Let’s face it; we all want to expose our kids to interesting experiences so they can have some great memories.  We want to snap the perfect picture and show off what a fun time our kids have.  I think  that most new parents spend an awful lot of time looking for great places to take their kids in order to build up experiences for their babies and toddlers.  I know I was guilty of this – and still am to this day – just because I want my kids to see the world around them and to always see new things.

The problem is when parents get so frantic and determined about getting a great photo or exposing their kids to something interesting and different that they forget the reality of the situation.  I have a great example of this that I witnessed the other day.

Our city has one of the best zoos in the nation, so I take my kids there often.  It’s especially nice to walk through the jungle area during these cold winter months because we can shed our heavy coats and wander through a really good replica of various jungles throughout the globe.  One of the best things about the jungle at our zoo is the fact that some of the animals roam around relatively free; the zoo apparently knows how to keep certain animals back from the public using ponds and barriers, so it’s a really interactive experience that even the youngest kids can enjoy.

When we were there the other day we walked past a set of branches that had a monkey-type animal perched on top.  I’ve walked through this jungle about a million times with my kids so I knew right away that this wasn’t quite right.  Apparently the animal got past the barriers and found the walkway for visitors.  I immediately grabbed my kids and pulled them back, but a dad from the family behind us got all excited and shoved his young son up next to the animal.

First his son recoiled, then the dad pulled him back in front of the animal.  Then the animal swiped at his son, the son jumped away, and the dad actually pushed his son back so he could get a photo.  At this point we were scurrying away to make sure my kids didn’t get some bizarre primate injury that would be really hard to explain to the emergency room staff, but I was still amazed that this dad was so concerned about getting a picture of his son with the animal that he completely disregarded the obvious threat the animal posed.

I’m assuming the kid came out of it all okay because it seems to me a kid injured by a wayward zoo animal would make the news.

I think that sometimes parents get so excited at the prospect of getting a perfect picture or having the perfect experience that they might totally miss the bigger picture.  I would hope that I would never put my kids in harm’s way in an attempt to get a fantastic photo, but I can see how people can easily get carried away.

Earlier today, our cat threw up and soon after, the baby rode across the kitchen and into the throw-up, in his walker. Yuck.

When you’ve got kids, you’ve got messes. At times, my husband goes with the flow and accepts this fact pretty well. Occasionally, though, he’ll get into his uptight, neat-freak mode and be very bothered by it. During these times, he dwells on things like fingerprints on the walls and cabinets.

I like a clean house, too but I refuse to drive myself crazy about it. I tell my husband to relax when he gets irritable about fingerprints, spills and other messy situations. The good part about his neat-freak mode is that he notices dirt and helps with the cleaning. I just can’t get to a lot of the housework, now that we have a baby again.

Chasing after a baby on the go, reminds me of when our older boys were babies and all the things they got into and messes they made. I walked into the kitchen when our oldest son was a toddler and found him sliding around the tile floor on a bunch of smashed raw eggs. He had opened the refrigerator and dumped one dozen eggs from their carton.

On another occasion, our middle son, then age 2, decided to get artistic on our brand new cream-colored carpet. He drew different colored lines from one side of the room to the other. Who knew that crayons showed up so well on carpet? Then, not long after that he decided to pee from the open stairway on the second floor onto the first floor.

These times made me want to scream but soon afterward I was able to laugh. I’ve got to give the kids credit for being creative. I couldn’t make up anything funnier than some of the crazy things they do. Yes, life is messy but life without kids would be something I dread much more: it would be lonely and boring.

Does your partner help with the housework? What memorable messes have your little ones made?

This year, start a new tradition in your family the day after Thanksgiving: participate in the National Day of Listening.

The project was started by Story Corps., a non-profit group which collects stories designed to cherish and inspire others to celebrate life. I?ve listened to some of the interviews on NPR and it?s fascinating to hear them. The stories tell how people fought brave battles with cancer or lived through the great Depression or volunteered at a soup kitchen. It?s fascinating!

Usually, at least here in America, the day after Thanksgiving is spent shopping and rushing around to get the best deals for the upcoming Christmas holiday. Wouldn?t it be a neat idea to sit down with your children and parents and grandparents the day after Thanksgiving and spend some time together sharing memories instead of shopping? I suppose you could share memories while shopping too, but it wouldn?t quite be the same.

My children and I have sat down and asked my grandmother, now in her mid-80?s, various questions. We?ve learned a lot about her life, and the life of her parents and grandparents who were immigrants to America. In addition to that, we?ve learned a lot about American culture and how it?s changed over the past decades. One of my favorite stories was of how John F Kennedy rode by her beauty salon in the 1960?s when he was president and how all of the ladies ran outside with their hair in curlers to get a glimpse of him. This was, from what she told me, absolutely scandalous in the 1960?s. But it’s worth it to get a glimpse of the handsome president she said with a smirk!

Think about all the people with whom you interact with on a daily basis and consider the wisdom and life experiences of those people. Certainly we all have something to share and learn from each other. If you want to participate in the project, you can learn more at the National Day of Listening website.

Because baby girls are gorgeous without any jewelry. Because I think it’s something that is a permanent alteration and is something that your daughter should be able to decide to do for herself. Because it could even be dangerous.

I’m not anti-piercing, I have 8 in my ears and a stud in my tongue. But I had every one of them done because I wanted to.

I had my ears pierced for the first time when I was about 8. My mom, my sister and me had a “girls day out” to have it done. My sister and I both picked out the earrings we wanted, and got our ears pierced together. Then, I think, we went for ice cream. Very corny, I know. But it’s a nice childhood memory.

I know a five-year-old who’s ears were pierced as a toddler and while she loves wearing earrings, she’s a little sad that it wasn’t something she chose to do. I got a new piercing last week and she wanted to get one too. It seems like she wanted to have been involved in the decision to have her earlobes pierced.

I’ve heard moms say they get their daughter’s ears pierced to make them look more feminine. Strangers tell moms of girls that their son is adorable all the time. Strangers told me what a pretty girl my baby son was all the time too, it’s a little grating but ultimately not something to be upset by. Actually it’s quite hard to tell small babies apart. But if you don’t like strangers thinking your baby is a boy, isn’t that what pink outfits, dresses, hair bows and barrettes are for?

Piercing, while fairly safe, does have risks like infection and allergic reactions. If you have to have your baby’s ears pierced, wait until she is at least 3 months old and better able to deal with any possible complications. And have the piercing done hygienically at your doctor’s office. Not the mall. Why? Here’s a video of a typical mall ear piercing. How unhygienic does this look! First a superficial cleaning. The women doing the piercing aren’t wearing gloves, and goodness knows what kind of germs and dirt are lurking under the first woman’s nails? It makes my skin crawl. At least your doctor will use sterile equipment.

The American Association of Pediatricians recommends “postpone the piercing until your child is mature enough to take care of the pierced site herself.” Then you can treat yourself, and your daughter to a mom-and-daughter day out and have her ears pierced done then, and make a memory for you to share.

Kids and puppies go together like peanut butter and jelly in my mind, probably because my family and most of my relatives had a dog while raising children. My beloved yellow Labrador, Zodiac, arrived 6 months after the birth of my first child, and died 6 months after the arrival of my 5^th child.

After mourning his death, we?ve decided to begin looking for another dog. I have to be honest in that I have my heart set upon another Labrador as I just love the breed, but I wondered, is a certain breed better if you have children? How do you pick a dog for your family?

If you are looking for a family pet, here are some things to consider:

1. Do you want a purebred dog or a mixed breed dog? There are pros and cons to each choice of course, but it depends upon your personal preferences
2. How much money are you willing and able to spend on a pet? Mixed breed dogs are more inexpensive than purebred dogs.
3. Do you wish to ?save a life? and adopt a dog from a local shelter or rescue league? Do you prefer to buy your dog from a breeder?
4. Do you want a puppy, which will require a significant amount of time and training, or do you wish to get an older dog?
5. What kind of lifestyle do you have and which breeds fit in well with that lifestyle? For example, Labradors tend to be even tempered and have lots of energy. Since we have a bunch of kids with a lot of energy and a large fenced in yard, a Labrador would fit our lifestyle.
6. Realize that a pet will require a significant investment of time and also money.

Before adopting or purchasing a pet, it?s wise to research the different breed types and understand the differences between them. For example, certain breeds are more prone to aggression, while other breeds tend to be more active. Certain kinds of dogs like to bark?which you may not appreciate once you finally get your light sleeper settled for the night. Some dog breeds shed, or need regular grooming.

Finding the right pet for your family is a lot of work, but it is worth it. While it may cost you some time and money, the joy a family pet can bring to your life will be well worth the effort.

How I Met Your Father. The Story of Your Birth. These titles are just some of the topics I wish to tell my daughter about. How we met in my first class in University, how soft her father’s voice was during roll call. How he asked me for coffee after class. Fast forward many years later to her induced delivery, and then a last minute caesarean. There are so many details I wish for her to know (and many more I plan to leave out).

For now, I’ve started a blog for her, with a special category called Notes To Mina. This is where I take time to speak to her directly about things going on with her. How much she weights, any milestones she’s currently mastered, new things in her life. With the details of life always crowding the day, I don’t want to forget about the details that may be important to her. Her blog is one of my ways to keep these important events, events that may eventually be of great delight for her to read up on, immortalized so to speak. I include videos, photos and try to update it often.

There are many other ways that parents nowadays can preserve those special moments in their children’s lives. There’s the good old photo album, scrap-booking, and digital videos. A blog is just one of the newer medium for such a task. It’s easy to update, there are many free blog hosts one can use such as Blogger.com, Wordpress and other even more baby-focused sites such as Babies Online’s very own. You can also password-protect posts for privacy and security. With some of the sites It’s easy to get started, and your little one may just thank you for it later.

For more ideas on how to preserve memories, check out 6 Ideas for Keeping Baby Memories.

If you are pregnant with your first baby then you are probably anticipating all the great things you will remember. The first time your baby smiles, the first time your baby crawls, and the first time your baby utters a word will probably get burned into your memory for the rest of your life.

I was chatting with my daughter today about the cute things she used to do when she was a newborn. She’s four now, and she loves sitting around and talking about what she was like as a baby. The funny thing I realized when I was talking to her today is that my absolute favorite memory of her during her first couple of days was her first sneeze.

It was amazing. She was just a couple of hours old and she let out the cutest little sneeze: “Wah-pbbbllt!” Then she looked at me with the most adorable, quizzical face as though she was waiting for me to explain to her what had just happened. I had never been so amused or enamored by a single sneeze. It was in that very moment that I realized I would love this little baby forever.

After your baby is born, don’t be surprised if you find the most commonplace events absolutely earth-shatteringly cute. You’re going to love your baby more than you ever thought possible, and if you are anything like me you will probably be completely amazed at the small things you remember with great deal, even years down the road.

Babies need so many clothes, and they grow out of them so fast! What can you do with all those teeny onesies, pants, dresses and shirts?

The first thing that comes to mind is to save them for the next baby. Plastic bins or boxes are the best thing to store baby clothes in, or those plastic bags you zip up and suck all the air out with a vacuum cleaner. Store them somewhere in the house, not the garage or basement, to keep them dry and away from creepy-crawlies. The law of the universe, however, dictates that if you keep all your little boy clothes from your firstborn, the next baby will be a girl, and vice versa. It’s a good way to choose the sex of your next baby!

And if this little one completes your family? Women’s shelters, and teen maternity homes are usually in need of clean, good condition baby clothes, toys and supplies. Look in your telephone book, or contact your local United Way for a referral to a local charity.

Are you a crafty mom? Or can’t you bear to get rid of those tiny onesies? Why not turn those little clothes into a memory quilt? Ticche & Bea sell a $35 kit with all you need to make a quilt from baby clothes. Or, for an extra $40, they’ll make it for you.

My computer sits by my window and I have a great view of the snow blowing down my neighbor?s driveway. Times like this take me back to when I was a child. It seems like it would snow more often in the winter back then. At least, to my blurry memory it did. Memories are like that, you know. When twenty years have passed it seems like only the very good and the very bad stick in your mind like clear photos taken the day before.

I remember so strongly the taste and smell of the snow cream my grandmother made. She would take a large bowl, go outside and gather as much clean snow as would fit into it. She would then mix in sugar, milk, and vanilla. I still make it now for my kids when the snow is fresh and ?sticky?.

Hey, I like it, too.

I think that everyone remembers the tastes and scents from childhood. That is the main reason we have such a popular line of comfort food cookbooks all over the world. For me, the warm scent of vanilla or anything with a spice smell gives me a moment of peace.

I thought I would offer an alternative way to make this treat for those of you who have never had it. This recipe is suitable for vegans, vegetarians, and most children who may have food allergies.

Maybe, some of you have had this, but do not remember how to make it.

Snow Cream

• 1 large mixing bowl brimming with clean, fresh snow
• 1 cup of vanilla soymilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup of sucralose

Mix all ingredients well. The snow will melt down as soon as the milk hits it, but keep stirring. Eventually it will clump, then become smooth. The texture you are looking for is thick and smooth, just a bit softer than real ice cream.

When you taste this, it should be slightly sweet with a real vanilla flavor. Feel free to play around with this recipe to get the flavor you prefer. I have also added in a touch of cocoa powder, but was not as pleased with the results. I am a vanilla fan!

If you do try this recipe, let me know how it works for you and please share your variations!

It’s another one of our family traditions. We started doing it even before we got married, continued doing through 5 years of childless marital togetherness and somehow managed to fit it in between nappy-changing and breastfeeding when our twins arrived.

Every year, I find that Christmas gets more hectic and busier and I always ask myself ‘Must I?’ ‘Do I really have to?’ And the answer is always a resounding ‘Yes!’

I am talking about the tradition of writing a Christmas letter. We started writing it while still dating. We continued to write our separate Christmas letters till we got married and then decided that one letter would suffice for a family. And the responsibility fell on my shoulders as the writer of the family.

So why do I do this, year after year, between Christmas and New Year, in whichever country or continent, mountain or ocean we might be in/on?

To keep in touch

We are a multicultural family. I’ve lived in 5 different countries in 2 continents. My husband has lived in 4 countries in 3 continents. We have family and friends scattered all over the globe. Our Christmas letter is a yearly update of what’s new in our life and what we’ve been up to.

To look back and look forward

We don’t keep diaries or personal blogs. But at the end of each year, we sit down and look back to the year that was. What were the highlights? What have we achieved? What went wrong? What could we have done better? And then we look forward to the upcoming year and put down on paper our plans. What do we want to achieve? Which country do we want to visit next?

To preserve the memories for our kids

Our twins are four-and-a-half years old. Although they sometimes have amazing memories, there will be lots of things they may forget as they grow older. The letters will preserve those memories for them. When they are old enough, they’d be able to read about their parents’ love story, the childless years, the difficult pregnancy, their babyhood years?

In other words, the Christmas letters tell the story of our lives.

In this day and age, this seems a very old-fashioned way of keeping records. We do distribute them electronically whenever we could. There are, however, still family members and friends who gladly get them in hard copy. And keep them.

So excuse me, everyone, I’ve got to log off. I have a Christmas letter to write.

Because you start seeing children who used to love Fisher Price go crazy over iPod accessories. I remember when my nephew Richard would argue with me over whether it was “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Christmas.” It wasn’t really an argument because he was only three, but in his mind, everything else was “Happy:” “Happy Easter,” “Happy Birthday,” and “Happy New Year.”

Now I see the same kid and he’s excited over his Ohio State gear and watching his mom-taped wrestling matches. His sister is tapping into her inner Cheetah Girl and is so over Dora the Explorer. My youngest nephew is playing reading games with my daughter. The time really flies. What really freaks me out is when you see those relatives you only see at Christmas. Newborns are now walking. Toddlers are talking to you about school. And *gasp* there are teens and tweens chillin’ where there use to be kids running through the house like maniacs.

And I’m not old.

So what does it mean to the Moms, Dads and Granparents when the children are grown, the grandkids are grown and the great-grand children are moving toward starting families of their own. I guess it means you’ve lived a good life.

Any age epiphanies today?