Filter Free Speech

To set the scene: I got up early because I wanted to clean the office, which is virtually impossible during the day.  As I was sorting through papers Logan walks in just after waking up.

Logan: "Mama, what you doing?"

Mama: "Cleaning up.  Want to help?"

Logan: "No. Logan has pee and farts."

Two year olds have got to be the most hilarious beings on this planet! I am sometimes shocked at how polite my kid is (give me one minute please and excuse me), but the switch can turn to hostile shouting in an instant (you go away or stop talking to me)! The first time he says a specific statement is particularly comical.  Then when he uses the words in a context that doesn't make sense, that too is pretty funny.  I don't know where he comes up with half the stuff he says, but I have decided that I need to start writing it down because it makes me smile! Logan is communicating really well these days, but sometimes you can tell that his mind is working faster than the processing to his mouth and he gets frustrated if you try to finish his sentence or if you interrupt him.  He firmly states, "Logan is trying to tell you something." He fluctuates between I and Logan.  We, the listener, must shut up and let him finish.

Yesterday we had a quick breakfast.  As Logan watched me pour his cheerios into his bowl we had this discussion.

Logan: "Hmmmm, What is this?"

Mama: "Its cheerios."

Logan: "Oh, I never had that before."

Mama: "Ummm, you eat cheerios almost every day."

Logan: "Oh yeah, silly Logan."

Mama: "Silly Logan"

Logan: "Silly Logan and Silly Mama and Silly Ethan and Silly Murphy and Silly Papa and Silly Grandma"

Mama: "Ok time to eat now"

Other cuteness that has come out of his tiny, perfect little mouth:

"I better check on______" [insert you, the truck, Ethan, Murphy, Papa, my sandbox, etc.]

"I'm keeping my eye on you"

"Give me patience" - I can relate to this one but I don't think it is what he is trying to communicate.

"But it's ok" - we get this a lot.  It comes after Logan has done something wrong, made a mess or if something simply didn't go the way we expected.

"He is so cute" said about both his brother and the dog.  

Mama: "I think Logan is cute"

Logan: "I love you too Mama"  

❤❤ ❤
We just have to be careful because, well, both Mama and Papa have potty mouths and kids repeat everything so.....

Double Fail

I got the kids up nice and early, got some nourishment in us and strapped them in for the ride to the park. I was not only excited to use the new jogging stroller but so proud that I actually got us out of the house before nine! We sat in the dreadful traffic as can be expected at that hour but before too long we were ready to embark on our journey. I packed the kids and all their stuff into the stroller, wheeled them over to the jogging path and just as I was about to lock the front wheel into position, noticed it was completely flat! How amazingly frustrating!

Later in the day I got a call from the kids' doctor. She was concerned because we had an appointment at 230 and never miss appointments. What!?! I had it on the calendar for tomorrow. Luckily our doctor is cool and not only did I not get charged, but she's coming in early one day in order to fit both kids in at the same time.

Oh we'll, tomorrow is another day.

I Bit The BOB Bullet

I had been contemplating whether to get a double stroller since I found out I was pregnant with baby #2.  First you go through the debate of whether or not you will need and use a double stroller.  If you decide the answer is yes, then you go through the different models to see what type of stroller would work best for you.  The first thing that most people consider is whether to get a stroller with tandem seats or side by side seating. There are benefits and drawbacks to both.  You have to consider what you will be using the stroller for.   Finally, you need to decide what your budget is.  The last thing you want to do is spend a bunch of money on something that you don't end up using.

How did I make my decision?

Although I appreciate the compact design of a tandem stroller, most that I found were not jogging strollers and the main purpose for me to get a double stroller would be so that I can exercise.  As you may recall, I purchased the Bumbleride Indie when I was pregnant the first time and much of my criteria for a stroller were the same this time around.  I needed a jogging stroller.  It had to have pneumatic tires and needed to receive good reviews.  I had already made up my mind that I wanted a BOB stroller but went through the process of looking at everything out there just the same.  Perhaps I would be surprised and find a decent alternative.  Why not another Bumbleride? Am I dissatisfied with my Indie? Absolutely not! I love it and still see a purpose for it in my life.  That said, the BOB Revolution Duallie was the right choice for me. I monitored buying options for months and when it went on sale at REI I went for it.  Paired with member benefits I feel I got a pretty good deal.  Here is, as my husband calls her, 'The Beast'!

Monday Fun Day ~ Volcanos and Water Fun

Making your own volcano is always fun! Here is an easy way to make one.  Take a small water bottle and fill it 3/4 of the way full of water.  Fill the bottle the rest of the way with vinegar.  For effect, you can add some food coloring.  My tot chose orange.  When you are ready for the volcano to erupt, dump a spoonful or so of baking soda in the bottle and watch it take off!

Tips:

• Do this outside or use some sort of tub to avoid a huge mess in your home! 
• Fill a second water bottle or have contents ready to make the volcano erupt again.  Toddlers will likely not be satisfied with one round! 

This activity was fun for us and we paired it with watching a few volcano videos.  I explained that the vinegar and baking soda produce carbon dioxide blah, blah, blah, but at this age he didn't care.  He simply liked the reaction that occurred and I liked his - "Whoa"!

After completing the volcano activity we used the same tub, filled it with water and placed different objects in the tub of water to see if they would sink or float.  This was great fun for my son and he played in the water for over an hour.  He would have played longer but he had managed to dump all the water by the time he was done pouring it from cup to cup and such!

How Different They Are

SUNSHINE AND THE WISE MAN

Isn't it so gratifying to watch your children grow and develop? All the hard work and energy you put into raising your babies come back to you two fold and then some. What has amazed me, well, so many things amaze me these days, but it is so interesting to see how different my two kids are.

The differences started at conception! My first pregnancy was simple - minor uncomfortableness towards the end as to be expected, but overall mellow. My second pregnancy was much more rough - morning sickness well into the second trimester, lots of excitement in my belly and more pain in the end.  I have two perfect children as a result and am happy to have carried them and be uncomfortable, and sick and all that! 

Once the second baby started to move out of his newborn stage it was clear that he was a completely different character from my first.  Logan couldn't have cared less about toys, while Ethan can't get enough!  I used to think rattles were silly because the baby might hold onto it but it only rattled when the baby dropped it.  Turns out I was the silly one because Ethan rattles the crap out of them! Its not just rattles.  There is a squeak toy that he just loves to squeeze and squeak over and over.  Why must they make a squeak toy for babies?! The dog toys are annoying enough! It makes the baby so happy though, that I wouldn't think of disrupting his fun! 

Not only are the toys loud. Ethan is the loudest baby I've heard.  Logan was so quiet and laid back.  I could take him anywhere and not worry about him disrupting anyone.  He was content most of the time.  Fast forward two years and he is so extremely loud.  His volumes are loud and louder.  He sings now, which comes out as screaming, he loves to yell "Surprise" over and over and make monster / lion / dinosaur noises all the time.  Its fine if we are at home playing.  Its not so great in the grocery store, at a restaurant, or in the car.  This, however, is why I feel Ethan is so loud.  He has to compete with his brother! He must think loud is the norm.

My toddler wakes with a grumpy dispostion.  He always has. We joke that we can't talk to him until he's had his morning hot chocolate!  He is fine after a few minutes but this is just who he is and always has been.  My baby wakes with a smile every morning without fail.  He is my morning sunshine! He is a happy baby.  I love it.  We need him in our family.  He brings us light and laughter!

Logan is very sensitive when it comes to pain and illness.  If you have been with me a while, you will recall that I had to slow down his vaccine schedule because of the reactions he was having.  We had a very difficult time with teething and tylenol became my saving grace during these trying times.  Ethan on the other hand, has had virtually no reaction to vaccines (I decided to try the center for disease control schedule with him) or teething.  I have not had to give him tylenol at all and he has almost seven teeth in that tiny mouth of his.  

It just amazes me that two children of mine can be so different.  Not one is better than the other, I have a thousand great things I can say about each, but they are so different.  I can't wait to see the boys they grow into!

Back On The Workout Wagon

I'm feeling that urge again.  No, not that one.  The urge to loose weight.  It was when my first was about 6 months old that I felt the need to get moving.  Now that my second is seven months it makes sense that the feeling has returned.

I have been talking about wanting to work out more for a couple months.  I have been listing off obstacles that stand in my way: I get no time to myself.  I can't go jogging because I don't have a double stroller or a treadmill.  I can't go to the gym because I don't have a babysitter.  Every time I try to complete a video my toddler jumps on my or my baby cries.  YaDaYaDaYaDA....

Enough with why I can't.  It's time to focus on how I can. I'm hopping back on the workout wagon!

• I can get up early and either go for a jog by myself or grab the baby (who wakes before the toddler) and stroll around the neighborhood before my husband leaves for work
• I can engage my toddler in some exercising (he enjoys this although he distracts easily)
• I can exercise after the kids go to bed

The post bedtime workout routine is going to be the main focus of my shape up challenge.  I don't care how long a day I've had, I don't care how tired and beat I am, I don't care if I have zero interest in completing any exercise.  It's happening. I have decided to complete the Jillian Michaels 30 day shred.  I know a few friends who are challenging themselves with this program so I decided to give it a try.  Before I purchased the dvd, I did some research online.  I read that the routine consisted of a 20 minute workout focused on strength, cardio and abs.  People said it wasn't easy, that there were no breaks and it went by fast.  This all sounded good to me so I clicked the purchase button.  I was on my way!

I expected to receive the video today (Friday) and committed to starting today. I went out to run and errand yesterday and the video was sitting on my doorstep.  It came early! Now what? Do I start early? Do I leave it until tomorrow? I decided to give it a test run last night. To motivate myself even more and to cross another excuse off the list, I went out to the shoe store and immediately bought myself some new sneaks.  I gave myself a budget of $50 to get whatever shoes felt good on my feet and succeeded at finding the perfect pair. Honestly, I would have spent more if necessary but it wasn't so.... Bonus! 

I did the workout last night without weights because they were in the garage and I didn't feel like digging through boxes to get them.  I found the workout to be effective but not so difficult that I wanted to quit.  It was the perfect length.  I got my weights today and opted for the 5 pound option instead of the 3 pound weights.  Tomorrow I will use the threes! I think its safe to say that I am going to be sore tomorrow.  The push ups were a little harder today and my legs are beginning to feel the after effects.  

As of right now, I don't plan on following the online program which probably has a diet plan to go along with the exercise etc.  I know that I need to make some food choice changes but have never been on a diet before and am not excited to start now.  Hopefully some minor adjustments will go a long way! Wish me luck on my journey and I will update you periodically as to how it all is going!

Recent Gems

  ♥ ♡ ♥  I love my family ♥ ♡ ♥

A Trip To The Natural History Museum

If you think the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History is only for older children and adults think again. We visited the museum today and had the best time! My two year old has a great interest in dinosaurs so this seemed the perfect place to check out as they have the Dinosaur Hall. Wow, did this far surpass my expectations! There were many complete dinosaurs and tons of bones, eggs and fossils on display. In addition, there were multi-media stations which were just as appealing to my son as the displays. He especially enjoyed a touch screen puzzle where you drag the bones to the dinosaur body. Super fun for him!

We didn't stop at the dinosaurs though, we also visited the 'Age of Mammals' exhibit and the 'African Mammals' exhibit which were equally exciting for both my son and I. He kept going around the room saying "Oh wait, what about this one" and we would, again, go over what we were looking at.

We grabbed a bite to eat at Trimana grill on the bottom level of the museum. Perhaps it was because I was so famished, but the steak sandwich I got was the best I can remember having! In the words of Logan "Yummy, Yummy in my Tummy!" I enjoyed the ambiance - and understand that it could be completely different on another day, I liked the furniture choices (especially the highchair) and the staff were friendly and personable!

But wait, there's more! The other reason for choosing to visit this particular museum today was that they currently have the Butterfly Pavilion.
I have to admit, I got a little nervous when we first walked in and I saw my kid's foot headed for a butterfly (purposely). Then I realized that he was trying to make a shadow appear over the butterfly. You see, if a butterfly is on the ground and you place your shadow over the butterfly, it will begin to move and fly away! Once I explained how to have the shadow of his head cover the butterfly we were able to enjoy the visit with ease. A nice lady took us around and showed my son a caterpillar and the remains of a chrysalis.

There was more that we could have examined, but after about three hours of exploration, both of my sons had reached their limit and we left the museum with no tantrum (a rarity these days). We had such a great time and I cannot wait to return. The museum offers free admission on 13 Tuesdays throughout the year. Children 2 and under are free everyday! If you are looking for some simple fun for your toddler, definitely consider adding the Natural History Museum to the list!

Monday Fun Day ~ Bubbles Bubbles Everywhere

I have found that bubbles are fun for children of all ages.  When I was a child, we didn't (in my family at least) have all the fancy bubble blowing machines that are on the market today.  We simply used the bubble wand that came with the small bottle of bubbles and we were perfectly content.  I have made the decision to hold off on the elaborate bubble maker until my sons are a bit older - and may not ever purchase one.  That doesn't mean that we don't have fun with bubbles though! We have a great time! I blew bubbles for my toddler when he was a baby and he first enjoyed watching the bubbles, then delighted in popping the bubbles that he could catch!  He still likes to catch and pop bubbles. I really enjoyed watching as he learned to blow bubbles.  He first tried to blow bubbles by blowing air out of his nose! For a long time he put the wand directly on his mouth and once in a while a bubble would appear, which caused amazing giggles to emerge from his tiny body! As he has grown, his bubble blowing ability has too.

I recently splurged on a dollar bubble gun that I found at the department store.  My son was super excited when he saw it and I have to say it has been one of the best dollars ever spent!  It's a simple battery operated fan mechanism that blows the bubbles through two wands.  Perfect. This bubble toy keeps my son occupied for many minutes (an hour at times) which allows me to get the dishes done or vacuum (the blah work).  Oh yes, and as he blows the bubbles, guess who else is having a great time?  The baby.  Yep.  One dollar and bubbles to keep both kids occupied so I can get something accomplished! How great is that?!

That brings us to today's Monday Fun Day activity: Making your own bubbles.  There are many solutions online that I have not tried, but I can tell you what worked for us.

I took a milk jug and filled in about half way with water (1/2 gallon of water).  To that I added approx. 1/3 cup of dish soap.  Finally I added about 2 tbsp of glycerine.  We poured some in the bubble dish for the bubble gun and keep the milk jug close by! No more buying bubbles at the store!

We also made a game where we tested items to see what would work as a bubble wand.  For example, we poured some bubble solution in a baking sheet and dipped a slightly bent coat hanger in for big bubble fun.  Also, you know those kits that you used to decorate your easter eggs?  Well the egg dipping tool also works well as a bubble wand! It is such fun to experiment! Next we are going to try different size funnels to see if we dip the large end of the funnel in the solution and blow through the tube if it will create bubbles. We shall see!

Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder

"Mama, you are beautiful" ~ said by my toddler this morning

Made me smile. Made my day. Man I love that kid!

Monday Fun Day ~ For The Birds

My son loves using tools.  He jumps at the opportunity to help his papa complete a project and pretends to fix items around the house daily. Building a birdhouse seemed the perfect activity for him as he loves  both listening to and chasing birds!  It is so cute to hear him calling the birds - "birdie, come here little birdie!"

I picked up a birdhouse kit (there are many out there) while shopping.  We ended up with a Toysmith model and it worked marvelously for us.  I happened upon the kit at Homegoods, however I had also shopped for them on Amazon and found a sufficient selection.

To complete the project we had to first get ready, which for Logan means putting on his builder hat and grabbing his tools.  We are huge fans of green toys and the green toys tool set is yet another example of an exceptional toy for tots! Lowes has a build and grow series.  They sell sets for children (admittedly for children a bit older than mine but my darling husband can't seem to resist, and lets be honest, my toddler looks pretty darn cute in the builder duds)!

We carefully selected what my son could keep in his toys and what tools were only to be used under careful supervision (such as the hammer that we used for the birdhouse project).

Once we were ready to build we took everything out of the box and before I could even get the instructions open, my two year old was already correctly assembling the birdhouse.  The instructions were simple to follow and once we completed the assembly (a joint effort for safety reasons), Logan was able to paint it and pick out the perfect spot to hang it.

Building a birdhouse is not our first 'for the birds' activity.  One of the Logan's favorite books is P. D. Eastman's The Best Nest. After reading this book he began building bird nests out of found materials and placing them in his sand pails.  We also made our own bird feeders out of toilet paper rolls.

To do this we took a couple paper rolls, painted peanut butter around the tube and rolled the tube around in bird seed.  Simple eh?! We found a branch to hang it on and watched the birds come.  The dog really wanted to get the peanut butter down from the tree but couldn't quite figure out how.  Unfortunately the squirrel was smart enough to figure it out.  No surprise there. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted!

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Co-Sleeping The Second Time Around

When my first son wanted to sleep with mama and papa in our bed, I was conflicted about it.  I was constantly worried about his safety in the beginning.  I got used to it for the few months that it lasted and by the end I was over it.  Hey, I'm just being honest.  I know that there are many families out there who co-sleep from the beginning and sometimes the family bed is in effect for years. I have absolutely no problem with co-sleeping as a concept.  Personally however, I enjoy my sleep space. I like to stretch out so that I am taking up three quarters of the bed while my husband is on the far edge with just enough room to fit the width of his body.  Guilty as charged.  I see it as the trade off for the snoring that I put up with!

Fast forward to baby number two.  He is now seven months old and recently decided that he doesn't want to be put back in his crib in the middle of the night.  When he was a newborn I was so excited because I could actually put him in his crib awake and he would fall asleep. Amazing, considering that was never the case with my first.  Well, it didn't take long for him to recognize that it is more fun to be held than left in bed.  Who can blame him really? I am able to get him in his crib when he first goes to bed at night.  I can even get him back in his crib when he sometimes wakes an hour later.   That third time he wakes however, he has no interest in getting back in that thing.  For a week or so, I repeatedly took him out and put him in until he finally went to sleep.  As a result, my toddler (who shares a room with the baby) would stir, and I was getting no sleep.  I finally decided to place the baby in my bed and wouldn't you know, he was out like a light without even being nursed.  Silly baby.

I have now come to the conclusion that this is a phase that my kids go through. They must, for some reason, need to be close to mama and papa for a time.  Yes, I could continue to put the baby back in his crib.  Yes, I could implement sleep training at this stage, which would result in some amount of crying and no doubt a very angry, crying toddler who is more difficult to console than the baby.  A couple hours would pass and we would probably eventually get to sleep - until the next night.  I am taking the easy road. The first time the baby wakes after I go to bed, I have been bringing him back to bed with me.  Then, I sleep! and guess what?  I am enjoying having my little one in bed with me.  I am cherishing this time that I know will eventually pass and I will no longer have.  I know that in a few months I will have to train him to sleep in his crib, but for now I am simply enjoying the ride.

Mama's Simple Pleasures

Short and Sweet:  Here are a few things that make me smile.

• First thing in the morning when my baby gives me a huge grin and laughs as soon as I look at him
• When my toddler roars like a lion 
• When my baby laughs in his sleep
• When my toddler gets excited and says "Logan did it!" as proud as can be
• When my dog snuggles with me under the covers and rests his head on my pillow
• Hearing I love you from my toddler
• Watching my toddler console my my baby and hearing him say "You ok Ethan. Logan right here"

Proud Mama I am.  Sometimes life is hard.  Some days I get very little sleep.  Some days I want to pull my hair out.  Some days I want to cry..... but I wouldn't have it any other way.  I love being a stay at home mom and I truly cherish the little moments that make it all worth while!