Well, the six weeks are over. DH has been released to go back to work and all I can say is . . .

I wish he could stay home a little longer.

OMG! Did I really just say that? Someone please take my temperature.

All kidding aside, having him home was actually a lot better than I ever expected. You see, when we first met we were already both working for the airlines and was used to the “passing ships in the night” lifestyle we had. It doesn’t work for everyone but it works for us.

Anyway, he turned out to be the perfect stay-at-home dad. Since Girlie Girl was off track for school, she was home for almost 4 weeks with him and Baby Bug. They spent every.single.day either at the beach or at the park. Even on my days off he would take them out early in the morning so I could sleep in and they would stay out for most of the day so I could make some attempt to catch up with my blogging.

It turned out to be a great experience for everyone. He was able to bond with his daughters, the girls got to hang out at the beach, and I was able to get my things done, too.

Shhhh . . . don’t tell anyone but I’m going to miss having him home.

For those who were hanging out with me on Twitter when I was stuck on the plane in PHX for 7 hours, I finally made it back home. But what a very long day it turned out to be. And little did the passengers know that if we were delayed just 3 more minutes, the pilots would have gone over duty and not been able to fly the plane home. However, that wouldn’t have been a bad thing for me since I know my AZ blogging friends would have come to my rescue and taken me shopping or at the very least dinner at Olive Garden, right? Right?

One of the biggest (and sometimes saddest) thrills that parents encounter with their children is watching them grow. Since I see my girls almost every day, it’s hard to imagine them getting bigger because they always look the same. However, it’s when I see photos of their younger days that I realize just how much they’ve grown.

One great way to keep track of this and develop a treasured keepsake is through growth charts. And boy do I have the perfect one for you from Olive Kids!

From the site: “We created Olive Kids to offer parents like us, and their kids, an affordable alternative to the character based entertainment licenses. Our emphasis is on color and fun, because we believe kids rooms should inspire creativity and play - not be an advertisement for a TV show or movie.”

We received the canvas growth chart to review and we loved it! It’s made with high quality canvas, personalized with Baby Bug’s name, & is the perfect addition to any child’s room. The colors are bright and colorful and you can chart your child’s growth up until they’re 5 feet tall. The markings are printed at 1/8″ intervals for acurate measuring.

Thanks to Olive Kids, we can now keep track of our girls’ growth and they’ll one day be able to look back with fond memories.

Win it!

Olive Kids has generously donated a personalized canvas growth chart (value $50) to one lucky winner. To enter:

• Stop by Olive Kids before midnight, Nov 24th and check out their great products.
• Then come back and mention in comments your favorite one. That’s it!
• A random winner will be selected and notified on Nov 25th.
• The winner will then have 3 days to claim their prize.

To earn more entries, you may do one or all of the following. Each one counts as an extra ticket. Please leave a separate comment for each extra entry.

• Subscribe to my feed.
• Mention this giveaway on your blog with a link back here and to Olive Kids.
• Place my button on your sidebar.

This giveaway is open to US addresses only. Good luck!

Ever since XEKO Mission: China arrived in it’s adorable pagoda-style box, Girlie Girl has been bugging me on a daily basis to play with it. She has no idea what’s it all about but loved the stuffed Panda that came with it and has taken to carrying the plushie wherever she goes.

From Amazon.com: “Learn about China’s ecosystems and meet the endangered species that live in them. Mission: China is the newest edition of Xeko, the award winning trading card game that introduces kids to threatened species and the world’s conservation “hotspots.” This mission includes animals like the beloved Giant Panda, critically endangered Snow Leopard, and ferocious King Cobra. The Xeko Mission: China starter set is packaged in a stunning pagoda box decorated with animals from China’s habitats and dragon illustrations that capture the mysteries of ancient Chinese culture. This game will inspire the next generation of eco-leaders through enriching and exciting game play. All Xeko collections are playable with one another, and players mix and match to build custom decks. Winner of Creative Child Magazine’s Game of the Year Award (2007). The starter set includes 42 cards, an oversized game mat, rule book, play guides and a heavy-duty deck storage box.”

This game is aimed at kids 8 years or older so I knew Girlie Girl would have some difficulties with it. However, with my help we were able to get through it relatively easily. I really liked that it focuses on conservation, endangered animals, and the environment - all very important issues that I want my girls to learn about. The large Eco-map was very authentic looking and the illustrations really helped to drive the point home.

But what I really liked were the color-coded cards that made it easier to figure out which ones link together to form a strong Xeko-system to win the game. All in all, we really enjoyed playing Xeko Mission: China and found it to be a real eye opener. Anything that combines fun and education is always a winner in my book!

Win it!

How would you like to win a XEKO MIssion: China game & Panda plushie? To enter:

• Stop by XEKO website before Nov 22nd and check out their Xekopedia.
• Then come back and mention in comments your favorite Xeko terminology. That’s it!
• A random winner will be selected and notified on Nov 23rd.
• The winner will then have 3 days to claim their prize.

To earn extra entries, you may do one or all of the following. Each one counts as an extra ticket but you must leave a separate comment for each one.

• Subscribe to my feed.
• Mention this giveaway on your blog with a link back here and to XEKO.
• Place my button in your sidebar.

This giveaway is open to US addresses. Good luck!