Routines of Childhood-

Fixed Routine's of Childhood Remembered

My husband reading a bedtime story to sweet Clio

I recall bedtime stories of childhood fondly. It was an anticipated part of my evening

Bedtime routine.

I always rushed up to brush my teeth get my P.J.'s on so I could choose the first book.

The stories were soothing and calm. I loved the illustrated pictures books the most.

My younger brother liked the same book read over and over. 

My brothers favorite book

 

I think this may have been one of the reasons my Mother signed us up for a book of the month club.

I was very excited to see the brown corrugated book shaped package come in the mail. I held my breath while ripping it open. 

Other new and wonderful books were left besides our pillows when we lost a tooth. I use to think  "tooth fairy” really?  All my friends got because all of my friends got shinny

Silver dollars or crisp dollar bills slipped under their pillows.  

My Mother was wise...  I can still see the shinny hard coved books next to my pillow that were filled with wonderful illustrations in my minds eye.  

Some books from my childhood

My childhood night time routine influenced my children’s bed time routine.  We signed up for the discovery book - book of the month club.  I think I loved looking at the new books as much as my children did.  As a parent I looked at bed time story's a place when I could catch my breath.  My husband Chris was storyteller extraordinary and he must still have his skills by the look of Clio's face on the photo above.

I did not save my children’s baby clothes or toys but I did save most of the books.  

 

Who are other Mothers ?

   
     post card hidden in my address book 

                        A post card my Aunt and Uncle sent for my birthday last year
                                   

 Best friends Shannon, Meghan, Jennifer, Cindy, Janet, Kathryn, Sarah, Betsy, Kim, Megan,Diana,Karen & Margaret

My Mothers Joyce & Colleen My Grandmothers Martha, Kay and Sally My Aunts Kathy, Audry, Kayleen, Marcia 
and my sister Heather

The woman for whom I babysat. They taught me how to be a mother. All the mothers who's company I have enjoyed when our children were little,middle and now young adults. All the friends across the country during our "student" daze and all the mothers that have encouraged me. All the mothers who inspire and love my own 3 children.  The young mothers who's children I am blessed to Nanny for!

Other Mothers

I found a postcard that was hidden in my address a book today.  Written across the front

                     "Other Mothers"

As a young  girl, teenager, young adult, adult, new mother  now middle + aged women & mother  It gave me pause...

"Other Mothers"

It is not mothers day ..... 
                   more on this later......

Hey BUBBA BUBBLES

                                                 Hey bubba bubbles
                          I love you

Photo by Clancy Dunigen

            Gymboree Bubbles" aka bubble ooodles

bubble ooodles

 These are  the best bubbles I have ever blown, popped, flicked or watched. I have used more than I can count on one maybe two hands. The magic solution is like  no other kind. When you pop the bubbles they kind of go POOF. The megaphone type blower is magic- you do not even have to put it in your mouth on the it... works the best when you put about the smallest end 1" from your lips and blow. When my kids were small I made a few bubble solutions- they were only so-so.  

write up by Gymboree 
Five bubble ports are the secret to making oodles of bubbles with one easy blow. Set includes one easy-grip wand, a non-spill tray and four ounces of Bubble Ooodles formula. Through play, children develop the self-esteem, coordination and social skills necessary to grow. Use Bubble Ooodles to develop your child's fine motor skills and cause and effect cognitive skills.

 I am going to ask for a little help from My middle child Christine who is 22 and just graduated from college. She refers to herself as the love child of Bill Nye the science guy and Ms. Frizzle of the magic school bus. Cool thing is that she kind of is!  Scientist Dad and Art Teacher Mom. 

OK... back to the help from Christine.  She is teaching a after School science enrichment class in San Francisco. 
I am going to challenge her and or the 1-3rd graders to do some bubble investigation.  You could go to pintrest or other on line informational buy I think we learn best by doing it ourselves.  I will get back to you on our findings!

Baby I have places to go

On the Go with Hannah

Hannah has new things to see now that she is upright!

Another Stroll around the park?

 

Stroller with cool sun shade



As summer turns to fall... well maybe not just yet- I have enjoyed going for walks with kid's I nanny for.  There is nothing better than a nice walk about. Places I go with little ones - Petco is a cool spot to see animals - Cold in the summer and warm in the winter.  

Mother and Son Relationships & My cool Artist Son

My Son Luke

5 reasons the mother-son relationship is so important

by Kate Stone Lombardi

For generations, mothers have gotten the same old message when it comes to raising sons: beware of keeping him “too close.” A mom who nurtures a deep emotional bond with her boy will prevent him from growing up to be a strong, independent man. By refusing to cut those apron strings, she is on track to create a wimpy, dependent, maladjusted “mama's boy.” There's just one problem with this theory: it's not true.

In fact, pushing boys to separate prematurely from their mothers and encouraging them to “man up” can be damaging to boys. What's more, there are enormous benefits to a close mother-son bond, starting from the earliest days and continuing into a man's adult years.

1) Baby boys who do not have secure attachments with their mothers go on to have behavioral problems later in life. Studies reveal that boys who do not bond securely with their mothers in the infant years act much more hostile, destructive and aggressive later in life. A close bond with their moms when boys were young helped prevent delinquency when they were older.

2) Boys who are close to their mothers perform better in school. Mothers often nurture emotional intelligence in their sons, teaching them to recognize and express their own feelings and to be more attuned to the feelings of others. These boys not only become more articulate--which helps them with reading and writing skills, but also have better self-control in the classroom.

3) A close mother-son relationship is good for a boy's mental health. A study presented at the American Psychological Association showed that boys who are close to their mothers tend not to buy into hyper-masculine stereotypes. They don't believe, for instance, that you have to always act tough, go it alone or fight to prove your manhood every time you are challenged. These boys remained more emotionally open. Not only did they have better friendships, but also less anxiety and depression than their more macho peers.

4) Teenage boys who are close to their moms engage in less risky behavior. It has long been known that good parent-teen communication can help lesson the influence of negative peer pressure. But new research shows that it is a boy's mother who is the most influential when it comes to her son's decision making about alcohol, drugs and sex. Some researchers speculate that the nature of mother-son communication accounts for the difference: mothers usually don't have one big “drug talk” or “sex talk” but instead tend to weave the topic into other conversations or family activities.

5) Moms who keep their sons close are setting them up for success later in life, both in personal relationships and at work. Because mothers work to teach their sons emotional intelligence (starting from when the days they urge their screaming toddler to “use your words” to when they won't accept their teenage son's grunts as a reasonable response) their sons grow up with the communication skills that they need to navigate adulthood.

Few women still admire “the strong silent type,” let alone a man who expresses his anger by punching a wall. Men who can both listen and articulate their emotions are far more attractive. And of course, sons who grow up respecting and loving their mothers tend to respect and love other women. These same skills will also help them in the work place. In today's economy, brute physical strength and a dominating style is no longer a ticket for success. Rather, men need the ability to work in teams and to have the very communication skills and social intelligence that their mothers have been teaching them all along.

Kate Stone Lombardi is the author of THE MAMA'S BOY MYTH: Why Keeping Our Sons Close Makes Them Stronger. (Avery/Penguin Group USA). A journalist, Ms. Lombardi is the mother of two adult children, a son and a daughter. She lives in New York with her husband, Michael.

LUKE and his proud Mama aka Nanny Jill

 Hawaii with Mom and Dad -

One of our favorite prints

Hari - one of Luke's first Large Format Paintings

Another painting of good old Dad

Age 5

BIG painting that hangs on our kitchen wall

a photo/image that was used on his first band "Pagent s"CD

Painted for a garden show in Sacramento

Grandpa Bo

Swedish inspired painting

Loved this silly robot's  These were fun- silly and I think the start of his love for comics.  He also did drawings of Calvin and Hobs they were self portrait-ish

His 20 something artist work- 

Luke has a great of humor he always has-

A pen and ink drawing - done a G.I. Doctor

                                     Illustrator in him is coming out drawing by drawing

High School painting - Luke does not  really like this one- I really do!

Luke surprised me on mothers day!

One of the best mothers day gifts ever

Luke's first tattoo

More of his muse aka Dad

Siblings

Luke in Norway -  in his heavy metal music stage

Summer Art Program Summer before he graduated

Luke and his older sister Ann Marie

summer 2014

High school graduation

Mothers and Sons

Siblings & Friends

My middle riddle and cow's tail

 

translates to Middle Child and Baby/last born

Friends & Siblings