Ages & Stages

My husband and I had finally settled down for the 30 minutes we spend alone together each night on the couch before passing out from utter exhaustion. The clock said 9:15pm and I was just about ready to "relax" (whatever that means these days) when we heard it. "It" being the high pitched shrieking. From across the house. We both sunk further into the couch. My husband, who works incredibly hard for our family and is typically at work 12+ hours a day, jumped up. He's been better about that lately, truth be told. I wonder if he senses our babies slipping away, too. He tried but there was just no settling her. She screamed and screamed. And howled. Screamed some more. He...

In the distance, they begin to hear the quiet roar of his Tahoe rolling over the gravel. Within moments they can feel the pound of his leather boots walking up the steps to our house. The creak of the front door is quickly followed by the crackling of Velcro as he takes off his belt and it lands on the table with a thump. These are the sounds that tell my children that their daddy is finally home, where he is safe in their arms. My husband became a law enforcement officer before our children were born. As our children grew, they learned that their daddy took an oath to protect and serve the citizens of our great state. Their daddy...

Play Should Be a Dirty Word Do me a favor. Close your eyes. Take a deep breath and think back to your childhood. Go back as far as you can. Now, what was your most favorite thing to do? You were playing, right? And chances are, it was something outside. I bet you can remember that feeling with clarity, the sights, sounds, smell. And I bet your hands, feet, face and clothes showed the evidence. Now, hold on to that thought. When I give tours to prospective families of our preschool and tell them that children learn best through play and that is always a dirty endeavor, about half look at me as if I just cursed them out, think I’m...

My family recently joined Costco. I know, I know. We're a little late jumping on that bandwagon. On a recent shopping trip, both kids were pretty good in the store so we stopped to have a cheap, satisfying pizza dinner before we left. We sat at one of the tables in full view of Costco customers checking out and making their way to the door with their bulk of treasures. Because our city is really just a small town, of the few times we've been in that store, 100% of the visits we've run into someone we know. One of my husband's parent's friends stopped by to say hello. After my husband and I exchanged niceties with her, she then...

Disclosure :: Our team knows all too well how hard it can be to choose the perfect school and pre-K program in South Louisiana. Education certainly is a hot button for discussion these days. This post is sponsored by St. John Primary but it is our hope that it gives you some guidance as you begin your search for a Pre-Kindergarten education program in Baton Rouge that meets your families unique needs.  Pre-K Programs :: 5 Qualities to Prioritize  The St. John Primary principal, Kim Naquin, said, "“I recently saw a quote that said, ‘From tiny seeds, grow mighty trees.’ When I read it, it struck me as something quite profound. Within these students, we plant tiny seeds each day. We plant seeds that...