The Mom's Book of Worries

Last night my husband was planting some hostas for me and we found a baby garden snake. It was tiny, about 6 inches and very active. He showed our son who was completely captivated by it.

We brought it in and put in our former crabitat. (Our hermit crabs had been upgraded to a bigger home and this one still had the heat rock and watering shell) We intended to keep it over night so he could show his cousin the following day.

About halfway to bedtime we decided it was probably not snake proofed enough for our peace of mind, so we released it outside.

This morning my son imediately went to the tank looking for the snake. I told him what happened and he says,

Oh the snake got out Mommy? That's not good.

I could have died laughing at his serious tone and expression! His phrases are always surprising me, but the inflection he chooses is what strikes me the funniest. My little serious man!

we took the opportunity to teach him about snakes being dangerous and should be left on their own. Now we wonder where Momma Snake is hiding.

My son swallowed a penny the other day. Being a nurse I didn't think too much of it really. Being a Mom I felt he got past my defensive screening and found an object that he could have chocked on! Terrible! But I knew that this is a normal part of childhood and made sure it did indeed go down. (He could swallow and keep down water)

We kept a close eye on him and he did great the rest of the night. However, the next morning he couldn't keep anything (even water) down. After cleaning the puddles, we headed for the hospital for an Xray. His doctor ordered just in case.

Turns out he had a flu bug, and the penny was waiting for his exit orders in the large bowel. Sometimes strange coincidences occur simultaneously!

Here is the basics in coin swallowing:

• Make sure offending object is in the stomach by giving them water then food.
• Watch for signs of airway obstruction like drooling or turning blue
• Contact your pediatrician with any concerns or for questions
• If all is clear, wait a few days (2-4) for penny to pass (they don't even feel it)
• Don't beat yourself up, but make sure all loose change is put away until this stage passes

I was changing my son yesterday and as usual hugged him into my lap when all done and told him "I love you!" He eloquently replied, "Oh. You Love me? Hmmm."

Being as ornery as he is, I asked him, "Don't you love Mommy?" and immediately thought I could see a glimpse into the future. Oh my I thought! I hope he doesn't have this conversation with any of his future girl friends.

What a disaster that would be. Can you picture it? Imagine the look on that poor gal's face. Aren't you going to say you love me too? and getting a... Hmm

My little heart breaker is growing up too fast. All babies do, but why does Mommy's little boy have to be such a man already? And why do us gals have to hear it back? I hope I can at least teach my daughter to break that cycle.

If you love someone, tell them! If they say hmm, let it go. It's better than "That's too bad" at least! These little ones start out knowing so much and we teach them all the wrong responses. I sincerely hope that when my son does fall in love he says so, and only when he's sure!

All kids love playdough, but most kids run out way before your ready to buy more. So here is the easy instructions you can use to make your own. Be sure to store it in an air tight container. (You can even recycle butter tubs for this purpose.)

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Flour
• 1/2 Cup Salt
• 1 Cup Water

(Wheat flour will make a sand colored dough that kids will love!)

Directions:

• Combine Flour and Salt in large bowl
• Pour in water and mix until you reach desired consistency
• That's It! Your ready to play!

If your dough starts to dry out just knead in more water. This kind of playdough does not last as long as it's cooked counterparts.
No problem add a few ingredients and steps and you can have anything you want. Here is another recipe that is more like the store bought kind.

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups Flour
• 2 Cups Warm Water
• 1 Cup Salt
• 2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Cream of Tarter
• Food Coloring (2 packages KoolAid can be used as well)

All my items are clean, stain free (as far as I can tell) and from my loving smoke free home. They start at a bid of $1.00 and have very low shipping rates. Efleaa has such great specials that I am able to keep costs down so I am passing the savings along as these are tight times for everyone.

I am always at a loss for lunch. I come up with interesting or healthy snacks  like grapes, cheese sticks, pretzels, etc but lunch comes and I end up repeating a snack choice. So I was delighted to read the following ideas from Lil' duck duck dot com...

• Leftovers from dinner!
• Sandwiches on whole grain wheat bread
  • Peanut butter and jelly if they are eating peanuts
  • Grilled cheese
  • Deli meat & cheese
  • Any sort of melt is especially good, since Lil’ Duck loves to disassemble his sandwiches.

• Fish sticks (especially with various dipping sauces, Lil’ Duck likes ketchup or bbq sauce but you can try anything you like, ranch dressing is a hit among many of his friends).
• French fries – we actually get the healthy potato wedges with the olive oil so it’s all real potatoes and not a ton of grease and sodium.
• Fruits – pretty much anything sliced up at this age is fine, barring allergies.
• Yogurt (we still mix pureed fruit in as Lil’ Duck isn’t a fan of plain fruit, also mix in cereals and vitamins).
• Crackers with cheese (melted in the microwave for a few seconds to keep them together) or cream cheese (you could do pasturized soft cheese, but I’m still wary personally).
• Rice cakes – Lil Duck would eat these all day if I let him. We get the unsalted ones and put anything on top or just let him eat it plain. I also showed him how to break off pieces and scoop up spinach dip and tuna.
• Low-sodium soups – veggie soup, chicken soups, etc – can be an easy way to get protein and veggies in. I usually offer the little guy the chunky parts and drain the liquid or eat it myself – if I want him to have broth, I put it in a cup with a straw. It’s just too messy otherwise, but it’s your house .
• Pasta and sauce is always a hit – I mix pureed veggies in spaghetti sauce, melt cheese (we use rice cheese for the dairy allergy) over top, mix in some shredded meat, etc. Mac and Cheese is a hit for many – we have to get the rice version, but there are a lot of healthy mac and cheese mixes out there now as well.
  • Lil’ Duck also likes the ravioli/tortellini from the pre-made store packages, with or without sauce. We get the chicken or pesto ones most of the time, but there are also cheese-filled ones for those without dairy issues.
• We also like the little microwavable meals from Gerber or the health food store – the adult meals like Chef Boyardee have too much sodium and junk, but the baby meals are pretty good.
• Tortillas – wraps, burritos, etc – an easy way to make leftovers interesting and can make for a wide variety of lunches.
• Speaking of burritos, we keep the frozen bean burritos in the freezer for a quick meal. Lil’ Duck likes them with chips and salsa .

To see the complete post or view others by lil' duck duck, go to http://lilduckduck.com/toddler-lunch-ideas-wfmw/303

Thanks for reading and I hope this helps give you ideas as well. I can use all I can get since Junior is a picky eater.