The family resemblence

It wasn't until I saw this photo that I believed that my son was starting to look like me:

I was telling someone the other day how lucky their child was because they had a tea set growing up because I never had one. Well, I guess that was a lie because I found this photo and I indeed had a tea set. The funny thing, I totally remember playing house with my younger brother Christopher and using this Humpty Dumpty tea set. I'm glad my parents took "some" photos of me. (If you ask my dad, he will tell you about how I complained as a child there were no photos of me. Just ask him if you ever meet him).

For months, everyone has been telling me how much Lil B looks like Brian. Oh he has Brian's nose. Oh he has Brian's mouth. Oh, he definitely has Brian's eye color and then I found that photo and I started believing, there is a little me in him.

You see, I look like my mom. People will see me with my dad and wonder "is that the milk man's kid?"  I do have my father's chin, after all and well, my "big bones" come from my dad's side as well. I also inherited my mom's skin too -- which always made her look younger with hardly any wrinkles.



That photo better not show up on that awkward family photo website.

Barbies, oh my

I didn't think 18 month olds could get so excited by such a thing but Lil B is definately into Brobee. Brobee what you say? We'll let about.com school you ...

Known as the "little green one," Brobee is from Fall Tree Land. He is four years old (he turns four in the "Birthday" episode. Brobee is small and has a lot to learn. He tends to pout a little at times, but once DJ Lance and the gang help him figure out his problem, his frown turns upside down in a flash! Brobee is full of love and admiration for his friends.

[caption id="attachment_195" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="The Brobee Chair"][/caption]

What that doesn't mention is Brobee is the coolest character on Yo Gabba Gabba. When I first saw Yo Gabba Gabba, I was a little weirded out -- why is this grown man dressed like an 80s DJ? And then MGMT came on and sang about art and it clicked .. this is a hip version of Sesame Street. What kinda program teaches your kid how to beat box (Thanks Biz Markie) and your art teacher is the lead singer from DEVO. So I embraced Yo Gabba Gabba.

Benjamin loves his Brobee chair and yesterday, while at TJ Maxx I could not pass up a stuffed Brobee that sang "Party in my tummy." I couldn't wait until Christmas to give it to him and when I did, he giggled and laughed and I swear I hear "Party in my tummy" 20 times the rest of the night.

When I was a little girl, I was way into Barbies at an early age. Each Christmas and birthday, I wanted a new Barbie along with a Barbie horse, a Barbie house and a Barbie car. I would even take my Barbies to my cousin's house and we'd have Barbie weddings. I'm sure this all drove my mother nuts but each year, I got a Barbie. I even had my own Barbie room. I was a lucky girl.

A visit from the tooth fairy

It’s been a rough week in our house. The toddler is teething – one canine have popped through with three more on the way. I think we’re only four teeth away from a full mouth of teeth and it can not come soon enough. It seems each night for the past week, I’ve been awoken (because Brian does not seem to hear Lil B) by crying at 1 a.m. when the ibuprofen has worn off. Lil B isn’t too sure about ibuprofen. Sometimes he takes it no problem. Other times he won’t take it so to cut the fuss time down to a minimum, I put it in a bottle and then back to bed he goes. (start the scolding now, I’m waiting). One must do what they need to survive -- this I have learned from the past 17 months of motherhood. Last night was a little different. I gave him the bottle and went back to sleep only to be awoke 15 minutes later. This could only mean one thing -- a dirty diaper.  Back to sleep he went after the diaper change. At 5:30 a.m. I woke up to screaming. I made Brian get up and then the screaming wouldn't stop so I just got up anyway. Teething is tough business and sleep is overrated.

I remember the day I lost my first tooth. It was wiggling loosely and my mom dared me to just yank it but I was scared. After a little coaxing, I yanked it out of my mouth and she explained the tooth fairy was come and leave me a surprise if I put it under my pillow. "No way! Really? A Barbie?" She explained that it probably wouldn't be a Barbie -- maybe some money. Money was nothing to me at five years old. Barbies were worth more in my book. Then my mom explained that money could get me a Barbie and then I was all game for the tooth fairy to visit. So I anxiously went to bed and tried my best to fall asleep fast so I could get up and have enough money for a Barbie.

The next morning, I checked under my pillow and there were a few bright shiny quarters under my pillow but not enough to buy a Barbie. My mom explained that I had to lose a few more teeth until I had enough to get that Barbie and of course I had no problem pulling out the loose teeth. Each tooth I lost, I seemed to get more money. I often wondered how the tooth fairy was not waking me up but since having I child I know now the "fairy" would wait until I was in a deep sleep and then slip the quarters under my pillow.

When it was all said and done, I ended up with buck teeth and had to get braces in the sixth grade. I can already tell that Lil B is gonna need braces because he has the same spacing I had as a child with his two front teeth. I wore those darn braces until I was almost in high school. My senior year, my teeth started to move so back on the braces went for six months. I have a permanent retainer on the back of my top teeth so they won't move anymore.

I know I have a few years until the "fairy" visits Lil B but I almost can't wait until he grows up. What the heck, I can't wait until he finally starts talking. But maybe I should be careful what I wish for. I don't want him growing up too fast.

Don't let the bed bugs bite ...

I love visiting my friend Alissa. I have to admit, I don't see her enough but we are both working moms with busy lives. I told myself after I left that I need to just make time for my friends. So often, I get caught up in work, home, sleep that I don't take the time to really see how my friends are doing. In this digital age, I really rely on social media for that interaction. What did we do before Facebook, Twitter and blogs? I just realized today that I haven't talked to anyone in my family since I got back from Nebraska a few weeks ago. Yikes! And none of them are on Facebook! Oops.

Back to Alissa. She just had her second little boy and holding him today made me wished now was the time I could have another one but it's not. Sleepless nights. Not showering for days. Baby weight ... bring it on. I always get the best nuggets of motherhood advice from Alissa. We were on the topic of kids and TV and she said the most true statement "kids can't watch TV at daycare because we need them to watch it when they're home with us." So true. How else would I get dinner on the table when my husband's not at home.  Kinda reminded me of Mad Men when Betty needs to have a serious talk with Don, she tells the kids to watch TV. I'm only half kidding people.

So I was telling Alissa of our bedtime routine. Bath, jammies, Yo Gabba Gabba, Milk, night night.  We got on this topic because I told her Ben only says five words and one was "gabba" which was part of his bedtime routine. Then I got to thinking ... what was my bedtime routine as a child...

I remember taking nightly baths as I hated to wash my hair because I always seemed to get shampoo in my eyes.  My mom would roll foam rollers in my hair when I was younger. She wanted me to have curly hair as I got the stick straight hair gene from my dad. I remember her saying that I never had a problem going to bed though I do remember going through a bout of insomnia when I was in elementary school and I hid this by taking a flashlight to bed and reading when I couldn't sleep. When it was 9 p.m., I'd get my pjs on and would wait for my mom to tuck me in. She'd give me a hug and kiss and tell me to say my prayers.  I don't remember when she stopped tucking me in. My bedtime got later to 10 p.m. or after the first 10 mins of the 10 p.m. news (I was a budding journalist in those days). She would often just peek in to see if I was reading or actually in bed when I was in high school.

Right now, when Lil B goes to bed I put him in his crib with his blanket. Make sure he has some books (he likes to read in bed in the morning). I turn on his Radiohead Rockabye Lullabies and his turtle night light. We say good-bye and I love you and give him a hug. Most of the time, he doesn't fuss but lately his canines are  busting through and he cries for a bit.

I want him to grow up so fast but I need to savor the moment. He won't always be 17 months.

Stay away from yellow snow

There is nothing more joyous than your toddler discovering snow for the first time. Last year didn’t count as he was a little slug and wasn’t mobile enough to play in the snow. We heard reports that Mt Bachelor had received something like 19 inches of snow over the weekend so to tired out our little one, we drove up Cascade Lakes Highway to let him play in the snow for a bit. His first instinct was to eat the snow. His canines are busting through right now so he’s biting and chewing on everything.  He really couldn’t walk so much as the snow was deep and I don’t exactly have the right boots for him yet (oops) but he seemed to enjoy the snow by the photos we took. We plan on doing plenty of snowshoeing and sledding this year so we have sometime until spring to get our snow on.

Growing up in Nebraska, we experienced plenty of snow storms that were so bad, school was shut down (a rarity in Central Oregon). Our snow days were spent sledding down the big hill in Spring Lake Park and hill next to our house as well as sledding down our long street. Not so safe but fun. My mom and step-dad introduced us to skiing Colorado at an early age (that is another blog post in it’s self).

I can’t imagine growing up and now knowing about snow.

Bad habits are hard to break

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="Mr. Blueberry eyes at 10 months"][/caption]

When you're a new parent, you'll do just about anything to survive that first year. You'll let your baby sleep in the swing until he four months old. You'll fall asleep breast feeding with your baby in your bed just so you get more sleep because you're working full time.  You'll let him watch "Yo Gabba Gabba" because dinner isn't gonna magically appear on the table. I swore I wouldn't give my child a pacifier but I did. He was teething and that seemed to be the only thing that helped (besides heaps of motrin). A year later, my kiddo can't go anywhere without it.

This whole pacifier incident reminds me of a story my mother used to always tell about me. She swore I was going to enter kindergarten sucking on a pacifier.  I guess I was pretty into my blanket as well (sounds like someone I know -- Lil B has a blanket he carries all over the house but isn't allowed to take outside the house as if we lose it, we'll be in deep trouble) but I would not part with that zoo zoo (don't quote me but I think that is short for the Polish way of saying pacifier). My mom tried everything. Letting me cry in bed for it. Only giving it to me at naps. Nothing was working. I would whine and whine (no surprise here) and she'd give in.  Then she had this great idea ....

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="240" caption="Lil B relaxing with his binky"][/caption]

One day she took my pacifier away and went towards the bathroom. As told in her words, I was not happy and I rushed after her. She lifted the lid of the toilet and threw it in the bowl. "NO!" I screamed and she flushed the toilet. I peered over the bowl watching the water swirl away. The binky was gone forever and she wasn't going to buy me anymore. Of course, she didn't actually throw the binky in, I found out later on in life. She threw something else loud enough to make me believe it was my binky. She was one smart cookie.

I told myself I'd give Lil B until the first of the year to drop the binky. I'm actually really working on getting him to give up the bottle (I hope my pediatrician doesn't read this post). It's not going to well. Sheesh.

It won't hurt

With all the sickness and swine flu going around it got me thinking about when I was little and sick. I don’t remember being a sickly child but I did have my moments.

One time in the 2^nd grade, I had the flu. Instead of waking my mom up in the middle of the night, I threw up in the corner in my room.  The next morning, I still didn’t feel so good so I laid with my blanket in the hallway outside my mother’s bedroom door, sleeping and waiting for her to get up. Of course, she wasn’t too happy that I threw up in my room and didn’t wake her (though she said was worried I was dehydrated, I thought it was because I might have ruined the carpet). Getting sick always threw a monkey wrench in her day. Since she was a working single mom, she had to call my grandparents to see if they could watch me so she couldn’t miss work.

Once I ate a whole bottle of Flinestone vitamins because they tasted good. I thought they were candy but my mom called poison control only to find out I would end up being fine. Close call. I didn’t want my stomach pumped. (Rumor has it, my older brother had drank a bottle of cough syrup – twice and had to have his stomach pumped. I also think he was the one who swallowed my Grandma Rita’s diet pills and had to have his stomach pumped again).

When I was really sick, she’d have to run me to the doctor’s office. As much as I wanted to get well, I hated the doctor’s office. The one thing I looked forward to was the little kid’s table with new books to look at and if the wait time was long, I’d go through all the books and be bored out of my mind. The doctor would check my ears, throat, nose and then reward me with a lollipop. Fun times! When we got home, if I was up for it, she’d make me a can of chicken soup and fill me up with orange juice.

In the summer before third grade, I got the chicken pox. Since I had to lay around on the couch for two weeks at my grandparents, my mom bribed me into be good with a new coloring book and maybe some if I was really good and didn’t scratch the chicken pox, I would get to go to the bakery and pick out a donut when I was better.

The worst I remember being sick was when I was a sophomore in high school and I had walking pneumonia. I came down for breakfast and my mom had a worried look on her face so she called the doctor’s office and brought me in. An x-ray later, I was diagnosed with pneumonia and had to rest and be out of school for a week. I remember my mom telling the doctor that I was white as a ghost and if they weren’t open, it was off to the emergency room we were going. I remember being thankful my mom cared so much. She took the week off from work to take care of me.

When I went away to college, I came down with the worse case of strep throat. Though my mother was only 45 minutes away, she insisted that I visit the university health center to be checked out. When a couple days went by and my symptoms weren’t getting better, I came home and went to the doctor only to find out I also had the flu. I stay home a couples days for a home cooked meal and more chicken soup. I thought to myself that though I was an adult, I didn’t want to ever be far from my mother.

Tonight, I took my son to get his swine flu shot and it brought back memories of all the times my mom drug me in for immunizations. She was always upfront in saying “well, you might be a shot” followed by “if you’re good, you can pick out a Barbie.” It always worked. I can’t wait until Lil B gets his little bribes.

Halloween, South O style

My husband and I were sitting around talking about how we celebrated Halloween when we were kids.  You see, I wasn't going to buy candy because I really didn't feel like locking the dog up and dealing with the crazy barking but Brian insisted I get candy.

"When I was a kid, we went to every house," he said. "I don't want someone pulling a 'trick' on our house."

"Well, isn't that the point of having a porch light on?" I said. He stared at my blankly.

"You know you only go to houses with lit pumpkins or porch lights on, right," I said.

"That's not how we did it. If you didn't have candy, well, we weren't to nice to the people," he paused. "I kinda didn't hang around the best crowd." Well obviously.

I actully thought I was crazy so I posted this on Facebook:

So my husband just told me that when he was a kid they would knock on everyone's door on Halloween. I told him we only knocked on doors that had lights on. He had never heard that. Isn't that the rule on Halloween? Or was that a midwest rule?

All 14 comments from my friends sealed the deal that you were supposed to only go to houses with porch lights on.

I used to be able to go back all the way to age five and tell you all the costumes I used to go as but maybe all those beer drinking days have burned some brain cells. I can only remember the gypsy, the punk rocker (went as this many times) and the witch from grade school.  I might has went as a news anchor but I might be imagining that as that is what I wanted to be when I grew up. The last time I trick or treated was my freshman year in high school when I wore my band uniform.

My husband and I reminisced about the costumes with the masks of Scooby Doo and Smufs that KMart used to sell in the 80s. (what happened to those?) I think my younger brother Chris was a few Star Wars masked characters when he was a kid. I don't remember having a masked costume though.

Since my mother was a working mom, she didn't have time to hand make our costume so we would visit ShopKo or Kmart to pick something up. As I said before, I went as a punk rocker a few times. I was really into having pink hair and I loved that spray paint that washes out each day. I remember asking my mom to buy extras cans for when I played dress up. She would say something sassy like "money doesn't grow on trees" and we'd leave the store.

At the beginning of October, my mom would put up our paper Halloween decor on the front door and the windows. People don't do this anymore. I'm seeing more Christmas-like orange lights, hay bundles and Halloween blow-up characters these day. When my mom would put those up, you knew the Halloween countdown was on.

Halloween day would arrive and after school, I'd get all dressed up just waiting for it to be dark outside. My brothers and I have one goal in mind, get all the candy we could or walk until we couldn't walk anymore. My mom would stay home and pass out candy and most of the time my older brother took us since he was much older than us. Up and down the hilly streets of our neighborhood, each with a full pillowcase. You don't see many pillowcases anymore.

When we got home, around 8 p.m., my mom would drive us to my Grandma Marie's house so we could show our grandparents our costumes. There we would trick or treat some more around their  neighborhood with our cousins. As we drove home, we'd be exhausted from all the walking. Good thing we only had a half day of school the next day (Nov 1 is a holy day -- All Saints Day).

Mom would tuck us into bed and then would check the candy for us. I remember one year, I watched her dump three pillowcases full of candy onto our TV room floor to start sorting. She wanted to make sure everything was safe and sound to eat for her little ones.

Our candy was then rationed. We would only be allowed a piece or two a day as my mom tucked it away in a secret hiding place in which we found each year.

I only remember my mom dressing up once to go to a party. She bought a costume and went as a witch one year with the green make-up and wort. I wish I could find that photo today.

Yesterday, Lil B didn't go too many places. He got a fruit roll up and a few candy bars but that was about it. He was more into taking off his costume and not wearing his tiger hat. My friends tell me that Halloween gets better with age and next year promises to be more exciting for Lil B.  I look forward to the many Halloween's he'll be celebrating.

Halloween, a day to be your alter ego

I'm sad but Lil B wasn't too into his Halloween costume. Maybe he will understand next year? He didn't want to wear the tiger cat hat or the gloves and he didn't like the black whiskers he dad painted on so he could go get photos so we ditched the photos and took some at home.  You can view them online here.

Easily entertained

Lil B can do this for about 30 minutes at time. When Brian first told me about Lil B's new trick, I thought he was telling a tall tale. I had to see if for myself and in deed, I was amused for 20 minutes. Then after that, it got a little annoying.

Hooray for stay-at-home dads

[caption id="attachment_24" align="alignright" width="180" caption="Having a hands on dad is pretty cool"][/caption]

Last Friday, I met my husband and son in downtown Bend for lunch. I walked into the burger joint in a rush, texting on my Blackberry with a million things on my mind. I sat down, took a deep breath and enjoyed the fact I was not in the office and enjoying some time away with my toddler, who's learning more and more everyday and having lunch with my husband.

My husband is currently laid off. He'd love to be working for someone right now, but he's moonlighting as a multi-talented marketing professional. He dabbles in marketing strategy,  designs ads, logos and websites, dabbles in videography and is a whiz at social media. Anyone would be lucky to have his talents on their team but alas, there are no jobs currently open in Bend. With that, we're making do.

I won't lie, living on one income really isn't ideally how we'd like to be living and it has tested our marriage but the silver lining is my husband is spending a lot of time being a dad. He knows when Benjamin needs to go down for a nap. He has him on a schedule and he takes him everywhere in his Kelty Kids Backpack. I'm counting my lucky stars Lil B has the best hands on dad in the world.

As we ate our lunch, the waitress came by to bus our table. "Ma'am, you're so lucky to have such a hands on husband. In my day, husbands just went to work and came home and expected dinner."

I'm grateful for everything you do, Brian. You're the best dad, husband a wife could ask for.