One Year Ago Tonight

I alternated between breathing through increasingly difficult contractions and kicking Jeff's tail in Wii bowling. Mom played photojournalist.








Later, our sweet doula, Kim, arrived. Labor was more difficult, the time for game playing was done. Jeff rested a while and Kim babied me.



It wouldn't be long before getting to meet our darling "Baby Dos"!

On A Less Contraversial Note

One thing having children is teaching this bleary-eyed night owl is to enjoy mornings a little more. Here are a few snapshots of recent (well, from early November) breakfast silly faces.





Love these goofy kiddos. What a blessed life I lead.

Not Exactly A Disclaimer

Thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts about my toy snobbery! You all were so gracious and helpful. I especially appreciate those that disagreed with me for not raking me over the coals for being a bit uptight and snotty.

Before I posted the previous entry I considered including a disclaimer...something that said these are just my rambling opinions, I'm not into judging those that buy plastic Elmo work benches, I know I'm a little crazy, blah, blah, etc. But I didn't, mostly because it was way, WAY past my bedtime and also because I figured pretty much everyone who reads this little ol' blog already knows me and will probably give me the benefit of the doubt.

But upon reading it myself a week after posting I wanted to gag. I've never been a terribly opinionated person and I feel like I sound like a brat. So, in the interest of full disclosure, I want you to know that my distaste for licensed character, batteries-required and plastic toys is not 100% (er...probably even 50%) reflected in the contents of our playroom. I just let myself loose to share my most idealistic toy-scenario.

If you happen to give my child a light-up, singing, Handy Manny for their birthday because you love him and think it will make him smile, I promise not to roll my eyes or throw it back in your face. But, if you happen to ask me for a wish list, it will not (as long as I am in control of the wish lists) include a light-up, singing, Handy Manny.

Case in point, Bennett's two favorite parts of our Christmas decor are "Hip Hop Randy" (a singing, dancing bear) and a plastic, light-up, musical snow globe. Neither purchased by yours truly.

Peace, love and wooden toys to all!

So Someone Had Mentioned Toys?

Oh, yes...that was me. Weeks ago. I was going elaborate on why I believe I've become a toy snob.

I'm afraid the truth of the matter ain't nearly interesting enough to warrant a month long delay. I'm almost embarrassed to bring it up again. But, in the midst of the Christmas season I've had to confront my snobbery head on a number of times when asked to draw up gift suggestion lists for the two little ones. And as I've mulled over the options, I've found myself thinking "I'll mention that when I write that toy post". So here goes.

There are a few details that set the stage for my current toy issues. First, I have a fairly idealized memory of my own childhood. It was pretty stinking great. And now, looking back through the eyes of an adult, I understand my family was not at all well off when I was little, but I never wanted for anything. The story isn't that I received all the cool toys and clothes I could have wanted. Rather, I had simple, often pre-loved (read: garage sale find or hand-me-down) things and my life was full of play, learning and joy.

Second, I'm a (not so) closet tree hugger. I'm a sucker for natural, reusable, sustainable, non-toxic, home made, simple, baking soda and vinegar, blah, blah. You know the type. That's me. Well, that's not exactly true. I want that to be me. And if it's not me yet, I'm on my way.



Part one: Cartoon Characters
I just can't do the licensed character stuff. With exception for books and maybe a t-shirt or stuffed animal (maybe) I plan to not buy my children any of it. No Elmo tennis shoes, no Winnie the Pooh backpack, no Superman bedspread, Nemo shower curtain or Backyardigans...I don't know...beanbags. I even chose a different brand of sippy cup to avoid one with Disney's Cars all over it.

Extreme? Probably. Will I give in when my dear daughter just LOVES LOVES LOVES all the Disney Princesses and wants nothing more than a purse with Belle on it? It is certainly possible.

I do have other reasons for my distaste besides the fact that I just find a lot of lisenced character gear to be tacky and cheap looking. First, when I see that stuff I can't help but think about how all these decked out toddlers are walking billboards for some Nickolodian show or Disney movie. Why do my kids need to advertise for some billion dollar company?

And although we watch our share of TV I don't want every one of (or even very many of) my children's toys to be pointing them back to the TV. They are drawn to it naturally enough! I'd like for my kids to be able to get dressed, eat, brush their teeth or play with a ball without being reminded of some show.

I'm also concerned that if so many of their play things revolve around predeveloped characters there is risk of their play not needing to be as creative. The "TV toys" already come with a script. Spiderman always fights bad guys and climbs walls. Dora always does...whatever it is that Dora does. (Something with a map? I don't know. We don't really watch that show.) Sure, they can choose to deviate from the script, but they don't have to come up with much of anything creative on their own. Children are naturally such imaginative and curious creatures I want to do everything in my power to nurture and encourage that!

I was thinking along these lines when I made a cape for a friend's third birthday (and in making one to give Bennett's for Christmas). The tutorial I was following included templates for Batman and Superman logos to attach but I decided instead to go with a big yellow star and the first letter of the child's name. Superman can fly and Batman drives an awesome car, but who knows what powers SuperBennett will have! I personally can't wait to find out.

Part Two: Bells and Whistles
Another common toy issue that bothers me is all the gadets. Everything has to have flashing lights, lots of buttons and annoying music and songs (in Enlish and Spanish!). It's enough to drive a stay at home momma bonkers. I realize a large part of my snobbery here is my own issue. I simply don't want to have the constant audio and visual assault all day every day.

Do the kids like the sounds and the lights? Well, yes. Yes they do. But if every toy does something for them then we are running into the imagination/creativity/open ended play problem again. I want my children to interact with their toys and be able to play in different ways with the same item. But the sound and light toys mostly just require a button to be pushed and then the toy does the rest of the work...or, uh, play, as it may be.

Almost all of these toys purport to be educational and I think it's a lot of bull honkey. Yes, "bull honkey" is my opinion after much careful research into the educational toy industry (that is if we can define "careful reasearch" as "watching my son play with various toys for 2.5 years"). I think many of the teaching aspects of these toys are simply not age appropriate for the child interested in playing with them.

I'll give the example of the "Laugh and Learn" toys, which are HUGE sellers for Fisher Price. Although we never owned one, the Laugh and Learn Home was an A-list hit for Bennett. A few friends had it and he loved that thing from the age of about seven months. It has a door babies can open, close and crawl through, a light switch that turns on a light, a little window you can pass things through. How perfect that you don't have to worry about baby smashing fingers in the cabinets or holding a curious toddler on your hip for half an hour so they can switch the kitchen lights off and on! It is a darling toy! So why must it also sing obnoxious songs and talk about the ABCs, counting and opposites? The one year olds who are interested in opening and closing doors and flipping light switches are NOT going to be learning their alphabet from a talking door. Why not leave well enough alone? Because parents want their kids toys to be "educational".

As parents we aren't concerned about Bennett knowing all his letters and numbers yet and haven't been intentionally working on those skills, but yet he can identify almost all of them. You know how he learned 'em? Not from a talking guitar or ABC singing caterpillar. But from simply reading books and talking about the foam letters floating the tub during bath time. We were shocked at how quickly Bennett learned his letters once he became interested and started asking us about them. These fancy, patented teaching methods simply required adult attention, time and interaction with a curious child.

I think when thoughtful parents and caregivers just talk about what they see and do as they go through life, babies and children are going to naturally pick up on important skills and all the flashing, singing toys just end up as superfluous background noise (emphasis on NOISE).

Part Three: Plastic
So here's where my snobbery goes off the charts and I really get myself in trouble. But here it is: I don't like plastic toys.

Do we have plastic toys? You bet your bottom! But if I could, I'd trade 'em all in for darling wooden or cloth versions of the same. I don't have as many good reasons for this issue as the others. It's mostly just about what I find pleasing to look at and what I'd rather have cluttering up our home.

I would so, so much rather have this dollhouse than this. Or this darling workbench instead of this. (For giggles, check out this definite no-no, it hits all three of my issues!) And we had one of these walkers, but I want to get Dayton this (or maybe this one?) for her birthday instead.

But if I've got to offer "reasons" I have a couple. First, Bennett treats indestructible things as though they are indestructible. And yes, toddler toys are made to take a beating because two year olds can really dish it out, but I think we underestimate our children too. Bennett loves it when we give him a "big" plate (stoneware like ours) at dinner instead of his bright plastic ones. He has yet to knock one on the floor and takes great care when carrying it to the counter when he's finished eating. Not so with the plastic plates. Even at two he has a general grasp of the value of things and treats them accordingly.

I also like to latch on to the idea of "green" toys made from renewable, non-toxic materials. Good for my children and good for the earth! Honestly, that argument probably appealed to me originally because I already wanted those toys. But it is a good thing, nonetheless. And how cool that with some simple tools and a little practice you can make wonderful playthings for your own kids?

I want my children to have lovely things that can be valued, treasured and maybe even passed on some day. Most wooden and cloth toys simply have more character than the chunks of plastic you find in every living room and nursery. Sure, toys will get dinged up and worn down from play, but that just adds to the character of good toys whereas it turns junky toys into trash...tons of plastic trash that sits in landfills for hundreds of years. (Ooops, did I let my inner hippie slip out again? I apologize.)

It must be noted that pretty much all the non-plastic toys are significantly more expensive than the plastic versions. And being a frugal (some would say cheap) girl, this drives me absolutely batty. But I've decided that I would rather my children have fewer toys that last longer, are lovely and encourage creative play than having rooms stuffed to the gills with all the plastic that money can buy.

So, I'm almost afraid to ask...but what do you think? Am I threatening to deprive my children of good, clean (noisy, flashy, cartoony, plastic) fun? Do my ramblings make any sense? Or am I just trying to reason myself into not feeling guilty for buying more expensive stuff? Have I totally offended you by bashing all your kids toys and now you hate me?

1:03 A.M.

Baby wakes. I grumble up stairs, yearning for my bed. Consoling, I wonder, when did legs grow so long, dangling from my cradling arms? I am caught off guard, overwhelmed in this moment with gratitude and love. Humbled, tears spill and I am awed anew by miracle, blessing and challenge of raising souls in tiny bodies. Thank you, Lord!

I cannot, I will not fail these previous ones with daily, straining efforts of my wisdom and power, reaching, longing for good. Foolish and weak are my strategies.

Psalm 63:1-4
Oh God you are my God
Earnestly I seek you
My soul thirsts for you
My body longs for you
In a dry and weary land where there is no water

I've seen you in your sanctuary
Beheld your power and your glory
Because your love is better than life
My lips will glorify you

I will praise you as long as I live
In your name I will lift up my hands

Oops!

Did I say I'd have an entire new post up "tomorrow" last time? Well, maybe that was a tad bit optimistic. Obviously my intentions are WAY better than my time management skills.

I will finish my toy story soon. Or soonish. I promise it is actually in the works.

Sorry to be such a slacker! But since I've got your attention again...seriously, I want to know what you are a snob about. I know there's something, so spill it!

Snobbery

I've decided that everyone is a snobby about something. For some it is new cars or healthy living or their lawn and garden (Lord help us if any of our neighbors are such, they will never be able to look past our pathetic, patchy "lawn" and see the responsible, loving people we truly are.)

Some people are food snobs,or "foodies" as they like to be known. People with such enlightened pallets appreciate the subtle flavor differences between Mediterranean goat cheese and domestic goat cheese and can tell you which sub-province of Italy grows the best olives. These food connoisseurs would never deign to consume such rubbish as canned soup or processed cheese. I, however, think a hot bowl of creamy Cambell's tomato soup (made with milk, not water) and a Velveeta sandwich grilled to a beautiful, buttery golden brown sounds delightfully comforting and delicious. So I don't think I fit the foodie profile.*

Other folks are always up on the latest clothing trends. I would tell you what they are wearing this season, but I can't keep up. Trend snobs can be heard saying such things as "that is so 2006" and can spot an inappropriately tied scarf a mile away. Unfortunately for my poor, repressed inner fashionista, if I can't corral my children in a shopping cart and/or pick up a gallon of milk in your store, I'm unlikely to do a lot of clothes shopping there. I wish I were more fashionable, I do! And if wishing were enough to make it so then I'd be rockin' some serious skinny jeans and tall boots right now. But, alas, wishing ain't gonna cut it, and I can't manage to care enough to devote the time and money required to overhaul my closet.**

When it comes to clothing and accessory brands I don't care in the slightest. I cannot think of a single reason a Gucci or Prada bag would be better than my purse from Target's clearance rack (I luv me some Mossimo). I mean, my purse is used to carry a wallet, lip gloss, keys, and maybe a box of raisins and an emergency matchbox car. If my bag is making a fashion statement it is saying "here comes a mommy". But it doesn't need to say anything because the peanut butter smear on my tshirt, baby on my hip and toddler streaking four aisles ahead of me as I (calmly) holler "stay! with! mommy!" already have that statement covered. Besides, next year this bag is going to be too big/small/structured/slouchy/colorful/bland/whathaveyou and SO out of style so I see no reason to spend more than $18 if I can avoid it.

(Ok, I admit, some designer bags are pretty cool or at least interesting...but for that amount of cash it should come packaged with a bar of gold and magically clean itself when my toddler's sippy cup leaks orange juice.)

So, everybody has their "thing". It is so easy to be all self-righteous and poo poo on someone else's "thing". I mean, how shallow! What a waste of money! And there are so many more important things in life. Right?

Well, I think I've discovered my "thing". Toys. Not grown up toys like cars or TVs or computers. But baby and kids toys.

It's like, suddenly I have all these opinions! I find myself inwardly rolling my eyes in disgust when passing certain plastic-filled toy aisles. Where did this fervor come from? And why am I so inexorably drawn to the playthings that are more expensive? That's not me! I love a deal! Does it matter anyway? Is this born out of a desire for my children's best interest? Or because I don't like all the flashing lights and high-pitched nursery tunes?

I will try to answer these questions and more. Tomorrow. Because I'm growing bored with myself and all the rambling.

I'm sure you will be on pins and needles. Until then, I'm so curious...what are you a snob about?? Please share!


*Although I am no foodie, as previously mentioned, I may be on the verge of having some food issues...to be discussed in a future post. I'm working on it.

** In all honesty my closet is in dire need of an overhaul so I can dress like the grown up mom person I'm supposed to be. I'm trying to mature my wardrobe but it's going to have to happen verrrrry slllloooowwwly. Any advice/help/personal shopper services/donations to the cause are welcome!

Sick or Treat

Our Halloween was not incredibly festive this year. Beginning Tuesday the 27th one or both of my kids were sick. We didn't pinpoint a diagnosis...there was a false positive strep test a negative (false negative?) flu test. My gut says they had the flu, but who knows?

I just know they were sick. Sad, feverish, no appetite, coughing, snotty, super-snuggly sick. Bennett got the worst of it and was out of commission for a full week. Dayton, probably because she is still nursing (liquid gold, I tell you!), was mildly affected with the same symptoms for only three days.

So, here are our kids, in their finest Halloween attire, preparing to greet the neighborhood trick-or-treaters Saturday evening:


Pretty pathetic, huh? I say they were dressed up as Swine Flu Pandemic victims.

Here is Bennett's "builder" outfit, minus the hard hat, exactly as I laid it out in an attempt to persuade him to at least sit on the porch in costume. It was a no go.


Instead he sat on Daddy's lap and passively watched the neighborhood batmen (batmans?), princesses, witches and football players come by and pick up their sugary loot. Poor kid. And this was one of his better sick days. (No children were harmed in the making of this Halloween. Candy was distributed from the front step and no one allowed close enough to get germed.)


After about half an hour of passing out candy I just couldn't stand being such party poopers and decided get Dayton dressed up, sickness be darned! She hadn't run a fever all day and seemed in pretty good spirits. And it was her first Halloween, I would be so sad to not have pictures of her in the costume I made.

So I did. And here's our little baby bird. She stayed in character for a few front porch pictures and visits to greet our three closest neighbors to show off her cuteness and procure some chocolate, which she kindly shared with her mommy.

In my opinion, you just can't go wrong with a little girl in a tutu.

She was not so much a fan of Ms. Red's talking skeleton.

But she was a fan of Daddy kisses.

Baby bird flying lessons.

(My snapshots are pretty terrible because it was already dark out and I had to use the flash, which washed out her little white outfit. If you can't tell she has feathers on her tutu and on her head. There were also, at one point, feathers clipped to her shirt sleeves, but they didn't last fifteen seconds.)

Hope you all had a happy and healthy Halloween!

Have You Sanitized Your Nostrils Today?

If you know me at all you are probably aware that I am absolutely NOT a germaphobe. I would probably be closer to the opposite. (Would that be a germophile?) Maybe some day I'll go into all my thoughts on the matter but let's just say I grew up hearing "a little dirt makes you healthy" and I'm now one of those moms that lets her kids snack on food they find under the table. (Is that too much information? Don't leave me!)

I mean, I'm not a cave woman. I do own a bottle of anti-bacterial gel. We bought it when Bennett was born and it should easily last us another five years.

I'm sure I err on the side of not being too laissez-faire about germs, especially considering I have small children and it is cold and flu season. Even though I'm not careful enough, I don't want my kids to be sick either! (Ok, I admit I joked about hanging out with some swine flu infected friends so we can all get it, get better and be done with the drama. But I've not actually done it!) So, what's a lazy, non-paranoid momma to do?

Enter an interesting email forward. Uncharacteristically, I did not immediately delete it, but actually read it and then (gasp) sent on to some friends. I appreciate that it gave some tips for staying healthy but wasn't alarmist. I thought, "Hey, I could follow the recommendations without having to purchase gallons of Purell, carry paper towels with me for opening doors or keep my kids inside the house until April!"

Here is the email (For blogging purposes I've deleted a few of the extra details and explanations):

Here's a listing of some steps we can do to help keep us healthy during this cold/flu season! :-) This is a combo of things from Dr. Oz and a friend of mine ....

* The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it's almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.

* While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):

1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).

2. "Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat or bathe.)

3. *Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine or Hydrogen Peroxide if you don't trust salt). *H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.

4. *clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water, or hydrogen peroxide. *blowing the nose softly once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.*

5. *Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (Amla and other citrus fruits). *If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.

6. Drink lots and lots of water...not juice but water!

7. *Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can. *Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

8. Vitamin C: Boost your natural immunity! Eat oranges and/ or grapefruit (the whole fruit not the juice) for the vitamin C or just take high doses of a good Vitamin C supplement. If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.

9. Vitamin D!!! When people think of a vitamin to increase when they are sick they always think of vitamin C but Vitamin D is just as crutial! So far, Swine flu, H1N1, has killed thirty-six children in U.S. and analysis of CDC data indicates Vitamin D deficient children at higher risk of death. 58 million American children are Vitamin D deficient; 7.6 million are severely deficient. Vitamin D deficiency is found in ALL auto immune patients (MS, Fibro., remetroid arthits) as well as many cancers.

If you were to maintain your vitamin D levels within the optimal range of 50-65 ng/ml, you would likely avoid being affected during the cold and flu season entirely. Ultimately, your best bet – not just for cold and flu prevention, but for the prevention of an astounding number of common and often chronic diseases – is to maintain healthy levels of vitamin D year-round.

The best most natural way to get Vitamin D is through 30 minutes of sun exposure every day , WITHOUT SUNSCREEN!! If this is not possible than take a vitamin D supplement but first see your naturopath or physician and get your vit. D levels tested! Too much vit. D can be toxic to your body , cause osteoporosis and harden your arteries!

10. Garlic! Garlic! Garlic! The absolute best natural immunity booster!! Eat or swallow raw garlic cloves, as much as you can handle. And if you can't stomach any at all then go get a supplement. Kyolic is a good brand.

So, after reading this, thinking "ah, yeah, that's awesome!" and forwarding to friends, I looked at it with a more critical eye. Something about being "a combo of things from Dr. Oz and a friend of mine", probably because the author invoked the name of Dr. Oz, seemed awfully fishy.

I was transported back to textual criticism lessons from my Baylor religion classes. Suddenly it was glaringly obvious that the writing style, language and punctuation was inconsistent and one of the points was repeated twice. Hmmm...this stinks of a copy and paste job. My guess is it started with three or four points and then people added stuff (maybe tips learned from their doctor or great-grandmother) and deleted other things (kind of like I axed fluff I considered extraneous) before sending on to friends.

So I got my Google on and tried to tease out where this advice might have originated and if what validity there may be to the suggestions. This is what I found:

~~ Variations of this "article" is EVERYWHERE on the 'net. I'm confident there is no singular source, much less one reliable (as in a medical professional, organization or journal) source.

~~ This might be nit-picky but the claim that the "only portals of entry are mouth/throat" is not 100% true. Many sources, including the Centers for Disease Control, add the mucus membranes of the eyes as a potential area for a flu virus to enter the body.

~~ Here is some interesting analysis of this popular email forward. It includes opinions from some random physicians regarding the gargling, nasal swabbing, etc. (As far as I'm concerned, they are just that, RANDOM opinions.) According to this source, none of the techniques have been proven ineffective...although some are proven effective, others are disputed.

~~ Apparently, Dr. Oz does include a recommendation to increase vitamin D intake on his Swine Flu Prevention page. So maybe the big doc's name wasn't totally used in vain.

~~ More info about the vitamin D issue (which I found particularly fascinating) comes from Dr. Mercola, a widely read natural health proponent.

And that's about all I got. Turns out I'm not the best researcher. Either that or maybe Google isn't the premier research tool (could it be??). My exhaustive one hour of web searches didn't provide me all the answers I desired.

Even if my method of "research" falls short, it is apparent to me in talking to various medical professionals (my doctor, friends who are nurses and a nurse practitioner) plus reading WHO and CDC recommendations there is just a bunch of stuff we don't know for sure. No one disputes that hand washing, not touching your face, staying away from sick people and eating healthy are all Good Things when it comes to staying healthy. But other stuff...?

In conclusion (I know, you thought I'd lost the ability to come to anything resembling a conclusion) these tips make some sense to the interested, natural-remedy-leaning, non-medically-educated person like me*. It doesn't appear that implementing any of them in moderation could cause major harm**. Unless you consider some seriously stinky garlic breath "major harm".

So, I'm off to swab my nostrils and gargle some salt water. Why not? Adios and stay healthy!

* Reading my self description it occurs to me that doctors and other medical professionals who have spent years upon years in school probably hate people like me who like to think we know what's up.

** Certainly you realize that this is all my uneducated ramblings and I'm only coming to conclusions for myself and my family and not making any kind of medical suggestions for anyone else. Right? Ok, good!

Just Humor Me

I swear my nine month old is waving and saying "hi". Well, maybe it's "ha" or "ah" sometimes...but sure sounds like "hi" to me.





(I should take the time to trim this video but I haven't so feel free to ignore the last minute and a half where I try to cajole Dayton into saying Mama and she fusses for her sippy cup and then ignores me.)

Other adorable tricks from our baby girl lately: saying Dada, Mama, clapping and beginning to cruise. My favorite is the clapping - extremely deliberate yet totally silent and accompanied by a look of utter pride. So stinking cute! Must get that on video before she loses the enthusiasm for her new accomplishment.

Someday I'll Write a Real Post. I Hope.

My poor little blog has been terribly neglected and I can't seem to get my groove back. I have lots and lots of things I want to write about but I haven't made it a priority to sit down and do it. Part of my problem is I find it impossible to spit out an informative and/or interesting post in less than about 45 minutes. I am apparently incapable of finding middle ground between a quick twitter-worthy picture/blurb combo and a 2000 word essay which takes me an hour or more (usually skewing towards much more) to craft. Although I certainly don't claim to have any sort of enviable writing skill, I do really enjoy my attempts at story telling and my "process" (such as it is) requires time.

(Full disclosure: that super-lame paragraph required more than 20 minutes of effort. I'll admit it. I have issues.)

And, if you haven't noticed, I tend to be a bit on the wordy side. I can't help it.

All this to say, there are a few things I have been thinking about lately that I want to find time to write about sometime soon. Say, before the onset of menopause. (I don't want to stress myself out with deadlines or anything.) Here are some percolating topics:

* Our all-cash budget - update: we have closed ALL our credit card accounts

* I think I'm becoming a toy snob.

* We went to Alabama. We built an apartment.

* I love, love, love the show So You Think You Can Dance. And I'd love to tell you why.

* Reducing our use of plastics (it's a desire more than action at this point, but something I've been thinking about a lot)

* Cloth diapering update

* Not unrelated to above, the time for potty training has arrived. I just have to get off my lazy duff and do something about it

* Discipline - it's hard!

* I recently told Jeff, "I think I'm on the verge of becoming really weird about food." (Blame the books I've been reading about American food culture.) Again, lots of thinking, not much acting so far.

* This two kid thing has been kicking my tail in totally unexpected ways. But I'm learning to give myself grace. Sometimes.

* I used to think organized sports for toddlers was absolutely ridiculous. Now I'm considering giving my two and a half year old baseball lessons for Christmas.

* And of course, my children are cute, funny and smart. I have proof.

On the way home from Alabama I was asking my dad, who's writing I enjoy immensely, why he hasn't been writing lately. His response was that since all his kids left home he's short on material. He bugged me to write more consistently, since I have so much to say these days. Problem is, I'm short on time. And there's the rub.

So, what do you, my dear, loyal readers (bwhaha, that's funny! I mean, Mom, Lisa, Tricia?) care to read about? Which of those topics should I tackle first? Anything I'm leaving out?

Apparently You Don't Have To Teach Boys This Stuff

So I'm in the laundry room folding clothes and Bennett rides up to the door on his trusty "big tye-cycle" and requests my attention.


"Wook, Mommy! No two hands!"

Here's to a future full of risk taking!

Hey Look What I Found!

Previously written but never published blog posts! So just in case you are wondering what we were up to six months ago...

* My Little Man

* Laura's Gonna' Be A Mommy! (note: sweet baby Jack was born June 16th and we love him!)

* Easter Fun (Including, "You've Been Peeped!")

* Easter Sunday

(another note: For my own peace of mind and so when I look back at these in years to come I can pretend I had it all together, I've organized the posts according to the approximate date they actually occurred, not when I finally got around to publishing them here.)

Family Fridays

It seems my definition of a fun Friday night has changed quite a bit in the past few years. This weekend I enjoyed a perfect start to the weekend by just hanging out at home with my favorite folks. My people. My little family of four. And it was great!

The weather was pleasant so after dinner we moved our party to the back yard for Bennett to work on perfecting his newest skill.


Oh yes, my not-quite-two and a half year old has declared himself too big to use a baseball tee. So he's moved on to coach pitch.

What a stance.


I love his look of concentration. Apparently sticking the tongue out helps?


Keeping his eye on the ball...it's a hit!


Meanwhile, Dayton finished off some peas and carrots.


Have I mentioned that she prefers to feed herself?




She manages to commandeer almost every feeding operation.


And it makes quite a mess.


Somehow I find her to be irresistibly cute, even covered in icky, sticky baby food.



Hopefully next time it won't be a month between blog posts! I'll try to do better. (But I make no promises...) Until next time!

Things I Must Remember

Be forewarned: this post is not remarkable in any way except in the way that I find my son's achievements, idiosyncrasies and view on life to be fascinating and remarkable. So this little list is for me and for my family...a feeble attempt to cut a swatch from the fabric of time and tuck it in my pocket.

* Bennett is talking up a storm the past few months. He's been using longer and more complex sentences. A month or so ago he scolded me for standing on a chair: "Get down mommy! That not a wadder!"

* Since having his hair washed in the bathtub elicits more drama than we are willing to endure on a nightly basis we often toss Bennett in the shower to achieve a tear-free cleaning. Sometimes he isn't keen on taking a shower until we ask if he'd like to "wash his cars". Bennett LOVES to wash his cars in the shower. And fill cups and containers with water, shoot his cars in them like mini basketballs and then dump the water out. Fun times.

* As is typical of two year old development Bennett is insistent on doing everything (every.thing.) by himself these days. From opening the car door to pouring milk to turning off the tv, he can do it! And he lets us know we need to back off and give him a chance by insisting "dat MY job!"

* Reading is a favorite activity lately. We try to go to the library weekly and he loves finding new books. He likes to us to read to him but also enjoys reading by himself. Sometimes he will bring two books over, hand one to me and say "You read dat book. Dis my book." For a the past couple of days I've taken advantage of the opportunity to do some of my own reading (I'm jumping on the Harry Potter band wagon about a decade late) and we've settled on the couch each morning for a little side by side reading time. I love it!

* Our dear son is a bit OCD. Especially when it comes to bedtime. Recently he needs his blanket, his Bible and his water bottle...with ice pwease. Fan on. Night light on. And sheet on, but not "too tight" (we're not sure what this means exactly). A new development is the requirement that Bible and waterbottle be tucked into his sheet as well. There will be shrill calls for mom or dad to come rectify the situation if one or the other is out.

* Speaking of the Bible, his children's story Bible is his FAVORITE book by far. He usually calls it "God". As in, "I wan read God" or "where my God?" or "I wan take God bye bye". And then there was the time I had to follow through on my threat to not read any bedtime stories if he didn't obey and I left him in bed crying and shrieking "Mommy! I WAN GOD! I WAN READ GOD!" But I stood firm and refused to read the Bible to my weeping child. You can send my Christian Mommy of the Year awards to Stacey "No Bible Tonight" Parker.

* B learned to ride his tricycle last week. He was frustrated for a day or two as he tried to figure out the peddling but stuck with it and I was proud of him for persevering. Now he speeds in all over the house begging for me to "watch dis, Mommy!" When I call him to come to the table for dinner or to the bedroom to get dressed he often insists on "driving" to his destination.

* This child can turn almost anything into a sports type game. He helps switch out laundry by wadding wet clothes into balls and tossing them in the dryer, cheering himself ("yes!") with each successful throw. He likes to see how far back he can stand from the toy bucket or block box and still get items in when it's time to clean up. Once he kicked a toy and yelled "score!" when it rolled under the entertainment armoire.

* We've recently started to hear "I wuff you" unprompted. It is the best.

Finally They Feed Me!

I swear that was what Dayton was thinking when we made the first attempt at "solid" food on her six month birthday. I wonder if we might have been more successful in getting cereal into her mouth had we begun when she was a bit younger. Little girl is in quite a grabby stage right now and was not interested in letting us feed her in the traditional manner.

I wanted to edit these a bit but I'm only proving my ineptitude at such pursuits. My vision of a cute little video that included short excerpts of the action and a sweet, peppy song is proving to be slightly more challenging than I anticipated. After an embarrassing amount of time I've managed to crop out some of the more redundant bits. The song...well, it ain't happening. Not tonight anyway.

But, in my humble and slightly biased opinion, Dayton Joy is pretty cute...peppy song or no.

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Green Day!

After way too much playing inside due to brutally hot weather I decided we needed to spice up a boring weekday by bringing back color days. Without any planning or preparation I declared at breakfast on Tuesday that it was to be Green Day. Bennett was pumped.

So I put him in a green t-shirt and made it up as we went. Here are the little ways we celebrated Green Day at our house.

Green Hunt:
A walk/ride first thing in the morning (while it was still under 100 outside) to look for green things in our neighborhood.



Green Craft:


I secretly collected the grass and leaves for the project so as to avoid teaching the two year olds to destroy plants for fun. I was pretty sure they wouldn't understand why it was okay to pull a couple of leaves off my rose bush today but wouldn't be okay tomorrow.


Green Gift:
My mom got sent some appropriately themed gifts to Bennett for future color days. Thanks for the puzzle, Gran!



Green Kitchen Helper Preparing a Green Dinner:







Hey, I know there are many (many!) healthier green options than green pancakes and applesauce...but this is what I could come up with at the last minute without requiring a trip to the store.

And although I was fairly certain I did not allow Bennett to touch the food coloring, he managed to turn himself a little green as well.


So obviously it was necessary that we end the day with a...

...Green Bath:


Check out that tan line! (And please forgive the grainy phone photos.)


We had a great time celebrating Green Day. Stay tuned for the next time I need a way to make a boring day at home seem more novel...Blue Day coming soon!