Maternity Monday: Maternity Mermaid Dress

Assuming both Moderna and Pfizer get approved in the next few weeks, WWYD? DD will be 5 in Aug and is starting K then. I am immunosuppressed; DH is high risk for other reasons. Pfizer appears more effective (82%) in preventing symptomatic covid vs. 37% for 4YOs. But, Moderna is faster (2 doses at 4 weeks apart) vs. Pfizer (2 does at 3 weeks (which if you recall did not produce sufficient response in earlier testing) and a third at least 8 weeks later, which likely puts us after K starts). Moderna also has a higher risk of fever for side effects. I will also talk to our pediatrician about it. Am leaning Moderna to get her protected faster (and before school starts), but torn about the presumably better protection on Pfizer.

Similar to the Lancaster question above, my family is headed to Idlewild Park in Ligonier, PA. Any recs for places to stay or other things to do in the area? We’ve already been to Pittsburgh so mostly looking for recs closer to Idlewild. Will have 4 and 2 year old.

What are your favorite easy snacks these days to pack for the pool? Bonus points if it can pass for dinner. :) My kids are going from school or camp straight to swim practice for the next six weeks and I want to make sure they’re not starving by 6:30p when practice is over. I’m want to branch out from our regular routine of string cheese, grapes and peanut butter crackers. (I also pack salt and vinegar chips, but I’m not tired of those yet- those I could eat bags of by the pool all summer… but also probably harder to pass off as dinner…)

My three year old just moved from her three day a week church mothers day out to a camp for her new preschool. It’s five days a week but only three hours a day and it’s just such a fun place. She’s our third, so I know! Her older two siblings made the switch seamlessly. She also had three friends make the move including her best friend, all of whom are in her class. For all these reasons, I just thought this would be fine. Instead, she’s crying in the morning and saying she doesn’t want to go and we’re having to hand off a sobbing child each morning. It’s only been a few days of this but oof, it’s painful. I spoke with her teacher who had lots of thoughts on how the transition can be hard for kids who aren’t as used to being independent, but this kid is by far my most independent. She has great social skills. She’s super fun. I’m not sure what I’m looking for here except commiseration – it’s really wearing on all of us.

My kids are doing evening VBS this week, which means I’ll have a limited amount of free time each evening. Probably about 1.5-2 hours, at most. I want to spend the time well, even though it’s not really long enough to do anything big. We’re also in a heat advisory all week (ugh), otherwise outdoor time would be my top choice. What would you do to fill the time? I can easily fall into the trap of doing chores and small house projects … and I just don’t wanna this time.

can anyone recommend a kids book about how the point of team sports is to work together as a team and it doesn’t matter if you personally score…on saturday at soccer class my daughter was very enthusiastic and then when they had a little scrimmage (if you could even call it that), every time she lost control of the ball she sat down on the field right where she was (fortunately they just wear sneakers and not cleats) and threw a mini tantrum, and later told me she was upset because she didn’t score a goal. i’m not sure where this is coming from bc it is not her first time in soccer class, but this was new behavior.

Any favorite activities or places to eat in Lancaster, PA? We are taking my five year old to Dutch Wonderland!