Today's Activities In Pictures

Swinging in the Park

I really love to swing!

My cute red hat!

Learning about leaves from Gramma.

I figured out how to get into the dog food all by myself!

Almost there!
(If you look closely you can see the legs of a hopeful Brody in the background)

If I just reach a little farther in...

My head is too big!

Hmmm...what can I try next?

It seems there is a little bit of controversy about the fact that Kyle throws Hannah up in the air and catches her (every time, might I add). You have to understand that Kyle is the child who was dropped down concrete stairs at 2 weeks old and ended up with a fractured skull. ..And look how smart he turned out to be! (Yeah…doesn’t make the whole stroller incident seem so bad now does it?) I would just like to share an excerpt from my book titled: Mommy Knows Worst: Highlights from the Golden Age of Bad Parenting Advice. This book was given to me by the two male teachers that work in my building. If you have never read it, I recommend it when you need a good laugh. Here is what it says about “tossing” and baby exercise. And I quote: (picture of an actual article about babies)

Exercise is needed by the baby to help him develop properly. He will enjoy a few simple daily exercises and they are better for him than tossing him about or playing roughly with him. (This article goes on to describe 2 exercises that are leg and arm stretches.)

The author of this book then states (his commentary):

Mothers who neglect these daily calisthenics will raise children so weak they must be pulled to school on a sled and propped up in a chair with a board in their shirt to keep them from sliding bonelessly to the floor. But perhaps the point of this instruction isn’t to help the baby but to give Mother something to do besides tossing him about and playing roughly with him. Apparently, the old school approach to robustness consisted of pitching the baby across the room and catching him in an apple basket, or tying him to the dog’s tail and dropping a squirrel in the room. Many a time did an old country doctor look at a weak infant, peer inquisitively at the mother, and ask: Is he getting enough tossing? I don’t mean throwing him in the air, either. I mean good old-fashioned hurl ‘em down the hall tossing. Well, madam? Well?

Hmmm…just something to think about as you replay the memories of throwing your children down the halls of your home all those years ago. Did you boil your child’s diapers in boric acid also? Now…be honest!! In all seriousness, I think Kyle is just trying to prevent Hannah from being pulled to school in a sled since it hardly ever snows in D.C.