My Lasts by Lindsay Asta; TCOT owner

As the delivery of my new (and last) baby approaches I am having such mixed feelings. So excited to meet this beautiful, perfect little one and yet willing the days to slow down at the same time. My three oldest children (2, 4 and 8) are just growing up way too fast. I love each new and exciting chapter with them and love to see the amazing people they are turning into. With that said, it's all the lasts that are making me heavy hearted.

My oldest son just lost his last front tooth. He picks out his own clothes. He gets himself ready in the mornings. I can't remember the last time he wanted to snuggle up and cuddle on the couch and watch a movie. When I tucked him in and kissed him goodnight on the eve of his 8th birthday a few weeks ago I cried like a baby! I wonder, how much does he really need me for these days? When will he be too old and too cool to hug me and tell me he loves me before leaving for school? When will I be completely uncool to him?

With my four year old son I just keep wondering...is this his last nap? Is this the last time he will cuddle up and ask me to hold him so he can fall asleep?  I can't believe this fall he will be in pre-k and it will be his last year of preschool...unbelievable, it feels like he were just born. Will he even need me to hold his hand on his first day of kindergarten? He plays soccer and goes out to play with the "big boys". He goes to preschool and then surprises me with everything he learns...(insert sigh here)

And my baby girl, I am unsure how she is already two! She tells me we are best friends, will she always say that? Right now she need your mama to fall sleep, comforting arms to hold you tight, when will be the last time until you too, won't need your mama so much? All this little girl wants to do is play babies and make-up, Minnie Mouse dress up and do hair and nails...with me! Will she always love to spend time and share all her favorite things with me?

I know we have so much to look forward to, but am I alone in missing all the lasts? We get so excited about the firsts in life...baby's first smile, their first words and steps...first day of preschool and kindergarten. How about the last diaper you changed or the last bottle you gave them or the last time they nursed. What was the last bedtime story you told them. It's all these things I will miss with my older children as I prepare to welcome our last baby.

So, I will continue to try to live in the moment. Enjoy each and every thing, because even in that moment I might not be having very much fun, but because it just might be their "last".

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Baby Shower Ideas

If you are in the process of or have ever hosted a baby shower you know how daunting of a task this can be. You love your friend and her baby to death and you want everything to be perfect on this special day. One of my best friends had her first baby this summer, a boy! It was a very special time for her and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to co-host her shower! So, I did a little research and I think we did alright! Here are a few highlights from what we found...

Do a beautiful cake or cupcakes as a centerpiece for the party. A gender reveal cake or cupcake would be so fun if the mommy hasn't told yet!

Don't buy expensive decorations that will get thrown away. Instead, get creative, use your gifts as the décor.

Make your gift practical. Fill a basket or a wash tub with items they will need for baby. Of course you can always throw in some fun things too!

Do the new mommy/mommy to be a favor and purchase thank you's when you purchase the invites. When guests arrive have the envelopes sitting with the guest book and have guest address them to themselves to save mommy a little time!

Hand make your guest book. You can begin baby's first scrap book by beginning it with the guest book. Have each guest write a personal note to the baby.

Get these little stickers along with some onesies for easy monthly photo ops!



Make a diaper cake. It's a great center piece and it is so practical! You will need a lot of diapers and rubber bands, so be ready! I love how the bottom picture has a tutu, shirt and booties for baby incorporated into it.

Fun treats and food ideas...

Good luck!!!

All pictures found on Pinterest



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Top Toys For 2013 (in my house anyway!) By Lindsay Asta

 

What's your child favorite toy? We have a wide range of children in our home so we have lots of favs. Here are a few off our list for 2013...

 

Wall Tracks by Hot Wheels

Have you tried these out yet? We were a little nervous they would ruin our walls, but they don't damage them a bit. They adhere with command wall strips which make them very easy to remove from the wall and stick back up in a new location. Great for any age too.

 

 

Minecraft, a new obsession for all ages! This is a video game I am actually OK with. My 7, almost 8 year old, builds houses and creates rather than the usual mindless fighting games.

 

Books! Not just any books though, joke books, instructional and character encyclopedias are all the rage here. For my boys, 7 and 4, these are the best. They both get into them and will spend an hour interacting with each other, not fighting!

 

 

Doll stroller and accessories. Do I even need to say any more...doll anything=LOVE. You obviously need a great baby to go along with all the accessories, my little one's (2years old) current favorite is Baby Alive. Ya know, the one we had growing up? She's still around and just as awesome as you remember. LOL! We opted to get her the one that just drinks her bottle and wets rather than the one that eats and dirties her diaper. 

 

 

 

Play food, utensils, pots and pans and the play kitchen. We especially love the Melissa and Doug wooden products. They are so durable and the kiddos LOVE them!



 

 

Do you or your children have a tablet? My 7year old got a Kindle Fire last year from Santa and it is great for him and even works pretty well for my 4year old, however not the case for my 2year old. She was unable to navigate to the right screen and was always frustrated even with assistance. So Santa brought her the Nabi Jr and she (and I) love it! It is the right size for her little hands and has a rubber casing so she cannot easily brake it. The device also comes with tons of games, books, and videos all downloaded and ready to go.

 

I have a serious love hate relationship with one item on this list, and this is it! The kids love it because the track is up a little higher so they can get to everything with ease. It is also a great to keep the track together so the will actually use it rather than make you rebuild daily. Here's where the hate part comes in...it does come apart easily, and it is time consuming to rebuild once multiple pieces have been removed. The solution you ask? Wood glue, and LOTS of it! I glued the pieces together and my life is now complete.

 

Need a large motor skill toy for your little ones during the winter months or rainy weather? We love ours! Very durable and easy to clean too.

  Fun for the whole family! Even my boys are super into this bracelet craze. With a little help from an adult all 3 of my kiddos can make multiple designs. I have to admit, even I have made some just for the fun of it.

ANYTHING Despicable Me 2 or Minion items

 

A workbench or tools of any kind. Boys and girls alike love to work on things. They also love to care for their toys, friends or animals, so a dr kit is another hands on fav!

 

Super Hero anything!!! But in particular, these fun "hideouts".

 

 

 

 

Hope you enjoyed our top toys of 2013! Feel free to comment with yours below, we always love hearing about new products!!!



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