New Thomas Train Toys

There are new Thomas the Tank Engine toys for your little one's train table or collection.

Rheneas and the Roller Coaster Set - a two-level wooden, oval track from the Hooray for Thomas story plus Rheneas and an exclusive passenger car. Allaboardtoys had in on sale for $99.

Echo Tunnel - a wooden tunnel track that plays a train echo or echoes your child's voice. Allaboardtoys had it on sale for $40.

Deluxe Fire Station - for the wooden roadways, a station with lights and siren, a fire truck and a fire train. allaboardtoys recent price was $56.

Little Einsteins Team Up for Adventure is a Rip Off

Shame on Disney for giving people the assumption that Little Einsteins Team up for Adventure would be a movie like Our Big Huge Adventure was! It's actually three episodes, only one of which is new! The episodes are How We Became the Little Einsteins (seen it!), I Love to Conduct (seen it a hundred times!) and one new one, Rocket Safari (which is pretty good). Gee thanks, for $20! Don't buy this video, rent it at Netflix.

Do you think it was fairly marketed? I'd love to hear your view.

Oh, and ps, there is another new DVD coming out in late August called Mission Celebration. It will be the same way. Two old videos, one new one.

Categories: little+einsteins, mission+celebration, team+up+for+adventure

Poop on the Potty Training Advice

Ok, I've been there, done that, with just one child, but boy he was a doozy! Here is my complete story about how I finally got him to poop on the potty.

Tag: potty training

$5 Off Little Einsteins Team up for Adventure

So I bought a box of Kix recently and it has a $5 off coupon on the side of it for the new Little Einsteins DVD Team up for Adventure. It says save $5 when you buy any Disney's Little Einsteins DVD so I guess it is good for the Our Huge Adventure DVD too. It expires on March 31st, 2007. It's probably not good at amazon, but if you got your hands on it you could use it at any place that accepts coupons and sells the Little Einstein's dvds, I expect.

The DVD will be available later this month. I won't be buying one - I'll rent it from Netflix.

The Wonder Pets: Nick Jr's Answer to Little Einsteins

So, someone at Nick Jr figured out why parents are loving Little Einsteins and came up with a serious rival: The Wonder Pets. My almost three year old really likes this show and is drawn to it in a way that he previously only was drawn to Little Einsteins. The show is based on three preschool pets: a baby turtle named Tuck, a Guinea Pig called Linny (or Winnie as my son thinks it is called) and Ming-Ming the baby duck (I think she (it?) looks like a chick, but whatever. When all the kids go home at night these three run all over the world rescuing baby animals. They have a lot of cultural music and references, like today's had them rescuing a caterpillar in Greece, and they talked about the Parthenon (the building the caterpillar was building a chrysalis on).

My boy started pretending he was Ming Ming and I was Winnie after he watched the very first show. After, we did some yard work together singing their signature song - What's gonna work: Teamwork over and over and he was surprisingly compliant.

Great show - let's see more of them!

Wonder Pets at Nickjr.com

Keeping Your Children Busy When you Work from Home

Juggling children and work can be a challenge, whether you work outside the home or you are a work from home mom, but, in some ways, work from home moms face more challenges than moms who work outside the home. After all, when you’re in a traditional office, you don’t need to worry that a coworker will burst into the room and scream “Mommy, he took my doll,” just as you are beginning an important conference call.

So how does a work from home mom manage to keep her children happy and busy while she is trying to get her job done?

First, you need to let your children know when you are not to be disturbed. Set up a schedule that includes playtime and work time and remind them that if they don’t disturb you while you are working, you will be able to give them your complete attention during playtime. As a reminder, use a do not disturb sign on your office door when you absolutely cannot be interrupted.

Of course, it is easy for your children to behave while you are working if they have something to do. Fill a box with games and toys that can only be used while mom is working. Make sure you add a new puzzle, coloring book, or small toy on a frequent basis, to keep your children interested.

If you don't work on the phone, it is a bit easier to keep your children content when you are working. Set up an office space just for them, complete with a small table and chairs. Fill a lunch box with some of their favorite snacks and a few juice boxes each morning, so you aren't inundated with requests for food and drinks. Add a children’s magazine, simple puzzles, coloring books, and art supplies. When your children are able to work along side you, the number of interruptions should decrease drastically.

For moms who really need peace and quiet, but have small children, a mother's helper can be a great solution. Since you will still be in the house, you do not need a fully trained baby sitter to help out. Instead, look for a teen who has little babysitting experience, but likes kids. She will probably be happy to watch your children while you work for the cost of a few good after school snacks and a few dollars.

Finally, sometimes it's just not possible to keep your children quiet and content while you are working. If your child is ill, you may just need to decide to take the day off. After all, the reason you are working from home is to have the flexibility to be there for your children when they need you!

About The Author: Aurelia Williams, certified Personal Life Coach and owner of http://www.reallifecoaching.net She is also the owner of http://www.reallifesolutions.net which is a Free Family Resource site.

Great article, but really only pertinent to kids over three. The babies are easy (I worked hours each day with Joe nursing or playing with small toys on my lap) but once they hit about a year old, you either have to have in them in your sight at all times for their own safety, or they are in that "Mommy, plaaaaaay with me" stage (although the Mother's helper will work to some degree in this stage).

I am a huge advocate of a Mother's helper. I have two teenage girls who come over and play with my boy while I work.

As for if the child is ill, that really is a great time to take the day off, and if possible, just reschedule that work day on another day. I normally take the weekends off, but if I am unable to work during the week because my son is home for some reason, I send him and my husband out of the house on Saturday or Sunday and work one of those days.

Thomas Toys Reviews

Most recent reviews:

Race on the Rails toy

I hope to get to all of his Thomas toys within the next three weeks and will post updates here.

Laurie Berkner Band has a New DVD Out

You know, Laurie Berkner, the one who sings those great songs (We are the Dinosaurs, marching, marching - I know a chicken, and she laid an egg, Buzz Buzz) on the Noggin Channel. So, the dvd is apparently available now at musicspace.com but for $20.00! The Laurie Berkner Store will start preordering it on Thursday but won't ship it till February 14th, for $17.00, but if you can wait till Amazon gets it, they have it priced at $11.00.

A year ago I would have jumped at this, but Joe has outgrown his Laurie Berkner phase :). Now that he is in school he doesn't even watch Noggin anymore. BTW, don't bother getting the older video - the Under a Shady tree one - from what I've heard it's not really what those of us who see her on Noggin would be looking for.

Coughs, Colds, and Ear Infections

Joe got a cold on December 16th (I remember the date because we were leaving for vacation that afternoon) and the worst of it was a cough at nighttime. The cough lasted for 4 weeks, and I was just starting to debate with myself about whether I should take him to the doctor for a month-long cough when he caught another cold and the cough was so bad on Saturday night that he and I slept for only about 4 hours total, despite being mostly in bed from 10 to 10. We also did something I've never done with him before (he's always been a fantastic sleeper) - we sat up on the couch at 3 in the morning and watched cartoons for an hour waiting for his cough to subside. I tried over the counter cough suppressant and Vicks Nyquil for kids - neither did anything.

The next day we debated taking him to the Urgent Care Clinic but instead we called his Doctor's answering service. She prescribed us liquid albuterol and phenergan syrup. They really did the trick - that very night was much better and last night he barely coughed at all. As a sidenote, I mentioned the month-long cough and she said that's nothing, we'd worry when he coughed for 6 months. Oh, great. LOL.

What is it about kids that makes their cough so incredibly bad? I caught this same cold and other than a few very dry coughs last night because of a tickle in my throat, I haven't coughed at all. Is it because their airways are so small? Do they just process colds differently?

The good news is, his ears seem fine. He's had a tendency to develop ear infections in the past, but it seems if we give him decongestant religiously for the first few days of a cold he doesn't get an ear infection. I also massage his ears in a circular motion - no idea if that helps or not, but intuitively you would think it would - if you move the tubes around maybe they would have more of an opportunity to drain. (also, I can be reasonably sure he hasn't developed an ear infection yet if he shows no aversion to this ear manipulation)

The sudafed type I only give before nap and bed because otherwise he would just sit around and cry (it must make him feel pretty horrible) but the Phenylephrine type he has no problem with so I give at any time.

Edit: Well, he got an ear infection. I noticed on Saturday he was getting sniffly again even though everything else seemed to have cleared up. Preschool called yesterday (monday the 23rd) and said he had a fever. When I picked him up I did the ear rubbing trick and he grimaced with pain about the right one. He has a Doctor's appointment at 10:45. sigh.

House Cleaning Routines

by Angela

The laundry is piled up to your ears, the dishes have a funny green funk growing on them, and you could have sworn you had a table somewhere in the kitchen. Sound familiar? Trust me you aren’t alone. Whether you are a working, work from home, or stay at home mom the household chores add up. With the ever-increasing responsibility of after school activities, volunteer work or just trying to make some time for yourself, the cleanliness of your home seems to be the first to go. A little bit of organization and some help from the rest of family will make the problem easier to handle.

The first thing I would do is enlist the help of your family. Don’t walk around thinking that having a clean house is your responsibility alone. All of those other people live there too, and are capable of helping to make it a pleasant environment for everyone. The man of the house can do more than fix a clogged drain. He can do dishes, laundry, dust, and yes, even windows. Tell him if he’s worried about dishpan hands to wear gloves. Seriously, talk to your husband about ways he can help out. Find out what he hates and the two of you set a schedule that limits the amount either one of you has to do your personal hated chore. Most men aren’t sure which job will actually be of help. Some guidance from you could make all the difference in the world.

Now as far as those little people who live under the stairs go, definite guidelines have to be established. If you manage to catch your children in that stage where they want to help, you have a golden opportunity to teach habits that will stay with them. Teach them that a family helps each other and their job in that family is to keep their home clean. Remember to keep their jobs age appropriate and be patient.

I am the first to admit that organization is not my strong point. Developing a system that makes sense for your life and home is key to household bliss. I usually spend one morning or afternoon a week cleaning the house. The rest of the week is spent keeping up with daily chores and laundry. It never ceases to amaze me how many dirty dishes and clothes three kids and a husband can make. The whole family takes about ½ hour to pick up the assorted clutter before bed. That way the house is clean and ready to start the day in the morning. That may not work for everyone so adapt the idea to your schedule.

Obviously, for events like a family get-together or party it will take longer than a few hours to clean. During those times I would suggest giving yourself plenty of time and schedule breaks so you don’t burn out. Don’t forget lighting and closing doors to messy rooms can do wonders for the overall appearance of your house.

In my experience keeping up with chores is the best way to prevent them from becoming a bigger hassle than necessary. Of course, if you asked my ceiling fans, they would disagree with me. The traditions of spring and fall cleaning originated for a purpose. It’s a good reminder to take care of those out of the way, semi-unseen tasks that get overlooked in everyday clean-ups. I am especially fond of the fall cleaning so that I have a clean start for holiday decorating. For some reason I don’t like the look of sparkling ornaments with a backdrop of dust.

A tidy, organized home runs more smoothly than one that isn’t. Don’t take it too far though. There is more to life than perfect blinds and windows, like family time and enjoying each other. Of course I do suggest being able to find each other, so straighten up at least that much. Seriously, Who ever heard of the attack of the dust bunnies?

Lisa's Comments

I recommend Flylady. I don't get the emails and I don't stick to her strict schedules, and I don't put my shoes on in the morning or make my bed first thing or even keep my sink spotles ... :) But trying our some of her ideas did give me some good organizational habits, like I have a morning routine and an evening routine and they are posted on the wall in a paper protector so I can check them off and then wipe off the checks and start again. I also used her idea of a household book and made a business book that really keeps my to-dos online organized. Check her out - I find her a little patronizing too, but I try to ignore it and just take what I can use from her advise.