Audio stories: my secret weapon

by  Brie There are times when I want to get something done. Okay, there are lots of times when I want to get stuff done. Most of the time I am unsuccessful for various reason, but the main reason is that I live with two kids four years old and under. Sure, I can steal some time if I put on a video but I don't always want to give them some (read: more). That is when I pull out my secret weapon. Audio stories.

I remember when I was a kid we used to listen to stories on records. So one day I went looking for some great stories for my kids to listen to. My recommendations are ones that I have bought, grandma has kindly bought or I have found online. Often you can buy the stories on CD with an accompanying book. I like that, but in our house the books get tossed aside quickly in favour of sitting on the couch reading other books while listening to the story play.

My favorites are:

- Free to be You and Me takes me back to the days of lying on the floor listening to a scratchy record. We have the CD and it plays the same great  stories, poems and songs that I remember. We also have the book, which I read almost every day for six months when the girl was two. Except for the fact that it is a very big and very long book I loved reading it to her. I would even sing the songs and I try to avoid singing. You can check out the CD, book and video and also download some of my favorite songs to your MP3 player on the website.

- We have a number of classic stories on CD from Puffin Storytime. These include Madeline, Corduroy and Curious George. All of these are books that I had read the kids already so they  knew the story before I put the CD on. Once the stories are done, there are songs and poems. I think the girl likes those just as much as the stories!

- Robert Munsch is one of my favorite storytellers. And lucky for us he shares his stories online! His fabulous website lets you choose a book to listen to online. Let's face it, he tells the stories much better then I do. The girl is enraptured when I put his stories on (we also own one of his CDs) and will happily sit for a record amount of time. Another reason to love Robert Munsch.

Do your kids listen to stories on records, tapes, CDs or online? Please share your favorite audio stories.

Brie is the mom of a 4 year old daughter “the girl” and 2 old son “the boy”. You can read her blog at Capital Mom.

Planning a Fairy Party

by Brie Do you have any little fairies living in your garden? Perhaps some gnomes hiding behind a tree stump? Elves frolicking in your bird bath?

Then I think it is time to invite them all to a party!

Recently the girl and I went to a wonderful fairy garden party at the Children's Garden located at Main Street and Clegg in Old Ottawa East. In amongst the trees and tomato plants roamed every colour of fairy, gnomes and elf you could possibly imagine. It was an explosion of gold, pink and blue. And fun!

I was completely blown away by the attention to detail at the party. The organizers did a great job in creating a non-commercial environment that stayed true to the spirit of a fairy party. They also said I could share their secrets with you.

So here is some great ideas and tips if you are interested in planning a fairy garden party:

1. Face painting. The girl headed straight for the face painting as soon as we got there. She was delighted with the simple pink and purple design that was painted on her forehead.

2. Magic wands. The first of the two crafts the girl made was a magic wand. The wands were already cut out of a firm cardboard. The kids were able to decorate them with peel-off stickers, little jewels, glitter glue and ribbon.

With #1 and #2 done the girl was ready to party!

3. Little fairy friends. The second craft on hand, which I had to help her with but would have been great for older kids to do one their own, was to make fairy friends. The fairies had pipe cleaner arms, legs and bodies and little wood bead heads with faces already painted on. Kids could add fake flower petal wings and skirts.

4. A troll pinata. What kid doesn't like whacking a troll. especially if he has goodies inside! This troll was handmade and painted a vibrant green. He really wasn't that scary though. The girl was about third in line, so eager was she to take a stick to him.

5. Magic beans. What could possibly be inside the troll's head? Why magic beans of course! Inside a blue velvet bag that the girl rushed quickly to grab from the ground once his head burst open, she found a little clear plastic bag. Inside that bag was a dozen or so magic beans mixed in with glitter and sparkles. As soon as I told her they were magic beans she headed straight for the bean tent to plant them.

6. Cupcakes and iced tea. No party is complete without cupcakes and on this day all the little woodland creatures were offered mini cupcakes topped with candies pansies. The girl ate her's right away. None was left for me. She even drank a full cup of chilled tea. And then she asked for more tea please.

7. Storytime. With so many great fairy tales out there it isn't hard to pick one to share with the kids. I found myself smiling as I watch about twenty little girls sit on the ground and listen eagerly to the story of Cinderella. In this case, a non-trademarked version. It was a great way to end a fabulous party.

Brie is the mom of a 3.5 year old daughter “the girl” and eighteen month old son “the boy”. You can read her blog at Capital Mom.

Question of the month #3

Kids in the Capital is all about parents in Ottawa helping each other out by sharing tips and advice. Each month we ask a parenting question and we want to hear all the gems of advice you have to share. Just leave your answers in the comments! And if you have a question you’d like to see in a future question, leave it in the comments too! Question of the month #3:

At the last Kids in the Capital night-time meet up their was a great discussion about soothers and how to help your kids let go of them as they get older. Neither of my kids were ever very interested in soothers so I was fascinated by some of the creative ways that parents transitioned kids out of using a soother.

Did your kids use a soother? How did you transition them out of using one? What tips and strategies do you wish you had know at the time? What advice would you give to other parents?

Surviving the cottage with kids

by Vicky On a bit of a whim, I booked a week’s holiday at a cottage with a friend and her family. I found it on www.cottagelink.com, and it looked beautiful. One of the features that sold me instantly was that it was owned by a family with young children, so everything we needed was already provided: highchair, crib, change table, toys, toys and more toys, picnic table, wagon, playstructure etc. Also the water was only a foot deep off the dock, so despite not having a beach, it was shallow enough to enjoy with my 1 year old.

This was my first experience renting a cottage with kids. I’ve been lucky to have friends with cottages and have enjoyed many summer holidays by the lake since I was a teenager. But this time was different. It was great to see the kids enjoying the water and playing outside, but it wasn’t what I would call a relaxation vacation. Someone still has to cook, clean and get the kids in bed so it’s not exactly a break for the parents.

That being said, I definitely think I’ll try it again next summer, and I’ll be better prepared for it with this list of tips on how to survive a week at the cottage with kids.

1. Portable DVD player – your best friend. If you don’t have a built in DVD player in your car, this is the next best thing. Throw a movie on, with headphones, and you’re guaranteed a quiet trip. Also this is great for a bit of quiet time in the afternoon if the cottage has no TV or cable.
2. Plan your meals ahead of time. Make a quick menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and pack food items you already have at home. Make a grocery list and pick up what you need before you go or in the closest town if that’s possible (or if space in your car is limited). You don’t need to stick to the menu per say, but when kids are hungry you won’t be running around trying to figure out what to cook for lunch.
3. Do not over pack clothes. I brought WAY too much for the kids – a different outfit for every day, plus extras. What happened was that my son stayed in his bathing suit all day long with a pair of crocs. Shirts can be rung out and hung to dry, and most cottage towns have a Laundromat for emergencies (like being thrown up on, twice!)
4. Bring long-legged PJs for evenings. Cottages can be sweltering during the day, but get cool at night.
5. Swimming tires kids out! If you are trying to get a nap out of your kids, get them into the lake just before nap or bed time. If you can also give them a bath in the lake, you’ll speed up the bedtime process (speaking of which can anyone recommend a good biodegradable baby shampoo or soap?)
6. Bring a box of activities to keep them busy. I brought colouring books, activity books and paints which were all used. Why not try making a nature scavenger hunt that you can work on during the week?
7. If you are cottaging with friends, it helps to have similar aged kids so they can play together. My 3 year old got bored quickly with the 3 babies he had as playmates.
8. Explore the nature! There are so many learning opportunities around that will keep kids busy - go for nature walks, look for frogs, or feed the fish bread off the dock.
9. Expect that normal routines may not be easy to follow when you're away. Bed times may be later in a new environment, middle of the night wake ups will happen, and all this can make for cranky kids during the day. I would say try to go with the flow, and once the kids are in bed crack open a beer or a cooler and relax.
10. One more thing, if you are going to a cottage this summer with your kids, or thinking about it, please be water wise!

What are your tips for an enjoyable cottage vacation?

Vicky is the mom to 3.5 year old son named Joel and 1 year old daughter named Mieka. You can read her blog at blog Some Kind of Wondermom.

Review - Peg Perego Pliko3 stroller

Since having kids, I find myself checking out other strollers whenever I am at the mall or the park. I liken it to some men scoping out other cars, sizing them up, you know. And the funny thing is, I notice other moms checking out my stroller too! There are so many strollers on the market, I often can't help but stare when I see one with a neat feature, or one that I have never seen before. Regardless of all the bells and whistles I happen to notice on other people's strollers, I am quite content with my Peg Perego Pliko3.

It's a higher end stroller, retailing for around $300, but in my opinion worth every penny. It has all the features of a great stroller with the ease of transportation of an umbrella stroller.

What I love most about this stroller, which we bought in 2006, is the way it folds up to the size of a golf bag.

When the front wheels are locked in place, it stands up on it's own, which makes storing it in the garage very easy. It's lightweight, weighing only 17lbs. The seat reclines completely, another feature I appreciate whenever my child falls asleep. The snack tray is completely detachable (great for taking it off to wash out sticky snack residue!) It has a cup holder for mom, and a generous sized basket underneath. It is compatible with most infant buckets, as they can rest on top of the snack tray.

When my daughter is sitting upright, my 3 year old son can stand on the back ledge and hold on to the handle bars. (Unfortunately this only works if the back of stroller is up, so I couldn't have him ride on the back when my daughter was in her infant carrier).

The downside? The smaller wheels cannot handle an Ottawa winter, and the sun shade doesn't close entirely. But that's it. I would definitely give this stroller a 9/10!