I had a long day at work and when 5 o’clock hit I was eager to get out of the office. Things are busy for our family during the summer months. Dawson begs for long days at the beach and Owen just loves riding in the stroller on long walks. I’m just happy to spend time with my boys as they are growing so fast.
Dawson had T-ball right at 5 p.m. and thankfully my parents picked up the boys from daycare and I met them on the field for the game. Dawson had one fabulous hit at bat. He also played first base and caught a ball that was thrown to him. He was super excited.
After the game I took the boys to a concert at a local park. Tom Pease was playing at the band shell and what looked like hundreds of kids were eager to sing and dance to their favorite folk tunes. Tom is a wonderful entertainer. He sings, he has actions for his dances, he makes the most outrageous noises, and he can make up lyrics for a song in minutes. (And here’s a secret: he’s been performing since I was in elementary school. I still remember a concert he gave at Roosevelt School when I was in 3rd grade. You do the math!)
Owen was mesmerized by the music. The last Tom Pease concert we went to when he was just a few weeks old. This time he was able to dance, and it was so cute. I hope you enjoy the video.
I’ve been working with the fabulous consultants at Mom Central for quite some time and was offered the opportunity to test drive some awesome baby products from Infantino. I’m on my second go-round of motherhood and while I saved most of the gear I used with Dawson, I realized how worn out it had become because he played hard with his toys.
Infantino sent three products for us to try: the Twist & Fold Activity Gym, the Fold & Go Bouncer, and the Jumbo Wheel Play Space. When the box arrived I was very excited to rip it open and see what was inside. My first impression was very positive. These products are bright and colorful without being too busy and over-stimulating. I love the jungle themed activity mat with the lion, monkey and elephant hanging down from the crossbars. Owen loves the activity gym as evidenced here:
Infantino Fold & Go Activity Gym
The Jumbo Wheel Play Space is so much fun! There are so many things that grab his attention, from the rings to the squeaker in the elephant’s hat, to the crinkly ears on the elephant and monkey. Check out this happy baby:
He is fascinated with mirrors and both these toys include them in the fun. My little loves to look at “the baby” in the mirror. It’s even more fun when he catches a glimpse of Mommy, Daddy or Big Brother Dawson in it, too. We took this wheel mat to the park with us and five other moms commented on how big the play space is and how much they love the colors.
Lastly, we received the bouncer. Owen is just growing too quickly; the chunky monkey barely fits in the seat, but he still loves the toy bar and the vibrating chair:
I love that this bouncer can go anywhere! It folds flat and fits nicely in the trunk (along with the stroller and diaper bag and every other baby item imaginable!). It has soothing vibrations, and by pressing a button you get a heartbeat and 2 nature sounds as well as three different melodies and volume control. This bouncer is full of options for being so compact!
My best friend recently gave birth to her first child and I’ve recommended Infantino products to her because I truly believe that Infantino puts a lot of thought into their products. Not only do they care about our precious babies, but they come up with unique designs and features that appeal to us picky parents, too. Kudos to you, Infantino!
For more information about these products click the links above or visit www.infantino.com.
Oh my golly, kids. I’m seriously contemplating hanging up the keyboard. I cannot seem to get my butt over here to blog on a regular basis. I don’t know what the deal is. Truthfully, I spend so much time living and being and doing and seeing, instead of writing.
Writing was my passion, once. That flame has long been put out. Perhaps it happened when I stopped working online. Maybe I just don’t feel motivated. I don’t know. I do know that when I think about quitting I get very sad, because this blog was my place for so long.
I suppose I just need to go with the feeling and see what happens. I shall rethink this later.
Tonight I went out to dinner with my bestest (as Dawson would say) friend ever. Miss ‘Manda and I had fajitas (okay, she had fish tacos, I had fajitas) at El Mezcal, our favorite little Mexican restaurant. Amanda is expecting her first child in July and we discussed baby names and baby registries and breastfeeding and every other baby related topic one can think of.
My friend has not had much experience with children and she had lots of questions about cribs and changing tables and if childbirth really is as painful as they say. I’m no expert but I did try to fill her in on the good as well as the not so good. I gave her as much honest information as I could without scaring the pants off her. Then a light bulb went off! Since I know so many awesome parent bloggers I decided to ask you for your help.
Share your parenting advice with Amanda in the comments. What is one thing you think she really needs to know?
Saturday, Owen’s cold was so awful that he had a fever of 103.1 degrees. I panicked, of course, and called my mother for advice.
Since my younger sister and brother still live at home with my parents, they often answer the telephone. One of them looked at the Caller ID, saw my phone number and gave the phone to Dawson who was staying with my parents for the weekend.
The phone rang once and I heard my sister say, “Dawson, it’s for you.” She passed the cordless to him.
“Hello?” Dawson said.
“Hi Dawson, it’s Mom. Can I talk to Grandma, please?” I asked.
My little boy, funny child that he is, yelled at his aunt, “It’s not for me! It’s for Grandma, you twit!”
I laughed and laughed until my mother got on the phone, and she was laughing, too. The two of us were in tears over the situation.
“Where did he learn the word ‘twit’?” I asked.
“Probably from Auntie Rachel!” Mom howled.
My mother then told me that she was talking to my brother earlier in the day, and Frankie was giving her a hard time about his curfew. She told him if he didn’t like the rules he was more than welcome to move out and pay rent.
“I told Frankie he had no room to talk when he’s living here rent-free, and Dawson said, ‘Grandma, he has a room!’” she said, laughing.
After the laughter subsided, I asked my mom what to do about the fever and she suggested infant Tylenol and a cold washcloth on his forehead to keep him from overheating. I had already given him a dose of the infant medicine but had not considered the washcloth. She told me to try that and to call the weekend care phone number at the clinic.
The nurse suggested the same things my mother had, and it’s nice to know that I can still rely on my mom, even when I’m in panic mode. It’s been a long time since Dawson has had a fever, so I’m not surprised I had forgotten all the remedies.
Thankfully, Owen’s fever dropped down to 100.5 two hours later and he was feeling much better. Good thing Dawson had his comedy down, I needed the laughter through the tears!
Dana began her Mom career in 2004 with the birth of her first son, Dawson, aka The Doodlebug, and little brother, Owen, was born in 2009. She spends her days putting out fires, climbing mountains and chasing monsters. More About Dana.
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