Mommy Crib Notes

You want to know what tops the Mother’s Day wish list? Time alone.

That’s right, you, me and thousands of other moms want to shun our families, and never-ending responsibilities, for at least ONE DAY. Sigh, isn’t it good to know that you’re normal? That you don’t have to feel guilty for wanting one self-centered day?

For an article that will have your head bobbing up and down, check out “What Moms Really Want for Mother’s Day.” The writer’s family left town for a couple of days and she realized she didn’t want them to come back!

I hope you have a wonderful Mother’s Day filled with hours of time to read, lounge, indulge in bad TV, shop, scrapbook, catch a yoga class, and just breathe. You deserve that, and a mimosa!

If I want it, it’s mine.

If I give it to you and change my mind later, it’s mine.

If I can take it away from you, it’s mine.

If it’s mine, it will never belong to anybody else no matter what.

If we are building something together, all the pieces are mine.

If it looks just like mine, it’s mine.

– Anonymous

While Sophia chewed on a piece of bread from the local baker, I said, “Isn’t the cinnamon swirl bread delicious?” To which she replied, “Ha-ha, very funny. Squirrels are yucky.” I think if the bread had been squirrel, not swirl, it would have been a little chunkier.

As my first hoorah as editor of Milkshake Kids I'm spreading the word about these amazing BAKED Chocolate Cinnamon Donuts.

So, guess who has become the new editor of Milkshake Kids? Me, that’s who!

I’m super excited and honored because Milkshake Kids is a fun e-newsletter dedicated to finding the good in everything kid-related – that means companies, causes, people, places and products which give back and make a difference.

As editor, I’ll dish out healthy spins on classic lunch box combos in a feature called “Out of the Box” and tell you which celebs are doing more than kissing babies with their bucks in the “Star Power” column. And, you can’t miss the “Bottoms Up” guide coming out this Monday – your baby’s butt will thank you for it.

There’s lots more fun to come and the best part about it is it’s all good – for you, for your kids, and for the greater community. Oh, and it’s free which is, of course, ideal. Hop on my bandwagon by signing up to receive the twice weekly e-newsletter at Milkshake Kids.

(And, please send story ideas and product recommendations my way too at mommycribnotes (at) gmail (dot) com.)

You know how some great discoveries happen by accident? Well, I recently discovered that my preschoolers will eat fruits and veggies that appeal to their developing fine motor skills.

If they can peel it, they will eat it.

Soybeans: It’s what’s for snack

Packed full of protein and shown to improve verbal memory, soybeans are munching powerhouse for children, especially those who aren’t keen on meat or dairy.

The other night, I quickly boiled a few handfuls of soybeans (a.k.a edamami), let them cool off and offered them to my girls. I demonstrated how to open them up and gasped about how cool it was to find something inside that we could eat.

They each plowed through the pile and had fun doing it. Yay! You can find soybeans in your frozen food aisle.

“Cuties” Mandarins: A snack to pack

Small, sweet and seedless, “cutie” mandarins are the perfect healthy snack to throw into a diaper bag or purse.

Plunk your child at a table and hand them their Cutie. Start the peeling for them and let them do the rest. (It’ll give you about five minutes of free time.) My girls loved learning how to peel their “little oranges.”

What other snacks are fun for kids to pull, pick or peel apart?

Every time I ask Marissa, my two-year-old, what she wants for breakfast her response is always the same. “Jelly.”