Dear 3 Boys

Dear 3 Boys, I bet you will never remember that mom and dad took you to the park pretty much every day of your lives (some days even more than once) throughout all 4 seasons of the year.  Our hope is that you get the time outdoors that you deserve to really explore, make new friends, and even earn a few scrapes and scars to remember your childhood by.  Getting outside was a lot simpler when you weren't all walking and running, but here we are doing it each day and watching you smile. Love, Mommy _____________________________________________________________________________ Staying at home with my 3 boys has not been easy by any means - we have our daily challenges, many of which we've just figured out and made work by trial and error.  As a mother, I am super lucky to have such an involved husband when it comes to our sons and even my own family who is always ready to come over and lend a helping hand.  But, ultimately, I am solo most days with the boys as everyone

Depending on who you ask and on your actual child, babies tend to drop their second nap, transitioning from 2 naps per day to 1 per day somewhere between 12-15 months of age.  I have 3 kids, and each of them were not ready for the transition at the exact same time frame, so I always advise that moms pay attention to THEIR child's behavior closely over something like a calendar or what one of their child's peers is doing. Moms all know how important sleep is, especially baby's naps.  We're a crazy mess most days, and I've blogged before about how having an actual schedule can be nearly impossible for me, but I have my non-negotiable items for each day:  one thing I hold sacred for my boys is their nap time - seriously, I will not mess with it unless absolutely necessary or no other options are really available. I am sharing 5 Signs to look for and pay attention to that can signal your little one is ready for the 2-to-1 nap transition.  You'll know when

Dear 3 Boys, One of my fondest memories of my own childhood is being read to by my mother, especially on the nights where she was home from work - and I loved when she would read my favorite books that had probably already been read to me dozens of times before.  And because mommy spent a number of years as an English Language Arts middle school teacher, I have a true love for reading that I hope to inspire among all of you boys.  I was definitely the mom who read to you while in the womb, and have made sure you each have your own public library cards since you were infants.  I hope there's always a book you'll remember with mommy that puts a smile on your face when you remember the days I read aloud to you. xo, Mommy ___________________________________________________ Let's face it - all the present day research out there shows us that children who are read aloud to before the age of 5 for a few minutes a day are showing gains in development and school readiness