Field trip: Fire Station Open House

This morning Santino woke up saying "fire trucks, fire trucks". I thought it was because I told him yesterday "stay in the bed, close your eyes, and tomorrow I will take you to the fire station", but he just wanted to watch the videos, that his daddy made for him long time ago: a compilation of various short videos of trucks found for  free on the internet.

My plan was to take him to the open house for an hour or so, then check out a mom-to-mom sale, and then stop by at a park. Last year I took Santino to the same fire station to their open house, and he didn't want to do anything, just sat in the corner and ate popcorn.

This time proved to be very different. I brought him early, exactly at the opening time, to beat the crowd and be able to do something without standing in line. He started slow, just looking around. Then he examined the fire trucks, displayed at the front of the fire station.

I am thinking now, "why didn't I take photos of the premises and all the activities, and how nicely it all was displayed and organized". I guess I'm not a reporter, I was mostly concerned with what Santino wanted to do, so I only have pictures of him.

He started by climbing on one of the fire trucks.

We are back from vacation.

Florida was fantastic! It was really warm, really relaxing and really welcoming. We spent lots of time outside, swimming, talking to birds, looking at the flowers, walking on the grass. I really wish for the warmth to extend back to Newmarket.

Simple DIY quiet activities with a toddler

Here is a simple set of activities I like to offer Santino. It is something inexpensive, actually more like free, very simple to do, although promoting hand-eye coordination, attention, concentration, and a whole bunch of other skills.

Yay! He is coloring!

Santino never liked coloring in the color albums. Usually I would sit there coloring dinosaurs and Elmos, while Santino is stuffing markers and crayons in whatever odd place he would find at the time.

But a few days ago, he - yay! - took out a coloring book and actually started coloring! This is such a big step in his development! I am so happy :)

Sleep struggle. Mom 1 - 0 Santino

Continued from Part 1 here

So yes. I won. I struggled for 3 months. Sometimes I thought that I just should let him be and let him sleep when he can without my schedule. But then I kept going, motivating myself, that I'm the master, not my toddler. I tell HIM what to do, and if I give in now, he'll have no structure and will spin out of control. So I decided I didn't want to be managed by a toddler and insisted on standing my grounds and go by the rules.

Twinkle twinkle fall asleep

Part 1. Sleeping is an on-going issue with all parents. If there is anything all mothers love in their day, its when babies go to bed and sleep. Preferably through the night.

Sleeping through the night doesn't always happen in our house, and for the first three months of Santino's life, there was not much sleeping at all. First, when he was a month-old baby, he couldn't fall asleep and stay asleep, would cry and wake up constantly. I found "The happiest baby on the block" and the 5 S's, including swaddling and white noise, really really helped me out. Santino slept, and was a rested and a happy baby. Then he grew too big for swaddle, wasn't calm anymore, and in order to help him stay asleep I started practicing co-sleeping. That worked wonders. I got my rest, Santino got his rest and his, or should I say "mine", breast. I breast-fed him exclusively for 6 months, and after introducing solids continued with the breastfeeding until he was 13 months.

Big day!

Today was a big day. I saw how Pipidinko put on his shoes. By himself. They weren't boots or sneakers yet, just open back and toe Crocs, but he did it!

Yay, sweetie. I am so proud of you