My dd went through a door slamming phase. Taking the door off would have escalated the situation for her. However, because of her age (5) it really was a safety issue. So I had my hubby place small hand towels over the top of the door. Problem solved as they are no longer 'slam able' but will shut with a crack left in the door. Plus, it is easy enough to remove if the door needs to be closed for some reason. ETA: I didn't say anything about it, just inwardly giggled at the look on her face when the door failed to slam with a satisfactory bang:). The towels were small and white (I actually think they were washcloths no that I think about it, and unobtrusive. She just looked so perplexed!

We did these, and they have a song for squares and cubes as well. I made little cards with all the numbers and she would point as she sang. Then take a card away, sing again. It becomes a game:)

We have been loosely 'studying' the play at our house. My dd5 is going with us to a Shakespeare Festival next weekend to see it. It is in kid-friendly language but provided a wonderful overview of the storyline first: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1552091244/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1435385446&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SY200_QL40&keywords=a+mid+summer+nights+dream+for+children&dpPl=1&dpID=51mmFUk5pKL&ref=plSrch We started by reading this book, a version written for children. It is cute, with a the illustrations all dra n by children. There are short little 'letters' inside written by children as though they are the characters. For example, a letter written by an eight-year-old Demetrius telling Helena to get lost:) My dd wanted to write a letter, so we did that. She also drew pictures as I read aloud. We then did a puppet show. She made fairy finger puppets and used dolls for the rest. The whole family got in on it. Another day we made a donkey mask out of construction paper and various art supplies. I also bought the Jim Weiss audio CD to listen to in the car on the way there. Have you seen it? http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003FRLBI0/ref=dm_aw_dp_sp_bb_sfa

I was going to like everyone's posts but am somehow out of likes:) Ah well, a truly monumentous day. Surely we should get extra likes on such occasions?!

Dd5 will share! Actually, she loves to bake but won't eat cake, lol. Picky eater... She did however put dollops of different colored frosting on top and used a toothpick to swirl them into rainbows on top of rainbow cake. Of course it had to be topped by multicolored rainbow candy flowers:)

My dd5 just came out of her bedroom...she had gone in and changed her outfit to a multicolored outfit with a tshirt that just says 'LOVE' in patchwork colors. She simply said, "Mom, this is a better ensemble for today."ðŸ˜

Dd5 and I just made a special rainbow cake to celebrate! So glad that our highest court has recognized that civil rights are not negated if you don't love the 'right' way.

Absolutely. My picky eater won't eat cookies or cake, won't even try kid foods like pizza. I do not know why people equate pickiness with simply eschewing healthy food in favor of sugar and junk. Holiday candy gets mostly thrown away. Birthday parties she often just says 'no thanks' when food is served...Honestly, even though my dd5 only eats a dozen or so foods regularly, I would be willing to bet she eats healthier than the vast majority of children these days. The only 'fast food' item she has ever had was French fries:) It makes it very, very difficult to eat out. We take her food with us and try to supplement at the restaurant if possible. We do ask her to try a bite at dinner, and allow her to both say no or spit it out. We just don't make a deal out of it or allow it to become a hill.

Topomax made me irrationally angry and irritable to the point where my uber-calm, never-heard-him-really-raise-his-voice hubby called foul. I also could not think clearly or find words properly. It took about 2 months AFTER I stopped it for that fog to clear. I also could not eat on it, which became dangerous as I tend to run on the low end of a healthy weight. It is too bad because it really did help with the migraines:( My mother is on it and has been for years. I am convinced that it is one of the primary causes of her brain issues. She has severe aphasia, totally zones out, and has trouble following conversations or carrying on a coherent conversation. She thinks the migraines themselves have done the damage, but I nor her doctors agree.

I really wish it was that easy! We did zero sugar for my picky dd5. In fact, she had 1st birthday oatmeal. She didn't have sweets until she was 2, and then very sparingly. She tried chocolate for the first time at 2.5, and to this day a portion size is a small chocolate or equivalent:) We are vegetarian and truly fed her a huge range of veggies and textures, and tried very hard to feed her the foods we were eating. She systematically refused and eliminated them. There are very real reasons why children are picky eaters and making it sound like it is just a product of making sure babies are fed only nutritious veggies and foods in specific orders or not allowing sugar until their tastes are 'set' is, IMO, just another mommy war:(

I think I have your child:) Really, my dd5 is very picky and strong-willed. I refuse to turn dinner into a war. And I know from experience that it is not worth it. I stopped eating meat before my own fifth birthday and every horrible punitive or otherwise attempt my parents made to force the issue failed miserably...I am now a 38!year old vegetarian. Dd5 eats plain pasta or rice, plain beans, berries, protein bars, peanut butter, and a handful of other things. She will drink one type of fruit smoothie with a tiny bit of veg juice. We will keep offering other foods, but it just isn't worth a war

Quoting myself because I wanted to ask if you have access to a smartphone there? London actually has an app for finding bathrooms that is pretty good. We used it more than a few times:) Here is some info on the one we did: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2939766/Never-caught-short-App-helps-nearest-toilet-WORLD-tells-free-use.html

OP- if you know the places you are going I can (and others I am sure!) tell you about bathroom facilities at most popular places. Maybe we can help you map bathroom friendly routes...and armed with that information the anxiety might be less?

Sorry, but I don't even think it would be possible. Hubby is British and laughed out loud when I asked him. Even if you could find one to rent that allowed you to take it to London you would never be able to navigate and park it. You would end up walking just as far to get to various sites. Having been to London multiple times I truly do not see how it is even feasible. Now, practically speaking. I am in a wheelchair and we keep a running tally of good and useable bathrooms wherever we go. If you follow the tube lines there will be reasonable bathrooms at each. Train stations as well. Plan strategic stops at places like Cafe Nero, Starbucks, or tea rooms. They are all ubiquitous in London, and all the major tourist destinations have large, well-lit bathrooms. If the person in your party has a disability, most places have a separate disabled toilet available by key. In fact, I have a radar key issued to me to access them...it may be possible to get a temporary one? That I don't know. We are vegetarian as well and I think you will be very pleasantly surprised at your options! EVERY place will have at least one veggie option, more likely several. Even pubs! Even street food (make sure you indulge in a veggie or cheese and onion pasty!). Really, I love to go because I actually get food options there. Indian food is always awesome and a great veggie option. Chinese food too, and very different from the US.

This was ultimately why we took him back to the pediatrician. The protruding part was much smaller at his 2 month checkup, and at that point the dr. Checked the opening itself. It was just at the diameter of my pinky finger. A week later, both the bulge and the hole are significantly larger (just at my index finger). In addition, the bulge gets hard, turns purplish, and the skin gets tight and glossy. Worrisome....not panic mode, but I will feel much better after the surgeon sees it!

Update: We took the little guy back to his pediatrician today and the hernia has grown significantly. (Not just the bulge but the opening itself) They did an X-ray to look for abnormalities or blockage as he regularly goes 2-4 days without a bowel movement. We are giving him mineral oil now at direction of doctor to avoid having him strain. Luckily it was negative, but we will see the pediatric surgeon later this week. Thanks for the advice...

Thanks, this is a great point. We live in a town where I am not sure I would be comfortable having this done locally. At least we could get him the best care possible if we were not in an emergency situation. Thanks everyone. I have made an appointment with his pediatrician for Monday, and we will watch it this weekend. I have been taking pics everyday so I have something to illustrate my concern (other than the obvious!). I plan to ask for a referral just in case.

Thanks. The other concern is that he has a lot of gastric/colic issues. I have eliminated dairy and he is still pretty miserable. In fact, he has been going days at a time without defecating, but isn't constipated? Now I wonder if there isn't more going on. They may not be related at all, or his tummy issues may be making the hernia worse when he strains with gas.

How old was your child when the hernia was repaired, if you don't mind my asking? The surgery looks pretty straightforward, but he is so tiny:(

Yikes, apologies! I will attempt to resize. I had trouble resizing the photo and ended up cutting and pasting the post into Word to avoid losing it...

Seeking collective wisdom on the issue. Max is now 2 months old, and growing like a weed! He went from being a tiny little guy at under 6 1/2 pounds when we brought him home to a wopping almost 13 pounds at 2 months, lol. That explains why I can't seem to eat enough and why my back is screaming:) However, primarily in the last couple of weeks, his umbilical hernia (barely evident at birth) has gotton so much worse. I scheduled his 2 month checkup a few days earlier than it was supposed to be because it began to look a bit raw in one edge. The ped gently pushed it back in and said it is right at the limit of what may/may not close on its own as he grows and may require surgery when he is older. I researched the surgery and it seems fairly straightforward... and generally the odds of it closing naturally are great. So. I kind of wrote it off as me being paranoid and just resolved to keep an eye on it, but even this week it seems larger. This photo (if it will attach) was taken when he was relaxed and happy, but when he is really crying it gets even larger, and deepens in color to a purplish hue. I read that if it was incarcerated it wouldnt get smaller again, so I doubt it is that, but it also doesnt ever flatten or retreat on its own. Today the skin is glossy, as though it is just stretched excessively. Umbilical hernias seem to be quite common, so I thought I would ask here. Anybody had a child with one that needed attention at infancy? or did they all just clear up? Looking back, I now think my dd had a less severe version, and she *still* has a small indentation at age 5. Should I seek a 2nd opinion or just keep an eye on it?

Lol...we have some:) But we are sort of strange in the wedding ring department. Our originals are from a really cool 'Green' company that recycles metals and made them out of recycled metals with a rhodium finish (key element in hubby's PhD). We have several fun sets that we have acquired on various trips that have great memories. I don't wear diamonds, and most of our sets are more amusing than expensive. My nerdy husband even has 'The ONE ring!' But the silicone one is because we rock climb. We went climbing with friends one day and some other climbers there had a freak accident. One of the climbers took a lead fall and caught their ring finger on a bolt, pulling the skin of the finger off like a sheath😠I ordered the silicone ones the next holiday...usually one oils just take off jewelry, but you get so used to wearing wedding rings that they get forgotten sometimes:( The following images are not of that day, but somewhat similar. Don't look if you are squeamish! http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/2000344/Do-you-wear-a-ring-when-you-climb-CAREFUL-images

DP

Don't forget about the Great Backyard Birdcount Project in February! http://www.audubon.org/content/about-great-backyard-bird-count

Ha! I entered the army from Idaho with nary a curse word in my vocabulary...and emerged four years later with an extremely creative and colorful @$&@ing repertoire of new words. The army make swearing its own language, a true art form. Seriously, you can get by with mostly acronyms and curse words. The F-word alone can be made into just about any part of speech:) So when I was pregnant with my dd my hubby and I decided something drastic was called for. We made a jar. Then we went to the bank for a serious stash of $1 bills. We EACH started with 200, lol. Every time one of us swore you had to put $1 of your stash in the jar. But we were competing, and this made it fun. The first person to run out of money was the loser, and their money used to treat us as a couple: the winner got to keep their $200 as a personal treat. I actually think we ended up using all of it for a get away, but that was the idea:) It worked, mostly! I still reserve the right to swear with purpose. Using curse words strategically can add great impact to your words, but only when used sparingly:) I have taught my dd5 this, although only in context of explaining words she hears from others so far. As she gets older I am sure she will hear mom or dad slip occasionally and this is the approach we plan to take. The words themselves are not 'bad' but people judge you when you use them...therefore it is a tool to be used just like with all words. A time and a place... And right now the time is usually after the kids are in bed:)