Seattle Mom Blogs

When we first enrolled our son at his daycare last fall, the daycare provider asked that we submit a family photo for the disaster kit and would be comforted in case such an emergency did arise.

This is what he would see, an image of our family (minus the new baby) and hopefully this would comfort him enough until either my husband or I get there and take him home.

Today, I read Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson’s letter to her little one and I am both touched and shattered. I cannot think of what to write my son without starting into big weepy tears about my baby, my first born, a boy who will scamper across the house until he finds me so I can kiss a tiny, mostly likely imagined wound on his finger. It’s like I don’t have enough words to tell him how big my heart grew the day he was born, how I love it that he’s a big boy now and I super atomic love it when he sits on my lap, places his small paws on my cheeks and says, “I like to touch your face, Mommy.”

If your kids are in daycare/preschool, what did you have to include in your disaster kit? A photo, a poem, a video? I’m going to try to write a letter to be included in the kit, but I doubt I could make it through without big weepy mama tears. Dr. Swanson’s title is so true: I hope he never has to read it.

Remember our Seattle Mom Blogs Business highlight Marci? Well now this fearless photographer is holding a phenomenal contest for the special mama in your life! Read on for details.

Do you know an amazing mom? Someone who you admire or someone you aspire to? Now is your chance to brag about them. Tell me about this amazing mom you know and they could win a special photo session from Marci at Shutterpated!

DETAILS
Enter by sending an email to . Tell me about what makes this special woman an amazing mom. Please be sure to include your name, their name, and your contact information for both you and the amazing mom you are telling me about.

The contest is open to those who live in the greater Seattle, WA area.

Contest begins April 12th and ends May 5th at midnight. Winner will be contacted by phone and announced on Mother’s Day, May 9th.

PRIZE
One woman will win a photo session of their choice, CD with all the post processed high resolution digital images, and $100 print credit. Total value is $485.

Contest prize may not be substituted or redeemed for cash. Contest prize must be redeemed by December 31st, 2010

SELECTION of WINNER
The winner will be selected on the compelling nature of the email provided by the nominator and will be selected by a judge of the sponsors choice.

The winner will be notified by phone. If the winner cannot be contacted from the information provided by the entry, then an alternate winner will be chosen from all other eligible entries.

The winner will be listed online at www.shutterpated.com/blog after the winner is notified

TERMS and CONDITIONS
By participating in the contest, the winner agrees to have her name and image used in any advertising material for the contest or Shutterpated.

When choosing what children’s entertainment to allow into our home, I’ve always relied on two very important criteria. 1) That said children’s entertainment not make me want to poke forks into my eyeballs upon listening to it. Hence, the absence of any and all episodes of “Caillou” or cds containing “Caillou” content because seriously? Does a child get any more annoying than that? And, 2) That said children’s entertainment be somewhat positive. I don’t mean that we have to be all “Veggie Tales” all the time, but when it comes to young children and the entertainment I want them to connect to, I’d kind of prefer if it be somewhat uplifting. No violence – but for the occasional SPLAT! on “Bugs Bunny” cartoons, which are exempt because they are classics.

Winnie the Pooh certainly always passes the test. A classic. A good, kind-hearted bear with good, kind-hearted friends. No super annoying voices…you get the picture. Although my daughter is just about finished with her first year of kindergarten, I’m happy that she still clings to the little girl stuff – babies, cups w/lids (saving me tons of money on Resolve for the carpet), bubble gum flavored Lip Smackers, crayons, Goldfish crackers and preschool programming, like “My Friends Tigger and Pooh.”

In fact, she loved the newest DVD, “My Friends Tigger and Pooh: Super Duper Super Sleuths,” so much she asked to watch it every day of our Spring Break. Which was nice, because if you weren’t lucky enough to be on the first plane out of the Pacific Northwest to a more tropical (and less rainy) part of the world, you know all too well how much rain we had. To put it simply, we were spoiled with it! So, the gift of having a brand new DVD to watch was especially appreciated (thank you Disney folk) and the added bonus? The “Super Duper Super Sleuths” movie encourages healthy eating! It was a win-win situation.

In other words, this DVD saved our Spring Break. Although aimed at the preschool audience, my 6 year old loved it and I even caught her older brothers, aged 11 and 13, sitting through the entire, full-length adventure (but don’t tell them I told you, they would die). And from the kitchen, where I spent a lot of time rearranging my pantry, I heard no annoying voices, no name-calling, and no bad language – from my kids or the DVD. It was a Spring Break miracle!

Seattle Mom Blogs has FIVE brand new “My Friends Tigger and Pooh: Super Duper Super Sleuths” to give away to FIVE lucky readers. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post, telling us what your favorite form of family entertainment during our soggy Seattle Springs is, and you could win! All entries must be recieved by Tuesday, April 20th. Winner will be selected by random draw and notified via email.

Good luck!

*Comments are now closed.  Our five lucky winners will be contacted by email.  Thanks everyone!

 

Carrie Blankenship is the author of the blog Stop Screaming I’m Driving, where she attempts to tell her story of motherhood. She likes long walks in the park, dancing in the rain, and can be bribed to do just about anyting with a vanilla latte, extra foam. Contact her with column suggestions or just say “hi” at carrieb[at]seattlemomblogs.com. Or, .