As a bonus to Caroline's "changing into several outfits and tutus a day" fetish, we see a lot of her in the raw form. Until now, this has been restricted to home shows...but this week Caroline took her "show" on the road.
We were across the street for a play date and Caroline was feeling so at home, apparently, that she decided it was time to shed her clothes. She and her little partner in crime, London, tiptoed upstairs to dissect the pajama drawer of London's older sister. However, the mismatched slumber girls had their flannels on for only a short time. Just seconds after the fashion show, Owen appeared to announce that there was a "vagina party" taking place in the laundry room. Hmm.
I'm hoping this term was one of Owen's creations and not something he's seen on tv or heard about at school (Christian education has made some big changes, I guess.)
Owen does have an active imagination...once, when I was nursing Hudson he asked if I had "milk" on one side and "food" on the other.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Monday, February 1, 2010
How does she know to use the permanent marker???!
Ug. This is NOT what I want to discover on my way upstairs to bed. There is only one possible offender: Caroline. Owen does not snoop in the "mommy only" drawers and Hudson is not yet tall enough. Plus, Caroline has not been caught doing anything sneaky or messy in the last 3 hours, so I'm not entirely surprised. I am a little curious though, as to why she replaced the cap. Did she make a horrible mess on something large and important (like the wall or carpet) and try to wash or cover up the marks and then, realizing that she had made a grave mistake, cover the pen with its cap- vowing never again to be mischievous? No.
I searched the house for signs of Caroline's signature- the hallways, bedrooms, furniture...all free from black scribbles. After 10 minutes of investigating, I decide to call it a night. Today I completely forgot about the incident...until this evening, when I pull out Hudson's Christmas puppy (the one that sings his name and the one he enjoys giving wet willies.) Either it's the ghetto puppy version Tag, or Caroline has graffitied the back of the poor green fluffy pup.
Inside, I'm a bit relieved. Frankly I don't think Hudson cares much, although all the slobbering he does on his things I hope his mouth avoids the permanent marked backside of Tag. It can't be good to digest. I also hope that was her only victim.
Caroline lucked out tonight, as I made the discovery while we had company over and the kids were off to bed afterwards. Should I make her scrub the little hound to help her learn about the idea of permanence? Hm. I'm sure she'll commit some other offense by morning and we'll be dealing with that instead.
Late night Balmex finger painting
This is a small snapshot (literally) of the kids' bathroom last night. I walked in the house after a quick trip to the grocery store (quick because there were no children with me) and PR informed me that Caroline had been busy in the bathroom. You see, Caroline duped her sweet but gullible daddy into leaving her door ajar. She then broke free and headed straight for the bathroom in search for some messy entertainment. I scanned the rest of the bathroom for evidence before deciding on a guess of her motives and sneaky activities.
The evidence in custody:
- pile of balmexed baby washcloths
- baby hair brush covered in diaper rash cream
- several pairs of socks, pajama pieces, and undergarments shoved into the trash (also covered in- you guessed it- Balmex.)
- 2 tubes of assorted baby diaper rash cream, nearly empty
- smeared fingerprints made from diaper rash cream
No Sherlock Holmes required here. But I'm not sure if she first found the tubes and then looked for something to decorate or actually made the mess and was trying to clean up the crime scene. Lucky for us, the floors are tile. Lucky for her, she was already sleeping when I discovered the Balmexed bathroom.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Young families should have their very own restaurants...
Tonight PR and I foolishly attempted to dine at a restaurant...with the children. Why do we torture ourselves and our fellow diners? Well for one obvious reason, really: I don't feel like cooking or cleaning up afterward! I've spent the entire day tidying and wiping down and clearing off and putting away and cooking the other meals. I know it's part of my job right now as "CEO of the household," but I do have evenings when I've decided that I'd like to eat my meal sitting down and maybe even eat when it's still hot! This was one of those nights. The kids were good all day and PR was home relatively early, so we ventured out...and regretted nearly every moment.
Two of my three are actually very well behaved. Can you guess which child has a hard time sitting at any one place for more than a nanosecond? My darling sweet Caroline, though she has a heart of gold, has the attention span of a mini pinscher. (She yaps and whines a bit like one, too.) I really can't fault her, partly because she's so dang cute and partly because she's 2 1/2. But because Owen sat for 2 1/2 hour meals on cruise ships at 9 mos, 18 mos, and 3 I have a very distorted vision of children's table etiquette.
Here's what I propose. Restaurants with designated times or days for parents with little Carolines. Clearly there is a time when older couples go out to dine- 4:00 or so. Maybe we could slide into the next slot, say 5:15 or so? It would prevent those horrible stares from tables of "date night" couples who have actually spent money on a babysitter to escape their normal dinner entertainment- or worse yet- those diners who don't own such animated appendages (and most certainly do not appreciate the sights and sounds that come with them!) Owen IS quiet. Hudson can be quiet. But Caroline...well, she didn't come with that setting.
Until the time that such places exist, I suppose we will continue our futile effort: dining pleasantly with three young children. To those who have conquered this feat- kudos! To those who are looking for ideas to ease the pain while dining out, this is what works best for our family:
-Junky toys. These are those toys that come in the fast food kiddie meals. I try to keep a stash in the car or my over sized, chaotic purse. And if you lose or forget them, well really that's a bonus.
-Crayons and some sort of paper. While many restaurants now offer this, my children always want the same (or different) color than the other, whichever is not available. I keep a Ziploc bag of crayons in my purse.
-Mini play dough containers. The restaurant will be so very appreciative if they have carpet, but it can create a good 15 minutes of quiet!
-If you are dining at a pizza or an Italian place, ask if they can bring some dough for the kids to play with...CPK does it if you ask.
-Order an appetizer or the kids meal as soon as you are seated. My kids take forever to eat, so once the food is on the table, we're usually in good shape.
-Play "I Spy"
-Keep a stash of mini books or activity pads/magazines in the car
-Bring your own little snack: dried cereal, trail mix, dried fruit this will keep them busy until the meal arrives.
-Take them to the rest room to take care of business and wash hands. Who knows how many germs they have acquired since leaving the car...and, if nothing else, it's a trip through the restaurant.
Two of my three are actually very well behaved. Can you guess which child has a hard time sitting at any one place for more than a nanosecond? My darling sweet Caroline, though she has a heart of gold, has the attention span of a mini pinscher. (She yaps and whines a bit like one, too.) I really can't fault her, partly because she's so dang cute and partly because she's 2 1/2. But because Owen sat for 2 1/2 hour meals on cruise ships at 9 mos, 18 mos, and 3 I have a very distorted vision of children's table etiquette.
Here's what I propose. Restaurants with designated times or days for parents with little Carolines. Clearly there is a time when older couples go out to dine- 4:00 or so. Maybe we could slide into the next slot, say 5:15 or so? It would prevent those horrible stares from tables of "date night" couples who have actually spent money on a babysitter to escape their normal dinner entertainment- or worse yet- those diners who don't own such animated appendages (and most certainly do not appreciate the sights and sounds that come with them!) Owen IS quiet. Hudson can be quiet. But Caroline...well, she didn't come with that setting.
Until the time that such places exist, I suppose we will continue our futile effort: dining pleasantly with three young children. To those who have conquered this feat- kudos! To those who are looking for ideas to ease the pain while dining out, this is what works best for our family:
-Junky toys. These are those toys that come in the fast food kiddie meals. I try to keep a stash in the car or my over sized, chaotic purse. And if you lose or forget them, well really that's a bonus.
-Crayons and some sort of paper. While many restaurants now offer this, my children always want the same (or different) color than the other, whichever is not available. I keep a Ziploc bag of crayons in my purse.
-Mini play dough containers. The restaurant will be so very appreciative if they have carpet, but it can create a good 15 minutes of quiet!
-If you are dining at a pizza or an Italian place, ask if they can bring some dough for the kids to play with...CPK does it if you ask.
-Order an appetizer or the kids meal as soon as you are seated. My kids take forever to eat, so once the food is on the table, we're usually in good shape.
-Play "I Spy"
-Keep a stash of mini books or activity pads/magazines in the car
-Bring your own little snack: dried cereal, trail mix, dried fruit this will keep them busy until the meal arrives.
-Take them to the rest room to take care of business and wash hands. Who knows how many germs they have acquired since leaving the car...and, if nothing else, it's a trip through the restaurant.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Cupcakes
Our MOPs group topic this month was birthday parties and I was trying to think of something creative and fun to do...and I couldn't help but bust out my cupcake pan. Cupcakes are so fun, I don't know why kids' birthdays are the only time I can enjoy them without feeling guilty. If you think about it, they are portion control, right? Works for me.
I've created some pretty fun cakes and cupcakes for my kids, but I wanted to do some experimentation with new ideas...so I made two from my repertoire and two new and fun ideas: a pirate, a ladybug, princess, and lion themed cupcakes. All very easy, only the princess cakes used fondant. The rest were frosted with butter cream and embellished with candies and that fabulous "Cookie Frosting" made by CakeMate. I like that it dries quickly and once they are decorated there's no worry about colors or designs getting distorted, melted, or squished in any way. (Though I"m guessing the secret formula in those tubes is not all natural.)
Decorating cupcakes is a wonderful activity during a birthday party or celebration, as it takes some amount of concentration, seated time, and very little effort for the party planner! I would only suggest that the top coat of frosting and any fondant be made ahead of time. (Fondant is easier for kids to decorate if it has hardened.) Just have tubes of frosting or individual dishes of frosting for kids to use as the "glue." Kids are very creative and will make their own little masterpieces.
These can easily be made into cakes using a round cake pan, just substitute larger cookie or candy pieces (ie chocolate covered Oreo vice Junior Mint, regular sized chocolate chip for eyes, etc.) You can also use brownie mix when making cupcakes. It's not as crumbly for kids to eat, which is good for them AND whoever is cleaning up after the party. One other note, for toddler parties, I highly recommend making cupcakes in the mini muffin pans. You can buy lollipop sticks at Michael's and stand them in some craft foam for a cute effect. Most kids really only want a bite or two (or just the frosting) and most every kid likes eating food off a stick!Here's a quick and easy set of notes to recreate the cupcakes:
Lion: Frost with "golden yellow" Gel color. While frosting is wet, coat edges with shaved chocolate (I used dark.) Cut mini-Nilla cookies in half with a butcher knife and press into the cupcakes to create the ears. The eyes are created by dipping mini-chocolate chips into white frosting upside down and pressing into the cupcake...dip just enough so the "whites of the eyes" can be seen. It creates a more dramatic effect than with chocolate chip alone. The nose, mouth, and eyebrows were drawn with CakeMate's "Chocolate" cookie frosting.
Pirate: Frost with "skin color" Gel color. The pirate's patch is a junior mint (how easy!) The other eye is created as described above, by dipping a mini-chocolate chip (upside down) into a bit of white frosting. The rest of the eye patch and mustache were drawn with CakeMate's Chocolate cookie frosting. The mouth is a piece of licorice string cut and pressed into the frosting.
Princess: Frost with pink or purple. I also made the cake inside pink, although funfetti would be cute, too (if you can stand the taste.) To make the crown, color premade or homemade fondant (I prefer the recipe for marshmallow fondant, it has a little better taste) with your choice of princess color. Roll into long rectangles and cut to 10 inches by 6 inches. Then cut this piece in half, to make two 10x3 pieces. Using the wide round base of a pastry tip, cut out 1/2 circles along one edge of each (this will be the top of the crown.) Space it as you prefer, the one pictured is about 1/4 inch apart. Carefully lift the "crown" and place it along the edge of the cupcake, pressing and blending the ends together. The inside is filled with pink and white sugar crystals, and the outside has mini gummy bears (they looked like gems) and gobstoppers and nerds (I know, not very tasty, but it's difficult to find pink and purple colored candy!)
Ladybug: Frost with red "no taste" gel. Use red rope licorice cut into 2 inch pieces as the antennae; press ends into the cupcake. Mini chocolate chips dipped (pointed side) into white frosting and then pressed into the cupcake make the eyes. Wings are drawn with CakeMate's Chocolate cookie frosting, and the spots are mini chocolate chips pressed pointed side down into the frosting. Easy!
Friday, January 8, 2010
A lifetime supply of laundry
First I must confess that I absolutely detest ironing. I am quite blessed in that PR's work clothes are his flight suit, which never needs to be ironed and that I rarely wear any of the items in my closet that need a clean press. Because of my ironing issue, and because I do like the satisfaction of a job complete, I have always washed laundry on Wednesdays...as many loads as needed until every last article was clean and put back in its place. However, it's only hours later that something that was clean is now dirty and the cycle continues, until the laundry baskets are spilling on to the floor- which is my "nails on the chalkboard." Things strewn on the floor makes me absolutely bonkers...even if it is a pile of freshly folded clothes just waiting to be stowed in their proper drawers...
*side note: My husband is an awesome laundry man. He will toil with those tall and mighty (by mighty, I mean potent) hampers until all clothes have been put through the ringer. However, he then folds them and forms them into the leaning tower of laundry and places them along the upstairs hallway like tiny ancient ruins. And those towers are just too tempting for Caroline not to run through, stomp on, or kick over like a little Godzilla. Do I complain that the job has not been completed and snicker when the neatly folded clothes have become hallway lillypads for my little froggers? No. Of course I appreciate the effort...but really I'd rather do it so that it gets completely done and I don't have to look at those daunting towers every night waiting to see if he might decide to put them in their proper place. So my new system will actually solve this issue, and the job will be complete from start to finish- hooray!
This week I had a laundry epiphany. Seriously. It will completely demolish my ever flowing piles of clothes in the hampers and on the laundry room floor! How, you ask? My new strategy is simple and brilliant. One load of laundry every (week)night. After we put the kids to bed, I bring down their dirties and gather the goopy bibs and the overripe dishtowel and pop it in the wash. We have our down time while the laundry is washed and dried, and then it gets folded and put away while the children are nestled snugly in their beds. I know, it sounds simple. But it never occurred to me to do just one load a day- or I would foolishly start the load at the beginning of the day (only to forget about it and have to rerun it in the wash hours later or try halfheartedly to dewrinkle by putting the "fluff" cycle on the dryer.) No no no. You see, all those lovely smelly rags and bibs and socks and last minute-must-have-for-tomorrow items are not ready or remembered unless you wait until the kiddos are in bed. AND when they're awake I rarely have the time to sort socks and his/hers/mine and actually place them in their drawers. I figure I can alternate whites one night, darks the next so not all the laundry will be done at once, but I will avoid having those huge armloads to carry down and I might actually remember to treat the stain since it has just occurred. Hooray!!!!!
It is just my first week of this new life strategy. I will report my progress in a few months, but I am quite optimistic that this will be one for the books!
*side note: My husband is an awesome laundry man. He will toil with those tall and mighty (by mighty, I mean potent) hampers until all clothes have been put through the ringer. However, he then folds them and forms them into the leaning tower of laundry and places them along the upstairs hallway like tiny ancient ruins. And those towers are just too tempting for Caroline not to run through, stomp on, or kick over like a little Godzilla. Do I complain that the job has not been completed and snicker when the neatly folded clothes have become hallway lillypads for my little froggers? No. Of course I appreciate the effort...but really I'd rather do it so that it gets completely done and I don't have to look at those daunting towers every night waiting to see if he might decide to put them in their proper place. So my new system will actually solve this issue, and the job will be complete from start to finish- hooray!
This week I had a laundry epiphany. Seriously. It will completely demolish my ever flowing piles of clothes in the hampers and on the laundry room floor! How, you ask? My new strategy is simple and brilliant. One load of laundry every (week)night. After we put the kids to bed, I bring down their dirties and gather the goopy bibs and the overripe dishtowel and pop it in the wash. We have our down time while the laundry is washed and dried, and then it gets folded and put away while the children are nestled snugly in their beds. I know, it sounds simple. But it never occurred to me to do just one load a day- or I would foolishly start the load at the beginning of the day (only to forget about it and have to rerun it in the wash hours later or try halfheartedly to dewrinkle by putting the "fluff" cycle on the dryer.) No no no. You see, all those lovely smelly rags and bibs and socks and last minute-must-have-for-tomorrow items are not ready or remembered unless you wait until the kiddos are in bed. AND when they're awake I rarely have the time to sort socks and his/hers/mine and actually place them in their drawers. I figure I can alternate whites one night, darks the next so not all the laundry will be done at once, but I will avoid having those huge armloads to carry down and I might actually remember to treat the stain since it has just occurred. Hooray!!!!!
It is just my first week of this new life strategy. I will report my progress in a few months, but I am quite optimistic that this will be one for the books!
Friday, December 4, 2009
Christmas...an excuse to shop!
Oh, how I used to love to shop. I would enjoy browsing, too...I didn't have to actually spend any money, but I was quite talented in the sport during my pre-Caroline years. Caroline does NOT have the gift. Not yet, anyway. Her favorite thing to do while in a store (or mall or airport or county fair or theme park...) is run full speed in the opposite direction of me, jollily laughing and escaping me by just a hair- so as to elevate the fun (for her.) Yes she will also, on occasion, run through the aisles and hide under the clothes racks...but I think that's just when she gets out of breath and needs a little breather for the next round. On extra special days she might even throw in a loud shriek or two.
Yesterday bible study was cancelled, and I thought it was the perfect opportunity (read excuse) to hire a babysitter and do some Christmas shopping for the kids. I probably should have left PR at home, as shopping for him is on the same "fun" scale as having his appendix removed, but I thought he would be helpful (wrong) and enjoy picking things out for his children. Owen wanted a robot, and we had no idea what to get Caroline...Hudson will probably receive one of the toys Owen got for his first Christmas (really, do you think he's going to complain?!) The first 10 minutes at the first store were okay. But he then reached his tolerance of annual shopping minutes and began complaining about getting home (cleverly blaming it on the babysitter.) I admit, I was trying to sneak in a little extra sight seeing in the women's shoe department...but what woman can resist? Shoes are fun and fabulous and an excusable indulgence! Plus, I was sort of looking for new running shoes for him. (He didn't buy that line, either.) I left barefooted, but we accomplished our main objective. However, it was painful (for both of us).
Oh, did I mention we ended up buying the kids' gifts online?
The robot is SUPER cool. Check out the video!!! http://www.wowwee.com/en/products/toys/robots/robotics/tri-bot
Caroline is getting a little play house (which she can clutter and destroy all to herself.)
http://www.target.com/Playskool-Rose-Petal-Cottage-Mega/dp/B001603UBY/ref=pd_ecc_rvi_1
Yesterday bible study was cancelled, and I thought it was the perfect opportunity (read excuse) to hire a babysitter and do some Christmas shopping for the kids. I probably should have left PR at home, as shopping for him is on the same "fun" scale as having his appendix removed, but I thought he would be helpful (wrong) and enjoy picking things out for his children. Owen wanted a robot, and we had no idea what to get Caroline...Hudson will probably receive one of the toys Owen got for his first Christmas (really, do you think he's going to complain?!) The first 10 minutes at the first store were okay. But he then reached his tolerance of annual shopping minutes and began complaining about getting home (cleverly blaming it on the babysitter.) I admit, I was trying to sneak in a little extra sight seeing in the women's shoe department...but what woman can resist? Shoes are fun and fabulous and an excusable indulgence! Plus, I was sort of looking for new running shoes for him. (He didn't buy that line, either.) I left barefooted, but we accomplished our main objective. However, it was painful (for both of us).
Oh, did I mention we ended up buying the kids' gifts online?
The robot is SUPER cool. Check out the video!!! http://www.wowwee.com/en/products/toys/robots/robotics/tri-bot
Caroline is getting a little play house (which she can clutter and destroy all to herself.)
http://www.target.com/Playskool-Rose-Petal-Cottage-Mega/dp/B001603UBY/ref=pd_ecc_rvi_1
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Ideas for making family memories
So we had a wonderful Thanksgiving in Orlando...lots of family, great weather, Disney, several mornings of sleeping until 7:30am. Unfortunately, our family lost its patriarch the week before. My Pop Pop was an amazing man. Well, first off he put up with all the women in the family (we're ALL talkers, not just me.) Not just our yakity yakking, but our sermons on how we know best about various topics, our crazy antics, our quirky obsessions, and our bossing him around.
The man was 92 years old and had at least three mothers. I remember during one of his visits to our home, I had made him spaghetti squash with pesto. Now, I think it's absolutely delicious. But this is a meat and potatoes man. I'm not quite sure what I was thinking...maybe I had convinced myself that he'd think it was actually just pasta that was quite al dente? Anyhow, the man took his first bite and didn't say a word, but I could see his look of confusion- what is this girl feeding me??! Despite this, he finished it.
My memories of my Pop Pop include chocolate chocolate and more chocolate, with some trips to Disney, playing his favorite card game cribbage, sitting with him while he would watch Cash Cab or Dirty Jobs, dining at one of his favorite places, Bob Evans, and his famous expression, "Oh?"
I feel blessed that we were close. I made a point to call often, visit as much as possible, and plan vacations with him. Can you believe in the last 10 years of his life he travelled with us to Ireland, cruised with us through the Baltic, Alaska waters, and Med...as well as a few Caribbean Cruises. (I'm talking WITH the kids.)
And reflecting on the times we shared, my only wish is that my kids will remember him. Owen is only 5, Caroline 2....Hudson is only 7 months. Why did I not break out the video and tape more? Grrr. Pictures are just not the same. And so I urge those who would like to capture memories and precious moments...and create opportunity for you and your children to hold on to loved ones in your life, I give you these suggestions I wish I had thought of before I lost my grandparents:
-My grandmother was an opera singer...why couldn't I have taped her singing lullabies or children's songs...or even saved old tapes of her performing for the kids to watch???! How cool for kids to know something about their grandparents before they were grandparents?
-Record grandparents reading bedtime stories. Have you ever read, "I love you through and through?" A precious story. And how cool to hear a grandparent saying "I love you" to your child.
-Interview family members on their past. This is especially cool if they have stories to share that you may have not heard....how they met their mate, what they wanted to do as a child, their favorite flavor of ice cream....anything, really. If you have older kids, they can write the questions and do the interview. We were lucky enough to have a few interviews...whenever my Pop Pop would start telling an old sea story, I would turn on the camera and try and get it on film. And my cousin's son did a school project and interviewed Pop on how he won the Purple Heart, what it was like in the Navy, questions about fighting in a war....it was wonderful!
-Capture moments of the family members interacting with your children. I have Pop Pop tooting a train whistle with Owen while they create a track for Thomas, reading him a sailor story book.
That's all for now....
The man was 92 years old and had at least three mothers. I remember during one of his visits to our home, I had made him spaghetti squash with pesto. Now, I think it's absolutely delicious. But this is a meat and potatoes man. I'm not quite sure what I was thinking...maybe I had convinced myself that he'd think it was actually just pasta that was quite al dente? Anyhow, the man took his first bite and didn't say a word, but I could see his look of confusion- what is this girl feeding me??! Despite this, he finished it.
My memories of my Pop Pop include chocolate chocolate and more chocolate, with some trips to Disney, playing his favorite card game cribbage, sitting with him while he would watch Cash Cab or Dirty Jobs, dining at one of his favorite places, Bob Evans, and his famous expression, "Oh?"
I feel blessed that we were close. I made a point to call often, visit as much as possible, and plan vacations with him. Can you believe in the last 10 years of his life he travelled with us to Ireland, cruised with us through the Baltic, Alaska waters, and Med...as well as a few Caribbean Cruises. (I'm talking WITH the kids.)
And reflecting on the times we shared, my only wish is that my kids will remember him. Owen is only 5, Caroline 2....Hudson is only 7 months. Why did I not break out the video and tape more? Grrr. Pictures are just not the same. And so I urge those who would like to capture memories and precious moments...and create opportunity for you and your children to hold on to loved ones in your life, I give you these suggestions I wish I had thought of before I lost my grandparents:
-My grandmother was an opera singer...why couldn't I have taped her singing lullabies or children's songs...or even saved old tapes of her performing for the kids to watch???! How cool for kids to know something about their grandparents before they were grandparents?
-Record grandparents reading bedtime stories. Have you ever read, "I love you through and through?" A precious story. And how cool to hear a grandparent saying "I love you" to your child.
-Interview family members on their past. This is especially cool if they have stories to share that you may have not heard....how they met their mate, what they wanted to do as a child, their favorite flavor of ice cream....anything, really. If you have older kids, they can write the questions and do the interview. We were lucky enough to have a few interviews...whenever my Pop Pop would start telling an old sea story, I would turn on the camera and try and get it on film. And my cousin's son did a school project and interviewed Pop on how he won the Purple Heart, what it was like in the Navy, questions about fighting in a war....it was wonderful!
-Capture moments of the family members interacting with your children. I have Pop Pop tooting a train whistle with Owen while they create a track for Thomas, reading him a sailor story book.
That's all for now....
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Ode to the Bumbo Seat
I'm not sure why I just discovered Bumbo seats, but it is a lovely invention that needs some praise!
Why do I love thee, Bumbo?
I can bathe my baby and my other two at the same time,
I don't have to have an enormous high chair in my kitchen;
preparing dinner is now "entertainment" for my little one;
trimming toenails is so much easier...
I can stick him in the shower with me...he plays with bath toys and I can actually shave and shampoo!
Why do I love thee, Bumbo?
I can bathe my baby and my other two at the same time,
I don't have to have an enormous high chair in my kitchen;
preparing dinner is now "entertainment" for my little one;
trimming toenails is so much easier...
I can stick him in the shower with me...he plays with bath toys and I can actually shave and shampoo!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Um, it's been awhile
So my "newborn" is now 6 months old and I have yet to send out a baby announcement. I've attempted to take a billion pictures, without a single shot of all three looking at the camera. It is just not possible, with any amount of sweet talking, bribing, threatening, or begging (I swore I would never use those tactics for parenting, BTW.) Should I wait until Christmas, send out just a picture of the little guy, or completely surrender on the idea? Ugh.
Well, I'll at least satisfy my mom's request to post updates on milestones so that I can narrowly avoid being named "worst mommy of the year award."
Hudson, in a nutshell:
month 1-shrill like cry, LOVES his pacifier, breaks a smile, pees on us nearly every diaper change, finally loses his nickname "bruiser" when the bruise on his cheekbone fades.
2 months- sleeps 8 hrs, tolerates siblings like a champ, burps like a 13 year old boy, very alert
3 months- hates the bottle (actually swats the thing away), but enjoys blowing bubbles and he's a rock star on car trips (12 hrs to and from Michigan with only one wailing outburst.) Also, first giggle and smiles at everyone
4 months- loves the exersaucer, transfers objects, rolls to his side, giggles from the belly and clasps his little hands together like Dr. Evil, can bend in half and fit nearly his entire foot in his mouth, and he had his first trip to DisneyWorld and first train ride
5 months- sits up, rolls over pretty consistently, enjoys the Bumbo seat (that thing ROCKS- I use it for baths, during dinner prep, and when we're eating dinner), loves to play peek a boo, and refuses to eat rice cereal
6 months- I finally got this stubborn kid to eat food, baby oatmeal with banana. He loves to snuggle, he'll grab your ears and pull you towards him until we're nose to nose...he really loves to grab just about everything. I forget when I'm wearing him on my front in the bjorn or the wrap and then he reminds me by pulling anything and everything toward him (and usually down to the floor.)
Caroline- my "busy" one:
Recently she's been hoarding and hiding food from the pantry. I've discovered boxes of chocolate milk in the closet and under the kitchen table, and last week she found one of Owen's hidden candies in his backpack...she quietly exited the room, closed the bathroom door (with the lights off), and returned with a big smile, enlarged cheeks, and a wrapper hidden behind her back. I cornered her at the trash can and held out my hand...like a sweet angel, she handed me the wrapper and gleamed a wide-chocolate covered smile. How sweet!
Every time I turn off the car and unbuckle she asks eagerly, "Can I come, too???" as if I'm going to leave her in the car.
When she gets excited about things, she jumps and claps (even if it's just "dinner time."_
Owen- who's recently decided he's the expert on everything:
Still my germophobe. He unbuttons his shirt and covers his head with it when he ventures into the back wooded area because we talked about how ticks could fall from the trees. (To his credit we did actually find a nasty, bloated tick on his head when Hudson was born so he's probably trying to avoid that fun "tick recovery" episode.) After he's pottied, he won't touch anything (even his pants to pull them up) until after he's washed his hands. On the flip side of the story, I discovered dried up boogers on his bed rail a few months ago, what's up with that???!
His newest trendsetting attempt is going to school every day with two mismatching shoes. If that's his rebellion, then I'll take it!
He'll soon be 5, and we're currently devising a plan on erecting a volcano for his "dino" themed birthday.
Now that it's 2 am, I'm off to bed.
Well, I'll at least satisfy my mom's request to post updates on milestones so that I can narrowly avoid being named "worst mommy of the year award."
Hudson, in a nutshell:
month 1-shrill like cry, LOVES his pacifier, breaks a smile, pees on us nearly every diaper change, finally loses his nickname "bruiser" when the bruise on his cheekbone fades.
2 months- sleeps 8 hrs, tolerates siblings like a champ, burps like a 13 year old boy, very alert
3 months- hates the bottle (actually swats the thing away), but enjoys blowing bubbles and he's a rock star on car trips (12 hrs to and from Michigan with only one wailing outburst.) Also, first giggle and smiles at everyone
4 months- loves the exersaucer, transfers objects, rolls to his side, giggles from the belly and clasps his little hands together like Dr. Evil, can bend in half and fit nearly his entire foot in his mouth, and he had his first trip to DisneyWorld and first train ride
5 months- sits up, rolls over pretty consistently, enjoys the Bumbo seat (that thing ROCKS- I use it for baths, during dinner prep, and when we're eating dinner), loves to play peek a boo, and refuses to eat rice cereal
6 months- I finally got this stubborn kid to eat food, baby oatmeal with banana. He loves to snuggle, he'll grab your ears and pull you towards him until we're nose to nose...he really loves to grab just about everything. I forget when I'm wearing him on my front in the bjorn or the wrap and then he reminds me by pulling anything and everything toward him (and usually down to the floor.)
Caroline- my "busy" one:
Recently she's been hoarding and hiding food from the pantry. I've discovered boxes of chocolate milk in the closet and under the kitchen table, and last week she found one of Owen's hidden candies in his backpack...she quietly exited the room, closed the bathroom door (with the lights off), and returned with a big smile, enlarged cheeks, and a wrapper hidden behind her back. I cornered her at the trash can and held out my hand...like a sweet angel, she handed me the wrapper and gleamed a wide-chocolate covered smile. How sweet!
Every time I turn off the car and unbuckle she asks eagerly, "Can I come, too???" as if I'm going to leave her in the car.
When she gets excited about things, she jumps and claps (even if it's just "dinner time."_
Owen- who's recently decided he's the expert on everything:
Still my germophobe. He unbuttons his shirt and covers his head with it when he ventures into the back wooded area because we talked about how ticks could fall from the trees. (To his credit we did actually find a nasty, bloated tick on his head when Hudson was born so he's probably trying to avoid that fun "tick recovery" episode.) After he's pottied, he won't touch anything (even his pants to pull them up) until after he's washed his hands. On the flip side of the story, I discovered dried up boogers on his bed rail a few months ago, what's up with that???!
His newest trendsetting attempt is going to school every day with two mismatching shoes. If that's his rebellion, then I'll take it!
He'll soon be 5, and we're currently devising a plan on erecting a volcano for his "dino" themed birthday.
Now that it's 2 am, I'm off to bed.
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