magpie

Stereotypical Mom Post

2 Comments

Excuse me for a second while I become a stereotypical mommyblogger and gush about how awesome my offspring is.  Because she’s doing some pretty funny things lately…here are just a few.  M at 2 1/2:

Jumps up and down shouting “I ‘xited!” when she is happy about something.  This could be being excited about going on a daytrip to getting a hotdog for dinner.  It’s so much fun to see her get so worked up about something.

Says “Oh, mama!  THANK YOU!” for just about anything.  Hand her some toilet paper and “oh THANK YOU, mama!” like you just handed her the keys to a brand new car.

Wants to wear her new Hello Kitty boots EVERYWHERE, even to bed.

p1050603

Makes a statement while tilting her head to the side and nodding her head yes, then ending it with “okay?”.  “Daddy, I have some ice cream now.  Okay?”  It’s just about the cutest thing ever and cracks me up as I’m telling her no.

Tells wild stories in all run on sentences about her day at school on the way home.”There was a BIG giant in a tiny castle who said “roar!” then he ran back in his bear cave and I went in and said “roar” too and made him an egg and closed the door and said I’ll eat you up!  Okay?”

Loves to go on walks but stops to pick every blessed dandelion in the tree lawn… and there are a ton.  And the way she’ll run towards any flower, stand near it and sniff.

p1050622

Digs in the dirt with her sand toys (we don’t have the sandbox yet – just the toys).  She loves finding bugs and worms and picking them up and showing them around the garden.  She also will pick up a handful of dirt and, pretending it is seeds, sprinkle it around. 

Spends time in the purple Cozy Coupe car we picked up garage sale last weekend for $5. It’s funny to watch her imitate us as she “goes to work” or to the “grocery store to get food”.  The best was when she pulled the car up next to the house, got out and started pressing the house like she was pressing buttons.  When I asked her what she was doing she said “I at the money store, mama!”…her very own ATM!

p10504191

A Birthday Party Manifesto

Leave a comment

M is 2 ½ and in daycare.  Her room has kids from about 18 months to just over 3 years old and in the last few weeks we have been invited to FOUR 3rd birthday parties.  Each invitation says that the party will be at some kiddy gym or activity space around town.  And to each one we have politely RSVP’d “no”.  Because COME ON – they are 3!  Do they really need to have a party, with outside friends at age 3?

I’m all for birthday parties, I think it’s a fun way to celebrate a child and reflect on all the milestones of the past year.  But I also think that these celebrations are fundamentally for the family and family friends of the kid – not the entire preschool class.  For one the kid is not going to remember if she had 2 hours of screaming chaos-like fun with her school friends or a day to play with her family who dote one her; either way she will remember having a special day and feeling loved.  Second, I just don’t want to spend my weekends making small talk with other parents I don’t know while we all silently judge the behavior of each other’s kids.

So here it is, my Birthday Party Manifesto: we will not be hosting any birthday parties for M’s classmates in the near future.  Nor will we be attending any.  I think 5 might be a good age to have a few friends over for some giggly fun.  But for the next couple of birthdays at least it will be just be our family (including the cousins she so adores) and maybe a close family friend or two. 

Because quite frankly the thought of a houseful of toddlers terrifies me.

cousins
This photo has nothing to do with this post other then to show how happy M is with her cousins – taken this weekend at Kingwood Center

Still Here

1 Comment

It’s been a ridiculous 24 days since my last post and just about every night I’ve felt like I should be writing but I haven’t wanted to bore you with my constant whines of “I wanna be pregnant and I’m not!”.  Because that is pretty much all that’s been on my mind.  And of course all I see are pregnant women EVERYWHERE.  And M has been telling everyone that she’s getting “a baby brudder from the hospital” which raises eyebrows and then I have to assure them – no, I’m not expecting…I swear.  So there’s that.  It’s been nearly 4 months since the miscarriage and I am ready…more then ready.

Moving on – vacation was great, but a bit rushed.  Mark got home from 4 days in San Francisco the evening before we left, then had to work during 2 of our vacation days.  However, M got to spend a ton of time with her cousin who lives in Florida so that was a major bonus.

ben_maggie

And now that the weather has gone from snow to 85 degrees in the space of 4 days our lives are filled with yardwork, outside play and exploring the area.  Today we ventured out to the South Chagrin Reservation Metropark to an area I read about here and discovered a wonderland stream perfect for playing.  Shallow, slow water, 2 little waterfalls, tons of fish and tadpoles and a flat (not rocky) riverbed begging to be waded on. We all had a great time and M got soaked.  We will be back there a lot this summer as it’s the kind of place you could just sit in the stream and play on a hot day.

river

river2

Housekeeping

1 Comment

I know I sound like a broken record, but if you haven’t yet please take a few seconds and vote for my entry over at the BOCA Balanced Living Challenge (my entry is 2nd, scroll all the way down to vote for Kate Davis).  The poll used for voting blocks entire location IPs so my office (and my husband’s office, and my mom’s office, etc) can only vote once. This means I need your help more then ever. Thanks!

*Updated to add: looks like you can log a second vote here.  So click over there for me, too!
……….

While you’re at it, go leave a comment over on this post for a chance to win a dining gift certificate in your area.
……….

The countdown is on – 3 weeks from today we will be in Hilton Head for a much needed vacation. 
……….

This past weekend it was sunny and 65 degrees.  If it snows again I reserve the right to cry like a litte girl.  We spent Sunday at the Maple Syrup Festival at Malabar Farm – a place that Mark & I frequented as kids.  It was the perfect day for it and M had a terrific time.  She was so well behaved and didn’t mind standing in lines to see things.  I think she liked the horses  and climbing around the woods the best.

rock

maple

……….

Finally – has anyone seen my baby? Because this big kid sure isn’t a baby anymore!

reading

Recession Weekend

4 Comments

Like most families, we are trying to watch our budget very closely these days while still enjoying some of our favorite activites.  This past weekend we hit the motherload and enjoyed some great activities on the cheap.

Friday night we tried BRAVO! in Eton for dinner care of a gift certificate I won from the MIT Mommy blog in the Plain Dealer.  We usually choose local, independent restaurants over chains so had never tried BRAVO! before. Since we were on someone else’s dime we went all out starting with the calamari which were crisp and light – we even got M to try it – and ending with the yummy dessert trio.  Dinner was very good, my scallops were a touch overdone but overall it was a satisfying meal.  It was a much more posh place then we usually take M but they were very child-friendly with crayons, a patient wait staff and nice kids menu.  I could see us trying it again for a weekend lunch from their pizza oven.  Dinner out (a favorite weekly ritual): about $15 after tax and tip.

Saturday we had planned to attend the Rock-n-Tot/Synergy but the event was cancelled due to low ticket sales – a huge bummer as we had so much fun at the last one.  I can only hope that Naomi tries once more to get these events off the ground as I think they are a great time.  I managed to fill the day by checking out a new(ish) salon and getting a “saucy” new cut.  I love my cut, like the salon and really liked that I had a big fat coupon for it from my employers discount site.  And, I love that it was in my ‘hood – support local! The returned money on the event tickets just about paid for my discounted cut.  Bonus!

She bangs!

Luckily for Saturday night we got a last-minute offer of comped tickets to see the Cavs play the Heat and were off scrambling to find a sitter.  My boss has a teenaged daughter, E, who is trying to get into the babysitting game and since our regular sitters were MIA we took her up on the offer of having M come to their house for the evening (that way if something happened with E, my boss would be there to pick up the slack).  The downside is they live way the hell on the far westside of town.  The upside is that since E is young and didn’t come to our house, she charged a heck of a lot less then what we normally pay.  M had a FANTASTIC time and Mark and I got to snuggle in the seats see the Cavs trounce the Heat for free.  Cost: about $30 in babysitting fees + a few bucks spent on concessions & parking at the game.

Cavs Pregame

All in all it was a terrific weekend, relatively cheap.  Normally we would never have a date night and a fancy dinner night in the same weekend, but due to some luck we were able to enjoy what Cleveland has to offer at a bargain.

Photo Essay

Leave a comment

Ever since M spent the weekend with my sister last month she has been OBSESSED with princesses, specifically Ariel from The Little Mermaid.  Whenever we play, I am “Mama Princess Daisy” (apparently from Wii Mario Kart), she is “M Princess Ariel” and Mark is “Prince Eric”.  She is also getting way into dress up and imaginative play, which is a lot of fun.  This weekend she started talking to “bobby” – maybe it’s the start of an imaginary friend?

Princess Maggie Ariel

Princess bathrobe and purse from my Aunt.  Sunglasses from the sister noted above.  Necklace from my collection.

I also mentioned before that the box that our new dishwasher came in has become quite the plaything. We cut a door, windows and a couple of peep-holes in the sides and let M have at it with stickers and crayons.  I sewed up a quick set of curtains for the window and that box has been the most played with toy in the house for the last two weeks.  It’s been a house, a cave and a rocket; turned on it’s side it becomes a robot costume (I don’t get it either but, I go with it) and turned upside-down it’s a pool.

Playdate & M in the box

M & a playdate in the box house

Snacktime in the box

Note the Little Mermaid stickers – a “must purchase” during a trip to JoAnn Fabric to avoid a meltdown over the refusal to buy a $12 humungous sew-on patch of Ariel.  $2 for the stickers seemed like a bargain.

We also were gifted a hand-me-down easel which over the last few days has become the center of attention.  A chalkboard on one side and place for paper and paint on the other, it is a great way to keep her busy for a long stretch of time.  And watching M perfect her two-paintbrush at a time technique has her artist-daddy proud.Painting

Finally, I realized the other day that the awesome Hanna Anderson outfit my mom got M last January is still going strong after a year of heavy use.  This is the third Hanna that has gone through the rotation in this house and has held up for over a year.  Their stuff is pricey but it wears like iron and is made so that it grows with the child.  I’m all over the next semi-annual sale!

Cousin & M Jan 2008

M & her cousin in January 2008

Hanna Feb 2009

The same outfit, February 2009

Sew Lovely

2 Comments

I used to knit.  Then I became a mom and I don’t knit so much anymore.  I miss it, but I just don’t have the time. When I do start a project it always gets put aside for some reason or other and when I pick it back up I have no idea where I left off.  I have a beautiful nearly-done baby blanket in a feather and fan pattern that needs to be frogged.  I just can’t do it because it took me almost a year to knit, but after stopping and starting so many times there are glaring errors that are driving me nuts and I can’t continue.  So it sits in a heap and I don’t have the heart to start anything new.

Then there is the matter of the yards and yards of fabric that are sitting, still boxed from the move over a year ago, in the attic storage room.  When the Hancock Fabrics by my old office closed I went a bit crazy and bought 4-yard swaths of about 10 different fabrics. In case you’ve never bought fabric – 4 yards is a LOT of fabric.  At the time I was really into making darling pants from these instructions.  M had several pairs.  Then we moved and all that fabric has been in a box for over a year. 

Recently one of my favorite blogs, Sweet Juniper, has added a weekly craft post – WoodCraft – and it’s been hugely inspirational for me.  Wood works full time, she has TWO kids and yet she finds the time to use sewing as her creative outlet.  Sewing is fun to me, especially when there isn’t a fussy pattern involved; it’s not as challenging as knitting but it offers more of an instant gratification.  In the past I’ve made baby quilts for friends, pillow cases for our house and roman shades for a friend; yet over the last year my machine has only been used for repairs or to make the odd set of curtains for a box-house (more on that another day).  Then Wood linked to the instructions for the Oliver + S Lazy Days skirt and something sparked.  I had to make it.  That weekend, over the course of a few hours during M’s nap I was able to produce this

Skirt One

M loved it and called it her ballerina skirt (where she learned about ballerinas I have no idea) and I was hooked.  I hauled more of the fabric out and got to ironing.  This past weekend I made another one

Skirt Two

I know I will make at least a few more before our trip to South Carolina in a month.  This is the easiest skirt ever and if you can sew a straight(ish) line you can make one.  After I made the first one I made a couple of changes to the instructions and the second one took no time at all.  Best of all, I can put it down and come back to it hours or days later and know exactly where I am. M loves them and twirls all around the room making the skirts flare out.  What more could you ask for?

I remember those pants being pretty easy and I’m feeling pretty inspired…I think she may have a whole new wardrobe by spring!

 

(Yes, she is standing on TOP of furniture in each photo – it’s the only way to get this girl to stand relativity still while I snap a photo.  You can send your mother of the year award to I’lldoanythingforanonblurryphoto@she’stwososueme.com)

Moving on

Leave a comment

Thanks to everyone for your kind words…I’m trying to find some balance in this here life and I know it will take some time. 
………………….

Moving on to some random updates…

The bedtime wars have settled down to a dull roar over the last week.  We’ve found that a combination of lots and lots (& lots) of after-school physical activity (i.e. the climbing cube and slides, dance parties, going to the store and pushing the cart around, etc.) and an extended bedtime routine has made for less screaming.   Thanks for the suggestions!

..

My surgery is next Monday and it can’t come fast enough.  I haven’t had any major gallbladder issues in awhile but I’m tired of the impending surgery hanging out there. 

..
Taxes suck.  I can’t believe we owe so much this year after getting such a big chunk back last year!  Isn’t there some rule about never having to owe if you have kids?  Something is royally wrong with this picture.

..
This weekend will be a much needed getaway for Mark and me.  My lovely sister (the one featured over here) is taking M for the night so he and I can spend the night in Columbus.  Thank goodness for free nights care of the Marriott Rewards program because otherwise we couldn’t afford it right now (see above).

..
Charter One bank is evil.  I’m so amazingly mad at them and their crappy customer service right now – let’s just say they owe me some $$ and I’m not done fighting for it.

..
We are now proud owners of a dishwasher and garbage disposal.  Now we just need to figure out how to install them. The kitchen does not currently have a dishwasher so some of the cabinets need to be carved out to make room – should be an interesting project if we ever have time.  On a related note, Snow Brothers is a great place to buy appliances!

..
Twitter cracks me up.  A post of mine cursing the snow which included the phrase “Jesus Christ!” prompted a “fellowship of Christian men and women” to follow me.  Oh, pour souls – you are so sadly mistaken on that one. 

..
I’m so over the snow and today it was -4 when I got in my car.  I think we’ve gotten 3 feet of snow in the last month and it just won’t go away.  Mark keeps making fun of me because I’m worried our ice-filled gutters are going to snap off the house as I’ve seen happen to houses all over our neighborhood.  I had to use a hair dryer to open our frozen-shut front door tonight.  Spring, please hurry!

Sleepytime Update

4 Comments

Ask Moxie to the rescue again.  I swear by this site as a sane source for parenting advice.  Last night after nearly an hour of listening to M scream, play and generally breaking our hearts (“just one more little hug, mommy!” “daddy, I want to hold you!) I did what any parent today does and turned to the internet.  Of course Moxie had a post in her archives all about the 2 1/2 – 3 year sleep regression.   

Now that we’ve figured out this is normal developmental process we are still trying to figure out what to do.  Some of the commenters went back to the crib during this phase with some success.  M has periodically asked to have her crib back so we think this may be a possibility.  However we may need to get a contraption like this to keep her IN the crib.  Anyone ever use one?

I don’t really want to go back but we’ve given the bed a good 2 month try and she just isn’t sleeping as well as she should.  At least in the crib she will be contained and may be able to entertain herself until she falls asleep.  Other then a nightly tranquilizer dart of Benadryl hour-long struggle to get her to sleep I’m not sure what else to do.   However we are traveling for the next two weekends so I worry if we try it now it will lead to greater confusion – the crib back out at home then sleeping on beds over the weekends.   I’m sure I’m thinking about this way too much, but the whole thing is kind of consuming our lives right now.  Someday she’ll sleep just fine, right?

Favorite Things

3 Comments

It seems that I am 1) crappy about posting here on a regular basis now that I’m tweeting all the time and 2) stuck in a rut of doing bullet-list posts.  But, things are better in threes then twos, don’t you think?  So I’ve decided to embrace the rut and do just one more bullet-list, this time of some things that have been making me quite happy lately. 

  • L’Oreal Double Extend Lash Extension Effect Mascara.  I bought this on a whim a few weeks ago and I’m totally addicted.  My lashes are so long my hubby noticed a difference; it’s almost like I’m wearing false eyelashes.  It does not smudge at all and I get a weird satisfaction in seeing all the little tubes when I take it off.
  • Catching up with old friends on Facebook.
  • Trader Joe’s BBQ Tteriyaki Chicken.  This is so good, cheap, pretty healthy and super fast.  Pair it with their Organic Cooked Brown Rice and a quickie salad and you can have a healthy dinner on the table in less then 15 minutes.  LOVE!
  • This guy
  • Staying up to late to watch the Cavs play.
  • Celebrating the sun on the rare occasions it decides to shine around here.  Did you know that Cleveland averages 202 days of fully overcast skies each year? 
  • Oscar Blandi’s Pronto Dry Shampoo Spray.  I finally don’t have to wash my hair every morning – and since my hair takes 30-40 minutes of blowdrying this is a VERY GOOD THING.  (I tried the Ojon Rub-Out Dry Cleanser which worked well but I can’t stand the sickeningly sweet smell).
  • Doing the potty dance with M.
  • Shopping tips I get from the lovely Mir at WantNot.  I easily saved over $100 on Christmas gifts by stopping by that site to check for sale alerts before buying.  I also just got 13 items for M’s spring wardrobe for less then $50 thanks to Mir’s watchfull eyes on the sales.  And, I got these for FREE a few weeks ago (however, we aren’t big fans of the flavor so they are off to a food pantry).
  • Having drinks and yummy food at Bar Cento with new friends.
  • This guy
  • The prospect of getting both a dishwasher and a garage door opener in the next month (We haven’t had a dishwasher since 2001!)
  • Nightly laps around the dining room table chasing M and running from “the monsters!”

What’s been making you happy lately?