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Baby Rabies

pregnancy & parenting

  • Start Here
    • About Baby Rabies
    • Baby Registry Top Picks
    • Favorite Pregnancy Apps
  • The Book
  • Pregnancy
    • Birth Stories
    • Perinatal Mood Disorders
  • Parenthood
    • Babies
    • Toddlers
    • School Age Kids
    • Parenting LOLZ
  • Photography
    • Photography

      6 Stunning Photos You Would Never Guess Were…

      February 11, 2019

      Photography

      Simple Tips For Editing Snow Photos On Your…

      December 13, 2018

      Photography

      I Wrote A Photography eBook And This Is…

      December 6, 2018

      Photography

      Creative Lighting Ideas To Help You Take Great…

      November 27, 2018

      Photography

      Learn How To Take And Edit Photos On…

      November 19, 2018

  • Reviews
    • Reviews

      The Answer To Last Minute Holiday Gifting For…

      December 19, 2018

      Reviews

      I Was Never A Barbie Girl Until Now

      October 1, 2018

      Reviews

      Finally! Jeans For My Jean-Averse Kids!

      August 22, 2018

      Reviews

      If Your Kid Loves Dump Trucks & Garbage…

      August 13, 2018

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      Nobody Tell My Kids ABC Mouse Is Part…

      September 4, 2017

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preschool

disney world with toddlers
Travel

Where To Take Little Kids While You Wait At Walt Disney World – Ultimate List With Maps!

by Jill March 1, 2019
written by Jill

Are you planning a trip to Walt Disney World with toddlers? Will you have to balance entertaining small ones while big ones ride rides?  I’m sharing my favorite toddler and preschooler friendly spots in all 4 WDW parks in this post! Be sure you save or screen shot the maps for each one, too!

image of a toddler held up around lots of balloons

We just wrapped up an epic family vacation at Walt Disney World with kids ages 2, 5, 8, and 10. Not everyone was tall enough to ride all the rides. Not everyone wanted to ride the same rides. It’s a challenge when you’ve got to divide and conquer, but it’s not terrible if you know where to go while you wait.

My husband and I would take turns and split up with the bigs waiting in the ride line, and the littles who needed to be entertained while they waited. Even when we had FastPasses, we could expect to wait 20-30 minutes for our riders to exit some rides.

Of course, we tried to time this during stroller nap time. And if that was the case and I only had the 2 year old with me, I’d find a shady spot and enjoy the relative silence. When he was awake, though, he wanted OUT. And if I had another kid with me, we were certainly not going to enjoy any kind of silence just sitting and waiting.

So we hit up the following spots in each park while we passed the time:

Walt Disney World – Magic Kingdom

Rides: Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain

  • There is a play area to the right of the entrance to Splash Mountain. It’s right near a bathroom, has plenty of seating nearby, and it’s pretty easy to keep an eye on runners without having to helicopter them.

Ride: Space Mountain

  • We spent a lot of time getting energy out at the space in front of the Tomorrowland stage. In the past, this has been home to a dance party that our then 1 year old loved. This year, there didn’t seem to be anything happening on the stage, but that meant that space was left wide open for running and playing with his Buzz Lightyear bubble blower.
    image of a toddler walking with buzz light year
    There is a little bit of seating, but you definitely have to be ready to chase a runner since there’s no fencing or barricade to keep them from running into the crowds. You could also take them onto the PeopleMover while you wait if the line isn’t too long (generally it doesn’t seem to be). It’s our 2 year old’s FAVORITE.If your little will sit still for it, and you have the budget and the desire, there’s a face painting spot near the Tomorrowland stage, too.

Rides: Barnstormer, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Dumbo

  • Anyone can ride Dumbo as long as littles are seated with adults, but did you know you don’t have to ride Dumbo to get inside and play under Dumbo’s Big Top? It’s an indoor, climate controlled play space that’s 90% contained, and it’s glorious! I’ve nursed babies here, I’ve sat and enjoyed coffee in peace while big kids played, and I’ve brought them here to entertain them while we wait for riders.

     

     
     
     
     
     
    View this post on Instagram
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

     

    A post shared by Jill Krause (@babyrabies) on Oct 29, 2015 at 8:02am PDT

    If you do plan to ride Dumbo, they will give you a buzzer, like you get at a restaurant, and when it goes off, it’s time to jump in line. Never waste a Fast Pass on Dumbo if your kids will want to play in the tent!

    image of a young girl standing at the camel train cart spray

  • If it’s hot out and you are cool with your kid getting wet, you can also take them to Casey Jr. Splash ‘N’ Soak Station right outside the Dumbo ride.  As of today, it’s closed for renovations, but should be open by the end of March, 2019.

    Screenshot or save this map to your phone for quick reference in the park!
    map of Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom

Walt Disney World – Epcot

Ride: Mission Space

  • After you say goodbye to your riders entering the line, walk to the left and head into the exit. You’ll walk into a gift shop, and on the other side of that is an area with video simulations for big kids and kids-at-heart, and then you’ll see a play area, complete with climbing tunnels, to the right. This climate controlled area is an awesome space to step out of the heat. I’ve found a quiet corner to nurse babies here a few times. The playground has spots for toddlers and bigger kids. And there is only one way in and out so if you have a runner, you can just park yourself there.
    image of toddler walking around Mission Space ride

Ride: Test Track

  • This is one of those lines that is long even if you have a Fast Pass, so settle in. No worries, though, the BEST new play area in Epcot just opened within steps of the ride. To the left of the MouseGear entrance, you’ll find what is now a Ralph Breaks The Internet themed outdoor playground. It’s fully enclosed (except for the entrance) with quite a bit of seating for adults. I’m told the theming will change, but this playground is a permanent fixture.
    image of toddler walking into the Wreck-It Ralph Family Play Zone

Ride: Soarin

  • Soarin is inside The Land pavilion, and you can certainly let your littles run around the waiting area there, but it’s not very entertaining. If you’d like to stay inside the pavilion, check out the wait time for the ride Living with the Land. It’s about a 20 minute ride, and the wait has always been next to nothing while we’ve been there.
  • If you would rather not sit and hold them, head over to The Seas with Nemo & Friends and take the escalator to the 2nd floor. There’s an incredible aquarium that they can walk through with windows right at eye level.
    image of kids looking at fish in the Aquarium
  • There is a splash pad at Epcot between Future World and the World Showcase. Just be sure your child has a change of clothes before you let them discover this.

    Screenshot or save this map to your phone for quick reference in the park!

map of Walt Disney World Epcot

Hollywood Studios

Ride: Tower Of Terror and Rock & Rollercoaster

  • Hollywood Studios is lacking in dedicated play spaces for kids at the moment, so here it’s all about finding places littles have space to safely get their sillies out. The open space in front of the TOT exit may seem like a good spot at first glance, but I’ve found it’s a nightmare. There are stairs that my danger baby insists trying to go up and down, and there’s a pathway that’s also a designated smoking spot that he is determined to explore. So if I can’t convince him to stay in his stroller and enjoy a snack at this spot, I take him to the open area in front of Rock & Rollercoaster.There’s still a lot of foot traffic in and out of here so it’s not a place you can let runners run free, but you can usually find an empty spot off to the side and let them play with a toy or enjoy a snack. If you’re feeling festive, there’s a face painting spot here!

Related: Budget For This Extra On Your Walt Disney World Vacation

Ride: Star Tours

  • We rode this ride A LOT so I have a few options that worked well for us. The SciFi Drive-In Theater restaurant is adjacent to this ride, and there’s a car out front that entertained the toddler for maybe 5 minutes each time. He climbed in and out and pretended to drive and honk a horn. It was never entertainment enough for an entire ride cycle though.
  • There’s a courtyard in front of the Muppet Experience and a dead end road to the side of it (for now) with a Star Wars backdrop that will stop your runner from running off. Both are decent places to let them get their energy out.
    image of toddler posing with Pluto character
  • I actually found the best solution for us was to take my 2 year old across the park (it’s not a big park) to the Animation Courtyard and into the Star Wars Launch Bay. I was able to nurse him in the quiet Han Solo museum and then we got in line to meet BB-8 and Pluto was right outside. We timed it perfectly to meet the rest of the fam on their way to Toy Story Land once they exited Star Tours.

Rides: Slinky Dog Dash & Alien Swirling Saucers

Toy Story Land would have been the BEST PLACE for a playground, right? Sigh. Sadly, there isn’t one, and with height restrictions on two of the three rides (Alien Swirling Saucers is only 32”), if you’re traveling with a little little, you’ll have to find something else to do with them while you wait.

  • Our 2 year old was OBSESSED with the Green Army Men, and they were out and about nearly the whole time we were in TSL, each time we visited. He even got to bounce a Pixar ball with them! This was plenty of entertainment for him for one ride cycle.
    image of toddler giving high five with Toy Story soldier
  • If you can manage to get a FP for Toy Story Mania for the same time your other riders will be on the height restricted rides, it’s an easy enough ride to manage littles on your own and the FP line seems to move pretty swiftly. You could also hop in line to meet Woody & Jessie or Buzz if you think you have the patience for that.
    image of toddler posing in front of Incredible painting
  • If none of that is working and you need a place with a little more space to run and perhaps a dance party, head out of TSL and just after you exit, to the right, will be the old Pixar Place alley. It is currently home to An Incredible Celebration. If you’re into cookies or bribing your kids with cookies, you gotta get a Jack Jack’s Num Num cookie while you’re there.

    image of kid posing in front of Incredible sign with a cookie

    Screenshot or save this map to your phone for quick reference in the park!

    map of Walt Disney World Hollywood Studios

Animal Kingdom

Rides: Expedition Everest, DINOSAUR, Primeval Whirl, Flight Of Passage

  • Animal Kingdom, in my opinion, has THE BEST play area for littles- The Boneyard. It’s HUGE and there’s something there for kids big and small. We just really love Dinoland U.S.A. as a whole, especially now that Donald’s Dino-Bash is going on. There many character interactions throughout the day, and a dance party later in the afternoon that lasts through the night.image of a toddler dancing with characters
    Another cool thing about Dinoland is it’s not a bad place to hang no matter what ride you’re waiting for riders finish. You can all meet back up in the center of the park on Discovery Island.

You might also like: 6 Stunning Photos You Would Never Guess Were Taken And Edited With A Phone

  • There is also the Hakuna Matata Time Dance Party, which lasts a good portion of the day, on Discovery Island.
  • The Muziki Drums across from the Harambe Market are a family favorite for us, too.
    image of a toddler and older kid banging on drums
  • Pandora has winding trails and tons of beautiful foliage to look at, especially at night. You might also catch the Pandora drums that play throughout the day. Fair warning: this can be a stressful place to let runners out of strollers. The combination of foot traffic and all the trails can make it easy to lose sight of an excited kiddo.

Screenshot or save this map to your phone for quick reference in the park!

map of Walt Disney World Animal Kingdom

I hope this helps you on your upcoming Walt Disney World trip! I’ll be writing more about taking babies and toddlers to Disney here soon, so be sure you’re subscribed and following me on Facebook and Instagram for updates. For videos about family travel, be sure you subscribe to our travel and lifestyle channel Happy Loud Life. 

Click here to read more tips and tricks for Walt Disney World.

And if you love my photos and want to know how you can take and edit pix of your family at Disney World with just your phone and a few cheap apps, be sure you’re subscribed to my newsletter to find out when my next ebook- Picture Play At Disney World- goes on sale! 

If you found this helpful, I’d love if you’d pin it to your Pinterest board!

image collage a pictures of the main highlights at WDW

March 1, 2019 29 comments
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I'll Never Apologize For These Selfies
PhotographySchool Age DaysToddlers

I’ll Never Apologize For These Selfies

by Jill October 23, 2018
written by Jill

I was going through my camera roll on my phone over the weekend, doing my best to organize what feels like the entirety of my life on there, and something struck me like a blast of cold air.

I don’t take napping selfies with Lowell anymore.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Baby Rabies (@babyrabies) on Nov 6, 2015 at 11:58am PST

We simply don’t nap together anymore. He’s mostly outgrown the nap, though he still catches a few Zs in the truck to and from places. He’s sleeping in a tiny bunk bed these days that doesn’t have much room for me, and we don’t spend our days home alone or with a baby- just the two or three of us.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Baby Rabies (@babyrabies) on May 17, 2017 at 1:14pm PDT

Since we took off on this full-time family road trip, a lot has changed, obviously. And I get to experience so much with Lowell and the other 3 now that we are spending nearly every waking moment together exploring.

Related: Reminder To Self: Don’t Compare This Baby To The Others

But I miss those sleeping moments when he would cuddle up under my arm, hand in my hair, and doze off while watching Netflix. It was just the two of us at first, and then he would cradle my pregnant belly. When Wallace was born, he would nap side by side with him.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Baby Rabies (@babyrabies) on Aug 3, 2017 at 5:13pm PDT

This is a blog post written by many a mom before me- you never know what ordinary moments will last be your last, and when they’ll transform from just another part of your routine into a memory on your camera roll.

I sure am grateful for all those selfies, though. Don’t ever let anyone make you feel vain or superficial or silly for snapping pictures of you and your little in a moment you will want to remember.

Related: The Treasure Trove That Is My Photo Booth Library

Last night, I asked him to climb up in bed with me and snuggle, and while he was way too chatty to doze off in my arms, we still took a selfie for old-time’s sake.

October 23, 2018 0 comment
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Nobody Tell My Kids ABC Mouse Is Part Of My Homeschooling Plan
ReviewsSchool Age Days

Nobody Tell My Kids ABC Mouse Is Part Of My Homeschooling Plan

by Jill September 4, 2017
written by Jill

We’ve been homeschooling for a couple weeks, and I’d be lying if I said I have any idea what I’m doing.

Life is in flux right now. The house is on the market, we are in planning mode for the great RV road trip (where we will “roadschool” the kids), and I’m working my tail off to get business plans and insurance and all that jazz in place before we take off.

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September 4, 2017 1 comment
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What To Do When You Get Tired Of Staring At Your Baby- WeeSchool
BabiesToddlers

What To Do When You Get Tired Of Staring At Your Baby- WeeSchool

by Jill February 27, 2017
written by Jill

Update: The WeeSchool app is now FREE! It is also now available on Google Play for Android as well as in the App Store for iOS.

I took my first baby to baby classes 3 times a week until he was 2. I learned developmentally appropriate songs to sing to him and games to play with him, and I had someone who was trained in child development there to tell me what milestones to look for as he grew.

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February 27, 2017 0 comment
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What Preschool Teachers Wish They Could Tell You
contributorsSchool Age DaysToddlers

What Preschool Teachers Wish They Could Tell You

by Julie Forbes September 6, 2016
written by Julie Forbes

Julie Forbes did some investigative journalism (aka had an honest talk with some friends) and got to the heart of what preschool teachers wish they could tell you.

***************************

I know a few preschool teachers who aren’t just great at their jobs, they also have their degrees in early childhood education, and they’re cool chicks (and one is a parent to a preschooler too).  So, I asked them to dish with me, off the record, about what they really want to say to parents.

  1.  Your child is not special
    Of course your child is special and unique, but so are the other 20 kids in the class.  Teachers do not need to know every, single detail about your child, including what they are playing with that week or what their favorite TV show is.  Your child’s interests aren’t going to dictate what the rest of the class plays with.

    Helicopter parents: they’re looking at you.  One teacher said, “Your child can read?!?  Good for you.  But, so can lots of other kids in the class.  I think sometimes parents get caught up in their child’s uniqueness that they want to share every detail.”

    The teachers said they’ve received nightly e-mails from parents sharing everything from “the theme” of a child’s play that day to videos capturing their activities.
    “We care about every child in our program, but we can’t care as much as some parents want us to care,” they shared through giggles.

    It feels narcissistic to them, and they are not going to give your child special treatment.  That being said…

  2. Communicate
    Teachers need to know the very important things going on in your child’s life.  A new baby, a deployed parent, even a bad night of sleep can all affect the way your child may be acting.

    “We’ll have parents who won’t have told us that they have moved houses.  That’s relevant information!  If we know the grandparents have been in town, and they just left this morning, then we can make sense of your child’s behavior,” one teacher told me.

    Just don’t become an over-sharer.

    IMG_2126

  3. Keep toys at home
    If your child brings something to school, chances are its going to get lost, damaged or traded.  And, it’s going to cause a conflict.  It’s typically a distraction from the other educational toys in the classroom, and it’s difficult for the teachers to keep track of which toy belongs to which child.  Plus, you or your child may get upset if something happens to it. Keep it at home or in the car.

    If you’re trying to leave the house and your child won’t put the item down, the teachers say to blame them.  Tell your child that the teacher or school doesn’t allow it, one of the teachers said, “We have no problem being the bad guy.”

    The one exception is an item that a child uses for a transitional object. “The gross, grubby blanket or the stuffed animal that’s lost its nose are generally not desired by other kids,” says one teacher.  Those emotional items are fine for a child to bring in until they get comfortable in the classroom.

  4. If you volunteer, be helpful
    “Sometimes parents come in, and it makes more work for us,” they were embarrassed to admit.

    If you tell the teachers you want to come in to help with a project, then have a plan.  They say parents tell them all the time they want to do a project with the kids, but then they want the teachers to plan it, design it, and collect all of the resources for a project.

    “Teachers like volunteers, but volunteers who are self-sufficient,” sums up one teacher.  For example, if you are a baker and you want to make cupcakes with the kids, then tell the teachers how long it will take, what kind of supplies you will need, and when you’ll be done.

  5. They appreciate your thoughtfulness
    I’ll be honest, I was hoping they’d say they don’t care about gifts so I could cross Teacher Appreciation Week off my to-do list.  But, they do.  Those perfect Pinterest-inspired homemade crafts mean a whole lot to them.  

    “Maybe you don’t save it forever.  But, you get it, and you appreciate it for that moment,” one teacher said.

    Another teacher is thankful of how appreciative families seem to be of her job, “My fiance is a high school teacher, so I always feel bad around the end of the school year or Christmas, I come home with all of these cards, and he’s like, ‘I got ONE card.’  I think we’re lucky that we catch families at the beginning, and they really value us.”

    WhatPreschoolTeachersWouldTellYou

  6. Label your Stuff
    If you have ever asked your preschool-aged child to get something out of his or her drawer, you know that the entire contents of that drawer end up on the floor.  So, imagine when a classroom full of kids gets one item out of their cubby.  It looks like a 3T department store exploded.  Everything is all over the place, and the teachers have no idea what goes where.

    “Shirts, socks, even underwear.  Anything that could get thrown on the ground needs a label,” the teachers said.  One of the teachers said that with her son, she just stocked up on cheap clothes and kept them just for “school replenishing clothes.”  That way, when something came home wet or dirty, she had another labeled set ready to go.

    I asked for their recommendations on the best, most organized labeling system.  Their answer?  Sharpie.

  7. Read what they send you
    On that note, chances are you received an e-mail or paper instructions telling you to label your stuff.  Do it!  And, do the other things the teachers asked.  There’s a reason why they tell you these things.  In the case of labeling your clothes, they don’t want your stuff getting lost.

    “There’s nothing more annoying to a teacher than when you write all of this information about events, experiences and activities and the parents respond with, ‘What?!  We didn’t know about that.'”  They said they try to make it as user-friendly as possible; all you have to do is spend a few minutes reading it.

  8. Be on Time
    They get it, life happens.  So being late every once in a while isn’t a big deal.  But they say it always seems to be the same parents who are consistently late in picking their kids up from school.If you do happen to be late, don’t make a scene. 

    One teacher said “Our day has moved on.  Grab your child as quickly and swiftly and discreetly as possible.  You don’t get to have one-on-one with us at this point.”

    Let’s just ignore the obvious that it is incredibly rude, the teachers tell me that you’re just hurting yourself in the long run.  When you’re not on time, they’ve moved onto whatever comes next in their day, and they can’t debrief you about what happened in your child’s day.   They said it’s those same parents who end up being caught off guard about something that’s going on at school, and then they get upset that they haven’t been kept informed.

  9. They Don’t Expect you to be Perfect
    Cut yourself some slack.  They know that you are with your child all the time, and that sometimes your patience runs thin.  These particular teachers are only with their students for a few hours a day, and they said it’s much easier for them to always do things by the book – it’s their job.

    “If there is a moment at drop-off or pick-up where your kid is being a jerk, we get that, and I see sometimes, parents try to be perfect in front of us, and they end up letting their kid get away with something because they don’t want to look like they’re having a power struggle,” said one teacher.They said they can be there to help you deal with it, or to back up to let you do your thing.  

    This teacher summed it up perfectly, “We get it.  We’ve seen it all.  And we’re not fazed.”

  10. Saying Good-Bye
    Come up with a plan.  Be decisive.  Be consistent.If you think your child is going to have a hard time seeing you leave each day, let the teachers know in advance, so everyone can plan for that.  

    “There are some children, temperamentally, that take some time warming up to new faces and places,” says one teacher.

    But, they also note, that some parents are completely caught off guard when a child has a hard good-bye.  They say regardless of what type of child you have, have a plan for hard good-byes and let the teacher know where they fit.

    “Sometimes there’s this awkward dance where we’re ready to help, the parent says, ‘OK, just another minute,’ to their child, and what you do with that other minute reinforces to your child the ambiguity of that good-bye.  He or she wonders, ‘Are they leaving, are they not leaving?'”  

    That’s where teachers say you have to be decisive, and trust that the teacher or school will call you if things aren’t okay, “We don’t want to do damage to that child either.”

    They say the hardest good-byes are the ones where the parents had an ambiguous good-bye and came back after already saying good-bye.
    Predictability is key.  Do the same thing every day.

September 6, 2016 2 comments
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They Grew So Fast, But Not A Minute Too Soon This Year – Back To School
School Age DaysToddlers

They Grew So Fast, But Not A Minute Too Soon This Year – Back To School

by Jill August 24, 2016
written by Jill

You know how the weeks leading up to having a baby you’re just so done that you’re ready- eager, even- to endure the pain, the pushing, the sleepless nights, the bloody nipples? Just GET. THE. BABY. OUT.

The last few weeks have been like that, but not in regards to the baby- I’m happy to keep him in much longer.

No, I just became so over and done with having my kids home for the summer that I gleefully set my alarm for 6:30 this week, and I’ve risen with joy each day. I’ve packed lunches with love the night before. And not a single tear did roll down my cheek this year as I sent them each on their way, another milestone in the rearview.

IMG_2326

They grow up so fast, but not a minute too soon because I AM TIRED, AND DON’T LIKE YOU THAT MUCH RIGHT NOW. We need a break. My heart needs to feel fonder about you, and absence is the cure.

My 2nd baby started kindergarten, and my stone cold heart didn’t feel a pang of sadness.

IMG_2295

My 3rd baby is in a classroom with tiny lockers now. Cool. Whatever.

IMG_2357

My oldest doesn’t want me to hug or kiss him goodbye at school anymore. Okay.

IMG_2318

BYE, EVERYONE!! See you after I’ve had a nap and watched 3 episodes of Orange Is The New Black.

August 24, 2016 4 comments
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Please, Keep Doing Your Homework
PhotographySchool Age Days

Please, Keep Doing Your Homework

by Jill October 21, 2015
written by Jill

 

She reminds us she has homework. She was up way past bedtime last night carefully finishing it, so intent on perfection.

IMG_5305

Yes, she’s in PreK. Yeah, I’m not super thrilled at the idea of my 4 year old having homework. Except for the fact that she LOVES it. It’s mostly practice writing her name and letters of the week. It’s a chance for her to sit at the table, and request to be left alone with fresh markers.
IMG_5306

She whines every morning about getting dressed, and must pick everything out “all by my own self” and it makes me crazy somedays- especially the days she leaps down the stairs wearing a leotard and boots- that I can’t just say, “Here, put this on,” like I can with her big brother. He’s 7 and still has no problem with me dressing him every day.

IMG_5313

But she, I think… I hope… Lord, don’t let this jinx me… will be a completely different child to get through the education system. And that is basically saving my sanity right now.

Wear whatever you want. Just please keep doing your homework.

 

October 21, 2015 6 comments
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School Age DaysThe StoryToddlers

I’m Not Alright With The Growing Up Thing

by Jill April 26, 2013
written by Jill

Omg. Showed up to K’s pre K recital and they are showing cap and gown pics while “it won’t be like this for long” plays. This is an AMBUSH!

— Jill Krause (@babyrabies) April 25, 2013

Prior to entering the room, it never occurred to me that Kendall’s pre K recital was going to make me question my journey through motherhood. I thought I’d show up, take some pictures, they’d sing some songs, and we’d go have ice cream after it’s done. Just like we’ve done every year.

Except this year is the last year because next year he’s going to be in Kindergarten.

PreschoolGrad

And suddenly, it hit me- that train that I thought wasn’t going to catch up to me. The one I thought I’d been smart enough to stay one step ahead of. The one that knocked me on my ass and reminded me, “YOU ARE NOT IN CONTROL OF TIME.”

No amount of picture taking or memory making can stop your kid from growing up. No amount of blogging about how much you know they are going to grow up, no amount of acknowledging that you can’t freeze time makes it feel ok to not be able to freeze time.

You know what? I’m really not alright with this growing up thing. I’m not cool with the turning 5 and going to Kindergarten part. I’m not okay with knowing I’ve wished away so much of the last 5 years. I tried to stop myself from doing that when he was a newborn…

I know I’ve spent more than my fair share on here complaining in some way or another, and I’m really not writing this to sugar coat things.  The fact remains that the last 6 weeks have been TOUGH in a lot of ways, but as I started packing tonight for our big move to Dallas next week I couldn’t help but get a little sad.  My baby is six weeks old.  He will never be younger than this again.  He will never be smaller than this again.  He’s growing so much already…  So I write this to remind myself and anyone else out there in the bowels of newborn hell to stop and TRY to enjoy it, even if it’s only for the brief moments throughout the day that he is not crying and not demolishing my breasts.  Looking back, it scares to think how quickly the last six weeks have gone (although they seem like a lifetime too in some ways).  Although I’m exhausted 90% of the time and frustrated 50% of the time, I don’t want to wish away these precious days.  I surely will never get them back.

But the overwhelmed waves washed over me time and time again. Just get through this stage. Just get past this age. Just get beyond this milestone. I wished and I wished for things to be easier, knowing full well it’s not that they ever get easier. They just become a different kind of difficult.

And I write this knowing that I’ll never be able to stop myself from wishing away days, moments, stages, ages. Because I’m human.

That is really what’s getting to me here. I know, no matter what I would have done over the last five years, no matter how many more special outings I would have taken him on, no matter how many more crafts I made with him or books I read to him, I would still have regrets.

Parenting is a human experience. Remember, Jill? 

It’s the regrets, I think, that make it hard to give into time passing.

It’s knowing I’m going to continue to make mistakes, and that there’s no pressing the pause button. There are no do-overs. There’s no way to take anything back. And what happens between now and 13 years from now is going to matter so much.

Blink. He’s one.

Blink. He’s five.

Blink. He’s gone.

April 26, 2013 11 comments
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PhotographyThe Story

“Half Circle, Half Circle”

by Jill September 1, 2012
written by Jill

Scott does this thing with Kendall a few nights out of the week where they sit down and they practice writing letters and numbers.

Tonight was the number 3.

“Half circle, half circle,” they repeated together until Kendall got the hang of it.

Shot on my Canon T2i with my Sigma 30 1.4 lens.
SS 1/125, f/2.8, ISO 1600

processed with Clickin Moms Film Art Platinum preset for Lightroom, brightness added to some 

September 1, 2012 11 comments
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School Age DaysThe Story

Something Amazing

by Jill August 28, 2012
written by Jill

“Kendall, what are you going to learn at school tomorrow?” I whispered as we laid in his bed under his solar system mobile while the planets danced around.

“I dunno, I bet sumping amazing,”  he matter-of-factly replied.

I bet so.

Kendall started K-4 today (his second year of preschool). He helped me lay his clothes out last night, insisting on folding them himself. He was so excited that he woke on his own this morning and got himself dressed before he came out of his room.

I guess that strong will and independence comes in handy every now and then.

I have to admit, there was a sense of relief that drop-off this morning wasn’t for kindergarten, that I get to keep him a little closer to me for one more year. I planned to enroll him in 4 days a week up until about a month ago when, strangely, I had this urge to want to keep him with me as much as possible this year. I say “strangely” because I’ve long said that I was looking forward to more days at school for him so that I could get more work done in peace.

I figure I only have one more year of lazy Monday mornings with trips through the donut drive through, one more year to explore zoos and museums and (if I’m being honest) malls on weekdays with him. For now, I like the idea of him being home with us an extra day (though I’m giving myself permission to change my mind at any time).

I don’t know, I guess I just have a feeling that something amazing is going to happen this year to him, and I want to be sure I don’t miss it.

August 28, 2012 17 comments
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