Whew!

It's been a busy week! We began it with not one, but three, cookouts (one of which was tastefully done at our house). Then on Tuesday, Mizz and I made a beeline to the park for two hours of playgroup fun. Save an hour or two for a nap, Mizz really could spend a whole day at the park. After his nap we went to the OMSI where Mizz pretty much had the run of the place.

Which was nice, because we weren't so lucky the next day at the zoo where we were greeted with a fleet of school buses with field tripping students in tow. While I dodged the miscreants, Mizz had a great time spotting monkeys and fish. Still the thing that still captivates him the most are the fans in the elephant house. They spin! That afternoon, we found ourselves at Target and the Value Village to pillage for some big boy outdoor toys. Mizz is now the proud owner of his very own Fisher Price Bubble Blowing Lawn Mower. I am not entirely sure I get the connection between mowing and bubbles and actually find it a little frightening, but hey if I gives me five minutes on the porch swing, I am a happy woman.

Today we hit the road to Corvallis to visit C, K, A, and A. Mizz was a holy terror as he tried to impress his friend A by putting all of her toys in his mouth. Fortunately, she was amiable to his tricks and they had what appeared to be a fantastic time playing in the water, swinging, chasing each other, and talking their secret toddler language. Oh, and Baby A, he was adorable and seemingly so chill. The new again parents seem to be taking the transition in stride which was good to see and I got to remininsce about when Mizz was that small.

Whew! Tomorrow it is off to the daycare for a relaxing day of taking care of eight wobblers.

We did it

And by we, I mean Dave of course. After a recent heat wave and heat rash, I finally decided it was time to tame Mizz's mullet. And so here are the pics. If the whole scale calibration thing doesn't work out, Dave could probably do quite well being a chop shop for toddlers and their overly emotional mothers.



BEFORE



DURING


AFTER

Mizz talks back, Mama watch out!

Mizz repeats everything I say and so now I must finally concede to the laws of appropriateness and give up my potty mouth (and I am not referring to toilet training here). For whatever reason (immaturity? rebellion? inadequate vocabulary?) I have clung to certain colorful exclamatory words, even though, when overused they are at best, boring and at worst, offensive. And now, it seems that I have an eight year old living with me who finds it hilarious to repeat everything I say. Granted it a one year old masquerading as an eight year old, who still finds it amusing to dump a bowl of yogurt over the side of the table, still poops in his pants, and is pretty much eschewing everything that is not fruit, cheese, or cracker. So while I find it sometimes necessary to exclaim in wonder/horror; for the good of his preschool friends and my reputation as a nuturing mother I will try to curtail my manner of speaking. Otherwise, I might find my three year old son one day exclaiming "it is @$%^*&! freezing in here!" as another mother of a four year just shared with me. And while I might think that is hilarious, others may not.

One year ago today

Baby, we've come a long way.

Peas and Coffee Anyone?

I realize that this will not be as funny to most people as it is to me, but I just poured coffee into the peas and carrots that I was about to nuke for Mizz. There are a couple of questions you might be asking at this point. Why is Franny drinking coffee at 2 in the afternoon? Why is she making lunch for her son at 2 in the afternoon? Why coffee in the peas? The answer to all of these pressing questions and most of the others in my life at this point is toddler. It has beeen a stultifying last couple of days culminating in appproximately 60 minutes of crying/whining and repeated "hot" and "park". Now, as I am typing this, Mizz has dropped his whole plate of approximately five hundred peas and carrots and fishsticks onto the floor and he keeps saying Hah? Hah! Hah? as if trying to engage them in conversation. I need a retreat in a bad, bad way.

Happy Birthday Sweet, Sweet Jalopy!

Who would have ever thought that my simple little beige 1995 Corolla would have hit 100,000 miles? Actually I bought the car confident it would take me twice as far. And the Toyota workmanship has not let me down. It seems that my car will rust out from under me or be overtaken by the fierce Portland moss before its engine lets me down. One missing hubcap, some cosmetic love bites, and a few routine, expected repairs are all I have to complain about. And so when it does come down to buying a new gas guzzler you can bet that I will be visiting the Toyota people again. I am pretty enamored with both the Prius and the Matrix but size and baby crap may win out; I have to admit that Cherry Red Rav 4 did feel really good. I think this is a great example what my dad is talking about in this article--a company that wins my loyalty with excellence and a vision (green) that I share. Why aren't all companies so forward thinking?

Welcome Baby A!

You are one beautiful little boy! Congrats Mom and Dad.

Ick on the highway

I say ick a lot now in my ongoing attempt to dissuade Mizz from putting things into his mouth. Why bark but not grilled cheese? I don't think it is all that effective since he laughs, mimics me, and continues to do it. Perhaps wiring his jaw shut would work but I digress...

I saw a professional looking sign on the highway tonight that said Forget Amnesty, Go Home Beaners. Even though it was clearly a concise and thoughtful way to enter into the immigration debate, it left me with a pretty icky feeling. In fact, I was disgusted by it and felt sorry for all the immigrants (legal or not) that saw it and embarassed to potentially being perceived as part of a community that would make such an ugly, sweeping blanket statement like that. I suppose everyone is entitled to their opinion, I just wish more people would take it upon themselves to get more informed about the issues before making such hateful statements. Realistically, I know that is a pipe dream. I haven't even opened the ballot handbook that was mailed a few weeks ago and frankly, am not even sure if I have missed the election. On the other hand, I don't usually walk around spouting racial slurs either and realize that there are always intended and unintended effects to any policy change. So there, clearly I am superior than that signmaker. And really, it is all about me anyway, isn't it?

Best website ever!

No other website has had the potential to save me hours of needless second guessing and arguing with Dave than this one. I have to give my friend Gabrielle mad props for sending me the link and her consult early this morning. When you are saddled with honey colored trim, blinds, and floors and two big red upholstered monsters, picking out paint ain't so easy. Especially when you are commitment phobic and cheap. Here's to hours of playing room dress up.

Mother's Day weekend rocked

While I can't help continuing to be cynical about the uber commercial aspects and seemingly built in expectations of the whole deal, celebrating being a mother and the mothers close to you is really nice. I got to spend mine with my family and close friend C and her family. I loved watching Mizz and little A laugh and play together. When we got home, we got right to work on our newly expanded garden. Mizz was occupied for an hour with the task of transporting the rocks Dave unearthed to a bucket. It was awesome working together on a project (outside!) and I hope that there will be many more days like it.

Guess who used the potty?

None other than the Mizzle himself! While I think it had more to do with timing than any control on Mizz's part (I swooped in when I saw the telltale face and plopped him on the pot), both of us were pretty thrilled when all was said and done (I just exercised huge restraint after all, I really do love poop jokes). Mizz has become so cooperative in the potty department that it's hard to believe it is the same child who used to require a full body restraint oh, every two hours or so.

While I'm bragging, I was also informed that Mizz made it through an entire art project without putting anything in his mouth! The victory was short lived because I fished several items out of his mouth as I was gathering his belongings.

One of the many reasons I love Dave

He will make a batch of cookies at the drop of a hat or specifically whenever I get a yen for the real deal.

My butt's a swingin'

Check out Dave's recent post to see our latest home purchase.

Don't cry. Laugh.

Or better yet, fight the power by staying informed and making your voice heard. Although these days it is hard for me to believe in the power of good (or even basic decency and common sense) and change. It seems empty rhetoric, status quo, and money rule this country.

A pretty darn funny video, that sums up the inanity of much of this administration.

Rhodie Pics

The weather was absolutely, intoxicatingly gorgeous today and so as soon as Dave got home from work we made a beeline to the Rhododendron Garden close to our house. I fall in love with Portland all over again every time I go there, not just because of the beautiful scenery but also because of the other kind people wandering through there and their obvious joy in nature. Apparently other people feel the same way about little ole PDX. Check out the latest hype. Click on the first link within the link for the complete listing of top great cities according to someone who felt the need to rank them.

Mea Culpa

I just reread the second to last posting and I feel the need to apologize for the whining, mundaneness of it. It's all par for the course and was really not that interesting to read about.

Floating Swimmingly Along

I don't know what I would have done this morning if I hadn't prearranged a playdate with the other Mizz and his mom at the pool five beautiful blocks from my house. While I refuse to discuss sleep right now, let's just say that neither Mizz nor I were our cheery selves this morning. So after a romp at the park, a feast at the super cute restaurant across the street, we entered the pool for the first time ever as mother-son dyad. Even though it was perilously close to nap time, Mizz and I had a fantastic time. We swam some laps in the current pool, splashed, and played with the shooting jets of water. Mizz really loved floating down the current on one of the huge kickboards (he sat just like a frog on a tadpole, it was really cute). I got to benefit from the rejuvenating effects of the warm water and enjoyed chatting it up with my friend. Um, why have we not gone before? The little nuisances (swim suit phobia, contacts, undressing and dressing a fiesty beast with his own agenda) were not as bad as I imagined. And he passed out in his stroller after two blocks and didn't stir at all when I plopped him in his crib.

Will someone please tell Mizz to go to sleep?

This may be my latest (earliest?) posting at 4:30 Pacific Time. Mizz is crying and I have no idea why. Frankly I am not interested in starting my day at 3:45 (when he woke up). So Dave and I have both been in there trying to explain why now is not a good time to point at lights and play with Megablocks. I mean really, the day is long enough when it starts at 5:45. Not that I have time to do everything but I am usually exhausted by the end of it. Well actually that is not true. Usually I am exhausted all day and then come 10:30 at night, I am wired with all sorts of ideas running through my head. OK must go check on the boy who has worked himself up quite nicely.

Mizz Loves Trader Joes

FoPo You? FoPo Me!

Check out the Willamette Week's article about our sweet little neighborhood. Can you say gentrification? I say Ca-Ching! If we are up to it, we are going to check our Bar Castro tomorrow.

Of Pets and Kids

The line between pets and children seems to be blurring for me. Mizz coughed up a hairball yesterday although to his credit there was also a piece of plastic in it. I have never seen Chloe cough up plastic. Before you accuse me of poor housekeeping, let me assure that I am already aware of the mounds of dirt in my house. No seriously, I have actually developed a seventh sense to be constantly surveying the area for choking hazards (the sixth sense is basically mama instinct that hears Mizz when he is and isn't making noise). I have every new parents guide to thank for these senses (and I suppose Mizz continued predilection to see just how much he can shove in his mouth at any given opportunity). Actually the days of destroyed books seem to be over and for the most part his gnawing stage seems to be over, but he still can't resist popping stuff in once in awhile.

And then, on the way to daycare, I saw a man pulling a bike trailer with a dog in it, presumably on the way to doggie daycare. I continue to be amazed at how many doggie daycares are springing up in the area, all of which have adorably, caninerific names.

To top it off, when I was sharing with the center's director how the fam's recovery was and telling her that the hardest part was Mizz not understanding that he had to take it easy this week, I saw her hesitate and saved her by making the analogy that yes, it is in fact like taking care of a sick animal who doesn't necessarily know what is good for it. And when you start taking behavior modification, well the line pretty much becomes nil.

It's been a long week

I should have known yesterday was going to be a long one, when after discovering that I had put my underwear on backwards decided it was too much work to right the situation. I was that out of sorts that I didn't notice the problem after after pants and shoes were on (and yes, they did look and feel wrong). But not as wrong as how Dave and I have been feeling since Stomach Bug mixed with crazed cough and massive aches Spring 2007 has left us feeling. I am confident that this has been my most passive week of parenting to date or as Dave put it upon arriving home, "it looks like a bomb went off in here". The bomb, of course, being Mizz. And the shrapnel being darn well everything he could get his paws onto. To compound the problem, I worked two LONG days in the infant room at the center. Um, I have to say that after hanging out with the wobbs and the todds, I like em way better than the blobs, I mean infants, who drool, spit up, and cry a lot, unless you are bouncing them, rocking them, or reciting the Communist Manifesto to them. That is some grueling work and let's face it the smiles are pretty darn far and few. I guess I didn't have the pleasure of breastfeeding them, but then again, I was able to go home and sleep for 10 hours straight to recuperate. Ah, but once they start to crawl, my heart sings for sweetness and that thought is what is going to propel me to do it all over again.

Oh Man, it's started!

I had my first phone call from one of my many pregnant friends this afternoon, where she said "Franny", and my heart skipped a beat thinking she was in labor. She is not, which is good, because it would be too early,(in fact I have officially wagered on May 13th). This is gonna be one fun summer of babes and toddlers.

Buh Bye My Sweet Former Employer!

It's not often I suppose that you get to reject an employer two times in two months. Lucky me. After much, much hand wringing, head banging, and trash talking, I finally sucked it up and made a decision to stick with my decision. For now, I am going to enjoy being a mom and teach my class a couple times a week. I feel relieved about making the decision, although I suppose only time will quell the what if's.

Brat Diet is for the birds

I am sick of toast and applesauce. I hate cooking rice and we are out of bananas. Now that I am on the mend, I am interested in something a little substantive, ok salty and chewy. So on our quick jaunt to our local Sketch a lot (I mean Sav a lot) I picked up a half dozen 25 cent tillamook yogurts and a pack of hot dogs that retailed for 58 cents! They look really good although I have probably a reasonable fear that one of those dogs will quickly do me in for the night. After all my test of chicken soup and ice cream left me miserable last night. I suppose I should have just stuck with the soup...So will I be brave/stupid? Or will I have learned my lesson and stick with the easily digested blah carbs? Stay tuned.