12
May, 2012

Happy Mother’s Day to ALL Moms!

While I’m thinking of it, this is something I mention every Mother’s Day and probably will for the rest of my life.

Tomorrow is Mother’s Day and if you know a single mom, reach out to her and don’t be afraid to make her day special. It won’t take much, a phone call, a text, or even invite her to your brunch, out for a drink, send her an ecard, knock on her door with a plate of cookies, whatever works for your schedule. Especially the single moms of very young children.

Mother’s Day can be a very lonely and sad day for single moms of little children. Aubrey’s dad and I split when she was an infant so I spent the 1st couple Mother’s Days of Aubrey’s life feeling pretty horrible. Alone in an apartment with a baby, no family near by. Tired and doing the daily grind… laundry, diapers, nap, bath, feeding… It was hard reading Facebook posts and Tweets about other moms going to brunch, getting flowers and candy, heading to the spa with their gift certificate in hand. These things  don’t usually happen for single moms. And not that Mother’s Day needs to be about fancy gifts, but remember babies and young children don’t know it’s Mother’s Day. They just keep spitting up, crying and throwing tantrums on schedule.

Some single moms are lucky to have a close connection with immediate family or relatives and they are not forgotten. They are the lucky single moms indeed, but my nearest family members are across the country. I remember those first years being asked the Monday after, “What did you do for Mother’s Day?!” UM… NOTHING! Wiped up poop? And then you get the sad, I feel sorry for you, “Ohhhh. That’s no fun.” And that makes you feel even more like shit. Seriously, I don’t mean to make single motherhood out to be a big sob fest, but it has its moments, for sure.

Now that Aubrey is almost 5 yrs old, it’s not quite as difficult. The days are still demanding but we have so much fun doing all kinds of activities and we can go out and celebrate together. This year we are going to the circus and we are both really excited! I love being a mom and I even love being a single mom. Aubrey and I have an amazing bond and I feel we will have each others’ backs for the rest of our lives. But those earliest years alone were isolating and daunting at times. If you’re reading this and you’re there right now, you’re not alone! Hang in there – it DOES get easier!

So… for those of you who know a single mom, go ahead and take the time to reach out to her tomorrow. Let her know she is loved and appreciated for the very important job she does. You may feel like you’re bothering someone on their special day, but trust me, your simple phone call might just be what makes her day special. Go ahead and bother her.

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Tags: Amy Anderson • Aubrey Anderson-Emmons • Mother's Day • single mom • Single mothers • single parenting

28
Apr, 2012

Today was a day that will go down in Aubrey Anderson-Emmons history and one for my books as well. Today, she mastered her 2-wheeler bicycle. Her big girl bike! WOOHOO!!

I made a little video to show her off. I’m so proud of her, but especially thrilled that she got it on the first try sans training wheels! Not because she’s an athletic whiz… trust me, she’s not, but because she rode a balance /running bike for several months leading up to today.

For anyone teaching a little one how to ride, I truly believe this is the way to go. If you’re interested in how Aubrey learned, watch the video and read the steps. I swear by it and have heard many other parents sing the praises of the balance bike!

When I was around 5-6 years old, I vividly remember attempting to learn to ride a 2-wheeler for days on end, by myself. Falling over and over and over on the little hill at the top of our driveway. I remember getting so frustrated and actually throwing the bike down on the ground over and over, tears streaming down my face. I really didn’t want bike riding to start out as such a negative experience for Aubrey and all the research I did paid off.

When Aubrey was a baby, I saw a kid riding a balance bike at the park one day. It looked intriguing because it was wooden (they make metal ones too) so I went home and Googled it. A balance or running bike is a 2-wheeled bike without pedals/chain. Essentially a scooter bike. Imagine a Razor scooter, but in the form of a bike. The child propels and stops the bike with their legs and feet and once they get the hang of it, coasting down hills and zooming down trails is a blast!

It seemed like the way to go. I got one for Aubrey and continued to watch a lot of YouTube videos about how to teach the balace bike when I was first teaching Aubrey to ride, so I thought I’d list the steps we took for my fellow parents & care takers who might be researching too:

1) Gain the confidence to balance on 2 wheels with a balance bike. This took Aubrey several months. Around a year for Aubrey, actually, but on and off at first when she was three. Also, she didn’t have it at her dad’s house, so it was inconsistent learning. I think most kids may catch on a little quicker.
2) Once they master the balance bike, get a bicycle w training wheels as close to the same size so feet can touch the ground from seated position, like the balance bike
3) Ride the new bike leaving training wheels on until kid can pedal and steer simultaneously with confidence
4) Keep practicing on the balance bike in between
5) Loose the training wheels on the regular bike and go to town!

As you can see on the video, when she got wobbly, she was able to put her feet down and keep coasting/balancing confidently because of the experience on the balance bike. This momentum enabled her to put her feet back up on the pedals and also kept her from falling down and hurting herself.

Good luck to the new riders out there and happy trails!

Love, A & a

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Tags: 2 wheeler • Amy Anderson • Aubrey Anderson-Emmons • balance bike • bicycle • bikes • learning to ride a bike • running bike

18
Apr, 2012

April has been a blast so far. I have been busy on the road this spring, but in between these stretches, Aubrey and I have been doing tons of fun stuff. We really have so much fun on the weekends that we have fun hangovers on Monday morning. Aubrey almost couldn’t get out of bed to go to school this Monday. I’m like, “Oh my God! You’re FOUR! Suck it up kid!”

Easter was super fun. We had fun finding eggs and candy from the Easter Bunny at our house and then we went to the Mountain Gate Country Club with some preschool friends of ours for brunch, an egg hunt, games and golfing! It was Aubrey’s first time golfing and she LOVED it!

2nd Career? LPGA in 10yrs? She IS Half Korean - LOL!

Then this past weekend we attended two wonderful events. On Saturday was the My Little Pony Bridle Shower party to celebrate the Friendship Is Magic “Royal Wedding” episode coming up on the Hub network on April 21, 10am PST. Aubrey just discovered My Little Pony and, naturally, she’s hooked. She’s a 4 yr old girl – DUH. The party was amazing with a flower bouquet making station, mini wedding cake decorating with The Butter End bakery (cakes were DELICIOUS!), yummy snacks and drinks and a pre-view screening of the wedding episodes. We had a blast!!

Aubrey Takes A Twirl Down The Pink Carpet

Aubrey And Friend Strike A Pose For the Pony Photo Booth

Then on Sunday, we attended an advance screening of the new Disney Nature documentary Chimpanzee which opens nationwide this Friday, April 20 which also happens to be Earth Day weekend… awww!

Me And My Little Chimp

We loved the film and the footage the filmakers captured is really unbelievable. I wouldn’t recommend the film for children under 3 or 4 yrs as there are some intense fight and hunt scenes amongst the animals. You be the judge on how much intensity your child can take. But there is no gore or graphic violence.

Aubrey Wearing A Chimpanzee Alex Woo Necklace

Aubrey had the honor of being photographed wearing a special new “Chimpanzee” inspired necklace by designer Alex Woo. These necklaces feature the image of “Oscar,” the star of “Chimpanzee,” and 20% of the profits from the sale of these necklaces will go the Jane Goodall Institute. Aubrey was very proud to pose for these pictures and it was an easy way for her to help the chimps! If you’d like to purchase a necklace, there is a selection of styles in different price ranges at www.AlexWoo.com.

www.AlexWoo.com

I hope your spring is as happy as ours!
This weekend we’ll be heading down to America’s Family Pet Expo in Costa Mesa to hang out with Bridgette aka as “Stella” the French Bulldog from Modern Family, and see all the great animals and exhibits! Maybe we’ll even pick up something special for Bob Barker. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE send me strength not to adopt another dog while we are there. PLEASE!

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Tags: Alex Woo • America's Family Pet Expo • Amy Anderson • Aubrey Anderson-Emmons • Butter End Bakery • Chimpanzee • Disney Nature • Easter • Easter egg hunt • El Capitan • Friendship Is Magic • golfing • Hub • MY Little Pony