Cragmama "Not all who wander are lost…" JRR Tolkien

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Why the Second Baby is Easier…and Harder

Why the Second Baby is Easier…and Harder

From the moment we told the world we were pregnant again, it seemed that everyone that had been there, done that more than once, felt obligated to express their opinions.  It seemed like everyone clearly fell into one of two camps – the “Number 2 will be a breeze compared to Number 1” folks, and the “Number 2 makes life really complicated” people.  With such a wide range of (unsolicited) experiences to take in, we really didn’t know what to expect.  (And considering that our number 2 is not even a month old yet, we hardly qualify as experts when…Read the rest of this entry →

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4 Years and 1 Proud Mama

4 Years and 1 Proud Mama

The other day I was cleaning up the kitchen after breakfast, and as usual, there was a children’s folk song station playing on Pandora in the background.  C had been painting at his art table, and had just left the room to go get some more paper, and a song came on that I’d never heard before that stopped me in my tracks.  I felt a wave of emotion come over me as I listened to the words that described EXACTLY what I felt about my little guy.  Then right on cue my sweet little boy came bounding around the…Read the rest of this entry →

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How to Cultivate Independent Play in Your Child

How to Cultivate Independent Play in Your Child

It’s probably safe to assume that most parents would agree that allowing your child to park him/herself in front of the TV all day is a bad idea.  So why is it that in 2009, the average 2-5 year old watched a screen (TV, DVD, iPad, computer) for an astounding 32 hours per week?!?  (And 6-11 year olds weren’t that much better, at 28 hours per week.)  That’s more than an entire day out of every week!  As shocking as those statistics are, I think the reason behind them is simple.  Parents are tired, and stretched too thin – an educational DVD…Read the rest of this entry →

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On Change…and How Love Multiplies

On Change…and How Love Multiplies

 As I sit here and type this with my little girl snuggled up against my chest in our Boba 4G carrier (review coming soon!), it’s getting harder and harder to remember what life without Baby Z was like.  I remember that strange phenomenon happening with C, but for some reason it still took me by surprise this time around.   I guess that’s because families aren’t  designed to stay the same.  Even if your family is finished adding members, everyone is getting older with each passing year (and each passing minute for the youngest ones!)  That means the family dynamic…Read the rest of this entry →

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How to Make Hiking Fun For Kids

How to Make Hiking Fun For Kids

My little guy (almost 4) has been a great hiker since around the age of 2…when he wants to be, that is.  Some days he can run circles around us with endless amounts of energy, other days all he wants to do is snuggle with mommy in the carrier.  So far it hasn’t been a big deal – when he wants to hike, we hike at his pace, and when he wants to hitch a ride, we happily oblige.  But with baby #2, all of that flexibility is about to change.  In the coming weeks, climbing approaches will now involve…Read the rest of this entry →

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“Not all who wander are lost.” —JRR TOLKIEN