Welcome to our $179 Mess!!

So, I took the boys with me to Cost Plus World Market yesterday. If you have never been there, let me assure you that 99.9% of the merchandise within this store is highly breakable! Not only is everything breakable, the aisles are so narrow that California can reach shelves full of wine bottles to the left and shelves full of candle holders to the right with little effort, while securely restrained in the cart. So, I promised both boys a toy if they made good decisions and kept their hands to themselves. They did a great job! California chose a miniature chime that can be played with a mallet. Tennessee chose a gel filled squeeze ball, something similar to this ball from OfficePlayground.com:



We've had this ball for less than 24 hours and I hear a scream from the second floor landing...

"Mom, come upstairs NOW IT'S AN EMERGENCY!!!"
I say, "Are you bleeding?"
He says, "Nooo, hurry you need to see this!"
I say, "OK, just a second."
He says, "NOOOO it's an EMERGENCY!!"

I go upstairs to see a gooey mess on the floor. Tennessee demonstrated how sticky and strong this gooey mess was by stepping on it with his freshly showered foot (L.A. Mama shakes her head in disbelief and tells him to take another shower). His foot stuck to the carpet as he struggled to step away. WONDERFUL! I have no idea what is inside of these balls but it is something like silicone.



I knew this needed heavy duty cleaning right away, so I headed to Bed, Bath and Beyond to buy a steam cleaner. The cheapest one was $179. Of course, there was no one in sight to help me lug this machine into the cart and then into the car...but I managed on my own(all 5 feet and 90 pounds of me).

Daddio put it together: California made a "boat" out of the box:



...and Tennessee(the $179 mess maker)made an appearance. They say that the perpetrator usually returns to the scene of the crime, well in this case, he actually wanted to be photographed!



* A note to parents, grandparents, caregivers, gift givers...don't buy one of these seemingly harmless balls for a kid, just don't.

Making Soup

Here are the pictures that everyone has been waiting for. California loves to pretend to cook. He gets all of the pots and pans out, a nice big spoon to stir it all up with, then he gets into the pantry for ingredients and makes what he calls "soup". Here he is with his main ingredient, an organic cereal called "Panda Puffs".-


Later, he added pumpkin seeds, goldfish and raisins. He was so proud of his accomplishment that he immediately got bowls out for Tennessee and I and served us a big helping :) He does this three or four times a week. He loves to pretend to cook so I ordered him this little stove online:


Someone in my family, I am not mentioning any names, said to me "Pretend stoves are for girls!" No they are not. Pretend play is important for both boys and girls. The next time you go to a restaurant, take a look at who is making your delicious meal. Men have gone on to be the best chefs in the world! It is important to nurture the interests of every child regardless of gender stereotypes.
I have this little stove featured at The Souls of Boys blog. Take a look. There are other little portable stoves out there that would be perfect for little boys. I even saw a pretend grill that was adorable!

The Souls of Boys

I have started another blog called "The Souls of Boys".

Boys are BIG Souls in Little Bodies...
Nurture the souls of boys with non-violent, non-toxic, soul-centered resources, activities, toys, books and media.


It seems as though society continues to become more violent as each year passes. Unfortunately, the majority of violent offenders are men and boys. We need to nurture our boys and protect them from the violent toys and marketing that they are constantly bombarded with even as toddlers. They need "back to the basics", natural toys to ground them and keep them balanced. They deserve more than what society dishes out to them. They deserve to be recognized as BIG souls in little bodies.

As a mom of two boys, I pay close attention to the types of toys that they are exposed to. It is common knowledge in the fields of Child Psychology, Education & Neurology, that playing video games rewires the connections within the brain that control emotion and cognitive processes. Unless a video game teaches specific skills, concepts or has educational value, then they are harming our boys. I have never allowed violent television programs or toys within our home. I feel that there is plenty of time for my boys to discover these types of things as they grow into young adults. Their time as children should be as innocent and peaceful as possible.

Humanity is at a crossroads. We need to stop raising boys to fight and start raising boys to communicate in peaceful and compassionate ways. The activities, books & toys that I select for this blog helps to preserve the innocence of boys while allowing them to be boys. Please take a look at the ideas I have shared and the activities, toys & books that I have selected and envision a more peaceful, compassionate world. Be a part of that vision by choosing these types of activities and toys for your boys.

Go to www.TheSoulsofBoys.blogspot.com or click HERE to go straight there!

No More Toxic Toys

We have all heard about the millions and millions of toys that have been recalled this year. Lead based paint, the Date Rape Drug laced beads, choking hazards, tiny magnets embedded within toys and faulty design have injured, sickened or killed many kids in the United States and Austrailia. Have you ever wondered why these toys did not affect children in Canda and Europe? It is because they have strict laws to protect children and the well being of all of their citizens...laws that protect their citizens not laws that feed corporate greed like ours do. The state of California has sued 20 toy manufacturers in an effort to bring about some type of punishment and reform for toy companies that put profits over the lives of children. Has your state stood up to these corporations? Does the federal government care about our children enough to tell these corporations that are liable and will be held liable to the fullest extent of the law? Are the candidates for President in 2008 making this a high priority? No.

Until our country puts our children first, we must take matters into our own hands. Boycott EVERY toy company that manufactures toys in China indefinitely. Toys that are made in the USA are difficult to find...maybe that will change soon. There are many fine toys made in Europe that are safe for our kids. You can bet that anything that comes from Europe has been manufactured using the highest safety standards.

Here is a list of sites that offer SAFE toys for our children. I will move this list to the sidebar in a few days for quick access.

Oompa.com
Moolka.com
BackToBasicsToys.com
QuincyShop.com
AToyGarden.com
Giggle.com
WillowTreeToys.com
MagicCabin.com
BellaLunaToys.com
Chinaberry.com
AesopsRoom.com