http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/mommy/ Five Miami Valley moms dish about the wonderful, often humorous and always challenging role of being a mother including: families, kids, babies, pregnancy and things to do with kids in the Dayton and Springfield area. Lucy Baker (a copy editor at the Dayton Daily News) is a mom of three. Michelle Everhart-Sullivan (editor of the CoxOhio community web sites) is a mom of one girl. Michelle Fong (editor of local mom-to-mom site 937/513moms.com) is a mom of two. Darci Jordan (a columnist for the Dayton Daily News and Springfield News-Sun) is the mom of two boys with a girl on the way Jill Kelley (columnist and reporter for the Dayton Daily News) is a mom of two boys. en-us lbaker@coxohio.com 2009-11-11T01:39:32-05:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/mommy/entries/2009/11/11/10_off_mattelsh_1.html We, dear readers, are invited to an “exclusive” Virtual Shopping Day at the new Mattel online store, MattelShop.com! “As I see it, yes” — I still have the Mattel Magic 8 Ball that was under my Christmas tree way back... 15657603@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/mommy/ Christmas 2009-11-11T01:39:32-04:00 lbaker@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/mommy/entries/2009/11/05/are_parents_spa.html There was an article in the New York Times last month that hit a little too close to home for me. The article was titled, “For Some Parents, Shouting Is the New Spanking.” It talked about how many of today’s... 15548703@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/mommy/ Mother's Daze columns 2009-11-05T07:00:36-04:00 jikelley@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/mommy/entries/2009/10/29/halloween_about.html It is mere days before Halloween, and I have to ask: Do your kids have their costumes yet? This might seem like a silly question, especially for parents of little ones who likely have had their beloved costumes (or at... 15436903@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/mommy/ Mother's Daze columns 2009-10-29T07:06:24-04:00 jikelley@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/mommy/entries/2009/10/28/help_your_child_1.html I love my friends. I am blessed to have forged dozens of lasting relationships with childhood buddies, college pals, good neighbors and forever friends from every city we’ve lived in. They lift me up in times of need (like right... 15447303@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/mommy/ Photo of the Week 2009-10-28T18:54:43-04:00 lbaker@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/mommy/entries/2009/10/22/research_guides.html There has been much discussion among parents across the country as to whether we should have our children vaccinated for H1N1, or swine flu. A national poll conducted in August through C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital and the University of Michigan... 15351903@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/mommy/ Mother's Daze columns 2009-10-22T10:26:59-04:00 jikelley@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/mommy/entries/2009/10/16/halloween_fun_i.html Our little town gets into the Halloween spirit in a big way. Annual events include a PTO pumpkin sale and a fall festival featuring carnival games, horse-drawn wagon rides and a blocks-long scarecrow contest that has to be seen to... 15268603@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/mommy/ Halloween 2009-10-16T02:00:55-04:00 lbaker@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/mommy/entries/2009/10/15/news_stories_pr.html A couple of recent news stories, one local and one not, have brought gun use by private citizens to the forefront, and got the parent in me thinking even more about gun safety. One of the stories showed the benefits... 15234703@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/mommy/ Mother's Daze columns 2009-10-15T07:37:12-04:00 jikelley@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/mommy/entries/2009/10/12/mother_has_stic.html My husband just called to tell me he has an extra person to dress in the morning. No, we didn’t suddenly have another child. My 15-month-old daughter discovered her Bitty Baby. My husband’s grandmother bought our daughter a Bitty Baby... 15201003@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/mommy/ Funny stories 2009-10-12T09:50:18-04:00 meverhart@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/mommy/entries/2009/10/10/diy_halloween_c.html It’s the time of year when all little ghouls and boys have only one thing on their minds: Trick-or-Treat — or as they say around here, Beggars Night. Turns out beggars can be choosers: For the past two years, my... 15183303@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/mommy/ Photo of the Week 2009-10-10T02:22:13-04:00 lbaker@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/mommy/entries/2009/10/08/are_todays_kids.html It is usually when I am recapping a weekend full of tryouts, tournaments and track meets that some of the friends or relatives I am talking to get that look in their eyes. It is the look that says: “Why... 15137403@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/mommy/ Mother's Daze columns 2009-10-08T07:47:23-04:00 jikelley@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/mommy/entries/2009/10/02/growing_up_cath.html When we moved to Ohio seven years ago and started to settle into our community, my son — then 7 years old — posed an innocent question: “Can we join a church?” Oh, the Catholic guilt burned in my soul!... 15054203@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/mommy/ 2009-10-02T02:14:32-04:00 lbaker@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/mommy/entries/2009/10/01/parents_sometim.html Sometimes you forget, when you are so busy teaching your kids how to do things, that you actually have to let them do those things as well. This can be difficult for parents. Some of us are afraid to trust... 15046003@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/mommy/ Mother's Daze columns 2009-10-01T15:34:41-04:00 jikelley@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/mommy/entries/2009/09/24/life_gives_us_m.html All kids are different — inside and out. Not only do they come in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes, but many times they also have less visible elements that are just as unique. I mention this because sometimes,... 14917003@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/mommy/ Mother's Daze columns 2009-09-24T07:14:09-04:00 jikelley@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/mommy/entries/2009/09/21/letting_child_o.html Have you ever tried to negotiate a large stroller through a mall while holding a 20-pound, 14-month-old child? Yeah, it’s not so easy. This has become my recent challenge in parenting (I know, it’s nothing of dire consequence). My daughter... 14867103@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/mommy/ Safety 2009-09-21T08:26:38-04:00 meverhart@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/mommy/entries/2009/09/17/kids_pick_up_th.html Although they are just 8 and 10, my kids are starting to surpass me. Not in the more important things — like math or driving or Final Jeopardy (although I’m sure it is just a matter of time for those,... 14794403@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/mommy/ Mother's Daze columns 2009-09-17T07:37:47-04:00 jikelley@coxohio.com