Does the lesson outweigh all else?

Now that Jonah watches the occasional television show on Disney or PBS, I'm especially sensitive to what he's being exposed to. I don't care if it is Tigger and Pooh, I get concerned about Rabbit's short temper and his knack for becoming easily frustrated. These are things I fear will seep into Jonah's subconscious. On one recent television show, a child was learning a lesson about the positive outcomes of sharing. Before he arrived at that knowledge however, he spent time bullying children and behaving inappropriately. I'm glad that Jonah could see how much improved the situation was all around when the little boy decided to let his friends play with his toys, but I wonder if he soaked up any of the meanness beforehand. Which behavior will he emulate when the opportunity arises?

Going Green

Our household has been on the 'green' bandwagon for some time now. Upon reflection, I am proud that what began as simply going along with the social trend, has really become a way of life for us. I wouldn't exactly call us tree huggers, but we are much more conscious of our family's carbon footprint. Our changes are small but significant. We recycle, take canvas totes to the store, buy organic whenever possible, buy local and in season produce, try to minimize unnecessary energy usage, and I've swapped out ALL of my faithful toxic cleaning products for non-toxic, environmentally friendly ones. This last one was a toughy. As most of you know, I can be a bit of a cleaning fanatic. It was really tough not to place my favorite all purpose cleanser in the shopping cart, in exchange for Clorox's Green Works. I just thought of my children though, and their little lungs. That was all it took. Future plans include a possible garden in our back yard so that we can start growing our own produce. Jonah and I have already started that process-last month we planted a tomato plant. It is coming along nicely-in fact I think it might be ready to be planted outside. Can't wait to taste those tomatoes!

Jonah Turns 2!

Jonah had a blast at his birthday party. He was so excited to see Lightning McQueen and friends around the backyard and on the birthday cake. It is hard to believe that he is two years old. Where has the time gone?

When he thinks I'm not looking

Most of the time it takes some real coaxing to convince Jonah to show Brady some affection. Don't get me wrong, he loves Brady very much-it's just that at two years old, he's too busy to be bothered. For that reason, I just love it when I'm witness to the tender moments that they share when they think that no one is looking. "Come here, brudder" Jonah will say to Brady, and they'll smile and laugh on the floor-their heads pressed together. These are the moments I live for...