“Thmile, and the whole world thmileth with you….until you thtart teething.”

This is a picture of Dawn McElfresh’s (Product Manager-Monitors) friend’s daughter “Sweetie-Pie.” Clearly this nickname is appropriate - she certainly is a sweetie-pie!

Every Wednesday we’ll be sharing a photo showing off a little bit of wonder in the lives of our extended Graco family of customers, employees and friends.

I was recently inspired by a post I read in which the blogger’s daughter was found lovingly holding her stuffed animal that was originally placed on a shelf high above the chair that she was now sitting on. The post really made me laugh out loud since this is what I encounter with PP on a daily basis (and it is good to know that there are other kids her age that are balls of energy too!).

PP enjoys reaching new heights–literally. She cleverly places her toys in order to create a makeshift “ladder” to climb onto the family room chair then onto our half wall that separates our kitchen and family room. Instead of quickly running to her & telling her “NO,” I admiringly observe her problem solving skills & perseverance. Then she proceeds to backflip off of the chair & onto the floor. In my mind, I am helping her hone her developmental skills and possibly encouraging her to be the next Olympic star (did Mary Lou Retton’s mom stop her from doing gymnastics as a young child??).

I really appreciate & try to nurture PP’s free spirit. I admire her confidence and proudly observe her as she gleefully tackles new and exciting challenges. But… will my admiration lead to more headaches?  Have a similar challenge (and Olympic hopeful)?  What’s your approach?

A large part of joining in the conversation in the online parenting community, is reading all of the great conversation that is going on in the blogosphere. We are always sharing cute, funny, informative, and inspiring stories that we’ve read with each other, so we thought it would be a great idea (right?!) to share some of our favorite posts from the previous month with all of you.

Every month we will be giving these bloggers a monthly “nod” - all while sharing their stories with you. We hope you enjoy the stories we chose below.

Lindsay Lebresco: Toddler Planet - Peace and Love
The simplicity of this shared family moment, and the appreciation of that moment, made me choose this as my favorite post of the month. An open mind and a willingness to open your schedule allows for incredible moments like these to unfold.

Melissa Parlaman: The Mummy Chronicles - The Next Evil Knieval
Once I read this posting, I felt happy/relieved that there was someone else out there going through the same thing that I am experiencing. I love the humor & the enjoyed reading the “story.”

Jon DeHart: Stuff in My Brain - And God said, “Let There be Light”
I realize this is probably considered bathroom humor, but I’ve been there done that with my son – and I’ll bet that most dad’s could relate to this vignette on some level – it’s real, it’s innocent, it’s funny

Kristin DeLoach: DC Metro Moms Blog- Kids Parties - Is it just keeping up with the Joneses?
I hear about all of these birthday parties my nieces and nephews (who are only between 3-5 years old) go to every weekend- sometimes 2 or 3 a weekend!- where the parents spent hundreds of dollars to rent a jungle gym or have spa services for all of the girls, etc and it blows my mind! So it was great to see that there are others like me, who do it up “70’s style” and enjoy simple, classic traditions and plain old fashioned fun.

Amy Sleep: Silicon Valley Moms Blog- Banana peels and other ways to lose “cool points”
I really liked this post for 2 reasons:
1. It made me laugh
2. I love the idea of making and sharing memories with your kids. I can’t wait until Boog is old enough for us to talk, share, and laugh about things we did together!

Erin McHugh: New York City Moms Blog- Going Green Without the Guilt
It’s hard for me to relate to parenting sites b/c I’m not a mom yet(and I am sure you don’t want a link to a post about weddings!!), but I found this post interesting. I have been trying to “go green” now in hopes that by the time I start a family, I already live my life in a way that makes preserving the environment second nature. In turn, my kids will grow up green!

Kim Lefko: Mom-101 Blog - Sanctimommy
I love this article…because I travel a lot and it takes me away from my daughter.
The fun part of the traveling is the opportunity to assess (ok judge) other moms “on the job”.
It gives you an appreciation that your struggles aren’t so unique and YES, we are all doing a good job.

Tracy Myerson: Parenthacks- Parenting- No Amount of Practice Makes Perfect, Nor Should it
I thought this post was so real and honest. The reality that practice doesn’t always make perfect applies to so many areas of life!

Be sure to check back next month for our March nods.