Raspberries do a Baby Good!

"Razzies really teach babies how to regulate their voice, how to turn it on and off, change the volume and the pitch. It shows them how to navigate the diaphragm, mouth, lips and tongue," explains Tara Kehoe, speech and language pathologist and manager of the Speech and Language Department at Easter Seals DuPage and Fox Valley Region in Villa Park.
...and it's so darn cute, too!
Katie's become quite the little expert. She can even perform this adorable motor-boat sound with or without spit! Best of all, she seems to enjoy the element of surprise. Like when she eagerly opened her mouth for a spoon full of green beans, and gleefully raspberried it right back at me! (Next time I'm wearing the bib!)
P.S. Have a cute picture of your little ones? Send it my way. Be happy to post it!
Love and love, 
Bubbie and Katie
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Imaginative Play

It never ceases to amaze me when children challenge the capabilities of their toys. As an adult, I see a toy simply as it was meant to be. In all the years I've enjoyed Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head, I never once thought to shove their parts into my body for play. But on this day, Jude did...and it was fine until Jude wanted Bubbie to be Mrs. Potato Head. Sorry, but the ears and nose just weren't my hole size! 
Imagination always in motion,
Bubbie and Jude
P.S. Got any funny stories about the kids for us?
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Jude and His New Brother, Elliot

Yes, Jude...this day has arrived. You are officially and undeniably a big brother! I know what you're thinking! "Life is over as I've known it!" But I promise, once you've gotten over the shock...and looking at you, it might take a while...you'll be just fine! 
(Foot surgery has put me out of commission for a bit. Haven't blogged or been able to see my grandbabies. This picture, sent to me by my son, had me laughing off my seat. Thought you might enjoy it, too. Welcome ELLIOT! Our newest munchkin!)
More happy days to come with,
Bubbie and Jude and Elliot and Katie
P.S. Would love to hear your about your little one's reactions to newborns!
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A Kodak Moment

Two Tootsie Roll pops, and three toddlers could equal one, unhappy child, unless you have a group of toddlers who think it's funny to share! Since Jude was the odd man out without a treat, he was more than happy to receive their sweet offerings. Jude, Arden and Remy were tickled with this game, and it kept them busy for the life of the pops.
Keeping it easy,
Bubbie and Jude!
P.S. Have some sweet memories of your kids/grandkids to share w/us?
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Caring Toddlers

I couldn't resist snapping this picture of Jude in "Prince Charming" mode. He was trying to persuade this lovely princess to put her glass slippers...I mean shoes... back on her feet, so she wouldn't get a splinter. Arden did just that, as Jude helped, and they played happily ever after that day!
Hugs, 
Bubbie and Jude
P.S. How do your little ones show they care?
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Sitting at Seven Months

"If you're given ten toys, and all of them look good enough to eat, how do you know which one to grab first?" That's exactly what Katie must have been thinking as she balanced herself on her pillow in a big-girl sitting position, at just seven months old! Surrounded by sounds, textures, colors and shapes, it's understandable that choosing something to play with could be a problem! Fortunately for Katie, Bubbie came to the rescue! It was actually a no-brainer! I simply handed Katie one toy at a time. The toy that wasn't tossed back on the floor, but landed back in Katie's mouth was deemed the winner!
Happy playtime,
Bubbie and Katie, too!
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P.S. What toys did your little ones like to play with when they were under a year old?

Fitness For Children

Obviously, we exhausted all forms of play before I had the brilliant idea to work on headstands against the bedroom wall. It would have been fine had I not needed to demonstrate first. Fortunately, Jude caught on quickly, but insisted that I continue to hoist my aging legs right up next to his. After each successful stand (and there were many), Jude would turn his little, upside-down self towards me and ask, "Are you okay?"(Show-off!)
Keeping it fun,
Bubbie and Jude
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P.S. Please share your ideas for fitness fun with your little ones!

Grasping Skills for Babies

...and this little piggie didn't have to make a sound. Katie made enough ruckus for the two of them.  And boy did they have fun! This soft, plush was swung, pulled, thrown and chewed on. (Fortunately for the pig, teeth aren't an issue just yet!) After Katie exhausted all possibilities of play with her dear friend, they both went "wee, wee, wee," all the way to bed! 
Exploring everything new,
Bubbie and Katie, too!
P.S. What types of toys were your little ones first able to grasp with both hands?
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Toddlers Learning to Cope

How does one play in bark, without getting any bark in ones shoes? And once the bark gets in your shoes, should you sit in that same pile of bark while trying to get it out? According to Jude, the answers to both of these questions are simply ..."Shoes off!" No discussion, no waiting, just off with the shoes! After several "shoes off" episodes, and giving the play area a try without shoes, Jude decided it is better to have played at the playground with bark in your shoes, then not to have played at the playground at all!
Learning to cope,
Bubbie and Jude
P.S. Please share your grandkids frustrations, and how they figured it out by themselves!

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Toddlers Mastering New Territory

Ta dah!!! Friday was a great day for Jude. You see, it was on this day that Jude mastered the one and only, playground Fire Pole. After months of observing other kids, he finally mustered up the nerve to take that first scary step off the treehouse's top floor, situate himself safely on the spiral pole, then slide down to the ground. Little did I know that I would learn first-hand how truly frightening this feat can be. Once Jude felt comfortable riding this baby, he decided that Bubbie should do it, too!  Yikes!  Little kids can be so persuasive! Next time I'll just stick with the Cheerleader-Photographer position! 

Happy  playing,

Bubbie and Jude

P.S. Please share with us your grandchildren's first major accomplishments and how it made them feel!

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Sidewalk Chalk

Talk about time management! Jude figured out a way to draw twice as much, in just half the amount of time! (What a guy!)
So far, our favorite game to play with sidewalk chalk is, "Jumping to Ten!" I get to draw and number ten squares on top of one another. All the kids line up and wait their turns to jump from one square to the next, while reciting the numbers. (Our version of Hop-Scotch!)
Please share any sidewalk chalk games with us, that you find fun for the kids. We're always anxious to learn about new ones.
How To Make Sidewalk Chalk
Easy Sidewalk Chalk Games
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Best,
Bubbie and Jude

Sharing

Three kids...one ball. Yikes! Jude, Remy and Arden's play started out innocently enough. Running, rolling and jumping on a large stretch of grass, on a comfortable cool day, with plenty of birds to chase after and a helicopter to get excited about flying overhead. Ahh, but then in the midst of this free for all, Jude's blue ball was spotted sitting on the field. Everyone wanted to claim ownership and there was no way of dividing this ball up...although they tried. Fortunately, they all like to count, so we made some fun of singing to ten until it was the next persons turn. They actually became more interested in counting together then playing alone with the big, blue ball!  Go figure!
Best,
Bubbie and Jude
P.S. Have any good ideas for teaching little ones how to share?
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Things That Need Counting

Jude and I never run out of things that need counting! I just never know where these "fun things to count" might appear. Thank goodness Jude is always willing to point them out. His latest discovery eventually drew a nice crowd of like-minded toddlers, who just had to count the circles at the end of the slide, too. Fortunately, before they got too impatient waiting their turns, the bubbles came out, and we were onto bigger and wetter things!
Learning to have fun,
Bubbie and Jude
P.S. What do/did your little ones like to count?
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Babysitting the Grandkids

Oh what fun it is to... babysit the grandkids! Especially when they're happy and/or sleeping! Hmm, but how to entertain two different age groups while they're both awake? Fortunately for me, Jude likes to help show Katie his toys...her toys...and there's always his death-defying acrobatic performances! When Jude tires I bring out some hand puppets, or take the two of them for walks in the park.
Plenty of fun for all,
Bubbie, Jude and Katie, too!
P.S. Would love to hear some of your ideas for keeping our kidlets happy and content!
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Little Ones Teaching Littler Ones!

Little ones teaching even littler ones! Gotta love it! Jude couldn't resist playing and sharing his knowledge with his visitor, Ava. Ava hung onto his every word and even laughed at his jokes. You can't wish for a better audience then that!
Fortunately, Jude gets to spend a lot of time with babies at the park, so I'm guessing that his new baby brother's arrival, will be a bit smoother for him and his folks...I can only hope!
Keeping it light,
Bubbie and Jude
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P.S. Please share any helpful tips on preparing siblings for a newborn's arrival!

Happy 2012!

Happy 2012!
May it be a wonderfully fresh and exciting New Year for us all, while creating new moments to enjoy with our precious little munchkins! I'm sure looking forward to it! 
Taking it all in, 
Bubbie, Jude and Katie too!




P.S. Any plans for the New Year with your sweeties?

First Puzzles for Toddlers

Physical Benefits

At a young age, puzzles help children to develop fine motor skills, which in everyday terms means the ability to make small (or fine) movements. The picking up, grasping or pincing of pieces helps to develop fine muscle control, which in turn helps your child when it comes to writing-ready time. 
What about large motor skills? What? You've never seen a jigsaw puzzle being built with intermittent handstands? Guess you've never met Jude!  This boy cracks me up!
Keep them laughing,
Bubbie and Jude
P.S. Any good puzzles for kids that you'd like to share with us?
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Home Made Toys for Kids

Jude has plenty of toys, books and art supplies to play with, but on this particular day, he was bored. We were both looking around for something different to do when I spotted an empty box of Weight Watchers Carrot Cupcakes. That was it! We found our new favorite toy! A few stickers sealed the open end of the box, and a pencil took care of the punched holes. We can proudly say that we have the best darn "crayon-holder-dumper," this side of the Mississippi!  I made-up the crayon holder part, and Jude discovered that right after he fills the holes with crayons, it's fun to dump them out and start all over again. What can I say? It was a team effort!
Best always,
Bubbie and Jude
Please share some of your homemade toys for the kids!
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Toddlers and Babies

Watching my two grandchildren get along in play today was wonderful! Jude got to show off his "look what I can do" skills, while Katie cheered him on with her cooing and kicking! Having two years between them helped a lot...no sharing issues! It was nice to see Jude's gentle and kind attitude towards the baby.  Hoping he feels the same when his new baby brother arrives in 2012!
Happy babysitting,
Bubbie, Jude and Katie, too!
P.S. Any helpful hints on preparing children for a new baby in the home?
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First Friends

Two really cool guys pulled over by the side of the road, with their hot set of wheels, trying to figure out which way to go?  Well, not exactly! You are looking at two cool guys, and they are proud of their cars, but the only place these two toddlers are going is down for a nap, right after Jude shares his stickers with AJ!
All Our Best,
Bubbie and Jude
Questions: At what age did your children/grandchildren begin to play with others? How did you help it along?
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