Back-to-school thoughts

The scent of curry is dissipating, cool water to quench our thirst, and the click-clacking sound as we type.

The day started with burnt toast and excitement. The toast set off the alarm and upset everyone within earshot. Followed immediately by unplugging the battery to stop the high-pitched screech. Then in short order packing up a hyper kid and a tired toddler – alarm incident tears still wet – into the car and shuttling them to orientation.

Nice people, smiling faces, giddy kids. At least I wasn’t the only one juggling multiple kids wanting to run the halls. All I wanted was to observe, question, and understand more about what it’ll all be like for the kid, for me, for all of us.

Line up here, drive there, stay to the left, don't run into anyone. A blur of instructions. Good ones I need to remember. A blur of rooms with small chairs, numbers and the light scent of cleaner and fabric softener. At least it’s clean.

I’m chasing the eager one down the hall with the small one beside me trying to catch up, and I get a feeling in my gut this feeling will stick with me for the next fifteen to fifty years of my life, catch-up, don’t lag, the kids are getting farther and farther away, keep up!

Parents have done this for centuries before us, but I find no comfort in the thought. It’s wonderful and something to help them achieve – this independence – but right now it hurts to think our children will grow up and leave. And I hope part of them stays youthful, like a kid, for fun to lighten their load some days. They should also find their independence, but always know they can depend on us, and visit frequently.

I’m as excited as the kid and as tired as the toddler, just soaking it all into my brain and splitting it into manageable parts – some to deal with now, some for later over lattes with my mom, sister-in-law, or maybe a friend. I think it will help. 

So, cheers to the billions of parents and kids who have done this successfully before, to those who are in the same predicament as us, and to the many to come after. I plan to be hopeful, be helpful, be kind, be vigilant, be protective, be polite, be forgiving, be happy our children are growing – and make this a great year. 

Flower power by K. Gibson

Decorating for baby: Cheap and not so chic

When we set up the nursery before our daughter was born, we looked for the safest, most reliable and adorable things we could find to outfit it. I searched catalogs, stores and web sites for items that fit the baby animal-early-learning-we’re new to parenting theme. She got a well-made crib from Cali – no recalls and we’re into our second child, matching comforter, sheet set and crib bumper (not recommended these days), an organic changing table cover and more.

It wasn’t an over-the-top scene like Christina Aguilera’s son Max’s nursery – mostly sweet, except for the 11-ft.-tall ominous moon overshadowing baby Max’s crib, a prop from her super-mega music tour. I like her and the Voice (when she was on the show), and she may love mega moon man, but I think he looks kinda scary. Our kid’s digs were much calmer, simpler, and less expensive, but we did manage to make it look nice.

While staring at our plain white Home Depot shade, plain even with matching baby animal curtains and valence, I knew something had to be changed. Scouring catalogs, stores and web sites, again, I decided we needed a custom shade.

It was easy. We only had to measure the window, and re-measure it 35 times, decide on Honeycomb, Roller or Roman, pick the fabric, choose the trim and lift system. Then we had to answer the question, is it worth the money for the blackout lining? Let me be clear when I say this next part. YES! If you’re going to spend the money to buy custom shades, and you live in a place, on earth, that gets any amount of sun, pop for the lining! We did not. It was an economical decision and it seemed like the right choice at the time. But, we have struggled with it ever since.

When we installed this seemingly perfect shade, it was summer. The summer sun shone so bright it sometimes felt like we had no shade up at all. Our solution? DIY, of course. We bought a piece of blackout lining and a can of fabric spray and went to town. Brilliant. It actually worked, sort of.

It blocked the light shining directly in the window, but did almost nothing at the top and sides. When the sun was high, you could imagine it like Close Encounters, or Indiana Jones when the Ark opens (not the melting faces though, this is about a kids room), or some more modern reference to intense blazing light.

Soon, the liner rolled up and somehow fell over the shade. This meant the white liner was on the outside, and all we could see was a couple inches of our custom shade. My hubs was not too eager to climb up and fix it a dozen times a day, but he did. What a guy! I even learned how to do it, sort of.

This method of wrapping and unwrapping our shades worked until the blackout liner got so tangled up we couldn’t even pull the shades down or up. We (mostly he) fixed it, again and again. Then we settled on a fix that left us with a band of light at the bottom of the window, but it was good enough.

You might wonder how we got our children to sleep? We flung blankets and diapers at the top valence until they blocked the light. Okay, okay, I flung blankets and diapers until my husband got on a chair and neatly stuffed a big blanket behind the top valence. It’s there right now, nestled on some wire bracket or something, I think. To deal with the light shooting out the bottom, I started leaning a Boppy, or two, against the bottom of the window and stuffing blankets on top of them to wedge the shade close to the wall. And the sides? Well, I got frustrated one day and started using thumbtacks to pin the curtains to the wall. We’ll have to putty the pinholes someday, but for now, it works. This must be where all my time goes!

The sad part is, this has been going on for over five years. The light still shines through, but it’s not so bad the kids wake up, much.

Dear readers, learn from our mistake. Whether you’re preparing for a baby or upgrading a guest room – if you’re going to spend the money on a custom shade or curtains – don’t cheap out on the liner!

When I have a good picture of the shade, I'll post it. 

Two to the 0-1-3

There’s no time to shower, much less contemplate New Year’s Resolutions. But, the kids are both sleeping (yes!) and my husband is using his new video game steering wheel (it’s totally cool), so I have approximately 17 minutes to get this post in before something happens, like the baby wakes up or I pass out from exhaustion. Did I mention the two kids?

The past couple years I did a pretty good job of outlining meaningful and lasting resolutions, like resolving to make more reindeer cupcakes and making Twenty Twelve about more than Poo and Patty-Cake. But, I must confess, most of my 2012 list was untouched. Do you know what it’s like raising two kids under 5 while working on a freelance writing career, trying to fake like everything is handled while my husband launches a new electric vehicle and comes home to be an amazing husband and father in his spare time? Let’s just say we’ve kinda had a lot on going on.

So, this year we’re cutting through all the other stuff and getting to the top things we hope to do this year, in addition to all the things we already do and those other things we’d like to do (see the 2011 and 2012 list).

1.    Play with the kids more

2.    Play with each other more, instead of just keeping it all from falling apart

3.    Turn off all electronic devices, at the same time, an hour or more each night (don’t laugh, it seems like these things are on all the time!)

4.    Make a habit of going places other than Target and the grocery store when cabin fever hits and we all just need to get out

5.    Have one special date night dinner at a restaurant that doesn’t have a kid’s menu

6.    Have a special family dinner out and show all the other folks you can take kids our in public, and if the kids won’t cooperate, hopefully we’re in a loud place so no one will notice

7.    Play in the snow more (see #3)

8.    Play in the sun more (with sunscreen, of course)

9.    Play in the rain more

10. Take a family vacation that isn’t centered around some other event, say a birthday, reunion, wedding or graduation, but is a real family vacation

11. Try not to huff every time any of us spills something, it’s wipe-able, it’ll dry, or there will be a story (like salsa in the new house, this was even before kids)

12. Enjoy the sweet age our babies are before they get too old or too busy for us

13. Hug our children and each other every day and let them know how much we love them

14. Sleep like we used to (at least one night this year)

What’s on your list? 

The Twelve Days of Christmas (Remix)

I’m a fan of music and the holidays. This year I’ve got such a long To-do list, it inspired me to rewrite “The Twelve Days of Christmas” to reflect how fun and crazy the holidays get around our house.

Whether you’re young or old, a parent or student, it’s the time of year to celebrate, just try not to take everything so seriously. Here’s my rewrite and the original in case you can't remember the words.

The Twelve Days of Christmas (Remix)

12 Toy assemblies

11 Missing pieces

10 Without instructions

9 Batteries needed

8 Trips to Target

7 Cookies later

6 Gifts not wrapped yet

5 Hours ‘til dawn

4 Pounds of coffee

3 Broken light sets

2 Tired parents

And a Brand New Vacuum Cleaner!

The Twelve Days of Christmas (Original, I think)

12 Drummers Drumming

11 Pipers Piping

10 Lords-a-leaping

9 Ladies Dancing

8 Maids-a-milking

7 Swans-a-swimming

6 Geese-a-laying

5 Golden Rings

4 Calling (or Colly) Birds

3 French Hens

2 Turtle Doves

And a Partridge in a Pear Tree

Misfit Toys

Metro Parent - Tummy time tips

Check out my latest Metro Parent article. Parents can find some good tummy time tips and info. Whether you’ve got a screamer or a squirmer, we’ve got you covered. You can read about it in the November issue on newsstands now.

Findlay Area Family - Tons of Back to School Tips

My latest articles published in Findlay Area Family offer tips on everything from first day jitters to healthy lunches. Check out the great advice from teachers, dietitians, counselors and moms in Edible Energy and Study Guide. You can find more online at Findlay Area Family or in the August issue available now.

Photo: Alphabet Soup by Kristen Gibson

Findlay Area Family – Rattle and Roll Baby Guide

My latest cover story is published in Findlay Area Family. Check out the tips for taking baby photos, nursing and more. Find it online at Findlay Area Family or in the July issue available now.