Tea Party, Summer Dresses and Friends...

Life is so full of surprises and also expectations. A lot of times, I expect to wake up, get Arianna dressed, hair combed, my Stroller Stride workout, and so much more. It seems there aren't that many hours in the day. Last week, we enjoyed a tea party with friends. I observed a few things about my Arianna-boo:)

First, she loves to be around other people. It's like she knows our Stroller class is ending and it's time for her to get unstrapped and let loose with her friends - the other little people of the group. It's great that we get to meet up with other mamas and kiddos for a workout and random play dates. These particular pictures, we enjoyed a tea party with her buddies: Coco, Brody, Christopher, Emma, Sophia, Samantha, Emery, and Alice. Everyone couldn't make it to class, but it was still a perfect day.

Second, I notice that Arianna will play with the other children, but also likes to discover and play on her own. As an only child with a SAHM, I'm proud of her. One of the Montessori suggestions is to allow your children to explore and figure things out for themselves in a controlled (safe) environment. At one point, she was admiring the water from the boat house and put her mouth on the wired fence. I almost went crazy then reminded myself that you wouldn't die and plus, I pray for her daily. :)

Third, Arianna is such a lady. During the tea party she did not indulge in sweets like I did. LOL! (We had a tough workout). Instead, she ate blueberries and sipped on her tea (juice, rather). I don't know where she gets this little appetite from and petite frame. But she's healthy and the doctor commends me on her advancement as a 17month old (she can read the entire alphabet, read her numbers up to 17, read quite a few words, and sign a few words as well) and that she's extremely fit. Thank you Jesus. Arianna must have the metabolism I always prayed for. Now that she's walking, she's eating a little more and burning way more calories. 

I know I sound like the regular mom bragging on her baby. But I'm glad because that makes me a little normal. 

A neighborhood friend is a public school teacher who even blogs about advancement in your child's literacy (www.hellofirstgrade.com) and she said that Ari should stay home with me as long as she can. Ms. Jones said that at her age, it's pretty much daycare and she wouldn't have learned her alphabet, numbers, shapes and colors at her age. This gives me relief because I don't think I can do that right now. (Personal story will be blogged later). So much has transpired in my life that I need my family close by.

Enjoy the pics of Arianna during her tea party at the boat house. She's wearing a summer dress full of daisies from Gymboree (12mo and still too big), and her Bantu Knots hairstyle. Just a little something different.

*How can I ever say "no" to this face?

*She just started walking a few weeks ago. Correction: running, seriously?:)

*We are the Laughinghouse Family 24/7

*She finally got the talking tea pot to herself to enjoy. How nice to let everyone else get a turn first.

*Thinking, why does this food have no taste? Mommy tricked me!:-)

*I'm framing this. Caption: Tea is liquid wisdom. So drink up!

*Another framed pic. Caption: Dream on my dreamer while others are still wishing.

To Watch TV or YouTube?

So, I began mommy hood saying that Arianna's eyes would not gaze upon a television until she was 2 years old. That's the suggestion of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The group strongly recommends through their TV viewing guidelines that children should not watch TV until they are 2 years old because of various downsides. One, in particular, says that television lessens a child's ability to focus and more likely to eat junkfood.
Ok, so maybe I'm skewing these guidelines a bit. Arianna loves youtube while she's getting her hair combed or just to watch the same ABC, 123 and Sesame Street videos. Of course, she also loves her flashcards. But I must say - since 15months, she's been able to read (not just sing or repeat) the entire alphabet and her numbers from 1-10! As far as junk food - she hasn't eat meat and rarely has cheese on her veggies. Yes, I'm raising her to be a vegan like her mommy. I'm a strong believer that this will not damage her; like many believe or like to judge. Based on her regular pediatrician appointments, Arianna is extremely fit and I should keep doing what I'm doing.
Lastly, we should remember that all children are different. For some reason, we have a tendency to raise children based on what professionals and nonprofessionals suggest.
Ok, this is the last comment...how do you feel about television and children under 2yrs old? Of course, it should not be used as a babysitter, but are there "loop holes" to this study?