This week was fun thinking about the important role that grandparents play in our kids’ lives. I grew up with grandparents several states away. I saw them maybe once a year and did not know them well. They were not involved in our daily lives. They weren’t there for birthdays or holidays or school plays. My kids are lucky that most of their grandparents are within  a couple hours drive. They get to see them often and I know will reap the benefits of that.

I sent out a call to some of the grandparents I know of young children to send in something from their perspective on being a grandparent. My mom sent me this that was written a little over three years ago:

I went to see my grandson tonight, to give my daughter a rest.  The new baby she carries is in a hurry and my girl must take it easy.  So dinner, bath and bedtime have become a ritual for my grandbaby and me. But, tonight he is sick. He’s been sick for a few days and he is so small and so quiet. And it hurts me.

I remember when I was mommy and one of my girls sick.  I remember watching them; listening and anxious until they were well again.  Now I watch and listen and fret over this boy, who is my heart.
I want to feel exasperation at his 2 year old antics, feel excitement at his 2 year old feats.  I do not want to fear for him as I tuck him in bed and urge a sip of water and blow a kiss.

His Mama is calm and I admire that.  But I see her watching and listening, too. We both know he will be fine soon, will be his usual rambunctious self and  I’ll be glad.

Tonight, though, when I drove home I cried.

And now for the announcement of our Grandparents day winner! We had such great responses it was too hard to choose, so we went with a random.org generator. And the winner is…. Slee! We will be sending an e-mail with your gift certificate. Thanks everyone for the thoughtful comments.

Expanding on my earlier post about the loss of a baby, I have decided to donate a portion of the proceeds of all sales from now until Mother’s Day to First Candle. I want to show my support for all the families that have lost a child, those I know personally and those I don’t. First Candle is an incredible website with lots of information, research, and support for grieving families and their loved ones or anyone seeking the best information on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. They are also strong advocates to help guide national and local political action to ensure adequate funding for SIDS, stillbirth, and other infant health programs.

I personally found this information from First Candle very helpful:

Coping with SIDS
It is very important that all those touched by a SIDS death understand that SIDS has no specific symptoms, that SIDS occurs in the best of families and to the most capable, careful and loving parents. Even if the baby had recently shown symptoms of a cold and had been taken to a doctor, there were no signs leading anyone to suspect that the baby would die. No one can tell ahead of time whether a baby will die of SIDS; and no one can stop SIDS from happening.

Because SIDS occurs unexpectedly and usually at home, nearly every parent feels in some way responsible for the baby’s death until the facts are explained. Often one parent blames the other, or relatives blame one or both of the parents. Families sometimes blame a childcare provider or the doctor who told them the baby was healthy a short time before the death.

Even after receiving accurate information about SIDS, some family members find it difficult to accept these facts. They may continue to search for answers or to blame themselves or others. Articles and reports about SIDS often appear in the news media. Periodically such reports imply that “the cause” has been discovered. It is important to restate that SIDS continues to be an unsolved problem. Even with current scientific knowledge, SIDS victims cannot be identified beforehand.

Did the Baby Suffer?
SIDS is considered to be an almost instantaneous event. There may be some movement during the last few seconds of life, accounting for the unusual positions in which some babies are found. Babies do not cry out and often show no sign of having been disturbed in their sleep. Parents who have witnessed their baby’s death have reported that they appeared to die very peacefully in their sleep, that they appeared simply to stop breathing.

The reality of a SIDS death, however, is that they did not just stop breathing – their entire body shuts down in an instant, making it impossible to revive these babies even if immediate intervention is made. While scary and hard to understand, this can be of some comfort to those that struggle with feelings of guilt for not being there when the baby died.

I would love that no more families would ever again experience this pain…

You can make individual donations here: First Candle donations.

Some of you may have heard recently about sweet little Maddie Spohr passing away unexpectedly. Some of you may have noticed the March of Dimes badge to the right there under my blogroll. Some of you may have no idea what I am talking about, but that’s okay.

I did not know them, only a bit from their blog, but I feel compelled to share this and to try to do something for all the other babies that March of Dimes helps. Since Maddie’s passing there has been an incredible outpouring of support for her parents, Heather and Mike, in this sad time.

There are people all over the country donating their time to do the walk (click here to find an event near you) and/or donating money to the March of Dimes for all that they do to help moms have healthy, full-term pregnancies and fund research to find answers to the serious problems that threaten our babies.

I urge you all to do what you can. For Maddie and all the babies and families out there that need our help.

To learn more about Maddie: http://www.remembermaddie.com

Why you should March for Babies: http://www.marchforbabies.org

For more information on what you can do to help Heather and Mike directly: http://amomtwoboys.com/for-maddie/

Are you looking for the perfect Valentine’s gift for a pregnant mama or little one? I love celebrating Valentine’s Day as a parent, much more so than when it was more of a romantic holiday. I love making homemade Valentine’s cards with and for my family. I love making fun Valentine’s treats- anything heart shaped, pink, or red. I love showing my family just how much I love them!

Here are a few eco-friendly gift ideas for children from Clementine NW (click on the photos to shop):

The Giving Tree:

A moving parable about the gift of giving and the capacity to love, told throughout the life of a boy who grows to manhood and a tree that selflessly gives him her bounty through the years. $14.95

Eva Necklace:

Children love playing dress-up! Here is a sweet necklace with adorable wooden hearts and circles separated by blue glass beads from Haba. $11.66

Little Luck Rings:

Set of two rings: one heart and one lucky mushroom ring. Packaged in a sweet little metal jewelry box. A wonderful gift for any little girl.Made by Haba. $7.61

Threading Hearts:

Classic threading toy with sweet heart beads perfect for Valentine’s Day. Made by Haba. $11.21

Little Love Socks & Shoes Set:

Your little sweetheart will look adorable in these layered hearts on pastel pink. The beautifully-packaged set is complete with four unique pairs of socks in stripes, hearts, and polka dots. $39.95

 Organic Bear:

The perfect first doll for a baby! Our Bear doll is 100% organic cotton inside and out, and dyed with metal free dyes; making it safe for babies. $11.95

Well, really it has been a snow week! The schools have been closed all week and a lot of people have stayed home from work as well. It’s cold out there!

Good thing baby girl’s got her new Organic BabyLegs to keep her warm… I have loved using these as layers under her clothes for extra warmth and to keep her legs warmer while changing her diaper. Trying to keep those thermostats lower can make it uncomfortable for those chubby baby legs without her BabyLegs!

We have all been snuggling up reading lots of books, listening to Christmas music, and watching the fun winter holiday movies that we’ve recorded. Snowmen At Christmas is a favorite book of the boys right now. I think one of them is actually sleeping with it right now.

Love it, hate it, indifferent? Regardless, it’s here. While I am not one for rampant consumerism, if you shop conscientiously there are some amazing deals to be had. Especially this year. Take care in what you buy and from whom. Shop green, shop local, shop online.

Clementine NW is having a huge sale, one day only, on almost everything in the store! Give the gifts you can feel good about giving.

All of our products are made with the utmost care for the health of you, your child, and the environment. Whether that is accomplished by using organic materials, fair trade factories, rceycled materials, sustainable business practices, or all of the above. The products you purchase from us have the highest safety and quality that you can expect, plus they are just plain fun!

Shop now! Supplies are limited to stock on hand.

Looking for ways to have a green Halloween? Check out Green Halloween. This great site has lots of tips you can use this year and think about for next!

Have fun, be safe, and don’t eat too much candy!

It has been a hard couple of weeks around here. First I went to the hospital to get checked out because of this abdominal pain I was having. I ended up staying four days and having an appendectomy! That was fun. Luckily I am home now and appear to be doing well and the baby has stayed healthy throughout this whole ordeal.

I also learned about a friend’s more tragic news, which I will not get into here. Please just take the time to hug your children tight today.

There are going to be some exciting changes, additions, and maybe even a big sale this summer so stay tuned!