At times, life for a family in Manhattan feels like it moves at a faster pace than the rest of the universe. We enroll our kids in music classes at four months, movement and art classes at six months and vie to get accepted into play groups and toddler classes that are deemed to be “feeders” to the best nursery schools in the neighborhood — the so-called “Baby Ivies”.
In Manhattan, preschool madness begins at 7am on the Tuesday after Labor Day every year. Anxious parents flood the phone lines of these bastions of the ABC’s and some schools run out of applications by lunchtime.
To get admitted to a nursery program, you need to apply the September before you’d like to attend, and the admissions process takes nearly a full calendar year. So, if it’s a 2’s program you want, you need to start the application process right after your baby blows out that first birthday candle! (more…)
Allison is a 35-year-old attorney-turned stay at home mom. This New York City mom lives on the Upper East Side of Manhattan with her 2-year-old son, Chase, and her husband, Andy. She is also expecting baby #2!
In her former life, she was an attorney practicing in a mega firm on NYC’s Park Avenue, putting in long hours, working hard and reveling in the fast pace of her life. She loved living in “the city”, and when she could, she took advantage of all it had to offer. But, when Chase was born over 2 years ago, that all changed. These days, the work has changed from writing legal briefs to changing diapers and the hours are longer, but she wouldn’t have it any other way!
Allison is enjoying her adventures as a metropolitan mommy, raising Chase in New York City and has gained strength from her longer-than-she-wanted-to-wait journey getting pregnant with her second child.
This is the story of a girl who adopted the world……
Okay, well maybe not the whole world. One baby adopted locally, and just recently traveling all the way to Uganda to adopt another, is pretty close. This picture says it all. The joy is tangible and brings tears to my eyes.
Deb and I went to high school together. I have had the privilege to partake in the adoption process, albeit vicariously, through Deb’s personal blog. It’s been an amazing journey for her and her family. And, in honor of National Adoption Month, I wanted to bear witness to this extraordinary love story. While the main focus of this Adoption Awareness Campaign is to encourage adoptions of kids in foster care, I think it should be a time to reflect on all types of adoption.
I’m sure you’re asking yourself why I would be interested in adoption given the quiver full of kids I already have. The answer is simple ~ I was adopted. As an adult adoptee, I am interested in the process. I am interested in the outcome. I am interested in the mindset of someone who searches out a child to make them their own. I am interested because my story is not like Deb’s story of love and adoration. (more…)
Amy is a native Chicagoan that currently resides just outside of Cincinnati, OH. A city girl, through and through, she’s still adjusting to small town life. Amy has a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Art with a minor in French from Elmhurst College. She was working on her Master’s degree at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago, when she became pregnant with her 3rd child. Although this angel boy was only here for a very short time – he left quite a legacy.
Nathaniel was born with a rare genetic disorder called Citrullinemia. Amy and her husband, James, went on to have 4 more boys, 3 of whom were also born with Citrullinemia. In January 2011, her youngest son, David passed away from complications of a liver transplant performed to 'cure' the Citrullinemia. Now a stay-home mom of 5, she started blogging in October 2010, while David was still in the hospital. Two of her other sons have had successful liver transplants to cure their genetic disorders.
Her 2 older children still live in Chicago. When not hanging out with her kids, she spends her ‘me’ time writing, sewing, reading & walking. Amy also spends a generous amount of time online. She can be found on Twitter @transplantedx3. On Facebook and on her Website <a href="http://mytearstainedlife.com"My Tear-Stained Life
The weeks just keep getting better, here, on World Moms Blog! On Monday join us in Ohio, USA, where Amy Hillis commemorates November as National Adoption Awareness Month in her article, “Adoption~Journey Past Life.” Amy talks about her close friend who recently adopted a child from Uganda, Africa and also reflects on her own experiences as being adopted herself — two amazing points of view! Amy also asks our readers, “Should I search for my birth mother?” Log on at the blog on Monday, and let us know what you think she should do!
Tuesday, we fly east to New York City, where Allison Charleston gives us a window into the rigorous preschool acceptance procedures to the city’s exclusive preschools in her article, “NYC Preschool Madness”. Come live the city life vicariously through our WMB writer, Allison!
Wednesday, we fly west back to San Francisco, California, USA where, A. Roselyn talks about breastfeeding duration in her piece, “Weaning Baby in San Francisco.” She takes us through her inner-most thoughts and feelings behind her weaning plan for her littlest one!
Then, board a transatlantic flight with us back to Oslo, Norway to check in with WMB writer, Asta Burrows. Asta discovers her feelings on gender roles in her piece, “So What if Your Son Likes Dolls?”
This week’s Friday question is posed by Eva Fannon in Washington, USA. Eva asks, “What is the most requested children’s book in your house right now?” We can’t wait to share all of our WMB writers’ answers with you!
Our “Saturday Special Edition” on special needs has concluded, and we will resume our normal Saturday layover schedule. In the meantime, did you catch parts I, II and III of Maggie Ellison’s “Too Loud” series?
On Sunday, we will post our travel itinerary for the following week.
There are many interesting topics coming up this week from our talented writers, and we are lucky to have them. They’re all doing the same job of motherhood from their little corner of the world, but having so many different experiences. Log onto World Moms Blog to be sure not to miss a thing! And, thank you for reading our blog!
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World Moms Blog is an award winning website which writes from over 30 countries on the topics of motherhood, culture, human rights and social good. Over 70 international contributors share their stories from around the globe, bonded by the common thread of motherhood and wanting a better world for their children.
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Now that we had a diagnosis, I felt that I had some back-up to explain to people that my son was not just misbehaving. I also had more tools to help him, and I had the reasoning to explain why these things helped him. I still dealt with looks and comments from other people who didn’t understand or know us, but clearly could not take their eyes off us when my son was having a sensory meltdown.
Some of the hardest moments have been when I was asked what his capacity was, or when he covers his ears because of the loud noise and people look at him like he’s walking around with antennae on his head. I do my best not to let them get to me, but it stings. (more…)
Maggie is so grateful to be raising her 2 children with her husband in the low country of South Carolina. Life at the beach is what she’s always known, although living in SC is new to this NJ native! The beauty of the live oaks and the palmettos takes her breath away on a daily basis and being able to go to the beach all year is a dream for her. Art and music have also always been a part of Maggie’s life, and she is happy that her family has the same love and appreciation for it that she does.
Maggie and her family are also very active. Her husband coaches both kids in soccer, and they like to spend their time outdoors kayaking, biking, swimming, camping, etc. They try to seize every moment they can together, and they feel that it’s not just the family time that is important. They want their kids to know a life of activity and respect for the outdoors, expose them to new things and teach them about the world! Maggie and her family are no strangers to overcoming life's challenges. They've had to uproot their family several times when jobs have been lost in the economic crisis.
They also lovingly face the challenges of having a child diagnosed with special needs. Through all this, Maggie has learned to celebrate the good times and never take them for granted. Her family is everything to her, and she is incredibly grateful for every day she has with them and for every moment she has shared with them. Not a day goes by that she doesn’t tell them she loves them and how lucky she is to be her kids’ mommy. How sweet!
Pumpkin, sugar, peanut, dumplin’ – I’ve even heard parents refer to their babies as “woobie.” Many parents have special nicknames they assign their children. My oldest daughter has grown out of her baby nickname, which was “Siddy.” Her real name is Sydney. We have a nickname for my youngest daughter, but it isn’t as cutesy as the names I’ve listed above. It’s “Destructor”. Yup, and believe you me she lives up to the name!
My sweet little Destructor is two-years-old. I never liked the label “terrible twos.” I know it is a hard age (believe me, I do), but I don’t like to think that any age or stage, for that matter, is terrible. Other synonyms for the word terrible are: frightful, appalling, dire, horrifying, horrendous and horrid. I mean c’mon! A little strong don’t ya think? (more…)
Courtney Cappallo is a mom of two girls, ages 7 and 4-years-old. She is living her dream life by residing on Cape Cod and being able to stay at home with her two little beauties. Courtney is currently homeschooling both of her daughters for 2nd grade and preschool, respectively.
Courtney uses a mix of Classical Education and Montessori. She is a strong believer in teaching to the five senses. Courtney’s homeschooling efforts are unique, as she uses the latest technology of the Smartboard. She is also taking on the task of learning Spanish as a second language, as well as, teaching her two children and husband Spanish.
Prior to becoming a homeschooling teacher, Courtney was the Director of Marketing for Simon Property Group, which is the largest U.S. real estate company. Courtney was Simon’s Director of Marketing for the Burlington Mall, Arsenal Mall and Cape Cod Mall. Courtney is a graduate of Villanova University and is proud of her small town roots from growing up in Oxford, Pennsylvania, which only has two traffic lights! She can be found making homeschooling lessons and more at Table of Four !
At times, life for a family in Manhattan feels like it moves at a faster pace than the rest of the universe. We enroll our kids in music classes at four months, movement and art classes at six months and vie to get accepted into play groups and toddler classes that are deemed to be “feeders” to the best nursery schools in the neighborhood — the so-called “Baby Ivies”.
