Book Launch, Pizza and Bagels: Three Days in NYC (pt. 1)

(Begin here to read about how everything magically fell in place.)

Whenever something big happens, for good or not, my anxiety tends to ramp up. It's a perfectly normal response to excitement so I'm used to it. I was even amused when I woke up at 2:30 am, shook Adam awake and said, "What time is it?!" fearful I had missed the alarm and my plane.

My husband. He's a good sport.

Needless to say, I did NOT miss my alarm or plane. I was up, dressed and out of the house before six am. I made sure to reward myself for my prompt and early arrival:

Cute story: When I was in line at Starbucks, a mom and little girl were in front of me, chatting away in Sign. I know a few baby signs and couldn't make out anything they were saying but, "Can I have this donut? How about this candy? Or this?" and "No! It's too early for junk!" are conversations that would never need a translator!

My flight from KC to TX was on-time and smooth flying. I read The 100 on the plane and really enjoyed it. It's different from the TV show; enough different that I can't compare the two except to say that if you like one, you will like the other. The flight from TX to NYC was a little bumpy and I learned an important lesson: If you have to pee in TX, don't wait until NY to find a bathroom!

(Adam: You know you can pee on the plane. They do have bathrooms.
Me: I didn't want too! I was by the window and didn't want to climb over people!
Adam:  It's better than peeing on them!)

For the record, I did NOT pee my pants. I just had trouble finding a bathroom when I got to NY and my bladder was not happy.

So. Enough about that.

People say NYC smells funny and I suppose it does. It defiantly doesn't smell like where I live in KS, which, at any given point, could smell like skunk, pollen or people grilling. Mostly it smells like nothing at all, a generic nothingness as if the entire county has been detoxed of any identifying odor. But the city smells like so many things, mostly like my childhood. In a way, it smells like Nana, my aunts and my cousins and so many fond memories of visiting them

And it's loud. So loud! I'm sitting in my bedroom now and it's too quiet. The city never really sleeps and I remember the sounds soothing me when I spent the night at my nana's.

I felt pretty slick taking car service by myself to my cousin's. I mean, ignore the fact that she arranged for it. The driver was really nice and told me he once owned his own company doing embroidery on shirts and jackets for places like Hard Rock Cafe, Disney, tourist shops, etc. It was fun to chat about colors and logos and such with him.

My cousin! Ack, my older cousin and my plus one for the evening! It was so amazing to see her and my aunt. I haven't seen either of them since my uncle's funeral two years ago. My cousin cooked dinner, we walked the dogs and caught up on everything and I got a shower in my aunt's new shower that looked exactly like something out of a "bold look of Kolher" commercial. It felt even better, as if I was bathing in sunshine and rainbows. I'm moving in, just for the shower.

I have one living grandparents, my father's mother that we call Nana. All of us- her children, in-laws and the grandkids- would do anything for Nana. She's an enigma. You do not cross Nana and if you gain her favor you get Spaghetti Pie and cookies from the Italian bakery.

Ah, who am I kidding. She bring us cookies in the white box with the red twine no matter what!

My cousin and I took the afternoon to visit Nana. She ordered real NY pizza and I had two slices and it was .... heaven. It was storming outside and another cousin told me I brought the mid-western weather with me. I agreed and he said he was going to throw me outside to sacrifice me to the weather gods. He was kidding. I think.

Lunch with Nana was too short. Most of the time, I'm okay living where I do and I do love the life I have in the midwest. But it's times like that when I wish I was closer and I could have pizza and cake with my nana more often. I wish my children could visit the city like I did and have memories of playing in a pool in a small, cement backyard with astroturf grass. Many times during the trip I reminded myself to make sure I bring the kids to NYC to visit.

Okay, enough about memory lane. After lunch, it was time for... the subway.

Now, when I was younger and we were visiting Nana, my father put the FEAR OF GOD into me about the subway. I have no idea why. He never took us on it. We were too young to go on it with even our oldest cousins. We didn't live in the city. A few days before I flew into the city, I mentioned to Dad that my cousin and I were taking the subway to the book launch and he was all ZOMGOSH NO SUBWAY.

Of course I had to send this picture:

 With the caption, "I'm on the subway!"
Then I sent this:

To prove I was getting ON THE SUBWAY and not just standing on some dirty old street. Look, I might be 35 and have four kids but I'm never too old to drive my parents crazy.

Oh, and the subway? So not scary. Okay, the stairs were a giant pain. I was sweating and my thighs were burning by the time we were done. It's because I'm from the midwest and everything's flat. I joked that I had altitude sickness by the end of it. I was hot and sweaty and UGH. But stairs aside, it was FINE. I mean, yeah it was kinda dirty and it smelled funny but as long as you don't sit in any wet spots, you're good. As my brother-in-law's friend said, "If it smells funky, find another car." Wise words, that.

We finally ended up in the DUMBO area of Brooklyn. I took many random pictures, just to show the kids the different landscape and how close we were to the water, trains, etc.

We even rode the Carousel! It was $2/ person and so fun!

Me and the city in the background.

I think we spent a good thirty minutes just hanging by the water, talking and admiring the building. Admid the hustle and bustle of the city, it was so calm and peaceful. I told my cousin it felt like home, like every good childhood memory I have of visiting my cousins. I can remember waking up in the car and being so excited to see the bridges because I knew we were close to Nana's.

But then it was time to mosey back and get ready for the launch.

(You seriously thought I could make this one post! HA! Stay tuned for more fun!)

So this happened

About 18 months ago, I read an article by Deanna Fei, My Baby and AOL's Bottom Line. It's well-written and sharp but something about the author's tone made me send a message to the author.

Now, I never leave comments in the combox unless it is a blogger I know or I'm entering to win something. And I never, ever, ever message author's I don't know. ComBoxes tend to make me weep for humanity, especially when it comes to articles that might be controversial. As for e-mailing authors... eh. I leave great Amazon reviews. I tell everyone about their books. I favorite them on Goodreads. But I don't e-mail them because I don't want to seem like some pre-teen fangirl even if I am totally fangirling inside.

Yet I did. I have a vague notion of what I said, something about how she is not alone in her feelings. I e-mailed her, I received a short note in reply and that was that.

Until last week, about 18 months after I read the article. I received an e-mail from Fei thanking me for my comment and how it was one of many that inspired her to write a book, Girl In Glass (due in July) about her experiences. A few e-mails later (!!! because who am I kidding, I was sitting there with a dumb grin on my face thinking, "THIS IS SO COOL!") she told me that my initial e-mail to her is quoted in her book! It's anonymous, of course, but still!!!

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I get paid nothing. My name's not even in there. BUT. PEOPLE! A real live, honest to goodness writer- like, she's written another novel! She make a living writing!- said that something I (yeah, yeah, yeah, and others) inspired her next work. At swanky dinner parties (that I never attend), I'll be able to toss my hair, casually sip my wine and just happen to say, "You know, when I was quoted by/inspired an author..." Years from now, I'll pull the book off my shelves and show my grandchildren where I am (not) mentioned in a book.

Okay, yes, I am a complete goober. I'm aware this is interesting and super cool to only me. I am also aware that I might be mildly in awe of anyone who is published because I know how long, hard and slogging the process is. But it's funny, you know, how having a preterm infant puts everyone on equal footing: a housewife and swim coach with four children in the suburbs of the midwest suddenly has something in common with a writer in NYC, all because of an intensive care unit. I have a feeling we could sit down over tea (or KC BBQ or, even better, NY bagels piled with cream cheese or butter) and not run out of things to talk about. We have a common ground in our children, their early beginnings and our struggles. It seems we both have a passion for educating people about pre-term infants and everything that it entails, during the NICU and after.

You know what the best thing about this is, though? My words made someone feel better. I never know if reaching out to someone is going to be well received, especially when her daughter was born much earlier than my son. Yet it did and, to me, that's better than any (not) mention in a book.

Let the Little Ones Come to Him: Books for Catholic Kids

Please note that all the links below will take you to my Amazon Affliate account. If you click on the link and order the products within 24 hours, I will earn a small comission on the sale. Proceeds from the sale of items through my Amazon account help support the Herd and help give my sons a voice.

Some of my friends and I are on a mission. It's a tough one but we've chosen to accept it. The mission? Find Catholic books for our kids that aren't saccharine, out dated and feature fun, modern families living the faith. Bonus points if the drawings look like they were made in this century!

I'm going to hell for those comments, aren't I?

It seems that while the secular evangelical mass market on books, DVDs, media, WWJD-wear and the like has exploded AND kept up with the times, much of what is available is for Protestant children and youth. While many, many of these books are benign, I wanted books that taught my children about our Catholic faith- the Mass, saints, Eucharist, sacraments and more. My quest for these types of books has lead me to some awesome books:

Saints of Note is a fun book for children from about second to sixth grade. The stories are presented in comic book/graphic novel format and feature a wide selection of popular AND lesser known saints. The drawings are fun, bright and appealing to children. The chapters are short and perfect for bedtime stories or for those children who are just beginning to read chapter books. I love that the saints the children visit are diverse in both the time periods they live in and their race/ethnic background. After each "visit" there is biographical information on each saint, complete with photographs and pictures.

Joseph and Chico: The Life of Pope Benedict the XVI as Told by His Cat: This hardcover book is the life of Pope Benedict as told by a cat! It's presents the life-story of our current pope in a fun and entertaining manner without "dumbing down" the text for children. I think the story of the Pope through the eyes on an animal makes the Pope a bit more human and access able to children; plus, the cat as a narrator is pretty funny!
The illustrations are done in water-color, I believe, and feature a cat on every page. I think it is best for second grade on up, but it can be read to younger children. The books does discuss Nazi Germany and I found myself "editing" those parts when I read them to my preschool-aged children. Now that my Joseph is older and understands about war, he could read them, as they are not terribly graphic.
There's another book, Max and Benedict, by the same author that might work its way into an Easter basket this year!

Little Acts of Grace and other books by the authors, are great for children of small ages. They are paper back but sturdy and perfect for Mass. The illustrations are well done yet simple and feature children from a large variety of backgrounds. The language is simple enough for children in first grade to read with help . We also have the Mass Book for Children, Catholic Prayer Book for Children and one about Mary. I recommend them all!

We Go to Mass  (by St. Joseph Board Books) are simple stories for young children. The illustrations are a bit old-fashioned for my tastes but are well done. The text explains the Mass in simple, easy to understand terms. Our copy has a handle on the top, making it a great book for littles one to carry around. This book, and others put out my St. Joseph Board Books, makes a great baptismal gift for any child and is great as part of a "quiet time" bag for Mass.

Celebrating Mass is another St. Joseph Board Books. We have the copy shown and for a long time, it was toddler George's favorite book because he could open it easily, thanks to the large tabs! (I think the priest in the illustrations looks like him!) The pictures are brightly colored, well drawn and simple. All the important elements are there but there is not "extra" clutter in them. The pictures and short text appeal to young children.

I really love A Peek Into My Church. The narrator is a little girl named Libby who takes you on a tour of her parish and neighborhood. Along the way, she explains how Communion wafers are made, the different things priests and nuns do, the articles of Mass and more. It's a great way to show children how universal the church is and a wonderful example of the Church in action, at home and in the community. Bonus: At the end, there are pictures of different articles of Mass, what the priest wears and so on, with the proper labels. When you kid asks, "Why does Father wear a dress?" you can explain exactly what that "dress" is and all the items he wears under it! (Yes, a kid really did ask that and, no, it wasn't mine!)

The board books in the Walking with God seris is my go-to baptism gift for babies. The one shown is "Count Your Blessings" and it, like all the others in the seris, feature soft black and white photographs of thing babies love! This book has many pictures of faces, children playing and sweet toys. The simple text makes a perfect before-bedtime book and it's easy enough for beginning readers to read to younger siblings. We also have "The Little Shepard" which, again, feature simple text and lovely black and white photogaphs. These are great new baby gifts or in Easter baskets!

Of course, these aren't all the great Catholic books out there for kids! What books have you read that you recommend?

No-Cry Sleep Solution Update

Back in November, I hosted a review and giveaway for Elizabeth Pantley's books, The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschooler and the No-Cry Potty Training Solution. At the time of the writing, we had seen improvement in both Cole and George's sleep habits but not in pottying.

A few months later, potty training is still the same: not happening. Both boys are undergoing big changes in their lives and we (parents and therapists) feel that this is not the time to make any more big changes or transitions with them. Mandy at Living Peacefully with Children donated some large cloth diapers to the (lost) cause. Her diapers fit my big boy and help him feel wet. He's been asking to be changed and telling me if he is wet or poopy. Every once in a while, I'll mention the potty and he will tell me he DOES NOT use the potty and Penguin does not either. Cole? Cole could care less and still runs away screaming like a maniac when I try to change him. Oy.

But sleep! Glorious, blissful sleep! At the beginning of the school year, Cole was still up multiple times a night, which was an improvement from his "before surgery" sleep habits. George had to be driven to sleep and was up a night.

And now!

When Adam was home from HIS surgery and we were laying low, I discovered that Cole still needs a nap. If he naps, he sleeps better at night! Sleep begets sleep. Duh, Laura. We had a pretty good routine going over Christmas break and he would nap every day from 1-3 pm. When he napped, he went to sleep around 7:30 or 8 and would sleep until six am. While six is a bit early for my taste, he woke up happy and refreshed. I make coffee, set him up with breakfast and deal.

George no longer needs to be driven to sleep. Sometimes he needs a nap and sometimes he doesn't. It has been a little more frequent since school began but I think he's just adjusting to the new routine. Unless he has a bad dream or his diaper leaks, he rarely wakes up at night anymore. The one or two times h woke up while Adam was still doped up from surgery and didn't need a restless kid in bed with him, we asked George to sleep on the floor. I made him a little bed with a pillow and he was happy.

Adam says he really feels that the last three months have been better. Our next step is to help the little boys falls asleep in their own beds. I plan to try to lay Cole down sleepy but awake and sit next to his bed. I'll begin to move away from the bed. We will do the same with George, but I think we will be able to tell him what needs to be done and put him down awake. Again, we'll sit next to the bed and move away as time goes on. George is ready for this step but I'm not ready to give up my snuggle (and sit and read my Kindle and surf FB guilt free) time with my baby.

Overall, we are so pleased with the MUCH less stressful bedtime routines!

Quick Takes Friday: Books, Pinterest and home decor

1.

 

I've been on a "read everything in sight" kick lately. A few days ago I was trolling Amazon's freebie list and stumbled upon the book "Angela's Song." I'm always on the look out for Catholic books that appeal to the modern family. While I have some issues with the book (mainly with the dialogue and the flipping between past and present tense) it is a nice read.

2.
I've also been blessed to read Jane Lebak's "The Boys Upstairs." It's a novella so it's a quick read and well worth the money.



3.
Okay, enough about books! Onto PINTEREST! I've been bored with my decor lately. I know, I know... first world problems. A cheap and easy way to update my house is to print off those free print ables from Pinterest. At Christmas, I had an 8 by 10 frame with Christmas words and phrases inside. It was in that subway art style that is so popular and I just love. I can't find the link to the site but if I do, I will re post it!

4.
I am not big into Valentine's Day, except where the kids are concerned. I love to help them make Valentine's for their class but I don't go all out or decorate at home. That said, I took the same 8 by 10 frame and put this Valentine's Printable in it.I love that it describes real love and it was part of the readings at our wedding. (Yes, and every other couple out there!) I also found a THOREAU quote about love! I might have squealed like a little girl on a sugar rush when I found it. I printed it as a 4 by 6 and placed it in a frame from my picture reorganization. My husband rolled his eyes but he can't complain because it is tasteful and free, the latter being the most important part,

5.
I also did some basic "clean up" and reorganization. I moved the pictures on the mantle around (and pinned new ideas!), took down an empty frame and put up a cross stitch work I did long ago and mused what I should do with a random corner in the house. It's small and it needs something there. I found quite a few ideas at Target but I need to check Hobby Lobby too. My friend told me about a sale they are having.

6.
I also might repaint the front of the fireplace. Adam does not know this... yet.

7.
Speaking of Pinterest, Target and redecorating, someone is turning seven... and getting a "new" bedroom! We, and her grandparents, are surprising her with a freshly painted bedroom. I picked up some fun items at Target (on sale, woot!) to liven it up. I found a purple picture frame and two pink/cream bulletin boards. I'm going to wash her curtains and bedding and organize all her toys. I have plans to make sticker labels for her bins and do something with all the Barbies, American Girl items and stuffed animals.Oh, and craft supplies.
She has no clue about this and it is driving me nuts because I want to do it all NOW! Still, planning is half the fun and I can't wait to post pics!



Looking Forward and Back: On 2012 and What 2013 Might Bring

As always, I have been reflecting on the past year. It's been a pretty awesome year. Joseph received his First Communion and has gone from being a squarely little turkey in Mass to a well behaved young man. Camille turned six, got her white belt in TKD and is really progressing in her reading. George said his first three word sentence and is making such HUGE strides in speech. Cole is defiantly the baby of the family. 2013 will rock his little world.

We got the call right after Adam's surgery that Cole will begin the first phase of preschool speech evaluation in February. He will be in George's old AM classroom, which is perfect for both him and me. He is familiar with everyone who works in the classroom and I really like the team they have. Of course, being our strong willed and slightly spoiled Bear, he likes to do things his own way on his own time. His most used word is NO! Second to NO! is MINE! I think listening, following directions and having to wait his turn are going to rock his world but full time preschool is going to be really, really good for him.

After the New Year, George will be moving to the afternoon class. Same teachers, same paras, same room, familiar friends from last year but a new time. Yes, this means that I will have about one hour between picking up Cole and dropping off George. It's daunting but we will make it work. The boys might take the bus one way (home for Cole and to school for George) but we are going to give it a try without the bus for a bit. I hope that by this time next year he speaks clearly (more clearly than now, at any rate), continues to try new foods in different textures and continues to grow in confidence in himself.

I hope both boys will have ditched the sippy cups, and one of them will have ditched the diapers. (Please, one of you? Either one? Not picky here!)

Gosh, in December 2013 Camille will be almost eight! She will have received her first Reconciliation and will be prepping for her First Communion. I hope her reading takes off even more than it already is. She wants to learn to sew and crochet and I plan on teaching her. Adam and I both want to spend some more one on one time with her, as she has shown a but of middle child syndrome. She's recently discovered she likes Star Trek and will cuddle with Adam to watch the show. I'd love to see her progress in swimming and in TKD.

Joseph... ah, the big boy who never stops growing. He'll be close to TEN. That's just INSANE! He's talked about joining the Leadership team at TKD and I think he would be excellent at it. He's close to the next belt level and I think he will progress through 2 or 3 more levels in 2013. He's close to committing to working towards his black belt. Look out world, he will take you OUT!

Adam and I will officially begin our second decade of being married on April 20. Eleven years. I don't feel old enough to be married ten years, let alone nearly 11! I suppose that happens when you met your future husband at 14, though.Our Washington DC vacation was a huge mild stone for us: ten years of marriage and our first solo vacation without the kids. 2012 is also the first even numbered year when we did NOT have a baby!

 I know Adam wants to continue to grow in his profession. He wants to continue swimming and get more tone. I need to loose 50 pounds, per my doctor. I want to grow my Thirty-One team and go to the national conference in July. As always, cost is a consideration, as is time away from my family. Hopefully, I will make it work!

As for the blog... dude, 2012 was a good year for the blog. Lots of reviews and giveaways and book reviews. Man, I love book reviews! Heck, I love all reviews and giveaways! I get to test new products or read new books and then spread the love by hosting a giveaway! Works for me! In 2013 I want to continue on that vein, continue writing for the Natural Parents Network and perhaps write for a few more magazines. We'll have to see. I am really happy with my writing now, so I expect that even if I stay on the same path with it, I will still be happy and fulfilled.

I hope 2012 was wonderful for you.

Review and Giveaway: The Boys Upstairs

Disclaimer: I was given a free e-copy of this book to read and review. The opinions are my own.

This time of year, all I want to do is curl up next to the fire with a hot cup of tea and a good book. Sure, I love going out and shopping, playing the snow and destroying the kitchen in the name of cookie making... but at the end of the day I want to curl up some place warm with a good cup of tea (or wine, depending on the day!) and a book.

The Boys Upstairs by Jane Lebak is a "curl up at the end of the day" book.

 

The Boys Upstairs is a novella about two brothers who experience the joy and miracles of the holiday season . . . but in different ways. Father Jay is a disabled priest who is greeted one cold winter's day by his estranged brother Kevin. Kevin, a police officer, brings him three children who are in need of shelter. Father Jay is well known for providing a warm, loving place for homeless boys ("the boys upstairs"). What transpires after the children arrive is a heart-warming, a wonderful series of awakenings as both Father Jay and Kevin reunite and learn to trust again.

Lebak's characters are multi-dimensional and well-written, from Father Jay and Kevin down to the youngest "boy upstairs." The dialogue is genuine and snappy. The situations are real and believable. You will fall in love and identify with the characters, which is what makes this book so wonderful You want to reach through the pages and help (or shake some sense into!) these people. When you feel like this about fictional characters, you know the writing is good! Although this book takes place at Christmas time, it's a wonderful tale that should be enjoyed all year long.

The Boys Upstairs earned the Catholic Writer Guild Seal of Approval, which means there is nothing in the book that is objectionable to people of the Catholic faith or the Church's teaching. However, this book is a story that would be enjoyed by people of all faith backgrounds.

Because this is a such a heart warming, snuggle before the fire story, the author is offering the winner of this review and giveaway a pair of slipper socks!

Buy it! The Boys Upstairs is available from Muse It Up Publishing for $4.50 US. Got a Kindle? You can buy it on Amazon for $3.99/US.

Want more of Jane Lebak? Read her blog, Seven Angels, Four Kids, One Family.

Want to win a pair of slipper socks? Enter to win via Rafflecopter!

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Review and Giveaway: "No-Cry" books (ARV: $12.00 US)

When Joseph was a baby, I was half convinced there was something wrong with him. Well past the newborn stage, he was waking frequently at night to nurse and preferred to sleep in bed with us. It seemed that every other baby or toddler his age was sleeping through the night; or, at least, sleeping  for more than 3 hours at a time.

Thanks to my friends at La Leche League and by reading a couple of books, I learned that my son's sleep patterns were very normal for a child of his age. Babies and young children are biologically wired to awake frequently, seek the comfort of their parents at night and they  need to nurse often. It wasn't until recent history that parents expected young children to sleep alone, in their own rooms, all night, without needing a parent for anything.

However, as he grew a bit older, I knew he was able to sleep longer periods. I did not want to let him cry it out but was unsure of how to help him sleep longer. Elizabeth Pantley's The No-Cry Sleep Solution still fairly new  when Joseph was a young toddler (it was published in 2002) but already my friends were raving about it. I checked it out from the LLL library, used her tips and tricks and soon had a younger toddler who was sleeping longer at night. It was a welcome change, as I was newly pregnant with his sister and exhausted!

The top book is a copy vought for me. The bottom two were
sent to me for the review.

When Elizabeth Pantley contacted me to do a review and giveaway of her books, I was excited. I had heard about The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers and The No-Cry Potty Training Solution. I am the proud mother of a four year old who will not or cannot potty train and a two and four year old who have trouble going to sleep and staying asleep. Since I had had such success with her first book, I was eager to see what tricks she had up her sleeve for my night waking, non-potty-using kiddos.

The No-Cry Potty Training Solution

All George's therapists and teachers tell me that boys with Apraxia are notoriously late to use the potty. We know George can do it, as he has initiated using the potty several times. He is certainly at an age where he should be biologically ready to use the potty. After eight years of cloth diapering four children and over two years of two in cloth diapers, I am certainly ready for him to use the potty! However, no amount of talking, cajoling or bribing could get him anywhere near a toilet, big or little. Surely Pantley had to have some great ideas, right?

Well, yes and no. Her book is certainly chock-full of good advice, from quizzes on how to tell if your child is ready to use the potty to different tricks to encourage your (no longer!) little one to use the potty. Reading this book is like having a potty-training brain storming solution and pep-talk with your very best friends. It has wonderful ideas on how to help your child be successful at using the potty. I really liked that the book focused on the parents and how to be calm, patient, calm, calm and calmer when potty training a little one. So many books seem to focus on child, and not in positive way, that it was refreshing to read a book that focused on the parents helping a child be successful while maintaining a loving relationship.

Pantley's book does have a chapter on children with special needs. However, it mostly addresses children with mobility issues, not children with neurological problems. My son has anxiety issues surrounding merely sitting on the potty and I was hoping that something like this would be addressed. However, it served as a good reminder to me to take to his doctor about possible physical problems that might be going unnoticed.

The potty train chart, thanks to Cami!

That said, we did follow her advice to take it one small step at a time. I broke using the potty down into small pieces and we are focusing on one little piece at a time. First up is just sitting on the potty.

My daughter helped make a "train potty chart" for him. (If you have an artsy six year old at home, I HIGHLY recommend letting them help create the chart!) She filled it with rewards every few squares.We told him that when the chart is filled, he can go on a real train ride. We do ask him if he wants to use the potty (putting the ball in his court) and leave it at that. We have toyed with the idea of "potty training boot camp" (which is also outlined in Pantley's book, although not with that name) over Thanksgiving break. However, given his personality and issues, I am not sure this is a good idea.

In short, this book is an excellent one stop shop over all your gentle, potty training tips and tricks. This could easily be the only book you read to get ideas for potty training your children in a gentle manner. It's great book to reference with each child or to simply give you a pep talk as you go through potty training.

No Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers

George (top) and Cole in the master bed. Summer
2012.
 

By  modern standards, my children do not sleep. By biological standards, they are perfectly normal . . . but the youngest likes to wake up at night and snuggle (and he's a bed hog!) and George has trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. By "trouble falling asleep" I mean that he is clearly tired, clearly wants to sleep but cannot or will not fall asleep. Many nights Adam has to drive him around in the car to get him to sleep.

Although kids with CAS are notorious non-sleepers, George's problems are also out fault. Life was very hectic when he was born and we helped him learn to fall asleep on his own. (This can be done gently.) When we were finally settled in a new house, I became pregnant and "Please, please, please get the baby to sleep- I don't care HOW!" was my new mantra. Fast forward to age (nearly) four and we have a monster on our hands.

While some of Pantley's chapters did not pertain to us (Cole no longer nurses, for example, and we don't have problems with bed wetting since they are in diapers), the chapters that did gave us wonderful, clear instructions for starting the slow process of getting George to go to sleep with minimal help. We kept Cole's nighttime routine the same (teeth, prayers, snuggle with me in the recliner in his room until he goes to sleep), we tighted up the bed time routine on all three older children. We start winding down for the night around 7:30 by turning off the TV, finishing snacks and chores and reading. Cole goes to bed around this time. At around 8:15, the oldest children head upstairs to be tucked in a say prayers. My husband dims the lights in our room and lays down with George while they watch a TV show. Although TV viewing can pep some children up or make it harder for them to stay asleep, it seems to calm and relax him. Falling asleep in our bed is a big improvement over having to be driven to sleep! The next step is him falling asleep in his room, and then him falling asleep in his room, alone.

No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers also helped me realize that the little boys need a consistent bedtime even if they nap during the day. Both boys are in the process of giving up naps; sometimes they need a nap and sometimes they do not. On "nap" days I was putting them to bed an hour or two later than normal. Now we start the bedtime routine within 30 minutes of the "normal" time to keep it consistent. This has really helped them go to sleep easier and stay asleep longer.

Because we tightened up the bedtime routine and made it more consistent, the boys have been sleeping longer at night. Unless they are sick, they come into our room around 4 or 5 am to sleep a little more and cuddle. This is a huge improvement over waking at 11 pm and wanting to sleep with us all night long! Right now, we are happy with this arrangement but I have no doubt that if they go back to their old habit of coming in around midnight, or pull a new sleeping trick, Pantley's book will have the right suggestion for us.

Buy it!

Go to Amazon to purchase any of Elizabeth Pantley's "No-Cry" books, from the classic No Cry Sleep Solution to her newest No-Cry Picky Eater Solution. Many are available as Kindle books or in papaerback.

Win it!
This contest is open to people in the United States and Canada.

Two winners will be chosen to recieve one copy each of their choice of any of Pantley's books. The contest opens on November 1, 2012 and will close November 15, 2012. Winners will be announced on this blog and notified via e-mail. You will have 24 hours to respond with your name and address or another winner will be chosen. Winners will be chosen via Rafflecopter.

Disclaimer: I recieved complementary copies of the books to read and review. Opinions are my own.
(Photo credit: Laura)

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Review: A Catholic Mother's Compainion to Pregnancy

Disclosure: I received an advance copy of this book on NetGallery. The copy on NetGallery has now expired. I have not benefited from this review in anyway, except that I got to read a book before it was published, which is pretty cool!

When I was pregnant with my fourth child, I remarked that I wished someone would write about pregnancy and childbirth for mothers who had multiple children. My favorite books about pregnancy did not address the needs of a mother who was pregnant with her fourth child in less than five years: caring for older multiple older children, balancing their needs, housework and the daily task of growing a whole new human being!

Thankfully, someone has finally written that much-needed book! I found Sarah A Reinhard's book, A Catholic Mother's Companion to Pregnancy: Walking with Mary from Conception to Baptism, an easy but delightful read. There was just enough information about the development of an unborn baby to give me a good overview of pregnancy without it turning into "just another" pregnancy book. I found her reflections on Mary thought provoking and made The Blessed Virgin seem much more human, real and personable to me. I especially enjoyed her musings on whether Mary felt morning sickness as she was journeying to see Elizabeth and the story behind Our Lady of La Leche.

Sprinkled throughout the books are essays from other Catholic writers such as Kate Wicker and Jane Lebak. I really enjoyed reading the essays and it was nice to hear the perspective of other Catholic women about the ups and downs of being pregnant.

I loved the overall tone of the book. One thing I really appreciated was the fact that Reinhart admits pregnancy isn't all sunshine and rainbows. She freely and openly admits to the aches and pains of growing a baby but doesn't dwell on it. She offers practical tips for dealing with these common pregnancy side effects. I sometimes feel that pregnancy books, especially ones with a religious bent, either dismiss the physical and emotional hardships of pregnancy or make a mother feel "less than" for not fully enjoying even single moment of pregnancy. It is refreshing to have these complaints realized and new tips and tricks for dealing with them.

As someone who has suffered from pregnancy depression, along with Post Par tum Depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, I was relieved and thankful to see this issue addressed! I was pleased to see both medical (ie, medications) and spiritual (ie, praying) suggestions for relief. In this topic, as with the others covered in the book, the author maintained a loving and non-judgmental attitude.

The final chapters of the book are devoted to labor, delivery and baptism. I wish the baptism chapters had been around when I had my first child! It would have been a great help to me and offered a great "baptism prep" to go with the class we had to take at church. Even though I have baptised four babies, the information would still be useful if we were to have a fifth.

Overall, this is a fantastic book and would make a lovely gift for yourself or another expectant mother!