I confess! I confess! I adore Bravo TV. I have a secret passion for finishing my work, closing up the computer, turning off the phone... and sneaking into bed ( with both kids asleep in my room!!!AGH!!)
with 1 glass of white wine.. and BRAVO TV.  There are a number of guilty pleasure shows that I like to indulge in.. although I did have to STOP watching some Real Housewives one season b/c it was getting me so frustrated and annoyed that I couldn't sleep. 

anyway, read this post about bethenny .. I  thought it was great- and right up our alley... do what you can with your kids when you can- create a practice, be organic with them and INCLUDE them in your health routine when you can.. Thanks BEthenny!  Here's a link below..  love the mamas practicing  yoga with the babes!  maybe she'll send us a picture..





http://www.everydayhealth.com/fitness/bethenny-frankels-secrets-to-staying-fit.aspx

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I'm actually disappointed.  I am REALLY trying not to be. I am trying to embrace where we are, who she is.. and all the things that come along with parenting a  3.5 year old. The good and the bad.

Mainly, I admit it.. my daughter is a sugar, movie, "stuff " junkie.

I remember just a few short months ago.. at DISNEY WORLD.. ( nonetheless) the girl didn't ask for a THING! We took her to a store before we left and said you can pick anything! And I think she picked a sticker or something. Really, she just wasn't interested. When we got back everyone asked how was Disney- and I really remember saying.. it was great, especially b/c she wasn't in the " Can I have... I want.. PLEASE MOMMY" stage.

Now, I am drowning. Everyday from the moment she wakes up, I have to hear " Can I watch a movie? Can I have a special treat? Can I have gum.. how about a Mint? "

"Mom, are we going to the bank today ( b/c they have lollipops! ) "
 " One more cookie.. please! PLEASE! "

" Mom, just listen. I DON'T have a small Ariel, I only have a BIG Ariel. I want a small Ariel." 
" Mom, PLEASE get me Snow White. I don't have any Snow Whites, except the small Snow White"

This goes on and on and on.. and did I mention she's obsessed with McDonalds. Yes, she is. If she sees the golden arches.. she starts yelling , "  I want a HAMBURGER".

I know this is common, I have spent many years around children ages 3-8... it's different now that it's my own children making these demands. And mostly, I'm sad about it. Very naively, I thought my child would be different. That if we allowed certain things sometimes, but not all the time, that she would be cool with it.. so we don't say " NO, NEVER." to most things. We say , "sure, once in a while you can ..." BUT, it's not working...

When she starts yelling at me the things she wants, my heart gets heavy. Slowly, with a calm voice I just remind her of all the good she has. I tell her she has so many things to be grateful for.  I just get all mom like and ask her if she appreciates all she has. She doesn't seem to get it.  We read stories and sing songs and engage in dialogue together about gratitude. We chant, practice posture and meditate.  She has so much. So much love, so much stuff, a full belly, an amazing family and group of friends...

We talk at length about being thankful for what we have and about helping others... about 2 seconds later.. she asks me, "can I watch a movie after dinner?" I 've set boundaries... movies only on weekends. But, she continues to ask. I thought that taking the middle road with tv, sugar, toys, etc would help create a relatively balanced child.   I'm learning that she pushes limits. She tests me and my capacity to stay consistent and grounded.

And the lesson?  I love that SHE TEACHES ME how to be patient , kind and loving in every situation. that after a  HUGE tantrum b/c I won't let her do something.. she crawls in my lap and snuggles me and becomes a baby again, just for a minute. 

I have a breathing practice that I have been doing when she gets all loud and tantrumy.. ( is that a word? )

inhale count of 4 - hold count of 7- exhale count of 8 ( repeat 4 times)

seems to be working , at least to cool my system down so I can deal with her demands more rationally.

other tips? 

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it's getting better every day..

can't wait for you to see it. ..

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Compassionate Families, practicing nonviolent communication (NVC), mindfulness, consensus-based approaches, unconditional parenting, or a mix of it, are looking to gather for a two-night camping weekend. See details below.

Feel free to forward to friends in the area who you think might enjoy such a weekend!

When: Fri, 10/21/2011 - 3:00pm - Sun, 10/23/2011 - 3:00pm

The Peace Circle, a group of Compassionate Parenting families, is excited to invite families and friends of children to a two-nights/three-days Camping Weekend, October 21-23, 2011 at Greenbrier State Park, MD.

We will be organizing some gatherings and activities throughout the weekend, using open slots of time where anyone who wants can offer any workshops/activities/games or related offers to compassionate parenting, nonviolent communication, mindfulness, etc. Our general dream and intention is to bask in the community of peaceful parenting and conscious living.

Registration Deadline: October 10, spots limited. (Registration is being extended until all spots are filled.)

Please contact Robin O'Brien at robinlea_t@hotmail.com with any questions.

Logistical Details:

Where: Greenbrier State Park, MD, in the Dogwood Loop
When: starts Friday October 21 afternoon/evening - ends Sunday October 23 afternoon.

Available Spots: We have 10 spots currently reserved/paid for, each allowing two small tents/cars or one large tent. Campers are also welcomed.

Greenbrier State Park, MD: Located in the Appalachian Mountains, this state park offers many recreational opportunities. The Appalachian Trail passes through the park. The 42-acre man-made lake and beach draw many visitors who enjoy swimming, canoeing, hiking, picnicking, fishing and hunting. Visit the Greenbrier State Park website for policies and information on pet, boating, hiking, trails, etc...
Greenbrier State Park has a small day-use fee of $3 for visitors.

Cost: it ranges, depending on final number of campers, from $54-$70 for the two nights. Consider contributing to the highest range to cover potential cancellation costs and provide scholarships for those who need financial assitance to attend.

Other Options: consider joining us for one night, or one day only. If more people sign up than our current sites allow, there may be more sites available.

Campground Details and Map: http://reservations.dnr.state.md.us/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=MD&parkId=380506

Greenbrier State Park cancellation policy: There is a $16 per night ($32/two-nights) cancellation fee if received 24 hour prior.

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Watch this to learn more about sign language for babies! http://youtu.be/yi4sL3mHw_g

Interested in sign language? Our lil omm teacher, Michelle, shares why it's so important to her and her family.

"After the birth of my first child, Annabelle, I knew immediately that I wanted to teach her sign language. Having a background in ASL, I had heard of how other parents taught their children to sign but I didn't know exactly why or how they did it. Once I started doing my research, I found the Baby Signs Program®. They had everything from books and dvds, to classes that helped families incorporate signing into their lives. They were also the first to be funded by the government to research the benefits of teaching sign language to babies.

I started to teach Annabelle how to sign when she was five months old. One month later, she started to sign MILK! I was so excited and proud of my baby girl. I kept teaching her other signs every day and read her the Baby Signs books and we would watch the dvds together and she learned the sign for MORE and PLEASE. When Annabelle was ten months, she went through her "sign spurt" and learned to sign two new signs a day! Dr. Linda Acredolo and Dr. Susan Goodwyn write about it in their book, Baby Signs, but I never thought that it would happen for us!

I think that the best thing about teaching my daughter to sign was that she was able to communicate with us far earlier than she would have if she hadn't learned to sign. We were able to resolve many situations with ease and I never experience "tantrums" that other parents of older children had warned me about. The best was when my mother-in-law had taken Annabelle to a store to buy clothes, and when they were walking down the aisle Annabelle's eyes lit up as she started signing DOG and pointing. When my mother-in-law looked in the direction that Annabelle was pointing, she saw a tiny book bag with a dog on it. They stopped to look at the bag and talk about the dog that Annabelle found. From that day on, my mother-in-law was even more excited about signing that I was!

When Liam, our second child, turned six months, we started to incorporate signs every day. Annabelle had so much fun sitting alongside him and teaching him the signs that she knew. Signing had turned out to be so much more than just a form of communication for us. Liam is now 20 months old and he is starting to lose his signs now that he is talking, but he still signs when he is very excited or REALLY wants something!

I loved what signing did for my family, so I decided to join the Baby Signs Program® as a certified instructor. I have been blessed to meet many wonderful families and share with them the joys and benefits of signing with their baby. The most important thing that I have gotten out of this wonderful experience is that while we teach our children to communicate with us, we are teaching ourselves to be more aware and mindful of how truly gifted and smart babies are."
--
Happy Signing,
Michelle Brady

Baby Signs® with Michelle
Baby Signs® Independent Certified Instructor

Serving Fairfax County
703-638-5333
signwithmichelle@gmail.com

"The World's Leading Sign Language Program for Hearing Babies"

Look me up on Facebook: Baby Signs with Michelle

REGISTER TODAY for a 6-week session, which includes a complete Baby Signs® Starter Kit! Baby Signs® Sign, Say, and Play with Michelle Brady will be held every Sunday starting November 6, 2011 through December 18, 2011 from 11:30am-12:30pm at Saffron Yoga (3629 Wilson Blvd near the Clarendon Metro station).  lil omm hopes to see you there!  Register for Sign, Say, and Play Workshop Here!

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My husband is truly a saint. He's been spending the past few days here.. pulling up the OLD carpet that was STAPLED AND GLUED to the floor..  ( and of course the best picture of the space seems to be corrupted and I can't upload it )  But, here are a few..for those who are curious.

 childcare room- you can see where mel took the wall down in between 2 smaller offices

 the hallway from the reception/kids room- looking into the studio

a view of the studio from the back door.

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Check out these pics...
I'll blog about our TRANSOFRMATION to the new lil omm home!

We can't wait.. here we come TENLEYTOWN!

Here's the "before" ....

STAY TUNED for  "after"

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