This morning when I woke up I decided that today would be the day that I completely wean 17 month old Titus. I haven’t been planning it; I didn’t tell myself before I went to bed that today would be the day; before I heard his calls from the crib, I just decided it. I’ve been thinking for a while now that I’d like to wean him, and I think he’s ready. I don’t even feel like he’s getting anything most of the time when he does try to nurse.

When he woke up and I heard his calls for me, “Mama! Mama!”, I went into his bedroom to cheerfully get him up. As soon as he saw me come through the door he sat up and immediately started signing and saying “milk”, like usual. Normally I would take him straight to the couch where I would sit and nurse him. Not today. Instead I sat down with him and a warm sippy cup of milk and said, “Here, this is milk.” He angrily pushed the cup away, whined, and signed and said “milk!” I said, “Here buddy, this is milk.” He wanted nothing to do with that cup. He kept pushing it away. Finally, I sat it down and said, “That’s your milk, baby.” And I went about making breakfast. He whined for just a second, then decided he’d play. About 30 min. later he crawled up on the couch and again, whining, asked for milk. I fed him some breakfast and he quickly forgot all about it. He went the whole day without nursing… until 5:00 came.

When he woke up from his afternoon nap, he was signing “milk” again. I tried another cup of warm milk. It was a no-go. Again he just angrily pushed the cup away, and could not understand why I wouldn’t nurse him. I started to feel bad and rationalized with myself, “He’s still young. I can wean him in another month or so.” And I gave in.

What am I to do? I weaned my daughter at 14 mos no problem. I guess all baby’s are different. I’ve heard that boys are harder to wean. Is that true? I even added a tiny pinch of sugar to the milk, but it didn’t help. He just won’t ever drink cow’s milk. Now, I have found that he will drink vanilla soy milk. Is that okay for him to have every day? I need to ask his doc. So, I guess I’ll try again in a few more weeks and see how that goes.

Any advice for me??

*I thought I’d add a little note: I’ve gotten the nursings mostly down to just once a day; first thing in the morning. Sometimes he asks for milk mid-day, but when I nurse him it’s only for like 1-2 min. and then he stops. I don’t think he’s getting anything during those second feedings. So, I’m just trying to stop this final feeding in the mornings. But you know, if he isn’t ready then I can wait

My son’s 1st birthday is in a couple weeks so I’ve been looking for cake recipes. I was looking for something that did not have a lot of sugar or eggs in it, and found these recipes at Wholesome Baby Food . Perhaps they will be helpful to you too!

Apple Spice Cake

As with any "non traditional" cake, the batter for this cake will not seem "right".

1/2 cup molasses
1 cup applesauce
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1-3/4 cup flour
1 tsp ginger

Mix the molasses and applesauce in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Bake in a nonstick 8 x 8-inch baking pan or one sprayed with a non-stick spray, in a 350° F for 30 to 45 minutes, or until it tests done. **The batter may be a bit dry and you may need to add more applesauce or a bit of water. Try adding 1/4 cup of applesauce first then gradually add a bit of water by tablespoon**

We have added a bit of pure cocoa (2 tablespoons) to make a chocolate flavor.

Applesauce Spice Cake

3 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/4 cup frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped dates
1 1/2 cups ground almonds (optional)
2 Macintosh apples - peeled, cored and finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one 9 inch square baking pan.

Beat the eggs until they drop like ribbons from the beaters. Continue beating and add the oil in a thin stream. Beat in the 1 cup applesauce and the 1 cup unsweetened apple juice concentrate then mix in the flour gradually until well blended. Add the baking soda, ground ginger, ground almonds and apples. Fold together until well mixed.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees F about 40 minutes or until the cake tests clean with a knife or toothpick. Cool completely before frosting.

Four year old Jada was typing on the computer yesterday and surprised me with a sweet little message:

iluvyoowmomy

How smart is that? She also typed one out for her Pappy:

iluvuwpappey

I printed them out, to keep forever!

Thanks to all of you who chimed in and gave ideas on how I can read to my wiggly son who has a hard time sitting in my lap anymore while I read to him.

It seemed like the main consensus among all of you was to continue reading to him, even if he’s playing while I read, because he’s listening and picking up more than I think he is!

It’s funny that you all said this, because only a few days after you all pitched in with your advice, I was reading Amy Carmichael’s biography "A Chance to Die" (by Elizabeth Elliot), and came across this while reading.

The children in Amy’s family were called to daily prayers each day by a bell. During that time, her father would also read the Scripture to them. Here is the quote that hit me:

"Amy remembered the sound of her father’s voice reading the Scripture, a "solemn sound, like the rise an fall of the waves on the shore." Her ear was trained in this way, from those earliest years when a child’s powers of memorization by hearing are nearly miraculous. For the rest of her life the majestic cadences of the Authorized Version of the Bible shaped her thinking and every phrase she wrote.

A child, even when apparently distracted, learns far more than adults dream he can learn. Amy did not by any means always attend perfectly to the reading. Once she found a mouse drowning in a pail of water just at the moment when the prayer bell rang. She fished it out, hid it in her pinafore, took her place at prayers, and hoped it would not squeak. It did."

How’s that to wrap up thoughts on the subject!?

Thanks everyone for your input!

It’s been my trick since my daughter was three: Reverse psychology role playing. (I made that up myself!)

Here’s the thing; my daughter hates brushing her hair. She has long, wavy, often unruly hair. At times it gets quite tangled and requires an extensive brushing session. Now, she isn’t necessarily tender headed, but she can only take so much tugging and pulling on her poor little scalp before she begins to complain that I am hurting her. Sometimes that whining would turn to sincere tears, which of course always make me feel bad.

I decided one night that I’d try to lighten the situation, hoping to discourage the whining, by reversing roles. I told her, “How about I be the Jada and you be the Mommy?” She wasn’t sure where I was going with this, so I began my part (as I continued to brush her hair throughout the dialogue):

Me: (in a smaller, whiny voice) “Mommy, it really hurts me when you pull my hair so hard.”

Jada: (catching on surprisingly quickly; in her best soothing, mothering voice) “Well baby, I know. But I have to get the tangles out.”

Me: “But… it really hurts me.”

Jada: “I know. I’m sorry. I just have to do it.”

Me: “Mommy, do you think you could brush easier?”

Jada: “Yes baby, I’ll be easy.”

Me: (when I realize that I must be really hurting her poor little head) “Oh Mommy, that really hurts!!”

Jada: “I know, you have some really big tangles! I’ll try to be easy.”

Me: “Oww, oww, owww! That really does hurt me Mommy! Please be more gentle!”

And so on, you get the picture. But I was so happy to find her playing along so nicely, and she was so preoccupied responding to me that she completely forgot about her own complaining. When it came to a tough tangle, and I could see her wince, I’d complain before she could. That way, she knew that I understood that it was hurting her, and she was able to respond to me like she would want me to respond to her. If you try this method, and your child isn’t so quick to cooperate, just playfully say, “No, no, you’re supposed to say this…” and feed them some lines for their role. Stay in character, and hopefully they will catch on and play along too.

This is one scenario, but it could be used in many different cases. Eating something that they don’t like, putting medicine on a scraped knee, whatever incites protests in your home. So, if there is one thing in particular that your child whines about every time, you may find that this is a fun way to lighten the mood.

If you have a similar story to share, or a method that you have found works really well for discouraging whining, I’d love to hear from you!

Here’s a neat trick: To get those super sticky Band-Aid’s off of your child without the pain, heat it with a blow dryer on low for about 30 seconds before pulling it off. This will melt the adhesive making removinal a cinch!

I’ve also read that soaking a cotton ball in baby or olive oil and rubbing it over the bandage will cause it to fall off easily as well.

Normally, I just let my little one play in the tub with it on until it’s loose enough to easily pull off. But these are some good tips for times when a bath wouldn’t be practical.

Some of you are having trouble getting your child to take a bath. This isn’t for you. No, the bathtime battle I am referring to is trouble getting your child out of the tub! My daughter loves taking baths, so much so that often she does not want to leave it. One day (when she was 3) she decided that this time she was simply staying put. When it came time to get out of the bath, my daughter refused, and squirmed away from me when I tried to get her. It’s very difficult to get a wet, slippery child out of a big tub without falling in or somebody getting hurt! I quickly decided that I was not going to struggle with her. Instead, this is what I did:

Me : "Jada, it’s time to get out of the bath now."

Jada : "I don’t want to."

Me (graciously giving one more chance, only for this first training session.): "Jada, you are disobeying me. I’ll give you on more chance… get out of the tub."

Jada : "No." squirm squirm

Me : "Okay." I quickly turned on a cold water shower.

Jada : Stunned and utterly surprised, she hopped out of the tub as fast as she could possibly manage!

Jada : Crying. "Why did you do that?"

Me : "Baby, I’m sorry I had to do that, but I had to teach you a lesson. You were disobeying me. I told you it was time to get out of the tub, and you refused to do what I said. Now, you owe me an apology for disobeying me."

Jada : Tearfully "I’m sorry." "Mommy, I didn’t like that."

Me : "I know hunny. I won’t do it again as long as you obey me the next time I say it’s time to get out, okay?"

Jada : "Okay Mommy."

Now, when bathtime is coming to an end, and she begins to hesitate when I say it’s time to get out, all I have to do is reach for the water knob and she is out of the tub in a flash. It only took one training session; I’ve never had to do it since then. But if she ever tells me "no" again, you better believe that shower will be on before she can blink, and with no warning!

Now, I realize that this may sound mean to some of you, but a brief second of my child getting sprayed with cold water is nothing compared to the life lesson she is learning about doing what her parent’s tell her, and the consequences of disobeying. I love my child too much to allow her to disobey me, and breed rebellion in her heart. It is so crucial that training begins at the first sign of defiance, and if tub time is a struggle for you, I suggest you give this method a try. It just might be the solution you’ve been looking for!

I love these things! They are great for babies eating finger foods, especially when you are at a restaurant and you don’t want your little one eating directly off a dirty table, or trying to keep him from throwing his plate on the floor. I’ve even found that I can usually wipe the mat off clean and put it right back in my bag to be used another time. Most of them have sticky strips on the back that you can peel off and stick to the table to prevent it from sliding around, but if you peel the whole strip off the first time around, it won’t be sticky again for another usage. A great way to keep it sticking even longer is to only peel a little bit of paper off the sticky strip each time. Since these are kind of a luxury item (to me anyway), this tip will help you stretch them a little further!

With Summer fast approaching, and in honor of my own upcoming family flight, I thought it might be helpful if I did a post on flying with young children. Personally, I’ve been flying my entire life, at least four times a year from the time I was about 3 yrs. old until I was 15. A lot has changed over the years, and now that I have children of my own to fly with, I have even more to consider while preparing for my trip. This past November I flew by myself with my two young children ( then ages 4 and 9 mos). I learned a few tricks while on that trip, and I thought I’d pass along some helpful advice to you who may be new to all of this. So here goes;

• First I suggest viewing your airlines website, and reading all of their rules and regulations regarding: flying with children, what kind of carseats are acceptable, what you can pack and how to pack it, what you can bring on the plane, etc. After you have read everything, call the help line with any further questions you may have. Every airline is a little different, so don’t assume you know it all.
• Don’t forget to bring birth certificates for your children!!

Traveling with an infant. Most airlines will not charge you extra for traveling with an infant/child under the age of 2. However, if you insist on using a carseat on the plane, you will need to purchase a separate ticket for that seat. OR, you can bring the carseat to the gate with you, and if there is an open seat on the plane, you may be allowed to use it for your child. If there is not an empty seat they will “gate check” the seat and keep it up front for you until you get off the plane. Your carseat may be considered a carry on.

You can “Gate check” a stroller as well. They will take it as you board the plane, and it will be ready for you when you leave. It may be considered a carry on too.

An infant carrier, like a Baby Bjorn or something is very helpful if you have an infant. It’s much easier to carry your child this way than trying to push a stroller along with luggage. However, you may not be able to use it while seated on the plane.

Bringing food and drinks on the plane. Every airline may have different policies regarding what you can bring on the plane, and how much. Again, read your airlines Carryon Baggage Tips to see what is allowed. Most will allow baby food and bottles, as long as you show it to them at the security checkpoint. Dry foods are permitted. Here are a few snacks that I like to bring for my kids to munch on:

• Goldfish
• Cheerios
• Raisins
• Trail Mix
• Peanut Butter Crackers
• Cookies

It’s also a good idea to bring snacks that encourage salivation. The more your child swallows, the more it will help to alleviate pressure in their ears. Candy is a good choice; if you don’t allow candy, consider letting this be a special treat for the flight. Gum is an excellent choice, if your child is mature enough to handle it. I also like:

• Gummy bears
• Sour Patch Kids
• Suckers
• Push pops

I don’t suggest chocolate, as it has caffeine, and it can be messy if dropped or if it melts. Just don’t give them TOO much candy. You don’t want a sugar rushed kid bouncing off the walls of a very confined airplane! Bring munchies that won’t be too messy. If it’s dinner time, consider packing a sandwich and some fruit to bring with you on the plane.

The flight will provide beverages, but they have a small selection, mostly sodas. They do offer water and Apple Juice and maybe fruit punch; I’m not sure about milk though.

If you can bring a full bottle or sippy cup with you, it would be better. You won’t be served a drink until you are up in the air, and your child will need to be swallowing during take-off and landing to equalize the pressure in their ears. Even if you don’t plan on bringing a drink with you onto the plane, I suggest bringing an empty sippy cup (or bottle) for each child. The flimsy, wide mouthed plastic cups that they serve drinks in are inevitably going to be spilled. It would be best to have a spill-proof cup for your child’s beverage. Ask for a lid for your own cup as well. On my last flight my drink got spilled all over the floor, and my lap. The stewardess, seeing that I was a mom on my own, brought me a drink with a lid the next time!

Entertaining your child while traveling. It is a must to bring something to entertain your child while in flight, regardless of how long the trip is! Of course, everything should be age appropriate. Toys, books, games, etc. are always good options. My most favorite memories of flying as a child were when we would board the plane, and I was allowed to open my “surprise” bag for the trip. My mom would always pack each of us a little gift bag, full of candy, games and crafts to do on the plane. I love doing this for my own children now. I buy little things from the dollar store, and pack them in a special bag to be opened on the plane. Some of my favorite things to bring for my kids are:

• A portable CD player (w/ headphones) and music and books on tape.
• Molding clay, or silly putty. They don’t crumble like playdough, or dry out.
• Crayola Color Wonder markers + coloring pad. They only make marks on the paper.
• Elmer’s Go Paint. These paint brushes only “paint” on special paper. No mess.
• Crayola Anti-roll crayons. They are flat on one side, so they won’t roll off the tray onto the floor.
• A disposable camera.
• An activity pad (mazes, games, etc.)
• A small pony, or doll, or car. Just a little toy to play with.
• A couple of my child’s favorite toys from home.
• Baby board books.
• Bring a little puppet to pretend play with.

Non-messy things. Only toys that won’t roll away. Nothing with lots of small pieces. And no noise makers. Be considerate of your fellow passengers; most of them can’t tune out the constant beeping sound of baby’s toy car like you can.

If you have a layover (which may be a good thing!), some airports have activities for your child to enjoy while waiting for your next flight. Museums, kid’s play areas, and other fun and free attractions are found at many large airports. You should research the airports you will be traveling to and see if they may have something like this for your child!

Finding the right seats. If your airline doesn’t have assigned seating, you’re in luck! The choicest seat on the plane is the “bulkhead” seat. This is the first row of seats on the plane. Nobody sits in front of them. These are preferred because they have more leg room. This means that your child would be able to sit on the floor and play, or at least get out of his/her seat to stretch their legs during the flight. If you can’t get the bulkhead, try to sit as close to the front of the plane as possible. The farther back you go, the louder it gets. And don’t sit right over the wing; that’s where the engines are and it’s incredibly noisy. I made this mistake on my first flight with the kids. It was so loud that my daughter couldn’t even hear me reading her book to her, and I was right in her ear! And of course you can’t sit next to an emergency exit. If you can sit next to a window, let your child have that spot. They will love looking out over the clouds and the land far below!

What to carry on for your child. If you have an infant, bring a diaper bag stocked full of everyday essentials. Make sure to bring a change of clothes for your child. If you have a potty training toddler, or even one who only has an occasional accident, I’d suggest putting them in a pull-up. I know you hate to make your trained child wear one, but there are times when you simply cannot get out of your seat, and if your child can’t hold it very long, you may be left with quite a mess. For peace of mind, you might want to consider it.

I’d also suggest bringing a carry on suitcase with all of your child’s belongings in it. Pack for the unexpected. If your plane gets delayed, or if you are stuck in an airport for a day or two, you don’t want to be left without basic necessities. Bring extra diapers, wipes, clothes, toothbrushes, etc, as well as any necessary medicines for your children, and carry it onto the plane with you, where it would be readily accessible. Think “just in case”.

Most importantly, have fun! If you are stressed, your kids will be stressed. Get to the airport early, so that you are not in a rush. Watch out the windows at the other planes as they take off and land. Talk to them about what’s going on. Take pictures together. Look out the window of the plane at the clouds and tell stories about all of you bouncing around on giant marshmallows in the sky! Make a tent over the seats and be silly. There are lots of things you can do to make this an amazing adventure for your children. And don’t worry about what other people are thinking. You aren’t there for anybody but your children anyway!

*UPDATE: Upon returning from our recent trip, I thought I’d share some time saving and other small tips with you that I thought of along the way:

• Instead of filling out all of those name tags to put on your belongings, bring along some address labels to speed up the process. Just peel and stick and be on your way!

• Don’t wear a belt if you can help it! It took me forever to go through the line, get through the metal detector, then have to go back through, take off my belt, re-try again, and then stand on the other side putting my belt back on.

• If you have a pretty long flight, or if you will be traveling during a meal time, you should pack sandwiches or something filling to eat during your trip. Most airlines are cutting back on what they serve, and you may not get much more than crackers and peanuts. Airport food is expensive, so if you can pack something to eat, you should. To keep it cool, it would be a good idea to pack your meats and such in a cooler bag. One that snaps onto another bag is ideal, since it will be counted as a carry on if carried by itself.
  • Note: You are allowed to bring food on the plane; however, if it is liquid, such as applesauce, yogurt, etc., it may not pass the security checkpoint if it is over 3 oz. I brought both of these liquid items with us and only once was stopped to have it “okayed” before being able to proceed through security.

• Don’t forget baby’s favorite blanket, stuffed animal, or whatever!! I found myself in a sudden panic when my baby boy started asking for his “Nigh(t) nigh(t)” and I couldn’t find his precious blankey anywhere! It took me a moment to remember that I had shoved it into his sister’s little carry on bag. Whew!

• If baby takes a pacifier, make sure to bring a spare. You probably already realize how easily these are lost or misplaced, and an airplane is no place to be with a fussy baby!
• Little Noses Saline Drops. The air at such a high altitude is dry, and can irritate baby’s sinuses.
  
• Put a small bag full of ice in the freezer. If there is a power outage while you are gone, the ice will melt and re-freeze as a solid block. This way you will know if your frozen foods have been thawed. (When we came home our clocks were blinking, so we knew that the power had been out; but we had no idea how long it had been off or if the food was safe to eat anymore. Fortunately, our neighbor was able to tell us that the power had only been out for about 20 min. Next time, I’ll use this trick.)
  

Can any of you think of any travel tips, advice, or even stories to share? We’d love to hear them!!

Kendra tagged me (thanks…), so instead of writing a whole new post for you all to read through, I’ll just add my comments next to Kendra’s in red

Thanks Tiffany , for tagging me! I really needed some easy material for this morning too! I don’t have much time to write, so this is great! Okay, here I go:

The rules: Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

What was I doing ten years ago?

Wow, ten years ago…

Ah yes, I remember. I had just turned 16, and was going through a VERY rebellious stage. This time ten years ago I had just been sent to live with my Father, who put me in a Christian school. This was probably the hardest year of my life!! Maybe I’ll tell that story one day!

I was in high school, playing soccer, running track and being a typical teenager. I had yet to really submit to the Lord as my authority (I was already saved, just still far from where I should be spiritually). The next year marked the biggest pivotal point in my life when I moved to live with my dad. He put me in a Christian school (as well) and the Lord used that time to change my life dramatically for His glory…perhaps I will tell that story later, too

What are five (non-work) things on my to-do list for today:

• Lesson time about Folktales (story reading, puppet, and flannel board activity.)
• Water play outside (little pool, fishing w/ magnet pole, sprinkler…)
• Get A/C fixed! Yay!!
• CVSing
• Grocery Shopping

• Make more baby food
• Take a nap (we had a friend over last night until 1:30 am! He is moving out of town, so it was our last time to visit him for a while)
• Make some bread
• Go outside with my son and read more about missionary "Mary Slessor" (biography) - almost done!
  
• Fold laundry

5 Snacks I enjoy:

Ooh, I love snacks!! It’s hard to chose…

• CHOCOLATE!!
• Flaming Hot Cheetos (love them!)
• Salsa w/ cream cheese and Doritos
• Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Breyers Ice Cream

• CHOCOLATE!! (he..he - me too)
  
• Sour Cream and onion chips
  
• Salsa w/ cream cheese and Doritos
• Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Breyers Ice Cream

(ok, so basically the same as Ken - we grew up eating the same things!)

Things I would do if I were a billionaire:

We can dream, can’t we??

Well, I would save a lot of it. I’d put away money for retirement, I’d invest some, and I’d save a lot for my kids when they have grown. I’d bless the church with a lot of it. I’d let my husband build his dream skatepark ministry for the youth in the community. I’d build my dream GREEN home. I’d start a small farm on my land. I’d buy a couple of newer, safe cars for me and hubby to drive. I’d travel, and give my kids tons of exciting experiences, including lots of mission trips! I’d pay off my parent’s and parents-in-law’s debt. I’d buy my mom a house so that she wouldn’t have to struggle so much. I’d give my sister a million $$. I guess those would be my top priorities.

Wow!!! I hope Kendra gets a billion dollars! Hmmm…well, much like Kendra, I would invest and save a portion of it. I’d buy some land (since land is a great investment). I’d also build a GREEN home Buy a pool (I LOVE swimming, but hate going to the public pools because of the immodesty). Ummm…I’d use much of it to bless and take care of our family. But most importantly, I’d really like to use the majority of it to forward the cause of Christ by giving towards missions, to my church, perhaps paying for the education of some aspiring preachers and missionaries, etc.).

Places I have lived:

Without being too specific,

• California (same)
• Colorado (same)
• Somewhere on the East Coast (I’ll be a little mysterious here) (same)

Jobs I have had:

• Daycare worker (floater, nursery worker, lead 3& 4 yr. old teacher)
• Kid’s Computer Teacher
• Office Assistant (boring!!)
• Spanish Tutor
• Home Daycare
• Assistant Website Designer
• Tax preparer

• Daycare worker (during high school)
  
• Summer Daycamp worker (during high school)
• Cashier (during high school)
• Worked in a bakery (during college)
• Worked at the Dining Hall at my college
• Residence Hall Assistant (during college)
• Administrative Assistant (after college)

Okay, so now I’m going to tag 5 people…

• My sister (her answers differ dramatically from mine, and are probably more interesting!)
• Candace at A Garden of Blessings
• Stephanie at Keeper Of The Home
• All The Days Of My Life
• Amanda at Blessings All Mine

Hope you guys can play along!