Wednesday, November 21, 2012
A less-than-traditional list from our very own Tireless Mom.
Before we head over the river and through the woods to the most delicious feast of the year, I thought I’d take time to call out just a few of the things I’m thankful for. While obviously I’m grateful for my health and overall happiness, this year I’d like to give some of those “unsung heroes” their due as well. Everything below makes my life just a little happier and a lot easier, and a working mom like myself NEVER takes those for granted. 1. Georgia’s laugh – I don’t know how she does it, but it starts from way down in her chest and by the time it reaches your ears you can’t help but start giggling too. My favorite version is the one where her brothers make her crack up and she doesn’t know I’m listening; it’s rare, but it’s amazing. …
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
With so many charitable organizations in Dedham, it's easy to get your kids involved and giving back.
As we head into the Holiday Season – a time of festive overindulgence – it’s hard for parents to keep their children grounded. I do my best to remind the Shumway kids how lucky they are but this year I am vowing to do a little more…and it started last week. When I realized that Ben and Georgia would be off from school for teacher development day (an event that strikes fear into the heart of every two-working-parent family), I had an idea. Our neighbor Martha was organizing a load of everything from clothes and blankets to toys to send down to the hardest hit victims of Hurricane Sandy and seeing a golden opportunity, I seized it. I armed the kids with giant plastic garbage bags, duct tape, sharpies and a list of items in demand. Although…
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Taking a close look at a child's post-Halloween behavior.
As the three Shumway kids dumped out their pillowcases last week after very successful Trick-or-Treating excursions, I couldn’t help but notice the differences in how they all managed their Halloween loot. Watching each child’s “candy personality” was an interesting study in gender, age and individuality, and I’ve done my best to categorize the different types of post-Halloween children for parents around town. Where do YOUR children fit in? 1. The Hoarder – this child will Trick or Treat for hours, logging 12 miles and contracting mild hypothermia in an attempt to get AS MUCH CANDY AS POSSIBLE. What I have found is that these kids aren’t necessarily that interested in actually eating the candy but rather knowing that they have it …
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
You think potty training is hard? Try potty mouth!
There are the milestones in a child’s life that we all file away in our memories: their first step, their first word, when they finally get a haircut without crying. As parents, we have a special place in our hearts to remember these moments and relive them as our babies grow up. There is one “first” however that brings chills to all moms and dads, although for an entirely different reason…and you ALL know what it is. Yup, you guessed it. I’m talking about your child’s first swear. While making dinner last night, my three-year old son Quinn was sitting at the kitchen island playing. He was talking to himself and adorning everything on the counter with tiny stickers that he had found; even though I was less than thrilled at the cleanup …
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
How a simple yard sale can be a great experience for kids.
They say that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and nowhere is this more evident than at the ever-popular yard sale. But if you really want to see your castoffs make one’s eyes light up then invite a child to help you work it. This weekend we took part in a Neighborhood Yard Sale. There were four families who organized their “treasures,” made signs and set up tables on what turned out to be a beautiful fall morning, all in hopes of unloading some unwanted things and making a few bucks. As Andy had to take Ben to Basketball practice, I had two little helpers in Georgia and Quinn. Make that one helper and one little thief. Georgia immediately went into shopkeeper mode and began organizing items on the table. She carefully priced …
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Examining the mystique of the Bouncy Castle.
What is it about Bouncy Castles? Like a moth to a flame, I have NEVER met a child who can resist the allure of the Bouncy Castle. This colorful enclosure made of rubber and vinyl has a power over children like nothing I’ve ever seen. They will risk anything – injury, embarrassment, even punishment – to spend “just five more minutes!” in the Bouncy Castle, and when they see one they can only think of one thing: “I must get inside and jump.” You may know it as a Bounce House, Hop House, Moon Bounce or the ever-popular Jumpy House, but if your child has never been inside of one then they simply haven’t lived. My neighborhood had a Block Party this weekend and while the highlight for the adults was great food and drink with friends, the draw…
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
A million dollar business born from the minds of cold and tired parents.
As any parent of an athlete knows, you spend a good portion of your free time on nights and weekends sitting by the side of a field. For the die-hard fan, it’s an opportunity to watch a lot of sports. For the proud parent, they may delight in seeing their child learn the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. For the cold and tired mom, however, she’ll clap to keep warm while sucking down vitamins and hot tea. We’ve all been there. As I shivered on the side of the f-f-f-FREEZING cold soccer field last night, begging Quinn to please sit on my lap to keep my legs warm (don’t judge…I’m not proud, just always cold), a few of the parents and I came up with what we believe to be a million dollar business. Take note, High School Booster …
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Did your first child dress like a Vogue model while the subsequent ones wore whatever was "sort of clean?" Yup, mine too.
Much is written about birth order and what it says about you. Supposedly, middle children are peacemakers and creative while the youngest are highly social and unconventional. Although the oldest child is said to be authoritative, a perfectionist and driven, I realized that there is another characteristic that I would like to add: Extremely well dressed. While going through Ben’s hand-me-downs for Quinn, I was struck by the sheer volume and quality of his 2004 attire. I can’t believe that I didn’t remember it, but apparently, Ben had a better wardrobe as a three-year old than I have as an adult. Seriously. It was insane. I found about five pairs each of jeans, corduroys (both wide- and baby-wale) and khakis in addition to chinos in every…
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Potty training strikes fear into even the most seasoned of parents; tips on making it through the gauntlet to the Diaper Free Zone.
When it comes to running the Parenting Gauntlet, there are different degrees of difficulty I apply to various challenges. For example, “Easy” tasks are the more simple (yet necessary) jobs like changing diapers. Gross, sure; hard, no. The “Moderate” jobs take some finesse, parenting know-how and a little instinct, like handling a child’s “Divide and Conquer” routine (aka, “WhenMom says no, go ask Dad”). But without a doubt, the “Difficult” level is the most harrowing of all. It requires parents to summon strength from deep within and use a combination of patience, commitment and resolve. Not for the rookie, many put even the most seasoned of us to the test. And when it comes to the most daunting turn at the Gauntlet, I have but two words…
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
How the disaster that is the attic has can become a magical wonderland of lost toys for kids.
“Mommeee, can we go to the ac-tic tonight?” Twice in the past week I’ve had to make a trek up to our attic and each time was amazed at how much I detested sorting through the old boxes, bins and dust…and how much the kids absolutely loved it. The first trip was because our 8th grade neighbor Emma asked to borrow one of Georgia’s baby dolls for a school project. Since it’s been a while since she’s played with them, Andy headed up the stairs and came down cradling a Baby Dora the Explorer to use. Emma laughed, Georgia acted aloof and Quinn’s eyes became as wide as saucers as he plowed past Andy to see what else was up there. While weaving through the slalom of junk, old school projects and bags labeled “linens to go to the new house” (…
David Hazell
9:37 am on Thursday, November 8, 2012
Funny story and good research! more ›