Grant, Watch Your Head!

Grant wearing his protective helmet

By: Davida Grant

It’s groundhog day every day in my house.  Every morning and every night before bed, my son Grant, you know the one I previously said “totally captivates me”, throws his head to the floor in complete tantrum mode.  Why?  Because he doesn’t get his way and to Grant that is unacceptable. Initially, I thought he’d stop the head throwing pretty quickly.  While his head is pretty hard, the floor — our hardwood floor — is unforgiving.  My head actually starts to hurt when I see it.  And he isn’t bothered a bit.  He doesn’t even seem to mind the resulting knots on his head, thankfully nothing serious.  Last week alone, I received three calls from his daycare about this issue.  I panicked.  How much more could that beautiful head of his take?

So the researcher in me let loose and alas I found the solution.  A helmet.  I ordered it immediately and Grant wears it EVERY WHERE.  Now when he throws his head back I simply look at him and smile.  He doesn’t know what’s going on with me and boy is he perplexed.  I actually think he took pleasure in seeing the look of fear on my face each time he threw his head to the floor.  Well Grant, point for mommy.  Now, it’s your turn.  Can’t wait to see what you do next.

School Is In

By:  Davida Grant

What a difference 10 weeks makes. Baby girl is now in PreK 4 and boy have things changed.  She is such a big girl now in every way.  She exudes confidencet.  Last year, Simone had some difficulty adjusting to the new environment. Not to mention, she struggled with expressive speech. This year, she entered the classroom like she owned it.  WHO IS THIS LITTLE GIRL!!!! I was beaming. Andddddd, over the summer, her speech improved significantly, by leaps and bounds in fact. Simone blows me away with her vocabulary and varied sentence length and structure.  This is a proud momma bear.  I can’t get enough of this little girl.  I can’t wait to see how she fares this year and to witness her continued growth.

My Friday Blues

By:  Davida Grant

Grant is now 10-months old and this week I started the process of weaning him off of breast milk.  While I will continue to pump a couple of times a day, the overwhelming majority of his liquid intake will now be formula.

This makes me a little sad.  This phase of my life is over.   The “shop” is closed.  Facing this reality has me feeling some kind of way.  I’m a middle-aged mommy and yes I’m FABULOUS!!!! At least that’s what I keep telling myself.  But if I’m being completely honest, knowing that my child-bearing years are behind me has been much harder to handle than I ever imagined.

Mommies, how did you handle this?

Leading by Example

By: Davida Grant

Teaching diversity is a big deal in my household.  I have Simone enrolled in a school with a diverse student and teacher population, I read her books that show diversity, and I take her to weekend activities that include children from all walks of life.  I also make it my business to interact with all types of people, demonstrating by example that people can get along and be friends, even if they look, think, speak or act differently.  I truly am a firm believer that all parents should take the time to explain to their kids that differences are a good thing, and should do so as early as possible.  Just think how beneficial this would be to efforts to move this country past the racism and prejudices that plague America.

Last week, I took Simone to the doctor for a check-up. While we waited, a little girl in a wheelchair with a physical deformity, and a toddler and infant with Down’s Syndrome joined us in the waiting area. As I greeted the children and interacted with them (eye contact, smiling, etc.), I watched Simone as she took in each child individually.  Eventually, she pointed at the little girl in the wheelchair and said, “Mommy, she’s my friend.” I smiled and shook my head, concurring with her declaration.  Simone approached the little girl and initiated a conversation.  Shortly thereafter, she pointed to the toddler and infant and said, “baby mommy.” She began smiling and waving at them.  Simone really adores babies.  Her excitement was contagious. Everyone in the waiting room was smiling and chuckling as they observed my daughter’s interaction with their children.

I couldn’t have been more proud. Simone embraced those children, even though they looked different, without missing a beat.  It was so natural.  The other parents absolutely loved the attention my daughter showed their children.  As I watched Simone, I couldn’t help but wonder if my actions had anything to do with her behavior.  I will never underestimate the lessons my children learn from my example.

Family Life Rocks!!

By:  Davida Grant

It is bitter cold in the DMV.  Because our house can be a bit drafty, I let the kids sleep in the bed with me last night.  We were cuddled up together, snug as bugs in a rug.  As usual, when the alarm sounded, I jumped out of bed, pumped Grant’s breakfast (3 more months of breastfeeding to go!), got myself and the kids dressed, and was out the door.  As I headed to Grant’s daycare, I did my absolute FAVORITE morning activity.  I called my husband.

The hubby leaves for work around 5:00 a.m., so we never see him in the mornings.  I can’t tell you how much I look forward to our morning calls.  Not only do I absolutely love the sound of his voice, but I love the smile I see on baby girl’s face every time she hears him say, “Hey Monee, Mone.”  Most times, we chat about nothing major, just a little bit of this and a little bit of that.  Until this morning, I’m not sure I realized how important these morning “chats” are to our family.  They really set the tone for our day and are one of the many things that keep the hubby and me bonded and our family unit strong.  I am so blessed.