Friday, January 30, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Oh Snap!
Over the past few months while our regular "day mother" Jenni has been taking time off due to the birth of baby number two, we've been fortunate to have found a nearby daycare center where a woman named Ms. K. has taken great care of Danny along with 4 or 5 other little ones.I thought I'd note an observation I've made over time. You see, Ms. K., when she changes a diaper and snaps the onsie back up never snaps all 3 snaps. She only does the two outer ones. At first I thought that maybe she just forgot to do the center one but over time the pattern is clear. She always does the two out of three.
So what do I think of this? I think she's freaking brilliant! Do the math. 6 childen, at least 3 diaper changes a day, 5 days a week. That's a lot of snaps! Maybe I'm also appreciative of her brilliance because even though I do all 3 snaps, I often screw it up and start snapping the wrong ones together and have to start over again from scratch. Can you spell a-n-n-o-y-i-n-g!
Anyway today he's got a onsie, a turtleneck shirt that also has 3 snaps on the bottom, and a pair of overalls with 6 snaps on the legs. That's 12 snaps! Should be interesting to see what mathematical formula will apply today! -Monica
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Double Doh!
So I was holding Danny at our local Dollar Store this weekend while a woman filled up several helium balloons for the baby shower we were hosting.
“Is he your grandson” asked the woman?
Hmmm...., once again my graying red hair and clearly mature demeanor led someone to believe that Danny was my grandson.
“Oh, actually he’s my son” I replied and we chatted amiably for a few minutes while she finished with the balloons.
You see I try not to get defensive about this—I just figure I can educate people on the fact that there are all kinds of families. (But come on! I don't look that old!)
Then a few minutes later when I went to the counter to pay, another woman working there asked me,
“so, is he your son?”
But did I actually hear her question? Apparently not.
You see, when she asked me if he were my son my response should have been something along the lines of “why yes he is”. What I instead did, was assume that she too, thought he was my grandson and before she even finished her question I blurted out
“No!!! He is not my son, he’s my grandson!”
Whoops. Which is completely wrong. I was so sure she was going to say the wrong thing I actually corrected her, but of course incorrectly.
“I mean, he is my son, not my grandson,” I very sheepishly tried to explain.
By now the two women were together at the front counter probably wondering whether I was related in any way to the little guy at all.
I have got to learn to listen. The first step they always say is to stop talking so much. Life is so hard sometimes.
-Monica
P.S. Happy Baby Shower A&I! We are so excited for you!
“Is he your grandson” asked the woman?
Hmmm...., once again my graying red hair and clearly mature demeanor led someone to believe that Danny was my grandson.
“Oh, actually he’s my son” I replied and we chatted amiably for a few minutes while she finished with the balloons.
You see I try not to get defensive about this—I just figure I can educate people on the fact that there are all kinds of families. (But come on! I don't look that old!)
Then a few minutes later when I went to the counter to pay, another woman working there asked me,
“so, is he your son?”
But did I actually hear her question? Apparently not.
You see, when she asked me if he were my son my response should have been something along the lines of “why yes he is”. What I instead did, was assume that she too, thought he was my grandson and before she even finished her question I blurted out
“No!!! He is not my son, he’s my grandson!”
Whoops. Which is completely wrong. I was so sure she was going to say the wrong thing I actually corrected her, but of course incorrectly.
“I mean, he is my son, not my grandson,” I very sheepishly tried to explain.
By now the two women were together at the front counter probably wondering whether I was related in any way to the little guy at all.
I have got to learn to listen. The first step they always say is to stop talking so much. Life is so hard sometimes.
-Monica
P.S. Happy Baby Shower A&I! We are so excited for you!
Monday, January 26, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Touchdown!
The pilot knew that it was now or never. One tiny error and the landing could result in a disaster of epic proportions. Hours of practice combined with a whole lot of luck would determine the outcome.
The pilot knew to relax which would slow the heart rate. The final descent took place while a hushed crowd looked on in silent prayer. And touchdown! Oh the relief. Oh the sweetness.
The landing of flight 1549 last week into the Hudson River? Think again. This is what it’s like to try to lay down Danny when he wakes up crying in the night. The rocking, the take off, the landing. If those stuffed animals could talk, oh the tales they’d tell. –Monica
The pilot knew to relax which would slow the heart rate. The final descent took place while a hushed crowd looked on in silent prayer. And touchdown! Oh the relief. Oh the sweetness.
The landing of flight 1549 last week into the Hudson River? Think again. This is what it’s like to try to lay down Danny when he wakes up crying in the night. The rocking, the take off, the landing. If those stuffed animals could talk, oh the tales they’d tell. –Monica
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Oh Mama! Oh Mama!
Yes Danny chanted along with us and our neighbors yesterday as Barack Obama was sworn in as our 44th President. What a happy day!
Since he doesn't talk much yet though, his chanting did sound suspiciously like "oh Mama!" But he got the cadence and spirit of "Obama" right.
I wonder if he thought that the throngs of people waving flags on TV were also chanting to his Mama? -Monica
Since he doesn't talk much yet though, his chanting did sound suspiciously like "oh Mama!" But he got the cadence and spirit of "Obama" right.
I wonder if he thought that the throngs of people waving flags on TV were also chanting to his Mama? -Monica
Friday, January 16, 2009
The 8 year long terrible dream ends
Wars against countries that did not attack the U.S on 9/11. Torture. Wiretapping. The "Bring 'em On" approach to diplomacy.
Attempts to create a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. The "myth" of Global Warming. Financial meltdown.
No Child Left Behind? More like No Child Left a Dime.
Did you say Compassionate Conservativism? Oh right. Passionate Conservativism.
January 20, 2009 ushers in a new day. Let the wonderful dreams begin! -Monica
Attempts to create a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. The "myth" of Global Warming. Financial meltdown.
No Child Left Behind? More like No Child Left a Dime.
Did you say Compassionate Conservativism? Oh right. Passionate Conservativism.
January 20, 2009 ushers in a new day. Let the wonderful dreams begin! -Monica
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Cleverness or Laziness?
This year I had to start wearing reading glasses if I wanted to, say, I don't know, see any puzzle clues, or know what dose of medicine I should actually be giving my child. I'll admit it was an adjustment.I was forever forgetting where I'd left them and then I'd spend the next 10 minutes exploring the entire house to find them. So, I cleverly got myself three pair. One stays in our bedroom so I can read before going to sleep, one stays on our main level so I can always be "puzzle ready" (and read the newspaper) and the third pair stays in a case in my bag which is with me basically most of the time.
So this morning I got to thinking how I have the same problem with my books. I like to read before going to sleep AND on the Metro and during lunch. And I almost always forget to put my book in my bag. Naaaa...I shouldn't really entertain the thought of getting several copies of any book I'm reading right? That would be crazy right?
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Kudos to stay at home parents
Yesterday as I was running around in the morning trying to get Danny wiped clean from breakfast, dressed, then in the car to drop him at daycare, I had a moment of clarity.
I was EXHAUSTED by his energy. He had managed to find a way to climb up on a folded up stool to get to the Dust Buster which sits in a charging holder on our kitchen wall. He later scaled his Tripp Trapp high chair and managed to pour a watering can meant for our house plants all over the floor. Then he did NOT want his shoes nor his coat to be attached to his body in any way shape or form, so he found this way to go all jellyfishy and flop around like he had no bones making it almost impossible to pick him up.
And this all took place between 7:50 and 8:05 am. That’s a 15 minute period people. I realized that as I dropped him off at his day care that any adults who take care of their own or other people’s children all day are Saints. Or Angels. Or something even better (although I don’t know what could be better.) I truly do not know how you do it.
Because especially at when they hit toddlerdom the children never let you rest. If you’re reading the paper, they want you to read them a story. If you decide to take them out to do something special it can require an entire project plan to a) remember to bring what you need, b) plan to ensure that they eat and sleep when they should, and c) keep them from climbing on top of your car. (He hasn’t figured that one out yet, but I see him tilting his head and doing calculations every time we go outside lately.)
Okay, you know from the 99.9% of the postings on this blog that Danny is the light of our lives.
It's just that he’s a very fast and opinionated light at this point.
So all praise and honor to Jenni and Diana and all the other parents out there in Bloglandia who know what I’m talking about here. You all deserve large, child-proofed medals! -Monica
I was EXHAUSTED by his energy. He had managed to find a way to climb up on a folded up stool to get to the Dust Buster which sits in a charging holder on our kitchen wall. He later scaled his Tripp Trapp high chair and managed to pour a watering can meant for our house plants all over the floor. Then he did NOT want his shoes nor his coat to be attached to his body in any way shape or form, so he found this way to go all jellyfishy and flop around like he had no bones making it almost impossible to pick him up.
And this all took place between 7:50 and 8:05 am. That’s a 15 minute period people. I realized that as I dropped him off at his day care that any adults who take care of their own or other people’s children all day are Saints. Or Angels. Or something even better (although I don’t know what could be better.) I truly do not know how you do it.
Because especially at when they hit toddlerdom the children never let you rest. If you’re reading the paper, they want you to read them a story. If you decide to take them out to do something special it can require an entire project plan to a) remember to bring what you need, b) plan to ensure that they eat and sleep when they should, and c) keep them from climbing on top of your car. (He hasn’t figured that one out yet, but I see him tilting his head and doing calculations every time we go outside lately.)
Okay, you know from the 99.9% of the postings on this blog that Danny is the light of our lives.
It's just that he’s a very fast and opinionated light at this point.
So all praise and honor to Jenni and Diana and all the other parents out there in Bloglandia who know what I’m talking about here. You all deserve large, child-proofed medals! -Monica
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
The Mask
Maybe all toddlers get fixated on things. Things like this mask that our neighbors gave us as a gift after we'd kept an eye on things when they were on an extended work trip to Africa. They bought it in Nigeria although they are not sure if it originated there. We had it hanging on a wall in our basement but finally had to take it down and put it out of sight for a while because Danny was mesmerized by it. I personally think he looks cuter without it, but there's no reasoning with the boy! -Monica
Monday, January 12, 2009
"Dissed"lexia
Hmmm...whenever I dash off an e-mail when I'm ticked off I end up accidently signing off like this (which I always correct by the way)...
-Moniac
Seriously, I only misspell my name like this when I'm cranky. And it makes me look like a maniac. Ironic don't you think? Or shall I say "moronic".
-Monica
-Moniac
Seriously, I only misspell my name like this when I'm cranky. And it makes me look like a maniac. Ironic don't you think? Or shall I say "moronic".
-Monica
Stay Tuned!
Does anyone else ever feel the need to step back from all your work and just, what’s the word? Recalibrate?
I think of this like tuning a guitar. Where ever your lowest note (or thickest string on top which is an E) is tuned, you can tune the rest of the guitar to that, but if your E is really out of tune you either end up in a terribly high key that stretches your string too tight (which can cause them to break), or the opposite, a chord so low that the strings easily loosen up and get really out of tune again fast.
Not good right? And even if you pleased with your crappy tuning job if you tried to play with someone else, it would sound really bad.
So. You want to tune using a standard E which you can usually get off of a piano (a well tuned one of course) or a pitch pipe.
And how you may ask does this apply to work? Well for me, I’ve always got several big projects going on at once. And even though I’ve heard the phrase “if everything is important, nothing is important” it doesn’t feel that way when everything has deadlines and dependencies.
So when Monday mornings roll around I often have a strong urge to recalibrate. Write down once again all the things that are looming, do a quick triage and then get started. And then the e-mails and the phone calls and the demands from my favorite muckety mucks can all fit into my well tuned plan.
I just wish I could end the week pretty close to still being in tune, but that hardly ever happens. Oh well, there’s always another Monday. Onward and upward everybody! -Monica
I think of this like tuning a guitar. Where ever your lowest note (or thickest string on top which is an E) is tuned, you can tune the rest of the guitar to that, but if your E is really out of tune you either end up in a terribly high key that stretches your string too tight (which can cause them to break), or the opposite, a chord so low that the strings easily loosen up and get really out of tune again fast.
Not good right? And even if you pleased with your crappy tuning job if you tried to play with someone else, it would sound really bad.
So. You want to tune using a standard E which you can usually get off of a piano (a well tuned one of course) or a pitch pipe.
And how you may ask does this apply to work? Well for me, I’ve always got several big projects going on at once. And even though I’ve heard the phrase “if everything is important, nothing is important” it doesn’t feel that way when everything has deadlines and dependencies.
So when Monday mornings roll around I often have a strong urge to recalibrate. Write down once again all the things that are looming, do a quick triage and then get started. And then the e-mails and the phone calls and the demands from my favorite muckety mucks can all fit into my well tuned plan.
I just wish I could end the week pretty close to still being in tune, but that hardly ever happens. Oh well, there’s always another Monday. Onward and upward everybody! -Monica
Friday, January 09, 2009
Looks like somebody is feeling better!
Have a great weekend everybody. We sure will. -Monica, Susanne and Danny (who is clearly on the mend.)
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Our little wobbly weeble
I'd mentioned that Danny has been sick for a while now, and we got him into the doctor's yesterday and found out that he has an ear infection. Most likely bacterial (and yes I do get the irony about my most recent post.)
Poor guy. He's just been so miserable he's been waking himself up every night several times because he just can't get comfortable.
So this morning around 4:00 he would not settle back to sleep and we ended up sitting on the couch until he eventually basically slowly tipped over to fall asleep on me. It wasn't the most comfortable position in the world for me but darn if I was going to move an inch.
On the bright side he did start a course of antibiotics so we hope to see some improvement today. A good night's rest will do us all some good. -Monica
Poor guy. He's just been so miserable he's been waking himself up every night several times because he just can't get comfortable.
So this morning around 4:00 he would not settle back to sleep and we ended up sitting on the couch until he eventually basically slowly tipped over to fall asleep on me. It wasn't the most comfortable position in the world for me but darn if I was going to move an inch.
On the bright side he did start a course of antibiotics so we hope to see some improvement today. A good night's rest will do us all some good. -Monica
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
I guess it is possible to be too frugal...
So last night I was watching a TV commercial about how a local food store/pharmacy called Giant is offering free antibiotics to customers from now through March 31st. It's probably a pretty good marketing scheme. The drugs (specifically for bacterial infections) are the generics which are pretty low cost to the store and customers of course need a perscription to get them so it's not like they'll be giving mass amounts of product away for free.
The logic of course is that once they get those customer through the door they will of course do their grocery shopping while picking up their meds and better yet develop a sense of loyalty to Giant.
Which leads me to my embarrasing brilliant idea as I watched the commercial. Honest to God, I fleetingly thought to myself,
"Oh, I hope I get a bacterial infection before March 31st--free medication!"
I can't believe I thought that. And I'm not even the truly frugal one in the family as Su will confirm. Even she had to shake her head at that thought. Frugality or insanity. I'm leaning towards the lunacy side of the scale.
And I must also point out that I know that bacterial infections are no laughing matter. And I really don't want one. Lunacy. From the root word luna or moon. As in howling at the moon. Maybe they should make some of their other medications free too. -Monica
The logic of course is that once they get those customer through the door they will of course do their grocery shopping while picking up their meds and better yet develop a sense of loyalty to Giant.
Which leads me to my embarrasing brilliant idea as I watched the commercial. Honest to God, I fleetingly thought to myself,
"Oh, I hope I get a bacterial infection before March 31st--free medication!"
I can't believe I thought that. And I'm not even the truly frugal one in the family as Su will confirm. Even she had to shake her head at that thought. Frugality or insanity. I'm leaning towards the lunacy side of the scale.
And I must also point out that I know that bacterial infections are no laughing matter. And I really don't want one. Lunacy. From the root word luna or moon. As in howling at the moon. Maybe they should make some of their other medications free too. -Monica
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Tschüss!
I bet you're wondering what the title of this post means. Well wonder no more. It's pronounced like the word "choose" and in German it means "bye-bye".
And our little Danny now says it perfectly. It's adorable. Susanne always says Tschüss to her family on the phone when saying goodbye and I've always sort of chimed in. Now Danny does too!
He's really absorbing this German stuff. Like when he wants more of something he blurts "Mehr"! (Which pretty luckily means "more" in German.)
Won't be long before Danny and Mama are talking about me behind my back. How do you say Rut Roh in German??? -Monica
And our little Danny now says it perfectly. It's adorable. Susanne always says Tschüss to her family on the phone when saying goodbye and I've always sort of chimed in. Now Danny does too!
He's really absorbing this German stuff. Like when he wants more of something he blurts "Mehr"! (Which pretty luckily means "more" in German.)
Won't be long before Danny and Mama are talking about me behind my back. How do you say Rut Roh in German??? -Monica
Monday, January 05, 2009
Best Frog Forever
Danny has never really had a "must have" toy. This has been a good thing for us no doubt. But sadly this came to an end this weekend when I encouraged him to play with some toys he hadn't played with in a while.
It was magic. Big green fluffy magic. Head over frog legs is how they fell for each other.
Froggy was a gift from some of my co-workers, and as an infant Danny didn't seem to pay it much mind. But now at 19 months, 1 week of age, Froggy is the end all be all.
As I type this, Danny is sleepily dozing on the couch clutching his new BFF like he'll never let go. Part of this may stem from the fact that he's been a bit sick and listless for the last few days, but something tells me that Froggy has taken up a permanent place in his heart. Only time will tell.
In this photo you can see Danny hanging out with a few of his furry friends about a month after he was born. Look at the grin on that green frog. It's like one day he just knew he'd be the one.
I just wish I could stop singing "And They Called it Froggy LoOOove". -Monica
It was magic. Big green fluffy magic. Head over frog legs is how they fell for each other.
Froggy was a gift from some of my co-workers, and as an infant Danny didn't seem to pay it much mind. But now at 19 months, 1 week of age, Froggy is the end all be all.
As I type this, Danny is sleepily dozing on the couch clutching his new BFF like he'll never let go. Part of this may stem from the fact that he's been a bit sick and listless for the last few days, but something tells me that Froggy has taken up a permanent place in his heart. Only time will tell.
In this photo you can see Danny hanging out with a few of his furry friends about a month after he was born. Look at the grin on that green frog. It's like one day he just knew he'd be the one.
I just wish I could stop singing "And They Called it Froggy LoOOove". -Monica
Friday, January 02, 2009
Happy (Yawn) New Year!
Lesson learned. When going to a next door neighbor’s house for New Year’s Eve where our toddler son could have slept blissfully upstairs in pack and play and never awakened when carried home, we should never have gotten ourselves a babysitter. We should have taken the dude with us.
A wiser course of action would have been to get a babysitter for New Year’s Day, preferably between the hours of 5:00 am – 9:00 am (let’s make that 10:00 am.)
Because our evening enjoying fabulous conversation and home made cheese fondue while imbibing in bubbly and intoxicating beverages would have been lovely whether Danny were asleep upstairs or while home next door under the watchful eye of grandma.
But our “morning after” was not so lovely when our little fog horn/toddler woke up and started chanting “mama, mama, mama, mama” which crescendoed at 5:15 am. Guess he was just really excited about the New Year.
But overall it was a wonderful New Year’s Eve. Thanks Greg and Meral.
On a related note, I glanced over at the table the other night while making supper and Danny was slouching in a gangly way with his arm tossed over the back of his high chair just sort of nodding his head at me. For the first time ever I think I caught a glimpse of our little guy at age 13 or so. At least he didn’t look surly. Just sort of snarky. That’s better. Right? -Monica
A wiser course of action would have been to get a babysitter for New Year’s Day, preferably between the hours of 5:00 am – 9:00 am (let’s make that 10:00 am.)
Because our evening enjoying fabulous conversation and home made cheese fondue while imbibing in bubbly and intoxicating beverages would have been lovely whether Danny were asleep upstairs or while home next door under the watchful eye of grandma.
But our “morning after” was not so lovely when our little fog horn/toddler woke up and started chanting “mama, mama, mama, mama” which crescendoed at 5:15 am. Guess he was just really excited about the New Year.
But overall it was a wonderful New Year’s Eve. Thanks Greg and Meral.
On a related note, I glanced over at the table the other night while making supper and Danny was slouching in a gangly way with his arm tossed over the back of his high chair just sort of nodding his head at me. For the first time ever I think I caught a glimpse of our little guy at age 13 or so. At least he didn’t look surly. Just sort of snarky. That’s better. Right? -Monica
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