Now that I’m the mother of two boys, I’m taking the time t re-read Raising Boys, by Steve Biddulph. I remember reading it after the birth of my first son and feeling better equipped at raising a boy, and while I am more experienced this time around a refresher course never hurt.  Not only will it remind me what to do with my baby, but I will better understand what to expect of my four year old.  While leafing through the pages this morning, I came across a wonderful passage that I firmly believe in:

TENDERNESS IS TAUGHT

In the 1960s, anthropologist James Prescott carried out a very large scale study of child rearing and violence across different societies.  He found that those societies which gave less touching and affection to young children had by far the most violence amongst adults.  It’s clear that the more tender and warm are the lives of children, the safer and more loving they will be as adults. (Sex offenders and other sexual predators almost always have a history of rejection, institutionalization and disrupted childhoods.)  Treating children with warmth and affection immunises them against the wish or need to harm others.

All my clients will attest that I’m a firm believer in hugs and kisses.

I’ve also got The Price of Privilege: How Parental Pressure and Material Advantage are Creating a Generation of Disconnected and Unhappy Kids, by Madeline Levine, Ph.D. The title is intriguing and I certainly don’t want to raise disconnected, unhappy children. So I picked up a copy in the hopes that I will be confirming that I’m on the right track, or worst case scenario, learning where to make corrections.

Sure, there’s nothing like real experience, but when it comes to something like parenting, I firmly believe you can learn from other people’s successes and failures and books are a wonderful source of invaluable information. Looking at my bookshelf, I think going all-kindle might be the way forward for me.

What great parenting books do you recommend?  I’m always interested in learning.

Enough complaining, here are some pictures from the newborn shoot.  As you know by now, I’m not a photographer that is big on props.  A well placed wagon here, a graphic container sure, but you wont find blooming babies with petals in their hair here.  I like to keep the babies looking natural and as often as possible use what I find in the home to compose something interesting, that way the picture is more true to its context and also more personal.  I could not have been happier when I spotted this super cool, very red rope chair; I knew the minute I saw it that it would be great.  The parents agreed and used this image for their announcements since the image was so strong.

Of course as a mom to a baby, I’m a sucker for pictures of mothers with their newborns, and this shoot is no exception.

I also love this last picture as it shows this newborn boy being completely oblivious to his older sister.  The two of them existing together, but in two completely different states of awareness.  I can relate.

And while balancing has been tough, when I see these images and I know that I’m there to capture special moments in other families‘ lives, I feel honored and blessed.  So, thank you.

The ideas can be found here:

1. “Thank you for quenching my thirst for knowledge” from here; 2. “Thanks a Latte for All You Do” from here; 3. “We Need S’more Teachers Like You” from here; 4 and 5. “Thank You for Helping my Child Bloom/Grow” from here and here.

I’ve always been keen on encouraging my son’s artistic expression, but as I get ready for the arrival of Number Two, I’ve come to realize that I need to figure out a way to celebrate each of my sons’ evolving artistic visions.

My dedicate wall shown in a previous post is a great “temporary exhibit” space, but it’s not a solution for storing and cataloging the growing number of projects that will be brought home. I’ve seen kid’s art collages around and figured it would be an easy project to undertake, but I wanted to give it a personal twist, so I made mine a exhibit retrospective poster.  That way I can name the artist, since there will be two, and I can date the artwork.

My son is not the most prolific artist, but I like to think that when he does put pen to paper he does it with flair.

Here are the steps I took to put together my collage:

1. Sort through the artwork to select your favorites;

2. Photograph your favorite pieces (scanning works too, but photographing allows for more 3-dimension);

3. Insert photos on to a white or black digital canvas and arrange the photos to your liking.  My digital canvas was sized for an 11×14 print, with 12 openings for artwork;

4. Label art poster, with name, year and place;

5. Send to print, frame and voila!

I created the template and made my own collage, but since then I’ve discovered, Juxio, a service that will do it for you, if you’re not feeling too DIY.  Of course, I discovered it after I’d gone through the effort… Murphy’s Law.

I have and always will love all things Martha and while I LOVE the Valentine free printables I featured at the beginning of the month, when I saw the little treat bags above, I knew that I had to make them my own.  I like their clean look, but also I liked the idea that my son’s photo would be on there since he and his classmates are not yet able to read.  Following is my interpretation:

Step 1.

I had originally planned to fill the treat bags with a large homemade heart cookie or heart shaped brownie, but the weekend got away from me so store bought it was.  While not particularly thrilled at the idea of sending kids home with sugar, I chose chocolate as a lesser evil, as our pediatric dentist told us it was the better choice for candy as it doesn’t stick to teeth.

Step 2.

I designed and printed  4″x3″ folded tags and printed them with my home printer.  My design also included guide lines for cutting. I tried the scalloped edge (like in the original) but I decided the clean straight edge worked better for my design.

Step 3.

This is where my son comes in.  He helped to fill the treat bags with an assortment of colored chocolates, it was good practice for counting too.  I then folded the cut tags and stapled the bags shut and voilà!

And, finally here’s a picture of my son just before leaving for school, admiring the treats he helped put together.  Notice the super cool “All You Need is Love” T-shirt which I found at Target.  I bought it because the Beatles are his favorite; it just so happened to be perfect for Valentine’s.

Happy Valentine’s Day to all.

p.s. the nifty little tape strips are from Pugly Pixel.

The shoot was a Griffith Observatory, a great location, but even better during the week when you feel that you have the whole place to yourselves, with L.A. lying at your feet.  Because we had the run of the place it made for a very relaxed shoot as we didn’t have to dodge the tourists.

As you can probably tell from these belly shots, baby is due in just a couple of weeks.  So, I felt it important to not only record the belly, but also the quiet moments shared between two.

I love my son to death, but there are a couple of things from my life pre-motherhood that I do miss, a) my sleep, long, quiet and uninterrupted, and b) more spontaneous, quality alone time with my husband.  I am hopeful that this couple can turn to these images in years to come and remember everything that brought them together.

I also love the fact that this is a nice, simple craft that your child can easily participate in.  My son is still “perfecting” his scissors cutting skills so that will probably be my job, but he can definitely help to fill each envelope with sweet treats, and I’m sure he’ll get a lot of enjoyment from pushing down the stapler.

On a side note, anyone have a recommendation for sweet/healthy treats (oxymoron?) for these lovely envelopes?  I know some parents would not be happy with me for sending their children home with a pack of sugar, so I’d love to hear your suggestions.

On the more affordable side of things, check out these stylish Cynthia Rowley band-aids, with sparkles and all.  They make perfect stocking-stuffers  for little girls.  While I’m happy that my pregnancy is going well and that the baby is healthy, the one thing about having another boy is that there will be no glitter and sparkles in my life.  Then again, I’ve always been a tomboy, so I’m more suited to being a mother to boys, but a little glitter never hurt.  Maybe I’ll get them for myself.  Who says kids get to have all the fun?

What’s more is that most of the gift selections are from small brands and boutiques, with many handmade items that make gift giving more unique and meaningful.

It’s also full of decorating and DIY ideas, which as you know is right up my street, when I choose to channel my inner hostess.  Some of the craft ideas can even be done with kids, which is a great way to get them involved and get them in the spirit of the holidays.

From picking the perfect gifts, to pretty packages, and halls decked with cheer, Gifted will fill you with inspired ideas.

Having read Steve Biddulph’s great book on Raising Boys,  I know that the first years were all about mama, and that as he begins to explore the world around him and become a boy, it will be more about daddy…but I already miss him.  So, I’ve been diving into this whole back to school thing and came across these great free lunchbox printables from Alphamom.com.   Cute little love notes and reminders for your little ones, as you encourage them to discover the world.   I only wish my son knew how to read, so he could have these little notes to remind him of how much I love him even though I’m not with him.  But if your kids can read, be sure to drop them a little love letter.