Friday Confessions...

It's time again for Friday Confessions. This one is something I haven't shared with too many people, but I'm almost sure it affects many mothers and fathers these days. Today's confession is:

I feel guilty about going to work everyday, taking care of, spending long hours, and nurturing other people's children while my son is at home.

I'm almost in tears even typing it. First let me explain some things.... My son stays with my mom while I'm at work. It was a choice that I made and was blessed enough to have a wonderful mom who was willing to care for my little one each day. Although I work in one of the top early learning centers in my city, I understand the health issues and the number of children in the classrooms. I was worried about him getting sick more often because he would be in an environment with alot of different people at 6 weeks old. And I know how important having one on one time during the early years is for a child. Being 1 out of 10 infant/toddlers can mean that one on one may not happen as often. And let's face it, having my son in my class would have been very distracting...my attention would be totally on him. So for this and other reasons I asked if Milo could stay with his Nana :).

Some may wonder, "well you seem fine with your decision, it was your choice...why the guilt??". I wonder the same thing too at times. I know baby bear is in a safe place getting the absolute best care while I'm at work, but I think it's my line of work that causes some guilt to arise. I'm feeding another child, changing diapers, singing songs, dancing, laughing, consoling, discovering new things with 10 children who are not mine.  That and the fact that I'm his only parent. I (and I can't believe I'm disclosing this) feel sometimes that I have to over compensate as a single parent. I'm doing everything I can to protect him from feeling lack or a void from not having a father around right now. And when I leave him to go and feed, change, play, interact with another person's child, most times it doesn't feel right. I think I kiss him 10 times before I leave the house, and I always tell him I love him, even though he  is usually asleep (lol). But the minute I'm in my car, and this hasn't changed from my very first day back to work, I cry just a little. I would love to be able to stay and care for him all day.

I don't know if I will always feel this way. It may ease up as Milo gets older or as I began to expand my career to the point where I am able to work flexible hours or even from home. And of course, I know God has an amazing man out there for me who will love my son just as much as I do. But I think it's ok to admit that I can't always wear my "cape" and as a mother I sometimes feel like I'm not reaching the bar.

I'm not even sure how to end this post, I feel totally exposed at the moment. Maybe the best way would be to end with a picture of my greatest blessing :)

He LOVES Cheerios! lol

And his Cinci Reds baseball cap (Thanks Big Bear!)

What Teachers Make - by Taylor Mali | Wanderings

What Teachers Make - by Taylor Mali Wanderings







This book will be coming out in March. After reading the poem that it is adapted from, I can't wait to dive into this book! High five to all my fellow educators because we really do MAKE A DIFFERENCE! :)

The Empty Milk Jug...

What's missing from all these pictures??? Yep, that's right, MY SON :). I was sure not to go overboard playing "Santa" for the first year this past Christmas. But at the same time, I believed I did a pretty awesome job choosing toys that reflected his interests, were educational, and fun. Now, he will go and play with his new toys from time to time, but what he likes to play with most are things like this:

I can't really say that I'm surprised. I mean think about the endless possibilities of an empty milk jug... It can be whatever you want it to! I watched in amazement as Milo went from using it as a drum to driving it across the carpet like a car. It was such a simple object, and yet my son spent more time with it than he does with his talking, interactive play zoo, lol! My wheels started and turning and I thought to myself, " why not try and make toys myself?". Imagine the joy you'd feel knowing that your little ones favorite past time is spent playing with something you made yourself. Which led me to go and search ideas for homemade toys. Because let's face it, no matter how incredibly great a toy is advertised to be, your child is more than likely going to have the most fun with the box it came in :)!

Here are a few online sites I found and I will be traveling to my fav bookstore ( Half-Priced Books) to look for more ideas :).



   
http://www.ehow.com/way_5463829_homemade-toys-infants-toddlers.html
http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2006/11/04/free-toys-for-your-infant-or-toddler/
http://www.ehow.com/way_5415359_homemade-toys-kids.html
http://www.savvyhomemade.com/homemade-toys.html


Some of these ideas are great for bday parties, crafts to do on rainy days, even gift ideas! Happy crafting :)

Happy Monday!

 

"Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are."

- Marianne Williamson

 

What brings you joy on this January Monday???

Learning Through Play!

I've been working in the childcare field for almost 11 years and the majority of my career has been spent with children ages 6 weeks- 3 years old. And nope, I'm not crazy :) and I really love what I do! A question that I've found I get asked quite a bit is..."What do you do all day?". My immediate response is "Play!", which usually gets me eyeball rolls and sideways looks. I then go into Early Childhood advocate and educator mode and very politely burst their bubble with my knowledge of how play benefits the overall development in children. I work hard to develop multiple activites, Monday-Friday, that aide in the cognitive, motor, social, emotional, and language development of children under the age of 3. So not only do the activities need to cover different developmental areas, they also have to be developmentally appropriate and of course, fun! I came across this article on one of my fav websites, www.parenting.com, about the benefits of play in a child's development. Check it out and tell me what you think!


http://www.parenting.com/article/why-play-makes-babies-smarter


So go grab your little one(s), break out that playdough, make an indoor fort, whip up some "food" in the play kitchen, break out the pots and pans for band practice, snuggle up with their favorite book, just have fun playing the afternoon away!

Friday Confessions

This blog wouldn't be "confessions of a mod mommy" without confessions, right? Each Friday, I'm going to try and post one confession. My goal is to be totally transparent in hopes that I may help others who read this. Today's confession:

I weigh 205lbs.

Some may read and wonder why I would choose this as a confession. Well, for one it's the hardest thing to admit and it's something I am ashamed of. After having my son, I lost quite a bit of weight. Once I stopped nursing, I picked the weight back up and then some. I noticed myself still eating as if I was still nursing, I even noticed my regular jeans not fitting quite as nice...lol. I'm not comfortable in my skin at the moment, but I refuse to blame it on "baby weight". I take full responsibility for being overweight.

my 1st Mother's Day

But...

I don't just want to lose weight, I want to be healthy too. My concern and urgency for shedding the pounds goes beyond just wanting to feel good about the way I look. I have an amazing little boy in my life who is going to grow into an even more amazing man...I want to be around to share in his later life milestones as much as I am his younger ones! I've set a goal to lose at least 40lbs by August. How will I do it, you ask?

1. More fresh veggies and fruits
2. Cutting out carbs after 8pm
3. Taking "move it, groove it" breaks :)
4. Walking/Jogging
5. Dark chocolate!
6.Using brown rice, whole wheat pasta, greek yogurt and other healthy substitutions
7. Creating an evening (at home) workout routine

This list isn't complete, it's just the beginning. I'm super excited about this lifestyle change and enjoying many happy, healthy years with my family and friends :). More suggestions???..Lay them on me!

Tasty Treat Thursday!

 Avocado-Banana Smoothie 

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Never sipped an avocado before? Try it -- this tropical-tasting smoothie makes a satisfying breakfast.

         

Ingredients

• 1 avocado
• 1 banana
• 1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• 1 1/2 cups fresh orange juice (from 3 oranges)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 1/2 to 3 cups ice

Directions

1. In a blender, combine avocado, banana, yogurt, orange juice, honey, and ice. Blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

I got this recipe from my mom's "Everyday Food" (from Martha Stewart Living) magazine. We all loved it! It's quick, easy, and oh so yummy! If you try it out, let me know what you think...Happy Blending :)

Yummy!!

What an awesome way to get veggies in a little one :)

Mommy likes it too!

What's in a name???

I remember back when I first found out I was pregnant...well, after taking 4 pregnancy tests and getting over the initial shock :), how excited I was about choosing a name. I've always been pretty intrigued with names and their meanings. I love hearing stories about how parents decide and come up with what they will call their new bundle of joy! When you really think about it, naming your child is one of your early tasks of parenting. This is the name your little one will carry for the REST OF THEIR LIFE. The name that will get shortened or lengthened as a nickname, the name they will hear called out on their very first day of school, the name that will be read on the resume they submit for their first job...no pressure, right? Anywho, for me naming my son started out pretty rocky. He is the first boy for me and his biological father, so of course the initial decision was for him to carry on that name. When that fell through, I turned to several sources from baby name websites, to those books with "500,000 Baby Names!", to asking family and friends.

Then suddenly a light bulb appeared over top of my head! If this little baby trusts me enough to carry him through the first 9 months of life, surely he believes in me enough to give him the name meant for him. I always liked the name Milo, it had a warm nostalgic feel to it and I didn't know anyone with that name. So I looked it up and discovered it meant gracious or kind-hearted. At that point I knew that was what I would name my precious baby boy. His middle name, Amir, was a suggestion by his "Big Bear". It's Arabic, like my first name, and means prince. I fell in love with the middle name almost as fast as I did the first! "Kind-hearted prince", now that is a strong yet humble name, perfect for my son. I want Milo to live by his name, to know that he is a child of God, a "prince" who is fearfully and wonderfully made. And to be kind hearted and selfless because we need more people like that in the world today.

So, what is in your name or your child's name? It's definitely worth looking up!

Milo Amir



This past weekend was my sister and future brother-in-law's engagement dinner! Bear and I had an awesome time. One thing I've discovered about eating out with a small child is they don't usual eat what you order for them. All he wanted was BREAD, lol! My child is a definite carb-a-holic and if I can't get him to eat anything else, a piece of bread is always welcome. When it comes to food, I really try to pic my battles ( one of many valuable lessons I have picked up along the way), so instead of refusing to give him what he wants I try to remix it. I switch up types of bread, I use my food processor to create spreads with veggies, spinach does great, in the middle. How do you handle your little (picky) eater?

Mod Mommy Mela

Welcome to Confessions of a Mod Mommy! Going through this first year (almost year and a half) of my first child's life has taught me some awesome things. And everything I thought I knew...well let's just say motherhood is an amazingly, sometimes unexplainable journey :). So follow me as I go through the day to day of motherhood, tackle the hot topics of raising a son on my own, and just be open and honest about the ups and downs of parenting. It's going to be loads of fun, with plenty of laughs (and maybe a few tears) along the way!