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?
Related Article:
Teaching Your Child To Care

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!
Related Article:
7 Month Old Baby's Development
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
Related Article
Fitness for Children
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?
Related articles:
Toys for 6-12 Months
Grasping Skills & Cognitive Ability Activities for Babies

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!

Related Articles:
Helping Young Children Cope with Frustration
Helping Children Learn Self-Regulation

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!

Related Articles:

The Value of Play

How To Help Children Feel Smart/3 minute Video

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
Indoor Fun With Sidewalk Chalk
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?
Related Articles:
How To Get Kids To Share
Toddlers and Challenging Behavior

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?
Related Articles:
Counting Games
Creative Ways To Teach Numbers

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!
Related Articles:
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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
Related Article:
New Baby Sibbling
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?
Related Articles:
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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!
Related Articles:
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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?
Related Article:
Avoiding Sibling Rivalry when Bringing a New Baby Home
How to Help Your Child Accept a New Baby

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?
Related Articles:
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Safe Toys for the Holidays

Katie seems a little apprehensive about meeting her first doll!  Hmm...Who's going to be the first one to break the ice?  I'd venture to guess by the time Katie is two, they'll be the best of friends, sipping water from beautifully decorated tea cups, while chatting with a room full of toys!  But until then, this doll will get plenty of tossed-around and drooled-upon attention and affection! 
Happy Holiday Shopping,
Bubbie and Katie, too!
P.S. Please share any great gift ideas you might have!
Related Articles:
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How to Buy Safe Toys

Hat Training for Babies

Hat training? Yep! That's what it's all about!  Start them young, as the article below cites! This method seems to be working on Katie!  At just 4 months old, she's loving her hats! 
It seems like there's this window of time to get them used to the feel, and if you miss it...it might be a challenge getting them to wear one, like I experienced with my kids. Not only are hats wonderful protection from the sun and weather, but they most definitely make great props for pictures!
Keeping warm in the coming months,
Bubbie and Katie, too!
P.S. Let's hear about your ideas for getting your grandkids/kids to stay in their hats?

Related Articles:

Teaching a Baby to Wear a Hat

How to Knit a Hat for Baby with Erica Knight/Video
Cute Baby and Toddler Hats (handmade)

Pom-Pom Monster Salon Giveaway Contest

Most kids love crafts, especially crafts that are produced by the master of activity books, KLUTZ! If you know a child who would enjoy winning a chance to build some googly-eyed, colorful monsters, enter today! And if you win, your forever grateful child might even let you create one, too! Klutz will send two (2) lucky winners a copy of Pom-Pom Monster Salon.
Please find contest rules at the bottom of this page. Entering is easy. Simply submit a comment with contact info, or email shnoozleland@aol.com telling me you'd like to enter to win the Pom-Pom Monster contest. That's all there is to it! (Contact information is only used to notify winners. I do not use or hold contact information after contest ends.)

Contest ends December 21st, 2011/11:59 p.m. (PST) 

Pom-Pom Monster Salon

by KLUTZ

Age range: 8 and up

Pom-Pom Monster Salon

Create, Cut & Style Your Own Monsters

Arts, Crafts & Laughs! KLUTZ books are the perfect Holiday Gift for Any Child!

With Pom-Pom Monster Salon, anyone can make pom-poms and turn them into stylish monsters. Use our exclusive pom-pom maker and follow our cutting and styling instructions to create perfectly coifed mop tops, afros, pigtails, and mohawks to name a few. Add tiny hair bows, punch-out feet, and foam horns and teeth for the final touches.

Visit all the Klutz links!

                      Product Page http://bit.ly/rMktOq

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Get 20% off your entire order - shop Klutz.com and use coupon code KLUTZ4U

Promo cannot be combined with any other offer. Offer expires 12/31/2011

Official Giveaway Rules:

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Or

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4. Winner Selection. A prize number will be assigned to your entry upon receipt of your entry. A winning number will be generated using Random.org on or shortly after the Giveaway closing date. If your Prize Number matches the Winning Number, and you meet the eligibility requirements and otherwise comply with these Official Giveaway Rules, you win the prize.

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Neighborhood Birthday Parties

Brightly colored balloons hung from most of the trees surrounding the decorated party tables. Of course, this was the first thing Jude noticed as he entered Alisa's birthday party. Jude assumed these balloons were waiting for him, and he quickly pointed to the one he had to have...the "bue" one!  With kindness and compliance, a grown-up hand-picked Jude's choice and found the line quickly building behind him, as the other party guests followed suit.  Aside from dismantling the balloon clusters early on, and having to hold everyone back from blowing out the candles, except for the birthday girl, it was a great time for all. Oh, and Jude did walk away with the "messiest cake face" award!  Way to go, Jude!
With many happy cake days to come,
Bubbie and Jude
P.S. Lend us some of your favorite party ideas, won't you?
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