http://rjlacko.wordpress.com Health, Happiness and the Pursuit of Mommyhood Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:59:45 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Have you made any plans for the weekend? I have a few ideas for you and your kids! Create a Family Phrase Book. Rather than downloading and printing pics for the photo album, why not start a compendium of all the cute, zany, hilariously unintelligible and downright heart-melting things your kids say? ... http://rjlacko.wordpress.com/2008/07/17/fun-things-to-do-with-your-family-this-weekend-3/ I am very pleased to announce that I've just agreed to appear on an upcoming episode of THE DOCTORS, a new show from CBS! I will be discussing early potty training and demonstrating communication through sign language with my 14-month-old son, Noah. I will also share my experiences of potty-training my ... http://rjlacko.wordpress.com/2008/07/16/the-doctors-are-coming/ Have you made any plans for the weekend? I have a few ideas for you and your preschoolers! A long-time childhood favorite, play Scavenger Hunt with your children. Even the little ones can join in by spying and retrieving age-appropriate treasures. For kids aged 2-4, help them collect: 1.) Three leaves, in sizes small, medium, and large. ... http://rjlacko.wordpress.com/2008/07/09/fun-things-to-do-with-your-family-this-weekend-2/ Sixty percent of the time, my baby uses the potty every time. (--with a nod to Anchorman, The Legend of Ron Burgundy, for all you now questioning my logic.) Frankly, it's as true as it can be. Everywhere I go, women smile admirably at me, gasping in wonder at my infant in big-boy ... http://rjlacko.wordpress.com/2008/07/05/potty-baby-almost-trained-at-14-months/ Unless you are surrounded by surly, brooding teenagers, or are in the throes of an unfortunate bout with postpartum depression (both temporary events), it would seem that the resounding answer would be, "yes!" NewsWeek posted this story today by Lorraine Ali about whether or not parents are happier than childless couples. Ali reports that, ... http://rjlacko.wordpress.com/2008/07/01/does-having-kids-make-you-happy/ Today was the toughest day yet in our effort to become a diaper-free household. It has been exactly 20 days since we started, and if you've been reading along, you know how thrilled I've been with our success with the Baby Signs Potty Training Kit. Noah has taken quite easily ... http://rjlacko.wordpress.com/2008/06/25/infant-potty-training-er-mommy-training/ My sister-in-law and her new husband are building a new addition to their Kansas City home. Along the dusty path to home renovation, they have encountered a possible mold issue. I wrote this piece a few years ago for San Diego Family magazine; This one's for you, sista! When Linda Coffman developed hay ... http://rjlacko.wordpress.com/2008/06/21/is-there-a-fungus-among-us/ The potty party keeps on rolling! My 13-Month-Old Noah is now on Day 10 of his potty-training adventure with  Baby Signs Potty Training Kit. He has happily made a "deposit" in his potty between 1-5 times each day from the first day. (If you would like to read about our auspicious start, please ... http://rjlacko.wordpress.com/2008/06/17/june-is-potty-training-awareness-month/ My other blog, Unassuming Foodie, is really coming together! My husband has been kind enough to photograph some of the dishes I've been coming up with, and I hope the photos help encourage people to give these recipes a try. Honestly, I am only posting the most wonderful dishes I ... http://rjlacko.wordpress.com/2008/06/10/a-few-of-my-best-recipes/ We are on Day 6 of using the Baby Signs Potty Training Kit, and my 13-month-old son has used his potty faithfully at least once every single day from the day we received it. Today, in fact, he used it four times! Over the weekend, he even did his twosies on the full-size toilet, supported ... http://rjlacko.wordpress.com/2008/06/10/early-potty-training-success/