE, but I did not add the butter or salt.  I also used the little letter noodles from the grocery store.  (M didn't seem to mind that they were not rings.) He also likes to eat Dr. Praeger's Spinach Littles and he ate a Dr. Praeger's fish stick the other day (but he seems to be inconsistent in eating chicken nuggets and fish sticks.) He has also recently eaten...

• French toast (with a tiny bit of syrup spread on top)
• Cream cheese and jam sandwich
• Grilled cheese sandwich (with and without chicken/tuna)
• Creamy tomato and spinach pasta (something I cooked for Eric and myself the other night)
• Chicken pot pie (again, another meal I had made for dinner)
• Sour cream noodle bake (see above)
• Edamame (but I need to be more consistent in offering it)
• Macaroni and cheese with sauteed spinach 

It's not that M is a fussy eater, I just don't really know what he can handle and what he can't in terms of his teeth or textures.  I would  just prefer to be making more for him or making meals and freezing them so I can avoid prepackaged food.  Even thought what I serve packaged (like the macaroni and cheese) is organic, I just want to be making as much for him as possible.  I also want to be able to make meals that we can all enjoy as a family.

Are there any ideas or foods that worked well for your little one?  Or meals you made for your family that a little one could eat?

Little Blue Truck Birthday

Well, my little man 'M' is officially one!  I am not sure if I should celebrate or cry - he is just growing up TOO FAST!!!

For his first birthday Eric and I chose to have a "Little Blue Truck" theme party.  Starting at about five months, M became obsessed with reading "Little Blue Truck."  (I am not sure if it was the book itself or the bizarre noises I passed off as animal sounds.)  After scouring Pinterest and Etsy for ideas for months, it finally came together!  I was just thrilled with how everything turned out.  

Over Christmas vacation (I was blessed with two weeks off), I made this cardboard truck to use as a photo prop.  As guests arrived, they posed driving the truck for a picture!  This was a great way to document all of the guests that came to celebrate M's birthday.  I used cardboard from school and reinforced it with paint stirrers.  The balloons were ordered from Bargain Balloons and arrived VERY quickly.  I was thrilled with the price and quality.

I read a GREAT blog post on not using disposable party items.  Instead, use reusable items that can be used for birthdays and parties in the future!  It sounds simple, but I hadn't really given it much thought!  So, I purchased bandanas at Hobby Lobby for about $1 a piece to use as napkins.  Eric folded them and we arranged them in a basket.  They were easy to use, wash, and store.  In addition, we used clear glass plates that my mom found on sale for $1.25 a piece.  Since they are not a specific color or style, we will be able to use them every time we entertain in the future.  All of our white serving platters came from Kohl's a few years ago when they had a 40% off sale on the Food Network line of dishes. 

 

Since the party started at 2 PM, we served light snacks and drinks.  I prepared homemade lemonade, water, and milk boxes for the adults and kids, and then blueberry mojitos for the adults.  Everything was a huge hit!  I labeled the food to the best of my ability using these cute little chalkboard tags from A.C. Moore and a chalkboard marker.  Again, they came assembled and were only $1.  All I had to do was paint the wood white (which I guess I didn't HAVE to do.)  While I made M's cake, I did not make the cupcakes for the party.  The ENTIRE family was sick the week prior and I did not have time to bake.  Instead I ordered 2 dozen cupcakes (1 dozen yellow, and 1 dozen chocolate) with butter cream frosting and white chocolate pieces on top with decorative blue icing from a local baker.

We used M's dump truck to hold chips (I cleaned it thoroughly before filling it) and mason jars for the drinks.  My mom had paper straws left over from my baby shower so we used those as well.  I added a few table cloths around the house to brighten things up.  On the gift table we attached a banner I purchased through Etsy with M's name.  Had I really thought things through I would have ordered the banner to read "Happy Birthday" so that I could use it with multiple children or at multiple birthday parties.  Oh well!

Since there were a few "older" children coming to the party - a four year old and a two year old - I prepared a cute little coloring craft.  Using the templates from The Mailbox website (educational magazine), I printed out a few trucks and the farm animals.  I then used a copier (at school) to shrink the farm animals before printing them so they could all fit in the truck.  I made an example for the kids that had not read the book and then left the supplies on the table.  This was an easy activity to prepare, and it came in handy during some down time for the four year old boy!

As people entered the party, they walked passed a chalkboard (from Hobby Lobby and originally purchased for my sister's wedding) inviting everyone in.  In the foyer I arranged pictures of M from birth through 11 months.  We also displayed an additional newborn picture of him and a wooden blue truck that a family friend made for him.  I really don't think I could have done a better job decorating!  I was thrilled with how well everything turned out.  It was also nice that the weather was quite agreeable with us all day.

 

Back to M's cake.  Instead of exposing my son to sugar for the first time, I chose to make him a healthy banana applesauce cake with a maple cream cheese icing.  It turned out wonderful.  Both him and my husband enjoyed eating it.  To decorate the top I added halved blueberries (so that he couldn't choke).  I also "dressed up" the high chair with a little #1 pennant and ribbons.  I saved this decoration in case baby #2 (when we decide to expand) is also a little boy.

All in all the day went very well.  The house was cleaned up and everyone on their way home by 5 PM.  M crashed early and quickly that night - he had a long day. 

I know that M will not remember his 1st birthday, but I looked at the day as a celebration for me.  I survived (and LOVED) the first year.  His first year was so full of new things and we both made it through all of the good and the bad together and better for it.  Happy Birthday M!!!

Menu Planning

Menu planning has been a LIFESAVER in the Shaner house.  No longer am I running to the store two or three times a week and exceeding my grocery budget.  My pantry isn't overflowing with expired goods and well-intended purchases.

So, I do a little couponing and my husband and I have a large deep-freezer in the garage for freeze-ahead meals (when I have time) and  sale purchases.  My menu planning is far from fancy.  I do not use a special form or an app on my phone (tried both and they were too much work).  My list usually appears on a used envelope, note card, or receipt.  On Saturday or Sunday (usually after Eric has run out to grab papers) I sit down and do a brief mental run down of what I have in the freezer/pantry, check for coupons, and pull out the Martin's sale flyer. 

The first thing I do with my menu is write down any special events.  These would be nights when one or both of us will not be home for dinner, available to help with dinner, or too busy to mess with dinner.  Next I fill in meals that I did not make last week (there is usually one) that I already have all of the ingredients for.  Borrowing from my friend Sheila, I plan one Mexican meal and one Italian meal.  Usually I pull these from my staple list of favorite meals - tacos, quesadillas, nachos, enchiladas, lasagna, lasagna roll-ups, tortellini, etc.. - once in a while I try a new recipe from Pinterest.  Following this I scan the sales flyer and see if anything inspires me - chicken drumsticks on sale, GREAT!, BBQ chicken and sweet potato fries with any fresh veggie I can find on sale.  Last but not least, I ask Eric for his input so that he can not complain about the meals for the week. 

To help my sister get used to menu planning, I made her note cards that had the name of the dish on the front, and the ingredients on the back (with serving suggestions) so that she can pull out the meals her and her fiance want and quickly jot down her shopping list.  If you do not have many recipes committed to memory, I would highly recommend sitting down in front of the TV and making these cards.  Again, they aren't anything fancy - just a reference!  (Make sure you include where to find the recipe so that when you go to cook the meal you can quickly located the directions.)

All in all, after a few months of practice, my menu planning takes about 30 minutes (including the time needed to make a cup of coffee), keeps my budget under control, and ensures that my family has 7 home-cooked meals each night of the week.

Next up...
MONTHLY Menu Planning

Back at it again...

I have done a decent job maintaining my professional blog so I am going to try to keep up with my personal blog.

Instead of blogging about family and dogs, this blog will now focus primarly on how I survive each day working full-time, raising an AMAZING son, and running my household.  I have been so inspired by other stay-at-home mom and working mom blogs that I thought I would give it a shot!  Please comment and share links of how you survive as a woman who does it all!!!