F is for Family

Family, home, travel, life

Lent and Littles

Admittedly, I have slacked as a Catholic Mom on “teaching” my children religion. Not for lack of belief but more my own uncomfortableness in explaining the “why” and “what does that mean”. This stems from my own lack of retention over the years. 

Proudly, Sofia does attend a Jewish preschool and has learned many basic principles of religion. She’s learned prayers and the foundations of having a moral compass. She’s learned some common Old Testament stories like “Creation”, “Jonah and the Whale” and “Noah’s Ark” but we haven’t moved passed what she gets in her Judaic class in school. 
On Ash Wednesday, I took Sofia to the Liturgy of the Word and we received our ashes together. She was apprehensive and wanted to know why they were wiping that on our heads! I didn’t have a good explanation. On the way out of church, they were giving out little guide books to the Lenten season and I picked one up. It’s not overly preachy or lengthy. It’s a great, easy to follow guide to understanding our faith a little more. 
The Ash Wednesday lesson explained the dualism of Lent looking at the past and present. The challenge they proposed was that you spend less time thinking about things from the past and spend time thinking and praying on the future. “Don’t drift halfheartedly…Plunge into it.”
So, we are by talking more about what the season means. We are learning the “why” together. Today’s lesson was about Jesus’ last supper and the closeness of that group. The desire for closeness in his final hours. The ending message was to just enjoy his presence. I took this as being intentional in enjoying the presence of those we are close with as well. 
Happy Lent to all those who celebrate! 

Saying her Hebrew prayers at bed. 

Baby Signs

 We’ve hit the big year mark with Jackson and there is still no walking but there’s plenty of “talking”! I use “talking” a little loosely. There’s definitely signing and attempting words. I’m grateful for the small bits of communication that are starting to come together. I’ve had a few Mommy friends ask me how we teach our signing. We were actually introduced to baby signing by the Occupational Therapist who treated Sofia as a baby and I’m so grateful that she showed us the ropes! Here’s how we do it.

When and to get started

We try to start as early as possible, between 6 to 8 months. Don’t expect any response from baby, except maybe a few laughs from baby thinking you are crazy. This is as much practice for Mom and Dad as it is for baby.

Where Do I Start

We downloaded the Baby Signs app on our iPad. It was recommended by the OT. It’s free, it’s easy to navigate and it teaches you as much as it teaches them. You can even use it as a learning tool for yourself if you don’t want to hand the device over to baby. That’s what we’ve done because even if we did give it to Jackson, big sister would take it over if she saw him playing. I had to brush up on my signs before we got started. I then go through and pick out about 5 signs to get started.

Our Top 5 Starter Signs

1.    More

2.    Milk

3.    All Done

4.    Please

5.    Thank You

How to Practice

You need baby’s attention to really get good practice in. Our favorite times are while eating and in the bath. This is when Jackson is most attentive for us. I will give him a small piece of food and when he seems to be looking for more, I use this as a signal to start. I ask, “more, Jackson? More?” I over enunciate the word “more” and over exaggerate the hand gesture. For a few months, it just elicits some smiles and laughs but we continue. We even have Sofia doing the same signs we give, Daddy joins the fun and even Grandma and Poppers join in. Consistency is key and we always pair the sign with the verbal word.

 


Over the last week or two he’s mastered “more”, “milk” and “all done” signs. He says “mo” for “more” and “tan ta” for “thank you” and “da dun” for “all done”. We give him big praises and encouragement even if the verbal is a little off or if there is a sign with no verbal. I’m so proud of this little guy for his hard work learning and I love seeing how proud he is when he realizes weunderstand him! Now we get to pick out some new words to start adding to the mix.

Baby Signs

 We’ve hit the big year mark with Jackson and there is still no walking but there’s plenty of “talking”! I use “talking” a little loosely. There’s definitely signing and attempting words. I’m grateful for the small bits of communication that are starting to come together. I’ve had a few Mommy friends ask me how we teach our signing. We were actually introduced to baby signing by the Occupational Therapist who treated Sofia as a baby and I’m so grateful that she showed us the ropes! Here’s how we do it.

When and to get started

We try to start as early as possible, between 6 to 8 months. Don’t expect any response from baby, except maybe a few laughs from baby thinking you are crazy. This is as much practice for Mom and Dad as it is for baby.

Where Do I Start

We downloaded the Baby Signs app on our iPad. It was recommended by the OT. It’s free, it’s easy to navigate and it teaches you as much as it teaches them. You can even use it as a learning tool for yourself if you don’t want to hand the device over to baby. That’s what we’ve done because even if we did give it to Jackson, big sister would take it over if she saw him playing. I had to brush up on my signs before we got started. I then go through and pick out about 5 signs to get started.

Our Top 5 Starter Signs

1.    More

2.    Milk

3.    All Done

4.    Please

5.    Thank You

How to Practice

You need baby’s attention to really get good practice in. Our favorite times are while eating and in the bath. This is when Jackson is most attentive for us. I will give him a small piece of food and when he seems to be looking for more, I use this as a signal to start. I ask, “more, Jackson? More?” I over enunciate the word “more” and over exaggerate the hand gesture. For a few months, it just elicits some smiles and laughs but we continue. We even have Sofia doing the same signs we give, Daddy joins the fun and even Grandma and Poppers join in. Consistency is key and we always pair the sign with the verbal word.

 


Over the last week or two he’s mastered “more”, “milk” and “all done” signs. He says “mo” for “more” and “tan ta” for “thank you” and “da dun” for “all done”. We give him big praises and encouragement even if the verbal is a little off or if there is a sign with no verbal. I’m so proud of this little guy for his hard work learning and I love seeing how proud he is when he realizes weunderstand him! Now we get to pick out some new words to start adding to the mix.

Baby Signs

 We’ve hit the big year mark with Jackson and there is still no walking but there’s plenty of “talking”! I use “talking” a little loosely. There’s definitely signing and attempting words. I’m grateful for the small bits of communication that are starting to come together. I’ve had a few Mommy friends ask me how we teach our signing. We were actually introduced to baby signing by the Occupational Therapist who treated Sofia as a baby and I’m so grateful that she showed us the ropes! Here’s how we do it.

When and to get started

We try to start as early as possible, between 6 to 8 months. Don’t expect any response from baby, except maybe a few laughs from baby thinking you are crazy. This is as much practice for Mom and Dad as it is for baby.

Where Do I Start

We downloaded the Baby Signs app on our iPad. It was recommended by the OT. It’s free, it’s easy to navigate and it teaches you as much as it teaches them. You can even use it as a learning tool for yourself if you don’t want to hand the device over to baby. That’s what we’ve done because even if we did give it to Jackson, big sister would take it over if she saw him playing. I had to brush up on my signs before we got started. I then go through and pick out about 5 signs to get started.

Our Top 5 Starter Signs

1.    More

2.    Milk

3.    All Done

4.    Please

5.    Thank You

How to Practice

You need baby’s attention to really get good practice in. Our favorite times are while eating and in the bath. This is when Jackson is most attentive for us. I will give him a small piece of food and when he seems to be looking for more, I use this as a signal to start. I ask, “more, Jackson? More?” I over enunciate the word “more” and over exaggerate the hand gesture. For a few months, it just elicits some smiles and laughs but we continue. We even have Sofia doing the same signs we give, Daddy joins the fun and even Grandma and Poppers join in. Consistency is key and we always pair the sign with the verbal word.

 


Over the last week or two he’s mastered “more”, “milk” and “all done” signs. He says “mo” for “more” and “tan ta” for “thank you” and “da dun” for “all done”. We give him big praises and encouragement even if the verbal is a little off or if there is a sign with no verbal. I’m so proud of this little guy for his hard work learning and I love seeing how proud he is when he realizes weunderstand him! Now we get to pick out some new words to start adding to the mix.

Valentine’s Date Night In

It’s no surprise that after two kids finding time for date night with the husband is harder than it used to be. The logistics of scheduling the time mixed with the added price tag of a sitter if the grandparents aren’t available, definitely doesn’t help. My husband and I don’t even typically celebrate Valentines much. It’s just never been our thing but this year we both needed this.

Not wanting to fight the crowds and missing the old times when we would cook at home, without screaming in the background, we opted to come up with a menu, hire a sitter at my parents house and have a date night in. And it turned out perfect.
We started out with a great bottle of wine we had saved from our trip to Healdsburg when we were in Cali for my brothers wedding. We set up a cheese and charcuterie plate. Then moved on to a brothy Italian wedding soup. 

We then made a Fettucine with mussels, clams, scallops and white fish in a white wine sauce. We added some parsley and red pepper flakes and it was amazing! 

We finished off with Affogato (espresso over gelato) and zeppole’s with melted chocolate. 

We got to cook together and have a full conversation…uninterrupted! We had the kithen cleaned up and the kids back home by just after 9pm. 
It was the perfect Valentines! Happy Valentine’s to all of you out and your loved ones. 

Valentine’s Date Night In

It’s no surprise that after two kids finding time for date night with the husband is harder than it used to be. The logistics of scheduling the time mixed with the added price tag of a sitter if the grandparents aren’t available, definitely doesn’t help. My husband and I don’t even typically celebrate Valentines much. It’s just never been our thing but this year we both needed this.

Not wanting to fight the crowds and missing the old times when we would cook at home, without screaming in the background, we opted to come up with a menu, hire a sitter at my parents house and have a date night in. And it turned out perfect.
We started out with a great bottle of wine we had saved from our trip to Healdsburg when we were in Cali for my brothers wedding. We set up a cheese and charcuterie plate. Then moved on to a brothy Italian wedding soup. 

We then made a Fettucine with mussels, clams, scallops and white fish in a white wine sauce. We added some parsley and red pepper flakes and it was amazing! 

We finished off with Affogato (espresso over gelato) and zeppole’s with melted chocolate. 

We got to cook together and have a full conversation…uninterrupted! We had the kithen cleaned up and the kids back home by just after 9pm. 
It was the perfect Valentines! Happy Valentine’s to all of you out and your loved ones. 

Valentine’s Date Night In

It’s no surprise that after two kids finding time for date night with the husband is harder than it used to be. The logistics of scheduling the time mixed with the added price tag of a sitter if the grandparents aren’t available, definitely doesn’t help. My husband and I don’t even typically celebrate Valentines much. It’s just never been our thing but this year we both needed this.

Not wanting to fight the crowds and missing the old times when we would cook at home, without screaming in the background, we opted to come up with a menu, hire a sitter at my parents house and have a date night in. And it turned out perfect.
We started out with a great bottle of wine we had saved from our trip to Healdsburg when we were in Cali for my brothers wedding. We set up a cheese and charcuterie plate. Then moved on to a brothy Italian wedding soup. 

We then made a Fettucine with mussels, clams, scallops and white fish in a white wine sauce. We added some parsley and red pepper flakes and it was amazing! 

We finished off with Affogato (espresso over gelato) and zeppole’s with melted chocolate. 

We got to cook together and have a full conversation…uninterrupted! We had the kithen cleaned up and the kids back home by just after 9pm. 
It was the perfect Valentines! Happy Valentine’s to all of you out and your loved ones. 

Slow Down and Tell Me Why

I’ve mentioned before that we are fully in the throes of the “why stage”. At times it’s fun because you never think of some of the reasons “why” we do things. Sometimes it’s agonizing, why does the moon only come up at night…oh, you don’t know the answer? Why?…because you don’t know everything? Why? ::insert hair pulling::

Of course I add in the “why do YOU think” every now and then. It’s only slightly effective and only a temporary band aid.  This is also the stage where these little sponges turn into little parrots and we hear back some of our own words and sometimes they aren’t so pleasant. I’ve had to revamp some things that just didn’t sound so nice coming out of the mouth of a child, no matter how innocent the original intent. But occasionally, you get a little gem that when it bounces back to you it makes you stop and think.

During a morning car ride that included a barrage of “why” questions, I was stumped and didn’t know the answer. This is how the conversation went. In full disclosure, I can’t for the life of me remember the topic that got us to this point.

            Me: I don’t know, baby?

            Sofia: Why?

            Me: I just don’t have that answer,        I don’t know “why”.

            Sofia: But why? Slow down and tell me why.

            Me: (giggling) Who tells you that? Who says ‘slow down and tell me why’?

            Sofia: YOU!

I was slightly taken aback. It’s not even something I recalled saying. (But I reconfirmed with Grands and yep, it’s mine) She said it calm and the tone was matter of fact, thank goodness. It was said with intent and not as a reprimand, again, thank goodness! I told her “ok, I let me think about it”. And I came up with a good explanation on why I don’t know everything about everything. (I’m sure my husband wishes he could have figured a way to get me to admit that to him.)

I’m glad that she was able to learn a subtle yet effective way to bring me out of distractions or even keep me from getting to a point of frustration. One of the most humbling part of being a parent is going through particular stages with your children. They test boundaries and question everything. They teach you to do the same, if you let them. As a working parent, my time with my children is limited and in that time, I have to fit in having fun, being the caregiver, the teacher, the disciplinarian. Some days, I feel heavy on the disciplinarian and caregiver and a little too light on the fun Mommy and teacher. It’s a tricky balance.

She’s teaching me to “slow down”, I want to encourage her to continue. She’s teaching me to “tell her why” because she still needs me to help her learn. My next 21 day challenge, for myself, is to be more intentional about slowing down with my children and tell them more “whys”. Before I know it, those “whys” may stop but maybe, if I can continue to engage her curiosity, they will hang out a little longer..for both of us.


Slow Down and Tell Me Why

I’ve mentioned before that we are fully in the throes of the “why stage”. At times it’s fun because you never think of some of the reasons “why” we do things. Sometimes it’s agonizing, why does the moon only come up at night…oh, you don’t know the answer? Why?…because you don’t know everything? Why? ::insert hair pulling::

Of course I add in the “why do YOU think” every now and then. It’s only slightly effective and only a temporary band aid.  This is also the stage where these little sponges turn into little parrots and we hear back some of our own words and sometimes they aren’t so pleasant. I’ve had to revamp some things that just didn’t sound so nice coming out of the mouth of a child, no matter how innocent the original intent. But occasionally, you get a little gem that when it bounces back to you it makes you stop and think.

During a morning car ride that included a barrage of “why” questions, I was stumped and didn’t know the answer. This is how the conversation went. In full disclosure, I can’t for the life of me remember the topic that got us to this point.

            Me: I don’t know, baby?

            Sofia: Why?

            Me: I just don’t have that answer,        I don’t know “why”.

            Sofia: But why? Slow down and tell me why.

            Me: (giggling) Who tells you that? Who says ‘slow down and tell me why’?

            Sofia: YOU!

I was slightly taken aback. It’s not even something I recalled saying. (But I reconfirmed with Grands and yep, it’s mine) She said it calm and the tone was matter of fact, thank goodness. It was said with intent and not as a reprimand, again, thank goodness! I told her “ok, I let me think about it”. And I came up with a good explanation on why I don’t know everything about everything. (I’m sure my husband wishes he could have figured a way to get me to admit that to him.)

I’m glad that she was able to learn a subtle yet effective way to bring me out of distractions or even keep me from getting to a point of frustration. One of the most humbling part of being a parent is going through particular stages with your children. They test boundaries and question everything. They teach you to do the same, if you let them. As a working parent, my time with my children is limited and in that time, I have to fit in having fun, being the caregiver, the teacher, the disciplinarian. Some days, I feel heavy on the disciplinarian and caregiver and a little too light on the fun Mommy and teacher. It’s a tricky balance.

She’s teaching me to “slow down”, I want to encourage her to continue. She’s teaching me to “tell her why” because she still needs me to help her learn. My next 21 day challenge, for myself, is to be more intentional about slowing down with my children and tell them more “whys”. Before I know it, those “whys” may stop but maybe, if I can continue to engage her curiosity, they will hang out a little longer..for both of us.


Slow Down and Tell Me Why

I’ve mentioned before that we are fully in the throes of the “why stage”. At times it’s fun because you never think of some of the reasons “why” we do things. Sometimes it’s agonizing, why does the moon only come up at night…oh, you don’t know the answer? Why?…because you don’t know everything? Why? ::insert hair pulling::

Of course I add in the “why do YOU think” every now and then. It’s only slightly effective and only a temporary band aid.  This is also the stage where these little sponges turn into little parrots and we hear back some of our own words and sometimes they aren’t so pleasant. I’ve had to revamp some things that just didn’t sound so nice coming out of the mouth of a child, no matter how innocent the original intent. But occasionally, you get a little gem that when it bounces back to you it makes you stop and think.

During a morning car ride that included a barrage of “why” questions, I was stumped and didn’t know the answer. This is how the conversation went. In full disclosure, I can’t for the life of me remember the topic that got us to this point.

            Me: I don’t know, baby?

            Sofia: Why?

            Me: I just don’t have that answer,        I don’t know “why”.

            Sofia: But why? Slow down and tell me why.

            Me: (giggling) Who tells you that? Who says ‘slow down and tell me why’?

            Sofia: YOU!

I was slightly taken aback. It’s not even something I recalled saying. (But I reconfirmed with Grands and yep, it’s mine) She said it calm and the tone was matter of fact, thank goodness. It was said with intent and not as a reprimand, again, thank goodness! I told her “ok, I let me think about it”. And I came up with a good explanation on why I don’t know everything about everything. (I’m sure my husband wishes he could have figured a way to get me to admit that to him.)

I’m glad that she was able to learn a subtle yet effective way to bring me out of distractions or even keep me from getting to a point of frustration. One of the most humbling part of being a parent is going through particular stages with your children. They test boundaries and question everything. They teach you to do the same, if you let them. As a working parent, my time with my children is limited and in that time, I have to fit in having fun, being the caregiver, the teacher, the disciplinarian. Some days, I feel heavy on the disciplinarian and caregiver and a little too light on the fun Mommy and teacher. It’s a tricky balance.

She’s teaching me to “slow down”, I want to encourage her to continue. She’s teaching me to “tell her why” because she still needs me to help her learn. My next 21 day challenge, for myself, is to be more intentional about slowing down with my children and tell them more “whys”. Before I know it, those “whys” may stop but maybe, if I can continue to engage her curiosity, they will hang out a little longer..for both of us.


Michael’s AD