Classy Bath Time

I'm back after a long stretch of no posts!  I've been so busy lately.  I started teaching a small toddler "preschool" class from my house twice a week (posts to come soon!) and Olive's 2nd birthday is around the corner, so I've had a lot of things on my plate.  A few nights ago, we decided to relax a little from our busy schedule and have a "classy bath time".   First things first:

1. I apologize for the grimy look of my tub grout.  It is a very, very old tub, but it's not as dirty as it looks!  :)
2. I do not condone children drinking alcohol.  We were not pretending this was champagne or alcohol in any way.  We were just having a drink in a fancy glass.  

I set up an battery candle in the corner, for ambiance of course  We also don't normally do bubble bath, but fancy bath time isn't fancy bath time without bubbles!  It also isn't fancy bath time without watered down orange juice in a plastic champagne glass!

Grandma and Olive are doing "cheers".  Everyday after this bath, Olive has been "cheersing" everything in the house.  She and I both had a barrette in our hair today.  She bumped her head up against mine so our barrettes were touching and said, "Cheers!".  

Olive got such a kick out of this.  It was a great way to have some unconventional fun after a few busy, stressful days.  And surprisingly enough, none of the juice made it into the bath water (although the plastic champagne glass turned into a toy after the juice was gone!).  

What are some of the ways that you make bath time fun and/or special for your little ones?

Being a "Yes" Parent

It's been awhile since I posted because I've been having slow Internet issues, but I also haven't been inspired to post anything.  And I figured, hmmmm, where better to go for inspiration than to my favorite blog, Play at Home Mom!  If you're a parent and love your child, you are missing out if you don't visit this awesome blog.  While I was reading through some of their latest posts, I thought to myself, "Wow, these moms are really the epitome of "Yes" parents.  They even post pictures with captions along the line of "Yes, you can.....".  I love it, but what do I mean by being a Yes parent, you say?

To me, being a Yes parent DOESN'T mean allowing your child to do whatever they want.  Of course, I wouldn't allow my daughter to stick her hand in a fire, or think that it's okay to hit her dad, or do anything else that is going to cause her or someone else emotional or physical harm.
To me, being a Yes parent DOES mean giving my child an environment to live in that allows me to limit my use of the word "no".  On the simple level, it means making the environment safe - outlet covers, gates in front of the fireplace, non-toxic plants in the garden.  On a play level, it means providing materials that Olive can manipulate as she pleases, without me telling her, "No Olive, don't do that" or "No Olive, don't push that down".  If I provide her with the proper materials, I will give myself the opportunity to say, "Yes Olive, you can push it that way" or "Yes Olive, that can go there".

To be honest, I can't always be a Yes parent as much as I would like to.  But, I try my hardest to create situations and an environment for Olive that will allow me to say yes as much as possible.  I thought that I'd look through some of my pictures to find examples of myself being a Yes parent.  I think I found some good ones.  And although I've been lacking in inspiration lately, I hope you find some inspiration through these pictures and that it leads you to put a little more Yes into your life.

Yes Olive, you stick you hand into the pumpkin....or just stare at it for a minute, make a gagging sound, and decide you don't want to touch it.  

Yes Olive, you can squeeze the berries on that plant to see how they pop and squish in your fingers.

Yes Olive, you can choose what you want to eat.  Yes Olive, you can dump it out all over on your tray 30 seconds later, mix it up, and still eat it.

Yes Olive, you can try it that way so you can figure out that the stairs are probably easier.

Yes Olive, you can feed Ming Ming the duck some string cheese.

Yes Olive, you can be silly and just be yourself - all the time.

Yes Olive, you can dig in that dirt. 

Yes Olive, you can eat that tomato.  Yes Olive, you can pick a green one to realize that it's not ready and way too sour.

Yes Olive, you can pet that goat and even give him a kiss if you want.

Yes Olive, you can climb that wall and I won't even stand right near you.

Yes Olive, you can decorate your body and diaper with paint.

Yes Olive, you can explore, create, get dirty and learn.