my sweet babboo

Almost There

2012-01-17T08:08:00.000-05:00

36 weeks and 2 days.

How to Get a 4 Year Old to Really Smile for a Photograph

2011-09-19T17:53:00.001-04:00

Yep, Linus is happy about having a baby sister, but that's not why he's smiling in those gender reveal photos.

Nope.

He's smiling because we did the one thing we knew for sure would coax a real smile out of him.

No, not the smile he gives when you tell him to "Smile!"

The "smile." Terrible, isn't it?

Did we feed him? Doughnuts are always good. Bribe him? Monster trucks, Matchbox cars, oh my?

Nope. It was easier than that. We just ask him to say "Stinky cat bottom," and the smiles and giggles began to flow.

Sharing the joke with little sis. "Hey baby, stinky cat bottoms! Ha ha ha! That's funny!"

Ah, four year olds -- where anything referencing poop or behinds is sure to get a laugh.

(*Please note that we reserve this tactic for only the most extreme situations. Generally we discourage most potty humor as it can get really, really annoying really, really quickly.)

Were you right?

2011-09-13T15:08:00.000-04:00

Do you have a guess?

La

la

la

la

la

la

la

la

la

Do you think you're right?

La

la

la

la

la

la

la

la

la

Are you ready?

La

la

la

la

la

la

la

la

la

Are you sure you're ready?

La

la

la

la

la

la

la

la

la

Linus could not be more excited. It's exactly what he wanted. We'll see what he thinks in about 10 years.

Bye, Bye Training Wheels, Here Comes Linus

2011-05-08T16:17:00.000-04:00

When you've been riding bikes since before you could walk, and have been leaving your parents in the dust on your Strider since you were two, then it would be expected that you'd be able to zip around on a regular, albeit tiny, Trek bicycle.

Pretty sure our next stop will be to see how the pedal bike performs out at the Solite Pump Park.

Valentines for a Car Lover

2011-02-13T23:27:00.003-05:00

I saw this really fantastic idea for vehicle valentines over at Family Fun. Knowing that I have a car fanatic, I decided they were perfect.

A vehicle valentine for Linus's classmate.

Here's how I set everything up during the now-sporadic nap time.

The crafting set-up.

I drew a "Go" line and a "Stop" line. I figured that a few traffic signals would help slow down the cars and keep them from racing their paint covered wheels right onto my dining room table. Of course, I still took precautionary measures and covered a large area with butcher paper.

For the cards, I used oversized index cards that I already had and folded them in half. For the paint, I again went with what I had and grabbed a bottle of dark brown acrylic crafting paint.

When Linus awoke, he was ready to dive (or should I say drive) right in.

Once they dried (about one Bob the Builder episode later), I grabbed a red marker and added the text.

Some of the phrases we used:

You're a "wheely" good friend.
I "wheely" love you.
You're a "wheely" great teacher.
"Wheel" you be my Valentine?

A few days later, after he had signed them all (and we'd mailed the family ones), we journeyed over to Foster's Market to pick up the car chocolates. Linus absolutely LOVES these chocolates, admiring them every time we are there.

He signed his own name.

The chocolate cars are attached with some double-sided, foam tape tabs. I did that step on my own, although it was simple enough Linus could have helped (if it hadn't been past bedtime.)

I gotta say, I'm pretty pleased with how they turned out. They clearly represent Linus's interests, have zero commercialization, and definitely required his participation. Plus, making our own saved having to drag Linus into Target risking the possible temper fit as we hurried past the toy section.

The completed vehicle valentines.

How about you? Did you make your own Valentines or did you opt for the less messy, store-bought route? Do you like to get your craft on for Valentines Day?

Living Room Redecorating: A S-L-O-W Process

2011-02-03T19:13:00.000-05:00

(Sorry for the delay. Two no-nap days in a row kind of halts the blogging.)

Now that you've seen the living room's new gray paint color, I thought it would be fun to look back at how the room has evolved.

My friend Jennifer was asking me on Facebook how I decorate so I can change paint colors without having to change everything, so let's take a look.

Stage 1 - New homeowners make do.

The beginnings of a living room. (Circa 2003)

Here's the room in it's first stage. Before our apartment lease was even up, we'd managed to cover the previous owner's pumpkin orange with a more subtle gray-ish green (Fen from Martha's defunct line at Sherwin-Williams).

This photo was just over a year after we moved in. We'd saved some money and purchased a few pieces of furniture. Of course, if you know anything about Ikea furniture, you'll know that these are the cheapest piece you can still call a couch.(The blue chair was the actual color I chose. The other slipcover must have been in the wash.)

The matchstick blinds and wedding decor pedestals complete the "new home owner" look.

Stage 2 - More Saving, More Additions

The living room for at least 5 years. (Circa 2004-2009)

This is what the living room was settled on for quite a few years. You'll note the addition of 4 flexible coffee tables (constructed by my hubby), sequined sheers from West Elm, additional A's, new chair slipcovers (thank goodness), and a stylish hand-me-down lamp. From about 2004 until 2009, the room generally looked like this. I liked it. It was a very Zen room and aside from new furniture arrangements, I left it be.

It's not like we weren't busy. During those 5 years, we painted every other room, remodeled our bathroom, bought a new car, had a baby, installed new siding, landscaped the yard...

We were busy and the living room was good -- until those delicate white curtains begin to look a bit beige with a few cat claw tears here and there.

Stage 3 - New Curtains, Same Old Furniture


Living room with new curtains. (Circa 2009)

As a stay-at-home mom, I found myself often "playing" in the living room (go ahead click the link, and see Linus circa 2008). When I wasn't staring at my handsome son, I was staring at those now dingy white curtains. They had to be replaced.

I found these on major sale at PBTeen and was hyped. I was so excited, I quickly clicked buy before even thinking about length. Yep, the major sale was for the 54" curtains.

I hung them, not wanting to admit to my husband that the length was anything but intentional. They looked alright -- sort of retro, or at least that's what I told myself. And at least the cats couldn't play in them anymore.

They stuck around for quite a while thanks to top-notch quality, and I had to patiently await the perfect excuse to say bye-bye to those curtains. Enter red furniture -- the perfect excuse.

Stay tuned for the continuing saga of "A living room grows up."

In the meantime, I want to know what your BIGGEST style mistake has been? Fuchsia prom dress? Pink tiled bathroom? Too-short curtains? Let's hear it.

Living Room Freshen-up

2011-02-01T10:50:00.000-05:00

I mentioned yesterday that I painted my living room. Let me tell you, choosing a gray is EXTREMELY difficult.

I wanted one that was in the same family as the bit of gray hiding in my Anthropologie curtains, but I didn't want it to be that dark. Honestly, I wanted it about the same saturation level as our previous color -"Fen," a sage-y green from Martha's defunct line at Sherwin-Williams.

I started the process of choosing a color with at least 40 paint chips. I slowly pulled the ones that appeared purple and the ones that appeared too brown. I moved the paint chips from sunlight to shade and from near trim to away from trim until I had it down to 5. From there, I had Adrian choose. (He's pretty good at that kind of thing - And he has the degree to prove it.) Plus, I would have hemmed and hawed for days unable to commit.

Once Adrian chose (the one I was most leaning towards), I just went for it.

When the boys caught up with me at the Lowe's, I had two gallons of paint purchased. No samples for me -- that would just allow me to procrastinate longer.

Of course, as I was applying the paint, I fretted about it's lavender quality. Luckily once dry, most of the purple undertones smoothed out (despite the appearance in this photo) leaving a nice "Perfect Griege" (a Sherwin-Williams color).

New paint! Living room looking southeast.

New paint! Living room looking north. Front door to the right.
This photo most accurately shows the color.

Tomorrow, we'll take a look at how the room has evolved (like this evolution of Linus's room) from it's very earliest "Holy cow, we can afford furniture" days to it's current "Family hang-out" status.

Things I Did While I Wasn't Blogging

2011-01-31T12:07:00.001-05:00

I haven't been here much lately. I'm quite a failure at the whole scheduled blogging thing -- which is really quite weird as I tend to LOVE schedules. Just another thing about me that disappeared at childbirth.

In lieu of blogging, I've been accomplishing awesomeness elsewhere. Therefore I give you...

Five Awesome Things I Accomplished While I Wasn't Blogging

1. Roasted and pureed a ginormous Cinderella pumpkin that resulted in 2 loaves of pumpkin bread, 1 batch of pumpkin doughnut muffins, 2 dozen pumpkin spice cookies, and a dozen pumpkin-blueberry muffins. And that didn't even use it all. I still have THREE 15 ounce jars of pureed pumpkin in the freezer. That's a lot of pumpkin for $5.

2. Sewed an adorable Valentine garland. It was simple, I just cut out hearts instead of the circles I've done in the past.

Felt heart garland hung from mantle.

3. Stumbled upon my best Rescue Mission thrift store find yet. A set of eight of my pattern of Crate and Barrel dishes. The plates were 50 cents each. That's four dollars for a set of eight. Now if only I could find bowls. Now I don't have to fret so much about Linus setting the table.

4. Gave myself the manicure and pedicure that was long overdue.

5. I gave myself a manicure and the next day I decided was the perfect time to repaint the living room. Bye, bye manicure. While Linus was at preschool Monday morning, I cut in and applied the first coat of "Perfect Griege" to the living room. We then spent Tuesday climbing over paint supplies and scattered furniture until I could use the second day of preschool to complete the job. I even got a wee bit adventurous this time around and ended my Sherwin-Williams loyalty. I wanted a zero VOC paint. Sherwin-Williams doesn't make one available in super saturated colors, but Olympic does. Not only did I save brain cells, but I also saved money. And the paint -- awesome. I highly recommend it.

How about you? What kind of awesomeness are you achieving offline?

How to Walk Away from a Sponsored Blogging Event with a Great Story

2011-01-24T22:07:00.000-05:00

Alternatively titled: Party Foul

Step 1 - Attend event with whole family in tow despite napless day and potential "late" night.

Step 2 - Stuff napless three year old FULL of his favorite Noodles & Company meal - macaroni and cheese with tofu. (Don't tell me you don't eat too much when it's FREE food.)

Digging into his Noodles and Company mac and cheese with tofu.

Step 3 - Release overstuffed preschooler from confined booth and watch him run up and down aisle between booths.

Step 4 - Get the little guy REALLY excited to have his picture taken as part of the event.

Step 5 - Try to remain composed as entire contents of kiddo's stomach explodes down the front of your shirt.

Step 6 -Gather the last shreds of your dignity, your preschooler who still wants to have his picture taken, and your take-away bag full of vomit covered clothes and leave.

Step 7 - Compose your blog post, tweets of apology, and list of thank you's mentally to control gag reflex as you journey home in a noxious tank top.

Kid's got a thing or two to learn before we send him off to college.

College Party Rule #1 - Do NOT vomit on the host's floor.

And the family would like to thank --

The staff of the new Noodles & Company Brier Creek for not only cleaning up the wreckage but doing it with a smile and not a single look of judgment. Saintly, absolutely saintly. I only wish we could have stayed for more deliciousness.
My friend Kelly for being the Mom of the Year and having a spare set of pants ready in the car. Without Kelly, Linus would have been riding home in his tighty-whiteys. Brrr.
Carolina Mama for being so cool and understanding despite the party foul.
All the other mamas in attendance who were so quick with the napkins, words of reassurance, and concern for Linus. If ya have to have an embarrassing moment, you want to do it with other moms around. They totally understand.

What's Linus Eating? - This Week's Menu Plan

2011-01-16T13:38:00.002-05:00

I know I'm not posting as regularly as my scheduling self would like, but I'm doing my best not to stress about it. I figure the schedule helps me even when ideas are lacking but that I don't have to feel confined by it.

That being said, I'm officially declaring that menu and recipe sharing can take place anytime during the weekend. I don't always get the planning done on Saturday, since my shopping tends to take place on Monday mornings while Linus is at preschool.

Here's what we'll be eating this week.

Sunday- Leftovers
Time to clear out the fridge in preparation for the next grocery run, so Sunday is a leftovers day. Lucky for us, I figure freezer food is fair game on leftover day so we indulged in some Pioneer Woman cinnamon rolls (recipe from the Pioneer Woman cookbook). Dare I say, they may have even been better after freezing as the gooey frosting had time to soak in during the thaw.

Monday- ~~Out to Dinner~~ (Update below)
We've been invited by Carolina Mama to join a group of fellow bloggers at Noodles and Co. The restaurant wants to show off their menu and we're happy to participate. Afterall, Linus feels there's never a bad time for a serving of their Macaroni and Cheese with double broccoli and tofu (yes, he's weird), and I'm just happy for the option of adding more veggies.

(Update: Scratch that. Noodles & Co is the 24th. Thanks to my friend Kelly, we didn't drive all the way out there. I have it on my calendar right -- just not in my head. Good thing I made that double batch of Spinach-Chicken Casserole.)

Tuesday- Pioneer Woman's Chicken Pot Pie
Adrian's cousin Amy has a new member who joined the family in mid-December, so we're doing our part to help the transition to a family of 4 by providing food. Nothing is better for a nursing mama then a little indulgent pot pie. Of course, I doubled the recipe so we'll be having ours on Tuesday. This recipe is also from her cookbook.

Wednesday- Sesame Beef with Rice
We had fondue for Christmas Eve and the freezer still contains some of the unused steak so we'll use it up with this Martha recipe from our favorite Everyday Foods.

Thursday- Chipotle Pinto Beans with Cornbread
I'm a sucker for a good pot of beans. Problem is, Adrian has never been a big fan claiming they are too bland for his tastes. So, I'm trying a different recipe from my other favorite cookbook Simply in Season with a little more spiciness. Hope he likes it. Plus, it's a good excuse to again use my cast iron skillet my parents got me for Christmas to make skillet cornbread.

Friday- Frozen Soup
I stashed away quite a few soups this Fall. We're gonna play Eenie Meanie Miney Mo and pick one. I love easy.

Last week, we tried quite a few new recipes and discovered some new favorites. The one I'm already making again is another Everyday Food recipe. Chicken and Spinach Casserole from the October 2010 issue is a fast and easy dish that uses leftover chicken from a batch you made or the rotisserie chicken you picked up at the store. Today, I'm making a double batch, one for us and one for Amy.

That's what we're eating. What's on your table? Any old favorites? How about new ones?

Painter's Tape Interstate

2011-01-13T08:02:00.001-05:00

With just a role of painter's tape and a handful of Matchbox cars, you can keep your car aficionado occupied for at least one snowy winter afternoon.

Laying out a road or two.

I started out trying to show Linus how to lay his own roads, but he had trouble with tearing the tape. We then moved onto laying strips which he did for a while until the sticky tape frustrated him. In the end, I did most of the road work and he did the driving. Typical man.

Grid, what grid? This is urban living, yo.

Tanker truck coming through.

In the evening, Daddy even added a wrapping paper tube tunnel, and the fun began anew.

Mismatched Mugs - A Thrift Store Craft

2011-01-11T10:57:00.002-05:00

I know I promised in my last local post to show you this on Thursday, but that didn't happen. So here it is -- a project (and gift!) that I made using one of my Rescued Treasures thrift store finds.

I made two sets, one for my mom and one for myself.

Altogether, BOTH sets cost me less than $9.

$5 - Porcelaine Marker (still usable for more projects)
$4 - Set of 16 White Mugs (8 for mom and 8 for me from Durham Rescue Mission thrift shop)

$4 for 16 mugs from the Durham Rescue Mission thrift shop.

Each mug was $.50 but the day I was there, housewares were 50% off plus an additional 10% off for having made a donation. Score!

Now I have to give credit to Design Mom for the project idea. Her tutorial post is where I learned how easy it is to make a set of monogrammed mugs. Her idea inspired me to make my mom's Christmas gift -- a numbered set of mismatched white mugs.

So, I searched out the mugs (Goodwill was a bust), my husband did the actual drawing, and then I baked them.

Here's the result --

The numbered mugs we made as a gift for my mom.

Of course, the ultimate test was whether they could withstand the dishwasher and I'm sad to say that in my set 2 of the 8 failed to pass the dishwasher round. With one, an oversized mug, I'm thinking it never got hot enough in the oven to seal correctly as part stayed put and part smeared away during washing. With the other more dainty one, I think it had something to do with the finish as the entire image just washed away.

One of the two that failed.

I guess I'll be making a return trip soon to find my replacements and maybe even a few plates and bowls to make one complete ~~mismatched~~ eclectic set.

A few from my set of numbered mugs.

When you've got a kid like this, you have to accept mismatched and learn to LOVE it.

In which I fail to stick to a deadline

2011-01-10T09:00:00.005-05:00

So I was supposed to have a video review of a kids game all ready to go for today. But since I'm me, I don't. I tried. Really. Sorta. This feels a lot like college.

I got as far as assaulting my son with a video camera immediately after his nap and trying to badger him into playing a game with me. Any other day he would most likely have been enthusiastic, but he hadn't yet shaken off the sleep.

Paparazzi (HA!)

Boundless enthusiasm

On top of that, recording video is haaard. Pushing the big red button is dead simple, but the rest, not so much. Actually standing in front of the camera is surprisingly difficult when you're both the subject and cinematographer. Ultimately, the trick seems to be recording video that a) other people are supposed to want to watch and b) the videographer is not supposed to be embarrassed of. Both lofty goals. And both which I think I failed at the first go around.

I am still planning on cobbling something together out of the short amount of trainwreck footage that I captured, and hope that this gets a little easier in the future.

UPDATE

Still not a review, but it's something. The dog ate my homework.

Children's Activities for a Winter Day

2011-01-06T20:28:00.000-05:00

Since I haven't really gotten into the whole scheduled blogging thing yet, I'm sorta lacking in a fun creative activity. However, I did come across this post on fun activities for a winter day that uses basics from around the house over at ohdeedoh, Apartment Therapy's sister site, with several ideas I plan to try out.

I'm definitely going to try the clothespin laundry activity, and the painter's tape activity would rock Linus's world. Plus, Linus is ALWAYS up for putting pennies in our bank. I just empty the bank into a bowl and let him put them back in. It's been so successful, I've had him do it with a friend. They practiced turn-taking and were occupied for at least 10 minutes.

Don't forget to read through the comments as many readers offer even more ideas like handing your kid a sponge and water and letting them "clean". I did this one summer day while scrubbing mildew off the house siding. Linus loved helping and I got the job done while he was occupied.

Get Local - New Triangle Mamas Post

2011-01-04T20:57:00.000-05:00

I have a little secret and I'm not sure I should share. If I share, all you local peeps just might start shopping there too and then I'll have to compete with you for all the good stuff.

All the good stuff, you say. Where?

A little teaser from my latest local post over at Triangle Mamas. Click on through to continue reading.

Continue reading at Triangle Mamas.

Sewing a Duvet Cover from Two Flat Sheets

2011-01-03T19:48:00.002-05:00

I still want to know your opinions on content for this here blog. So please, head on over to the blog content post, and let me know what you like reading while you're here.

In other news, my frugal tendencies and amateur sewing skills paid off.

Today, I made a duvet cover and it was super easy.

It started with a worn out set of plain white sheets. The fitted sheet was so worn it had holes in it, but the top sheet was still in decent condition. We seem to be really hard on bottom sheets what with all my leg twitching, hubby's tossing and turning, and three cats' snaggly claws.

I tried to repair the bottom sheet, but Adrian seemed to think patching holes in the sheets might be taking the frugal living a bit too far. So he ordered new sheets.

I repaired the sheet, but it was a messy and temporary fix as many more spots were already threadbare. Stuffing the set in the closet, still unable to bring myself to dispose of them, I forgot about them in the haze of new stripe-y sheets.

Until --

A few days after Christmas, I found myself strolling through the holiday clearance racks at Target. I stumbled upon a set of polka dot flannel sheets that were perfect for my decor. And at $10 for Queen size, they could not be passed up.

That sheet set inspired me to finally try an idea that I'd been stewing on.

Would it be possible to make a duvet cover by simply sewing together two flat sheets?

Yes, yes it is.

With only the small hitch of the sheets NOT being the exact same size despite both claiming Queen size, the project went off with nary a snag. I even remembered to leave an opening to stuff the duvet in -- uber-reinforced too!

Matter of fact, the most difficult part was pinning the two sheets together. Stupid pokey pins!

Now, I'm the lucky owner of a cozy new flannel-on-the-inside duvet cover -- all for the tiny price of ten dollars including pillowcases and a bottom sheet.

Now if only I can convince the cat to share. She hasn't moved ALL DAY.

It's a New Year, and a New Me?!?

2011-01-02T22:26:00.002-05:00

I've been kind of MIA lately. The holidays kicked in and with all the additional activities, events, and such, blogging (among other things) went to the back burner.

That doesn't mean I haven't been thinking about being here. I just haven't had the time.

For the new year, I'm hoping to establish somewhat of a blogging schedule of general topics. Plus I'm hoping to finally push my husband into having his own vlogging segment.

So far, here's my what I'm thinking about for a schedule.

Mondays- Adrian reviews a children's board game.

Boardgames are my husband's ~~hobby~~ ~~love~~ ~~life~~ passion, and I think it might be good for him to use all that research and knowledge (not to mention money) for good. If I can convince him, I'd like him to do vlog (video blog, for those not in the know) reviewing a kid's boardgame. It may be one that you've known for years or it might be one you've never heard of, but he'll give you the ins and outs, good and bad. I've provided him with all he needs (a new Flip and TONS of boardgames) so hopefully I can persuade him to get started.

Tuesdays- Something local.

As you probably know, I also blog over at Triangle Mamas. Thing is, I've been pretty silent over there despite having a passion for all things local. Therefore, I'm hoping to force myself to write more locally pertinent posts.

Wednesdays- Children's Book Review

I love picture books and almost everyone I know regularly asks me for book recommendations to send their Amazon order into the free shipping range. I thought it might be nice to do a regular posting along those lines. I mean, there's got to be something great in that stack of 50+ picture books we get from the library every other week.

Thursdays- Children's activity/art project/craft

One of my other passions is teaching. I've written quite a few posts with activities for the little ones and occasionally I add lesson plans. These posts tend to get a pretty positive response and they also tend to be ones I'm pretty proud of. I'm thinking maybe I should try to make them more regular. It might even help me to feel like less of a lazy mom.

Fridays- Gratuitous Linus blogging

You know because the grandparents like it.

Saturdays- Menu and/or Recipe Sharing

If I have to cook, I might as well get a little extra out of it. Plus, I tend to make some pretty yummy -and sometimes healthy- foods.

So what do you think? Y'all are the ones that have to read it, so I definitely want your input.

Anything you enjoy reading that I left out?

Any of the topics above that bore you to death?

Please share. Make your voice heard. It's kind of like voting, cast your vote and retain your right to complain later.

Happy Christmas to All!

2010-12-24T21:39:00.000-05:00

Solite Park is for Cyclists

2010-12-03T06:44:00.001-05:00

If you've been reading here a while, you know that Linus from a very early age has LOVED to ride bikes. He has both a run/balance bike and a regular pedal bike with training wheels. We keep both in the trunk of the car because his choice of ride changes quite frequently and is often dependent on what park we're at.

Currently, his favorite park is a recent discovery. Solite Park is located in South Durham near Southpoint Mall. It is right off of Fayetteville Road and just a ramp down from the American Tobacco Trail.

Why does Linus love this park so very much? Yes, it has all the basic playground stuff from swings to slides to monkey bars, but what Solite has that other Durham parks don't is a pump park.

What's a pump park you ask? Why it's kind of like a skatepark for bikes. Basically, it's a bunch of hills of dirt. Unimpressive at first glance.

Excuse the imperfect photo. I took it with my iPhone. Boo.

But what a three year old on a balance bike can do at a pump park is nothing short of amazing.

From the signs near the Pump Park, it's clear that this bicycle haven was created with a grant from REI. What's even more awesome? They didn't stop with just a pump park.

Nope, they also cleared out a mini mountain bike trail in the surrounding wooded area. I say mini because it's probably only about a half-mile in length. It's a fun little jaunt through trees, over debris, down small inclines, and -Linus's favorite- through the occasional mud puddle.

Solite Park is nothing short of amazing for any little Lance Armstrong wanna be.

Wordless Wednesday- Linus Writes

2010-12-01T07:04:00.000-05:00

And in case you just see scribbles --

30 Days of MEme- Politics, Alcohol, Fighting, Oh My

2010-11-21T23:54:00.000-05:00

Gah! I'm falling so far behind. This daily blogging thing is kicking my butt. I swear that on Friday, I didn't even realize that I hadn't blogged. Course, I've been sick so there's that --

Today is Day 21 of the 30 Days of Truth project. You can find an explanation and all the other posts from this series here.

Here ya go. A quick round-up of days 19, 20, and 21.

Day 19 - What do you think of religion? Or what do you think of politics?

*Twiddles thumbs.* *Whistles quietly.* I'm not yet ready to go into the first part of this question. We'll just say I'm eclectic at best.

As far as politics, I'm pretty sure you all know where I stand on politics, but in case you don't --

commons.wikimedia.org

Yep, I'm so far left that voting Democrat is often unappealing.

Matter of fact, I'm over there with this guy.

You should join us. It's nice over here. We've got rainbows and unicorns. Which leads me to --

Day 20 Your views on drugs and alcohol.

I'm gonna tow the old Lutheran line (yep, I was raised Lutheran) and say "Everything in moderation." I've never done drugs-- I'm too much of a control freak for that, but I do occasionally imbibe. Pinot Noir is my personal fave.

Day 21 (scenario) Your best friend is in a car accident and you two got into a fight an hour before. What do you do?

This one, well, I'd already have this one covered. Ask my husband. Even when I'm really, really, really pissed off at him, I will still tell him I love him before we part. I gotta make sure that if -heaven forbid - anything would happen to him or me, those would be our last words. Paranoid? Maybe, but it does give my husband a good strategy to force me to dial it back.

Giveaway at Triangle Mamas for Burn the Floor

2010-11-19T07:53:00.000-05:00

Local peeps, this one's for you.

Triangle Mamas is hosting a giveaway! It's your chance to win a pair of tickets to see Burn the Floor at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium.

And, since we're choosing TWO winners, you have a pretty good chance of being chosen.

What are you waiting for? Head on over to Triangle Mamas to enter.

30 Days of MEme- Thoughts on Gay Marriage

2010-11-18T22:22:00.001-05:00

Today is Day 18 of the 30 Days of Truth project. You can find an explanation and all the other posts from this series here.

Day 18 - Your views on gay marriage.

Love is Love.

It's as simple as that.

30 Days of MEme- Reading Changes Minds

2010-11-18T15:05:00.003-05:00

This post is for Day 17 of the 30 Days of Truth project. You can find an explanation and all the other posts from this series here.
(Sorry about not posting yesterday. I am sick and although I had my post idea, I was too tired to write.)

Day 17 - A book you’ve read that changed your views on something.

Now, the first time I thought about this post, my mind almost immediately went political. Which set me into a bit of a panic. I'm pretty steadfast in my political beliefs and could not for the life of me think of anything I've read (or heard, for that matter) that had changed my thinking.

Luckily, I continued to ponder and when writing Day 15's post, it came to me.

One book that challenged my thinking is called Slow Death by Rubber Duck. It is written by Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie. It's a nonfiction account of the harmful effects that exposure to so-called safe chemicals can have on the human body. The two authors, angry about the slow and sometimes halted move to ban BPA in baby bottles, decide to take on the chemical industry's claims that BPA, and other chemicals (phtalates, Teflon, etc.) are safe.

The book not only includes their experience with purposefully exposing themselves (through common use) to these chemicals, but it also offers an intelligent discussion of the effects of this exposure.

This book forced me to open my eyes and start paying attention to what I'm exposing my family to through the use of convenience products, personal hygiene products, and children's toys.

To say I went a little crazy would be an understatement. I changed our way of life. Now, there is not a plastic item that comes through my house without checking the plastic content (1, 2, 4, & 5 are safer choices). I've invested in glass food storage containers (as well as reusing glass jelly jars), and avoid buying plastic toys. I've eliminated most 'fragrance' containing hygiene products and instead seek out unscented or essential oil scented alternatives.

This book definitely challenged my thinking when it comes to my usual Target trip, instead forcing me to be a cautious, label-reading consumer even outside of the grocery store.

If you're interested in learning more about this book, here's an interview with the authors I heard on The People's Pharmacy a little over a week after I finished the book.

The second book that changed and challenged the way I think was Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.

This was THE book that started my locavore movement. This is the book that helped me move from a daily meat-eating, vegetable-avoiding consumer to someone who purchases the majority of our food from the Farmers' Market, cooks seasonal meals, and views eating meat as a sometimes treat.

I already worried about my child's pesticide exposure, but this book helped me to have the confidence to make the change. If the author's family of four could grow their own food for an entire year, then surely I could seek out local and seasonal alternatives for our daily meals.

No, I'm not about to plant my own garden (although I do want to grow cilantro), but I am willing to pay more for healthier alternatives to the conventionally grown grocery store fodder. Reading this book helped me to understand WHY the prices SHOULD be higher.

This book and the subsequent changes I made to my family's mealtimes has had the added bonus of opening my eyes to the joys of cooking with and superior tastes of local food.

My husband and I sometimes joke that happy pigs equal tasty pigs (when we're indulging in certified humanely raised bacon), but it's definitely true that local foods are tastier foods -- Just taste a locally grown heirloom tomato when your life has been full of bland, chosen for hardiness tomatoes, you'll see.

Share it, reader. What have you read that has challenged your thinking?

30 Days of MEme- Living Without

2010-11-16T22:19:00.001-05:00

Today is Day 16 of the 30 Days of Truth project. You can find an explanation and all the other posts from this series here.

Day 16 - Someone or something you definitely could live without.

Being sick. I'm SO over it.

30 Days of MEme- Addiction

2010-11-15T20:23:00.003-05:00

Today is Day 15 of the 30 Days of Truth project. You can find an explanation and all the other posts from this series here.

Day 15 - Something or someone you can't live without, because you've tried living without it.

A few years ago, if you'd asked me for a list of things I couldn't live without the list would've been long:

Redken #18 Quick Dry Hairspray (I wrote the name from memory because I wrote it so explicitly for my husband for years.)
Cable TV
Soda
Coffee
L'Oreal Lipliner
Pantene Shampoo

But, I have. I no longer use hairspray because of the chemicals it contains -- ditto for the shampoo (I'm a Bronner's fan for even my hair. It looks better too.).

Although I do indulge in coffee, I gave it up for my entire pregnancy and nursing days without question. Steamed milk with a splash of hazelnut syrup is a suitable replacement. I still occasionally indulge in soda, but not on a daily (or multi-daily) basis.

Lipliner, well, I don't have the time for that kind of maintenance anymore. Usually it's Burt's Bees gloss or lip balm if anything at all.

Lastly, cable tv. This was one that actually caused me to experience withdrawl -- evenings were spent gnashing my teeth over the loss of awards shows. Now, I rarely even think of it. [Except when I do, and the gnashing begins anew.]

But there is one thing, just one thing, that I absolutely CANNOT live without - not that I've tried because heaven knows I don't even want to try -

Popcorn.

No way. No how. I am NOT giving it up. I don't know what it is about that salty, crunchy goodness but I crave it -- like on a near daily basis.

I can hardly travel without finding a popcorn resource. (A problem that is compounded by my refusal to suffer microwave popcorn.)

Visit to Black Mountain for Thanksgiving week? Bag of kernels purchased.
4-day visit to in-laws at Christmas? Bag of kernels purchased.
Snowbound in Kentucky following Christmas visiting? Husband dispensed to movie theater for a bucket.

Oh, popcorn --

How about you? What can you just not quit?

30 Days of MEme- Heroic Disappointments

2010-11-14T23:41:00.002-05:00

Today is Day 14 of the 30 Days of Truth project. You can find an explanation and all the other posts from this series here.

Day 14 A hero that has let you down. (letter)

Dear Wednesday Jane,

When I was a little girl, I read Peter Pan. I watched the Disney version again and again. I just loved the story it weaved for me.

A mother with three beautiful and cooperative children. Children whose worst behavior was a desire to be told stories again and again. These weren't children who were being too loud or playing too boisterous. They were perfectly well-mannered children.

In the story, there is also a mother. A mother loved and adored by her children. A patient, kind, and beautiful person.

This, the story led me to believe, was -obviously- due to a wonderful family pet. A pet who not only played with and protected the children, but also one who acted as their nanny so mother could go to parties in the evenings.

Let me tell you, Wednesday. Somewhere deep down inside of me, I hoped that this would be what motherhood was like, what pet ownership was like. A serene and pleasant life in which children played a supporting role in making it all that much more fabulous while rarely ever being troublesome. A life where the family pet would share in the burden of raising the children.

Wednesday, it seems to me that you are not living up to your potential. At this time, we have one crazy three year old who your limited interactions with seem only to taunt. You dangle your tail in front of his face and then zip down the hallway until he gives chase. THIS is not helpful. This is not a proper J.M. Barrie family pet role. It seems that the hundreds of dollars that I have spent on kitty crunchies, mouse toys, and veterinarian visits have been a waste.

Wednesday, it is time that you step up to the plate so to speak and begin taking on more of a partnership role. You have known this kid as long as we have, you are perfectly capable of tending to his needs.

This will be the last time I will speak to you in regards to this issue. If your negligent behavior continues, I will have to seek further action of the woof-woof kind. As it seems to have worked out perfectly for Mrs. Darling.

Yours truly,
Abby

PS- The least you could do is bother to get the stupid fly that is buzzing around my head. What good are you anyway?

30 Days of MEme- Music for the Bad Times

2010-11-13T22:24:00.003-05:00

Today is Day 13 of the 30 Days of Truth project. You can find an explanation and all the other posts from this series here.

Day 13 - A band or artist that has gotten you through some tough ass days. (write a letter.)

I think what has been intimidating me with this post is the "write a letter" bit. While some people write excellent letters to Tori Amos, I'm just not feeling it. So if you'll excuse me, I'll just lose the format and plow ahead.

I offer you instead --

A 90's Grrl's Angry Playlist
(Best played while driving around REALLY fast in shiny silver convertible.)

You Oughta Know -- Alanis Morissette

Friend is a Four-Letter Word -- Cake

B*tch -- Meredith Brooks

Strong Enough -- Sheryl Crow

Welcome to Paradise -- Green Day

You Don't Know How It Feels -- Tom Petty

I'm Sensitive -- Jewel

Just a Girl -- No Doubt

I Will Survive -- Cake

Song for the Dumped -- Ben Folds Five

Father of Mine -- Everclear

Nice Guys Finish Last -- Green Day

Smack My B**** Up -- Prodigy

Goodbye Earl -- Dixie Chicks

Of course, my anger wasn't just limited to the 90's so here are a few more from my Angry Playlist

F*ck It -- Eamon

Heaven Help Us All -- Stevie Wonder

I Feel Fine -- Riddlin' Kids

Tyrone -- Erykah Badu

How about you? What's in your angry playlist? Did any of my selections stir up some memories?

30 Days of MEme- Lacking in Compliments

2010-11-12T22:49:00.001-05:00

Today is Day 12 of the 30 Days of Truth project. You can find an explanation and all the other posts from this series here.

Day 12 - Something you never get compliments on.

Despite being a lyrical master, I never get compliments on my insane knowledge of song lyrics.

Flip the radio on, click past one of those late-at-night music compilation advertisements, or play Rock Band with me, and you'll quickly find I can sing along with most anything.

No, I won't be able to tell you how I know the song or even the title or artist, but I can sing along.

And, this talent isn't just limited to the chorus. I can often follow along word for word with all of the verses. Often I don't even know the words until they are flying out of my mouth.

It's quite a strange talent since we didn't actually have VH-1 or MTV growing up -- the city council seemed to believe it would steal the souls of the children. Of course, when I'd visit my Amma and Gammie in the big city, I'd spend hours a day rotting my brain on Pop-up Video (at least when I wasn't getting my fill of the also-banned Nickelodeon.)

It's an odd talent that a girl raised on Beatles and the Oldies (50's 60's) station can sing-along with almost all of the one hit wonders of the 80's. I mean, I was 12 when the 90's began.

It kind of makes me worry for what lyrical seeds, I'm planting in Linus's brain. Seeds that will one day grow into full grown how-the-hell-do-you-know-this-song trees.

I can only imagine one day when he's in his 30's he'll be flipping past the oldie's station and will be unable to not sing along with this week's favorite song.

Also, like his mommy, I'm pretty sure Linus won't be getting any compliments on his singing or dancing abilities anytime soon. Good thing he has those eyes.

30 Days of MEme- Compliments

2010-11-11T20:19:00.001-05:00

Today is Day 11 of the 30 Days of Truth project. You can find an explanation and all the other posts from this series here.

Day 11 - Something people seem to compliment you the most on.

This one's an easy one. It's what I get complimented on almost daily. It usually goes something like this...

(Whispered) "Oh look. Gorgeous. Just stunning. Those eyes. Wow!"

(Spoken aloud) "Excuse me. Your son is gorgeous--". (This is when I tune out.)

It's not that I don't appreciate it. I adore my son and I love when others admire him. I really don't mind playing second fiddle.

Thing is, that conversation too often ends with this...

"I just can't believe his eyes and THOSE lashes. Oh. Gorgeous. He must look like his dad."

Yep. Don't mind me, I'm just the ugly old mom.

30 Days of MEme- Letting Go

2010-11-10T17:21:00.001-05:00

Today is Day 10 of the 30 Days of Truth project. You can find an explanation and all the other posts from this series here.

Day 10 - Someone you need to let go, or wish you didn’t know.

So I've basically missed days 8 and 9, and here it is Day 10 and I STILL don't know what to write about.

You see, all the posts I've missed are about letting people go and to be honest, I'm pretty good about just letting relationships go. Sounds terrible doesn't it?

It is, at times -- like the friendships that have drifted away. Other times, it's a good thing because it allows me to move forward.

I'm really not kidding about this. It's definitely a flawlent. (flaw + talent... I make up my own words.)

During one of my very first large, extended, in-law get togethers, a group of my husband's family was playing a get-to-know you kind of game. No, not the cheesy ones you do at staff meetings, but an actual boardgame one.

This question came up - What do you think is the most important characteristic for a friend?

My answer - Proximity.

I'm pretty sure many of his family members did a double take. They may have even questioned my suitability for Adrian. But, it was the honest truth. I'm TERRIBLE about staying in touch. It's not that I don't want to, but I'm just not really good at it.

I'm so terrible in fact, that I do tend to make it abundantly clear to people because I don't want them to think they've ticked me off or done something else to push me away. Usually, it's just me.

That's one of the things I really love about blogs. They allow me to stay in touch with people who are important to me with less failure. They lessen the miles and make proximity unimportant.

Because of blogs, I know what my nephew dressed as for Halloween, what my good friend is struggling with, and how the home renovations are coming for neighbor friends without having to try to meet for coffee amidst the craziness of all of our lives. We're all parents. We're all busy. If at ten til midnight I can read the latest on a friend's struggles with her three year old, I can still feel connected.

They also make it really easy to let go of people who are having a negative influence on my life. I just remove them from my feed, unfollow them on Twitter, or remove them from my Facebook stream. I don't even have to resort to "UnFriending" -- they just become invisible unless I seek them out.

Easy-peasy.

And isn't that what technology is supposed to be about -- making things easier. Even friendships.

30 Days of MEme- Makes Life Worth Living

2010-11-07T21:48:00.001-05:00

Today is Day 7 of the 30 Days of Truth project. You can find an explanation and all the other posts from this series here.

Day 7 - Someone who makes your life worth living.

Some people hate him.

Some people just use him for sex.

But to me, he is my everything. He makes life worth living.

And, he may be furry. He may even refer to himself in the third person, but that little red guy sure can bring a smile to my face like no other.

Yep, I'm talking about --

ELMO!

There is nothing better after an hour and a half of driving little Matchbox cars around and around and around than to look up at the clock and see the hour hand pointing at 4.

Sesame Street time!!

I can't imagine life without my twenty-minute power nap -- or, as it is known to me, the Elmo nap.

Elmo makes this momma so happy, she doesn't even mind that the Jingle Bells tune is permanently etched in her brain and able to pop out at any moment.

Sing it with me -- La-au-ndry. La-au-ndry. Laundry, laundry, Laaaaauuuuundry.

30 Days of MEme- Never Wanna Do

2010-11-07T21:46:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was Day 6 of the 30 Days of Truth project. I'm a day late. Whatever. You can find an explanation and all the other posts from this series here.

Day 6 - Something you hope you never have to do

Instead of just one thing, I offer you --

Five Things I Never Want to Do

1. Mud wrestle.

2. Watch American Idol.

3. Run into one of these guys.

4. Or one of these, for that matter.

5. Own a waterbed.

30 Days of MEme- Lifetime Goal

2010-11-05T23:33:00.001-04:00

Day 5 in the 30 Days of Truth. See all the previous Truthiness posts here.

Today's topic: Something you hope to do in your life.

Here y'all go. Here's a little look into Abby's grandiose bucket list.

You wanna know the #1 thing I hope to do in my life...
     More kids? Maybe someday, but that's not my #1.
     Write a book? Ha! I'm not that confident a writer.
      Teach the world to sing? Probably should start with myself.

The #1 thing I want to do in my life... remodel an old house. Preferably, I would pay someone to do it to my exact specifications, but I could handle a little DIY. Yep, I want an old house something from 1910 or maybe 1920 or even 1943 like my current house. But, I want it to not function like an old house.

You see, I actually want a place for a modern size fridge. I want a laundry room. I want MORE THAN ONE BATHROOM.

I want all of this while still retaining the old charm. I love my phone nook, my ironing board cubby turned spice cabinet, and my worn, and never refinished, hardwood floors. I love the old doorknobs, the paned windows, the fatty baseboards, the arched entryways, and even the non-functioning fireplace with gorgeous mantel.

But, I would also love to not utilize my bed as a laundry room. I would love to not have to scurry down to the wet basement to do my laundry, and I'd love to not have to convince my son to get out of the bathroom so I CAN PEE!

I want a house with all the charm of bygone days, but with all the convenience of our modern life.

Now, who wants to give me 699,000 dollars?

How about you? What's #1 on your bucket list?

30 Days of MEme- Forgiving Another

2010-11-04T22:52:00.001-04:00

This post is part of my November '30 Days of Truth' series. It's a meme thing, better explained here. You can find all my other posts in this series here.

I'm pretty generous about forgiveness. As I mentioned before, I'm super empathetic and always try to see the best in people.

Maybe that's why I'm struggling to come up with someone to forgive. I've pretty much let most things go.

That's not to say I'm perfect. There are a few people I still hold grudges against, but those are some BIG grudges. Ones that aren't so easy to let go -- middle school bullying, a hostile colleague. Big ones.

Struggling for an idea, I called my husband --

Me: I need someone to forgive. I can't really think of many grudges I still hold.

Him: Maybe you should forgive the people who voted Republican?

Me: No, I can't do that. I just can't.

It's still too fresh.

I mean, the 2000 elections were only 10 years ago, and his photo had hung in my high school locker and then dorm room.

Image found at commons.wikimedia.org.

Oh Al, how I love you.

30 Days of MEme- Forgiving Myself (Day 3)

2010-11-03T22:04:00.004-04:00

I forgive myself for not writing this post. Does that count?

Today is Day 3 of the 30 Days of Truth. (You can read the first two days here and here.) Today's topic: Something I have to forgive myself for.

Today was a day of self-indulgence. I used Linus's preschool time to attend to some retail therapy.

Yup, I bought some black glitter pumpkins at Michael's for $4 each. Awesome, since four years later, I still have the glitter and faux pumpkins I was going to use to do it myself. I also bought a few 29 cent pieces of felt so I can make another circle garland (like the one I made for my SIL's baby shower). This one will be going on my Christmas tree or mantle depending on how long I make it. Plus I finally found a frame for my John W. Golden print. I can't wait to hang it on the door to CARPETED upstairs. (If you haven't heard about John Golden, check out his Etsy shop. He's an NC artist whose art has even been sold by Land of Nod.)

After my good luck at the craft store, I headed over to Marshall's. Let's just suffice it to say that my luck continued. A new coat for Linus, a jacket for me, a sweater for Linus, a sweatshirt for me, and even socks for the hubby were all in my shopping cart.

Sometimes, I just need a little retail therapy -- especially after yesterday.

For my splurges and indulgences, I forgive myself. That was easy.

PS- I wasn't paid to for any of this. It's just the truth of the day plain and simple.

30 Days of MEme- What I Love about Myself

2010-11-02T20:57:00.002-04:00

This one is pretty easy and it's one that a few people even listed as 'hating' about themselves.

I love that I am empathetic and emotional. I am tenderhearted and ALWAYS try to think the best of people.

When someone shares a story of some wrong-doing whether it's something someone said, a tale of family disagreement, or an example of how people are "playing" the government system, I always see the other side - the side of understanding.

Call it naive, but I prefer to think the best of people. In general, I believe that everyone is just doing the best they can whether that means they're on welfare, need mortgage assistance, require subsidized school lunch, or just went crazy parent on their three year old. I don't know their entire life story nor do you. Therefore, I have NO right to pass judgment on their choices.

That person on welfare may be working three jobs and still struggling to put food on the table. That friend of a friend of a cousin who required mortgage assistance and now lives in a bigger house than I do for a smaller mortgage payment? He may have lost his job just when he thought things were going well. That first grader who gets free school lunch everyday? It's a dollar and seventy-five cents to feed a KID. Does it really matter? And that parent, who just went off on their three year old in the parking lot because he wouldn't stop talking? She may have just struggled through a horrendous grocery trip in which that 3 year old angel grabbed everything within sight off the shelf but she had to persevere because groceries needed to be purchased before she picked the 6 and 8 year old up from school, and the heater repairman is supposed to arrive between noon and 5 and he may already be there and heaven-help-her if she has to reschedule for a date three weeks from now.

You just don't know.

So, I choose to be empathetic. I choose not to imagine the worst. I choose to offer understanding, assistance, hope for a better future, and even -- forgiveness. I HAVE to think the best of people.

Without it, I don't think I could get up in the morning.

30 Days of MEme - What I Hate about Myself

2010-11-01T15:04:00.001-04:00

Sadly, this isn't 10 Things I Hate about Myself, so I've narrowed it down to the ONE that's bothering me right now. As in during this five minutes because the next five minutes will be something else.

I hate that I am no longer 100% at anything. Or maybe, I hate that I still insist on grading myself on a percentage scale despite not having been a student in almost ten years. It's the teacher in me, I guess -- sitting around with a BRIGHT RED pen waiting to check mark all of my errors.

✓ Kitchen floor covered in crumbs?

✓ Yelled at your precious three year old?

✓ Fur covered couches?

✓ Unfolded laundry?

✓ Groceries still unpurchased?

✓ Haven't called your mother?

✓ Griped at husband?

It seems lately my life is one great big F.

I wish that one of two things could happen for me -- I want to either someday reach that A range (A minus is fine) or else stop mentally grading myself.

I guess, the one thing I hate about me is that I'm my own harshest evaluator. I wouldn't grade my students this severely or with this much gusto (or even with red check-marks), so why do I insist on doing it to myself?

This post is part of a 30 day meme I saw first posted on my friend Marty's blog. Feel free to join in whether via the comments or your own blog post. Don't forget to leave me a comment letting me know if you're participating, so I can come commiserate or at least learn a little about YOU.

30 Days of MEme

2010-11-01T12:24:00.002-04:00

Well, why not? That's definitely NOT how the world's greatest minds ever began a project, but I'm not claiming to be a great mind. So, 'why not' is good enough for me.

My friend Marty is doing this self-exploration meme thing, and since I tend to either be short on ideas or unable to remember my really great idea for blog posts, I figured a few posts of preset topics wouldn't be a bad thing.

So, here's what I'm hoping to write about over the next month. We'll see how well I stick to it. I haven't been much of a finisher since I became a mom.

Day 01 Something you hate about yourself.

Day 02 Something you love about yourself.

Day 03 Something you have to forgive yourself for.

Day 04 Something you have to forgive someone for.

Day 05 Something you hope to do in your life.

Day 06 Something you hope you never have to do.

Day 07 Someone who has made your life worth living for.

Day 08 Someone who made your life hell, or treated you like shit.

Day 09 Someone you didn’t want to let go, but just drifted.

Day 10 Someone you need to let go, or wish you didn’t know.

Day 11 Something people seem to compliment you the most on.

Day 12 Something you never get compliments on.

Day 13 A band or artist that has gotten you through some tough ass days. (write a letter.)

Day 14 A hero that has let you down. (letter)

Day 15 Something or someone you couldn’t live without, because you’ve tried living without it.

Day 16 Someone or something you definitely could live without.

Day 17 A book you’ve read that changed your views on something.

Day 18 Your views on gay marriage.

Day 19 What do you think of religion? Or what do you think of politics?

Day 20 Your views on drugs and alcohol.

Day 21 (scenario) Your best friend is in a car accident and you two got into a fight an hour before. What do you do?

Day 22 Something you wish you hadn’t done in your life.

Day 23 Something you wish you had done in your life.

Day 24 Make a playlist to someone, and explain why you chose all the songs. (Just post the titles and artists and letter)

Day 25 The reason you believe you’re still alive today.

Day 26 Have you ever thought about giving up on life? If so, when and why?

Day 27 What’s the best thing going for you right now?

Day 28 What if you were pregnant or got someone pregnant, what would you do?

Day 29 Something you hope to change about yourself. And why.

Day 30 A letter to yourself, tell yourself EVERYTHING you love about yourself.

Stay tuned for the first post later today. Hopefully, before midnight.

But He's Not a Cornhusker

2010-10-27T15:14:00.002-04:00

I think we might be overdue for a trip to Great Uncle Larry's in Nebraska. What do you think?

These photos were taken during our Fall farm venture to Vollmer Farms. The corn pit was absolutely Linus's favorite part, and that's saying a lot since there was a cow "train", tire swings, a giant pumpkin trampoline, and an underground slide.

How about you? Did you venture to a pumpkin-picking farm this Autumn? If so, what were your kids' favorite parts?

Evolution of a Room

2010-10-25T14:42:00.000-04:00

I realized the other day that I hadn't yet posted the room update we did in Linus's room. When he moved to a new "big boy" bed, it required a bit of rearranging. It's amazing how much bigger a twin bed is than a crib.

Originally, the room looked something like this -

Paint color, courtesy of the previous owner. Mess, courtesy of my husband. This was shortly after he began working from home. This was his office. I just shut the door.

Eventually, the mess and paint color began to grate on my nerves and I couldn't just let the closed door handle it so a room revamp was undertaken and an "entertainment" room was born.

At this point in our marriage I was still into the whole "compromise" thing in decorating. Thus, the room was painted blue - which certainly came in handy a few years later.

(Please ignore the weird splicing. My blinds weren't actually hung crooked.)

Jump ahead almost three years, and you find us converting the "entertainment" room into a room for a baby boy. Pops of orange were added to brighten up the room and black-out liners were attached to the back of the blinds to darken it.

That rocker was just a place holder for my backordered one.

This past September, the room evolved once again. From a room for a baby to a room for a growing boy. After months of uncertainty, we finally settled on the Ikea Kura reversible bed. It had been one of our first choices but we were hesitant about the loft aspect. Currently, the bed is flipped so the mattress sits closer to the floor but eventually, we figure it will be good to open up that space a bit to allow even more play space.

Linus's bedding is also an Ikea purchase. Instead of the traditional American-style made bed, I chose to just go with the fitted sheet and duvet cover combo. This makes it easier for Linus to "make his bed" in the morning. He just has to tuck the duvet down towards the foot and straighten his pillow.

I'm sure as Linus grows older or as we expand our family, the room will continue to evolve. Heck, maybe we'll even break out a new paint color someday.

Big Girl Pants

2010-10-22T11:24:00.001-04:00

I've recently discovered that I do indeed STILL have a big girl voice. Yes, this from the girl who authored many a petition in high school, regularly questioned educators' authority (yes and I still became a teacher), and demanded a new voter registration form on my 18th birthday because the administrative assistant went ahead and checked 'Republican' for me. Sometimes, I've even found there are times that I manage to dig up the courage to use my big girl voice (or actually write it).

Funny thing is, I don't tend to really get into it much here. I don't know if that's because this blog is more about my family than the world around us, or if it's just that I'm afraid of the backlash.

I'm thinking it's the latter. I mean, it takes me entire evenings and numerous edits before I actually hit publish on comments that involve my opinion. Yes, I have a big girl voice but lately I've taken it down to more of a whisper.

Maybe it's because my parents always encouraged me to "pick my battles". (Although I think they may have been referencing the crazy intense sibling rivalry between my older brother and me, but whatever the reason, the lesson stuck.)

I figured it might be time to remedy that just for a bit. You see, I've been opining over on Facebook and on friends' blogs and I thought I might share. I mean, it took me so long to overcome the fear of unfriending that I might as well get a blog post of my own out of it.

So here ya go.

This link will take you to my archives where I have copied a two comment "discussion" that I recently had with a Facebook friend regarding a candidate running for Congress in Virginia. You can read the article we're discussing here.

And, this link will take you over to my friend Andrea's blog where I'm hoping she won't hate me for disagreeing about the whole Juan William's story.

There you have it. I'm not yet Rachel Maddow, but I put on my big girl pants today.

(Feel free to disagree but remember to keep it respectful.)

Plus, for those of you not interested in my opinionated ramblings, here's a little something for y'all too. It's cuteness overload.

The Abby Cadabby Costume Dilemma

2010-10-20T08:09:00.000-04:00

My son intends to be Abby Cadabby, the pink Sesame Street fairy, for Halloween and I could not be more proud.

Yes, I said my son. He's a boy. He likes trucks, bike riding, digging in the dirt, and pink fairies.

When he first requested to be Abby, I was not surprised. He adores her and her fluffy purple pigtails so much that his birthday cake was - kind of - an homage to her fairy pinkness. Who was I to deny his desire?

Of course, then I started to over-think it.

What if everyone refers to him as a girl? What if peoples' reactions were negative? How many times will I hear, "How does his dad feel about this?"

I do live in a pretty liberal-minded community, but that does not mean everyone is cool with a little boy dressed as a girl. So, I sought opinions.

Reactions were mostly positive -- a few were worried about his dad's reaction. I wasn't. His dad's reaction was always, "Go for it."

So, we did and the piecing together of an Abby Cadabby costume began. As I was cutting strip after strip of tulle, I began to feel pride in my son's choice.

You see, lately I've been reading a few articles on the lack of strong female characters in motion pictures and the lack of womanly representation in Congress. It got me thinking about the backwardness of having little girls idolize male role models while not being comfortable with little boys doing the same towards females. Why is it acceptable for little girls to dress up in stereotypically male roles like soldiers, baseball players, or superheros (granted these are usually highly feminized versions - gah) but not for boys to dress-up in stereotypically female roles?

It is my belief that these stereotypes are wrong no matter which way they are directed. How will society ever fully accept females as equals if we continue to allow our sons to only idolize males? Why shouldn't my son want to grow up to be just like Hillary Clinton, Mia Hamm, or Martha Stewart (excepting the illegal trading and all)? Women are worth idolizing and it shouldn't just be our girls who are doing it.

After all, Halloween is about pretending, make-believe, and trying out a persona. If my son idolizes a strong, opinionated, and intelligent character, who cares if she's also wearing a dress and a set of fairy wings?

Now, here's hoping I haven't made a terrible mistake that will scar him for the rest of his life. I haven't, right?!?

Photographing Little Kids - Real Life Strategies

2010-10-13T11:48:00.000-04:00

Photographing little kids is HARD. So hard, in fact, that even Casey at Moosh in Indy admits it's challenging.

Today, though, I offer you one strategy that I have used successfully to snap some of my best shots of Linus.

Be strategic in your choice of time-out spot.

That's right, use time-outs for mini-sessions.

Sure, you're technically supposed to ignore the child when he or she is in time-out, but I've learned that a camera in front of my face works about the same but with BETTER pictures.

This strategy works especially well when your doing something tourist-y... say, strolling through a patch of giant redwoods in California. The new location, open environment, and change of pace are sure to bring out the, um -- best in your child.

I'm not saying to be looking for misbehaviors to reprimand, but instead when they do happen - because they WILL - use it to your advantage.

You'll have time to adjust your settings and secure a pretty tight focus, and you might just be rewarded with a pretty darn decent shot.

But then again, you might not.

Because He Still Lets Me Dress Him

2010-10-11T08:55:00.000-04:00

I'm a planner. Always have been. But even I have to admit that this may have been a bit extreme.

Those are the 10 outfits I packed for Linus to wear during our recent trip to San Francisco. I wanted to maximize the number of shirts and pants (he's a dirt magnet afterall) while minimizing the additional layers. Thus almost all of the outfits coordinate nicely with a navy hooded sweatshirt and/or a navy reversible puffer vest.

I knew it was worth the effort though when I started packing and found that all his clothes fit in less than one-half of our smallest carry-on.

Ah, the things you've gotta do when airlines charge for checked luggage.

Plus, since I took all the photos with my iPhone, the planning had the added bonus of my husband being able to dress Linus in perfectly coordinated outfits without any nagging from me. He just checked the photo.

Do you have an 'Organization Gone Wild' story? Do have any special tricks when packing for a vacation? I'd love to hear them.

Type-A Fan Girl

2010-09-30T07:15:00.001-04:00

I'm pretty shy. I've always had social anxiety, and marrying my super wallflower husband has not improved matters. That's why going to a social media conference is a bit overwhelming for me.

Yes, I know I just need to introduce myself but it's just something I usually can't do.

At the conference, though, I managed to force my anxieties aside twice in order to meet two bloggers I just had to meet face to face. Lucky for me (or maybe it was strategic planning), they happened to be two of the nicest women you could ever meet.

First was Kim from Prairie Mama. I "met" Kim through Adventures in Babywearing. You see, one of the many things I have in common with Steph is a LOVE of ring slings and Kim makes GORGEOUS ones. So, when I saw Kim showing Marty one of her slings, I couldn't just sit in my chair chowing Chick-Fil-A. I had to say hi.

Boy am I glad I did. Now I know that Kim is as lovely a person face to face as her writing would lead you to believe. AND (and this is no small thing), her slings are amazing. Amazing, like, ImightjustbuyoneeventhoughIdon'thaveababy. That amazing. And if you do have a baby, or have one on the way, GO! Buy! Now!

My other fan girl moment came with Casey. I met Casey last year at the conference. I chatted with her a bit and walked away thinking I had just met the sweetest person in the whole wide world. So I got home last year and low-and-behold Casey was quite a big name blogger -- none other than Moosh in Indy. *squeal*

Basically, I've been stalking her ever since. Her photography, her words, her story, her. So, getting to hang out with her a bit during the Biltmore Wine Tasting event? Heaven.

Yes, I was a bumbling, nervous mess, who failed to snap a photo with her even though my camera was RIGHT THERE. It was still totally worth it. She's adorable. Now if only I can figure out how to veer up through Indianapolis on our next journey to the plains and catch a photo session with her awesomeness. That -- I'm working on.

There you have it. My two fan girl moments from the Type-A Mom Conference. Though there were certainly others I would have loved to meet, I let my own insecurities hold me in my seat.

That's why I'm making a list. It will be a no-excuse list of bloggers who if I happen to be in the same room with them, I will force myself to go up to. Here goes --

Liz Gumbinner of Mom-101
Steph from Adventures in Babywearing
Kristen Chase of Motherhood Uncensored
Sherry Petersik of Young House Love
Kate from Sweet|Salty

Those are my absolute can't miss, force myself to get-over-it blogger meet-ups.

How about you? Who's on your list?

Type-A Mom Afterthoughts

2010-09-27T21:20:00.000-04:00

"Not everyone can grow up to be a rocket scientist."

That's what my husband says to me when I'm down on myself about not being "the best" at something. It sounds terribly unsympathetic but he (usually) follows it up with what a great teacher, mom, or wife I am.

That quote was exactly what was running through my head as Cyndi and I returned home from the Type-A Mom blogging conference. I was attempting (damn you, crummy 3G coverage) to follow along on Twitter as the other conference attendees participated in the "Town Hall" meeting. It seemed the topic had turned to a discussion of haves and have nots in the mom blogging world.

It isn't a new thing. It's a struggle that exists everywhere, but especially prevalent in the world of mom-blogging today.

Seriously. Who does that?

Attending a blogging conference is an inspiring and humbling experience.

You can walk away with new ideas, curiosities about branching out with advertising, photography, or niche work, or even dreams of actually earning money for this hobby.

But it is also humbling.

Humbling because at conferences there have to be speakers, and those speakers tend to be bloggers who "have made it," whatever that means to you. You have to put forth someone to serve as an expert. There are also big name bloggers who come for the same reasons as we lesser knowns. They just want to hang-out with friends, connect with companies, and maybe walk away with a new idea or two.

But as with other mom-blog conferences, feelings of elitism, snubbing, and social order rear their ugly heads. (It seemed to happen at Type-A Mom when the discussion shifted to compensation.)

It would happen in any field. Like when people tend to shuffle their feet and babble in avoidance when the topic of income comes up. Someone will ALWAYS be making more, and as a result someone will ALWAYS feel slighted.

It can be hard when beginning anything new not to have a few pipe dreams. The first time I picked up a tennis racket, I won't deny having fantasies, "Maybe THIS will be my undiscovered, long dormant talent. Maybe I'm the next Monica Seles," -- you know, because she's left handed and grunts when she hits the ball. Alas, I was not a tennis player, nothing close to it. I knew this beforehand with 99.9% of my self, but the little tiny .1% hoped, and that hope can still be crushing.

It's the same with blogging.

When that first comment from a non-family member popped up, I got swept away. Delusions of grandeur, income, and Dyson vacuums went zipping through my brain.

After three years of this, I'm slowly accepting the reality that I won't be the next Bloggess, Dooce, or Wil. I will still be Abby. I'll probably never be able to buy a coffee with blog income (much less pay the mortgage), but I'm slowly realizing that isn't what matters to me.

What does matter is the people I've met, the people who've become friends, the people I've affected, and most especially the family that I am able to stay in touch with. That's why I started this blog and that's why I continue to blog.

If I do end up published in the New York Times or manage to finagle a new refrigerator -- I'll consider that a bonus.

Dreams are a great thing to have, but sometimes it's also a good idea to step back into the real world and assess the gifts you've already been given.

"You have to be okay knowing that you affected just one life."
- Revolutionary Blogging, Type-A Mom Conference 2010

MY Guide to Painting Furniture

2010-09-20T12:43:00.001-04:00

If you Google "painting furniture", you will find numerous excellent tutorials for painting used furniture. Granted, these tutorials will also involve "Five EASY Steps" including sanding, priming, lacquering, etc.

I get tired just thinking about it.

Now, if you want a perfectly flawless finish, then follow those rules.

But, if you're like me, you paid $35 for your piece because it is a bit dinged up and you KNOW it will get even more dinged up -- Hey, you've got kids, a dog, obnoxious cats, a careless husband, and you just want to GET IT PAINTED ALREADY.

There's an easier way --

Guide to Painting Furniture When You've Got Better Other Things to Do

With these 4 for-reals easy steps, you can have the best looking used furniture on the block.

Step 1- Locate paintbrush. Look in your junk drawer, basement Rubbermaid, and attic storage. Locate paintbrush in child's art drawer. Yep, that'll do.

Step 2- Wipe furniture down with a little TSP. This will take care of any residue that might be left from the college dorm party the seller had after finals. (Make sure the kids aren't around because there's all sorts of nasty warnings on the bottle.)

Step 3- Open can of semi-gloss (or glossy) paint in color it took you weeks to settle upon.

Step 4- Paint and repeat as necessary.

There you have it. Your piece will look as good as any of those fancy-schmancy DIYers without any of that hard work -- at least until your kid stumbles upon that Sharpie that slipped behind the bookshelf weeks ago.

Now, I know the sanding and priming is suggested because of potential stains seeping through or to help the finish last, but I figure this furniture is going in my house where it's likely to get beat all to hell whether I thoroughly prepped it or not.

And you know what, there's nothing a quick smear with your leftover paint won't conceal.

Quick Addendum: If the surface you're about to paint is REALLY slick (like say you're painting an old Formica surface dining table - been there, done that) and your first few strokes are beading up, then you will have to do a quick once over with the sander. Just grab some paper towels or old rags and wipe off those initial strokes. Nothing lost for trying the easy way.

When Refrigerators Attack

2010-09-10T11:41:00.001-04:00

I know the proper phrase is 'adding insult to injury,' but my fridge instead added injury to insult.

Yep, that shiner is courtesy of the fridge door which hit me just right as I was trying to salvage food during its SECOND fit of the week.

Bits and Pieces

2010-09-09T22:29:00.002-04:00

My laptop makes HORRIBLE noise within five minutes of booting it up. It needs a new fan. I just put in a new fan. It pisses me off. Any online activities that can't be done from my iPhone, don't get done - including blogging, email responses requiring more than a sentence, or anything more than reading my Facebook stream.

Our fridge died putting me out a stocked freezer full of summer Farmers' Market produce. Jars of pesto, trays of green enchiladas, dried tomatoes, strawberries, and even zucchini breads have now been tossed in the trash. What we couldn't eat in the five - yes, five - days it took the repairman to come fix our fridge, then it had to be chucked. Coolers full of ice can only hold so much. Oh, and did I mention it died again, after my restocking trip to the Farmers' Market. Yes, it did. This time an ajar door was to blame. We'll start all over again this Saturday.

Linus started preschool. It was really nothing - like he had always attended. He LOVES it and does not hesitate to say good-bye. It's a really great preschool. It met our #1 requirement - diversity, and then some. We're happy for him and for us.

Linus had another big first. He traveled to Kansas to visit his Gram and Grump without his parents. Grump visited and then flew with him to Kansas and Gram brought him back 5 days later. He didn't even miss us enough to chat on the phone for more than two minutes. We had a much harder time than him despite needing and enjoying the child-free break.

While Linus was gone I painted my two Craigslist finds. The armoire is now mulberry and the credenza is bright pink. They're fun. I'll post pictures someday.

Also while he was gone, our house threatened to explode. One MAJOR gas leak, one 911 operator telling us to get farther away - like down the block, two trucks full of fully outfitted firefighters, and one fire chief saying, "Full suits, guys, and oxygen. I don't know what the conditions are in there," is definitely enough to freak me out. Everything came out okay, and a new meter was successfully installed despite it being Labor Day. We definitely plan to renew our donation to the department's charity since we're regulars.

So those are the major points of the past month. Here's hoping our luck improves a bit. I threw salt over my shoulder after sprinkling my popcorn this evening -- you know, just in case.

So, what have I missed in your lives?

Big Happenings

2010-08-30T09:57:00.000-04:00

Locavore Love

2010-07-31T21:47:00.000-04:00

Do you know how good it feels to have your child sneaking tomatoes and peppers out of your shopping bags to munch before you can get home? You could and that's not the only great aspect of shopping your local farmers' market.

Oh, how we love our twice weekly trips to the Farmers' Market. Since switching to purchasing most of our food from the Durham Farmers' Market, I no longer dread shopping day. Instead of shoving Linus into a grocery cart, pleading with him to hang-on for one more minute while I grab a few more items, ignoring the frustrated looks of other shoppers who think my cart with kid is more in the way then their cart, then mentally rushing along the cashier so we can get the heck out of there, I get to go to the Farmers' Market.

Ah, the Farmers' Market... where Linus can roam free (or zoom around on his scooter), get cooed over by fellow shoppers and farmers, and sample everything from goat cheese to heirloom tomatoes. It's a place where he regularly gets handed free food (Farmer Brinkley especially loves to do this), is recognized and nicknamed Dragon Boy, and can finish a Saturday trip with a Scratch chocolate "donut-muffin".

Not only is the Farmers' Market just a better shopping atmosphere, it's also better tasting food, safer and healthier food, and a great motivation to try new things.

In no particular order, here are a few of the super delicious meals and/or treats we've been eating lately.

Kohlrabi with Peas and Potatoes

Peach - Backyard Blackberry Pie

Tomato-Goat Cheese Pie with Basil


Beet and Goat Cheese Crostini with a side of Butterbeans

Yes, Linus LOVES beets. You would too as sweet as they are.


Peaches and Blackberries served with melt-y Maple View Farms cinnamon ice cream

Alas, I haven't even taken photos of some of our other tasty treats from ~~Sun~~-dried Tomatoes to Pesto to my favorite Green Enchiladas.

As an added bonus, since we go twice a week (Wednesdays and Saturdays), I only have to make a short menu. I don't know about you, but coming up with 3 or 4 meals to eat is WAY easier than creating a menu of 7 meals.

On the current menu,

Saturday- Heirloom Tomatoes Stuffed with Grilled Corn Salad and Corn Fritters
Sunday- Tomato Panzanella w/ Ricotta
Monday- Chorizo Stuffed Mini Sweet Peppers with Tomato, Corn, & Avocado Salad
Tuesday- Grilled New England Seafood Bakes w/ Coleslaw

Additional treats- Watermelon Popsicles, Peach Cobbler, and I'm going to try to pickle some watermelon rind.

Eating locally has really turned me from a have-to cook to a can't-wait-to cook. I highly encourage you to find your local market (at LocalHarvest.org) and get back to cooking for fun!

Insanity is hereditary - you get it from your children.*

2010-07-27T22:06:00.000-04:00

Last night...

7:15 PM - Kiss Linus goodnight. Daddy stays to rock and sing two songs.

7:25 - Daddy emerges saying, "He's not out yet."

7:26 - Linus comes rocketing out of his room in full on giggle-screams.

7:27 - Scoop him up and remove one of sixteen stuffed friends. (The consequence for getting out of bed.)

7:29 - Linus comes rocketing out of his room in full on giggle-screams.

7:30 - Scoop him up and remove second stuffed friend.

7:32 - Repeat again and again and again.

8:10 - Mommy and Daddy begin to stress as this process is taking it's toll on their mental stability and stuffed friends are running low.

8:12 - Daddy removes keystone bedtime friend - giraffe pillow.

8:13 - Hysterical screaming, throw down fit begins.

8:20 - Parents attempt to reason with three year old. (Yea, I know.)

8:30 - Linus is calmer. He is placed back in bed.

8:32 - Giggle-screaming, run-outs begin anew.

8:40 - Exhausted and low on options, Daddy attaches doorknob safety feature to Linus's doorknob thus ending run-outs.

8:41 - Commence screaming and door body-slamming.

8:45 - Parents focus on breathing.

8:50 - Door assault continues. Mommy begins crying unable to withstand it.

8:55 - Parents bow to stress and begin blaming each other.

9:00 - Mommy is actually coherent enough to realize what is happening (at least in regards to the parental bickering) and decides to switch tactics.

9:05 - Jogging stroller is retrieved from attic. The hope being that Linus will be soothed by the night sounds and will slide off to sleep.

9:10 - Walk begins. It is noted that there is indeed a full moon in the sky. There is a moment of reminiscing over another July full moon night when the same two parents strolled the city streets hoping to soothe a colicky baby.

9:11 - Jabbering begins with nary a breath taken. "Where are we going?" "What's that I hear?" "What was that?"

9:45 - Strolling comes to an end as it is still 90 degrees with 90% humidity. Parents settle on alternative plan of driving him to sleep.

9:46 - Linus demands a different radio station. Obviously the classical is too soothing. Request is denied.

9:48 - Linus demands increase in volume of music. Request is denied.

9:52 - Linus demands decrease in volume of music. Request is denied.

10:00 - Linus requests Mommy's whispered conversation to Daddy be repeated. Request is denied.

10:05 - Linus begins screaming, "Where are we going?" His question is answered once through gritted teeth.

10:10 - Question is repeated again and again and again.

10:20 - Linus demands sunroof be opened. Request is denied.

10:21 - "Why? Why? Why?" is shrieked until parents are figuratively pulling their hair out and Linus is literally doing so. (He twirls his hair when he's stressed.)

10:30 - A quiet finally begins to settle in the car.

10:45 - Linus finally passes out. Parents are left with ringing ears and frayed nerves.

11:00 - Linus is deposited in bed thankfully not awakening during transition from car to bed.

11:05 - Mommy hits the sack. Daddy seeks refuge in his Playstation.

And then...

6:25 AM - Linus awakens in full on crank mood already screaming, "I'm not sleepy anymore."

So begins the day.

THIS is why we are SO strict on bedtime. The child NEVER just wears out and he NEVER sleeps in.

*Quote by Sam Levenson in Diners' Club Magazine November 1963

Activity: Mouse Shapes

2010-07-20T23:02:00.000-04:00

Way back when my friend Corrie asked about the time requirements for the many projects I try to do with Linus. She's a busy mom of two and was feeling overwhelmed at the thought of the huge dinosaur day.

I never got around to responding to Corrie (sorry about that...) since I'm both a very bad responder and a busy mom. Anyway, better late than never.

Most of my days with Linus are not filled with projects. I do this both intentionally and out of necessity. I truly believe if I filled every minute of Linus's days with guided activities and projects, he'd never learn to entertain himself (heaven help me). In addition, he'd never have the opportunity to develop his imagination, follow his own interests, or just plain relax. And, I'd get even less laundry folded than I do now. (If that's even possible.) Yes, this is what I tell myself on those days where I feel like I'm totally ignoring my child because I'm swamped with household chores or just wanting to dig into the latest Sookie Stackhouse novel. I give myself a pass. I am not his teacher and, honestly, I wish schools' curriculums were less demanding and instead allowed for more wandering learning.

Project days are definitely fewer and farther between than our regular book reading, car playing, couch vacuuming days. They also aren't really scheduled. They happen when I'm inspired (by a book, a blog post, or a new medium) or when I'm otherwise motivated (watching two preschoolers, struggling with a whining kid, or avoiding a 90+ degree day).

Yes, on days I have a project that is successful and I post it on the blog, I'm feeling like Super Mom, but generally I'm just a mom constantly torn between the desire to sit around reading to my little guy, getting the grocery list made, getting another load of laundry folded, or just taking a minute to sip my coffee. I feel guilty for not doing enough most days, but like most moms, I'm doing the best I can.

Anyway, here's a super easy project you can do with your kiddos without any preparation. (Okay, a little preparation if you want to bring in the literary tie by checking the book out from the library.) This one was inspired by a recent check-out of Mouse Shapes by Ellen Stoll Walsh. The book practically screamed this project at me the first time we read it.

Mouse Shapes

Materials: Construction paper, scissors or paper slicer, circle punches or cutter (optional but easier), glue

1. After numerous readings of Mouse Shapes and while seated at work table, hand the book over to your little one. Have him or her "read" or retell the story to you. While he or she is doing this, begin cutting out some basic shapes from the construction paper. You'll want a nice mix of squares, triangles, circles, and rectangles. Another option is to cut one at a time and have your kiddo tell you the shape and color as you hand it over to him/her.

2. If your child is very familiar with the story, s/he'll immediately start sliding the shapes around to create pictures. Linus immediately wanted to make a "mouse house" and flipped to that illustration in the book to see how the mice did it. He quickly located a square and a triangle to arrange in the shape of a house.

3. At this point, you could just call it good. Linus could have spent quite a while moving the shapes around creating images from the story and some of his own. I made the mistake of pushing him forward when I really could have stopped there.

4. Hand over a larger piece of paper and glue bottle. Encourage child to glue his/her pictures to the paper.

As I said, I definitely pushed Linus onto step four a little too soon. I had a final project in mind and failed to see his creativity and enjoyment with just sliding them around on the table. The shapes were actually facilitating quite a story retelling by Linus. Handing the glue over only complicated his thinking and caused him to become distracted and frustrated. His output definitely decreased. I'll definitely try to do better next time.

Oh, and if you want even easier, you can do a similar activity with a set of shape blocks, pattern blocks, or shape magnets if you have them. For older kids, you could even step back and let them cut their own shapes out.

Oh, it's a jolly 'oliday

2010-07-16T11:37:00.000-04:00

Linus: "I have a baby in my tummy."
Me: "Oh yea? Is it a boy or a girl?"
Linus: "A go-wah."
Me: "What are you gonna name her?"
Linus: "Mary Poppins."

Of course. After one viewing the kid knows a classic when he sees it.

A Freakishly Weird Shaped Head

2010-07-12T23:06:00.000-04:00

My mistake was in asking Linus not "What flavor cake do you want for your birthday?" and instead asking, "What kind of cake do you want ?" It's a subtle difference but one that allows enough wiggle room for the request to go from the simple "Chocolate," to the so much more complicated, "Abby Cadabby".

During a recent visit to our neighborhood mall, Linus had spied a Cookie Monster giant cookie cake at one of cookie stores encircling the food court. As he began pleading for the freakishly blue glob of Crisco, I responded simply, "Mommy can make you one for your birthday." Never one to miss an opportunity for dessert, he jumped all over the idea moving in a mere minute's time from a Cookie Monster cake to an Elmo cake to the significantly more complicated oblong, alien-shaped head of Abby Cadabby. Once the name was out of his mouth, there was no going back. He had settled firmly upon his favorite Sesame Street character, and he was not to be swayed.

So began my humiliation. You see, as any internet-addicted, tech nerd, I early on turned to my friend Google to guide me in creating an Abby Cadabby cake. Of course, the image search turned up mainly screen-printed or dolls stuck atop cake creations. This should have been a clue. Abby Cadabby is NOT easy.

I scoffed at the cake disasters other people proudly displayed on their Flickr pages. Those cakes looked TERRIBLE. I could so do better. I sketched. I planned. I gathered supplies. All the time feeling absolutely confident in my abilities.

I am here today to state for the record that I was wrong... so very wrong. I couldn't do better. Despite my planning, sketching, mixed-media decorating solutions, the cake is a wreck. It only vaguely resembles Abby in a fluffy pink and purple way. It's so bad, I am absolutely NOT sharing a full photo of it. This is the closest you will come.

My only consolation is that it's gonna be the most delicious Abby Cadabby cake ever thanks to my from-scratch Devil's Food Cake and sinfully rich, yet airy buttercream frosting. It will be a pleasure to destroy the evidence of my baking failure.

Next year, remind me to ask not "What kind?" but "What flavor?" because I make quite a tasty zesty lemon glazed cake.

Homemade Chalk Paint

2010-07-06T15:35:00.001-04:00

Today, we're sitting inside sweating and reminiscing about last week's weather. Seriously, the high temperatures were in the low 80s and there was super low, if any, humidity. We had the windows open all day and night. It was so gorgeous, in fact, that we spent as much time as possible outside. We went to the playground several times, had a picnic dinner at the park, picked backyard blackberries, hit up the Farmers' Market twice, and even did a little outdoor artwork. If anyone knows of a place with weather like we had last week, do tell because I will pack my bags and move immediately.

One of the activities we did to take advantage of the fantastic weather was to chalk paint the sidewalk. We used a really simple recipe. Mix equal parts water and cornstarch. (We did 1/2 cup portions.) Add food coloring to reach your desired color. Then grab your paintbrush and create your masterpiece.

Just try to remain calmer than I did when your kid starts doing this... with EVERY SINGLE color.

Thus splattering your absolute favorite jeans and ruining what you had hoped would be at least a 20 minute activity.

It does wash out though it may take all day for your patience and calm to return. *sigh*

Crash and Burn

2010-07-03T21:59:00.000-04:00

Early this morning, we headed out for the Farmers' Market and parade. We had debated whether or not to take Linus's bike or just the wagon. And so begins the story.

You see, on the greenway, we usually let Linus really get going on his bike. There's no concern for traffic and a nice open road. This time, though, Linus really tested his speed racing down the first big hill while the grown-ups (and Baby E) lagged behind. Suddenly, Linus swerved dramatically off to the left and disappeared into trees.

Fearing the worst (there's a pretty significant,10 foot drop-off, water-filled ravine a few feet off the greenway), Daddy took off running. Here's where the 'Crash and Burn' comes into play. Daddy, in his panic, was moving at top speed when he lost control of his feet, tumbled down, and skidded along the asphalt.

Linus, lying in shock underneath his bike in the weeds, ended up being alright. Daddy, on the other hand, suffered a pretty severe case of road rash. Luckily, I was able to calm everyone's frazzled nerves, assess injuries, and adjust the wagon's load to fit another passenger.

We forged ahead, a bit shell-shocked, taking in the parade not from the slightly mangled Strider bike, but from the comfort and safety of the wagon.

His Own Drummer

2010-07-01T14:45:00.000-04:00

This is a repost from last July 4th. I'm reposting it to remind you that once again Durham Central Park is hosting a children's parade complete with Scrap Exchange decor.

This year, the event will take place on July 3rd. The fun begins on the 500 block of Foster St with decorating at 10AM and the parade at 10:45. (More details here.) Afterwards, while your slurping on that free juice pop, be sure to hit up the Farmers' Market for the best in local eats.

We plan to take our wagon this year in hopes of not being two blocks behind on a three block route. Hope to see you there.

We've always known that toddlers, in general, can move painfully slow, but we didn't know just how slow Linus can move until we joined in a Fourth of July parade.

Here's Linus getting ready to go with his bike decked out with re-purposed supplies from the Scrap Exchange.

Here's the start of the parade. Go, Linus, go.

There goes the parade.

Suddenly at the back of the pack and we haven't even moved yet. "Hey, what's that?!?"

There go the rest of the paraders.

Finally moving although already about a half a block behind.

Oops. Gotta stop and check out the fire truck.

Needless to say, we only managed to complete half the parade route. Lucky for us, the police officer controlling traffic did wait for Linus to round the corner before allowing traffic to move again. Thankfully, Linus's friend Katie's daddy picked up an ice pop for Linus at the end of the route because, heaven knows, if any were left, they would have been a puddle by the time we got there.

Oh well, it was fun, he was still cheered by a few patient spectators, and we got to parade all the way home.

Diamonds aren't forever, but babies sure are

2010-06-29T15:17:00.000-04:00

There have been busy, busy days around our house as we've been spending full days with my sweet four month old niece while her momma attends to some work.

The days have been full but not crazy as I tend to imagine when pondering another addition to our family. Instead, I'm so occupied that I really don't have time to dwell on the dishes that aren't getting washed or the time that I'm not actively engaging Linus. It's been great. Of course, it helps that Miss E is the sweetest little thing you'll ever meet.

Anyway, all this full time parenting got me mooning over the thought of more again. Sitting on the couch reading to Linus while feeding E, he leans over and whispers "I love you," to his cousin and follows it up with a kiss. It was too sweet so I asked him, "Would you want Mommy to have a baby for our family?"

He pondered this only for a minute before responding, "No."

He then followed that up with, "E comes over to play and then goes home. A baby'd stay forever.

Hoping to add enticement to the idea, I suggested how he could share his room with the baby. I should have known better.

"No. That's my room, not a baby's."

That was the end of that conversation.

Celebrating the Small Stuff

2010-06-24T10:38:00.000-04:00

It's coming... only three more days.

What's coming that has our household (well, at least one member) super excited? Is it World Paintball Day? Um, no. Maybe National HIV Testing Day? Nope, not for us.

Haven't guessed? Well, here's a hint. Take a peek at our calendar.

Still no clue? Come on, people. It's Candy Day!

This month Linus decided to help me fill out our family calendar. He insisted on making his own addition right there on June 27th declaring it Candy Day, and who am I to argue?

He's waited patiently all month, checking the calendar at regular intervals to be sure Candy Day was still approaching, and I've been saving an extra special, super jumbo lollipop I picked up from The Lollipop Shop.

Now who says a two year old can't be patient.

How about you? Any special days your family likes to celebrate or at least recognize? We'd be more than happy to add them to our calendar right along with National Ice Cream Day (July 15) and maybe even Lollipop Day (July 20).

Saltwater and Sand

2010-06-23T11:21:00.000-04:00

There's potential for a long post about how vacationing with a 2, almost 3, year old isn't really vacationing and how when you add in a current local food eating obsession, you're really not getting much of a break. But all things considered, we had a nice time plus one extra fantastic day I'll have to share. Until then...

Make Your Momma Proud, BP

2010-06-20T08:16:00.000-04:00

At Local Yogurt today, I was watching from a distant table as Linus was busy adorning the chalkboard wall. While working on one especially boisterous drawing, he stumbled over the cup of chalk spilling it all over the floor. Without hesitation, without even glancing my way, Linus squatted down and picked up every single piece of chalk. At two years old, Linus knows that when you make a mess, you clean it up. He needed no reminder from his mother, nor any incentive to do the right thing.

Too bad we can't say the same thing for BP. They made the mess, THEY should clean it up. It's such a simple concept even a two year old gets it.

The Manipulative Little Schmooze

2010-06-17T21:15:00.000-04:00

Although we keep Linus in a diaper at night and nap, he pretty much stays dry and we definitely celebrate this. Of course, he knows that staying dry is important to us, and that's why he can holler out "I have to go potty," and almost guarantee a response. It's his favorite trick at night, in the early morning, and to hustle Mommy up after nap.

This evening, after refusing to go on the potty before bed, "I don't have to go potty," not five minutes after being deposited in bed I heard the familiar refrain. Checking with my husband, I learned that he, in fact, had not gone before bed. Begrudgingly, I hustled him to the toilet.

In the bathroom is where he tried all his best tricks. From, "I'm still going," to "Why is the shower curtain white?" Tonight, when all other attempts failed, he decided to go for broke.

"I wuv you, Mommy."

"I love you too, Linus. Get your pajama pants on."

Feeling a bit defeated, he pulled out the big guns, batted his long eyelashes, and squeaked "I wuv you ta da moon, Mommy."

"I love you too, Linus. Now go to bed."

Of course, I loved hearing it. I'll never stop melting when I hear it, but I held strong and sent him back to bed. This mommy is a big enough push-over as is.

What are some of your kids' best tricks for avoiding bedtime? I'm thinking it's best if I'm prepared.

Scissor Practice for Preschoolers

2010-06-14T08:37:00.000-04:00

Inspired by the "Rainbow Walk*" Linus took while spending the morning with his Aunt Chelsea, I decided to have a collage making afternoon. After reading through his book of color collages, Linus was ready. I gathered up some old magazine and catalogs, a pair of child-safe scissors, and two pieces of construction paper (in his chosen colors).

The main goal of this project was not to teach colors (though it could be), but to practice using scissors. Linus hasn't mastered the motor skills behind cutting, so a little practice is a good thing. You would not believe how difficult it is to explain how to use scissors to a child.

Linus quickly grew frustrated. (It didn't help that he wanted tiny pictures.) After cutting 6 or 7 pictures, I took over most of the cutting. I do plan to have him add-on to these during future practice sessions. His favorite part of the project -- gluing.

*A great idea from my talented sister-in-law is a rainbow walk. From what I can gather (I talked to a two year old after all), they went around her yard searching for objects for the different colors of the rainbow. The ones they could carry were placed in a bucket that Linus was super excited to share with me. Some of his finds included an orange day lily, green leaves, and purple doggy poop bags (his favorite find).

Preschool Dinosaur Activities

2010-06-10T12:38:00.000-04:00

Here's how to over-prepare for a 1 on 2 toddler trade day:

Step 1- Settle on a theme or topic.

Step 2- Gather literature.

Step 3- Brainstorm ideas and write a lesson plan.

Step 4- Gather materials.

Step 5- Go!

For the curious, the lesson plan is as follows:

9-9:15 Read book: A Dinosaur Called Tiny by Alan Durant and Jo Simpson

9:15-9:35 D is for dinosaur

Have kids dip toy dinosaur's feet into paint and "walk" out letter D shape. "Start at the top and stomp straight down. Now a big jump back up and stomp all the way around."

9:35-9:50 Read book: The Super Hungry Dinosaur by Martin Waddell

9:50-10:00 Potty Break

10:00-10:15 Song:

I'm a Mean Old Dinosaur
(Tune: I'm a little Tea Pot)

I'm a mean old Dinosaur
   (Make a mean face, the kids make the cutest mean faces)
Big and Tall
   (Gesture hands big and tall )
Here is my tail, here is my claw.
   (Gesture hands behind your back for tail and make claw hands)
When I get all hungry
(rub your tummy)
I just growl
(have the kids exaggerate the grrroooowwwlll)
Look out kids I'm on the prowl.
(Here I tickle each one of the tummy and they all giggle)

[Source for song lyrics here.]

10:15-10:30 Dinosaur Dig

Search for dino sorters in the bean box.
Discuss new word: paleontologist.
Sort by color.
Sort by type.

10:30-10:45 Read book: What Happened to Patrick's Dinosaurs? by Carrol Carrick

10:45-11:10 Dinosaur Bones

Glue noodles onto dinosaur silouette to create "skeleton".

11:10-11:25 Read book: Buying, Training, & Caring for Your Dinosaur by Laura Joy Rennert

11:25-11:50 Dinosaur Stamping Scene (We used these stamps I found on sale.)

11:50-12:20 Lunch

To paint or not to paint?

2010-06-09T23:42:00.002-04:00

And if so, what color? White, black, or some funky crazy color like fuchsia?

Additional info: Both pieces are solid wood Craigslist finds. They do have some bumps and bruises. The dresser will be used as a buffet in my dining room and will store my nice dishes. The armoire is what we like to refer to as the "bonus" piece as we aren't really sure where to put it. We went ahead and snagged it because we had the truck and, well, because it is a solid walnut piece for $35. Yes, that's thirty-five dollars.

So what do you think? Paint them, touch-up the bumps and leave as-is, or something else?

How to Make Your Own Chemical Free Changing Pad

2010-06-04T08:35:00.001-04:00

Since becoming a mom (and this includes pregnancy), I have become very aware, even obsessed, with reducing my family's exposure to chemicals and other toxins. Instead of just assuming the products I purchase are safe for my family, I've begun researching, learning, and questioning. I even hope to begin advocating.

Due to financial limitations (I'm not a celebrity), I have to pick and choose which less toxic and toxic-free products I purchase. I can't replace all my Ikea MDF and particleboard furniture with solid wood pieces, but I can open my windows daily, bring live plants into my house, shop my local farmers' market, switch to vinegar, baking soda, and Castille soap for my cleaning, and even save up to purchase a mattress that does not contain vinyl, PVC, polyurethane foam, or flame-resistant chemicals for Linus's big boy bed.

One change I recently made (albeit a little late) was to get rid of Linus's foam changing pad. I never considered that the foam it contained could be off-gassing dangerous chemicals until I read HealthyChild's list of the Top Ten Toxic Products You Don't Need (check out #8). That was enough for me. It wasn't really a necessity and I immediately had an idea for a quick replacement.

Here's how I easily (and at no cost) created a new changing pad for Linus's room.

1. Locate a few of those baby blankets you received in excess at your shower.

2. Locate a spare pillowcase you have laying around. (Bonus points for a cute one.)

3. Laying the blankets alongside the pillowcase, fold the blankets together and down to a size small enough to slip into the pillowcase. (If your pillowcase is light colored, use a light colored or white blanket as the outer layer. I didn't here but this one was just for the how-to.)

4. Slip the folded up cushion of blankets into the pillowcase and VOILA you have a chemical-free changing pad.

You can easily wash the pillowcase if it gets soiled.

Plus, it's so much easier to find a pattern that really pops in your nursery decor instead of being limited to the selection of covers at BabiesRUs.

Three for Thursday

2010-06-03T08:07:00.001-04:00

Here we go again. (Check out previous Thursday loves here and here.)

For Me or You
-------------------
These pants from Anthropologie. Oh, the softness, the comfort, the decent price (for Anthropologie). This past weekend, it was decided that we needed to get out of the house for a little retail therapy whether Linus liked it or not. In the end, he was quite cooperative and, with Daddy wrangling him, I got a nice long browse through one of my favorite stores. The best part was that I scored the pants I'd been lusting after online for a few weeks in my size and ON SALE. I spoiled myself (at my husband's behest) and bought both colors. Now, I can finally throw away my favorite brown lounge pants that have so many holes in them that it is obscene. Really.

For the Kid(s)
------------------
One of my favorite children's book authors is Mo Willems and his new Cat the Cat series is the perfect way to encourage any not-yet-reader or beginning reader in a simple and hilarious way. The words are few, the text is large, and the sentences repetitive. They are a dream for new or soon-to-be readers. Linus loves pretending to read by running his finger under the words while he "reads" the story (from memory). Unlike the See Jane type stories of old, Cat the Cat and her friends actually bring humor, compassion, and a STORY to beginning reading. The mom in me recommends them for the fun and the first grade teacher in me recommends them for the educational value.

Plus while your picking up Mo's books, don't forget the Elephant and Piggie series. They are sure to make you laugh out loud.

(Psst... There's even fun and games online with some of Mo's beloved characters. We love to make Piggie dance.)

For the Home
-----------------

Spray Paint- This one may sound silly but really, I'm absolutely serious. What can't you fix with spray paint? It's like my version of duct tape. I've used spray paint to improve the back storm door, a boring chandelier, a used crib (I know not everybody is comfortable with used cribs, but...), old metal outdoor furniture, and even to switch gold hardware on the front storm door to nickel. It's as easy as spray. Just be sure to do it outside and then leave it out there for as long as possible. That stuff is TERRIBLY noxious.

And a bonus for today. I LOVE this. It's likely I prompt Linus for this daily.

Sadly, hibiscus has become hibiscus and no longer kaibiscus. I wonder how much longer humongous will remain quemungous. *sigh*

[Again, not paid for anything I link to or mention. Just stuff I love, plain and simple.]

Can you say genetically-modified?

2010-06-01T08:22:00.005-04:00

There's something wrong with this.

On the left, a strawberry purchased at our local farmer's market. It was grown au naturale. The strawberry on the right was purchased at the grocery store. (Despite my request for organic strawberries, I received these via my online, drive-up collection when the organic were sold-out.)

Notice anything odd? Both are the median size for their package.

I'm pretty sure a pound should not equate nine berries pint of strawberries should not equate six berries* and I'm pretty sure strawberries shouldn't be almost as large as pear.

I'm just saying.

(We didn't eat the mutant berries and unlike the farmer's market variety, they STILL look as fresh as the day we brought them home... over 2 weeks ago. Eww.)

[*Edited 6/1/10 at 1:43PM to reflect actual amount found in purchased container size. I failed to check the container before this post auto-published. Sorry. The original inaccurate text is still shown via a strikethrough.]

Organizing Our Small Kitchen

2010-05-31T07:39:00.001-04:00

For this week's trade day, I decided to re-organize my kitchen. It needed to be done since every time I got in there to cook, I'd end up frustrated with some aspect.

My top three complaints:
1. I hate having to empty the entire small electrics cabinet to get the crock-pot.
2. If I just want to whip up a pie, I first have to unload and reload the dishwasher.
3. A great but super disorganized spice cabinet containing duplicates of several spices.

In addition, we have cabinets that reach all the way to the ceiling. I love that I don't have the void between cabinet top and ceiling, but it means the top shelf is virtually inaccessible, as at almost 5 foot 2, I have to stand on the countertop to reach. I needed to move the rarely accessed, but still valuable items up there and get rid of the never used stuff.

Now, after 4 entirely focused hours plus an additional 2 of going between toddler and kitchen, I have a revamped and organized cabinet.

Complaint #1- SOLVED
I pared down our small electrics even further. I'm getting rid of the small electric skillet and shoving the ice cream freezer canisters to the back corner.

Complaint #2- SOLVED

Due to the small size of our kitchen, we do not have adequate countertop space. To solve this problem, I first stored or cleared out any non-necessities that were taking up residence on the countertop. This meant getting rid of the toaster. (We have a toaster oven that toasts just fine.) It also meant clearing away ALL of the pretties. (I didn't have many to begin with, but now my set of chocolate glasses and bowls are inside the dish cabinet.) The second change I made to provide more prep space was to do a switcheroo. The prep area had previously been to the left of the sink. This was a problem because to the left of the sink was also the dishwasher. That meant when we stacked dishes, they were stacked on the prep side. Before it made sense to prep on that side because the right side contained the microwave, coffee maker, and toaster, but getting rid of the toaster, moving the microwave over by the stove, and switching the coffee maker to the other side meant an entire countertop space for my mixer and baking canisters. It also makes better sense since the cabinet above the right side contains all the food stables like baking powder, additional flours, oils, etc.

Complaint #3- SOLVED
Love my spice cabinet (a former built-in ironing board) even more now that it's alphabetized. Now who needs one of the 4 (yes, four) canisters of cayenne pepper we had hiding in there?

Additional Complaint - SOLVED
Now only non-essential items are on the top most shelf and my cookbooks are now settled on the middle shelf well within my reach.

Shopping Locally at the Durham Farmers' Market

2010-05-29T15:56:00.001-04:00

Boy oh boy, did we hit the jack-pot. It is amazing what a little planning and a fantastic cookbook can do to help a beginner navigate the Farmers' Market.

On this week's menu:

Summer Pesto Pizza
Tofu Stir-fry
Brushetta
Green Enchiladas
Kohlrabi with Peas and Potatoes
Sausage Asparagus Skillet

We spent $55 and got at least half of our grocery shopping done at the Durham Farmers' Market. We could have gotten more (like eggs, bread, yogurt, and additional cheeses) but Adrian's arms were reaching their maximum carrying capacity (bulk, not weight... my husband's manly, after all).

Considering that $10 dollars of that was for intoxicating soaps, I think we even did decent financially. (And let's not talk about our tendency to purchase expensively delicious cheeses.)

How about you? What foods do you try to purchase locally? Do you have any secrets for serving healthy foods on the cheap?

(Bottom photos taken by Linus while browsing at the market.)

This post is crossposted over at Triangle Mamas, where moms dish about all things local.

No compensation of any kind was provided for the mentions or links. It's just good local stuff.

Three Things I Love Thursday

2010-05-27T20:58:00.006-04:00

Look at this... it's a new series two weeks running. Could this be a regular thing? Only time will tell.

Now remember, I'm not paid, gifted, or in any way compensated to write about ANYTHING on my blog. Everything here was purchased with funds from my hard-working husband's paycheck.

For the Parents
------------------
A few weeks ago, my husband was bemoaning the fact that Linus, like many toddlers, takes f-o-r-e-v-e-r to get ready for bed. It has turned bedtime into a battle rather than the cuddly, Daddy/Linus time that it used to be. The usual techniques to speed things up weren't working. Instead of be able to motivate him with what-comes-next, "We can't get your trains out until your cars are picked up," techniques, he knew that hurrying only resulted in going to bed sooner. It was quite a conundrum. The only thing we had to take away was story time. It's not like we could say "You can't get your jammies on until you brush your teeth." We needed a solution.

After letting my teacher brain mull it over for a few days, I came to a solution. We needed to set a limit, we needed Linus to manage his time, and motivation. We purchased the Time Tracker*. It's a visual and aural reminder that time is passing. Now, Linus has to finish all the bedtime requirements (toy pick-up, pottying, brushing, and getting pajamas on) before the time (for now, a half-hour) expires. If he doesn't, then there's no stories. He just goes straight to bed.

You may think taking away story-time (something so integral to education) would bother me, but you'd be wrong. We read ALL THE TIME. The two short stories at bedtime are only a drop in the bucket.

Now, with the Time Tracker, Linus is focused and motivated to get the menial tasks completed and Daddy can once again have a less stress bedtime routine with his son.

For the Kid(s)
-------------------
In an effort to increase Linus's collection of pretend play toys without spending the big bucks, I've been slowly collecting food packages. Instead of tossing (or, in Durham, recycling) the packages that food comes in, I've been collecting them and re-purposing them for his "grocery store". My only frustration with this, though, has been a lack of produce. Since that's what the majority of our grocery budget is devoted to, it leaves his store pretty lacking. However, yesterday, I found a solution.

Blueberries- I kept the little plastic box, and filled it with little wads of blue construction paper to represent the blueberries.

Tomatoes- Again, I saved the container and filled it with the red and orange wooden beads from his threading set.

Basil- This week, I was unable to find a bunch of basil and was left purchasing the little package. But I kept that package too, and cut numerous leaf shapes out of some leftover green felt. Now we have basil.

Other produce I've contributed to the store include the more hearty real produce. My potatoes, onions, apples, and lemons may end up a little bruised (worst case), but they still taste yummy when I cook them the next day or two.

For the Family
---------------------

I have to recommend a fabulous cookbook I picked up at the library. Like my other book recommendations, I intend to purchase this one. It's called Simply in Season* by Cathleen Hockman-Wert and Mary Beth Lind. It's a cookbook divided into the four seasons. In each section, it tells you what foods are "in-season" and available at your Farmer's Market, how to store them, and provides lots of recipes to get you cooking. I made the strawberry bread recipe this week (Yummy!) and rhubarb pie (best ever). Now, when I head to the Farmer's Market, I can have a plan and actually make healthy, seasonal meals for my family. The only thing I wish was different about this cookbook is that it has very few photos of the finished foods. I like to see what it should look like. I guess I'll just have to make more recipes to find out.

*Those links do go to Amazon though they don't give me anything for it. If you decide to purchase, find the best price whether that's Amazon or not.

Puddle Jumping

2010-05-26T13:48:00.003-04:00

Linus is OBSESSED with jumping. Since he's really perfected this skill, I decided to let him really have fun with it. Plus, we needed to do something to see all this rain in a positive light.

Friday Funny

2010-05-21T23:50:00.000-04:00

Hubby found this. It is awesome, sad, and exactly as it claims - "THE STRONGEST VISUAL BIRTH CONTROL ON THE MARKET TODAY."

Sh** My Kids Ruined

You all know we've had our days. So, what's the worst thing your kids have ruined?

Three Things I'm Loving Thursday

2010-05-20T14:58:00.001-04:00

I have lots of little things I always want to share. They're mainly things I love and want to recommend, but they don't seem to warrant an entire blog post. Therefore, I'm gonna just devote this post to three things I'm loving right now. Maybe I'll do it again next Thursday, maybe not. Only time will tell.

Without further ado, three things I love --

For Me (or You)
-----------------------

Sseko Sandals- This is a company (based in Kansas City) that claims to be a "not-just-for-profit company". That means, the manufacture of their product (these gorgeous sandals) does some good. In the case of Sseko, it's helping women in Uganda break the cycle of poverty through education, an education that Sseko helps them pay for. To read more about their not-just-for-profit philosophy go here. To order these super cute and customizable sandals, go here.

I got mine a few weeks ago. It's the second pair I've purchased. After gifting them to my sister-in-law because I knew she'd dig the style and the company goal, I promised myself a pair when the weather got warm. I love them and I think you will too.

For the Kid(s)
---------------------
I just finished reading a fantastic book called Wordsaroni. It offers numerous ideas for "playing with language" with your preschooler. The ideas are simple - the kind you'll go, "Why didn't I think of that," and it's a FAST read (under an hour from start to finish). I checked my copy out from the library but now fully intend to purchase it. As a mom, there are just times that I draw blank for things to talk about in the car, in the check-out line, and at the supper table. This book fills those gaps with word play you can feel good about.

For the House
-------------------
I found this idea on some message board somewhere in the great big internet. I can't for the life of me remember where but I can say it works. It's a recipe for foaming handsoap that is CHEAP, non-toxic, and, best of all, easy to make.

Here it is. Mix 5 parts water to 1 part Dr. Bronner's. Refill any foaming handsoap bottle, and laugh instead of weep as your child washes handful after handful down the drain. Kids just love foaming soap.

There you go. Three things I love on this sunny (at least here) Thursday afternoon. Maybe I'll try it again next week. Maybe.

My readers know this, but just in case. I don't get paid for anything on this blog... not one recommendation, link, or product is purchased. Everything I recommend was purchased by me, for me.

Letter Recognition Activities for Two Year Olds

2010-05-18T14:36:00.001-04:00

Tuesday mornings are my day to step up to the plate. You see, a friend and I trade Tuesday and Thursday mornings. I watch her daughter on Tuesday mornings and she watches Linus on Thursdays. It means that each of us gets a little break once a week. It's very much a whirlwind with two almost three year olds, but it's totally worth it come Thursday.

One of my greatest strategies in dealing with the two tornadoes is to have a plan. (Actually, it's pretty much my life motto.) I try to have several structured activities ready. Combine the planned activities with lots of story time, a little movement activity, and a smidge of free play, and the morning goes smoothly. Often, my planned activity involves going to the park or playing outside. Today, after yesterday's torrential rains, outside time was not an option. Therefore I really had to scramble to come up with something. Here's what we did.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Activity
---------------------------------------
1. Read the book by Martin and Archambault pointing to each letter as it is named. (Repeat readings are a great way to pass the time.)
2. Using a big sheet of paper, draw a huge coconut tree.
3. While the kids are coloring in the coconut tree (I assigned one the trunk and one the leaves.), locate a set of letters. You may use magnetic ones, wooden ones, or even pieces from an alphabet puzzle. You can even write out a set on paper and cut them apart.
4. Place the letters at the bottom of the tree.While slowly reading the story, have kids take turns locating each letter and climbing it up the tree.
5. When you get to the end of the first part (or the middle of the story), the letters all fall out of the tree. If your kid is anything like Linus, you won't even have to model this... Let the kids sweep the letters out of the tree when you read, "Chicka chicka... BOOM! BOOM!" Loosen up and let them go everywhere. They will love this part and want to climb the letters up the tree again if only to crash them all down at the end again.

After several repetitions of this, I had the kids make their own coconut trees. This would let them play the same game on their own later. I used white paper for the base, brown construction paper rectangles for the trunk, some green paper cut into leaf shapes (cut while they were gluing the trunk on), and circle punched some tan coconuts. The kids glued it all together. For older kids, you could just draw the shapes on paper and let the kids do the cutting. If you are so motivated, you could cut each child his/her own set of letters to act the story out.

[As an extension (ie for older kids, more advanced kids, or revisits), you can move on to the end of the story where the grown-up letters (uppercase) come to pick-up all the bumbed and bruised letters. This would be a great time to match-up capitals to lowercase letters.]

Chrysanthemum Letters of your Name Recognition
-----------------------------------------------------
1. Read Chrysanthemum by my favorite children's author, Kevin Henkes.
2. Punch circles for each letter of the kid's names. (Use separate colors.) I punched out 5 for Linus, 8 for his friend, and 13 for Chrysanthemum.
3. Use the letters to count and discuss more and less, longer and shorter (when lined up graph-style).
4. With the child watching, write the letters of his/her name on the circles. Feel free to talk through the formation ("L goes straight from the top to the bottom. Then it goes across.") AND/OR reinforce the sound of the letter ("Linus begins with l-l-l. What letter makes that sound? L.").
5. Grab a strip of paper. Write the child's name again on the paper leaving extra space between each letter. Repeat the above formation or sound talks as desired.
6. Using your set of Chrysanthemum letters, show the kids how to match the circle letters to the strip letters.
7. Give them each their set and go to it.

Extension
------------------
If when you complete all that and you look at the clock and go, "Crap. That only took 20 minutes," you can throw this in.

Yep, let those letters climb on up their coconut trees and glue them on. It will take at least 2 more minutes. Make sure you have them put the letters on in order, but don't fret if they don't put them left to right. That will come later.

PS- The Durham County Library did not pay me to link to the books. I'm guessing they don't have an advertising budget since you can get the books there or at your local public library for FREE!

Oh and as long as I'm handing out unpaid, unsolicited advice, we LOVE using Tap-N-Glue lids for our sticky crafts. Less mess is definitely a good thing.

Maybe I'm Like the Hulk or Something?

2010-05-11T22:36:00.000-04:00

I was once told by a co-worker that deep down inside, I was evil. At the time, in the midst of a first-time standing up for myself conflict, I kind of laughed it off. Evil, really? Evil is a word reserved for murderers, dictators, and horror movies. Evil is not a word used to describe an elementary school teacher. But it was said.

Now, many years later, I'm beginning to wonder if she wasn't correct. I'm beginning to wonder if I am evil.

It seems to have really started when nothing else would grow inside me. Instead of babies, I got really good at growing jealousy and anger. I stopped being happy for other people's successes. It didn't matter if that success was a pregnancy, a newborn, or even a job promotion. I would of course put on a happy face and congratulate them but inside I was hateful.

When I did finally manage to stay pregnant, I assumed the jealousy would dissipate. Instead, it remained and continued growing. Now, I wasn't just jealous of other's successful conception, I was jealous of their easy pregnancies. Throughout my pregnancy, every twitch or ping of discomfort, not to mention dribbles of blood, sent me into a panic. I was sure I was going to lose my baby. I was sure there was something out there just waiting to crush my happiness. I knew that other pregnant moms had fears, but their's just didn't seem justified when compared to my actual 50-50 shot.

But, I forged ahead promising myself that once my healthy baby boy was born, things would be better. They didn't get better. Yes, I had a gorgeous (I'm completely unbiased here) blue-eyed infant, but I wasn't happy. My anger wasn't helped by the fact that Linus had colic and/or acid-reflux. He was a child who could not be calmed. He screamed. I comforted. He screamed. I comforted and cried. He screamed. I began to wonder if it was me. I began to fear (a thought that has never gone just buried deeper) that I wasn't really cut out to be a mom.

Linus's colic was so bad that there were days (and nights) where Adrian and I did a five minute trade-off. Five minutes was all the longer either of us could sanely continue to provide comfort. We were shushing, swaying, side-holding, and swaddling ourselves to the brink of insanity. There were nights when Linus would finally pass out at 1 AM just long enough for us to realize we hadn't eaten anything all day. Adrian would run out to a 24 hour fast food joint, returning with food just in time for the five minute tag team to begin again. And we were alone. Our families had already completed their new baby tours and returned home eagerly awaiting new photos. Our only saving grace at that time was that we ignorantly thought all babies were like this. (Score one point for pessimism.)

At three months, when Linus did settle into life and began sleeping longer stretches, I hoped I was home free. I no longer had reason to be jealous or angry. Our life was better. There was no reason to be angry or jealous. Except, the evil was still there. It had hunkered down inside me for a little vacation, but it was still there.

This weekend I was reading a Postpartum Depression Progress blog rally. To help bring awareness to this issue, posts were written by moms who have suffered postpartum depression. Many of their stories rang true for me and opened all the old wounds. Now, I can't claim to have had postpartum depression but I can say that my own new mother experience has left me absolutely terrified of having another child. I can't even imagine going through all that again while trying to maintain a healthy environment for Linus. I mean, Linus has to eat more often than one fast food meal at midnight a day.

Anyway, this is just my long-winded way of saying, I'm still here but if my posting is light, it's because I'm dealing with stuff. I've got all this plus a nearly potty-trained kiddo who now wakes up at 5:30AM because he has to pee. I'm here... just busy.

These are the People in My Neighborhood

2010-05-04T21:21:00.002-04:00

My neighborhood is the kind that some outsiders might consider "sketchy". There's a mix of blue collar and white collar. There aren't very many perfectly manicured lawns. There are trash cans not brought back to the house within 2 hours of pick-up. There are no covenants dictating they have to be. There are little old ladies with ancient deck furniture on their porch; there are rental places with drive-ways and curbs full of cars; and there's even a crazy cat lady who swore her cat was abducted and murdered (he was hit on the four lane street two blocks away). It's a neighborhood full of older homes- some recently renovated, others still boasting their original pink siding.

This may seem "sketchy" to the casual observer. But if that observer were to stick around for a bit, he'd see that it is more perfect than the little boxes lined up on suburbia's streets. He'd see kids outside playing without the forced interactions of helicopter moms at the park. Kids from all different heritages playing together, playing the imaginative games of our youth. He'd hear a little blonde girl with a distinctly Southern drawl, another girl whose English is an interesting mix of that same Southern drawl and her first language (Spanish). He'd see a group of boys riding their bikes around and around the block. One African-American, one Hispanic, and one who could pass for a Beach Boy. There's the older African-American man who spends his day keeping those well-manicured lawns manicured. Another, a bit older, whose daily activity is to grab his cane and walk to the grocery store.

If the observer would stick around, I like to think he'd see a little slice of America. Not the America some would like to pretend is the real one, but actual America. One where people of various languages, different ethnicities, sexual orientations, various religions, and different incomes all live together without fear. Some nights, that observer, would even be able to smell the real America as the breeze fills with wafts of the vegan chef's kebabs melding with the aroma of tamales made fresh across the street that then dances together with the still bubbly rhubarb pie I've baked.

This is Durham. This is America. This is where I want to live.

Crossposted at Triangle Mamas, where moms get local.

The Rose-colored 70's

2010-04-28T13:51:00.001-04:00

Thanks to Cool Mom Picks, I have a new addiction. I am seriously addicted and you can't make me stop.

I'd like you to meet Hipstamatic. It's a fun little $1.99 app for the iPhone. It's a simple application that turns your phone's camera into a throwback from your childhood. Now you too can snap pictures of your kids that look like the rose-colored shots of your photo albums. No longer do you have to concern yourself with what that giant trail of snot will look like when amplified in super high definition by your fancy DSLR. With Hipstamatic, everything comes out slightly blurry, slightly off-color, and super funky.

Check it out.

Although I know you'll be addicted, don't be afraid to let your kiddos have a go. Linus spent at least 20 minutes running around our yard snapping photos.

Education Day at the DBAP

2010-04-26T22:05:00.004-04:00

It's baseball season and here in Durham, baseball means Bulls! I've already been to two games, and am ready for more.

My first game was last Friday night. Although a trip to the ballpark may sound like a cheap date ($8 tickets are less than the movie theater after all), when you add in several hot dogs, beers, and other "ball park only" splurges, that price quickly elevates. Despite that, a Bulls game is a near perfect date. It nicely tows the line between stare at each other, talk dates and stare at a screen, sit in silence dates. There's both entertainment and conversation. To me, that's perfection.

For my second game, I took a different date. I've written before about how perfect the 11 AM games are for little ones, and today's was no exception. Linus and I met up with our friend's Marty, CC, and and lil' C for a little Spring time fun. The boys did great, spreading their attention equally between the actual game, the fun festivities, and the Matchbox cars I brought along. I still wasn't able to bring myself to indulge Linus in a hot dog or electric pink cotton candy, but he did pretty much eat a bucket of popcorn by himself. Anytime I tried to sneak a little, I was chastised, "No, Mommy, you're not hungry." Of course, one drawback of attending a game with toddlers is that you lose the conversation part of the date. It never seems I get enough chat time with Marty, but we do our best while still being the hands-on mommies we are.

I know Linus enjoyed the game. The rest of the afternoon all he wanted to do was, "Talk about the Bull, Mommy." We were lucky enough to witness a Bulls' home run before leaving the ballpark. For those of you not in the know (or who haven't seen Bull Durham), there's a great big Bull in left field that has eyes that light up, a nose that steams, and a tail that moves whenever the Bulls hit a home run. Linus was fascinated by it, and could not stop talking about it.

So, whether your date is a devilishly handsome 30-something or a two sweet little tow heads, there's lots of fun to be had at the DBAP.

Updated to add: Cross-posted at Triangle Mamas where all the cool local moms hang-out.

Bedtime Requests

2010-04-24T09:02:00.003-04:00

Being like his mother, Linus spends quite a while in his crib downloading the day before falling asleep at night. It's usually happy little chirps addressed to pink kitty, Bert, or giraffe pillow. Occasionally, he does require some intervention. It may be to retrieve a friend who slipped between the bars, refill a water cup, or spread out a blanket. It usually never requires much time. The other night, however, he had a few different requests.

Call Back #1: "Daddy, I have issues."

Call Back #2: "Daddy, how do you skate on a skateboard?"

Earth Day Planting

2010-04-23T10:02:00.000-04:00

We couldn't have had a more appropriate Earth Day if I had actually planned it. When I woke up yesterday morning, I had a crazy urge to garden. It's not something that happens often, but since Linus was spending the morning at a friend's (part of a trade-off), I decided to actually do something about it.

I purchased a few plants and devised a loose plan while Linus was gone. During nap time, I managed to get my first round of plants in the ground and in pots. Since he was still sleeping, I headed back to the nursery for more. (Daddy, of course, works from home so this is a lucky convenience.)

When I returned home, I was just getting started planting when nap time ended. Instead of stopping, I decided to involve Linus in the project. He moved drainage rocks (for the bottom of my pots), transported potting soil, and dumped filler dirt around plants all with the help of his favorite dump truck. Once everything was planted, he assisted in watering with a mini watering can and hauled away all the plastic pots with his dump truck.

It was only after we were through that it occurred to me that it was Earth Day. Getting fifteen ground covers and two shrubs into the ground, potting annuals, and bringing two Boston ferns into our home definitely seemed a more fitting way of celebrating Earth Day than years past.

How about you? Did you do any planting this Earth Day or is your garden already growing?

It's Bananas. B-A-N-A-N-A-S

2010-04-21T22:38:00.000-04:00

From tallying the number during the first days of his life to analyzing color when he is ill to keeping track of how many times in a row he's put it in the toilet (4 times over two days) and not in his diaper (0 times in two days), I never knew how very integral to my life his poop is.

He's making the move to scale back my role as official poop tracker and I couldn't be more excited.

Now about that pee...

Thumbsucker

2010-04-19T08:53:00.000-04:00

Early Saturday morning, Linus was playing in the hallway outside our room while hubs and I attempted to catch a few more minutes of cuddle time. Somehow, while opening and closing the closet door, Linus managed to cut his thumb just below his fingernail and broke out in tears.

Hubby jumped out of bed and began calming him. Figuring the surefire best way to calm any little kid with an ouchie is to put a band-aid on it, Adrian began prepping Linus's thumb. He washed it, doused it in hydrogen peroxide, and pulled out a band-aid.

Immediately upon seeing a band-aid, Linus began screaming, "No, not a band-aid." Somewhat surprised, Adrian explained that he needed a band-aid to help stop the little bit of bleeding it was still doing and to keep it clean. Linus continued to scream in protest.

Wrestling Linus down, Adrian managed to secure a band-aid over the cut and sent him off to me. Still in distress, Linus appealed to me to take it off. With his thumb sticking up, I immediately recognized the problem. He had injured the sucking thumb and was unable to proceed with his usual calming method. Thinking quickly, I suggested he temporarily rely on the other thumb.

Looking at me through moist lashes while tears trickled down his cheeks, Linus whispered, "No, Mommy, this is my special thumb."

Sew Easy Toddler Pants

2010-04-08T18:40:00.004-04:00

Boy am I excited to share this. I'm almost as excited to share it as I was to make it. It's such an easy sewing project that even if all you know how to do is sew a straight stitch, you can do it. Believe me when I say I am a novice seamstress. I'm so novice that seamstress seems an exaggeration.

Plus, as an added bonus, as long as you have thread, you don't have to make a trip to the fabric store for anything. That means this project is FREE! Oh, and did I mention it's green too?

Here's how to turn a worn-out, even torn, pair of your husband's boxer shorts into a pair of cool cotton pants for your toddler. Pants that your toddler can wear as pajamas or even for playing around. With a little snip-snip and a few more stitches, you can have shorts instead... even shorts for your older kids*.

Here's how:

1. Start with the old boxers. (I knew there was a reason I hung onto these fun prints.)

2. Find a pair of purchased pajama pants or unstructured shorts/pants that fit to use as your pattern. Fold the pattern pants in half, pulling the crotch piece outward. Lay the boxer shorts flat. Align the straight edge of the folded pants along the side seam of the boxers. Like so:

3. Now using the pattern pants as a, well, pattern and allowing about a 1/2 inch for seam allowance, cut through both layers along the crotch curve from hem to elastic waist (or vice versa).

4. Set aside your pattern pants. Flip the newly cut piece over to use as pattern for a mirror image. In other words, line the straight edge up with the side seam of the boxers on the opposite side. Cut again through both layers of the boxers. Set aside excess fabric. Now you should have two pieces of fabric (the front and back of the pants/shorts) that are mirror images.

5. Open them up and lay them one on top of the other with the right side of the fabric touching.

6. Pin the crotch curves together and stitch just the curve from waistband to point. Remove pins. (Be sure to back stitch at the beginning and end. This novice always forgets.) Repeat with other piece.

7. Now for the switcheroo. Align the seams you just sewed on top of each other. They should start to resemble pants with the inseam open.

8. Pin the inseams together one leg at a time and stitch those. I did just one long stitch, placing my needle down and turning the fabric to move to the next leg.

9. Remove the pins and turn right side out. Woo-hoo! Pants!

It's super easy. Each pair took me less than 20 minutes including figuring out how to do it. My idea started when I googled "How to sew baby pants" and I found this tutorial from Rookie Moms on turning an old t-shirt into kid pants. I just altered it a bit for the old boxers I had laying around and got away without purchasing or sewing an elastic waistband.

I gotta tell you, re-purposing old boxers almost makes me feel like SouleMama. Almost.

(*To turn them into shorts, simply cut the leg to desired length and hem.)

Photographing Toddlers

2010-04-06T22:12:00.000-04:00

When I got my new camera for Christmas, I really didn't know what I was getting myself into. I didn't realize that having the fanciest camera meant I was the obligatory photographer; I didn't realize that it would be so very complicated to use; and I didn't realize that on rare occasions I could actually take gorgeous photographs.

Of course, one thing I definitely didn't realize was that trying to learn to use a new DSLR while using a two year old as your model would be like throwing someone in the deep end to learn how to swim. That kid is fast.

Usually, the best I can do is this:

Or this:

But there are those rare moments that I actually get something good:

Or even funny:

Too bad none of the best are shots of my child. It seems even taking fabulous photos of a puppy is easier than a two year old.

The Important Thing

2010-04-05T14:57:00.000-04:00

Inspired by Margaret Wise Brown's The Important Book.

The important thing about Gram is that she loves me.

She plays anything I want and reads lots of books,

and shows me how to garden,

and pushes me on the swing.

But the most important thing about Gram is that she loves me.

The Story of his First Ice Cream Cone

2010-03-31T15:39:00.000-04:00

Remember those girls in high school who could bat their lashes and get just about anything they wanted?

Well, eyelash batting isn't limited to girls.

And sometimes it even gets you things you never even knew you wanted.

Who needs to wait for free cone day at Ben and Jerry's when they're just handing them out everywhere*.

Doesn't this look like a little boy who just figured out he has special powers?

(*While out with Daddy picking up supper for Mommy at Chick-Fil-A, Linus smiled at the cashier who immediately said, "Oh my gosh, he's gorgeous. Can I give him an ice cream cone?)

Weekend: Where We Double Team and Still Lose

2010-03-29T09:28:00.000-04:00

Well, it was a weekend. I won't say it was a great one. In fact, it wasn't even good. No, nothing major- just a whiny, terror toddler. In fact, he was so whiny I was actually looking up the prices on those drop-off daycare places. I just wanted to be rid of him for a while.

As if the whining wasn't bad enough, I also got a little of this:

(One of the few items in my house that didn't come from Target or Ikea.)

And a little of this:

(My husband almost lost it, but was at least collected enough to grab the camera before the vacuum.)

And then, later in the day, he squished me between a wall and a door with glee while I was getting out jackets to go for a treat at Local Yogurt.

And I lost it.

Let's hope the week will be better than the weekend.

Sidewalk Chalk Painting

2010-03-24T21:42:00.000-04:00

With all the Spring toys hitting the stores, I find myself gazing longingly at new packages of brightly colored chalk. I force myself to resist their sirens knowing that we have a whole bucket full of chalk at home.

Of course, that led me to stewing on how to use up all this chalk we already have. I mean, simple drawing is fine, but it's not gonna get me a fresh shiny box with the new *BRIGHTER* colors.

Inspiration struck: chalk + water = chalk paint

This not only provides more vibrant creations, but it uses up the old stuff really, really quickly.

I started out thinking Linus and I would work together to pulverize our chalk into dust then mix it with water, but quickly realized that using only toddler-safe tools would lead to an eternity of preparation.

Instead, we just splattered a little water on the sidewalk and then scribbled in the puddle. We also found dipping the chalk into a cup of water sped the process up nicely.

So once our method was perfected, we started painting.

Not only were the colors bolder but using paint brushes created sharper lines and more precise detailing. Of course, Linus just liked having excuse to pour water everywhere.

(This activity would also be great between the showers on a rainy Spring day.)

Meet the Family

2010-03-22T09:01:00.001-04:00

Finally over my serious cold, we were finally able to introduce Linus to his newest cousin.

His first comment upon seeing her, "She's boo-i-ful."

We then spent the rest of the visit trying to keep him calm so he wouldn't get the dog all worked up.

It's amazing how quickly kids get big.

It's also amazing what crazy thoughts spending a little time with a newborn can cause. Maybe we could do it again. Maybe.

Priorities

2010-03-19T19:10:00.000-04:00

For now, I'm good with this. Sure, it shows the insane amount of weeds that have overtaken our yard, and it definitely shows that I'm gonna have to find a time to fill these pots with flowers. But you know what else it shows? It shows that we have a kid, and that alone should excuse both the weeds and the empty flower pots. Our priorities are in a different place, and that's alright.

Toddler Fill in the Blank

2010-03-16T07:41:00.000-04:00

Some of you may recall what happened the last time we played 'Fill in the Blank' with Linus. Well, this time was at least cleaner but no less weird.

Daddy was worrying about something tonight (it's always something), and I decided to toss out a quote from my one of my favorite children's books Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes.

"Worry, worry, worry. Too much ________."

I intentionally left off the last word thinking Linus, who's heard this story at least a dozen times, would fill it in. Well, he did fill it in, but not quite as expected.

What did he say?

butter
noise
worry
Daddy

Sometimes I wonder what the heck is going on inside that head of his. For those who are not Kevin Henkes stalkers, the correct answer is C- worry.

Polka Dot Baby Shower

2010-03-12T20:59:00.000-05:00

For weeks, I have been working on creating a most fabulous shower for my SIL. Since you really only get the serious showers for the first baby, I wanted to make sure it was perfect. I went with a theme of polka dots in the hope that she can use some of the decorations for the baby's room.

(Photos of most of the details and some of the fun.)

Anyway, onto the how-to's and wheres.

The invitations were made by my multi-talented husband and the address labels are genius shared by my SIL Heidi.

The front door was nothing fancy. I just grabbed the set of lights usually adorning the mud room. A little something to emphasize this is the right house.

The living room decorations include a pom and Chinese lantern light fixture I built after being inspired over at Design*Sponge. I also found inspiration at The Purl Bee and created that dotted garland on the mantle. I fully intend to make another one for our Christmas tree next year. It was super easy even for a sewing novice like myself. The dots in the frames are just cut from paper and replaced the snowflakes I had up throughout January.

One of the things I did to tie parts of the shower together was to paint frames. I saw these adorable unpainted round frames at Michael's for maybe $2 each. I brought them home, painted them with acrylic paints, used a dot sponge and pen cap to add dots, and inserted the words "Eat, Drink, Gift, and Make". I figured Chelsea could put photos of Baby B (now known as Evelyn) in them later.

For food, I included a lot of guilty pleasures from whoopie pies to round candies to popcorn cones. Fruit skewers and cucumber sandwiches were also available. The cupcakes included a new frosting recipe that tasted like marshmallow cream and were decked out with supplies from Bake It Pretty. Over the food table hangs a "Keep Calm" print I thought every breastfeeding mother needs next to her nursing spot and mobiles I've always wanted to make after first seeing it in the now defunct (commence shedding tears) Martha Stewart Kids. (They were actually the deciding factor for the polka dot theme.)

The drink of choice was Cherry Limeade (here's the recipe) since the mom-to-be was regularly tweeting about needing a trip to Sonic. Again, the super husband whipped those together.

Not wanting to do a traditional baby shower game since most of the guests are not moms and since I don't really like them, I decided to go with my creativity strength and had the guests makes nursery artwork.

It was major success. From comments of, "We should do this for a department party," to "I'm taking notes for a baby shower I'm going to host," I think they had fun.

And last but certainly not least were the favors. They were pop-top cans filled with bath tablets. Here's the how-to from Crafts on a Whim for turning regular old fruit cans into a special, fun to open party favor. The red polka dot wraparound is just packing tape I picked up at Michael's over white paper and again, my husband played a major role in the assembly and label design.

That was it! I do have to say a big thanks to my sister-in-law, Heidi. She's the party hostess extraordinare. She's the one that hooked me up with tons of polka dot party ideas, introduced me to Bake It Pretty, Paper Source, and Luna Bazaar, all of which were indispensable for the perfect baby shower.

And of course, I must thank my husband who not only helped put it all together but also tolerates the freak-outs I tend to have as part of the planning process. He even lets me do it all again despite saying, "Never again," more times that I can count.

If you want to see all my inspiration sites and even some pondered but rejected baby shower ideas, check out my Delicious/babyshower. The links were hidden during the planning stages but are now viewable by anyone. Of course, if you were on Delicious, I could share lots of links with you. Why aren't you?

More on Having More

2010-03-11T20:17:00.003-05:00

You all left such wonderful comments on my recent post regarding adding to a family. You all seemed so confident in your choice. I admire that. (Except for you, Susie. You just made me laugh. That's how I keep hoping it will happen- in an 'oops' kind of way.) I guess, when it really comes down to it, my greatest hesitation isn't in not WANTING one but in thinking we can handle another.

Lately, I just feel overwhelmed with all that needs to be done. I just feel so disconnected with my husband, myself, and my life. I have a terrible habit of doing, doing, doing for others and then eventually the "Hey, what about me?" jealousy kicks in and I fall apart. (It's not something I like about myself when it does, and that only adds to the mood.)

I really feel like the past two and half years have been about survival. I don't know if it's because I try to do too much, that it's just the kind of parents we are (and want to be), or if it's because we live far away from family that would/could provide help and support. (I know, Mom, that's what you'd like.) Maybe it's that I'm really not cut out for this mothering gig. I have never felt like we have a handle on things. We just have the illusion of control.

As I continue to ponder this, I'll leave you with my own mom's beautiful words which she only summarized in the comments. (I keep telling her to start a blog.) I hope she doesn't mind.

I just feel like you are way over thinking it. While money and me time have a place in you life I think the decision should be made based on what you feel in your heart.......money and me time will fall into place as time passes.

After I settled into life with Drew I came to know that I wanted to again feel the joy of being pregnant ....the flutter of life, the middle of the night quiet with my baby and anticipation of what my baby would and could become. Of course the first months and for many years our life was busy and sometimes chaotic but I never regretted or resented a minute of it.

Our life was so full.........with little time to think of what else we could be doing......and now we have so many memories.

Now 33, 31 and 27 years later I look back and know that Dad and I made mistakes but I also know we did many, many things just right .....

I have never regretted or resented having 3 children.......I still wish I had had a 4th child!

Of course, a little more time with this cuteness and we may have to hop back on that baby train. Who knows? (You should definitely click over because that is a link to my brand-new gorgeous niece. She's all sugar, spice, and everything nice.)

A Ray of Light

2010-03-10T18:53:00.000-05:00

We've been out enjoying the sunshine. I'll be back soon. I have lots to write but no motivation to write it when I could be running around in the sunshine.

Being a Parent Sucks

2010-03-03T14:35:00.000-05:00

Being a parent sucks. I know that's not news to those of you that are and it's not something you've never heard before but it does.

Of course, it sucks because there are late nights with infants and/or sick kids. It sucks because they require a chunk of your cash flow for clothes, food, toys. It sucks because you have to feed them on a regular basis whether you're hungry or not. But, you knew all this already.

The thing is, there's one way that being a parent sucks, that I'm not sure many people both non-parents and parents alike don't even realize. It sucks because it is a sacrifice.

No longer do you just get to worry about your schedule and your plans. Now you have to worry about someone else's. That's right, that kid you have (or will one day have) is a person too. They have plans and schedules. To be the best kind of parent, you have to respect that.

Sure, you had plans to head to Target in the afternoon to get some needed supplies. Your toddler, on the other hand, had plans to drive cars around on the carpet. Yes, you could just say "screw it" and gather him up kicking and screaming and force him to bend to your will and your plans. That sounds like a blast! Or, you could respect your child as a person. Discuss with him the need to go to Target, and find out what he would like to look at at Target. You could also negotiate with them. "Mommy needs to go to Target. I understand you want to play cars. Let's go to Target quick and then when we get home, Mommy will play cars with you until supper time." Then, and this is important, you HAVE to keep your side of the deal. If you don't, you'll be screwed in the future.

I know, you're skeptical. Your toddler simply screams "NO!" and resumes what he was doing. Yep, it happens from time to time. That's when being a parent really sucks because, you know what, YOU the parent will be better off being the flexible one. That doesn't mean that all is lost. Instead, play cars with your kiddo. Give him at least 20 minutes, but while you're playing cars say things like, "After we're done playing cars, we'll need to get our coats on and go to Target." I know this messes up your entire schedule. You'd hoped to be done with Target by 5 so you could make supper by 5:30. It does, but remember: Being a parent sucks.

I share all this to enlighten you. No, this isn't to enlighten you in how to be a parent. I'm not so conceited as to think I'm an expert at it. Instead, this is my way of explaining why having a second one is not in the works for us. Adding a second would mean yielding to yet another person's plans and schedules.

As it is now, I feel like there's very little time for my agenda. I'm not yet ready to sacrifice to accommodate another's schedule. I'm just getting the hang of the triple blend.

So readers, since I know so many of you have more than one kiddo. What convinced you that you wanted more? Was there a defining moment? Did you have any specific age gap you were shooting for?

Let me know because, honestly, I always thought I'd have four or five, but one is looking pretty good to us right now.

I shouldn't have to say this but my guilty conscience feels the need. Despite my exclamations that parenting sucks, I love my kid... ah, you know the rest.

Nurture Shock and the Freeze Dance

2010-03-01T13:53:00.001-05:00

I just finished reading Nurture Shock by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman. To say it was enlightening would be an understatement. This book uses real data to tackle issues that many parents rely on instinct to handle. Tough issues from lying- yes, data shows that your first grader DOES lie- to teen rebellion -even honor students sneak out of the house at night. The best part of this book though is that it offers up proven solutions rather than just leaving you hanging with a, "Well, now what" situation.

Of course, the chapters that peaked my interest the most were the ones regarding preschoolers and learning. You know, since I'm living it. Did you know that there is actually a pre-K/Kindergarten program that is proven to give your child an advantage academically, and that this program actually relies on play to guide the learning? Yes, play... that long lost activity that's been removed from so many children's schedules to make room for soccer, dance, hockey, doily making, and flashcards. Plus, it's not just play for the sake of play. It's play with a purpose. Play that increases executive function, self-control, and cognitive control.

It's called Tools of the Mind and it's everything I ever dreamed in a preschool for Linus. It's Vygotskian, and I LOVE it.

Sadly, I have yet to find a preschool in the area that uses the program and the program is only available to schools and school districts. (Part of me really hoped I could wave my teacher license around and get the training.) However, there is a book which is currently sitting in my Amazon cart, there are more articles by Bronson and Merryman, and there are the few activities discussed in Nurture Shock to guide us.

We even played a Tools of the Mind activity this morning. It was just a simple game of Freeze Dance but tweaked slightly enough to encourage planning and cognitive control.

Here's how. As you probably know, in Freeze Dance, when the music is playing, you are moving and dancing. When the music stops, everybody "freezes" or stops. Now here's the tweak. Instead of stopping in whatever position you are in, the Tools of the Mind teachers have a little doll who they are holding in the stopping position. The children are responsible for looking at the doll, noting the position, and remembering the stopping position until the music stops.

Since I don't have a doll, I was Linus's only playmate, and he's not yet of pre-K age, we had to tweak it a bit more. Before the song began, Linus and I created a stopping position together. Yes, it took out the responsibility to check the doll's position, but it also brought in some planning on his part. Since this was our first time playing the game, Linus and I used the same stopping position for the entire length of one song waiting until between songs to create a new one.

Now I don't have any data to show whether or not Linus gained intellectual ability, but I do know that we had a blast. He got better and better at remembering to stop in the stop position and Mommy got a decent work-out as well. (Stop positions that are really static crunches will do that.)

It's fun activity and a really great book. I highly recommend it (and I wasn't paid to say that). Matter of fact, I'm going to make my husband read it too.

Beatles Mania

2010-02-25T15:15:00.000-05:00

We have ourselves a little Beatles fanatic. Here's Linus's top 5 Beatles' songs. The order changes nearly daily but this is the current list.

1. I Am the Walrus
2. Dear Prudence
3. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
4. Yellow Submarine
5. All You Need is Love

He loves to sing all of these (and even plays a little Beatles Rock Band every now and again), but do not try to sing along. If you do, he's likely to reply, "No singing. I sing it." Of course, maybe it's just me he doesn't want singing along. I'm not exactly a songbird.

----------------------------------------------------------

What's currently in your playlist? Is it there by your choice or someone else's (child, husband, etc.)?