Hello Friends
It has been a long time since I updated this blog and I do miss it. It was a nice way to share my thoughts. However, since my website (www.kidsinstl.com) has taken off and I update a blog to go with the work web site, I just don’t have time.

So, I have come to a compromise to make me happy and still do both blogs. I am going to put just little personal bits about my life, day, family or just whatever. Then I am going to copy the info from my work blog. Please don’t let my work blog turn you off from stopping by, it is just about stuff to do with your family and kids…. Actually pretty useful stuff.

So that is it for now.. and here is some of my ‘work’ blog. It is good to be back!
Renee

St Louis Family and Kid Activities from December 22 - December 28

Want to check out the best web site for families with kids in St Louis! There are so many things to find on this site: Kids Events Around Town, Kids Birthday Party Venues , Travel Tips, Kids Eat Free Restaurants , Daycares and Preschools , Kids With Special Needs, Daily Activity Calendar, Sensory Recipes, Kids In the Kitchen, Area Parks, Everything Holiday and much more. Here is a sneak peek of the activities for the week and some info from the site. Just go to http://www.kidsinstl.com/for the full list with details.

Play Date Anyone???
This week we are going to spotlight a part of our site a little differently. Have you heard of the company Little Fishes Swim School? Not only are they one of our new advertising friends, but they are a great swim school that has a special offer for our members.

Little Fishes wants to open their doors to offer a free venue to host a very neat play date for any group of Mom’s. Your group can be an official Mom’s Club or just a few moms who want to hang out together. They have a super warm pool, a nice play area and even a snack room for enjoying your lunch. All they ask is if your call and set-up your date and time for your play date. Make sure to tell them you are a kidsinstl member!

Time for a Party….. Over 210 Places to Go!
When we started this site, we were able to compose around 50 fun places to host a kid’s birthday. Now many months later we are totally floored to see our list soar to over 210 places around town. Who would have guessed there are so many great places around town for a kid’s party? If you have not checked the list out lately, take a peek. We bet there will be at least a couple of places you are unfamiliar with and are quite surprised to see.

Monday ~ December 22
9 AM - 10 AM
Infant Play Cooper Ella
9 AM - 5 PM
Gardenland Express Botanical Garden
10 AM - 11 AM
Storytime at WholeFoods Market
10 AM - 11 AM
Paint me a Story - The Painting Paw
11 AM - 1 PM
Imaginary Theatre Company - The Little Fir Tree
2 PM - 4 PM
Imaginary Theatre Company - The Little Fir Tree
5:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Wild Lights at the Zoo
5:30 PM - 6:30 PM
Dinner with Santa at the Zoo
7:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Dinner with Santa at the Zoo Tuesday ~ December 23
9 AM - 5 PM
Gardenland Express Botanical Garden
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM
Creation Station Museum of Transportation
10 AM - 10:30 AM
Story Time at Pottery Barn
10 AM - 11 AM
Childrens Morning Storytime Barnes & Noble Ladue
10 AM - 4 PM
Winter Celebrations - The Childrens Museum
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Preschool Story Time Brentwood Library
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Preschool Story Time Brentwood Library
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Creation Station - Transport Museum Association
11 AM - 1 PM
Imaginary Theatre Company - The Little Fir Tree
11 AM - 12 PM
Tuesday Morning Storytime Ballwin Borders
11:45 AM - 12:45 PM
Creation Station - Transport Museum Association
5:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Wild Lights at the ZooWednesday ~ December 24
Christmas Eve Thursday ~ December 25
Merry Christmas Friday ~ December 26
9 AM - 5 PM
Gardenland Express Botanical Garden
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM
Creation Station Museum of Transportation
10 AM - 4 PM
ZOOmagination Station St Louis Zoo
10 AM - 11 AM
Childrens Morning Storytime Barnes & Noble Ladue
10 AM - 4 PM
Winter Celebrations - The Childrens Museum
10:30 AM - 11 AM
Babymoon Boutique Story Time
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Creation Station - Transport Museum Association
11 AM - 11:45 AM
Drop-In Play Date Babymoon Boutique
11:45 AM - 12:45 PM
Creation Station - Transport Museum Association
5:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Wild Lights at the Zoo
6 PM - 7 PM
Kwanzaa: A Cultural Celebration -St Louis Art MuseumSaturday ~ December 27
8 AM - 10 AM
Musical Merry-Go Round FM 88.1 KDHX Program
9 AM - 5 PM
Gardenland Express Botanical Garden
10 AM - 4 PM
ZOOmagination Station St Louis Zoo
10 AM - 4 PM
Winter Celebrations - The Childrens Museum
10:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Penguin Pals & Polar Bear Fun Days Brentwood Library
11 AM - 12 PM
Children's Story Time! Barnes & Noble Cross Keys
12 PM - 2:30 PM
Penguin Party - Missouri History Museum
5:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Wild Lights at the Zoo
7:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Saturday Night Storytime Ballwin Borders
7:30 PM - 9:30 PM
St Louis Symphony Orchestra Oz with Orchestra Sunday ~ December 28
9 AM - 5 PM
Gardenland Express Botanical Garden
1 PM - 4 PM
Art that Glitters and Glows -St Louis Art Museum
3 PM - 5 PM
St Louis Symphony Orchestra Oz with Orchestra
4 PM - 5 PM
Joga Yoga for Kids
5:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Wild Lights at the Zoo

When Daddy Thinks No One is Watching

Today was one of those days that you catch a sneak peek of you husband and all those totally annoying things he does just doesn’t really matter.

It was a beautiful day out today, so the kids were playing in the backyard while I cooked dinner. My husband came home and went straight to the yard to play with the kids.

As I spent the next 50 minutes cooking dinner, I would occasionally peek out in the yard. Here are some of the things I saw and it made me smile from the inside – out.

- Daddy and Soph sitting on the ground making flower crowns so they BOTH could wear one.
- Daddy taking turns swinging each of the kids around and around even though I could tell his arms were hurting him
- Daddy playing hide and seek and acting like he could not find the kids even though they hid in the same spot the last 8 times.
- Daddy playing hopscotch, boy that was a scary
- Daddy scooping the sand out of the mouth of the little guy and not even scolding him once (that kid has such a taste for sand, ugg)
- Daddy dancing around with bubble wands making bubbles everywhere

So… tonight I pushed aside the dirty socks on the floor, shrugged off the dinner dishes left on the table and didn’t even say a thing when my loving husband blew his nose and left the tissue on the end table. Without even trying, he reminded me that all those little annoying things he does can be overlooked or forgiven… because he is a wonder Daddy and Husband… and those are qualities worth their weight in gold.

Here are two of my favorite pictures! Daddy with both his kids when they were just born.

Hey if you got a minute, check out my web site http://www.kidsinstl.com/

There is a ton of great stuff – Great Present suggestion for Mothers Day, Kid Recipes, St Louis Birthday Party ideas, Parenting Tips, Children’s Books, Travel Tips and much more.

Here is a sample of some of the Travel Tips:
Traveling with a Toddler

- Use a lightweight umbrella stroller verses a cumbersome stroller

- Make sure that you have lots of magazines, crayons (if you child is ready), and of course books and toys

- Ensure that you have an extra change of clothes

- Check your stroller in at the gate verse at the check-in counter, so that you can push your child around while waiting for the plane to arrive

- Have a good supply of snacks and cups

- Walk your child up and down the airport terminal to burn energy

www.kidsinstl.com

Thank God for the Teachers that Go that Extra Mile

Thank God for the Teachers that Go that Extra Mile

My daughter is in her first year of preschool and loves it. She goes three days a week, but would be perfectly happy to go 5 days if it was offered. My daughter goes to a small private preschool with only 9 students and 2 teachers. First let me explain the ‘private’ part of the school. It is private because it is at a Methodist church and I started out picking this preschool only because it was half the cost of the local public preschool. However after almost ¾ of a school year over, I would never send either of my kids any where else.

What is so cool about this school is that since it is private the class rules and curriculum is more flexible. Once a month each student is required to bring in the snack for the class, however it can be homemade. It is so fun to bake cookies or cupcakes with my daughter for her to bring to her friends at school. Also, the class can celebrate any holiday. We dressed up at Halloween, had a Christmas pageant, and the Easter Bunny made a personal appearance. However, my favorite thing is the curriculum and how the teachers make it fun.

For example, February was Cowboys and Indians month. Yes you read correctly, they learned about Indians, not Native Americans. I know some people think that is politically incorrect to say Indians and not Native Americans. The kids learned about horses, cowboys, western attire, Indians, and wonderful Indian folklore and it was all taught in the most respectful manner.

This last month the class learned about Scotland. Each week my daughter came home with wonderful knowledge about bagpipes, kilts, thistles, the Loch Ness Monster and much more. The most unbelievable thing that the teachers did for these kids was to give them first hand experience about what they learned was by signing them up as participants in the Scottish festival. These teachers personally made each student special outfit, including a kilt, to wear while marching in the parade. These kids had a great experience they will never forget.

So, I will wrap up this entry with a big THANK YOU! To all those teachers out there that go the extra mile, love our children and often use their own time and money to make lifelong memorable learning experiences for our kids.

What Is Happening at – www.kidsinstl.com
We have changed the format of the Parent Forum to make it more user friendly, check it out. Here is a sneak peak of what is going on around town for the next few days. Go to http://www.kidsinstl.com/ to see a detailed list of all the kids activities around St Louis.
Tuesday ~ April 15th
10 AM - 11 AM
A Storytime Classic- Borders Chesterfield
10 AM - 11 AM
Borders Storytime - Classic Story about Corduroy
4 PM - 5 PM
Club Read: Chinese 'Good Luck Knot' Key Rings.
Wednesday ~ April 16th
10 AM - 11 AM
Baby Storytime Sachs Branch
10 AM - 10:45 AM
Toddler Storytime Mid County Library
7 PM - 8 PM
Family Night: Science Fun - Lip Gloss/Putty
Thursday ~ April 17th
10 AM - 10:30 AM
Storytime: Toddler/Preschool - Schlafly Library
10 AM - 11 AM
Borders Storytime - I Want a Pet!
6:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Bed Bugs Bedtime Story Hour
Friday ~ April 18th
10 AM - 1 PM
Earth Day Extravaganza
11:15 AM - 12 PM
Drop in Play Date Baby Moon Boutique
11:45 AM - 1:45 PM
Farm Fair

Nothing but the Girls!

I have been out of the blogging world for the last week or so because my 4 year old daughter and I took our first girls trip. We flew out to San Francisco to see a friend’s new baby. I also must tell you that I left my 2 year old son with my husband for a week of male bonding.



This was a trip I was not only was excited about but I also needed for a mental health break from the home front. Overall the trip was wonderful! The baby is super sweet and my daughter had a blast.

Here are a few things I have learned about taking a girls trip with a 4 year old and leaving your son and husband on their own for the week.
- Take a lot of little snacks for the plane ride. I say little because it keeps things interesting if they can have many different snacks instead of just a big bag of chips or something.
- Apologize to the person that is sitting in front and on the side of your child at the beginning of the flight. No matter how much I told my daughter not to kick the seat or yell, she still did it. Now I must say she was pretty good, but there were still some moments.
- Buy some new little toys or games for the plane. Since these were all things she had never seen or played with just getting them out of the package and open was an adventure. (and took up time)
- When leaving your husband and your 2 yr old son to fend for themselves make sure there is a lot of easily prepared foods that are nutritious… or they will just live off of Hardees.
- Do not expect to come home to a clean house. Just be happy that everyone is safe. However I must tell you.. when we walked in the house I immediately smelled gas. I ran to the kitchen to find the knob on the stove top turned. My husband then comments …’Oh that is where that smell is coming from, I thought I smelled gas when I woke up’ OMG!!! I am so thankful that my house did not blow up or that the dogs didn't take a nap and never wake up!

Wellp, we are back and look forward to getting back to the normal daily routine!

My Web Site – http://www.kidsinstl.com/

Added a bunch of activities to the calendar. Trying to get it pumped up with activities for spring and summer. Go to the site http://www.kidsinstl.com/ and check it out!!

Here is a preview of what is on our Recommended Toys Page:

RECOMMENDED TOYS FOR THE YOUNG CHILD - 24-36 MONTHS
SPORTS:
Little Tikes TotSports T-Ball Set
Mini Gertie Ball
TENTS/TUNNELS:

Thomas the Tank Engine

Find Me Multicolor Play Tunnel
ALPHABET:

LeapFrog Fridge Farm Magnetic Animal Set
SENSORY:

Little Tikes Bubble Bellies Bubble Saurus

Wordless Wed - Birthdays are Never your Own, Once you have kids

Dance Party With Dr Seuss

Yesterday my kids school celebrated Dr Seuss’s 102nd Birthday. What a guy that Dr Seuss and what a wonderful author. Everyone has a favorite Dr Seuss book, mine has to be ‘A Fly Went By’. My son’s favorite is ‘Go Dog Go’ and my daughter likes ‘Inside your Outside’.

It is sort of funny if you really look at the books each of us likes, ‘A Fly Went By’ has a part about the little boy getting a switch and whipping the fox chasing the pig and that always makes me chuckle because now a days a children’s author would never write something so non-PC in a book.

My Son likes the ‘Go Dog Go’ book simply because he digs doggies. The thing I find funny is he always inquires why the dogs are blue and green, not why are the dogs driving cars. Just shows what is important in his little mind.

Now my daughter just turned 4 so she is a little sponge for knowledge, which is why ‘Inside your Outside’ is her favorite. She just loves to ask questions about red and while blood cells and other body stuff the book talks about. I often have to go to the internet to find the answers to her questions.

The school went all out with crafts, story time, dancing and specials guests like – Clifford, The Cat in The Hat and Mother Goose. It was a great day and we had a blast. What a wonderful way to pay tribute to a guy we forget played such a big role in many of our young lives.

Here is a little clip of my daughter dancing at the party. This clip is a little over 2 mins long, but I promise you will be smiling by the end.

My Web Site – http://www.kidsinstl.com/

Added a bunch of activities to the calendar. Trying to get it pumped up with activities for spring and summer. Here is a list of some of the activities going on around St Louis the next couple of days. Go to the site http://www.kidsinstl.com/ for more detail.

Monday Mar 17th
9 AM - 10 AMInfant Play Cooper Ella
9 AM - 1 PMEASTER BUNNY HUTCH
10 AM - 11:30 AM'It's Easy Finding Green' Hike
10:30 AM - 11:30 AMRocking Chair Story Time

Tuesday Mar 18th
9:15 AM - 10:15 AMCreation Station Museum of Transportation
10 AM - 10:30 AMStory Time at Pottery Barn
2:15 PM - 3:15 PMShoemaker And The Elves - Kramer's Marionette Theater
4 PM - 5 PMClub Read: Xbox 360 - Got Game?

Hey for all of you that are not in St Louis, I want to share one of the many other parts of my site that can be used by anyone regardless of where they live. Here is a partial list of some of the books we recommend for children. From the home page click on the Recommended Books button– To see the whole list check out our site. http://www.kidsinstl.com/
BOOKS RECOMMENDED FOR THE YOUNG CHILD (24-36 MONTHS)
COUNTING: Baby Buddies: Can You Count (Baby Buddies)
INTRODUCTION TO SPANISH: My First Spanish Word Book / Mi Primer Libro De Palabras En Español
INTERACTIVE/PROPS: Hide-And-Seek With Leo: A Hand-Puppet Book
RHYMING/SONG: Baby Beluga (Raffi Songs to Read)
ANIMAL CHARACTERISTICS: My Jungle Pop-up Book
SELF-ESTEEM: The Mixed-Up Chameleon

FACT or FICTION ...........Make it stop!

With my crazy kid schedule and the closing in holiday I have not had much time to get on the computer. However, many things have happened in the last few days to give me plenty of data for this little blog I will call Fact or Fiction.

1) When you sit on a ball of Silly Putty and smash it all over your living room chair and pants – both are ruined forever. FICTION
~ Actually Silly Putty rubs off pretty easily, you just have to take your time. However, I was still pretty mad and threw the Putty away.

2) Markers that claim to be ‘washable’ will not stain the white fur of a dog when the kids decide to color him. FICTION
~ Boy my poor doggie … the kids colored his legs and part of his back. Now this may be a Fact if I would have gave him an intense scrub down, but it is winter here so I was only able to wipe him with wash rags and soap. He is still a bit pink and green.

3) With a determination a 2 year old can actually put on his own diaper. FACT
~ I refused to put a diaper on my little guy until he at least tried to pee pee on the potty. He walked into his room, shut the door…then walked out with a diaper that was put on totally correct. Wellp, I guess we will try potty training again in a couple months.

4) If you eat a handful of sand it will come out the looking almost the same as it went in. FACT
~ A little nice weather makes the kids go crazy. After a long winter, I let the kids go out in the yard on a day it warmed up. I stepped inside to get some drinks and in that short time my little guy ate at least one huge handful of sand. Ick.. that can’t taste good. (Side note – I did call poison control and the only real hazard with sand is chocking.) Well the next morning I changed a diaper full of poopy sand. Yuck!

5) Finger Nail Polish remover will eat the polish on a wood table almost immediately. FACT
~ My little girl wanted her nail painted for her 4 yr pics. So we had to take of the old stuff. I walked to the counter to get a napkin (4 seconds) came back to see my daughter squeezing the cotton ball with the remover in it on the table. Well I quickly wiped it off, but there is still 3 circle marks on my table…bummer.

6) The Easter Bunny will know where to bring your basket, even if you are not at home on Easter Morning. FACT
~ My little girl verified this with the Easter Bunny today when she sat on his lap today. We are doing a girl’s trip to San Francisco…. Can’t wait!

Check out my web site - www.kidsinstl.com
It is a wonderful resource for anyone with kids! It is jam packed with fun things to do with the kids while on spring break.

Open up and Say ....Ahhhhhhh

Today my (almost 4 yr) daughter Soph went to the dentist for the time. I have been prepping her for this day for the last 2 weeks and the main reason for this is because I HATE the dentist. For unknown reasons I have always feared dentist visits. I have great teeth, only a couple fillings and never had braces. So, for the last couple weeks I told my daughter how great the dentist is and how much her teeth will sparkle when he is done cleaning them. Soph did great! She kept her mouth open the whole time and let them check and polish her teeth. The rough part of the appointment was when I told the dentist Soph sucked her thumb. Boy was she mad at me. This is her security secret. She never sucks her thumb in public or around her friends. The dentist explained to her that it will hurt her teeth, then pulled out some pictures of kids with messed up teeth. This hit home with Soph, she is very girly and likes to be pretty.

Tonight at bed time when I saw her with her thumb in her mouth I reminded her to take it out. Boy what a tough situation. I can see it in her eyes she is already struggling with this. She wants to stop but the thumb is a big night time security.

We will see how it goes. Anybody have any good suggestions out there? I could use some help.

My Web Site – http://www.kidsinstl.com/Added a bunch of activities to the calendar. Trying to get it pumped up with activities for spring and summer. Here is a list of some of the activities going on around St Louis the next couple of days. Go to the site http://www.kidsinstl.com/ for more detail.

March 1st
10 AM - 11:30 AMFossil Hunt for Kids
10 AM - 5 PMTales of Ireland Magic House
10:30 AM - 12 PMFamily Workshop Art From Africa
11 AM - 12:30 PMPiwacket Theatre Rumpelstiltskin
3:30 PM - 4:30 PMMetro Theater Company's Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!
7:30 PM - 9:30 PMWolf Sanctuary Campfire Program

March 2nd

11:30 AM - 5 PMTales of Ireland Magic House
12 PM - 4 PMREI Climbing Pinnacle
1 PM - 4 PMFamily sunday - Quilting Bee
3:30 PM - 4:30 PMMetro Theater Company's Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

Hey for all of you that are not in St Louis, I want to share one of the many other parts of my site that can be used by anyone regardless of where they live. Here is one of the recipes from the Kid Sensory Recipes section of the site. From the home page click on the Kid Sensory Recipes button– To see the whole list check out our site. WWW.kidsinstl.com

Sensory Activities & Recipes for Kids
CINNAMON CLAY

1 ½ Cup Cinnamon1 Cup Applesauce1/3 Cup White Glue
Mix cinnamon, applesauce and glue together in bowl. Knead the mixture until it turns to firm clay. Let it sit for 30 minutes. Best at room temperature. If it gets sticky dust with cinnamon.

Wordless Wednesday - A couple hours late

Sleep Tight Sweet Baby Girl

Shrinky My Dinky.... Oh What Fun

What a rainy, cold and yucky day! Tuesday’s are ‘no school’ days so I usually try to set up a play date or take the kids somewhere. However, when I saw the gloomy weather… I told the kids it was crafty day! A my daughter loves crafts, my lil’ guy does just enough to appease me and moves on.

I pulled out an oldie but a goodie craft – SHRINKY DINKS! I did this great craft when I was a kid. If you are not familiar with Shrinky Dinks this is the scoop. You get these sheets of plastic and you can draw with pencils or markers anything you want on them. Cut it out the pop it in the oven…and watch in amazement. Within 2 minutes the Dink will curl up, shrink, and then lay flat again. Then you take them out of the oven and they cool super fast. You end up with a very hard little piece of plastic that you can use for jewelry, sun catchers, mobiles, etc. My daughter and I did Shrinky Dinks for a couple hours. Here is the mobile we made and here are a few of my favorite ones we made. My son kind of colored on one, then gave up and played with cars.

After the Shrinky Dink fun my daughter wanted to move on to the next craft. I told her that Mommy had to make lunch and that she was on her own. So she asked if she could do her most favorite ‘Grown-up’ thing to do…. take pictures with my camera. She loves doing this so much that I have sort of made art of the pics she takes. She has the great frame in her room that holds 7 pics. Each month I put new pictures that she took into the frame. She is very proud of this ‘work of art’ and it is always the first thing she shows her friends. Here is a sample of the pictures she took today.

My Web Site – http://www.kidsinstl.com/

Added a bunch of activities to the calendar. Trying to get it pumped up with activities for spring and summer. Here is a list of some of the activities going on around St Louis the next couple of days. Go to the site http://www.kidsinstl.com/ for more detail.

Feb 28th
9:45 AM - 10:30 AMWhere Art and Play Go Hand in Hand
10 AM - 11 AMtoddler Storytime Sachs Branch
10:30 AM - 11:30 AMCreation Station - Transport Museum Association
10:30 AM - 12 PMPiwacket Theatre Emperor's New Clothes
4 PM - 5 PMDuct Tape Extravaganza - Weber Library
6 PM - 8 PMREI Climbing Pinnacle
6:30 PM - 8:30 PMEndangered Species Near You

Feb 29th
10:30 AM - 11:30 AMStory time Fun Baby Moon Boutique
11 AM - 11:45 AMWhere Art and Play Go Hand in Hand
11:15 AM - 12 PMDrop in Play Date Baby Moon Boutique
6:30 PM - 7:30 PMDon't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!
7 PM - 8:30 PMTeen Afterhours: Chocolate Fever! - Sachs Library

Hey for all of you that are not in St Louis, I want to share one of the many other parts of my site that can be used by anyone regardless of where they live. Here are some of our favorite tips we recommend for children. From the home page click on the Parent Resource & Tips then go to 12-24 months button– To see the whole list check out our site. http://www.kidsinstl.com/
Parent Resources & Tips
12-24 months
Nutrition Tips/Strategies for Picky Eaters:

*For non-veggie eaters, blend the vegetables in a stock to make a hearty soup or grind the vegetables and blend it into meat e.g., meat patties

*For non-fruit eaters - make a fruit smoothie (fruit, milk and or ice-cream). Introduce it unfrozen or if you choose to freeze it, make Popsicles in containers.

Tile Shopping…. There is a winner and a Loser

It was a crazy weekend! Friends over for pizza and cards on Friday, birthday party on Sat and the ever so fun tile shopping on Sunday.

The first time my husband and I went tile shopping for the kitchen we took the kids. Big Mistake! We went to this place called Hoods. It is a huge rusty shed that leaks when it rains that is so dirty and it is filled with wonderful contractor’s surplus. The great thing about Hoods is that you can get interior building supplies very cheap and the bad thing is that it is just all thrown in piles so you have to dig to find the things you want. Anyway, as I said we took the kids and my daughter Sophia decided to take a short run… fall over a brick and bust her mouth open. Real nice…. Uggg. It was not very bad but you know how a facial wound bleeds….gushing everywhere.

When it was decided to try to find tile again we knew the kids had to take a visit to Aunt Tina’s. So we drop the kids off and on to the tile stores. If it was only that easy.
When we bought this house 2 year ago my husband (the architect) said he was not interested in the interior decorating, that it was all me. Yea … right…. Wrong. Well, my husbands interest in home décor has changed. He wants to “help” decide everything regardless how miniscule. It has been painful.

We went to 4 stores and my husband found the one he liked in the first. It is a nice natural stone but sort of dark shades. I found the one I liked in the last store. Here is the problem, this is really not something you can compromise on… one person loses and one wins. You can’t tile a room with two completely different styles of tiles.

My ‘I don’t care how we decorate’ husband has suddenly turned into Martha Stewart and states why his tile is the only one that will work in our kitchen. Oh please. So here I stand….. sick of looking at tile, wanting lunch and gauging how much I really care if I don’t love the tile in my kitchen. I was going to lose the ‘Tile Fight’. I tell my husband he wins, buy what ever he wants. He tries to tell my there should not be a loser when buying tile, that should both love the tile. Easy to say when he is the Winner!

Here is what the tile looks like:

We close this chapter with - new tile that will look fine, the knowledge that there is a winner and a loser in the tile war and finally (chuckling) the realization that my husband will not get around to installing this tile for months.

My Web Site – http://www.kidsinstl.com/

Added a bunch of activities to the calendar. Trying to get it pumped up with activities for spring and summer. Go to the site http://www.kidsinstl.com/ to see all the details.

Hey for all of you that are not in St Louis, I want to share one of the many other parts of my site that can be used by anyone regardless of where they live. Here is a partial list of some of the some of our favorite Links. From the home page click on the Favorite Links button– To see the whole list check out our site. http://www.kidsinstl.com/
SPECIAL EDUCATION
http://www.loc.gov/nls/NationalLibrary - Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS)
http://www.disabilityinfo.gov/digov-public/public/DisplayPage.do?parentFolderId=96 http://www.firstsigns.org/Disability - Information
http://dese.mo.gov/divspeced/FirstSteps/Missouri - First Steps - Birth through 3 years old special education
http://www.ssd.k12.mo.us/Sp_edu/index.htmlSpecial - School District Ages 3-21
http://www.beachcenter.org/ - Beach Center - A Family Resource Center at the University of Kansas

Coughs....Fevers....and Freezing Rain - Oh My!

My Life – Oh God… please stop the freezing rain…. I can’t take another snow day! Let me date myself, I was in high school over 20 years ago and it would take over a foot of snow before the schools would close. Now if there is a slight sheen on the streets the schools will be closed for days. Uggg. Not that I don’t love being imprisoned in my house for days with my kids, but last week everyone missed school because of the flu. By the end of the day tomorrow after being stuck in the house with the kids for the last 5 days I just may have to drink my self into a stupor after my husband gets home. Just kidding…. Hangovers just aren’t worth it any more.
My Web Site – http://www.kidsinstl.com/
Here is a list of some of the activities going on around St Louis the next couple of days. Go to the site http://www.kidsinstl.com/ for more detail.

Feb 23 - Sat.
10 AM - 11 AMSee You Later, Alligator! After While, Crocodile!
10 AM - 2 PMMaple Sugar Festival
10:30 AM - 11:30 AMPreschool Workshop - Artful Zoo
11:30 AM - 12:30 PMKids Club: Black and White Tic-Tac-Toe
6 PM - 9 PMSnow Moon Evening

Feb 24 - Sun

12 PM - 5 PMCelebrate the World: An International Festival
1 PM - 4 PMFamily Sunday Art Museum
3:15 PM - 4:45 PMFamily Jump Time- Chesterfield

Hey for all of you that are not in St Louis, I want to share one of the many other parts of my site that can be used by anyone regardless of where they live. Here is one of the great kid sensory recipes. From the home page click on the Kid Sensory button– To see the whole list check out our site. http://www.kidsinstl.com/
OOBLICK

1 part water1 part corn starch
Mix water and corn starch together, and stir

One of my Favorite Things – Battery Powered Toothbrushes. My kids were always fine with brushing their teeth, but never asked to do it. I bucked up and purchased a couple of those battery operated fancy toothbrushes and now they want to brush at least 3 times a day. I thought it was just a ‘new’ thing but this has been going on for over 2 months. Great Buy!

The Human Lint Roller..... ugggg.

My Life – If you have dogs you will be able to relate to this post and if you are allergic or anti-dog you just might be a little afraid.
I am sitting at the table drinking my morning coffee and it has just stared to snow. I tell my little guy to look at the snow and he then tells me he can make it snow inside.


I said really… how? Owen proceeded to crawl behind my living room chair, and then he comes out and puts his hand over the blowing heating vent. Puff…. Up billowing through the air goes a handful of white dog hair. I am not sure whether to laugh or be grossed out… I was a little of both. Owen then yells, ‘It’s snowing!’.


Just a couple of days ago Sophia was laying on the ground in her footie pj’s holding on to the end of a blanket and Owen was pulling her around the house. After a few rounds around the room, they were standing there laughing. When I asked them what is so funny. My daughter turns to me and says, “I am a big lint roller!” Her footie pj’s are covered in dog hair. Yuk!


Welcome to my world of two kids and two dogs that shed like crazy. I sweep, vacuum and dust mop everyday but there is still dog hair. Oh well, I guess I will just call in the ‘Human Lint Roller’ when things get out of hand.


My Web Site – http://www.kidsinstl.com/

Just about finished the Summer Camp List! Boy what a big job. Here is a list of some of the activities going on around St Louis the next couple of days. Go to the site http://www.kidsinstl.com/ for more detail.

Feb 20th
10 AM - 10:45 AMToddler Storytime Mid County Library
10 AM - 11 AMSing Along Pottery Barn Chesterfield
10:30 AM - 11:30 AMCreation Station - Transport Museum Association
1 PM - 1:45 PMBig Kids Science Lab Workshop
7 PM - 8:30 PMAnime Movie Night - Prairie Commons Library

Feb 21st
9:30 AM - 10:30 AMPBS Kids Share A Story
10:30 AM - 11:30 AMTap! Tap! Tap! Woodpeckers
11 AM - 11:45 AMWhere Art and Play Go Hand in Hand
6 PM - 8 PMREI Climbing Pinnacle

Hey for all of you that are not in St Louis, I want to share one of the many other parts of my site that can be used by anyone regardless of where they live. Here is a partial list of some of our favorite baby songs with links. From the home page click on the Educational & Interactive Activities button, then go to songs – To see the whole list check out our site. http://www.kidsinstl.com/
Favorite Baby Songs
ABC song

Row, row, row your boat

Wheels on the Bus

5 Green Speckled Frogs

This Little Piggy

Hickory Dickory Dock

Twinkle Twinkle

One of my Favorite Things – Mr. Clean Eraser! Oh My have you tried one! This little sucker gets stains off almost everything. Crayon or marker on almost anything…. Rubs right off. Spiffs up dirty white sneakers super fast. Now be a smart parent, don’t wipe your kids skin with this item. It is a cleaner, just like Windex. Would you ever spray your kid down with Windex and buff him to shine.

Thank God for Good Little Boys and Grandma's

My Life – Good Golly…this has been a rough week! My daughter and I have been very sick. It has been 7 days of fever, vomit, and hackin’…..will it ever end? This week has been the sickest I have been in at least 6 years. AND this was the first time ever I had to call someone over to my house to take care of my kids. I was so sick I could not get out of bed and my daughter was sick in her bed. This left my 2 year old basically on his own running the house. He thought that was pretty cool. So I called Grandma to come over. Boy what a hard thing it was for me to admit I could not physically take care of my family.

Well, we both just started rounds of antibiotics, so hopefully this is the start of the end. This will be a short log because I know that no one wants to hear the gross details of the last few days. However, this is what I will say…..

Why at day four of being sick with a fever, you just have a virus and need to ride it out….. but if you wait it out to day 7 then they will give you meds. I know that the docs have to be so careful because they get so many ‘frequent fliers’ in their offices, but antibiotics 3 days ago would have saved my 4 yr old from days of misery. Oh well, that is it… I will get off my soap box. We are all on our way to getting healthy.

My Web Site – http://www.kidsinstl.com/

I did not get to work for the last few days. Way to sick. But please still check it out! Here is a list of some of the activities going on around St Louis the next couple of days. Go to the site www.kidsinstl.com for more detail.

Sat. Feb 16th
10 AM - 11 AMKids Club: Log Cabin
10 AM - 11 AMCultural Connections Presents: Ireland!
10:30 AM - 12 PMFamily Workshop Construction Sculpture
11 AM - 1 PMMyth Adventures Imaginary Theatre
1 PM - 2 PMStorytelling in the Galleries - I Built This with My Hands
3 PM - 7 PMREI Climbing Pinnacle
7:30 PM - 9:30 PMWolf Sanctuary Campfire Program

Sun Feb 17th

12 PM - 4 PMREI Climbing Pinnacle

Hey for all of you that are not in St Louis, I want to share one of the many other parts of my site that can be used by anyone regardless of where they live. Here is a recipe from our Kid Sensory Section. From the home page click on the Kid Sensory Recipes button– To see the whole list check out our site. www.kidsinstl.com
GAK

1 Cup Warm Water1 Cup White GlueFood Coloring1 Cup Warm Water with 1 Tabl Borax dissolved into it
Mix together 1 cup water and glue. Add food coloring. Pour in the water and Borax mixture. The reaction will happen immediately. Stir, lift out gak and drain excess water from bowl. Work gak with hands until smooth.

My Funny – Not many funny things to laugh about in the last few days. But I do have a small chuckle for you. I did manage to make it to the couch yesterday so my 2 yr old would not totally be on his own. He was actually being very good, just playing with cars. He walked over to me and asked if he could get me a drink, I smiled and told him no thank you. He then told me he was going to get something to eat. I said ok, but tell me what. He went to the frig, and walked into the family room carrying an 8 pack of drinkable yogurt. He sat on the chair and in the most grownup way said, ‘I will drink this whole pack, ok?’. I had to chuckle, and tell him no not OK and only take one out at a time. He was ok with that because I think he knew I did not have much fight left in me to stop him when he had his 2nd or 3rd drinkable. Luckily, he ran out of tummy space for the remaining pack!

One of my Favorite Things – One sentence….. A healthy family. I will leave it at that.

Bad Juju and Invisible Cookies

My Life – Boy did we have some bad Juju going around our house this weekend. Everyone is or was sick, including myself. Of course Mom has to take care of everyone and get very little sleep in the process, so now I am sick. At least I did not have to cook dinner tonight, hubby went and pick-up takeout.
My daughter was the sickest this weekend. She ran a fever from Friday night until Sunday that never went below 102 even with Tylenol every 4 hours. What is really freaky when my daughter has a fever is that she hallucinates. The first time it happened it really scared me, now it just sort of creeps me out. There are times she sees and talks to people who are not there and last night she was eating cooking that were not there. Her fever finally broke today and she is back to herself.

My Web Site – http://www.kidsinstl.com/
We just put a new music link on the home page. If you click it, you can hear some of our favorite Children’s songs. Here is a list of some of the activities going on around St Louis the next couple of days. Go to the site http://www.kidsinstl.com/ for more detail.

Monday Feb 11th
9 AM - 10 AM Infant Play Cooper Ella
12:30 PM - 2 PM Homeschool Special: Maple Sugaring
6 PM - 8:30 PM Daddy/Daughter Valentine?s Dance
7 PM - 8 PM StoryTime Valentine?s Day - Thornhill Library
7 PM - 8 PM UnValentine's Day Party - Thornhill Library

Tuesday Feb 12th
10 AM - 10:30 AM Story Time at Pottery Barn
10 AM - 11 AM Stories from the World Village - Prairie Commons Library
10 AM - 11 AM Pre-School Storytimes Sachs Branch
1 PM - 2:15 PM Be My Valentine Party- Museum of Transporation
7 PM - 9 PM Bogart Movie Night
7 PM - 8 PM Stories from the World Village - Rock Road Library
7 PM - 8 PM The ABC's of Daily Care Seminar

Hey for all of you that are not in St Louis, I want to share one of the many other parts of my site that can be used by anyone regardless of where they live. Here are some good links to help when you are picking out a daycare or preschool for your child. From the home page click on the Daycare/Preschool button– To see the whole list check out our site. http://www.kidsinstl.com/
Daycare & Preschools
What are the different preschool philosophies?http://content.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=1367
How do you select a preschool that meets you and your child's needs?
http://www.cullensabcs.com/articles/How_to_Select_a_Preschool_r16.ldv.pdfHow_to_Select_a_Preschool_r16.ldv.pdf
Preschool Checklists
http://www.drspock.com/article/0,1510,6014,00.html

My Funny – My daughter had some pretty crazy moments hallucinating when her fever spiked up. At one point last night I had just settled down on the couch to zone out in front of the TV, and then I hear her yelling. I ran to her room and she was sitting up in bed waving her arms all around. I asked her what was wrong. She told me to get the bees away from her and take them out of her hair. I sat down on her bed and gently shook her and rubbed her back explaining to her that it is nothing. She then turned to me, eyes wide open, and said in a real creepy calm voice “Get the bees out of my hair”. I said alrighty… so I rubbed my hands all over her head and told her they were gone. She looked back at me and said thank you and went back to sleep. Geezzzz. At lease she was still polite and said thank you when she was acting like the creep show!

One of my Favorite Things – HANGERS!! The nice plastic clothing hangers and not because your clothes hang nice on them. My kids are always carrying the bathroom stools around the house to turn on lights in different rooms in the house. It drives me crazy, because then I am constantly tripping over the stools. I made the new rule that the stools are to stay in the bathroom, well that rule backfired. Now my kids are always calling me to different rooms to turn on the lights. So one morning I was sitting at the table drinking my coffee trying to wake up. My daughter was calling me to turn on her light. I told her to find something and push it up herself. She walked out of her room holding a hanger smiling. I now find hangers in weird placed because both my kids use them to turn off and on the lights, but now I am not falling over a stool.

Don't Sweat the Small Things

My Life – Thursday was a sad day for St. Louis, in particular Kirkwood Missouri. As I was just getting ready to sit down and watch some of my favorite programs (Celebrity Apprentice – I know I have issues) the local new broke in with a special report. A man walked into a City Council meeting and shot 7 people, killing 5. Two the five killed were police officers. One of the Officers he shot was just walking across the parking lot from having dinner at a pizza parlor. Apparently this man had some on going issues with the City and just walked in shooting.
This hits very close to home for two reasons. First my husband is an architect and often works on buildings in or for the City, which requires him to attend City Council meetings. The second reason is because my Brother-in-Law is a police officer. You would never think that a City Council meeting held in a building attached to the police department would be a dangerous place to be.
Times like this just remind me not to sweat the small things and try to make the most out of each day. Most importantly I always tell my children and husband I love them at least twice a day.
So with at that said …. On a lighter side….. Anyone know what happened on the Apprentice? It was over by the time the news report ended.

My Web Site – http://www.kidsinstl.com/
Added a bunch of activities to the calendar. Trying to get it pumped up with activities for spring and summer. Here is a list of some of the activities going on around St Louis the next couple of days. Go to the site www.kidsinstl.com for more detail.

Sunday Feb 10th
12 PM - 4 PM
REI Climbing Pinnacle
12:30 PM - 2 PM
Roaches to Zebras Camp Bugaloo
1 PM - 4 PM
Valentine's Day Scavenger Hunt
1 PM - 4 PM
The Masked Prowler
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
The Trickster Raccoon
Monday Feb 11th
9 AM - 10 AM
Infant Play Cooper Ella
12:30 PM - 2 PM
Homeschool Special: Maple Sugaring
6 PM - 8:30 PM
Daddy/Daughter Valentine?s Dance
7 PM - 8 PM
StoryTime Valentine?s Day - Thornhill Library
7 PM - 8 PM
UnValentine's Day Party - Thornhill Library

Hey for all of you that are not in St Louis, I want to share one of the many other parts of my site that can be used by anyone regardless of where they live. Here is a partial list of some of the books we recommend for children. From the home page click on the Recommended Books button– To see the whole list check out our site. www.kidsinstl.com
BOOKS RECOMMENDED FOR THE YOUNG CHILD (24-36 MONTHS)
COUNTING:
Baby Buddies: Can You Count (Baby Buddies)
One Lonely Sea Horse
INTRODUCTION TO SPANISH:

My First Spanish Word Book / Mi Primer Libro De Palabras En Español
INTERACTIVE/PROPS:

Hide-And-Seek With Leo: A Hand-Puppet Book
RHYMING/SONG:

Baby Beluga (Raffi Songs to Read)
ANIMAL CHARACTERISTICS:

My Jungle Pop-up Book
SELF-ESTEEM:

The Mixed-Up Chameleon
BODY PARTS:

From Head to Toe Big Book

My Funny – Over the last couple months I feel like my children are training me to become OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). Let me explain – I have a 2 ½ yr old and a 4 yr old and they both want to be the first to do everything… and I mean everything. Of course when you have two kids they both can not be first, so we do everything twice.
Making breakfast we push the waffles down twice. Leaving the house the first kid opens the door and walks out, and then I shut the door so the next kid can open it. We go through the same route when we walk in the house. I have stated the team work rule where they do some things at the same time together, but it does not always work. I know many of you mom’s out there think I am crazy. This is such a small thing in life, and I no longer sweat the small things.

One of my Favorite Things – Glue! I am a total Glue Crazy Mama! There is always at least one broken toy on my counter that has glue drying. I have all different kinds of glue – gorilla glue, crazy glue, foam glue, fabric glue, hot glue gun and for the really crazy stuff…. Liquid nails. I will very rarely throw a toy away without first trying to glue it back together.