That evening as I sat down in front of the computer I found myself searching for alphabet posters. There were several, but they all sort of looked the same until I stumbled upon the Now I Know My ABC's Stretched Canvas Wall Art. The vivid colors were beautiful and the lower case letters were interesting. This was a poster my daughter would truly enjoy - and the stretched canvas art is designed to last. No more worn out letters. No more mommy guilt - at least for the moment.
I look forward to hearing my youngest say with excitement, "Look mommy," as she points to this lovely, educational piece of art, "an E. Sissy has an E in her name."

Eventually the labor pains came indicating that it was time to meet this much anticipated baby. To my delight she asked me to be his godmother - "Goma", to her son. Over the years she has been kind enough to return the favor, becoming Goma to my three little ones.

It's hard to believe that it's been more than seven years since his birth. During a recent phone conversation he chattered on happily about his friends, soccer and school. He lamented the fact that he doesn't have a desk of his own where he can do his homework. Spying the Boys Like Trucks Desk & Chair made me think of his comment. I'm sure he'd be thrilled with this handsome, hardwood desk.

When I became pregnant with our second baby I thought with horror, "Oh no, I'll have two in diapers." Determined to avoid that dreaded fate I began the training process with my little one. Armed with advice from more experienced friends I placed a jar of candy on the top storage shelf to reward my toddler when she successfully did her business in the toilet. Years later I realized that this candy trick was a bad idea, though reading books and getting a seat my daughter loved was a hit.

Just yesterday my youngest one begged me to play out in the rain with her. The rain was coming down in big, fat. It made me want to snuggle up in front of a warm fire, but when I looked at it through her eyes I saw that it was irresistible, beckoning. Together we pulled on our galoshes and dashed through the puddles. It was so much fun!

Coming inside I noticed with a start she's as tall as the kitchen counter. When did that happen?! I don't like to ink my walls, but I realized that I need some way to measure her growth. I like the Rock-A-My-Baby Double Clothestand. It's lovely and I know she'll enjoy measuring her doll - just like mommy measures her.

Moving was bitter sweet and I worried that we would be disappointed with our new, more affordable neighborhood. Much to our surprise, we fell in love with it and the many birds that visit our yard.
There are even horses roaming in a nearby yard.

Our youngest has begun to plead for a horse. The fact that we don't have the space for one doesn't seem to deter her. Most likely, she'll end up owning a lovely wooden one like the My Best Friend Rocking Horse. I'm sure she'll have great fun feeding wooden carrots and wooden apples to her new best friend and then riding off for an afternoon of adventure.

Building blocks are another classic toy that little ones seem to never tire of. Blocks can be used to create zoos, roads or whole towns. They can be used tools when the grown-ups refuse to allow precious fingers to play with the real thing. Blocks can also be carried in a basket as produce in a pretend game of going to market.

Building with blocks also helps to build growing minds. While playing with these seemingly unsophisticated chunks of wood, little ones learn about geometric shapes, grouping and the laws of gravity. They also develop vocabulary for describing shapes, colors and sizes.

When I saw the Deluxe Rainbow Blocks Set I knew my little ones would love them. The translucent colors allow kids to create a stained glass window in their church construction, or a sky light in the home they've just constructed. These inventive blocks give kids a creative way to play with a classic toy.

One mom shared how she filled a large mixing bowl with warm water and bubbles, placed it on the kitchen floor - out of the way of course, and watched as her little one became absorbed in a world of water play while mom hastily prepared the evenings meal. As her little one grew she added spoons, measuring cups and pitchers for added developmental benefit.

As kids grow bigger, keeping them entertained and out from under can become more challenging. The 4-In-1 Flipping Easel offers several ways to engage your little one while you get those basic, but important tasks done. It is an easel, dry erase board, chalkboard and magnetic board all in one. Add some magnetic letters and numbers and you've got a fun, educational diversion.

Just before baby number one was born my friend gave me her old jogger - she was about to have her second baby and needed something that would better meet the needs of her growing family. I was tickled to get my hands on the stylish, light weight jogger and it worked great for some time.

When I met this same friend at the park I saw that she had invested in a wagon. It seemed a bit much until I realized that everything fit in it: her diaper bag, extra clothes, snacks, water and blankets and pillows. I love seeing her sweet cheeked kiddos snuggled together in slumber, heads cushioned with pillows and pudgy legs wrapped in blankets. The Town & Country Wagon is very much like the one I own. After years of use it's been given a fresh coat of paint and turned into planting bed in my front yard. Truly versatile!

I know one family whose little boy was such a nibble climber that at 12 months he would pull a Tarzan in the middle of the night, leaping from the bed to the floor and then toddling into their room at 1, 2 and even 3 am. Needless to say, they determined that his safety was at risk and quickly moved him to a toddler bed with side rails.

In our case we decided to move our little one from the comforts of her crib when one and one became not three, but four. Choosing the right bed became our primary focus: twin bed or toddler bed? We learned that toddler beds are low to the ground, which made us worry less about our little one falling out of bed in the middle of the night. Fanciful beds like the Princess Toddler Cot made our little one actually want to leave the crib. What a relief!

I watched with delight as my little girls put together outfits that consisted of red, hot pink, orange and yellow, completing the look with a lovely, flowing floral scarf. I longed to wear such joyful combinations with the abandon that I saw in my little ones.

I decided to redo their room with an eye toward embracing all things feminine and beautiful. Sheer, flowing canopies are draped over their beds and each girl has floral bedding in their favorite shade of pink. When I saw the Princess Vanity & Stool I knew the girls would love it. I could image them trying on all of their dress up jewelry and admiring themselves in the non-breakable plexiglass mirror. Perfect.