Family Time is the Best Time

As I watch my little girls play, I notice the bond they are starting to forge. I've also noticed one thing for certain, when Brinlee is big enough she is going to beat the poo out of Harlee. Maybe it's the inherent dominance that comes along with being 'big sister' but Harlee treats Brinlee like a toy. She wrestles with her, wags her around, and pushes her over. If it weren't for Brinlee's toughness, I would be scared of Harlee accidentally hurting her. Watching the two of them play is very entertaining. Harlee's favorite thing to do is pull Brinlee on top of her and bear hug her until she gets riled up. One day Brinlee will fight back, and I have $20 on the baby. Besides, Harlee is a cream puff and will more than likely tap out within the first minute.

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How To Teach Your Baby To Walk

There are many experts out there who give great advice on teaching your baby how to walk. Most of the information you find can be summarized in three steps:

• Once your baby is crawling, help him/her learn to pull up to a standing position
• Hold your baby's hands and help them learn to take one step at a time
• Once your baby learns to take a few steps, stay close to encourage confidence

Now these are all great ways to assist your baby in learning one of the major milestones in his/her life. But I have come up with my own list that seems to be a little controversial.

• Put your baby outside until they learn to stand up and bang on the door
• Let your baby grab the self-powered mower, and CRANK IT UP!!
• Once your baby takes a few steps, teach them how to hold a golf bag

I wouldn't suggest this for everyone, but for those of you who are looking to REALLY challenge your child give my tactics a try and let me know how well your baby does.

My baby girl Brinlee Kate

Note: The views expressed by Matt McKee in no way reflect the views of Ahh...The Poo Poo. The truth is Matt McKee shouldn't even be raising his OWN kids.

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The 'Terrible' Truth

I have always heard the saying 'Terrible Two's' but I must admit when Harlee was 2 she was an angel. It wasn't until she reached the age of three that she started being 'terrible'. Now I understand this is a time in life where a young person evolves from the 'baby' stage and begins to question consciousness and character. But I'll be danged if they aren't hard to deal with. After seeing some of the other 'terrible three's' situations that our family and friends are going through, I must admit Melissa and I have it fairly easy with Harlee. Which worries me because Brinlee seems to be a very outgoing and adventurous baby right now. I think she will be a little more defiant.
I have always been a little rough and somewhat of a pest with my girls. OK, I'm down-right annoying most of the time. But I treat my girls that way so they will be used to being picked on and hopefully develop a constructive defense mechanism. They are both red-headed after all, enough to give the kids on the playground plenty of ammo to pick on them.
I was playing with the girls the other day and taking pictures of them. Most of the time Harlee is a complete camera hound, but I evidently upset her somehow. I'm sure it was my unequivocal ability to annoy her at any instance that caused her to storm off to her room. I followed her to her room, which made the situation even more upsetting for her. Now remember she can turn on the water-works at will. She started pouting and turned around to see my camera in her face. Her reaction was adorably hateful. She said ,"don't take a picture of me I look TERRIBLE". Melissa and I couldn't help but laugh even though she was obviously distraught. I guess she realizes when she LOOKS terrible, I only wish she would realize when she ACTS terrible.
I have learned very quickly there is no way to skip this 'terrible' stage in your child's life. I just accept Harlee how she is and allow her to express emotions freely. However, I do not hesitate to have a 'daddy talk' whenever she gets too big for her princess panties.

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The story of "Skippy and the Spotted Horse"

I always enjoy story-telling with Harlee. We have a lot of fun making up new and exciting adventures with our imaginations. If you have never tried this with your kids, you really should. A child's imagination is so much fun to be a part of. Harlee reminds me of what it's like to be creative and care free, and she helps me forget the daily stress that comes along with being a grown-up.
I asked her to tell me a story last night, and it went something like this.

"One day a little girl was walking down the road. She ran into a man named Skippy riding a horse named Spotted. She was really scared of the big horse and was afraid to talk to Skippy. So she ran away and came to a boat. When she got on the boat a big monster came out and she ran again. She ran all the way home. When she opened the door a ghost was there and scared her one more time. Finally the little girl just decided to play outside with her mommy."

Now I know this story may seem somewhat silly. But after thinking about it I realized my daughter had shared with me a very simple lesson. She told me in one little story what her three main fears were and what makes her feel better. Big animals, monsters, and ghosts scare her and playing with her mommy makes her feel better. When I asked her what the moral of the story was she said "you should play when you get scared." How easy is that? With everything that is going on in the world right now, maybe we should just stop and play. Too many times we get caught up in work, finances, and other stress that takes our focus away from what is truly important. Our family and our happiness.
Take this lesson from my 3 year old and try to apply it to your life. Slow down, think about the fears in your life, and try to spend just one hour a day doing something that makes you happy. For more information on family time visit FamilyTime.com or visit the YMCA for ways to have fun with your family.

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My Girls...My Inspiration

Just wanted to take this chance to let my readers meet my little girls. So next time I mention them you can put a face with their names. Here's my girls.

I apologize for the clarity of the photos, they were taken with my cell phone. If you want to see them you can visit my Picasa Site.

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