Tonight I fell in love with my daughter all over again. It's not that I haven't loved her all along, its just that these days, well, she can be a giant needy pain in the butt and Ben, well Benny, is a smiling, happy, fun, sweet, sweet, little mama's boy whom I can't get enough of.
But tonight - tonight it was Emma's turn to shine. We went to a pumpkin carving party at my oldest friend in LA's house. He has a daughter who is turning 4 in December (she's the one we get the clothes from!) and they had invited a bunch of families over to carve. We got there around 7pm, Ben's bed time. He had some trouble falling asleep with all the commotion so the other Mommy's kept jumping in to try their patented sleep moves. Finally I had to get the car seat out of the car and wrap him up tight in a toasty blanket and my buddy, Renee rocked him to sleep.
The whole 45 minutes this was going on I could see Emma out in the backyard coloring on the dry erase board, then erasing it, then coloring it, then erasing it, then coloring it, then erasing it. I would say that is something we should probably request for Christmas from Santa Clause, but there is absolutely no room in my house for it. (PS, hey Santa, I hear IKEA has the whole kit and kaboodle for $15!)
I went out to color with her and immediately got a contact high from the smell of the markers. How she was still functioning after playing with them for 45 minutes is beyond my comprehension. I encouraged her to come inside to warm up and she said, "Mama, Emma have pizza?" We got her a slice and she housed it in about 5 seconds, then ate some soy beans, a giant handful of goldfish and a bunch of chips. Yes, she had already eaten dinner - pork chops and broccoli - but apparently the high of the markers gave her the munchies...
We then played with some toys while I caught up with a friend I haven't seen in over 7 years. She and I are living in some kind of parallel universe - both of us married South American men, both hold licenses in lucrative industries but choose to rarely put them to use - instead are blessed to be able to be stay at home moms. She lives about 10 blocks from my house and she has a son one month older than Emma. Too funny! We exchanged numbers and will hopefully start meeting up at the park for a playdate soon.
Have you ever seen that car commercial where the Dad puts his preschooler-ish daughter into the car, buckles her in, closes the door and walks around the car to the driver's seat and gets in - the whole time the little girl is yammering on about her day and the dad is just smiling ear to ear. You know which one I am talking about? That was me tonight. On the way home in the car Emma dominated the conversation from the back seat. It went something like this, "That was fun playing with Sierra, Mommy." (She never actually played with Sierra, just used her toys!) "Emma go home now. Benny's tired. Benny's gots to take a nap. Not Emma. Emma not tired. Emma go home, watch the puppy movie, Mama. Dalmation movie. There's Pongo, Perdita, and all the puppies. Oh, and Cruella Deville. She bad lady, Mama. Emma sad." (Insert fake cry.) "Emma watch the movie and Emma get happy! Emma happy, Mama!" Seriously, she went on and on - it was so awesome. I rarely interjected and she kept me entertained the entire ride home.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Pumpkin patch
Actual conversation I just had while putting Emma to bed:
"What do you want to do tomorrow?"
"Ummmm, ride the zebra."
"Ride the zebra? Where do you want to do that?"
"At the zoo, Mommy!" (in an exasperated voice as if to say, Duh, lady!)
"Okay, maybe we can go to the zoo."
"Good idea, Mommy. Go zoo with Evie!" Then she gets all sad, "Evie at daycare."
"That's okay, we will see Evie on Sunday!" in my best chipper voice.
"Porter in daycare, too."
"No, Porter is at home with his new baby brother."
"Baby brother name, Russell."
"That's right! His new baby brother's name is Russell."
"Mommy, Scott go home." (He is my friend from over 20 years ago that got in touch with me via facebook and we all met up at the zoo 2 weeks ago for a reunion.)
"Yep, Scott had to go home."
"Okay, Mommy, go zoo and make new friends."
The memory on this kid never ceases to amaze me! She constantly recalls days from her past and misses her playdate buddies desperately. I love her stream of conscious thinking, too!
We carved our Halloween pumpkin over the weekend while Gramma Lou was here. We then attempted to get a nice family portrait by said pumpkin but it was impossible to get a photo with both kids looking into the camera... Sound familiar? The best one of the bunch:
Emma kept calling the carved pumpkin a "pumpkin patch." Ha!
I also love this one of Benny digging his hand into the guts of 'ole Jacky:
"What do you want to do tomorrow?"
"Ummmm, ride the zebra."
"Ride the zebra? Where do you want to do that?"
"At the zoo, Mommy!" (in an exasperated voice as if to say, Duh, lady!)
"Okay, maybe we can go to the zoo."
"Good idea, Mommy. Go zoo with Evie!" Then she gets all sad, "Evie at daycare."
"That's okay, we will see Evie on Sunday!" in my best chipper voice.
"Porter in daycare, too."
"No, Porter is at home with his new baby brother."
"Baby brother name, Russell."
"That's right! His new baby brother's name is Russell."
"Mommy, Scott go home." (He is my friend from over 20 years ago that got in touch with me via facebook and we all met up at the zoo 2 weeks ago for a reunion.)
"Yep, Scott had to go home."
"Okay, Mommy, go zoo and make new friends."
The memory on this kid never ceases to amaze me! She constantly recalls days from her past and misses her playdate buddies desperately. I love her stream of conscious thinking, too!
We carved our Halloween pumpkin over the weekend while Gramma Lou was here. We then attempted to get a nice family portrait by said pumpkin but it was impossible to get a photo with both kids looking into the camera... Sound familiar? The best one of the bunch:
Emma kept calling the carved pumpkin a "pumpkin patch." Ha!
I also love this one of Benny digging his hand into the guts of 'ole Jacky:
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Cat in heat
It has been an interesting past few days around this joint. Gramma Lou is visiting so I get to go out into the real world sans children. It is always a strange feeling to drive in my car and listen to adult music or to run an errand and not have to get 2 kiddies in and out and back into the car again. Friday night I even went out for sushi with Auntie Cole. Imagine that, me - out on a Friday night!
Well, that must have not been right with the Universe because I woke up at 3:30am with stomach cramps and nausea. Ben woke up soon after and decided it was playtime and not sleep time. So there he and I were sitting on the floor in the living room when the nausea took a turn for the worst. I sprinted to the bathroom and hurled my guts out followed by Ben who was in curious George mode. As I was puking, he was trying to climb into my lap and grab onto the toilet. In an awesome mothering moment, I scooped him up and held him tight as I finished emptying my stomach of whatever bad piece of sushi that wasn't agreeing with me! Good times!
We went back out into the living room and I turned on my iTunes visualizer with the Baby Einstein Classic Lullaby CD and sat Ben on my lap to relax and zone out. He stared mezmorized at the screen and slowly nodded off on my chest. When the final song came on around 5:30am he was finally good and sleepy so I placed him in the playpen and went back to bed. As I laid down another wave up nausea hit and I was back in the bathroom. Thankfully the noise didn't wake him this time and I was able to go back to sleep. I woke up Saturday morning feeling perfectly fine - how one's body reacts to food poisoning is a wondrous thing! Find the culprit, get it out of the body before the body digests it. Ahhhhh, nature.
Speaking of the body, Emma has this weird cough that only makes an appearance about 3 hours after she has gone to bed. She will wake with a seal-like bark, have a good long coughing session, then go back to sleep for the rest of the night. She is not sick, shows no signs of the croup (i.e. seal-like bark) and does not cough during the day. I am guessing she has some kind of allergen in her room but can't imagine what as her sheets get washed weekly with the same detergent I have been using for 3 years now, there is no sign of mold in her room and we vacuum almost daily to keep up with the shedding dogs. I can only think it may be her humidifier which I will bleach out today and replace the air filter and see if that is it...?
We have also decided that Ben - who talks nonstop now - sounds like a cat in heat. This is a typical Benny conversation, "AaaaaaOooooo, aaaablaaaaaah, oooowwwwwwowowowowowo." He also LOVES the word, "Wow!" and uses it often as in, "Wow wow wow wow!"
Lastly, even though one of my dearest friends is a professional photographer and has always done my family portraits, I decided the other day to give the 'ole Sears portrait studio a try, knowing it would probably be a nightmare as neither Emma nor Ben will sit still for longer than 3 seconds at a time, and I didn't want to waste Z's time. It was quite a challenge for the photographer - who certainly earned her minimum wage that we know corporate America is only paying. Believe it or not, we got great shots of each kid individually, but couldn't pull off a decent family shot as expected, and didn't even get a chance to shoot the 2 kids together because neither would cooperate and sit still! Ha! I'll attempt to post them when they come in.
Well, that must have not been right with the Universe because I woke up at 3:30am with stomach cramps and nausea. Ben woke up soon after and decided it was playtime and not sleep time. So there he and I were sitting on the floor in the living room when the nausea took a turn for the worst. I sprinted to the bathroom and hurled my guts out followed by Ben who was in curious George mode. As I was puking, he was trying to climb into my lap and grab onto the toilet. In an awesome mothering moment, I scooped him up and held him tight as I finished emptying my stomach of whatever bad piece of sushi that wasn't agreeing with me! Good times!
We went back out into the living room and I turned on my iTunes visualizer with the Baby Einstein Classic Lullaby CD and sat Ben on my lap to relax and zone out. He stared mezmorized at the screen and slowly nodded off on my chest. When the final song came on around 5:30am he was finally good and sleepy so I placed him in the playpen and went back to bed. As I laid down another wave up nausea hit and I was back in the bathroom. Thankfully the noise didn't wake him this time and I was able to go back to sleep. I woke up Saturday morning feeling perfectly fine - how one's body reacts to food poisoning is a wondrous thing! Find the culprit, get it out of the body before the body digests it. Ahhhhh, nature.
Speaking of the body, Emma has this weird cough that only makes an appearance about 3 hours after she has gone to bed. She will wake with a seal-like bark, have a good long coughing session, then go back to sleep for the rest of the night. She is not sick, shows no signs of the croup (i.e. seal-like bark) and does not cough during the day. I am guessing she has some kind of allergen in her room but can't imagine what as her sheets get washed weekly with the same detergent I have been using for 3 years now, there is no sign of mold in her room and we vacuum almost daily to keep up with the shedding dogs. I can only think it may be her humidifier which I will bleach out today and replace the air filter and see if that is it...?
We have also decided that Ben - who talks nonstop now - sounds like a cat in heat. This is a typical Benny conversation, "AaaaaaOooooo, aaaablaaaaaah, oooowwwwwwowowowowowo." He also LOVES the word, "Wow!" and uses it often as in, "Wow wow wow wow!"
Lastly, even though one of my dearest friends is a professional photographer and has always done my family portraits, I decided the other day to give the 'ole Sears portrait studio a try, knowing it would probably be a nightmare as neither Emma nor Ben will sit still for longer than 3 seconds at a time, and I didn't want to waste Z's time. It was quite a challenge for the photographer - who certainly earned her minimum wage that we know corporate America is only paying. Believe it or not, we got great shots of each kid individually, but couldn't pull off a decent family shot as expected, and didn't even get a chance to shoot the 2 kids together because neither would cooperate and sit still! Ha! I'll attempt to post them when they come in.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
the Disciplinee becomes the Disciplinarian
29-21.4-19.5
No, those are not Barbie's measurements. They are my strapping young man-baby, Ben's! He had his 9 month well visit this morning, and after charming the front desk ladies and the nurse as per usual, he had his weigh in before the pediatrician came in to check him out - 29 inches long and 21 lbs 4 ozs (or the equivalent of a 12 months old). His giant Mommy and Daddy-like noggin measured in at 19.5. What can I say, we Eimers-Batter have huge brains.
While Ben was sleeping off his hangover from the vaccinations he received this morning, Emma and I were in the backyard cleaning up all the outside toys that got abused in last weeks rain. One such toy was the water table she got from Grandma and Grandpa. After I scrubbed it clean I filled it for her to play with while I went about cleaning the rest of the toys. I often glanced over at her enjoying seeing her having a good time splashing around and enjoying the fountain and the boats. My final glance found our favorite daughter enjoying her water table a bit more than I normally would expect:
Yep. Fully clothed. She climbed right into it! And check out that Sassy look on her face!
As I may have mentioned, we are now taking a more active roll in disciplining Emzilla when she rears her ugly head. At 27 months, it is finally obvious that she understands there will be consequences when she misbehaves. Does this stop her from misbehaving? Not at all - she is only two! But what is has done you should be able to decipher from the following conversation:
(Ben and Emma are playing on the floor in the living room. Mommy is in the kitchen 10 feet away - she hears it all through the doorway.)
Crash! Blocks come tumbling down.
Emma in the sternest deepest daddy voice ever: "Ben! NO! NOOOO! That Emma's. Not Ben's. You want time-out? You say sorry! NOW!"
Ben: "Yah blah blah gurgle gurgle wa."
Emma: "Ben! You go time out! Go!"
Mommy then stepped in to pick up Ben before Emma got the bright idea of giving him a spanking. I gave her the 'ole, "Excuse me, you don't talk to Benny like that." while laughing uncontrollably on the inside.
No, those are not Barbie's measurements. They are my strapping young man-baby, Ben's! He had his 9 month well visit this morning, and after charming the front desk ladies and the nurse as per usual, he had his weigh in before the pediatrician came in to check him out - 29 inches long and 21 lbs 4 ozs (or the equivalent of a 12 months old). His giant Mommy and Daddy-like noggin measured in at 19.5. What can I say, we Eimers-Batter have huge brains.
While Ben was sleeping off his hangover from the vaccinations he received this morning, Emma and I were in the backyard cleaning up all the outside toys that got abused in last weeks rain. One such toy was the water table she got from Grandma and Grandpa. After I scrubbed it clean I filled it for her to play with while I went about cleaning the rest of the toys. I often glanced over at her enjoying seeing her having a good time splashing around and enjoying the fountain and the boats. My final glance found our favorite daughter enjoying her water table a bit more than I normally would expect:
Yep. Fully clothed. She climbed right into it! And check out that Sassy look on her face!
As I may have mentioned, we are now taking a more active roll in disciplining Emzilla when she rears her ugly head. At 27 months, it is finally obvious that she understands there will be consequences when she misbehaves. Does this stop her from misbehaving? Not at all - she is only two! But what is has done you should be able to decipher from the following conversation:
(Ben and Emma are playing on the floor in the living room. Mommy is in the kitchen 10 feet away - she hears it all through the doorway.)
Crash! Blocks come tumbling down.
Emma in the sternest deepest daddy voice ever: "Ben! NO! NOOOO! That Emma's. Not Ben's. You want time-out? You say sorry! NOW!"
Ben: "Yah blah blah gurgle gurgle wa."
Emma: "Ben! You go time out! Go!"
Mommy then stepped in to pick up Ben before Emma got the bright idea of giving him a spanking. I gave her the 'ole, "Excuse me, you don't talk to Benny like that." while laughing uncontrollably on the inside.
Abracadabra
Unfortunately there is no way to capture the intonation of Emzilla's language skills here in our quoted conversations. The girl is 27 months old and comprehends and conveys a message so clearly. Yesterday when we were webcamming with Gramma Lou, she wanted to do something different, so she kept saying, "Good bye, Gramma Lou, see you later!" in the sweetest I'm casting you aside voice ever. Tonight when my best friend, "Auntie Cole" was over, Emma kept willing her to leave with, "Auntie Cole, you gotta go find Erin." No blatent 'please, leave,' just a casual hint that you should be doing something else, not just hanging out with Mommy watching football/baseball.
I'm excited to report that I have introduced her to her newest obsession, 101 Dalmations - or as she likes to call it, "The doggy movie." The "animal moobies" have been forgotten about for now, and she snuck in 2 viewings of that Disney classic... so far... I'm sure that number will double by this time tomorrow!
Ben has a new obsession, too. BITING ME! This kid has gotten 4 solid chompers with 2 more tops making their way in. He gets me in the least expected spots - always the meaty bits when you are not ready for it. Hopefully this is a new and SHORT phase that he is going through! He is also not just getting around fast but tonight we witnessed him doing the 'downward dog' - which for you unyoga peeps, is when your hands and feet are on the ground and your legs are stretched out and your butt is in the air. We thought he was going to stand up from this position - unbelievable!
The unveiling of the homemade Tinkerbell costume went fairly well on Saturday night at our ward Halloween party. She refused to put the costume on until we arrived at our destination, and then had a blast running around the gym with all the other kids saying, "Abra ca dabra!" with her magic wand. I am not sure if I have ever heard Tink utter abra ca dabra - but that was the line of the night. I couldn't get a decent pic of her because she wouldn't stand still, but I will try again this week when she seems to be in a relaxing mood. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha, I just made myself laugh out loud...
I'm excited to report that I have introduced her to her newest obsession, 101 Dalmations - or as she likes to call it, "The doggy movie." The "animal moobies" have been forgotten about for now, and she snuck in 2 viewings of that Disney classic... so far... I'm sure that number will double by this time tomorrow!
Ben has a new obsession, too. BITING ME! This kid has gotten 4 solid chompers with 2 more tops making their way in. He gets me in the least expected spots - always the meaty bits when you are not ready for it. Hopefully this is a new and SHORT phase that he is going through! He is also not just getting around fast but tonight we witnessed him doing the 'downward dog' - which for you unyoga peeps, is when your hands and feet are on the ground and your legs are stretched out and your butt is in the air. We thought he was going to stand up from this position - unbelievable!
The unveiling of the homemade Tinkerbell costume went fairly well on Saturday night at our ward Halloween party. She refused to put the costume on until we arrived at our destination, and then had a blast running around the gym with all the other kids saying, "Abra ca dabra!" with her magic wand. I am not sure if I have ever heard Tink utter abra ca dabra - but that was the line of the night. I couldn't get a decent pic of her because she wouldn't stand still, but I will try again this week when she seems to be in a relaxing mood. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha, I just made myself laugh out loud...
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Potty training 101
Today was our first day of big girl panties. VERY EXCITING! I'll give you the play by play.
8:15am wake up with extremely hearty pee pee diaper, clean up, get dressed, put on big girl panties
9:00am potty check, still dry, but no pee pee on potty
9:20am potty check, still dry, but no pee pee on potty
9:45am pee pee in panties while playing on floor with Ben in the hallway, clean up, change clothes
10:05am potty check, still dry, but no pee pee on potty
10:30am potty check, still dry, but no pee pee on potty
10:55am pee pee in panties while sitting on leather couch reading a book, clean up, change clothes
11:25am potty check, still dry, but no pee pee on potty
11:50am pee pee in panties while playing with Ben on living room floor
At this point she said to me, "Mommy, get diaper on?"
"You know what, Emma, that's a great idea."
We will try again on Saturday (tomorrow we are on the road all day...). One thing I did find was that she doesn't do well with sitting on the little potty - no patience - but when she is on the adapter ring on the adult toilet she is more apt to sit for a longer period of time.
Now that Ben is on the move and can go from his belly to sitting on his own as well as pull himself up onto his knees, I never know what position I will find him - or where for that matter! Today I plopped him in his crib for a nap and later had to sneak into the room to grab fresh clothes for Emma. He was sleeping sitting up, leaning forward on his blanket. Talk about flexible!
8:15am wake up with extremely hearty pee pee diaper, clean up, get dressed, put on big girl panties
9:00am potty check, still dry, but no pee pee on potty
9:20am potty check, still dry, but no pee pee on potty
9:45am pee pee in panties while playing on floor with Ben in the hallway, clean up, change clothes
10:05am potty check, still dry, but no pee pee on potty
10:30am potty check, still dry, but no pee pee on potty
10:55am pee pee in panties while sitting on leather couch reading a book, clean up, change clothes
11:25am potty check, still dry, but no pee pee on potty
11:50am pee pee in panties while playing with Ben on living room floor
At this point she said to me, "Mommy, get diaper on?"
"You know what, Emma, that's a great idea."
We will try again on Saturday (tomorrow we are on the road all day...). One thing I did find was that she doesn't do well with sitting on the little potty - no patience - but when she is on the adapter ring on the adult toilet she is more apt to sit for a longer period of time.
Now that Ben is on the move and can go from his belly to sitting on his own as well as pull himself up onto his knees, I never know what position I will find him - or where for that matter! Today I plopped him in his crib for a nap and later had to sneak into the room to grab fresh clothes for Emma. He was sleeping sitting up, leaning forward on his blanket. Talk about flexible!
Go to sleep, wittle Emma
Emma has been screaming in bed for over an hour. She will not go to sleep. I cannot believe Ben has not woken up as their beds are right next to each other. I just caught her singing to herself between screams, "Go to sleep, go to sleep, go to sleep wittle Emma. Close your eyes, say goodnight, go to sleep wittle Emma."
I have never in my life sang that song to her. I am going to guess this might be a daddy trick - but I don't know! It was so freaking cute that it took every ounce of discipline I had to not go into the room and give her a big hug.
Now if only it worked and she fell asleep. She is at 75 minutes of crying it out with no lull in sight.
ps: that is totally a daddy trick
I have never in my life sang that song to her. I am going to guess this might be a daddy trick - but I don't know! It was so freaking cute that it took every ounce of discipline I had to not go into the room and give her a big hug.
Now if only it worked and she fell asleep. She is at 75 minutes of crying it out with no lull in sight.
ps: that is totally a daddy trick
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
A new idea for Apple
It has rained here in LA for the past 48 hours - thank you Mother Nature! Rain is a rare occurrence in Autumn, or year round for that matter. We were stuck inside but survived with a bit more tv than normal, lots of coloring, and lots of 'city' building with our blocks, and farm, and house, and zoo, and weeble wobble tree house (all thoroughly enjoyed as recycled toys - i.e. hand-me-downs from friends who have purged their toy rooms). Emma learned a new phrase today and used it often, "It's raining cats and dogs, Mommy!"
Speaking of hand-me-downs, as I have mentioned before, I have yet to purchase any clothing for my children as I have a great circle of family who have purchased lots of items as well as some friends who have given me their used clothes. Emma in particular has been using our friend Zarek's daughter's clothes from day 1! Well Sierra is turning 4 in December and Emma is 27 months. They currently wear about the same size! Needless to say her hand-me-downs are no longer going to work out for us and I just may have to go out and buy some clothes.
One such item that I did purchase was 2 packages of "big girl panties" in hopes of beginning potty training. Today Emma found a pack, opened them, and proceeded to put on all five pairs that were in the pack. I think this may be a sign that she is ready to start potty training. SEE VIDEO:
Then this evening on our walk after dinner after it stopped raining, she refused to go outside unless she could carry the package with her. She kept wanting to wear the panties, so I told her that tomorrow after she wakes up we will start wearing the big girl panties. She was very excited! I then asked her, "Emma, if you wear big girl panties, do you go pee pee on the potty or pee pee in the panties?" She answered without hesitation, "Go pee pee in panties, Mommy." I just may be in trouble. Good thing for leather couches and hardwood floors!
On to Benvolio, my little guy is busting in two more teeth on the top. That gives us a grand total of 4 top and two bottom - which seems strange to me, but whatever makes his little body happy makes me happy! He is going to need those teeth to chew on the mud chunks that the dumb dogs keep bringing in from outside anyway. "Whaaaaat?" you ask. Yes, that has been the bane of my day, cleaning up after the dogs when they come back inside from doing their business in the rain - chunks of mud everywhere. I thought I had them all, but Mr. Clean would find the ones that were hidden and eat 'em up. At one point his face looked like he had gotten into chocolate - YUCKO!
I leave you with the funny line of the day:
"Hey, Mommy, watch the animal moobie on the PU?"
"Watch it where?"
"On the PU, Mommy!"
"The PU, what are you talking about?"
"The PU, right dere, on the couch, the PU."
She was pointing to my laptop. (Daddy and I often refer to the computer as the "'puter". I think that is what she was mixing up.)
"Oh, you mean the computer?"
"Yeah, Mommy. Watch the animal moobie on the complaydoh."
"You got it, kiddo, we will watch it on the complaydoh."
Speaking of hand-me-downs, as I have mentioned before, I have yet to purchase any clothing for my children as I have a great circle of family who have purchased lots of items as well as some friends who have given me their used clothes. Emma in particular has been using our friend Zarek's daughter's clothes from day 1! Well Sierra is turning 4 in December and Emma is 27 months. They currently wear about the same size! Needless to say her hand-me-downs are no longer going to work out for us and I just may have to go out and buy some clothes.
One such item that I did purchase was 2 packages of "big girl panties" in hopes of beginning potty training. Today Emma found a pack, opened them, and proceeded to put on all five pairs that were in the pack. I think this may be a sign that she is ready to start potty training. SEE VIDEO:
Then this evening on our walk after dinner after it stopped raining, she refused to go outside unless she could carry the package with her. She kept wanting to wear the panties, so I told her that tomorrow after she wakes up we will start wearing the big girl panties. She was very excited! I then asked her, "Emma, if you wear big girl panties, do you go pee pee on the potty or pee pee in the panties?" She answered without hesitation, "Go pee pee in panties, Mommy." I just may be in trouble. Good thing for leather couches and hardwood floors!
On to Benvolio, my little guy is busting in two more teeth on the top. That gives us a grand total of 4 top and two bottom - which seems strange to me, but whatever makes his little body happy makes me happy! He is going to need those teeth to chew on the mud chunks that the dumb dogs keep bringing in from outside anyway. "Whaaaaat?" you ask. Yes, that has been the bane of my day, cleaning up after the dogs when they come back inside from doing their business in the rain - chunks of mud everywhere. I thought I had them all, but Mr. Clean would find the ones that were hidden and eat 'em up. At one point his face looked like he had gotten into chocolate - YUCKO!
I leave you with the funny line of the day:
"Hey, Mommy, watch the animal moobie on the PU?"
"Watch it where?"
"On the PU, Mommy!"
"The PU, what are you talking about?"
"The PU, right dere, on the couch, the PU."
She was pointing to my laptop. (Daddy and I often refer to the computer as the "'puter". I think that is what she was mixing up.)
"Oh, you mean the computer?"
"Yeah, Mommy. Watch the animal moobie on the complaydoh."
"You got it, kiddo, we will watch it on the complaydoh."
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Like father, like son
We met Daddy out in the real world for lunch today at the Sharkey's in Calabassas. Since I know how rough it can be eating out with two kids 2 and under, I called in our order so it was waiting for us when we arrived. All we had to do is find a place to sit down and then chow! Ben was slightly impatient as I was opening up his lunch pack. He wasn't crying or fussing per se, just making very loud squeals as if to say, "Feed me, Seymore!" Once again, I think his cutey pie-ness got him out of the dog house, as he was a bit annoying to our fellow lunchers until they got a look at him, then they were all, "Aww, he's so cute." "Look, poor thing is hungry." and the like.
Afterwards we had to run by the evil Target to grab some lightbulbs. I was going to let Emma play in the play area in the mall connected to Target until I realized she squeezed an entire juice box of apple juice out on herself and her car seat - it / she was soaked and sticky and stinky. I need to figure out how to wash the carseat cover so my car doesn't get infested with ants or mold as the days move on! We were in and out of Target within 15 minutes and for under $35 (yes, I got suckered into more than just lightbulbs - darn evil Target).
Emma had a blast with "Auntie Coles" this evening watching Monday Night Football. And when I say 'watching' I mean not paying attention at all and constantly vying for Auntie Cole's attention with talk of 'animal moobies' and 'evie' and 'porter' and 'sleepovers'. Then eating off Auntie Cole's plate after deciding hers wasn't that interesting. Poor Ben had a rough night with terrible gas pain that left him screaming and crying giant warm tears. When I picked him up and bounced him, he would fart like a dad-man in my hands - poor guy. He finally settled down after 2 more ounces in his bottle and I haven't heard from him since. Sleep well, sweet child of mine.
On a silly note, this morning Emma hurt her finger doing something and she came over to me fake crying. I said, "Let me look at the boo boo. Oh, wow, this is going to need a Mommy kiss to make it better." I gave her finger a smooch and said, "All better!" to which she replied, "Mommy a good kisser!"
Afterwards we had to run by the evil Target to grab some lightbulbs. I was going to let Emma play in the play area in the mall connected to Target until I realized she squeezed an entire juice box of apple juice out on herself and her car seat - it / she was soaked and sticky and stinky. I need to figure out how to wash the carseat cover so my car doesn't get infested with ants or mold as the days move on! We were in and out of Target within 15 minutes and for under $35 (yes, I got suckered into more than just lightbulbs - darn evil Target).
Emma had a blast with "Auntie Coles" this evening watching Monday Night Football. And when I say 'watching' I mean not paying attention at all and constantly vying for Auntie Cole's attention with talk of 'animal moobies' and 'evie' and 'porter' and 'sleepovers'. Then eating off Auntie Cole's plate after deciding hers wasn't that interesting. Poor Ben had a rough night with terrible gas pain that left him screaming and crying giant warm tears. When I picked him up and bounced him, he would fart like a dad-man in my hands - poor guy. He finally settled down after 2 more ounces in his bottle and I haven't heard from him since. Sleep well, sweet child of mine.
On a silly note, this morning Emma hurt her finger doing something and she came over to me fake crying. I said, "Let me look at the boo boo. Oh, wow, this is going to need a Mommy kiss to make it better." I gave her finger a smooch and said, "All better!" to which she replied, "Mommy a good kisser!"
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Benny Gonzales
Benny Gonzales is getting FAST with the 'ole crawl - or should I say peg leg slide across the floor. He doesn't crawl like normal babies, he does this thing where one leg is stretched out to the side while his hands and other knee do the normal crawl. Funny thing is, it is the exact same crawl that Emma used to do. What is wrong with my children?
Benny is the worst kind of crawler, too. The silent one. He sneaks up on you while you are washing the dishes and gives you a big slimy kiss on the back of your calf or he gets over to the doggy water bowl if you have forgotten and left it on the floor - all you hear is "splash splash splash" then, "whoosh" as the bowl get overturned all over the tile floor. (Which are nice and clean in that area from me constantly cleaning up water!)
When Emma was this age, we owned a 2100 square foot house with an open layout - impossible to gate off the main living areas - so she had run (crawl) of the entire house. We were forced to be extra vigilant in babyproofing as she was always on the move. We currently reside in a 750 sq. foot cottage with the original doors and windows (1940) which makes it easy to gate if I want to. Problem is, I get so much joy watching him explore that I haven't used the gates yet, they just lean up against the walls and get in my way!
Benny is the worst kind of crawler, too. The silent one. He sneaks up on you while you are washing the dishes and gives you a big slimy kiss on the back of your calf or he gets over to the doggy water bowl if you have forgotten and left it on the floor - all you hear is "splash splash splash" then, "whoosh" as the bowl get overturned all over the tile floor. (Which are nice and clean in that area from me constantly cleaning up water!)
When Emma was this age, we owned a 2100 square foot house with an open layout - impossible to gate off the main living areas - so she had run (crawl) of the entire house. We were forced to be extra vigilant in babyproofing as she was always on the move. We currently reside in a 750 sq. foot cottage with the original doors and windows (1940) which makes it easy to gate if I want to. Problem is, I get so much joy watching him explore that I haven't used the gates yet, they just lean up against the walls and get in my way!
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Now I lay me...
Emma has the best stall tactics for going not going to bed. I've documented her "One more book, I get it for you, Mama, one more book." before. She is perfecting that one and has added tonight's conversation to the mix.
"Come on, Emma, let's go to bed."
"No, Mommy, read a book?"
"I already read you three books."
"Okay, just one more book."
I am a giant sucker so I read the book.
"Okay, NOW let's go to bed."
"One more book, Mommy."
No more sucker here... I swoop her up and carry her to bed.
"Say angel, Mommy." (She means the angel prayer we say to protect her from monsters and whatnot.)
"Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the lord my soul to keep, may angels watch me through the night and keep me in their blessed sight. Amen. Emma's turn!"
"Heavenly Fadder, Thank you all blessings. Say this Jesus Christ, Amen."
"Awesome! Emma's awesome."
"Mommy, naris? Boca? Ojo? Mejilla? Frente? Orejas?" She points out the parts of my face in Spanish.
"Very good! Emma is so smart."
"Mama, go zoo? See giraffes? See gorilla? See zebra?" (We've been going about once a week.)
"Yes, we can go to the zoo again next week."
"Mommy, Daddy help families?"
"Yep, Daddy's out helping families."
(The front door opens, she hears it.)
"Mommy! Daddy home! Daddy home!"
"I think you are right, Daddy's home. Hooray!"
Daddy comes into her bedroom. I leave. He comes out one minute later, we never hear a peep from her. No stall tactics with Daddy. Apparently I'm the softy and she knows it...
"Come on, Emma, let's go to bed."
"No, Mommy, read a book?"
"I already read you three books."
"Okay, just one more book."
I am a giant sucker so I read the book.
"Okay, NOW let's go to bed."
"One more book, Mommy."
No more sucker here... I swoop her up and carry her to bed.
"Say angel, Mommy." (She means the angel prayer we say to protect her from monsters and whatnot.)
"Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the lord my soul to keep, may angels watch me through the night and keep me in their blessed sight. Amen. Emma's turn!"
"Heavenly Fadder, Thank you all blessings. Say this Jesus Christ, Amen."
"Awesome! Emma's awesome."
"Mommy, naris? Boca? Ojo? Mejilla? Frente? Orejas?" She points out the parts of my face in Spanish.
"Very good! Emma is so smart."
"Mama, go zoo? See giraffes? See gorilla? See zebra?" (We've been going about once a week.)
"Yes, we can go to the zoo again next week."
"Mommy, Daddy help families?"
"Yep, Daddy's out helping families."
(The front door opens, she hears it.)
"Mommy! Daddy home! Daddy home!"
"I think you are right, Daddy's home. Hooray!"
Daddy comes into her bedroom. I leave. He comes out one minute later, we never hear a peep from her. No stall tactics with Daddy. Apparently I'm the softy and she knows it...
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Jason vs Michael
"The hours go by so slow but the weeks just fly by." I read this quote on the original babybunching site today and it really hit home. Some days I look at the clock wondering how I am going to fill the 14 hours of children time with activities and experiences that will help them grow into strong, healthy, charismatic, good hearted people and other times I'm like, "How is it Thursday again already!"
I watched Ben go from belly to sitting position today again. I'm not sure why, but it was such a THRILL for me. Their accomplishments are like little 'wins' for me - is that my ego talking? or am I simply a proud parent?
Emma helped me decorate the living room window with Halloween decals yesterday. They are very cute by day, but by night they scare the crap out of me. They catch my attention out of the corner of my eye and I think there is someone standing outside of the window looking in all Friday the 13th-esque. I have mini-heart attacks every 10 minutes and I am not sure if I can handle the darn things 'til halloween.
Speaking of which - I have a week to whip her up a Tinkerbell costume... I can't do it while they are awake, and I simply forget about it after they go to bed. Today at naptime I will pull out the sewing machine so I have no excuse. Wish me luck!
I watched Ben go from belly to sitting position today again. I'm not sure why, but it was such a THRILL for me. Their accomplishments are like little 'wins' for me - is that my ego talking? or am I simply a proud parent?
Emma helped me decorate the living room window with Halloween decals yesterday. They are very cute by day, but by night they scare the crap out of me. They catch my attention out of the corner of my eye and I think there is someone standing outside of the window looking in all Friday the 13th-esque. I have mini-heart attacks every 10 minutes and I am not sure if I can handle the darn things 'til halloween.
Speaking of which - I have a week to whip her up a Tinkerbell costume... I can't do it while they are awake, and I simply forget about it after they go to bed. Today at naptime I will pull out the sewing machine so I have no excuse. Wish me luck!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Know anyone who can get me a discount?
"Get back over here!"
That was a new one for me. I just finished reading about 10 books to Emzilla and was putting them away when little miss demandy-pants decided we weren't quite finished. Ai yai yai!
Emma got one of those books with missing circles and you fill them in with Cheerios to complete the pages. I've seen it in the bookcase since her birthday but never busted it out until tonight because we weren't really a Cheerios kind of joint. Until now. As a matter of fact, we are now going through Cheerios so fast, that I had to buy the mondo box at Costco today. Ben would swim in them if you let him and Emma would save him from drowning by eating them all. So, I figured it would be a good opportunity to have a little fun with the book and the beloved Cheerios - except she was eating them faster than we could get them on the page. Per chance we are not ready for that book yet...?
Then, while reading a nightly standard, HOP ON POP, when we got to the page with the character PAT about to sit on a prickly cactus, the rhyme goes, "No, Pat, no, don't sit on that." As soon as I finished reading the line Emma said, "Yea, you hurt the butt." HA!
Ben hit milestone number 46 today. Daddy and he were playing around and when daddy put Ben on the floor on his belly, he rocked back and sat himself up on his butt all by himself. Hasn't done it since so it might have been a fluke - but I will keep a vigilant eye out for all of you. In the meantime, to tide you over, have a gander at our handsome little always happy munchkin:
That was a new one for me. I just finished reading about 10 books to Emzilla and was putting them away when little miss demandy-pants decided we weren't quite finished. Ai yai yai!
Emma got one of those books with missing circles and you fill them in with Cheerios to complete the pages. I've seen it in the bookcase since her birthday but never busted it out until tonight because we weren't really a Cheerios kind of joint. Until now. As a matter of fact, we are now going through Cheerios so fast, that I had to buy the mondo box at Costco today. Ben would swim in them if you let him and Emma would save him from drowning by eating them all. So, I figured it would be a good opportunity to have a little fun with the book and the beloved Cheerios - except she was eating them faster than we could get them on the page. Per chance we are not ready for that book yet...?
Then, while reading a nightly standard, HOP ON POP, when we got to the page with the character PAT about to sit on a prickly cactus, the rhyme goes, "No, Pat, no, don't sit on that." As soon as I finished reading the line Emma said, "Yea, you hurt the butt." HA!
Ben hit milestone number 46 today. Daddy and he were playing around and when daddy put Ben on the floor on his belly, he rocked back and sat himself up on his butt all by himself. Hasn't done it since so it might have been a fluke - but I will keep a vigilant eye out for all of you. In the meantime, to tide you over, have a gander at our handsome little always happy munchkin:
Monday, October 5, 2009
Magic word?
Emma is great at manipulating a conversation to get what she wants. Conversation just had:
"Mama, watch the animal moobie?"
"What, sweetie? Watch the animal movie?"
"Great idea, Mama!"
Then there is the:
"Mommy, watch the animal moobie?"
"What's the magic word?"
"Ummm, MOOBIE!"
"No, what do you say if you want to watch the animal movie?"
She thinks for a second, "Watch the animal moobie, Mama?"
"Yes, you say that, but what is the magic word that helps you to watch the movie?"
She clearly thinks I am retarded and yells, "MOOBIE!"
"Wow! That was loud. How about, 'Please.'"
"Okay, How about PLEEEEEEEASE?"
Ben's morning nap has been averaging only about 30 minutes these days. Except this morning. At the babysitter while I was doing a voiceover. I pay her good money to do what? Whatever she wants while Ben sleeps the entire 2 hours. Good job, Benny boy, I coulda just left you in the car outside the studio... Sheesh.
"Mama, watch the animal moobie?"
"What, sweetie? Watch the animal movie?"
"Great idea, Mama!"
Then there is the:
"Mommy, watch the animal moobie?"
"What's the magic word?"
"Ummm, MOOBIE!"
"No, what do you say if you want to watch the animal movie?"
She thinks for a second, "Watch the animal moobie, Mama?"
"Yes, you say that, but what is the magic word that helps you to watch the movie?"
She clearly thinks I am retarded and yells, "MOOBIE!"
"Wow! That was loud. How about, 'Please.'"
"Okay, How about PLEEEEEEEASE?"
Ben's morning nap has been averaging only about 30 minutes these days. Except this morning. At the babysitter while I was doing a voiceover. I pay her good money to do what? Whatever she wants while Ben sleeps the entire 2 hours. Good job, Benny boy, I coulda just left you in the car outside the studio... Sheesh.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Broccoli butter
Daddy, Me and the kids went out for dinner last night. I don't know why I do it. I know I have posted it here before, but whenever I go out, I consume too many calories and feel very icky afterwards. But enough about me...
On the rare occasion that we go out for dinner, when the waiter comes for the drink order, I always put in an immediate order for a side of vegies - that way it is the first thing that comes to the table and Emma will eat it without the distraction of other less healthy food. Last night's vegetable happened to be broccoli, which she loves and ate a very sizeable serving of it before the main course arrived. Whohoo! But what is funny here is 'ole Ben - wouldn't eat his baby food serving of carrots - refused to open his mouth for them! But what he did eat was broccoli! He went wild for it. I kept chopping it up into very small pieces which he gummed and gummed and swallowed and wiggle waggled for more. (TMI alert, TMI alert:) This morning his poopy was as thick as peanut butter - took 5 wipes to clean the paste off his bum! (I can usually do it in 2 or 3.)
This morning we went to Auntie Cole's softball game. It is a gorgeous day, temps in the 80s, and we had lots of fun playing with a fellow spectator's puppy. I didn't watch much softball - turns out it is getting harder and harder to be the keeper of 2 kids out in the real world now that Ben is on the move (and Emma chooses not to listen...). But both children are passed out for naps now and have been for over an hour - fresh air must have done them some good! Hoo-ray.
On the rare occasion that we go out for dinner, when the waiter comes for the drink order, I always put in an immediate order for a side of vegies - that way it is the first thing that comes to the table and Emma will eat it without the distraction of other less healthy food. Last night's vegetable happened to be broccoli, which she loves and ate a very sizeable serving of it before the main course arrived. Whohoo! But what is funny here is 'ole Ben - wouldn't eat his baby food serving of carrots - refused to open his mouth for them! But what he did eat was broccoli! He went wild for it. I kept chopping it up into very small pieces which he gummed and gummed and swallowed and wiggle waggled for more. (TMI alert, TMI alert:) This morning his poopy was as thick as peanut butter - took 5 wipes to clean the paste off his bum! (I can usually do it in 2 or 3.)
This morning we went to Auntie Cole's softball game. It is a gorgeous day, temps in the 80s, and we had lots of fun playing with a fellow spectator's puppy. I didn't watch much softball - turns out it is getting harder and harder to be the keeper of 2 kids out in the real world now that Ben is on the move (and Emma chooses not to listen...). But both children are passed out for naps now and have been for over an hour - fresh air must have done them some good! Hoo-ray.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Complimentary fun!
Today was a go go go day. Our summer play date buddies had the day off today so we met up with them at Lake Balboa Park, our old haunt. We did a nice brisk kids-in-strollers walk around the lake for the mommies and then spent about 45 minutes at the playground for the kids (the moms liked this bit, too!). It was a beautiful early Autumn day - high 80's, no hint of humidity, good breeze - the lighting was lovely as the sunbeams bounced off the ripples on the usually placid lake. It almost felt like we were in New England for a bit on the walk on the east side of the lake where all the trees are. Emma was her usual non-stop motion self in the play area and Ben, well Ben - Big Ben, hungry like a wolf Ben, was eating everything in site - including the leaves that were blowing through the playground, so we had to have a baggy of cheerios on hand at every movement to keep his mouth full of the Earth's processed goods instead of Mother Nature's raw goods...
After lunch and a very short nap for Ben, we headed over to the Skirball Center to once again enjoy the Noah's Arc exhibit - this time with our pals from church, 5 Mommies and 8 kids (2 of which we had the a.m. playdate - we'll double dip anytime!). It was a crackup - except for one kid who was 5, all the others were 2 years old and younger - and not a stroller to be seen. My left bicep is killing me as all the food Big Ben has eaten has translated into about a 22 lb baby. I contemplated bringing along the baby backpack carrier but the bottom strap rests right on my c-section scar and after a while it really hurts. I figured a bulging bicep was better than incision pain...
The kids were very well behaved exploring every nook and cranny of the arc. We played with stuffed animal puppets and had styrofoam animals march 2 by 2 up a ramp onto the ship. We made thunder and lightening and wind and rain. We 'cooked' dinner and cleaned up 'animal poop'. Everything on the ship is made from recycled goods - we saw a rooster made out of an old red cowboy boot walking around, and a fox and an eagle made out of all kinds of cool reused goodies. They creators of the exhibit were incredibly crafty when they designed the space!
It was a great chance for the moms to catch up and the kids to be kids - good fun and a highly recommend destination for anyone with children. Oh, and the best part - it's FREE on Thursdays, as in an entire day of fun (park and arc) that didn't cost us a dime.
After lunch and a very short nap for Ben, we headed over to the Skirball Center to once again enjoy the Noah's Arc exhibit - this time with our pals from church, 5 Mommies and 8 kids (2 of which we had the a.m. playdate - we'll double dip anytime!). It was a crackup - except for one kid who was 5, all the others were 2 years old and younger - and not a stroller to be seen. My left bicep is killing me as all the food Big Ben has eaten has translated into about a 22 lb baby. I contemplated bringing along the baby backpack carrier but the bottom strap rests right on my c-section scar and after a while it really hurts. I figured a bulging bicep was better than incision pain...
The kids were very well behaved exploring every nook and cranny of the arc. We played with stuffed animal puppets and had styrofoam animals march 2 by 2 up a ramp onto the ship. We made thunder and lightening and wind and rain. We 'cooked' dinner and cleaned up 'animal poop'. Everything on the ship is made from recycled goods - we saw a rooster made out of an old red cowboy boot walking around, and a fox and an eagle made out of all kinds of cool reused goodies. They creators of the exhibit were incredibly crafty when they designed the space!
It was a great chance for the moms to catch up and the kids to be kids - good fun and a highly recommend destination for anyone with children. Oh, and the best part - it's FREE on Thursdays, as in an entire day of fun (park and arc) that didn't cost us a dime.
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