Tag: kids

Toddler Boy Gift Guide

Hannah Imboden's avatar December 12, 2017

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I just love Christmas time. The lights, the family gatherings, the smell of the tree, and seeing my kids faces light up on Christmas morning as they open their gifts. Im one of those people who finds so much more joy in giving than receiving. I love to find those perfect gifts for my kids. But, this year, having a little boy to buy for, really left me scratching my head. My son is into everything. He loves to climb. He loves to run. He loves to put things together and take them apart. This year really took some thinking, but I was able to come up with a few things that I just know any toddler would love!

Smiling Tree Toys
Strider Bike
Koko-nutz
Shopping Cart
Garbage Trucks
Orbeez

Smiling Tree Toys: The inner teacher in me absolutely loves this name puzzle. Not only is it made so beautifully, but it encourages name recognition, helps with kinesthetic learning and introduces him to spelling his name! Something he will love playing with and will learn from too! Mom win!

Koko-Nutz Shop: Since my son is so active, we need clothes that will allow him to climb, run, swing, slide, and even fall down! We have loved finding this company  for his clothes! These outfits are great for exploring the outdoors. They are stretchy and don’t keep him from climbing up onto anything. They are soft and comfortable all day long. Plus, the prints and styles are so cute and make mama so happy! Who doesn’t love a stylish, yet comfortable, clothing line.

Trash Truck: My son is obsessed absolutely obsessed with trash trucks. Every loud car, motorcycle, or closing garage, he freezes in his tracks and shouts “Trash Truck!” There was no doubt that this Christmas we could go without getting him his own little trash truck to push around!

Orbeez:  A friend of mine had these at her house and my son just loved them. The texture, the way they moved and wiggled! He was fascinated. I knew it was a Christmas must have! Mama may even have fun playing around with these wiggly little balls.          ** Note: My son does not put things in his mouth anymore, so there is no concern for him eating them. Not recommended for children who could put them in their mouth. Please use adult supervision as they could be a choking hazard.

Shopping cart: Any kid who loves to push things would love this Christmas gift. Plus, they can put things in the cart and take them out. My sons two favorite things to do! Now I won’t have to worry about him pushing furniture or his stroller into our walls anymore. Plus, it will go perfect with the play kitchen my mother got him!

A Fun Tradition

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Target Pajamas: Our family tradition every year is to allow our kids to open up one gift on Christmas Eve. That gift is always pajamas to wear to bed and all day Christmas day. This year, we were so excited to find matching pajamas not only for the kids, but mama and daddy too! How cool is that! Target never lets me down! We love the comfort and cute design on these jammies and can’t wait to see my kids “officially” wear them on Christmas Eve.

 

 

Circ Du Imboden

Hannah Imboden's avatar October 4, 2017

 

Tonight, as I wrangled my wild, rowdy children into bed, it was pure chaos. My son was running around screaming (or growling, not sure which one) and my daughter was fake laughing as she pretend fell on the floor, trying desperately to get her brother to laugh. I glanced at the clock. 7:45. I watched as the clock inched closer and closer to their bedtime, closer and closer to my “me time”, and then turned back to my crazies as their bodies seemed to explode with energy even more. I think they knew it was the season premier of “Greys Anatomy” and they were secretly plotting against me. Praise God for DVR. It was in that moment that I threw my hands up in the air and decided right then and there that I was running a circus. Because, let’s be honest, that what raising children feels like sometimes. A circus. Step right up! Come one, come all to the Amazing Cirque Du Imboden.

Act 1: The Bearded Lady

Ok, well maybe I don’t have a beard growing, but let’s be honest, I can’t remember the last time I shaved my legs. Ain’t nobody got time for that. I barely have enough time to splash water on my face, let alone carefully glide a razor up my leg. Plus, little hands banging on the shower, begging to be let in, can get a little distracting. And then once they jump in the shower with you, after pleading for 2 minutes, the other leg doesn’t get shaved. Toddlers and razors don’t mix. Pants it is. Thank goodness it’s fall.

Act 2: The Lion Tamer

You would think I was chasing my son around with a chainsaw, but in all reality, it’s a diaper. You pooped kid! You stink! Let me change your diaper. He runs from me, and tries so hard to get away. Once I finally wrangle him to the floor, arms flailing, legs kicking, I have to keep him from either sticking his hand straight into the diaper, or rolling over and trying to crawl away. It is exactly like lion taming, only without the whip, because, well, that would be a little extreme. But, it really does feel as if I am toying with a powerful, instinctive carnivore sometimes.

Act 3: The Tight Rope Walker

Life is all about balance. It’s finding that balance that’s the hardest, especially in motherhood. There is so much to balance. Work schedules, nap routines, dinner, a clean house, homework, making sure your kids are getting enough attention, and finding time for yourself. I often feel as if I am teetering on the edge of everything. Trying so hard to remain calm and not lean too far to one side and fall to my death. Ok, maybe I’m being a little dramatic, but you get the point. It is so tough finding that balance. Finding time for homework in the midst of keeping my toddler entertained. Doing laundry, mopping the floors, vacuuming, and doing dishes, all while making time for stories, tag, and jump rope. Loving on your husband when he gets home from work while trying to cook dinner and keeping the children from doing anything too dangerous and crazy. Balance. Motherhood is about balance. And maybe one day I will get good enough to walk the tight rope without a safety harness. But for now, that harness is fastened very tight.

Act 4: The Acrobat

 My son has not yet learned how to put his toys away. They are everywhere. I used to clean in between naps, but that meant I was picking up constantly. Now, I save the explosion for the end of the day and now I’m not sure that’s any better. Well, as the day goes on, those toys become obstacles. I find myself jumping and dodging toys and piles of laundry. (Ok, so maybe he isn’t the only one making a mess). I leap like a gazelle over thetricycle he left in the middle of the floor, as I carry a load of laundry. I even hop on one foot sometimes when I step on a Lego. It isn’t the most graceful act, but it can be pretty entertaining. Just ask my kids.

Act 5: The Strongman

He is the glue that holds us together. The one that comes sweeping through the front door carrying the world on his back, his knees never buckling, as our children run and jump into his arms. He is our strong man. The man who takes on daunting tasks at work, the one who is under such a big stress load and comes home to the chaos of our circus and embraces it, letting go of his day and falling to the mercies of our two kids. I don’t know how he does it. How he continues on, some days with little sleep, never complaining, and arms that never seem to tire from holding us all up. Seeing the Strongman enter our tent is my favorite act.

Yes, we have a crazy, wild, entertaining life under our Big Top and some days my circus acts spiral out of control, but, it’s my circus and I am dang proud of it.

 

Being a Boy mom

Hannah Imboden's avatar August 21, 2017

According to my friends who have sons, I have officially been initiated into the #boymom club. Yep, it finally happened. A trip to the E.R. Not the way I expected to spend my Saturday. But, boys will be boys I suppose.

Now, I know accidents will happen, but my son dances with danger, putting me on the brink of insanity. His fiery spirit torments me with a lack of fear as he climbs to the top of the slide, stands up straight and yells “Ta-Da”, as it wobbles, leaving him to catch his balance at the very last second. Can you say heart attack? He is in constant motion. I mean, he never stops moving, whipping around each corner at a full sprint, unaware of the table edge that hasn’t moved since we moved in. His sense of rebellion as he refuses to climb down the stairs like a baby on his tummy, insists on being like his sister standing upright and refusing to hold my hand, is relentless. His mischievous way, he grabs onto the stair rail and hangs from it, taking pleasure in the panic set upon my face. Yes, he thinks it is funny. This is what it means to be a boy mom. Always on my toes, ready to catch, ready to save from danger, ready to kiss the boo boos.

Becoming a boy mom has changed me to my core. It has re calibrated my heart, encouraging me to let him explore his world and in all essence, be a boy.

I love my daughter and being a mom to a little girl, you already know how precious she is to me, but having a son is different. Being a mom to a boy is amazing! Here are a few things I’ve learned so far about being a boy mom.

1. Don’t expect them to sit still, like ever.

2. Embrace the love of dirt. It will be all over your floors, all the time.

3. Encourage their exploring, even if it means picking up a gross worm. Act excited about that dang worm!

4. Always point the penis down, unless you want pee soaked clothes. I learned this the hard way.

5. Soak in those moments of tenderness. Those rare moments when they stop exploring long enough to cuddle, even if only for a brief second.

6. Enjoy their loud voices! One day, your house will be quiet.

7. Accept the fact they like to be rough and tough. In fact, join in on the rough housing. They will love it.

8. Buy a lot of food. I mean a lot. Because when they eat…they really eat.

9. Nurture his relationship with you as his mother. He loves Dad too, but the bond between mother and son is unbreakable. So, take care of it.

10. Find joy in raising a little boy. Foster that tenderness, kind heart, and unrelenting love. He is our future and we need more good men.


“Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭22:6‬ ‭

The Playroom

Hannah Imboden's avatar August 18, 2017

When we finally got our own house and I finally got to go interior design crazy, I knew I wanted to create a space for my kids. I wanted them to have their own area where they were free to create, destroy and run wild, without wreaking havoc on the rest of my house. I knew I wanted a space that could grow with them from toddlerhood into childhood. A place they could take ownership of and not just during clean up. I guess you could say that it was the inner teacher in me that was channeled when designing this space. Because lets be honest, it has total classroom vibes. And in the future, if I do decide to homeschool, this space will be perfect.

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The chalkboard, tassels, and signs around the chalk board are from Hobby Lobby.

Ruler was made by my mother in law but similar ones can be found here.

The shelves, unicorn head (here) and lion head (here).

PLAY letters have been discontinued but similar ones can be found here and here.

The window bench and shelves were an IKEA hack. I took shelves similar to this and placed them on each side to frame the window. I then turned the other one on its side for the window seat. The boxes make clean up very convenient and easy for the kids since everything has a place and the cubbies are perfect for displaying their cute toys.

The magnet board is an oil drip pan from Walmart that I simply secured to the wall. My kids love this space and my son finds it fascinating that the letters stick to the board. He thinks it’s magic and I am going to let him think that for a while longer.

I had found these vintage alphabet cards at a garage sale and decided to frame them with the kids initials to make the space theirs. Below it I hang their artwork. We are constantly changing these pictures out. I love how excited they get when a new piece of their work goes up on display. They really love this space and I hope you did too!!

 

 

 

 

 

Where The Wild Thing Sleeps…

Hannah Imboden's avatar August 14, 2017

IMG_5482When I was pregnant with a boy, I felt lost when it came to decorating his nursery. I was beyond excited to make a place for his sweet little body to rest. Yet, when I stared at the blank canvas of his empty room, I felt lost. So, I took to Pinterest. Bad Idea. I went from no ideas to way too many. Adventure. Forest animals. Eric Carle. Cactus. Jungle. Trust me, I could go on and on. It was  overwhelming. I knew I wanted a place for a baby without making it too baby-ish. I wanted that balance between innocence and sophisticated. Thats not asking too much right? It wasn’t until my sons nightly womb aerobics that I stumbled upon his nursery theme. My husband and I were laying in bed watching my belly distort into strange shapes and movements. The movie Alien comes to mind. Well, minus the alien ripping open her stomach at the end. (Because that would have been traumatizing.) My husband leaned over and put his hand on my stomach, in awe of his sons every move, and said “Woah, he’s a wild thing!” And then it hit me. I loved that book and it would make an awesome nursery theme. This time, Pinterest did not fall short.

I didn’t want to overdo the Wild Things theme though. I didn’t want a jungle painted on his wall because I get bored easily and I know after a few months I would paint over it. I wanted little touches of wild things, but not too much.

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So, I bought frames and an extra book and used the pages from the book as the pictures. The frames were found at Target and Marshalls and they gave the perfect rustic vibe that fit in with his room so perfectly.

After his baby shower, I walked away with so many swaddles. A crazy amount! I didn’t know what to do with them all. So, I decided to put some on display. I bought this cute arrow here that felt wild and adventurous. I loved how the colors accented the frames and brought this space together.

Continuing with the Wild Things/adventure theme, I had to have a teepee. I thought it would make the perfect little reading corner. A place where he could go and imagine himself in worlds far far away as he got lost in a book. A place where his imagination could run wild and play could be endless. What child wouldn’t want a teepee to hide and play in.

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The space was tricky at first. His room is not huge by any means and with a crib taking up most of the space, fitting a teepee in there was going to be a tough job. But, I was bound and determined to make it work. And I did. Go me! I found a fur rug to put inside, a tin bucket and filled it with stuffed animals. He needed friends to read and go on adventures with! I love this space and he does too. It’s his favorite spot to hang out in his room.

Here are the links:

Teepee (They do not have the chevron on, but a cute white and gold one)      Rug

 

A mistake I made with my first child was not buying a rocking chair that was comfortable. I found an old rickety rocking glider at at garage sale and decided to make it work. Worst idea ever. I hated that chair.

It hurt my back. It hurt my butt. And the way it creaked became increasingly obnoxious the more I used it. This time, I was going to find a chair that I could rock miles in. Because lets face it, your in that thing A LOT! I must have sat in 100 chairs to find the right one. And a year later, this chair is still so dang comfortable. I liked this one because of the button detail and the grey fit in perfectly with the color scheme of the nursery. The ottoman was optional and my husband demanded that we get it. I’m not going to lie, those late nights during teething, the ones where he wouldn’t let me put him down, it was nice to be able to kick my feet up. Its padding is comfortable and its wide enough to accommodate a growing baby. No need for squished arms here. I added a cute aztec style pillow to tie in the Wild thing/Adventure theme. It makes the perfect spot for bedtime stories, lots of kisses, and extra cuddles. I don’t know what I would do without this chair.

 

IMG_5506    I added a cute shelf with some decor just to make the large wall seem less gigantic. I am still deciding whether or not I want to stain the shelf or leave it its natural wood. Hmmm, any thoughts? I found the perfect sign that said exactly what every mama feels about their baby. (Because, I am seriously going to love him forever and ever.) I added a cute little plant for a pop of color and the hanging sign to fill up some of that wall space. Plus, lets be honest, all he does is eat, sleep, play and repeat. Well, and cry. He does a lot of that too lately, lets be honest. I really do love how it all came together. It’s my favorite space. [Well, other than the teepee because that spot is the best!]

To finish off his room, I got this cute dresser from Rustic Romantic Furniture and created his changing station. I knew he wouldn’t fit on a changing IMG_5473table too long so I wanted something that we wouldn’t have to get rid of once he was too big for it. So, I just added the changing pad to the top (securing it of course) and used the top drawer for all of his diapering needs. Super convenient! I found the sign here. Baskets at a little boutique and the arrow was gifted at my shower. My Mother in law made all of the signs on the baskets and the plants are from target’s clearance section. His jar was once filled with pacifiers but now is filled with socks since this little guy refused a pacifier. And my favorite thing on this dresser…the Munchkin Sound Machine. This thing has saved our sleep!!! From the first night we used it, this kid slept All. Night. Long! It was glorious. Now, when neighbors are loud, or dogs are barking, or even fourth of July fireworks are going off, this kid sleeps through it. Thank you Jesus! I love it. It has several different settings (lullaby, heart beat, ocean waves, etc.) but white noise is our favorite.

Even Zeke thinks so…that is him signing help asking me to turn the sound machine on.

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We seriously love this space you guys. It’s his mini man cave and one of our favorite rooms in the house! Let me know what you guys think! Thanks for reading!

 

 

Oh The Joys of Teething…

Hannah Imboden's avatar August 13, 2017

We are knee deep in teething right now. And as we wait for those four molars (yes, I said four) to pop through, we hunker down and pray God will be gracious as we try and survive the day. I swear, before you have kids, moms should have to go through combat training. We should be ready to clothe ourselves in riot gear, stand firm on the line, armed with the tools needed to take on a teething baby.  As most parents who have been through the molars stage of teething know it can feel like you’re in the middle of a war zone. 

Yesterday, he refused to eat. Everything that went into his mouth, got spit right out or tossed onto the floor. He. Would. Not. Eat. But, he was hungry so he cried for food, yet refused everything I tried to feed him. What’s a mom to do? I tried everything. Fruit, apple sauce, yogurt, cheese, turkey. Nothing worked until I became so beyond desperate and threw some

Chicken nuggets in the microwave. You know the over processed kind? The kind that you’re not even sure if real chicken is in it? Ya, that kind. I was desperate. And you know what? He ate it. Every last bite. Was I proud? No. But, my kid didn’t starve and I’m ok with that. Just don’t get used to it kid.

Sleeping on the other hand? That’s a whole other blog post in itself. 

Motherhood is a juggling act. I wonder what challenges tomorrow will bring. Until then, I will try and get through the day as he refuses to sleep. This should be interesting.

Pray for me.

Take It Like A Mom..

Hannah Imboden's avatar August 13, 2017

The other day, I had just finished cleaning up after my tornado of a daughter, made a delicious one pot spaghetti dinner I had found on Pinterest, cleaned up the kitchen, and finally got to taste my pasta creation, twenty minutes after everyone had already started.  As I sat down, for probably the first time all day, I let out a huge sigh. It was as if the relief my feet were getting somehow had escaped my soles and made its way up my body and out of my mouth. Yes, today we were eating in front of the television, which I was not happy about, but we had gotten home late from practice and my daughter politely asked to watch one of her favorite shows. You choose your battles.

So, there were were. I looked around at all of the empty plates and then down at my very full plate. I always seemed to be the last one to eat. As I picked up my fork and began to twirl my pasta, my daughter decided that sitting on her mom’s lap, while I held a very full plate of spaghetti, seemed like a good idea.  As she crawled across my lap, taking the longest and most difficult route, her bony knees kneading my thighs, her elbow suddenly found its way deep between my rib cage and my gut. As I let out a huge “OW” and almost dropped that very full plate of spaghetti, my daughter turned and looked at me, finally comfortable, and said “Aww, take it like a mom!” As I stared at her, puzzled at how she even came up with this remark, I began to laugh.

Take it like a mom. She was right. As a mom, we take a lot of elbows to the gut. In fact, life can often feel like a constant elbow to the gut and we simply take it. Every minute of every day. Schedules, tantrums, diets, cleaning, budgeting, time itself. My little seven year old was on to something. She is far wiser than her years. So I started to think. How do you take it like a mom? I’ve heard the saying “Take it like a man”, but that seemed trivial. (No, I am not here to bash men or to say that what they do isn’t as important as the role of a mother. It is simply different.) I love my husband and know for a fact he takes a lot with his job. But as a mom, we take a lot from every angle. We take it like a mom by painting fingers and toes just to watch them pick them off ten minutes later. We take it like a mom by making dinner only to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich because the chicken has too much speckles (pepper). We take it like a mom by trying to squeeze out the logic, the to-do list, the stress, from our brains for just ten minutes so we can pretend to be jungle animals in the grass in the back yard. We take it like a mom all day long. We answer the same question 100 times, 100 different ways because explaining why the sky is blue the first 99 times didn’t work. We listen to Frozen’s “Let It Go” so many times we hear it playing even when the song isn’t on. We listen to the temper tantrum of our screaming children because they can’t have the toy they wanted because it is not in the budget this month and they don’t understand why you can’t just go to the magic machine that just gives you money. And then, on top of all of this, we have to be human beings. We have to shower, clean, do laundry, work, use the bathroom, love our husbands, and even be social. It’s a lot of work. I mean A LOT of work.

So, how do you take it like a mom? You laugh; don’t take life too seriously. Your kids won’t care why the sky is blue, or want to crawl around in the grass pretending to be a snake forever. So stop. Clean the house later. Make the grocery list later. Do the laundry later. Play and laugh…a lot. Breathe; when life feels like an elbow to the gut, just breathe. Regain composure. It will work itself out and if not, just know you have to tools to figure it out. You’re a mom for pete’s sake! You have changed a poopy diaper in the tiny compartment of an airplane, pushed through the pain of a tingly, dead arm, to feed a bottle to your baby while driving, and have managed to keep fifteen 3 year olds happy at your child’s third birthday while waiting for the jumper to arrive. Look around; stare at those beautiful faces of your babies you worked so hard to have. Stare at their cute smiles, their messy hair, their tiny freckles. And know that they are the reason you keep going. They are why you do this. Life sucks sometimes. It gets overwhelming and chaotic. But take a moment to remind yourself that you can do this. They are why you do this.  Know you are amazing. It takes a special person to be a mom. I am amazed by all of you. So, keep doing what you’re doing. Keep loving your kids to the moon and back. You can never be reminded enough! And most importantly…Keep taking it like a mom!