We've returned from our weekend trip to visit Will and Ivy, and I'm trying to get rested up from three days of playing "trains, planes and automobiles" with Will...got to hold Ivy a lot, in between our playtime. Will is still adjusting to his baby sister...wants to touch her face, tickle her, and is somewhat rough with her, at times. I would really appreciate ideas on how to handle that situation...and so would my daughter. Wish we lived closer so I could see them more often...and give my daughter a hand with babysitting. She lives in a very nice neighborhood, though, with lots of mothers with young children and babies, and they are very supportive of each other. Will was the world's worst eater, starting right after he turned one, and we were so worried about him. His diet mainly consisted of spaghetti,chicken nuggets, bananas, sometimes a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and soy milk or juice. He finally started to eat more things last year and now will try a lot of different foods. One thing that worked for my daughter was to serve very small portions (sometimes on plastic "play dishes"). I think the bigger portions looked overwhelming to him, and it was easier to get him to eat, if it was just a small amount (which she would add to, if he seemed like he wanted more).

Ok...well I thought I would give my thoughts...you are so right...there is no reason for jealousy because how could any parent not want the grandparents to love their child... But here is where the reptile...a snake in this case spits venom....when a DIL sees that her children may lean more favorable to their husbands mother...that is a no-no.....in my case, I am the more fun grandmother...my grandchildren gravitate to me when around both grandparents.... My DIL hates it and likely me as well...and for this reason...she just backed off in our lives...our son basically goes with her flow...so we are grandparents with a lot of love to give but only when we initiate a time with them....my son only comes over with his family on a holiday or a meal is involved...but I have had some foot issues in the last couple of years...not as active...and just had surg. To correct these issues...no visit...DIL or son has not gone out for a card for the kids to send...nothing ever nevrr... This got worse when DIL's mother left her husband and moved to the area...she used me for years as a babysitter...hated to see any attention her children gave me or me to them...she did not seem that interested in her own grandmother...so maybe that was the telltale sign of who she is.. While it takes a village, I am no village idiot...I know when I am being rejected....now my other DIL is expecting and I can tell it will be the same way...she knows how close my grandchildren were to me...she has a mother..she will protect her mothers best interest...I have decided to just let it be.... I am not going to put myself out there for anymore hurt...life is too short...and I am dealing with other issues in my own home to worry about someone elses....she is the most controlling person I have ever seen...she is even trying to control what people buy the baby for the baby shower tomorrow...which thankfully I am not attending.. I refuse to show up in a boit cast and crutches only 3 wks from surgery for this woman...its not the babys day yet...its still hers...I bought some great gifts for the baby, but was told that she told her own mother if she did not get the right item, she would take it back... I even hesitate to give these items to her....for fear it will not be to her liking....never mind they are very nice items....this is just what my sons went out into the world and married...the total opposite of their mother....

This page has U.S. government links for kids to all kinds of sites, from the dept of health and human services it looks like. http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/kids/ Sometimes the links won't work. The White House link for kids gave me an error page. But, across the top of that page are links. Clicking on the 'for kids only' link will take you to the White House kids pages section (there is a time line which is linked nicely), but clicking the center text link for the White House.gov will get you to the kid's White House pages. The other pages might have similar links, even if they give error pages initially too. I'm not sure, but the White House kid's pages are very well done and nicely linked.

I like the idea of including the other grandma, but starting off the bracelet with a charm or two each. I think the fun of a charm bracelet is adding to it over time. Like Azzalea, I don't ever wear mine, but I'm glad I have it. My mother gave me charms while I was a teenager to remind me of different things. My favorite charm was an ice cream cone. She and I had gone to a very fancy fashion mall and got ice cream cones. We were window shopping while licking our cones when suddenly the ice cream fell off her cone and went SPLAT on the nice floor. We looked at each other with wide eyes and RAN AWAY. It was so uncharacteristic for either of us, because normally we would have tried to clean it up. We were so embarrassed that the ice cream fell and then we ran, but we both found it so FUNNY and we still laugh about it. She got me the cone to remember that moment of bonding in my teen years. I think it means far more to me now than it did then.