Julian had one friend sleep over for his fifth birthday this year. The child’s family came over for a pizza and salad dinner, and guess what? That’s eight people around our table. Eight is enough, right?

I was so in love with some of the other birthday parties I saw on the interwebz this month, those with lovingly designed party favor bags and cupcake toppers, that I couldn’t resist spending a few minutes making something personalized for the party. I think these little decorations could be used for any age of party, from one to 99.

I bought a package of orange circle stickers from the Paper Source, which has a store near me. On their website, there is a Word template you can download so that whatever you type on the Word doc will show up in the center of the stickers. I typed a number 5 and used different fonts for variety.

Then I looked in our wrapping paper stash for ribbon. I cut a few lengths of it and taped it to our doorway. Then I placed a sticker on each side of the ribbon every six inches or so. Repeat.

The second thing I did with the “5″ stickers was place them on each side of a toothpick. Then I stuck the toothpicks in the brownies.

I really really wish these were cupcakes. I think it would look much better, but the birthday boy was with me at the store selecting a mix (yes, I am that type of mom) and he insisted that he loves brownies.

I did have a few stickers left, and I could have made more streamers, but I decided to hand them over to the pre-K class so they could use them on the birthday crowns they make.

If you think there’s a chance you can be mistaken for a non-parent who can Work Hard and Play Hard just like any other twenty-something-single dude, then, by all means, don’t read this book.

If, however, you are struggling along (like the rest of us) to find some BALANCE between those conflicting forces of guilt and pleasure called WORK and HOME, then Happy at Work, Happy at Home is another great book in the library of the working mom. It is at once supportive, encouraging, and practical.

I was in a job interview recently (while this book was tucked in the backpack at my feet) vacillating between pretending I was a childfree workaholic and knowing better. Of course my interviewer actually said, “I like to work hard and play hard” and fished for personal information about me with “I don’t know if you have any kids…” so it’s no wonder I feel conflicted asking for what I need and deserve.

I was very lucky to hear authors Caitlin and Kim speak at a working moms lunch. Ironically, I think I was the only person there without a “real job” but that’s not my point. They were smartly dressed (not my usual vocabulary but seriously cute dresses!) and humble in discussing the sticky web of topics surrounding working parents.

They told us during their presentation that their first draft of this book, written after interviewing dozens of high-power working moms, was a depressing collage of women on the brink. It turns out that there are many mistakes, and if you ask enough working moms, you will find someone who has made every one of them. At one time or another, we’ve all been guilty of taking on too much, taking on too little, and being known as the person who says all the wrong things. At least that was some comfort. Schadenfreude always is, yes?

After putting on their rose-colored glasses and working with an editor, the book morphed into a positive, upbeat collection of lessons learned the hard way. These working-mom-life-lessons are now organized and offered to us so that we can make a new batch of mistakes and avoid some of the common ones.

Here are a few of Kim and Caitlins’ 100 Reasons why it’s great to be a working mom:
Working moms…
5. Know that personal lives matter.
28. Delegate with respect.
56. Keep their word.
65. Set clear expectations.
80. Read the room.
82. Dress for success.
99. Keep lots of balls in the air.

Yes. Yes. And yes. Just as a former colleague told me recently, “You were great when we worked together, and I know you’re even better now.” We might all need some mantras of affirmation, but the working-me is still in there. And the me-who-deals-with-crazy-boys all the time is the cherry on top of the sundae.

Buy Happy at Work, Happy at Home on Amazon and throw us a few nickels.
Read more about their work with the Girls’ Guide at HappyatWorkHappyatHome.com.

—-
I got the book for free for attending their Yodeling Mamas lunch. I think I also got a salad and bottle of water. Though the talk was great, the monetary value was probably not equal to the gas I used to drive to the event in Sunnyvale.

An umbrella is a terrific gift for a preschooler. My toddler loves to hold her own kid-sized umbrella, and it gives us something to do on a rainy day – go outside and stand there with an umbrella over our heads.

I saw this rainbow umbrella for kids in a Museum catalog and thought it was worth sharing. Then, when I searched for it on Amazon, I found even more cuteness – all six umbrellas are less than $20.00. Great gift for nieces or nephews.

Rainbow Spectrum Umbrella

Cloud Umbrella for Kids (comes in adult size, too!)

Monkey Umbrella

Red Polka Dot Umbrella

Apple of My Eye Umbrella

Ladybug Umbrella

I was way into football in high school and college: face-painting, dating the quarterback, the whole nine yards (which might actually be a military metaphor rather than a football metaphor, but whatever!). Since moving to San Francisco from America’s heartland (and marrying a man more interested in triathlon than touchdowns), my interest has waned.

But if I were still a football chick (or had one of those football-loving partners), I can imagine a whole bunch of weekend afternoons trading naptime for tailgating.

Baby Gabriel is 3 months old at his first game

Amy is a mom of 4 year-old Becca and five-month-old Beau and a sports nutrition specialist. In addition to raising her two children, she works as a nutrition consultant to brands such as glaceau vitaminwater.

Amy lives in Houston, where the temperature is hovering around the high 80’s with lots of humidity, and where football is a way of life. With the football season underway, she offered to share some of her favorite family-friendly (and healthy) tailgating snacks and activities.

Amy tells us:

With football season in full swing and temps finally becoming tolerable, I’m ready to give the kiddies a go at our tailgate this weekend. Years ago, this group was limited to a bunch of downtown young professionals making the haul back to our old collegiate stomping grounds. Needless to say, we’re all “hauling” a lot more these days. Kids, gear, food and drink, and countless activities to make the day more enjoyable for everyone!

In our group, the hubbies work the grill while the rest of us munch on snacks and prep the accompaniments. Chicken sandwiches and burgers make the menu this week, with whole wheat buns and green salad all around. Post-partum mommies in the crowd (like myself!) can opt for bun-less chicken or burger with hearty salads and carrot sticks. I’m always in charge of bringing the “responsible” (a.k.a. healthy) beverage options. I’m a big fan of vitaminwater and so are my kids, so I pack a big cooler for everyone to enjoy. We’re planning some fruit skewers with dessert as well, to delight the kids and encourage some more healthy eating.

We’ve found some great snacks that are really essential to keeping the kids going for a long day. Snacks like string cheese and apples are great additions to the cooler. We also throw red grapes in a Ziploc and keep them on ice. I’m never out with the kids without peanut butter to-go. I love the portion, and the container makes for a nice “dip” if you have crackers or sliced fruit. My daughter will probably help me make some trail mix Friday night that we can portion out into snack bags. She loves the M&M’s, and I like to mix in craisins, almonds, cashews and granola clusters. Sneaky mommy, getting that healthy fat and fiber into their snacks!

I’ll be wearing Baby #2 in the Baby Bjorn this year, which will be a nice workout for me for the day. He’ll be great. Isn’t it funny how kids sleep so well amidst the roar of the crowd?

I’ll be packing a few time-stretching activities in my bag of tricks too:

• I’m thinking the bean bag toss will be a good game for the four- and five-year-old set, and they all love to watch the big kids throw the footballs and try to play their game.
• Face paint has been fun in the past, but we’re holding off until it’s a bit cooler. I highly recommend that once your local weather prevents heavy sweating during playtime…We’ve got a few weeks to go on that here in Texas!
• This week, I’m going to try out sidewalk chalk as well. Since our tailgate site is the stadium parking lot, we should have tons of blank canvas!

Anyone else have any great tailgating tips for babies through preschoolers? Please share in our comments.
—
Thanks to Amy for sharing these great ideas! It’s almost enough to make me pack up the kids, the snacks, and the sidewalk chalk for a Cal Bears game. Almost.

Disclosure: VitaminWater did not send us product or money but did share these tips for rookie parents. They also asked that we tell you that vw has nutrients galore, like c and b vitamins and electrolytes. Amy’s four year-old loves all the flavors and colors, and she thinks a big plus is that it’s naturally sweetened.

[Photo credit Elizabeth Sanchez]

Some people you just like instantly. Even if you’ve only met them online through their blogs.

This summer, my friend Isobel introduced me via email to Susie who is an artist and a writer. She is the same age as I am, and a mother of two kids who are the same ages and genders as mine. Now I read her blog, Inner Toddler. She’s so funny and real, I feel like she’s a friend.

I loved Susie’s idea to let her son give HER stickers for good behavior, and I want to give it a try. Who cares if it doesn’t last? Sometimes just a few days on a new kick can infuse a new strain of glee into my dynamic with my kids. I can’t do it justice by summarizing Susie’s post, so I’m just going to reprint her whole post here:

Nothing Sticks

We used to put star stickers on a calendar for my son when he had a whine-free day or some such other amorphous distinction. And we’d give him a monster sticker if he was bad. Or we’d threaten the monster sticker. He used to completely come apart at the very thought of a monster sticker on his calendar to the point where I just didn’t have the heart to ever give him one. Anyway, it never really worked, the whole sticker thing. Mostly because the reward was not for something concrete (really, is there ever a whine-free day? Let’s be honest with ourselves…). I could see how stickers might work for making your bed or brushing your teeth—these are measurable behaviors. Not for the absence of whining. But we also weren’t especially consistent, plus I could never follow through with the monster. Too damaging. I had wanted simple green dots and red dots but couldn’t find any. The monsters were actually super cute. Mrs. Grossmans. Love that woman. What’s my point here…

Anyway, a few weeks ago I turned around and told my son that he could give me stickers every time I did my workout video on a given day. It lasted for about three days. It appears that nothing really motivates me to exercise. Not even stickers. Plus, my two kids always felt compelled to do the exercises with me and I was often scared of dropping a weight on someone’s tiny toes. But the sight of the two of them, often naked, flinging their arms around and doing kicks and poses, looking from the TV to me and back to the TV—I could hardly contain my laughter. But even that’s not enough to make me exercise every day.

Oh Susie, I haven’t exercised for at least 16 days. You are not alone.

If you love Susie now, buy her artwork. Or read her blog.

When I am queen of the universe, I will never ever have to do another dish. Nobody in my house will leave the cap off the toothpaste or leave a wet towel on the floor. And if, by chance, I ever do it, someone will pick up immediately after me without any judgment or dirty looks.

Part of our task master (AKA referee)

Since I’m not the official queen of anything and I still hate doing dishes, Alec and I used the Nest’s Task master checklist as a means to divide up our regular chores. TheNest.com is a sister site to wedding-planning site,The Knot, and it’s for newlyweds. I only got to use that site for about one month before having to turn my allegiance to BabyCenter and The Bump (the daughter site) but that’s a story for another day.

The Taskmaster List divides up the sweeping and dusting but also gift buying and vacation planning. What’s fun about this activity is the feeling of relief you will get when it’s done, and the pleasure of seeing it all written down.

What’s lame about this activity is that it might also cause you to face your own June-Cleaver fantasies or shed some light on your mate’s primal Neanderthal leanings. Or maybe that was just me.

Go on, get started on your own chore list!

Yesterday while my baby slept, I went around the house and gathered up all my shoes. There were some in my bedroom, some in the hall closet and some under the desk and dining room table. I brought them all into one clear space and laid them out in a grid. My objective? Toss my six least-favorite pairs of shoes.

Setting up the grid was satisfying. I was able to see how many shoes I have in the Sneaker category, Dress Up category and Boots category. It was a revelation and quite a trip down memory lane. I picked the worst shoes in each row and moved them to the toss pile. Then I struggled to come up with two more pairs I can do without. I have two pairs of running shoes and I rarely ever run (tossed the pair with the most miles on them).

Dear Clunky Pink Boots (back row) purchased on Haight Street: Alas, I am too old for you. I will miss you. But probably not too often.

The positive outcome is that I fit my remaining shoes into existing storage containers and I was reminded of some great shoes that I had forgotten about.

Confession #1: When my husband got home and I told him what I had done, he said that I had some shoes in the car as well.

Confession #2: I had 34 pairs of shoes, and I counted my husband’s shoes to make sure I was not insane and he had 34 as well. Now I can gloat about having a more streamlined shoe collection.

Confession #3: I took numerous photos of the grid of shoes. I also color-code my books.

What’s stopping you?

Related entry: Do the 27-Fling Boogie

This week marked my fifth anniversary in parenting. My rookie baby is five years old.

This means that it was exactly five years ago that the story that Heather and I like to tell about our concurrent pregnancies occurred. I was in labor at the hospital, and when the nurse notified the doctor, who was across the street seeing patients at her office, to head over to my L&D room to check on the baby’s heart rate, it was Heather who was left sitting on the exam table.

It was five years ago that Ryan and I met our son.

And now he is a vampire.

If you’ve just had a baby for the first time, like my freshman roommate (Hi Sarah!), I’m sure five-years old seems a long way off. And it is. Just as you may be in awe that you made a whole person who now lives in your house with you, I am equally in awe that the person I created now says, “I’m totally into my ukelele,” or “I am thinking about getting married… but I’m not sure if it will be to Adeline or Lila.”

When Julian said he wanted to be a vampire for Halloween, I felt like he was getting so old. I told him about the hair gel for kids (and babies?!) I had been offered as a sample to review, and that nailed the coffin, so to speak. He could not wait to have me slick his hair back, put white make-up on his face, and darken his eyebrows. There is no doubt this kid will be in the drama club.

*If you have a bald baby, you are surely confused by this product. Remember that some of us produce babies with hair. Some with LOTS of hair.

For the past few weeks, when any visitor to our house asked what he planned to be for Halloween, he ran upstairs to retrieve that hair gel and show it to them. It became the symbol of the evening we looked forward to all month. Having a Halloween-adjacent birthday suits him perfectly.

So thank you, Le Baby, for the hair gel.

Thank you, Heather, for chopping the bottom off of a pewter bridesmaid’s dress and giving me the extra fabric with which I made a shiny collar for Julian’s cape.

Thank you, Sesame Street, for teaching preschoolers about The Count as a gateway drug to vampires.

And thank you Julian, for being the most inspiring and creative little boy I could have ever imagined was moving in with us five years ago. I love you so very much.

This week marked my fifth anniversary in parenting. My rookie baby is five years old.

This means that it was exactly five years ago that the story that Heather and I like to tell about our concurrent pregnancies occurred. I was in labor at the hospital, and when the nurse notified the doctor, who was across the street seeing patients at her office, to head over to my L&D room to check on the baby’s heart rate, it was Heather who was left sitting on the exam table.

It was five years ago that Ryan and I met our son.

And now he is a vampire.

If you’ve just had a baby for the first time, like my freshman roommate (Hi Sarah!), I’m sure five-years old seems a long way off. And it is. Just as you may be in awe that you made a whole person who now lives in your house with you, I am equally in awe that the person I created now says, “I’m totally into my ukelele,” or “I am thinking about getting married… but I’m not sure if it will be to Adeline or Lila.”

When Julian said he wanted to be a vampire for Halloween, I felt like he was getting so old. I told him about the hair gel for kids (and babies?!) I had been offered as a sample to review, and that nailed the coffin, so to speak. He could not wait to have me slick his hair back, put white make-up on his face, and darken his eyebrows. There is no doubt this kid will be in the drama club.

*If you have a bald baby, you are surely confused by this product. Remember that some of us produce babies with hair. Some with LOTS of hair.

For the past few weeks, when any visitor to our house asked what he planned to be for Halloween, he ran upstairs to retrieve that hair gel and show it to them. It became the symbol of the evening we looked forward to all month. Having a Halloween-adjacent birthday suits him perfectly.

So thank you, Le Baby, for the hair gel.

Thank you, Heather, for chopping the bottom off of a pewter bridesmaid’s dress and giving me the extra fabric with which I made a shiny collar for Julian’s cape.

Thank you, Sesame Street, for teaching preschoolers about The Count as a gateway drug to vampires.

And thank you Julian, for being the most inspiring and creative little boy I could have ever imagined was moving in with us five years ago. I love you so very much.

Irony alert: I don’t let my kids play video games and I limit their TV screen time, but I’m usually willing to hand over my iPhone to pass the time.

I realized that I was a huge hypocrite on a recent flight from San Francisco to Cleveland when we let Holden (now 4) watch the entire Toy Story movie on the airplane, then we let Milo (precious little 2 1/2) watch the movie next.

Milo and Holden using the iPhones

Afterward, we felt a little better worse mixed-up about tossing the iPhone into the back seat during long car-rides around town. But we did it.

Free apps he likes:
iWrite Words (Lite version is FREE): Letter tracing with fingers. Making him smart.
Do Not Press: Drives me crazy but Rookie Dad Alec and Holden like it. Little jokes about not pressing a red button.
Bloons: The kids’ first shooting game. Nice.

Paid apps he likes:
iPlay n Learn (from Parents Mag): 3 modes to allow various pre-literacy and literacy fun, letter finding and tracing.
Wheels on the Bus: silly interactions to a favorite song with self-recording mode. A Rookie Dad Ryan fave.
iChalky (has the distinction of being my first paid app): cool program where stick figure dances and can be stretched. Both kids like it.

Reader recommended apps:
@luckyduck21 says: Blowfish (FREE). Our twins love it. No idea why…
@Keonismama says: fav apps Look Baby! (FREE) and sesame street podcasts my 1 yr loves them both
@selfmademom says: Tozzle, Scoops, Flight Control ($.99 but we’re gonna check it out!). Uhm, not that we sit on the ipod all day
@Magpiemusing votes: Ducky Derby
@grace134 says: There’s a get the pee in the potty on that my son LOVES, not sure the name. (I couldn’t find it, you gotta tell us the name!)
@wcopley says: Try the “Up” game. Balloon popping fun for free.

Please share some other favorite games and tricks for amusing your toddlers and preschoolers on the iPhone!

—-
Disclosure: Parents magazine sent me a free copy of their new app. He liked it. He really liked it.

Irony alert: I don’t let my kids play video games and I limit their TV screen time, but I’m usually willing to hand over my iPhone to pass the time.

I realized that I was a huge hypocrite on a recent flight from San Francisco to Cleveland when we let Holden (now 4) watch the entire Toy Story movie on the airplane, then we let Milo (precious little 2 1/2) watch the movie next.

Milo and Holden using the iPhones

Afterward, we felt a little better worse mixed-up about tossing the iPhone into the back seat during long car-rides around town. But we did it.

Free apps he likes:
iWrite Words (Lite version is FREE): Letter tracing with fingers. Making him smart.
Do Not Press: Drives me crazy but Rookie Dad Alec and Holden like it. Little jokes about not pressing a red button.
Bloons: The kids’ first shooting game. Nice.

Paid apps he likes:
iPlay n Learn (from Parents Mag): 3 modes to allow various pre-literacy and literacy fun, letter finding and tracing.
Wheels on the Bus: silly interactions to a favorite song with self-recording mode. A Rookie Dad Ryan fave.
iChalky (has the distinction of being my first paid app): cool program where stick figure dances and can be stretched. Both kids like it.

Reader recommended apps:
@luckyduck21 says: Blowfish (FREE). Our twins love it. No idea why…
@Keonismama says: fav apps Look Baby! (FREE) and sesame street podcasts my 1 yr loves them both
@selfmademom says: Tozzle, Scoops, Flight Control ($.99 but we’re gonna check it out!). Uhm, not that we sit on the ipod all day
@Magpiemusing votes: Ducky Derby
@grace134 says: There’s a get the pee in the potty on that my son LOVES, not sure the name. (I couldn’t find it, you gotta tell us the name!)
@wcopley says: Try the “Up” game. Balloon popping fun for free.

Please share some other favorite games and tricks for amusing your toddlers and preschoolers on the iPhone!

—-
Disclosure: Parents magazine sent me a free copy of their new app. He liked it. He really liked it.

This is my favorite format of a Mom’s Group picture. If you have the chance to imitate it, please do!

I saw it on the Facebook page of a former co-worker and he gave me permission to publish. Thanks, Rookie Dad Eric!

This is my favorite format of a Mom’s Group picture. If you have the chance to imitate it, please do!

I saw it on the Facebook page of a former co-worker and he gave me permission to publish. Thanks, Rookie Dad Eric!

At the beginning of September, I set out to rally my peeps for a diaper drive. I was inspired by Help A Mother Out and figured that between my children’s two schools, my family, neighbors, and friends, I would be able to generate a 1000-diaper donation for my nearby women’s drop-in center. They serve a population of women who don’t always have the money for diapers they need and whose public assistance funds are not always applicable for diapers.

Now for my bragging
Thanks my neighbors and friends, the box I placed outside my side door got filled many times over with diapers. When I first counted and realized I was at 600, I began to worry that 1000 was a lofty goal. I sent a status update email to motivate my network. I cheered myself on publicly via Facebook. As my self-assigned deadline approached, the diapers appeared at a faster pace. I was excited.

I attended a little gathering of bloggers at an E.L.F. make-up party and asked those ladies to donate. Some gave diapers and some gave me cash. (Turns out that women who have never themselves shopped for diapers are overwhelmed by the thought of choosing a size and brand.) The cash was worth even more than the face value as my husband took it to CVS and used some heavy-weight coupons and his clever math strategery to maximize the number of diapers he brought home.

I was proud. I had about 1500 diapers spread all over the floor in my home office. I took them to the Women’s Drop-In Center and spent the rest of the day feeling like a powerful superhero.

And then. More.

My friend Kimberley, a recipient of my email call to action, passed the word about my drive to her associates at Safeway, our regional grocery chain. The marketing person in charge of their house brand, Mom to Mom, decided she would match my drive with a generous donation of 1000 diapers from Safeway. I picked them up at my local store and headed back to the Women’s Drop-In center. I hope that the Mom to Mom team spent the rest of their day feeling like superheroes.

Frequently Asked Question: What about cloth?
When I initially posted about this and also asked my neighbors for donations, many asked why these folks do not use cloth diapers. Yes, for those of us who have a predictable place to hang our diaper bags each night, cloth diapers may be a money-saving choice. Imagine you are in transition, however. Different friends and shelters are serving as your bed each night. Or perhaps your apartment does not have a laundry facility on site, and laundromats do not allow diaper washing for sanitary reasons. For those folks and for the truly homeless, carting around soiled diapers until laundry becomes available is simply not practical.

Did anyone else take my challenge and become a diaper superhero? What are you waiting for?

At the beginning of September, I set out to rally my peeps for a diaper drive. I was inspired by Help A Mother Out and figured that between my children’s two schools, my family, neighbors, and friends, I would be able to generate a 1000-diaper donation for my nearby women’s drop-in center. They serve a population of women who don’t always have the money for diapers they need and whose public assistance funds are not always applicable for diapers.

Now for my bragging
Thanks my neighbors and friends, the box I placed outside my side door got filled many times over with diapers. When I first counted and realized I was at 600, I began to worry that 1000 was a lofty goal. I sent a status update email to motivate my network. I cheered myself on publicly via Facebook. As my self-assigned deadline approached, the diapers appeared at a faster pace. I was excited.

I attended a little gathering of bloggers at an E.L.F. make-up party and asked those ladies to donate. Some gave diapers and some gave me cash. (Turns out that women who have never themselves shopped for diapers are overwhelmed by the thought of choosing a size and brand.) The cash was worth even more than the face value as my husband took it to CVS and used some heavy-weight coupons and his clever math strategery to maximize the number of diapers he brought home.

I was proud. I had about 1500 diapers spread all over the floor in my home office. I took them to the Women’s Drop-In Center and spent the rest of the day feeling like a powerful superhero.

And then. More.

My friend Kimberley, a recipient of my email call to action, passed the word about my drive to her associates at Safeway, our regional grocery chain. The marketing person in charge of their house brand, Mom to Mom, decided she would match my drive with a generous donation of 1000 diapers from Safeway. I picked them up at my local store and headed back to the Women’s Drop-In center. I hope that the Mom to Mom team spent the rest of their day feeling like superheroes.

Frequently Asked Question: What about cloth?
When I initially posted about this and also asked my neighbors for donations, many asked why these folks do not use cloth diapers. Yes, for those of us who have a predictable place to hang our diaper bags each night, cloth diapers may be a money-saving choice. Imagine you are in transition, however. Different friends and shelters are serving as your bed each night. Or perhaps your apartment does not have a laundry facility on site, and laundromats do not allow diaper washing for sanitary reasons. For those folks and for the truly homeless, carting around soiled diapers until laundry becomes available is simply not practical.

Did anyone else take my challenge and become a diaper superhero? What are you waiting for?

This month, Holden rode a two-wheeler for the first time. He was amazing. With his dad’s encouragement, he rode down half a block, then a block, then around the park. Before our 40 minute riding session was over, he had figured out how to start by himself. Next lesson: stopping.

Do you know the Justin Roberts song about learning to ride a bike? Taking Off My Training Wheels is funny because its so true: “started off with three wheels, then I went to four, just to get to two” (from the album Meltdown! which I love).

In our case, we went from 3 to 2 to 1 just to get back to 2.

THREE. We started Holden with a tricycle that he couldn’t pedal. Having watched many two- and three-year olds on a tricycle, I got the impression that it was hard. Have you ever tried it? I rode a big tricycle last year at the preschool bikeathon and it was frakking hard (pictured below).

Rookie Dad Alec pedals Milo on a trike. Closed course.

Parents of toddlers, may I suggest the trikes with the long pole in back to allow you to push little riders up hills without straining your back? You are welcome.

TWO. The next vehicle we tried was a Skuut “wobbly bike” that Holden nicknamed because he would straddle the bike and just wobble around. The gimmick here is that the bike has no pedals so little riders can focus solely on balance. At first, he sat on the seat and sorta kinda walked with the like-bike under his bum providing little assistance. Eventually, we taught him to lift his feet by chanting “step, step, glide!” as we walked beside him.

Holden learning to master the Skuut

As he has grown, the wobbly bike has also grown. It has 3 different heights on the seat position. Now that he has mastered it, he can cruise faster than Alec can run (faster than many bigger kids can bike). At this year’s bike rodeo, he demonstrated his prowess by swiftly gliding from the back of the bike parade to the front.

ONE. The next logical vehicle might have been a two-wheeled bike with training wheels. However, we had become firmly (and oddly) entrenched in our anti-training-wheels stance. So our next step was to buy a trail-a-bike from a friend at preschool. This one-wheeled device hooked on to Alec’s seat post to form a tandem.

As expected, the first ride was wobbly. By the end of an hour of practice, though, Holden was beyond thrilled. After riding the roads and paths hitched to Alec’s bike, his smile was so wide. I think he would do it all day if we let him.

FINALLY, TWO. Last week we found a kid-size two-wheeler at a garage sale for $3. The offer was too good to pass up. When we finally tried it, he just rode like he already knew how.

Holden riding a bike for the first time

Yep after about two years of prep, it didn’t take much at all.

What kind of devices, tools, or tricks have you used in the effort to get your kid on wheels?

My array of tools:
- Justin Roberts Meltdown! cd on amazon
- Skuut Balance bike on amazon
- Buy a trail-a-bike
- Tonka two-wheeler (or from your neighbor for $3)

—-
Disclosure: None of the products were given to us for promotional consideration; however we did receive the trike and skuut as Christmas gifts. We also purchased the trailabike and two-wheeler used. Always buy new helmets.

This month, Holden rode a two-wheeler for the first time. He was amazing. With his dad’s encouragement, he rode down half a block, then a block, then around the park. Before our 40 minute riding session was over, he had figured out how to start by himself. Next lesson: stopping.

Do you know the Justin Roberts song about learning to ride a bike? Taking Off My Training Wheels is funny because its so true: “started off with three wheels, then I went to four, just to get to two” (from the album Meltdown! which I love).

In our case, we went from 3 to 2 to 1 just to get back to 2.

THREE. We started Holden with a tricycle that he couldn’t pedal. Having watched many two- and three-year olds on a tricycle, I got the impression that it was hard. Have you ever tried it? I rode a big tricycle last year at the preschool bikeathon and it was frakking hard (pictured below).

Rookie Dad Alec pedals Milo on a trike. Closed course.

Parents of toddlers, may I suggest the trikes with the long pole in back to allow you to push little riders up hills without straining your back? You are welcome.

TWO. The next vehicle we tried was a Skuut “wobbly bike” that Holden nicknamed because he would straddle the bike and just wobble around. The gimmick here is that the bike has no pedals so little riders can focus solely on balance. At first, he sat on the seat and sorta kinda walked with the like-bike under his bum providing little assistance. Eventually, we taught him to lift his feet by chanting “step, step, glide!” as we walked beside him.

Holden learning to master the Skuut

As he has grown, the wobbly bike has also grown. It has 3 different heights on the seat position. Now that he has mastered it, he can cruise faster than Alec can run (faster than many bigger kids can bike). At this year’s bike rodeo, he demonstrated his prowess by swiftly gliding from the back of the bike parade to the front.

ONE. The next logical vehicle might have been a two-wheeled bike with training wheels. However, we had become firmly (and oddly) entrenched in our anti-training-wheels stance. So our next step was to buy a trail-a-bike from a friend at preschool. This one-wheeled device hooked on to Alec’s seat post to form a tandem.

As expected, the first ride was wobbly. By the end of an hour of practice, though, Holden was beyond thrilled. After riding the roads and paths hitched to Alec’s bike, his smile was so wide. I think he would do it all day if we let him.

FINALLY, TWO. Last week we found a kid-size two-wheeler at a garage sale for $3. The offer was too good to pass up. When we finally tried it, he just rode like he already knew how.

Holden riding a bike for the first time

Yep after about two years of prep, it didn’t take much at all.

What kind of devices, tools, or tricks have you used in the effort to get your kid on wheels?

My array of tools:
- Justin Roberts Meltdown! cd on amazon
- Skuut Balance bike on amazon
- Buy a trail-a-bike
- Tonka two-wheeler (or from your neighbor for $3)

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Disclosure: None of the products were given to us for promotional consideration; however we did receive the trike and skuut as Christmas gifts. We also purchased the trailabike and two-wheeler used. Always buy new helmets.

San Francisco-based photographer Nancy Alcott is a rookie mom who is on a mission to save you from yourself when it comes to producing a photo appropriate for a holiday card. Her aesthetic is clean and modern. No holiday sweaters allowed.

Here are Nancy’s tips:

Dress them like kids, not elves.
The holidays are festive but be careful not to overdo it on the outfits. Avoid busy holiday motifs or bold patterns and stick to simpler, solid colors to ensure their faces are the hero of your photo, not junior’s explosion-at-the-candy-cane-factory jumper.

Lineups are criminal.
For truly distinctive shots, forego the typical family lineup by paying attention to backdrop and poses. I like keeping subjects away from walls and busy backdrops, opting instead for cozier, more natural settings. Also play around capturing your subjects in ways other than dead-on facing the camera. A slightly turned head or angled shoulder turn can be the difference between capturing a cast of characters versus a night at the precinct.

“A” is for Auto. “B” is for stop doing that.
Automatic mode can help ensure a decent photo but to get the best effects for close-ups on faces, choose “portrait” mode, or for the more adventurous types with more advanced cameras, “aperture” mode. Experimenting with these modes can create beautiful artistic effects by blurring out the background and drawing attention to your subject’s face.

Teach your camera colors.
Learning advanced features can be daunting so I always tell amateur photographers to experiment first with white balance (sometimes abbreviated “WB” on cameras) because it will have the biggest impact on creating true colors. Believe it or not, your camera can only guess at precisely what colors it’s looking at. Setting your white balance (sunny, cloudy, fluorescent, etc.) ensures your colors are accurately portrayed.

Testing 1, 2, 3…
99% of the time, my best results are when the subject least expects to be photographed. Candids tend to draw out your subjects personality, before they go rigid readying their pose. One trick I use to get great semi-posed portraits – tell your subjects to pose for some “test” shots to help you prepare your camera. If they think it’s not for real, they’ll tend to be much more expressive and natural.

Get more inspiration from Nancy by browsing the photos at her website.

San Francisco-based photographer Nancy Alcott is a rookie mom who is on a mission to save you from yourself when it comes to producing a photo appropriate for a holiday card. Her aesthetic is clean and modern. No holiday sweaters allowed.

Here are Nancy’s tips:

Dress them like kids, not elves.
The holidays are festive but be careful not to overdo it on the outfits. Avoid busy holiday motifs or bold patterns and stick to simpler, solid colors to ensure their faces are the hero of your photo, not junior’s explosion-at-the-candy-cane-factory jumper.

Lineups are criminal.
For truly distinctive shots, forego the typical family lineup by paying attention to backdrop and poses. I like keeping subjects away from walls and busy backdrops, opting instead for cozier, more natural settings. Also play around capturing your subjects in ways other than dead-on facing the camera. A slightly turned head or angled shoulder turn can be the difference between capturing a cast of characters versus a night at the precinct.

“A” is for Auto. “B” is for stop doing that.
Automatic mode can help ensure a decent photo but to get the best effects for close-ups on faces, choose “portrait” mode, or for the more adventurous types with more advanced cameras, “aperture” mode. Experimenting with these modes can create beautiful artistic effects by blurring out the background and drawing attention to your subject’s face.

Teach your camera colors.
Learning advanced features can be daunting so I always tell amateur photographers to experiment first with white balance (sometimes abbreviated “WB” on cameras) because it will have the biggest impact on creating true colors. Believe it or not, your camera can only guess at precisely what colors it’s looking at. Setting your white balance (sunny, cloudy, fluorescent, etc.) ensures your colors are accurately portrayed.

Testing 1, 2, 3…
99% of the time, my best results are when the subject least expects to be photographed. Candids tend to draw out your subjects personality, before they go rigid readying their pose. One trick I use to get great semi-posed portraits – tell your subjects to pose for some “test” shots to help you prepare your camera. If they think it’s not for real, they’ll tend to be much more expressive and natural.

Get more inspiration from Nancy by browsing the photos at her website.

Whether you’re a total zen mama or a skeptic, I highly recommend learning a few techniques of infant massage. You can enjoy some quiet time and get to know your baby’s tiny developing body AND often get the kid to chill out and go to sleep. Win win.

I took a short workshop in baby massage with my mom’s group and picked up a few other pointers in a kick-ass mommy yoga class. Only one baby had to leave early for having a melt-down. The Baby Whisperer book has a ten-step plan to great infant massage (that I’ve used for reference).

Ease into it and stop if either of you are too bothered to continue. It can be fun for both of you even if you are making it up as you go. Then you can build up to a longer massage when you’re both ready.

Some quick tips and ideas:

• Keep the room warm and cozy – maybe throw some hand towels in the dryer beforehand (one for underneath and one to cover the baby while you’re working on other bits).
• Talk through what you’re doing (i.e., “I’m making swirly motions on your teeny tiny foot with my thumbs”).
• Use a little bit of olive oil on your hands.
• Let dad try it himself (without you supervising).
• Try it while traveling to help baby unwind and feel “at home”.
• Move on if baby seems annoyed. Try another body part or give it up entirely…

I’m convinced that massage is a great pre-bedtime ritual because even a short massage makes babies hungry, tired and quite happy. I used to give Holden massages whenever we traveled away from hom overnight. But whenever you do it, try to relax and enjoy the moment.