3 mins read

Toddler Developmental Milestones

When a baby starts to walk, he unofficially becomes a toddler. When most people speak of toddlerhood, they are referring to children between 1 and 3 years of age. Toddlers often make major changes, especially in regards to locomotion, thinking and talking. One-year-olds master walking and mobility, while 2-year-olds work on expanding their vocabulary. Toddlers learn to master their bodies and progress from walking to climbing and running. They learn names of body parts and are constantly refining their fine- and gross-motor skills. They become more independent and imitative. Children reach milestones based on their own timetables, but there are averages of when to expect new developments.

5 mins read

$50K For A Three-Year-Old’s Birthday Party!?

Lately, weve been on the birthday circuit. Today was a 2-year-olds Thomas-the-Train celebration, tomorrow is a 3-year-old pony riding extravaganza, and next weekend 6-year-old twins are celebrating with a gymnastics party. I love birthday parties. When Ava gets invited, it reassures me that she is popular and I can look forward to eating the piece of cake she decapitates by furiously licking away the frosting. Everyone wins. With all these parties on our calendar, I have to take a list with me to Target just to remind me of the presents I need to buy that month. But a $15 Barbie is a small price to pay for popularity and it beats the cost of child therapy, which I imagine is the sad lot of the uninvited.

3 mins read

What You Should Know Before You Complain About Getting Old…

“How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you were?” – Satchel Paige (baseball legend whose successful career lasted into his 60’s) Its my birthday this week and aging is on my mind. Just saying that word triggers a slight twinge of despair, a sense of the inevitable onward march of time. I think its often worse for women than men, but we all feel the pang. Recently …