Nowhere to run

If you live in the Lodi area, chances are last Tuesday you didn’t leave the house with little ones. (Although I do know a couple of friends who planned ahead and went here to allow their kids to blow off some steam.)

But what about if you were STUCK in the house. Several families I personally know spent Tuesday AND part of Wednesday in the dark. With no electricity. No running water. No TV. And toddlers.

Unfortunately in this day and age, too many of us rely on DVDs and other electronics to pass the time. But without those back ups, how do you keep busy with the under-five crowd?

Share your ideas here. I may need them in the future.

Random acts of kindness

Thanks to a gesture from a kind gentleman at Dee Dee’s Sunday, my son woke up with a new favorite stuffed animal. You know, one of those toys that is really hard to describe, kind of like a horse with tiger stripes and an orange mane. But that’s not what’s important.

My mother and I were enjoying a leisurely meal at the Cherokee Lane restaurant that was moving a bit too slow for my almost-3-year-old. When the man in the next booth noticed our plight (and probably witnessed my son sitting on the floor under the table), he sent his wife to the front of the restaurant to retrieve this silly stuffed animal.

Apparently, the gentleman plays that claw game near the register where for just 50 cents you try your luck at retrieving a prize and every time he snags a toy, he saves it for times like these. We encouraged Sam to say “thank you” several times, which he did (to the man, his wife, the lady in the next booth, the waitress, you get the point).

In the end, I hope I am teaching my son to not only be thankful, but to learn that random acts of kindess to strangers can make everyone feel good.

Creating money-savvy children

I hope we’re not creating a child who gets overly excited about money, but my husband and I have recently let Sam put our loose change into his piggy bank himself. The saving part is something my in-laws actually started, handing us a big plastic bag of stray nickels, dimes and pennies every time we saw them.

Years ago, the gesture didn’t mean much, but now my almost-three year old exclaims “Money, money” whenever we show him the shiny stuff.

Here’s a web site to help parents teach their pre-kindergarteners how to recognize each coin. And, while you’re at it, go ahead and set up a savings account for junior and watch it grow. Most banks offer no-interest accounts for children and some, including our local Umpqua Bank, go into local schools armed with pass books ready to teach students to start saving their coins early.

Ingredient replacements

In the last couple of months, a lot of my mom friends have provided for me tips in getting my toddler to eat healthier since his favorite choices appear to be dry Cheerios and raisins (it could be worse!).

Here are some great ideas to sneak a few better-for-you ingredients into dishes for the whole family:

* Making rice crispy squares? Replace the main ingredient with brown rice.

* Add applesauce in place of vegetable oil when preparing brownies from the box. Want to throw in some unsuspecting antioxidants? Replace the water with a splash of iced fruit tea.

* Making homemade spaghetti sauce? Toss in a bit of pureed carrots, peas, green beans, whatever you have on hand (just not enough for anyone to be able to taste, or the secret might get out!).

What are some of the ingredient replacements you’ve found to sneak in more of the healthy stuff?

Second best?

My friend, Shauna, swears by the Second Best fall/winter sale in Galt. It starts Friday at 8 a.m. and seems like the not-to-be-missed place to get a deal.

I have never been, but I understand the bi-annual consignment sale features gently used children’s clothes, furniture and toys. Many of the participants sell outgrown clothes and make a little bit of money, while, at the same time, outfitting their kids for next season.

Check it out through Sunday at 4 p.m. at 10749 Boessow Road, right off the main C Street exit. (On the last day of the sale, everything’s half-off!)

Find a park

On a recent trip to Monterey, we were looking for a way to get Sam out of the hotel room but didn’t want to spend any money. We had already been to the beach, so we turned the old familiar stand-by: the park.

Luckily, the city’s Dennis the Menace Park was on a major thoroughfare so didn’t have to look far. But what if you are in an unfamiliar city? How do you find a playground for your child?

I came across this great website that might make the search for play space easier.

And if you’re ever in Monterey, be sure to check out the city-operated park with areas for children of all ages (even the biggest ones, like dad!).

Going on a jet plane?

Fall break for Lodi Unified School District is already upon us.

If you’re taking the family on an airplane for vacation, you might want to check out this great list of tips for traveling with children.

In the meantime, I wish you good luck. I have yet to take my first-born on an airplane. The whole idea kind of scares me.

Do you travel at night and hope your little one sleeps the entire trip? Be prepared with tons of toys and snacks? Got any tips of your own?

And then there were two …

As I’ve mentioned before, come the first week of December I will have two children.

While there are many things to worry about when it comes to adding a fourth person to our family, the biggest thing hanging me up at this moment? What to do about car seats.

Sam has always sat in his car seat comfortably and safely in the center of the backseat. Alone. When he has a seat partner, he will likely have to be moved to one of the sides. Closer to a window. Closer to the outside of the car where he is more vulnerable. That’s all a given.

But where to put his sibling? Is the center still the safest, or will that just make access issues harder? (Not to mention making it easier for Sam to possibly bother her while I’m driving.) But, being that she will remain turned backwards for at least a year, maybe the other side is the best place after all since she’ll have added protection in case of an accident.

When you had your second (or third or fourth), what was your biggest hang-up?

The Great Trade-In Event

In the same vein as the nation’s “Cash for Clunkers,” Babies R Us is offering a discount when you bring in old baby furntiture and buy something new.

Got a new baby on the way? Get 20 percent off on a new crib, play yard, car seat, the gear options are pretty much endless. But hurry, the Great Trade-In Event offer ends Sept. 20.

Baby boot camp (also known as ‘Grandma’s house’)

My son recently spent a weekend in Atwater at my parents’ house. Upon drop off, I explained to them that I had only sent one pacifier. (Yes, even at nearly 3 years old, Sam was still using one for naptime and bedtime, but notice that’s in the past tense now … but I’m getting ahead of myself. Truth by told, I haven’t purchased any in recent months because I was at least thinking about getting rid of them.)

Anyway, not surprisingly, grandma and grandpa lost the little thing before bedtime and guess what? Sam did just fine. In fact, he went down without trouble two nights in a row and with a daytime nap in between. Just like that, he had been broken of his pacifier.

No cute little ploys to wean him. No sleepless nights for mom and dad. No temper tantrums for him.

Looking back, I believe the pacifier was not for Sam, but for my husband and I. It was more of a life preserver, keeping us afloat when Sam had a meltdown or refused to sleep. Now I know.

Oh, and by the way, thanks mom! (But I have to ask, did you lose it on purpose?)