Bigger Every Day

How many time have you heard 'they grow up so fast"?
I wish it was a myth!

Today JoJo and I had to pick up my niece at our local community college and I passed their new state of the art "Child Development Center". It looked so nice and welcoming that we decided to have a stop. The first thing I noticed was that upon entering the office there was a very large glass door leading to where the children were that had a digital number pad where a code was required to enter......hhhmm impressive.
Next JoJo and I found ourselves on a guided tour of the facility by their director.
Did I mention I had decided long ago that JoJo wouldnt go to pre-school until he was 4, almost 5 and he was going to a co-op in a neighboring city yet this one was within 5 minutes of our home.
Anyhow this place has a garden where the kids learn to grow veggies, a compost bin and a recycle center. The teachers have actual credentials (unlike daycares and most pre-schools), and is the only local center accredited by the State of California.
Did I mention its cheaper then the co-op and dosnt require the kids to go all week, you can pick how much time you want them to spend there.
Next we saw the art room where the kids had helped build a large paper mache volcano that exploded......the kind I didnt make until I was in 5th grade, LOL.
 The director then pointed to a large screen that the teachers hook there Ipads up to......??? Apparently if a bug, new flower, bird, or squirrel or anything interesting catches the attention of a child the teacher takes a picture of it, hooks it up to the monitor and then goes online to have a improptu lesson about it!!!!!!!

They hide treasure in the sandbox for kids to find  and have bird feeders for the squirrels and birds to feed off of outside of the classroom windows for the kids to watch.

Did I mention they have a huge wall of two way mirrors for the parents to observe their children without interrupting?

Aside from all of the above, JoJo was IN LOVE! He dove right in, could care less if I came or went and talked about it the whole way home. When his Dad came home he told him all about it calling it "my new school".
Did I mention 3....yes THREE moms came up to me to introduce themselves and tell me what a great school it was and how their child were progressing. One child even cries when she comes to pick him up.

My baby is growing up. I've gotten teary eyed twice today just thinking about how I hadnt noticed how ready he is to branch out and learn more. On one hand I am so proud of him, on the other hand I know this is the beginning of a new era for us as a family that will lead to full school days, sleepovers, and GASP.....girlfriends!

They start anew in January and typically don't take kids until they are 3, (he turns 3 in February) but they said they would be delighted.....DELIGHTED to have him a month earlier then his birthday! The decision was pretty much made for me. They way they interacted with him was amazing and slapped me in the face telling me " your kid needs more stimulation then you are giving him".
I'm sad......I'm proud.....proud of his confidence.

He'll be starting in January........but he'll only be going two days a week to start.
Ha ha ha ha! Mama still has some say in the matter!

Happy Healthy Kids

On my recent stroll through the isles of our local Whole Foods store I was thinking how much more we as parents pay attention to labels and ingredients more then our parents probably did. I always remember having a ton of sweets, soda and junk on hand as a kid.
It got me thinking of my favorite products for Joey that help me sneak in extra vitamins and I thought I'd share them. Joey is a particularly finicky eater so I have to work hard to make sure he has enough protein, fiber, calcium, and vitamins.
I'd first like to start by sharing a link on a recent study that has proven how a fit and healthy child actually has a better capability of learning, retaining information and being all around mentally smarter.....
Physical Fitness Boosts memory & Brain Function

Probiotics: Not only do probiotics (found in yogurt, some milk and cheese) aid in a healthy digestive system but new studies have shown they help reduce the chances of ear infections, sinusitis, flu and diarrhea. My son just loves the Probugs Organic Kefir for kids............ DanActive is another known brand!

They come in this cool squeeze pouch and pack a whopping 9 grams of protein!

Sign Up to recieve a coupon to try them free!







Fruits and Veggies: Obviously there is no substitute for fresh fruits and veggies however I have found a product that is fun for Joey to drink and is a sneaky way for me to add some servings of fruits and veggies to his diet. Amazing Grass Kidz Superfood is a powder mix formula you add to water that is supposed to offer 3 servings of fruits and veggies in each glass. Only 1 gram of sugar, non dairy, gluten free and has other vitamins like beta carotene, calcium and more. Joey will only drink the fruit kind. They also make a chocolate one to add to milk but I havn't had good reviews on it. Stores that sell it typically have sample packets to try out first.

Visit Their Website for more info












More Fruits:
Also I'm sure you've all seen these cool apple sauce packets that are perfect for on the go and come in a variety of brands and flavors. Be sure to check the nutrition panel, I have found some to contain up to 22 grams of sugar!!! WOW!

Joey also hates fresh fruits ( I know, horrible huh)? so we have found that he will eat freeze dried fruit. Regular dried fruit is a fun way to get them to eat fruits also. Obviously if your kid will eat fresh fruit that is preferable but these are great for on the go also and last long also.

Daily Vitamins and Immunity Boost: You really can't beat the traditional chewy gummy vitamin but for a fun immunity boost our whole family loves Emergen-C. I was so excited to find they have a line for kids and I think its a easy way for kids to get vitamins and a way to boost their immunity. it fizzes like soda and come in great flavors!

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Lastly, its never too early to instill in our children how important it is to wash their hands!! They make some pretty fun and cool hand soaps now that change colors, foam, and have beads in them!