As a parent, one thing I've come to highly value are avenues for my children to expend a high percentage of their energy. As infants, this usually just meant having tummy time and attending playgroups where Mommy could get a little bit of adult time while Baby got much needed stimulation from his/her surroundings. As my children grew, I had to become more creative in finding ways to use up their energy because it was exponentially increasing. Because we live in the Pacific Northwest - and get close to nine months of dreary, rainy weather - this meant purchasing a small indoor (think 80s exercise style) trampoline and converting our dining room into a playroom so that the kids had plenty of room to play and run around. On good weather days, we'd go to the park or play outside with chalk, bikes, and more. During the summer, we would get out the inflatable pool and have some water fun. But, as my children continue to grow, these things are not enough. My hus...
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