2007-01-31

Quiet Day

Not much to say about today, basically quiet and the same old stuff.

MLO did have a blast running around me in circles waiting for me to grab her. A game we play where I sit indian style on the ground and she runs in circles around me. Every now and then I reach out and grab her, tickle her until she squeels and then release her. She then runs around again.

We play this game for at least an hour whenever mommy is up to it. She can't get enough and even when she is so dizzy she can't keep her circle, she can't stop laughing and trying to run.

Other than that, work is getting a little tedious and I need to liven it up somehow. Since I am a consultant and not employed by any one company, this is possible for me to do. So, will have to work out something on this.

Hope everyone is having an okay week and keeping productive if nothing else :)

2007-01-30

MLO and dinner time

Dinners have gotten more and more interesting:

We went through the feed me only stage.

Then we went through the I want to do it myself stage. She loved to eat with her fork and her plate. Occasionally wanting to use her fork to get something off of mommy's or daddy's plate. We have been practicing stabbing things and getting it into her mouth (once I help stab, she can do the rest).

Last night, she sat in her high chair and I put her plate in front of her with her fork. She didn't want anything from her plate. No matter if she saw me take it off my plate and put it on hers. She also didn't want to use her own fork.

No, she wanted to sit on my lap and use my fork and my plate. Nothing else would do and I mean nothing else.

Don't get me wrong, MLO is a total angel. She stopped throwing tantrums (that only lasted about a week or two) but just keeps saying "no" over and over. Not yelling, just "no, no, no, no, no, no, no" and arms out reaching.

I could probably out-last her if I really tried. But who wants to try.

So last nights dinner was in my lap, the plate far enough away that her little arms couldn't reach it, and us taking turns using the fork.

2007-01-29

Checking out schools

Because my hubby and I are doing okay financially, I plan on putting MLO in a private school. I have lost faith in the public schools and if I can see she gets a good education than I want to.

Went to one possible school that was having an open house for prospective future families (ones too small to start now). It was interesting and fun, big campus (2 acres) with music, painting, sculpture, science, computer and library. They have a well ranked soccer team and the basketball team has a player getting scholarship offers. The school is small and they like it that way, only about 15-20 in a class. The student to teacher ratio is one teacher for every 10 students and this a rule for the school.

Overall - sounds great. Cost less than what I am currently paying my nanny so that is good :)

Then we got information on pre-schools and there is one near me (haven't seen yet) that is run by the local Catholic church and sounds fabulous. Plan on giving them a call and stopping by soon. MLO is ready for playing with other kids and not just me and the nanny.

It is hard to imagine her big enough to go to school though - I almost want her to be my little one forever.

2007-01-25

Driving with my sleeping babies

Yesterday we all went out to do errands after work.

MLO still regularly falls asleep in the car seat to the rhythm of the car. What was even funnier when hubby fell asleep right next to her.

The picture of my two sleeping babies was totally precious.

When we arrived to our destination I gently woke up hubby first. He looked over at MLO and laughed, knowing what a precious picture it must have been.

When I opened the door next to MLO's car seat and woke her she also smiled.

She had a fun time at the errands, grocery shopping with me handing her the items and she puts them in the cart (this is only way she will stay seated for long enough to complete the shopping).

When we got home she then helps empty the bags. Taking one item out at a time and handing it to whoever is in front of the fridge.

She is so helpful it is unbelievable.

2007-01-24

Daddy is back

Quick note:

We executed my plan and MLO at first was shy and quiet and then started playing. Soon it was all back to normal with him even taking her off to bed and rocking her to sleep.

It was great to see it all restored and back to normal.

2007-01-23

Daddy and MLO

I think MLO is punishing daddy for not being around.

Last week there were a few days in a row (Tue-Thur) that he worked late out and wasn't around. This meant that MLO didn't get her daddy play time. Most of the weekend he was busy in the office or something and she didn't get to see him much.

So now, she is ignoring him when he walks in the room. He will ask for a hug and she says "no" and turns away. He is still laughing about it, but it hurts me a little.

I told him he needs to stay home and play in her room with her (whether he was invited or not) and the three of us should do something together. Once she is playing with him, I plan to try and sneek out (to the living room) and let them play.

Hopefully this will restore the bond and get her running to him like she used to.

2007-01-22

Fun weekend

Well I had a fun weekend.

Hubby and I pulled out his old bicycle and we put a baby seat on it. Then MLO and I went bike riding. She hates the helmet, but when we go fast and see a lot of things flashing by she forgets she has it on.

She loved it when I chased the birds and made them fly everywhere.

We got the kind of seat that is in the middle of the bike like this:






The bike is really steady and she can see so much more.

We then cleaned out several rooms of the house of all that stuff that accumulates over holidays and so on. While it may not sound fun - it is fun to be able to walk in rooms that we couldn't walk in before.

Then on Sunday, MLO grandma came and took her for a bunch of hours and I got some time for myself. I went shopping (hit some great sales) and saw "The Holiday" which was a cute movie and good for me at that exact moment.

So a fun weekend!!

BTW - No one is paying me any money for this stuff. Thought I would say that with all this silly controversy about bloggers being paid to say good stuff. Honestly everything is going to be abused by some people, but not everyone. I know people who do get paid but only take the money when they honestly liked the product. They didn't write good stuff just to write good stuff, they were honest. So everyone should just pipe down for goodness sakes.

2007-01-18

MLO and bath time

MLO loves taking a bath, as long as:

a) someone is playing with her at all times
b) all (and I mean all) of her bath toys are in the bath tub
c) the water is very warm (almost hot)
d) the water is high enough so she can almost swim in it
e) you don't try to wash her hair

Of course, "e" gets done everytime and I have still (after 16 months of doing this) not figured out how to get through this time without her screaming at the top of her lungs.

That was, until last night. I bought a Shampoo Rinsing Cup thinking that I was just dreaming that it would make it better.

You know what - it did. She almost didn't stop playing with her toys while I rinsed her head (she did stop, but no screaming and went straight back to the toys).

I really thought about how I was going to use it before I started, planning it out in my head to somehow make it not too dramatic. And it worked!!!

Believe me, this makes bath time so much easier to confront each night.

Weather

Malibu and Beverly Hills had snow last night.

Where I am we had ice on the grass and this crazy wind that could pick me up and blow me down several city blocks.

I am loving every minute of it! I am not native to this area so love winter weather and think it is great.

It is a little strange though and makes you worry about the whole global warming thing. Though this cooling - it is still strange.

Hope everyone is fairing well in whatever weather they are having!

2007-01-16

TV is back in my life

So all the shows are starting back up with new episodes.

You know, I actually liked it when they weren't around. I only turned on the TV occasionally, when there was nothing else to do or I wanted some background noise. If there wasn't anything good on, I would put in on one of those music stations or play a movie I own.

It was relaxing.

Having to work at remember which show is on when. Not to miss anything. Make sure the baby didn't want to play during those times.

When did watching TV become so stressful!!!

2007-01-15

Sushi night

Last night we went over to some friends house who know how to do sushi at home. They taught us and we got to make and eat our own sushi - it was delicious.

There is this thing called a battleship. Which starts as a "ball" of rice in the shape of a quarter. You then wrap seaweed around the quarter and make this empty cylinder. It can be as tall as you want, but the whole thing goes in your mouth at once, so don't make it too tall!

You wet the edge of the seaweed so it will stay together. You then stuff the cylinder with whatever you want. You pick up the whole thing, let it sit in soy sauce for a few seconds and then tilt your head back and drop it in.

Your mouth is very full, but it is really yummy because you put exactly what you want in it.

MLO loves fish and especially sushi. I would say it is currently her favorite food (a little strange for a 16 month old - but she is related to us). She ate as much sushi as I did, and I was no slouch last night because it was so good.

This of course, meant that last night, MLO sleeped through the night. Her little tommy was so full, which is a nice thing to have happen.

She regularly sleeps about six hours straight, but wakes up once still and cries until I get her. But if we stuff her full (which she only does if it is food she really likes), then she sleeps eight to ten hours straight. Mommy definitely likes those nights :)

2007-01-11

More of MLO as daddy's little girl

We all got a touch of the flu this last week. I probably with the worse case and hubby with the mildest.

Yesterday, hubby let lose a sneeze (note: hubby's sneezes make the planet slightly change it's orbit and MLO has always been a little worried about hubby when he sneezes).

So after yesterday's sneeze which was a nice and loud one, MLO gets a worried look on her face. I tell her that it was just daddy sneezing and he is okay. She looks at him and he smiles and waves. She runs over to him with her arms up (the classic pick me up move) and gets scooped into his arms.

She then proceeds to pat him on the back as if saying "it's okay".

We died laughing.

2007-01-09

MLO is daddy's little girl

Quick note, but it was so cute.

MLO likes to play with daddy when he is home and not working. She will grab him by the finger and drag him off to her room. She would happily play with him for hours just sitting on her floor and bringing him different toys.

Yesterday night daddy finally came home. All she wanted was hugs. It was the cutest thing in the world, she wouldn't let him put her down. She had her arms around him in a strangle hold. He was even trying to unload his car and had to do it all one handed because she just would not let go.

When I got too close she squeezed even tighter and gave me the evil eye.

It was too precious :)

2007-01-08

Picking a theme

I feel like I should pick a more specific theme for this blog. Anyone out there (yes my "many" readers) have an idea on an area that isn't already in overkill on blogging?

There are many great parenting blogs out there (so my blogroll). I work in the SEO industry and don't even want to compete there. I have found a few movie review places also. I don't read enough with MLO around to be able to do a book review type thing.

I could do a magazine issue review thing (get a few different ones currently) - do you know if there is one already out there?

I would still put in my usual rant, but with a theme, I wouldn't feel so lost :)

2007-01-05

A pseudo-secret writer

Okay - I am secretly a writer, wait not so secretly since that is the thing you do when you blog :). I have been thinking of sending the below to a magazine or something - have several more like it. If any of my two readers feel like saying anything about it - I would be interested:

HOME

Allison wasn't sure if she really wanted to go. So, her parents were wrong. They usually were having no idea what she meant, but did that mean going to Chicago would change anything? Face it, she tried to tell herself, you are running away, plain and simple. Those stupid words “running away,” so childish.

She looked at Matt standing next to her, so supportive. He said he would help her do what she needed to do, even offered to come along.

“So, when is the train?” she asked as he studied the timetables.

“In half an hour, just over there.” He pointed towards a collection of benches.

“Great.” She picked up her bags, walked over to the bench, and silently waited for the train. It seemed simple enough: find her real parents, the ones who left her 15 years ago as a baby at the doorstep of the orphanage, and tell them... what?

The train pulled in, and as people got off she turned to Matt. “Thank you, really.” She gave him a hug, a peck on the cheek and ran to the train before she could change her mind.

As she got seated she decided to relax and not build up what was coming. However, her mind refused to obey. She knew very little; it seemed so strange for a married couple to bring a child into the world and then abandon her. They weren't young, and didn't then leave Chicago. In fact they had been born and raised in Chicago, got married in Chicago and lived there together since. She had spent all the money she had made over the summer to have someone find this much out.

As the train started she knew she didn't have any choice now; she was going to meet them and see what they would say. Despite her best efforts, she fell asleep on the way there, and someone had to wake her up when they arrived.

Shouldering her backpack, she hailed a can and gave him the address.

After pulling up to the house, she sat in the cab for awhile staring at the small mansion. These people definitely were well off, so why leave her? The cabby made a disgruntled noise so she paid him and got out.

She stood on the curb looking at the house. She pictured all the happy moments she would have had in the house, piles of presents at Christmas and trips around the world every summer. She was disturbed from her day dreaming as a car pulled into the driveway. An cranky looking man stared at her suspiciously as the garage door opened. She wondered what he thought as it closed behind him.

Fear grabbed her and she waited and then slowly walked to the front door. She didn't let herself think about it as she rang the doorbell. She heard the footsteps and then he opened the door. “Yes?” a good-looking middle aged man asked.

“Hello, about fifteen years ago you and your wife had a baby that you left at the orphanage. Well, that was me,” she said in a rush so no one could interrupt her, not even herself.

He just stared at her. “Um... come in,” he finally managed. She followed him into a sitting room and sat in the chair he pointed at. He didn't say anything as he walked out the door.

A few minutes later she heard a woman stomping in her direction and yelling, “What does she want? Does she think she can get some money from us?” She swung into the room and glared at Allison. Allison was sure these were the right people -- she was a spitting image of the woman standing in front of her, about 30 years younger.

“Darling, shouldn't we at least...” Allison's biological father tried to interject.

“We shouldn't anything. You wouldn't let me abort her and now look. So what do you want, money?”

“N-n-no, I just wanted to meet you,” Allison said. At least she knew why they had abandoned her. This woman was no mother.

“Well, you have met us, now leave!”

“Darling, we should at least get to know her. What is your name?” Allison's father asked.

“Allison.”

“Good, now we know. Now leave!” the woman yelled.

Allison stood up “Well, at least now I know I didn't miss anything, you are a witch!” At which Allison proudly strutted out of the house.

After clearing their yard though she ran. Ran until she found a cab, cried all the way to the train station, cried all the way back. When she called her mother she could barely get out the words. Her mother came running into the train station so soon after, Allison thought she must have flown. As she stood sobbing in her mother's arms she knew nothing else mattered.

She was home.

They grow so fast

I was working on the photo album for MLO last night and oh my goodness. She was so small when she first came to the world - all of 6 pounds 4 ounces and fit in the crook of your arm.

Having now almost reached almost 5 times that weight I am amazed.

You are told kids grow fast and to enjoy the time you have when they are little, but no one told me it was this fast.

She is so big (can reach the doorknobs now - world look out) and runs so fast. I am only 15-16 months into this and I already miss when she was smaller. How does one deal with 17 more years of this (and then the next 50 after that)?!

Well, just keep putting together those memories so she can see the change to, and I will always have my little baby (man, I sound like an old women now).

2007-01-04

The year so far

Okay 2007 has been crazy so far.

Unfortunately MLO (my little one) got sick on the 2nd. She is doing better now, but nose still runs and she sneezes and coughs. Makes for sleepless nights for mommy and daddy.

It was daddy's birthday yesterday and I got my mom to come watch MLO and we went out to dinner. Had a nice evening - but we were both really tired we were almost piteful.

We went to a fancy shabu shabu restaurant (the Japanese kind were you sit in front of boiling water and you cook your own food). Kind of strange to be going out to eat and cook your own food. But it was good and this was a place hubby had wanted to go to for some time.

Then we both came home and MLO was still sniffling and I got to stay up another night with her (fits and starts of sleep).

So today is an interesting day. Work seems to be eluding me and I can't concentrate (sorry if their are typos - too tired to worry about it).

So, this is 2007 so far, not as promising as I had hoped.

2007-01-02

My superhero and supervillian


I am the Green Lantern per the Superhero survey.


It says I am: Hot-headed. I have strong will power and a good imagination.



Click here to take the "Which Superhero am I?" quiz...





I am Poison Ivy per the Supervillian survey.


It says I would: go to almost any length for the protection of the environment including manipulation and elimination.



Click here to take the "Which Super Villain are you?" quiz...

Happy New Year

Well 2007 has started.

Will post more later, but I wanted to wish everyone the best year and the year all those resolutions come true!!