While CJ is still in speech therapy, we’ve seen her progress by leaps and bounds this summer.  Not only is she speaking in complete sentences, she’s acquired a newfound love of reading.  Well, she loves it when we read to her, that is.

But she’s also starting to consistently recognize and identify letters, and while she can’t yet put any of those letters together - except for C and J, which she insists spells “Mousie” - she’s on her way.  So it’s really important for me to encourage her, even when it means dropping everything to respond and reinforce.

Not surprisingly, I was really hoping there’d be a spot left for me in the latest PBN DVD campaign, featuring “Meet the Sight Words”.  I’m not usually a fan of kids’ DVDs - give me a Pixar movie instead, please - so that’s a testimonial to the appeal of “Meet the Sight Words” right there.

I actually haven’t watched the DVD with her, but Kyle has.  The two of them sat down to watch together while I kept tapping away at my laptop and listened in.

Not only did both of them sit still through the entire thing, repeating back the words to the screen, but CJ sat through a repeat screening immediately.  She’s asked to see the DVD again since then, and she’s also started talking specifically about “words”.

Kyle said that he really liked the animation, which is no faint compliment.  I cracked up to myself listening to the two of them repeat the words over and over with different inflections.  We’ve all been going around the house doing the same thing ever since.

Which may not be the objective of the DVD, but it’s definitely made an impression on all of us.  And if it’s helping to encourage CJ’s interest in letters and words, then it’s worth popping “Meet the Sight Words” into the player.

Anyone else remember the Hanes pantyhose commercial from the 1970s where the jingle went: “Gentlemen prefer Hanes”? They put the emphasis on the wrong syllable of “prefer” so it sounded to me like they were singing: “Gentlemen ripped her Hanes.” Not very gentlemanly to rip a lady’s pantyhose, if you ask me.

Nowadays, Hanes is about much more than pantyhose - and that’s a good thing because I don’t know anyone under sixty who wears pantyhose. Tee shirts, underwear, socks - for men, women, and children. Search any of the drawers (dresser drawers, I mean) in this house, and you’re bound to find some Hanes products. And thanks to PBN, you’ll find even more Hanes underwear and socks now in Tacy’s and CJ’s dresser drawers.

Besides the luxury of having a few extra pairs of underwear lying around - because tell me, what kid couldn’t use more underwear? - these undies are supposedly wedgie-proof. Neither of my kids have complained of wedgies, but frankly they probably wouldn’t notice. However, *I* notice when their drawers are slipping down and their rear-ends are on display. It’s funny the first few times, but after that? Not so much.

I don’t know how Hanes constructs these waistbands, but they practically adhere to my kids’ bodies. I’m so impressed by how well they stay in place. No more teasing my kids about their exposed cracks; I guess I’ll have to find some other fodder instead.

Plus I like the designs on them and the subtle color details on the waistbands. My mother always bought me plain white underwear, so naturally I want to let my girls have a little color on theirs.

The kids’ socks are awesome too because they’re color-coded based on size. Now I can throw a pile of socks at the girls and let them sort out whose are whose. I love outsourcing household tasks that can’t be messed up.

So while I’m not so fond of the old-style Hanes - the pantyhose or the jingle - I’m definitely a fan of them now. Just wait ’til you get some Hanes on you!

If you haven’t already figured this out from reading my personal blog, I’m a fairly laid-back parent where it comes to my children’s development.  Even when it became obvious that CJ would need a little extra help in the language department, I figured it would just take time for her to catch up.

Likewise, my approach to choosing a day-care-slash-preschool for my kids was also pretty basic.  My top priorities were their safety and comfort.  Academics were secondary.

But I’ve always loved reading, and I couldn’t help twitching a bit every time the girls would put down a book and stare raptly up at the TV.  I wanted them to love reading, but I didn’t want to push them into a love for reading.

The LeapFrog Tag Reader has been a great resource in helping them enjoy reading, especially CJ.  Tacy can already read on her own, but CJ is still learning her letters.  She’s not yet sight-reading any words (except her own name), but with this magic pen - the Tag Reader - she’s well on her way.

She runs the electronic pen over the pages of the LeapFrog Tag books (including Olivia, one of her very favorites), and the stories are read TO her - word by word.  She can go back and explore the words on the page at her leisure, which is especially cool and prolongs the reading experience.  It won’t be long before she’s starting to sight-read on her own.

LeapFrog is the first sponsor of the Savvy Source sidebar widget, which links to a quiz on the Savvy Source site that assesses the developmental stages of your child, based on your answers to a series of questions in a dozen different skill categories.

If you haven’t already heard of Savvy Source, you must not read blogs - or you’ve been hiding under a rock.  Several prominent parent bloggers (including a few PBN bloggers) post regularly for Savvy Source about family activities in their respective cities - their Being Savvy initiative.  Beyond that, Savvy Source is a fantastic reference for preschool research, particularly in big cities where preschool selection is an Event with a capital E.

The Savvy Quiz generates personalized recommendations for your child - toys and games and activities - based on their developmental stage.  Any parent of more than one child knows how vastly different they can be in terms of their personal skills, even when they’re the same age.  For example, Tacy was always highly verbal, whereas CJ is extremely physical and artistically inclined.  The same toys, games, and activities that interested Tacy when she was three aren’t necessarily what CJ enjoys now that she’s three.  The Savvy Quiz provides guidance for choosing what’s appropriate for a child’s developmental stage, not just their age.

Finally, the sidebar widget (over there, look to the left), is a revenue generator (whoo!) that bloggers can install on their blogs (main sites and review blogs) to guide their readers over to the Savvy Quiz while earning a few extra bucks.  Right now the widget is invitation-only, but all the PBN bloggers who are participating in this campaign have invitations to dole out - so start sucking up!

On Tacy’s sixth birthday, she wanted to go to Build-a-Bear Workshop.

We drove to the location where we thought there was a Build-a-Bear, only to discover that we were wrong. Thanks to the lousy weather that afternoon (snow…on April 9…ugh), we decided to forego looking for another location and went out for pizza instead.

But she hasn’t forgotten about Build-a-Bear. So when fellow blogger Average Jane asked if we’d like to check out Tropical Hello Kitty, courtesy of Build-a-Bear Workshop, I jumped at the chance. It’s not like we needed another stuffed animal around here, but unlike almost all of the others, I knew Hello Kitty would be special.

And she is. The girls ADORE her. We’ve had to draft a schedule for her sleeping arrangements. Clothing has been sacrificed by American Girl dolls so that Hello Kitty can change her clothes a dozen times a day. The little girl two doors down has a Hello Kitty too, and the two cats got together for a playdate yesterday.

What makes this kitty so entrancing? I’ve got to admit, she is extremely huggable. Much more huggable than any real live cat I’ve owned. Plus, I love her because she doesn’t shed. A huggable, hairless cat - my favorite.

Tacy agrees with the huggability factor. When I asked her, “Why do you love Hello Kitty?” she gave me a look as if to say, “Well, DUH. Why do you think?” When pressed for actual words to describe that love, she told me, “She’s beautiful and soft and cuddly.”

On the Build-a-Bear site, you can purchase your own Hello Kitty and dress her up any way you please. Check out all the furry friends there - personally, I love the donation animals, where a portion of the proceeds are donated to local pet shelters and rescue organizations.

I’ve got a $25 Bear Bucks card to give away to a lucky reader! Email me at mothergoosemouse AT mothergoosemouse DOT com by midnight PST on Monday, June 9, and tell me how you’d spend your Bear Bucks at the Build-a-Bear site. I’ll draw one winner at random (US and Canada only!) and announce on mothergoosemouse on Wednesday, June 11.

Don’t tell my kids, but on my dresser there’s a small bowl which holds all of the barrettes, clips, pony tail holders, and other hair accessories that I find around the house.  I started collecting them a few days ago, and while they still have plenty of goodies left in their bathroom, slowly but surely the quantity is dwindling.  I will be thoroughly amused on the day that they can’t find a single hair accessory anywhere in the house - and believe me, that day is coming.

This is why I don’t spend big bucks on barrettes.  I’m a confessed Gymboree addict, but you’ll never catch me purchasing the matching hair accessories.  Just like the matching socks, they usually disappear after one wearing.  Pointless, at least in this house.

So as you can imagine, special hair accessories must be kept under tight security around here.  That’s why the gorgeous clips we received from Maiden America live here, in my kitchen, on top of the stack of “Mommy stuff” that no one except me - not even Kyle - is allowed to touch.

The girls are allowed to wear these beauties on special occasions, under strict orders that they are NOT to remove them.  While in their younger days my girls had barely enough hair to hold a clip, they now have plenty of hair and much greater manual dexterity - along with apparent aspirations to become hair stylists.  Instead of styling their dolls, they style themselves.  Methinks it might be time for a couple of pixie cuts…

Except I won’t do that because I honestly love how cute they look with these gorgeous clips in their ‘dos.

Maiden America is known for their non-slip hair clips - and I will tell you that these suckers really don’t budge.  Kyle wore one for a whole evening before he realized it - and he’s got short, fine hair.  So perhaps a pixie cut isn’t out of the question after all, since even a military-style man’s cut can hold these clips.

My only suggestion to Maiden America is that they might introduce a line of clips with simpler styles and fewer embellishments.  My girls actually have a plethora of fancy dresses (thanks to my mother, who has great taste to go along with her Neiman’s charge) and wear them fairly often, but I’m pretty sure they’re in the minority.

Oh, and if you check out the Maiden America site and you’re dismayed by the prices (which start around $6-7), think about the money you’ve spent on clips that have slipped out, fallen out, been yanked out, and are now lost forever.  Really, if you’d just bought a few of these beauties to start with instead, you’d have come out ahead.

Check out Parent Bloggers Network for more reviews of Maiden America non-slip hair clips!

With my first two children - both little girls - I thought I was pretty picky about what they wore.  No licensed character-themed clothing (with the exception of undies - I’ll allow Disney Princesses as long as they’re not visible), and nothing with even a hint of sexuality.

Then I had a boy.  And I figured, “Hey, this will be easy!  I don’t have to worry about premature sexualization; nobody markets padded bras to boys.  And Disney hasn’t yet put out a line of Prince merchandise.  We’re home-free where it comes to dressing this little guy!”

Oh, how wrong I was.

Turns out, I’m even pickier about boy clothes than I am about girl clothes.  Not only am I anti-licensed character-themed clothing - no Power Rangers, no Star Wars, no Lightning McQueen - I’m also averse to sports-themed clothing, construction-themed clothing, and anything that emblazoned “Mama’s Little Man” (or worse, “Grandma Loves Me”).  Barf-o-rama.  Why can’t boys - even baby boys - look COOL?

Thanks to Kenneth Cole, they can.  This snazzy little outfit from Kenneth Cole fits the bill perfectly.  It’s trendy, but it’s not age-inappropriate.  It shows our style, but it’s not a billboard.

Want specifics as to why this outfit rocks?  First of all, the top has a collar (which I looove on little guys), but it’s a onesie.  That means it stays tucked in, all neat and tidy.  For me, until my kids can stand up on their own, I prefer onesies.  Regular tees just ride up, and I’m forever tugging them back down.

Next, I love the stitching detail on the pants.  They’re brown, but the stitching is white - drawing attention to the seams, making them both functional and decorative.  And the stitching is well done (another big plus with me).

Finally, I really dig the little sunhat.  I may not be adept at accessorizing myself, but I love accessories for kids.  They pull the outfit together and make it complete.

I’m so glad to have discovered this fantastic line of kids’ clothes.  I know Kenneth Cole makes quality, good-looking items for adults, and now I can look to them for kids’ clothes that meet my exacting standards.  I’m going to have the best-dressed little dude on the playground.

I really ought to feel guilty for spoiling my girls with all the pairs of shoes they own, but I just can’t do it. Not when more than half of those pairs of shoes come from Vincent.

Tacy’s favorite pair of Vincent footwear would have to be her Blomma rain boots. The child wears those boots, rain or shine, seven days a week - but you’d never know it to look at the boots. They have held up beautifully under extreme wear and tear.

But after receiving a pair of Lilly Mary Janes, she has started slipping these beauties into the rotation. A lavender (or blue, if you choose) suede upper covered in sequins, these shoes are absolutely fabulous. I can’t blame her for wanting to wear them, even if they’ve already gotten scuffed on the playground at recess. Like her Blomma boots, these Lilly Mary Janes are holding up well and will certainly take her all the way through the spring and summer (and into fall too, if her feet don’t grow too fast!).

Meanwhile, CJ is a fan of a style that has since been discontinued, but it’s a basic bootie that zips up over the top of her foot. They’re so flexible that it’s almost like being barefoot (which is her preferred state). But like Tacy, she’s enamored of her new Vincent sandals in the Lisa style. While it’s still a bit chilly to wear them outside, she’s been breaking them in around the house, and she loves the little butterfly perched on the upper. I love how soft they are, and I’m confident that she’ll wear them all summer long.

While I love the unique designs at Vincent, I’m just as sold on the quality of the shoes we’ve bought there. It’s the designs that entice my kids to wear these shoes, and it’s the quality that keeps them from being worn out before the kids grow out of them.

Thanks to our Vincent review campaign at PBN, I’ve got a coupon code to share!  For 20% off all regular-priced items at Vincent, enter code SPRING-DEAL-8 at checkout (valid through April 30, 2008).  As always, shipping at Vincent is free with purchases over $75.

…but neither one of us wants to watch Barney.

Being the younger sister, CJ has had the benefit (or not, depending how you view it) of watching the same programs as her older sister Tacy. When in doubt, we screen the show geared toward the older child. That means a modest amount of Dora, very little Sesame Street, and absolutely no Barney.

Even when Tacy was younger, she didn’t watch Barney - mainly because Kyle and I couldn’t stand it. I actually don’t mind Barney himself that much; it’s BJ and Baby Bop that make me want to stick icepicks in my ears.

But we figured it was only fair to give CJ a shot at enjoying Barney, especially in the form of a DVD that contains two of her favorite things - letters (which she’s beginning to identify consistently) and animals (which she has always loved). Barney and Friends: Animal ABC’s was certainly our best bet at enticing CJ to watch that beloved big purple dinosaur.

And we tried. We screened it multiple times. We kept watching even when she had wandered away. We pointed out the animals and grooved along to the songs.

But it was all to no avail. SpongeBob Squarepants has taken away CJ’s innocence. Singing children and dancing dinosaurs hold no interest for her compared to a simpering yellow sponge and a smartypants squid.

If CJ had been the first child, and we’d shown her this DVD before ruining her with SpongeBob, I’m sure she would have loved it. As it is, my jaded three year-old has already moved on.

So long, Barney. We hardly knew ye.

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Want to win our Barney and Friends: Animal ABCs DVD? Send me an email at mothergoosemouse@gmail.com - lucky winner to be drawn at random!

And be sure to check out the other reviews of this DVD over at Parent Bloggers Network.

While I prefer to decorate my living spaces with more neutral colors, I do understand that bright colors and babies go together like peanut butter and jelly. And just like peanut butter and jelly, bright colors can be revolting if done poorly (like those PB&J sandwiches in the elementary school cafeteria), but they can be fabulous if done well.

Kushies knows how to do bright colors better than anyone. Their Zolo Toys have funky, offbeat designs with plenty of bright colors that are truly easy on the eyes. The Linko Clip Together Teether and Toys resembles other linking toys, but it includes lots of different textures and color combinations to keep little ones (and their aching gums) occupied.

The Mobilo Crib Carousel Mobile provides plenty of entertainment value too - the hanging stuffed animals are detachable (by parents, not by baby), the underside of the carousel canopy is mirrored, and it’s got the same fantastic variety of color combinations.

My favorite Zolo Toy has to be the Stacrobats Magnetic Stacking Acrobats. These five little guys stick together (and to the accompanying colorful balls) to form all sorts of poses on the magnetic base. I must have played with these Stacrobats for a good fifteen minutes all by myself. If they can occupy a thirty-something woman who really ought to be vacuuming, I’m certain that babies and toddlers will find them infinitely entertaining.

But it’s EQ - the Theory of Emotional Intelligence - that makes these toys really cool and unique. With the help of child development experts, Kushies created these toys to tap into kids’ self-expression and emotional self-confidence. The idea is that playing with toys that are geared toward EQ involves more and different brain cells than most other baby toys, which in turn “helps to create more open-minded and flexible thinkers.” Even after having three kids, I’m still no child development expert, so I’ll have to take Kushies’ word for it - at least until my youngest child grows up and I can evaluate whether his Zolo Toys helped him become a more open-minded and flexible thinker than his big sisters.

Kushies is about more than just toys. They’ve got a wide range of gear, including clothing, swimwear, and outerwear - including buntings, snowsuits, and the adorable Splish Splash Rain Jacket and Pant Set. Like the Kushies Zolo Toys, it’s the details of this set that make it so fantastic. The hood of the jacket has a visor (genius!), and both the jacket and pants have reflective strips to ensure that the wearer is visible, even in stormy weather. And the bright colors - including cornflower blue, petal pink, and sunny yellow - make the set all the more appealing.

Has Kushies converted me to the bright side? Well, that depends. If the brightness comes from them, I’m definitely on board. Just keep it confined to the adorable child and his nursery, that’s all I ask.

Before I had my son, I used to say that my younger daughter was as much of a boy as I could possibly handle. She’s extremely physical - running, jumping, and climbing much more than my older daughter ever did at the same age - and she prefers to wear shoes that don’t get in her way. Thick-soled shoes are a total no-go, and even shoes with flexible soles are usually kicked off at the earliest opportunity. Apparently it’s much easier for her to scale the kitchen counters with bare feet.

Up until now, her shoes of choice have been a pair of Robeez - her “monkey shoes”, as she calls them. But Robeez are no match for wet and snowy sidewalks and grass, so choosing shoes has become a battle this winter. Plus, now that she’s three, she’s outgrowing the Robeez offerings.

I think I’ve found the perfect solution in the new line of shoes from pediped - pediped Flex. They’re rubber-soled shoes in a larger range of sizes than pediped Originals (EU 22-29/US 6-12), and while the soles are more substantial than the Originals or other soft-soled shoes, they are surprisingly flexible. That means my little monkey’s feet are protected outside, but she can still run and jump and climb with ease.

But what did she think of the shoes? When she came home from school, instead of immediately sitting down on the floor to remove her shoes and socks like she usually does, she left them on. It was only when, hours later, she decided to put on her pajamas that she took the shoes off. That’s the best indication of comfort that I could possibly expect from her, and it’s a guarantee that I’ll check out the rest of the pediped Flex line.

pediped Flex is available as of February 28 in nine styles for girls and six styles for boys.