Intentional Broom Tapping

Intentional Broom Tapping is what happens when Rob is asked (told) to sweep up the Cheerios, after he laughed and watched them get tossed all over the floor from two children at dinner.

Here is how it went down, let me set the scene.

Logan (2 yr old): swiping food all over the floor.

Landon (9 month old with two bottom tooth grin): tossing, swiping and banging food off the table.

Me (angry, stressed out mom): ripping my hair out, clenching teeth.

Rob (out of work late finds it funny): smiling and a little chuckle as he hands Landon a cheerio and it goes over board.


Here is the dialogue to go along with that scene.

Rob: he he

Me: you won't be laughing when you are sweeping that up in a minute.

Rob: Why me?

Me: Because you laughed and gave him more while he was throwing.

Rob: Naa Haaa.

Me: Yaaa Haaa, you gave more to the baby while they were both throwing them and laughed about it with a stupid grin on your face.

Rob: It was funny.

{A few minutes later Rob goes to get the broom}

Rob: (after looking at me for like 30 seconds..like I read minds) ahh a littel help?

Me: ahhh, open the cellar door it has been there for over a year!!!

Rob: well I don't know if it made its way into the other room.

Me: What???

{Rob starts sweeping and hits my foot with the boom}

Me: You did that intentionally!

Rob: you always think I am out to get you.

Me: Cause you are!

Rob: You are crazy!

Me: I'm depressed

Rob: Ha HA, you might be delusional but definantly not depressed!

Does Anyone Really Enjoy Yogurt?

Eating a French Vanilla Yogurt this morning, that is what I was wondering? I mean, the flavor of some of them is pretty good, but the texture???

Do we buy them for variety?

Do we buy them for convenience and a quick meal?

Or do we feel healthy, somehow when we eat them?

I am pretty sure I only buy them to switch it up in the morning. I do not particularly like most breakfast food and I don't drink milk. SO cereal is rare for me, cereal bars are too sweet to eat often and I get bored with toast. I feel like a fat ass for one reason or another when I eat a bagel, I don't like the after taste of eggs, and not a huge fan of waffles and pancakes.

Back to the yogurt. Do you like it? Really? What about oatmeal? that makes me gagg!!! It's like gritty baby food that gets stuck all over your mouth trying to just get it down..

So my real question I guess is why the hell did Sonia write a book of recipes for it? Honestly?

Going to dinner with young kids!

We went out last night for my mother-in-law's birthday.

Watch out China Blossom!! Here we are; 6 adults, 2 toddlers and a baby.
Watch out me; Where did I have to sit: Across from toddler, beside another toddler and on the other side the baby.

So ok two of those are mine. I made them. I guess I need to deal with them at dinner.

Here is what it looked like. Everyone went to the buffet to get there plates.
I stayed to watch 1 baby and 1 toddler. I am feeding the baby on my left and picking up crayons, mini trucks and cars and randomly a hippo off the ground to my right.

When I got my food it was worse. Crayon and noddles flying on my right, spoons, glasses, place mats, rattles and my plate all being shifted and tossed on my left. GOD....why does anyone try to go out and eat with babies? That is what I was thinking the entire time.

I turn to my left and try to feed the baby his bottle who is taking a sip and swatting the bottle away and when I look back toward the right....There is MY insane toddler spooning fried rice onto his sippy cup (and how the heck did he get the car back?..The one that is driving through the plate of sweet sauce and chicken fingers!!!!) In a matter of seconds he had turned his dinner plate into a mountain high mess of milk, rice and other slop all the while driving around in it blissfully.

The horrified waitress luckily had a sense of humor and was friendly with the boys.

It got worse with ice cream but I am stressed out just thinking about it now :)

I used to be funny!

While driving home from Maine the other day with my family I turned to my husband and said "I used to be funny, then I had kids." It is sooo true. My mind once was always full of funny ways to say things or a great come back one or two liner. Now I have NOTHING. Often I can barely complete a thought never mind find something funny to say.

Can labor steal your funny? I think I was still funny while pregnant. I know it may have been mostly out of boredom and anger and depression (because I was fat and bored)but I still had funny things to say.

That is all I got.

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Learning How to Give and Take.

So after 3+ years of marriage I am trying to learn how to give and take. After a family party yesterday we had to rush home so Rob could get to his buddy's bachelor party. I got the kids sorted out and unpacked from our day trip while he got ready to go to drink, play games and go off to a strip club. I asked him to sleep on the couch if he was super drunk.

Here is the first give and take:
I stayed up way too late sewing but that is another story. Rob got home at 2:00 AM. I heard him hit up the fridge and I fell asleep. He slept on the couch like a good boy. No trying to cop-a-feel. Because he had respected what I asked him to do I kept the baby at bay in the bedroom till 7:00 rather then let him get up at 6:00.

After getting the baby up to get him a bottle Rob got off the couch, got some Advil and went into the bedroom. I had both boys and tried to keep them as quiet as possible till 11:00 when I finally had enough. Rob rolls out of bed then.

Here is the second give and take:
Since I had let him sleep in till 11:00 and work off his hang over, keeping the kids out of his way and the house quiet, I asked him to do the food shopping. I did say "You owe me". And guess what, HE DID IT!

SCORE~~for me. It is not that I hate food shopping but I really hate one store that we shop at because it is old and small and crowded and hard to navigate with or without kids.I would so much prefer to go to Shaws or Stop and Shop because they are larger and way less crowded. But the other place is soo soo soo much cheaper. We are budgeting.

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Logan is 24 months old!

Ok, I know I can count in years now.

I was not sad at 1 but 2 is totally and completely different. he is no longer that adorable tiny little baby or toddler. He has morphed into this tantrum throwing, handsome, limit testing, smarty pants! He is a boy!!! He loves the work "no" and says it loudly. His gibberish is quickly turning to sentences. While standing and moving he only seems to fall now when he is spinning in circles endlessly. He makes choices. He demands what he wants to eat and when! He sneaks out of time outs. He hits and then gives hugs. He knocks over the baby and then asks to play. He knows how to use the telephone and clicker. He wants to help with everything. His dinner is a funny game to him! He sings real songs and fake ones. He mimics books and shows with his toys. he loves playing with other toddlers and is fairly good with sharing.

Today we celebrated his 2nd birthday! Rob took the day off and we went to the Aquarium. It was great to watch him discover all the sea life! he had a blast. He saw penguins, sharks, turtles and fishies. he even got to touch a star fish. There was much more but those were his favorites. He ate french fries for lunch and had an ice cream cake after dinner. Now his big party is this Saturday. i will share pictures after the weekend.

I sure will miss that wobbly little new toddler.

Scary foods with babies (including toddlers)

I might be slightly neurotic but I am nervous of a bunch of food with my kids. I even get nervous when other people feed their own kids this list of foods. I almost end up holding my breath waiting for something bad to happen when I see any of these food not diced up or in tiny tiny pieces and fed to babies and toddlers. Here in an article I just found which proves my point!!! Here is my list. I am aware I may need help lol but add to my list if I mess anything you know of.

Hot dogs ~ need to be sliced the long way and cut up because they are around the exact size of a baby/ toddlers airway.

Grapes ~ need to be sliced the long way and cut up because they are around the exact size of a baby/ toddlers airway.

Apples ~ bite sizes are solid and can easily lodge in throats.

Oranges ~ They may not chew the piece apart enough and the the stringy pulp does not let loose while one part stays in the mouth and the rest is trapped only part way down the pipe.

Steak ~ tough to chew and often not chewed enough while swallowing and talking/ laughing at meals.

Round Cheese sticks ~ need to be sliced the long way and cut up because they are around the exact size of a baby/ toddlers airway.

Cheese chunks (sold in squares) They are too large for little mouths and when chewed a little stay as a lump, which can also get caught.

Carrots ~ need to be sliced the long way and cut up because they are around the exact size of a baby/ toddlers airway.

Ice of all types ~ for obvious reasons and it does not melt fast enough to prevent choking.

Tortilla chips and nacho chips like Doritos ~ they can chew them well enough and not only choking they can stab tops of mouths and gums!!

Popcorn ~ not sure why yet but dogs should not have it either. I have to go read why.

Another tidbit I found on consumer reports


POTENTIAL HAZARDS

Here are some foods to watch out for:

Rounded, small, or slippery foods. They can slip right down the throat and lodge at a narrowed spot. Such foods include baby carrots, grapes, and raisins.

Firm, but pliable, foods. Items like hot dogs, sausages, and frozen banana pieces can conform to the shape of the throat and lodge there.

Light, dry foods. Snacks such as popcorn, tortilla chips, potato chips, and pretzels can get stuck in the throat, as can hard produce (including those with tough or dry skins), such as raw apples and carrots.

Chewy, sticky foods. These might not be manageable for very young children. They include caramels, gum, gummy bears, fruit "leather" (such as Roll-Ups), dollops of peanut butter, and cheese slices or cubes.

Stringy foods, like celery or spaghetti, may also be hard for little ones to manage.

If a food is tough to chew, like steak or bagels, children might try to swallow pieces whole--an obvious hazard. Steak, chicken, or other meats with bones are also hazardous.

Some medications, including those for teething pain, can numb the mouth and throat muscles, so talk to your child's pediatrician about the safest way to feed your child.


TIPS FOR PARENTS

These easy steps can help prevent choking:

* Don't put cereal in a baby's bottle.
* Place children upright in a comfortable high chair or booster seat with a table surface that provides support.
* Keep portions small. Give your child more if he or she wants it. For spoon-fed babies, wait until the mouth is clear before giving the child more food.
* For children ages 4 or younger, make sure solid food is cut into pieces smaller than half an inch. Round foods like hot dogs and grapes should be cut in half.
* Cook foods such as pasta, rice, beans, and hard vegetables until soft.
* Avoid feeding small foods like nuts to young children. They have few (if any) molars to grind them, and could choke if they unexpectedly laugh or take a deep breath and inhale them.
* Watch for "chipmunking"--when a child fills his cheeks with food and doesn't swallow it.
* Keep older children from handing easy-to-choke-on foods or small objects to younger children.
* Limit distractions during meal time, such as TV, pets, and game-playing, so children can focus on their food.
* Never leave a child alone while eating.
* Don't feed a child in a car or bus. It will be hard for a driver to pull to the side of the road fast enough to help a choking child.'
You can find the rest of the article here

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