My oldest had a birthday. Part of his gift was going to a baseball game, which has become his birthday tradition. He loves going, even though he still hasn’t learned all the lingo or who even all the players are. Something about going to a game is exciting. I can relate.

I thought it was sweet because he wanted to take his brother G.

Another thing was he finally {after asking everyday for months} received a Lego Pirates of the Carribean Black Pearl Ship.

He put it together in less than 1.5 hours flat. It was ah-mazing to witness.

Oh and…

He is now 9.

Nine

9

Nine

Yeah no matter how I write it he is getting older.  And while Mike & I are loving seeing him grow into a handsome, bright, loving young man.

DID I mention he IS already 9?! That means we are half-way to 18!

Hold me.

This week Baby Girl attempted to let go of the furniture she has been holding on to while cruising around and take a step. She tried to walk. All on her own. However, as is often the case with trying to walk, she has not yet succeeded.

No, instead she bumped her cheek. When it happened I picked her up, hugged her, wiped her tears and comforted her. Once she was ready I then helped her try again.

As I did this all the kids were worried. They rushed over and wanted to make sure she never fall again. They asked “Can’t we make it so she doesn’t fall ever again?” They wanted to protect her, to care for her, and part of that is desire is wanting to make her world one with as little discomfort as possible.

While, I would love as a parent to have the ability to know she or they would never fall I could not tell them that it wouldn’t happen ever again. Because the reality is we all have falls in life. We get bumps both real and metaphorical. But we have to get back up, accept help up when we need it, then try again and be ready to work toward our goals.

Baby Girl will walk all on her own. She will grow big & strong like her brothers & sister, she will also face other challenges in life like they will. There will be bumps, big and small, in the journey of life. And when they happen we will all be there for each other, comforting, guiding, helping back up & cheering each other on until steps we take become ones we have worn through.

We have been working on our garden. A new garden bed has been built and this weekend we spent some time getting our veggies planted. The kids helped dig in the dirt, plant the starter plants and the seeds. They will also help weed and harvest once the food grows, which I am sure will consist of them pulling a weed and picking a cucumber but hey it is a start. As for myself, I cannot wait for fresh produce!

Do you garden?

Recently, I received the opportunity to review Baby Orajel Naturals Teething Tablets from BlogHer and have a $100 Target gift card giveaway!

I have turned down several other review/giveaway offers because I did not feel they would be good fit. However, with this offer I jumped at the chance to review the new tablets because as you might remember I have a teething tyrant in my house.

Err, I mean I have an absolutely adorable, sweet, angelic baby who happens to be teething right now, and teething makes her a tad cranky. OK, it makes her an adorable teething tyrant.

I also love Target {or as we call it around here Tar-gay} and figured many of you might feel the same.

As a mom of 5, Baby Girl is my 5th teething baby! And as a result of having done this momma of a teething tyrant gig before I do have lots of tricks up my sleeve to help soothe her–from cold teething rings to frozen washcloths to wooden teethers and so on.

But in my quest to add to my bag of tricks, I thought it would be a good to review this product. I could get some real-time, real, hands-on experience with Baby Girl and share with other parents.

Baby Orajel Naturals Tablets is the first and only homeopathic offering from the #1 teething brand, Baby Orajel.

Breaking down the details…

I like that Baby Orajel Naturals Teething Tablets are homeopathic teething tablets. I prefer to try to use natural elements with my kids, especially my babies.

Another plus for me is that the tables have chamomilla as one of the key ingredients for soothing a teething baby. From my own experience chamomilla is a calming agent for all ages. For example, we use chamomile tea before bed to help relax on days when everyone is all revved up and have even used chamomile tea as a treatment for colic.

Also, Baby Orajel Naturals Teething Tablets are belladonna-free, benzocaine-free, dye-free, alcohol-free and paraben-free. The focus on removing these elements from their tablets speaks to the crunchy momma wanna-be in me!

The tablets were very easy to place under Baby Girl

In use…

And yes before I go any further…I truly did use them with her! And not only I did I use them with Baby Girl, Mike also gave some to her on two different evenings when I was lecturing.

Because trust me, she was having a rough one. If you have ever been around a teething baby you know those rough ones are the days/evenings/middle of the nights when you are up walking back and forth across the floor with your little sweetheart, who is anything but sweet and is very fussy, and you are trying to do anything you can to soothe your baby.

These teething tablets turned out to be a wonderful addition to help with those rough ones.

Another great benefit of these tablets is not only was it easy to get them in her mouth, under her tongue, but the tablets feature a quick-dissolve rate of about 10 seconds. Meaning no worrying about them falling out right after you pop them in, and her not getting the relief she needs. It also made it harder for her to spit them out before they dissolved; instead they dissolved before she could try this little trick {and oh how babies will try}. So BAM! Score one for the parents!

Love these moments, she cracks me up with the faces she makes!

Now for the big answer did they work?

Both Mike and I concur that yes, yes they did actually work. I was glad to have Mike’s feedback to see how she reacted when I wasn’t around because I wanted to make sure it wasn’t just my perception.

Nope, it was not just me.

The truth is she seemed so much calmer and soothed after receiving them on the days when her teething was out of control. She was then able to gnaw on her teething ring or a frozen washcloth with glee.

My favorite part was seeing my sweet, smiling Baby Girl after she was soothed. And to see the two teeth she is now sporting {Yes, TWO teeth!!}. I love these moments as a momma.

Well, I don’t love the teething tyrant part {because man that part, um, SUCKS!} but I do love seeing the squirrely faces she makes and her brand new two-tooth smile as she is chomping away on her morning snack.

I also love getting to know the beautiful little person my Baby Girl is becoming!

And now that I have shared my review and one of my favorite moments as a momma how about you…

What was your favorite moment as a new mom? Or maybe you are, like me, a seasoned mom with a new baby? Share your moment in the comment section to be entered for a chance to win a $100 Target Gift Card, courtesy of BlogHer and Baby Orajel Naturals!!

Rules For Entry:No duplicate comments. You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post

c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 5/1 – 5/31/2012.

Be sure to visit the Baby Orajel page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win.

Orajel® is a registered trademark of Church & Dwight.

I hear my oldest coming around the corner.

“Oww, Oww!!”

I look up & see him hobbling. He stops and rubs his foot.

“What happened? Are you Ok?”

I assume his answer will be something all the lines of: “I was just running after my brother to take something from him & right before I tackled him I got hurt. It is all G’s fault for not letting me tackle him!” because really many injuries seem to be self-inflicted but it is easier to blame our brothers, sisters, or the way the planets are aligned. And follow-up answer on whether he is OK would be along the lines of: “No, I’m not Ok. I AM DYING!!!”

Instead he looks at me, dead in the eyes, with a level of seriousness far to advanced for a boy his age and says

“I have a stubborn toe. You know how these stubborn toes feel, hurts like the dickens!”

First, I don’t even know how to respond to him using the phrase “hurts like the dickens” where did he get that from?

Second, “stubborn toe” Huston I think we have a communication problem.

“Um, stubborn toe? I’m not sure what that means.”

“You know, I was walking and bumped it. Now I got a stubborn toe!”

Ahh…he stubbed his toe.

“You mean you stubbed your toe.”

“Yah, that’s what I said. I got a stubborn toe.”

Then he stops. Eyes getting bigger, hand raises to tap his forehead and says:

“Oh man! I mean stubbed. I stubbed my toe. Except my toe is refusing to not hurt. So that is pretty stubborn. It really is a stubborn toe!”

Followed by his howls of laughter and yes a knee slap. He was so amused he slapped his own.

And the puns begin.

I received an interesting question from a reader, Lisa, she asked:

You feature a lot of food your family eats on your blog some I want to try but I don’t think my kids would like it. How do you get kids to eat these things? How do get them to love their food? How do get them to eat healthy?

I am am sure I do not know all the answers and I must confess we don’t eat perfectly healthy all the time. I have had my struggles like every other parent to encourage a love of food and a love of good food. But I can offer what has worked for us in real life, the hands on experience as a large family with a lot of different personalities and tastes.

So here it goes…

My 8 Tips For Encouraging Kids To Love Food!!

1. Try, try and try again!

It has not always been easy to get our kids to love food. Or to even try different foods. Especially for children who might have sensory issues. It has instead taken a lot of patience. A lot. Starting slowly, asking for them to try a bite. If they don’t like it at least they tried it. And then try again another day. Some estimates state that you may have to offer food over 30 times before kids will willingly eat it. This means come to the table with a lot of patience, respect of their efforts to try and willingness on our parts as parents to try, try and try again!

2. Acknowledge different food personalities.

However, in your quest to try, try and try again. Remember we also have different food personalities. One is more adventurous than the others, another likes {no loves} routine and comfort, and another child is way too busy exploring the world to focus on eating. Do not berate a child to get him or her to eat something that might be different or outside their comfort zone. Keep it simple in how you offer it, make sure they try it and encourage them when they do!

3. Have them help pick out meal ideas.

We will often include the kids in making meal plans. We ask them what their favorite dishes are and show them magazines, shows, blogs, websites, and cookbooks that offer different food options than they are use to. This gives them the chance to see a variety of food choices and to perk their interest. You might be surprised what they are interested in. I know my kids surprise me sometimes.

4. Put them to work!

No, seriously. I mean it. Put them to work. Have them help along side you in the kitchen. Have them read recipes with you, stir in flour, roll out dough, peel apples and so on. If you have the time, plant a garden. I have found when my kids are active in the process of food prep they can see their food come alive and it is great for us to share that time together. We get to share stories, laughs and create memories during those times. Yes, it can be a little hard for those of us who love to control our kitchens BUT the pay off is having kids who will try new dishes and foods more willingly because they made it!

5. Destination Food

Sometimes new foods or foods that are not normally part of your family’s regular meal rotation, like Mujadara, can be added in with a connection to making the meals “destination meals.” What I mean by this is, use the time to explore the country or culture the dish or unique food comes from. You can learn about the customs, read books, watch a documentary on it, celebrate a particular feast day that is popular in another part of the world and even set the table to match the theme. Also, take advantage of any cultural festivals in your area, this is a great time to learn and try new things! We live in a global world why not explore all of it!

6. Model Behavior

If you never eat your vegetables and grab only what is always the most convenient of items then how do you expect your kids to want to do anything different? They are learning by what not only what you tell them but also by what you do. Our example teaches our kids so much & it is something I have learned first hand. If I want my kid to try new things then I have to step out of MY comfort zone too. So eat those fruits, veggies and try a new dish. Who knows, you might also be surprised by how much you like it! I know I have.

7. 80/20

I know this might be controversial. It might rock the health boat. But remember at the beginning of this when I said we don’t eat healthy all the time. We don’t really ban foods per se. Instead we strive for the 80/20 rule in our home and we strive to teach about what is good food and where it comes from. We eat healthy 80% of the time and the other 20% of the time if someone wants a cookie or we eat something that is less than desirable we do not stress about it. We find that the 80/20 rule allows us to have a good balance while we educate our kids and ourselves about food. You might that your balance is different for a variety of reasons, that’s OK. Being aware about the food you eat and what it does for your body is really what is the key here.

8. Turn off outside distractions

Turn the T.V. off, put the phone down, put away the toys and focus on being together. We try to find fun ways to get them to focus on their plates. And most of all family time at meals is sacred space for us to focus on sharing our day together. We try to right now to eat one meal together daily. It does not always happen, but we make it happen as many times during our week as we can. We know that as the kids get older more activities will enter our lives, but we want to make family meals a chance to reconnect and share our lives. It also helps the child who is easily distracted to stay focused at regular meal times. If you have a busier schedule, maybe select one meal that is YOUR meal. Set that as your sacred family space.

So, those are my 8 tips. The 8 that have learned “on the ground” of motherhood. I hope they help spark some new ways of approaching food for you and your family!

And how about you, what are your tips? Do you involve the kids in a garden, in making dinner, or have a fun way to encourage them to try something new? Please share!

I don’t think I have ever shared this photograph of all my kids.  Getting all 5 in a photo as I have found would be from this moment on a mighty challenge. Forget having them all look in the same direction.

The photograph was taken at the hospital after Baby Girl was born. The older kids were in awe of her.  They had to check her out head to toe.

I cannot believe it has been almost 9 months!

{here another favorite of her after her birth, it is of Baby Girl & her proud Daddy}

She has been under the weather.  Not feeling herself.  We have been having nurse-ins and snuggle fests. She nurses down, she snuggles in.

Close

Soft

Sweet

Heaven

The door opens

I close my eyes. I know what is next. I know they think they are sneaking up on Momma.

It is our morning ritual.

I hear the pitter-patter of little feet {which if I am honest sounded more like the running of the bulls} up the stairs and into the room.  Giggles. I wait for them to pile in.

I hear something different…

“Shhhh…I will take it”

Take what? I think

I wait a minute.

I open one eye.  Only to see my other children smiling down at me with Chester cat grins.  iPhone in hand {darn I thought I put that up}. Looking at their handiwork.

Everyone piles onto the bed. Under the covers.

Close

Soft

Sweet

I look around at my handiwork

Heaven on Earth

I snuggle in

Part of our Easter celebrations included Mass, feasting, dying and collecting eggs, some more feasting {time to get to back on the elliptical machine!} and of course spending time together as a family enjoying the moments as they passed us by.  We had a wonderful weekend.  And if you notice looks who is standing {with a little assistance from Momma} but before I know it she will be walking!!

Now to go and fend off more questions from my beautiful but candy obsessed children…

“Please momma? Can I have just one more treat? Just one more?”

I hope everyone else had a lovely weekend!

Given it is Spring we are sprucing up around here in Casa De Confusion. This by the way is a home title that aptly reflects how I feel without my morning coffee!  Anyway, we are rearranging rooms, updating styles and getting rid of clutter.  I feel like I have lost a million pounds over the last week because of it.

At this point around here we have:

• painted the girls’ room: it is a light pink per Mamacita’s request, I swear her favorite colors are “bush and bashful” {internet high five to the person who can name that movie!}
• we also decided to keep the ceiling in the girls’ room: Mike painted it to match the night sky for the time of year when Mr. J was born
• as a result the girls are going with owls and other creatures around the room to tie it all together
•  moved D into the boys’ room, he is officially a “big” boy now!  {before D and Mamacita shared a room, now the rooms will be divided by girls in one and boys in the other}
•  the boys picked out colors for their walls: forest green and a cream {for the wainscoting}
• there will also be the addition of Lego decals for their walls
• we decluttered some of kids’ clothes and toys {but this is a work in progress}

We are now working on:

• reorganizing closets and the spaces so everything has a place {again a work in progress, but better everyday}
• the desk in the basement  is being decluttered again as well
• the toys in the basement are being mapped for a reorganize and go over {a never ending battle}
• same with books
• Mike & I are also going through all our things as well, this is a group effort

Other odds & ends:

• we still need to retouch the paint in the basement, living room and kitchen when all is said and done
• we still need to retouch the paint in the basement, living room and kitchen when all is said and done
• oh and our room needs some touch up
• put up some new pictures, photos and shelves
• figure out the flooring in the girls’ room: it was painted white when we moved here, we repainted it once {it was far less trafficked then!} and it needs either a new coat or some other type of flooring because it has a lot of traffic now and looks it
• keep up at it! this is the biggest issue since our grad days while we worked and cared for babies and now that we are an official larger than average family I have found it is still very true. But now I wonder is it ever not true?

I don’t think we will be done with everything before J’s birthday next month. But I am hoping we will have a good portion of things underway and maybe by the girls summer birthdays we will be nearly done.  We also have to work on an outdoor list of sprucing up because we spend a lot of our time outdoors in the warmer months and we did some work last year but there is always a bit more to do. In fact, I feel like it is a never ending process making our house a sweet and cozy home.