Three

For his third birthday, Toby finally got to take Robbie on a much anticipated (on both sides) ski trip.

Robbie was a champ. He never whined about the cold or all the gear. He had a great time and loved skiing and riding the lift about equally. I have a feeling we'll be going again soon.

Later that afternoon, several family members joined us for cake, ice cream and presents. Robbie was, if possible, more excited by the attention from so many people than he was by the presents.

The video below shows about 30 seconds of highlights from the big day - including his completely "hamming-it-up" behavior while unwrapping presents.

All I could do was roll my eyes and laugh.

Joy

Not Exactly Baywatch

One of the things I miss most about living in the Northwest (besides Abby's Pizza) is the Ocean. Somehow the Great Salt Lake doesn't quite measure up.

When we went to Oregon this December I really wanted to take Robbie to the coast but it was raining and miserable all week. But then I reminded Toby of the "rule of thumb" my family always used.

If it's raining in Roseburg, it will be nice at the coast. And the opposite is also true.

So we piled into the truck with my brother and his family and braved the rain. When we got there, it wasn't exactly Baywatch weather - but it wasn't raining either.

Wind, wet and cold not withstanding, I think it was Robbie's favorite part of the whole trip.

Christmas 2008

Christmas was a little rushed this year because we were on the road to Oregon by 1 pm. I wish we could have spent more time just enjoying the day but we had to get moving in order to squeeze in a quick visit with my family.



The kids (Robbie and his cousin) being old enough to really understand the concept of the holiday and being able to anticipate it made this year, by far, the funnest ever. They were just as interested in everyone else's presents as their own.



This year's theme must have been tools. Robbie's really in a tool phase, which gets stronger every day. It doesn't help that Uncle Kip has been here finishing our basement. Robbie loves to go down and "help". Kip, for his part, is very patient and makes Robbie feel like he's an important part of the process. If scattering Sheetrock screws and eating Sheetrock dust are essential to the process, then maybe Kip is right.



The best part of this Christmas were the handmade gifts. Uncle Kip made both boys a wood tool box (a la Handy Manny) and a wood sawhorse. They are a little heavy but durable enough to last a few lifetimes. With any luck, Robbie can pass his down to his grandkids.



Why is it that no matter how we try to "scale back" Christmas morning always looks like this?

How was your Christmas?

Its all in the face

We had a busy and hectic day. On the way back from Salt Lake we spent 2.5 hours in the car stuck behind five consecutive snow-related accidents. As soon as we got home we "helped" Toby clean off the driveway. Robbie's face clearly shows the evidence of a hard day; cookies I fed him to keep him happy in the car, snot crust from having no tissues in the car, you name it.

And Jack's face...it just says "?"

Take My Picture!

We were cleaning out the basement last night when he climbed up on a bar stool (in my studio) and asked to have his picture taken in his favorite pajamas.

Christmas Food Gifts For $1

Continuing the series of one dollar gifts, this post is about food gifts.

For neighbor, coworker and acquaintance gifts, food is always a favorite choice. It's neither to personal nor too expensive. I used to make a lot of candy for gifts but, considering the glut of treats floating around during the holidays, I think foods more suited to year-round use might be better received.

Infused Oils
Here is a great way to use up your garden herb surplus. Save interesting bottles through the year or collect them at low prices from dollar stores and places like Ikea, Oriental Trading, etc. Dry sprigs and cuttings of herbs from your garden. Add a mixture of compatible dried herbs to a large container of olive oil. (shop sales or buy a huge jug at warehouse store). Set aside the most attractive dried specimens. Then strain out the herbs from the jug of oil and discard. Fill your smaller bottles with the strained oil then add a few of the sprigs you set aside before capping and labeling the bottles.
Oils do have a rather long shelf life but because you'll be exposing the oil to air twice and adding foreign materials before gifting it, it's a wise idea to include a note on the label to indicate it should be refrigerated.
If you have a source for lots of small bottles, you can give a trio of three different oils.
Approximate cost: $1 for an 8 oz. portion if you have the bottle already. $2 if you buy a bottle.
See more exact instruction on flavoring oils here: http://www.cheftalk.com/content/display.cfm?articleid=125

Herbed Butters
Let butter (not spread or margerine) soften on the counter and then whip with a standing mixer or hand mixer. The butter will lighten in color and become fluffy. Add diced herbs like chives, dill, or combinations of herbs and spices like rosemary and garlic or lemon pepper. Use an icing tip and piping bag to make small, decorate "pats" on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Pop the cookie sheet in the freezer until the butter hardens. Package in a glass jar or a cello-bag with ribbon. Keep frozen until you're ready to gift them. These make great spreads and are also very handy for cooking. Include your favorite recipe on the card.
Approximate Cost: $1 if you use existing herbs in your cupboard or from the garden.

Pancake Mix
Store bought mixes are, to be honest, a total rip off. Pancakes are the easiest and cheapest thing in the world to make and a mix is even easier. All the ingredients are dry except the milk and egg.
To make the mix a step easier for the user, replace the egg with soy flour in the mix. Add one extra tablespoon of water to complete the soy flour egg substitute. Add powdered milk to the mix and adjust the ingredients to call for water to make it a complete "no brainer" for the culinary impaired.

Basic Pankcake Recipe
1 C flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 TBS sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 C milk (don't add to mix)
1 egg (don't add to mix)

Make the mix more interesting by adding your favorite embellishments like mini chocolate chips, coconut flakes, cocoa powder, finely chopped macadamia nuts, etc. Package in a zip lock bag and then place that into a cloth bag you have sewn or saved. Include instructions for adding the milk and egg.

Approximate cost: $0.50 (with no extras and using their milk and egg). $1.00 with some embellishments for pizazz.

Christmas On a Shoestring

At our house, we decided almost a year ago this was going to be a light Christmas - the economy has little to do with it. Last year we got very excited and went completely overboard - spending far too much on one little boy. He was overwhelmed and we realized ten minutes into the holiday that we'd gone too far. This year we're spending about 25% of what we spent last year on Robbie and we're limiting him to two presents (from us) and his stocking.

Additionally, we're not buying anything for each other. We want to finish our basement - so the more money we can spend on that, the faster it can be done. A new studio for me and a new rec-room for Toby is all the present we want. That doesn't mean we aren't getting each other gifts - we just can't buy anything.

It seems everyone is being impacted by the economy right now. Almost everyone I know has suffered a drop in income to some degree and those that haven't are at least bracing for it. So, many of us are holding back on Christmas spending. In my research to come up with no-cost gifts I came across so many great ideas. For obvious reasons, I can't describe here what I am actually making for Toby so instead I'll list some other great ideas we've done before and ideas I may do in future.

First up....

Car Kits
How many times have you been in the car and needed a pen? A wet wipe? Hand sanitizer? A piece of paper? One day I got sick of not having what I needed and made Toby and I both car kits, each in a 1 gallon zip lock bag. Think of them as a mobile version of a 72 hour kit. The great thing is all these items are laying around the house - the gift is in the the thoughtful organization and presentation. Zip-lock bags fit well in the glove box but you can get more creative and decorate a box or even sew a little roll-up organizer with little pockets for it all.

Suggested Contents:
A pen and pad of paper
Scissors (if you've ever bought anything in clam-shell and wanted to open it, you'll understand)
A $20 bill for when you leave your wallet at home (or a decorative envelope for one if you want to keep it n0-cost)
Four quarters (for parking meters)
A blank check
A laminated list of phone numbers that you could use if you lost or broke your cell phone
Hand sanitizer
Fingernail clippers
Chap stick
Cheap sunglasses
Single doses (in envelopes or baggies) of pain killer, allergy medication, antacids, or whatever things your sweetie is prone to using
Breath mints or gum
Lotion

Optional extras for those with kids. These are a life saver if you forget the diaper bag.
Small toy
Binky
Crackers
Small Suckers
Sandwich sized zip-lock bag of wipes and a diaper
Rags, cloth diapers or paper towels
CD of lullaby music
Children's Tylenol or similar

It's also a good idea to print up a little inventory of the kit and place it in the bag, facing out. Then sweetie can glance to see if the bag has what he needs before he stops at 7-11 and pays $5 for a handful or wet-wipes.

Road Warriors

We spent Thanksgiving in Vegas with family. Robbie was pretty insistent on carrying his own rolling Thomas The Tank Engine suitcase. He looked like quite the seasoned traveler as he expertly navigated the hallways to find the elevator, pushed the call button, made way for other passengers and then found the exit.

Kids Can Do Chores?

Sometimes it's easy to get caught up in the mindset that I have to do everything for Robbie because I'm still thinking of him as a baby. He's fully in the "I'll do it myself" toddler mode now, however. I'm learning there are a lot of things he can do for himself.

The other day we were in the toy department while he looked for the perfect toy on which to spend his hard-earned money..when he saw a toy mop.

Now when he has a little "misfire" in the bathroom he runs for the mop, gets up on a stool, wets the mop and - surprise - mops the floor!

He also likes to yell to me "Stay back, mom! Don't step in the pee!"

Now if I could just teach him to operate the Dyson....

The World Through A Toddler's Eyes

Last night as I was getting Robbie out of the car to walk the 80 feet to the front door of Walmart, we had this conversation.

"Robbie, let's get your coat on."

"I don't want to wear a coat."

"Babe, it's cold outside."

"I not cold."

"You're not outside yet. It's really cold, let's put on your coat."

"I don't need a coat."

"Ok, well then do it for me. If you don't wear a coat people will think I'm a bad mommy."

"I tell them."

"You'll tell them what?"

"I tell them you a good mom."

- - - - -

Sunday, Robbie and his slightly younger cousin were playing with trucks in his room. They were having a good time and suddenly his (less verbal) cousin let out a gibberish squeal of delight.

Robbie looked up from his truck in amazement and shouted "Mom! Carter speaks Spanish!"

"Wow, that's amazing!" I said, hardly able to stop laughing. He thought so too, so he ran downstairs to announce it to the 25 family members chatting after Thanksgiving dinner.

Friday Fieldtrip

The last three "Mommy Fridays" have included a trip to the downtown library. We splurged and shelled out the $80 for a yearly membership (we live outside the county so membership isn't free for us) and we're definitely getting our money's worth.

If you have not taken your wee ones to the library, you really should - and not just for the obvious, literary, reasons. The downtown branch has a lot for Robbie to be excited about, including play rooms, glass elevators, people watching, and books books books. They also organize story times and kids' events. I get a weekly newsletter with kids' book reviews and I can click to reserve the books that sound good. It saves us a lot of "hunting" when we get there; leaving more time to play.

This week we were joined by friend Emms and Kim, which made it twice as fun for Robbie and Mommy. Above is a cell phone picture of the kids in the "attic" reading room.

After the library we went to the world's busiest McDonalds so the kids could not eat and instead play on the world's most crowded PlayPlace. They seemed to enjoy themselves and Robbie walked away sweaty, dirty, exhausted and, I think, missing a sock.

What more could a kid ask?

At least he's honest

It's disorienting parenting a child that swings from one extreme to the other. He went from not talking to never stopping talking in the span of two weeks. He goes from a rough and tumble two year old to a serious ten year old to a snarky 13 year old instantly.

While I'm driving down the road he screams for me to watch out for imaginary police cars and monsters coming toward us. Pretty typical two year old stuff, right?

Moments later he starts laughing histerically while looking at a one dollar bill. "He has funny looking hair!" he squeals, pointing to George Washington.

A bit later, after he goes down for his nap he yells for me to come upstairs.

When I get up to his room he says "I pooped." and he's wearing nothing but a shirt and a pair of cowboy boots and holding a very full pair of Go Diego Go undies in one hand.

Oh boy.

We go in the bathroom to do damage control and he says "There's some poop on the carpet, Mom"

Thinking he means the bathroom rug I say "no, it's ok."

"No, in my room." he says.

I go into his room and do a quick scan - all clean. I come back.

"No, mom. In my closet. Just a tiny bit." he assures me, very matter-of-fact, like he's telling me what time it is.

He was exactly right - and it felt like I was talking to an adult the whole time. Although, one one that thought it was perfectly normal to poop in the closet while wearing his John Deere cowboy boots.

Disorienting.

Shopping, Robbie Style

This weekend we did the big shopping trip for Thanksgiving dinner. It's coming a week early to our house because there is a wedding in the family this weekend and some relatives that are normally in other states will be in town.

Our house was nominated to play host again this year - which I really don't mind. I just try not to count how many people will be here and then I don't hyperventilate. But I digress....

These pictures were taken with my phone, so the quality isn't great. Robbie was just being so funny, I had to snap a few. He found a circular and was walking around with it held up like he was reading it. Then he kept putting it down and pointing out different things and saying "do we have that?"



Those two people behind him? That's hubbs and "Grummy" - each with a cart. Yes, we bought that much food for that many people coming to my house.

A Very Good Day...and Pictures.

Today has been a good day - my favorite kind of day where Robbie and I hang out and do fun things without the need for me to break into "Mommy Mode" of scolding, threats, and (let's be honest) begging. And he doesn't break into "Toddler Mode" with tantrums and the never-ending potty struggle or all-too-frequent nap time rebellion.

Days like this make me think I could handle 8 or 9 kids but at the same time, so grateful I have one that I get to spoil rotten and take on "Mommy and Robbie" days.

This morning we went to see his friend up at Primary Children's Hospital. He was very sweet and played quietly with her, sang her a song, and kept asking her how she was feeling.

Next we went to Burger King for a little lunch. An employee brought him over a paper crown, which I hadn't seen in years. Robbie was enchanted and kept saying "Mom, I'm the King!" His father has also taught him how to peel one end off of a straw wrapper and blow on the straw to shoot the wrapper across the room. He managed to grab both our straws before I remembered he coudld do that. But like I said - it was a good day: he didn't hit any other patrons.

He wore the crown to our next stop - the city library and he got lots of compliments on it. So many that he took it off and asked me to carry it. We rode the big glass elevator a few times then chased the pigeons all over the sidewalks back to our car.

We've been having a bit of a ... struggle, let's say with potty issues. The potty training went great for a few weeks and then has been gradually regressing, so I thought a new book might spark his interest. I don't know if it was the book or just blind luck but the results were immediate and very positive.

If you are having problems with your child being unwilling or afraid to do "number two" I think its worth getting them "Everyone Poops." Robbie thought it was very funny and it seems to have erased the stress that has built up around this subject.

Let's hope tomorrow is another good day!

And now - some pictures from Halloween and our Zoo trip the day after.



This was the first year Robbie was old enough to really "get" what the holiday was about. Once it clicked (just after the first door) he was on the run - trying to get to as many doors as fast as he could. For days afterward he kept saying "I go trick or treat today!" not realizing it would be a year before people would be giving out free candy again just because he rang their bell.





The next day we went to the zoo with Grummy, Grumpy and Cousin Carter. Of course, the train was the best part for him.




Grumpy showing him the zebras.


Checking out the turkeys - just before he swung his leg over to try to join them.



Boots! I mean, Monkey!

This Date Sponsored by Christmas '07

We're lucky to have good friends and family that give us cool holiday surprises like gift cards to restaurants we like or theaters. Sadly, we're terrible about using these things in a timely manner. So, tonight Robbie is staying at his cousin's house and we're going on a date night sponsored by gift cards.
First a play, then dinner, then Grand America...where we'll draw those great "black-out" curtains hotels have and sleep in as late as we want...or at least until check-out.

PETA

I recently read that PETA issued a letter to the Ben & Jerry Ice Cream company asking them to replace cow's milk with human breast milk in their recipes. This is to "lessen the suffering of dairy cows".

What amazed me about this story was not that PETA actually issued the letter, or even that they did it with a straight face.

What amazed me is that the head of public relations at Ben & Jerry's was able to pick himself up off the floor from his laughing fit long enough to issue an official response to the letter.

That man needs a raise...and an Oscar.

The Eyebrows That Ate Chicago

The natural eyebrows - or lack thereof.


The chemically assisted eyebrows.


Last night I went to the Sanctuary Day Spa for a little treat... at least as much as having hair forcibly ripped from your browline can really be a treat.

While I was lying there, the waxer asked "Have you heard of brow tinting?"
"Um yes."
"What did you think?"
"Sounds ok. Are you saying I should look into it because I have invisi-brows?"
"It would make them more ... visible"

She decided one application wasn't enough to overcome the albino fuzz that is my browline...so she did it twice. But now they seem to have acquired a life of their own and they keep getting darker. I'm sure this is completely in my own mind. I am just constantly surprised when I glance in a mirror.

This morning Toby said "Those eyebrows have to go. You don't even look like my wife."

When I gave him a dirty look, he said "I'm not saying they look bad, but I'm used to you have NO eyebrows and now you have BAM! Eyebrows!"

Needless to say, I'm a little self conscious. If you see me, don't be surprised if I have on sunglasses until these babies fade a bit.

Fall Fun

About three weeks ago we picked up a few new fall clothing items for Robbie. Ever since then one, two or all three of us has been sick and every weekend has been spent seeing how fast we can run through kleenex or how many times one of us can throw up in one 24 hour period.

Robbie has a slight edge on me in this area.

Today we were all feeling sufficiently well go go see the gorgeous leaves in Middle Canyon in Tooele. We also had the foresight to dress Robbie in his new duds and bring a camera. Lately this little group of achievements seems like a miracle.


I want to blow this one up as a poster and title it "repentance" or "reflection". This still moment didn't last long!







Showing me his cool new leaf.


My turn to pose.


Tickle time.


This is probably my new favorite picture of Toby. I had just told him to sit down and Robbie came rushing over and said "No dad, put your hands here." and he placed one of Toby's hands one each knee and moved his fee. Then he backed up and said "Ok, good. Be Still." We were both laughing - I'm surprised the shot is steady.












And that's a wrap.

Gone Baby, Gone.

Robbie, summer is definitely long gone. Yesterday we went to the park for lunch and, even though we were bundled up, you were so cold you didn't even want to play. We just ate our sandwiches and walked back home.
Yep. Summer is gone. And I'm not sure what's worse. That we won't see it it again for nine months, or that by the time it rolls around again those sweet pudgy toddler legs will probably be taller, thinner big boy legs.