Toddler Property Laws

1. If I like it, it's mine.
2. If it's in my hand, Its mine.
3. If I can take it from you, it's mine.
4. If I had it a little while ago, It's mine.
5. If it's mine, it must never appear to be yours in any way.
6. If I am doing or building something,all the pieces are mine.
7. If it looks like mine, it is mine.
8. If I saw it first, it's mine.
9. If you are playing with something and you put it down, it automatically becomes mine.
10. If it's broken, it's yours.

Etsy Store Launch

I feel like I have been off the blogging radar for a little while! I have just opened our new store on Etsy at cberrybaby.etsy.com

It is a great community and forum for my personal handmade creations and I am going to be creating some preschool age developmental games as well.

Wish me luck!

It has begun.....

When we found out we were blessed to have a third little boy, my husband said "I guess it is time to break out the baby gates". I told him not this time, Cooper would be our mellow boy and we would not need them.

When Cooper started to crawl, my husband again said, "Time to break out the baby gates". Again, I told him no way. After all, I don't mind him following me room to room and since our entire downstairs is "sunken" from the front door and the staircase, there would be no need......that is until this weekend when Cooper figured out how to climb stairs......time to break out the baby gates :o(

hmmm.......what are these?

Wow, looks exciting up there........

This is easy, here I come!

Kids Will Be Kids

Whenever your kids are out of control, you can take comfort from the thought that even God's omnipotence did not extend to God's kids.

After creating heaven and earth, God created Adam and Eve. And the first thing said to them was: "Don't."

"Don't what?" Adam replied.

"Don't eat the forbidden fruit." God said.

"Forbidden fruit? We got forbidden fruit? Hey, Eve...we got Forbidden Fruit! No way! Yes WAY!"

"Don't eat that fruit!" said God.

"Why?""Because I'm your Creator and I said so!" said God, wondering why he hadn't stopped after making the elephants. A few minutes later God saw the kids having an apple break and was angry."Didn't I tell you not to eat that fruit?" the first parent asked.

"Uh huh," Adam replied.

"Then why did you?"

"I dunno," Eve answered.

"She started it!" Adam said

"Did Not!"

"DID so!"

"DID NOT!!"

Having had it with the two of them, God's punishment was that Adam and Eve should have children of their own. Thus the pattern was set and it has never changed. But there is a reassurance in this story.

If you have persistently and lovingly tried to give them wisdom and they haven't taken it, don't be hard on yourself. If God had trouble handling children, what makes you think it would be a piece of cake for you?

-author unknown

Wordless Wednesday

Sneak Peak-Behind the Scenes

Here is a quick glance of some new inventory I just finished sewing.....they should be posted on the site by the end of the week. My newest creations are the Binkee Blankee, which is a 15" by 15" blanket with designer fabrics and a coordinating minkee lining. The blanket has a tab with a velcro closure for holding a pacifier, teething ring or toy. I love using mine when out and about with Cooper. It keeps the toy "weighted" so it doesn't get tossed on the floor, great for church, car seats and restaurants and the Bottle Prop-up Pillow which is designed to use in an infant carseat when you have to bottlefeed on the go. Goes around babies chest and supports the bottle without forcing and it is easy for baby to push away for safety.

For Fabric Lovers Like Me

I have been in a sewing frenzy, I have a room full of bottle prop-up pillows, binkee blankees, crayon caddies, hankee blankees and taggee blankees! Next I am planning on finishing 2 more Mei Tai's and creating some pouch-type slings. Look for photos on tomorrow's blog

I am so excited about all the new fabric lines coming out! Suzanne from Bella Boutique Creations and I just purchased 7 bolts of fabric from Portabello Pixie's Ginger Blossom collection for Michael Miller. The colors are so vibrant, I can't wait until they arrive!

The highly anticipated Amy Butler's line "Midwest Modern" pictures have finally been released and will be available in April

Making Memories Last

We cherish our baby books and our photo albums but what about the items that we save that will not fit and we can't bear to have boxed in our attics. Or what about the moments we want to make more special then just a page in our album?

I love ideas on how to uniquely capture these moments forever. I had saved each of my boys coming home outfits , birth announcement and their first professional photos taken at the hospital. This year as my Christmas gift from my wonderful parents, I had them professionally matted and framed. I wanted heirloom quality so they could be passed down to my children but you can also do these yourself by purchasing a shadow boxes. I love the fact that once my hubby hangs these, I will be able reminded of their first days every time a walk down the hall.

New Product Alerts

Business was so busy during the holidays that my house got a little out of sorts (to say the least) so I promised myself that I would take a little break until I was caught up at home. Well, the garage is organized, toys have all been sorted and put away and I spent all of last week adding fun and creative new products!


Happy Heiny One-Size Diapers: I LOVE these one-size diapers so much that I have switched to them exclusively! I have used (and liked) other one-size diapers ,such as Bum Genius, but these are by far the best. They use the same milled fleece as with all HH diapers and they have more size settings than any other one-size I have seen. They will fit all the way from birth to "toddler-hood" talk about a great money saver! Also, if you have two kids in diapers at the same time, they can be shared.

Graceful Babies Reusable Wipes & Nursing Pads: Cut down on the clutter, shopping trips and SAVE money! If you cloth diaper, you will recognize the benefit of using cloth wipes. What do you do with a dirty disposable wipe when you have no disposable diaper to roll it up in?With these reusable wipes, you can simply throw them in the diaper pail with your cloth diapers for laundry day. Graceful Babies nursing pads are washable and waterproof because they have a PUL waterproof layer on the back. Filled with microfleece they are super absorbent and the soft cotton flannel against your skin is much more comfortable than the disposables that sometimes stick....ouch!

Noli n Nali Organic & Natural Products: This new line of baby and mommy products is one of my favorite lines. I have eczema and have passed it on to two of my boys so we all use the baby bar. The chamomile willow shampoo smells delicious and is very light which may be a factor in Coopers hair standing straight up :o)

Moby Wrap Baby Carriers: Affordable, easy to use and comfortable. Wraps are great for distributing babies weight. I love to use them on big outings like amusement parks, the zoo, etc. so I can avoid a stroller in the crowds!

HABA Toys: the name HABA stands for high quality products and age appropriate materials. HABA uses mainly wood, especially European forestry products - Maple and Beech. These woods have a long tradition in the production of toys and wood is a naturally germ-free material. These toys will last generation after generation and are sure to be one of babies favorites! My 4 year-old still likes to play with them as well!

Ooga Booga:These adorable little monsters are hand made in Australia using wool felt and 100% cotton. Choose from Orange Spikey OogaBoogas, Green OogaBoogas and Yellow Two Eyed Oogaboogas.Each Ooga Booga is one of a kind and makes a great gift! Our Ooga Booga's are custom made for our store and do not have any buttons, teeth and are tightly stitched.

Slick Sugar Newborn Gown: A definite must have for your future rock star! Makes a great Baby Shower Gift! So much so that we have added this Gown to our Rockin' Baby Gift Set!

HAPPY SHOPPING!

Wordless Wednesday

Now this is what I call using your noodle!

Proud to be a "Mean Mom"

As mothers, we all have those days where we go to bed in tears feeling like horrible mothers. I often get so tired of monitoring my brilliant but unmotivated sixth graders school work and having to make him work harder and put in more effort. My 4-year-old can be a joy but it can also be exhausting constantly correcting his behavior. Sometimes I want to throw up my arms and surrender but I don't because there is a reason that we, as moms, have to work so hard to raise our children to be good adults and people. I came across this today and thought I would share. It is a little outdated but the meaning behind it is still the same. I am proud to be a "mean mom" and to have had my own "mean mom"!

Mean Mom

Written by Bobbie Pingaro (1967)

I had the meanest mother in the whole world. While other kids ate candy for breakfast, I had to have cereal, eggs or toast. When others had cokes and candy for lunch, I had to eat a sandwich. As you can guess, my supper was different than the other kids' also.

But at least, I wasn't alone in my sufferings. My sister and two brothers had the same mean mother as I did. My mother insisted upon knowing where we were at all times. You'd think we were on a chain gang. She had to know who our friends were and where we were going. She insisted if we said we'd be gone an hour, that we be gone one hour or less--not one hour and one minute. I am nearly ashamed to admit it, but she actually struck us. Not once, but each time we had a mind of our own and did as we pleased. That poor belt was used more on our seats than it was to hold up Daddy's pants. Can you imagine someone actually hitting a child just because he disobeyed? Now you can begin to see how mean she really was.

We had to wear clean clothes and take a bath. The other kids always wore their clothes for days. We reached the height of insults because she made our clothes herself, just to save money. Why, oh why, did we have to have a mother who made us feel different from our friends?
The worst is yet to come. We had to be in bed by nine each night and up at eight the next morning. We couldn't sleep till noon like our friends. So while they slept-my mother actually had the nerve to break the child-labor law. She made us work. We had to wash dishes, make beds, learn to cook and all sorts of cruel things. I believe she laid awake at night thinking up mean things to do to us.

She always insisted upon us telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, even if it killed us- and it nearly did.

By the time we were teen-agers, she was much wiser, and our life became even more unbearable. None of this tooting the horn of a car for us to come running. She embarrassed us to no end by making our dates and friends come to the door to get us. If I spent the night with a girlfriend, can you imagine she checked on me to see if I were really there. I never had the chance to elope to Mexico. That is if I'd had a boyfriend to elope with. I forgot to mention, while my friends were dating at the mature age of 12 and 13, my old fashioned mother refused to let me date until the age of 15 and 16. Fifteen, that is, if you dated only to go to a school function. And that was maybe twice a year.

Through the years, things didn't improve a bit. We could not lie in bed, "sick" like our friends did, and miss school. If our friends had a toe ache, a hang nail or serious ailment, they could stay home from school. Our marks in school had to be up to par. Our friends' report cards had beautiful colors on them, black for passing, red for failing. My mother being as different as she was, would settle for nothing less than ugly black marks.

As the years rolled by, first one and then the other of us was put to shame. We were graduated from high school. With our mother behind us, talking, hitting and demanding respect, none of us was allowed the pleasure of being a drop-out.

My mother was a complete failure as a mother. Out of four children, a couple of us attained some higher education. None of us have ever been arrested, divorced or beaten his mate. Each of my brothers served his time in the service of this country. And whom do we have to blame for the terrible way we turned out? You're right, our mean mother. Look at the things we missed. We never got to march in a protest parade, nor to take part in a riot, burn draft cards, and a million and one other things that our friends did.

She forced us to grow up into God-fearing, educated, honest adults. Using this as a background, I am trying to raise my three children. I stand a little taller and I am filled with pride when my children call me mean.

Because, you see, I thank God, He gave me the meanest mother in the whole world.

Memory Lane

I have always held onto my little boys coming home outfits, birth announcements and their first photo taken at the hospital. For Christmas this year, my present was to get them professionally framed as a heirloom keepsake (one for each child). Today I was getting the pictures together for the framer and had to share....I will post the finished frames once they are done.

Jonas (turns 12 next month)

Chase (now 4)

Cooper (now 7 months)

Wordless Wednesday

May be the only time Chase is accused of being an Angel!

Happy New Year

So what do you do to ring in the New Year when you have 3 kids, no babysitter and have no chance of being able to stay up until midnight? You go to Legoland California for their Kids New Years Eve celebration! They have live entertainment, fireworks and a ball that drops at 6pm! It is a great way to celebrate with your little ones and be off the road when the adult celebrations begin!

We found the one thing that mesmorizes Cooper more than bubbles.....fireworks! He didn't budge during the entire show.

Now that it is the New Year, that means it is time to get serious with my resolution to lose weight. I have a closet full of clothes I still can't fit into since Cooper was born so I have to figure out ways to get my workouts in and put down the chocolate! If you have any great tips on effective ways of fitting exercise in to a busy schedule PLEASE share! Before I had Cooper, I went to the gym 3 times a week at 5 in the morning and I just don't see that happening at this time.....

I hope 2008 brings all of you joy!!!!