Category: Parenting

Categories
Cole Mothering Parenting Ryan

Pee and Stomach Bump

Have you ever been around a male- it doesn’t matter who- your husband, your brother, your dad, your friend, as they spend their down time watching something that seems so silly-that you just don’t get, like The Three Stooges?  As they sit there laughing uncontrollably,  with beer running down their face, (or drool)  do you look at this male, and wonder 1. why is this so funny,  and 2. when did this start? 

Being the mother of two boys, I have the answers to these questions.  If you are a mother of more than one boy, thanks for checking in today, but you can skip this post, because you know.  If you only have one boy, or have girls, keep reading- this post is for you.

Boys- they feed off of each other.  When there was only one boy, and he yelled out “pee” there wasn’t anyone else around to echo “pee.”  I don’t think Ryan even ever uttered the word “pee” outside of restroom before Cole was born.  If he did, he certainly wasn’t laughing about it.   When another boy is added to the mix, (like Cole), he yells, “pee,” then Ryan bursts into hysterics, and also shouts out “pee.”  It is a verbal tennis match between the two:

Cole: Pee

Ryan: Pee

Cole (louder): PEE!

Ryan (even louder): PEE!

(Pause, but not long enough for Mom’s ears to stop ringing)

Ryan (laughing):  We said pee pee.

Cole (louder): PEE PEE

Ryan (even louder): PEE PEE!!!!

Cole (pulling down his pants and his diaper, and yelling ever LOUDER):  PEE PEE!!!!!!!

Ryan (about to go pee pee in his pants because he is laughing so hard): You have a pee face.

Cole: You have a PEE face.

Ryan: You have a super PEE face.

Cole: You are pee pee head.

Ryan: (shrieking and laughing) Pee pee head! 

And it goes on and on. Just like Curly, Larry, and Moe poke, hit, and make dumb noises over and over.  You can’t fight it- it just is.  I don’t understand what is so funny about pee and pee pee, but evidently it is hilarious to boys- just like the Three Stooges are to men.  I don’t know why, but I understand that nothing I can do or don’t do will change this.  It is just a part of the boys growing up, and finding certain things funny. 

Ryan and Cole also have a new game.  They call it Stomach Bump.  I am sure grown men do this same game drunk, in -20 degree weather when their football team scores a touchdown.  Stomach Bump is played by both boys lifting or taking off their shirts.  Then the stick out their stomachs as far as they can- showing their milk guts.  Then they step back from each other, like they are getting ready to dual. They run as fast as they can into each other, bumping their stomachs together (hence the clever name of their game). 

I expect tears everytime they do this, but even though they are both knocked down, they laugh, and laugh, and laugh, and get up to go do it again.  The other night, they tried to add a twist- Bath Time Stomach Bump.  Ryan stood up in the tub on one end, and Cole on the other end.  The milk guts started coming out, and mom stopped that game, before it began.  That is why parents are advised to stay in the bathroom when the kids are in the tub.  Because boys just come up with these creative games.  

I have yet to see two girls playing Stomach Bump, or the other varieties the boys have come up with like Butt Bump, Elbow Bump, and Head Crash.  (you don’t even want to know.)  But as their mom, even though I don’t get it.  They do.  They are having a blast.  They are doing something that they both find outrageously funny.  They are playing with each other and bonding over Super Butt Bump.  Most importantly, they are becoming friends. 

I suspect one day Ryan and Cole will grow up and they will like The Three Stooges- probably love The Three Stooges, and have beer running down their faces as they watch.  Their girlfriends or wives will shake their heads, and wonder what could possibly be so funny, and won’t understand it.   But after wtaching my boys at this age,  I know exactly why they do- it will go back all the way to now- to pee and Stomach Bump.

Categories
Cole Household Mothering Parenting Ryan Shopping

To Complain, or not to Complain- That is the Question

I love Target.  I love shopping there, and could spend hours wandering down every aisle.  I usually have the boys with me though, and they are good for about half an hour, and then they are just done.  So I have shopping at Target down to a science. I know how much time I can spend lingering around, and how much time I need to actually shop.

Today after I picked up Ryan from school, we went to Target.  We had some more errands to run, so this was going to be a short trip.  Right on cue, about 20 minutes later, we were done, and the boys were getting restless.  There had to be 50 people waiting in the check-out lines and there were three lanes open. 

I used to work in  a grocery store.  I understand sometimes you just don’t have enough people to open more registers, and crowds come at odd times.  So I got into the ‘shortest’ of the longest lines, lane number 18, and waited.  And waited, and waited.  Fortunately we had the super deluxe cart, so the boys were having fun climbing on and off of it.  Fifteen minutes later,  when there was only two people ahead of me, I hear the cashier calling- “Ma’am, Ma’am,” and waving at me.

I don’t think of myself as a “ma’am,” so it took me a second to realize she was almost yelling at me.  I made eye contact with her and she informed me that she was closed.  She pointed to her light and it was off. 

I politely told her that I had gotten in her line before she turned the light off, and she informed me, rather loudly  (okay she yelled) and very rudely, “No you weren’t.”  Now I felt like she was implying that I have nothing better to do than to sneak into closed check-out lanes at Target, waste time standing there, and then lie about it- just for kicks.

I was contemplating my next move, when the mom in front of me, also with two boys, using their cart as a jungle gym, looked at the cashier and said nicely, but firmly, “Actually, she was.  I saw her get in line, and your light was most definitely on.” 

I told the mom, “Thank you, for confirming that for me,” and the cashier then said, “Oh, well- okay then, I guess you can stay in line.

She guesses I can stay in her line for the privilege of spending money at Target?   I so wanted to say something to her, but Ryan and Cole’s eyes were wide as saucers watching me.  Even though I had been ‘allowed’ to stay in the cashier’s line, there was no way I was going to- I was too mad.

So with my boys watching, I smiled again at the mom ahead of me, and nodded at her.  The cashier was still watching me, and I noticed they had opened another lane way down at the opposite end of the store (this was Super Target), so I told the cashier, “Actually, I am going to go to the line at the other end of the store- it seems to be moving faster.” 

I walked as fast as I could- I was so mad!  There was only one person in front of me, and he had one item.  When the new cashier asked me how  I was, I was honest. I told him I was upset, because I had just waited fifteen minutes in line, and then was told the line was closed, even though the light had been on.  I told him the cashier was very rude.  He apologized many times and told me he was actually her supervisor- he said customers should not be treated like that. 

I don’t complain at stores.  If I can’t find something, or they are out of stock, when they ask me if I found everything OK, I say yes.  I hope the cashier won’t get in trouble, but I felt like this was horrible customer service, and they needed to know customers were being treated like this.  I’m glad I spoke up this time.   

What about you?  Do you complain at stores when you receive bad customer service, or do you just let it go?

Categories
Activities Cole Family & Friends Health Household Mothering Parenting Ryan

Why I Haven’t Been Blogging

Yes, I am still alive!  I think this is the longest I have gone with out updating my blog- an entire week. 

I have good reason though:

  • My sister, Vanessa, was in town for a visit, and we spent a lot of time together
  • I have been working another half-day at work
  • I have been trying to learn all the features on my NEW  red Blackberry Pearl 8110 cell phone ( I love it. I can’t believe I waited so long to upgrade)
  • I’m working on my New Year’s goal of  trying to keep the house organized and clutter free- it takes time, believe it or not
  • I’ve been reading more (actual books– not blogs)
  • I’ve been spending more time with my family

We did a few fun things while Vanessa was in town. We had a sister-night-out, a night at my dad’s, where he made his delicious Mexican food, and on Monday night, we took the boys to Casa Bonita.  They had so much fun, and I have pictures, but I’m too tired tonight to upload them.  I will write more about the boys’ and their cousin Maelin’s first visit to Casa Bonita soon. 

I also received some good news from my doctor.  She said my blood work came back fine and normal.  She said I could wait 4-6 weeks and have my thyroid checked again.  She said if it was still enlarged, then it would be very important to have the ultrasound.  So hopefully in the next few weeks, it will return back to normal.  I was happy to hear that.

I am learning to appreciate the good things that happen every day.  Some days it can take longer to find something good, but it is always there.  🙂

Stay tuned for the Casa Bonita recap- coming soon.  🙂

Categories
Current Events Health Household Parenting

End of Second-Hand Children’s Clothing & Toys?

126601_4498

UPDATE- JANUARY 9, 2009

On January 8th, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety clarified this law in a press release, and stated: “Sellers of used children’s products, such as thrift stores and consignment stores, are not required to certify that those products meet the new lead limits, phthalates standard or new toy standards.”

While this is good news for the second-hand shops, I still hope they clarify the position for home-made toys.  Thanks to Deb and AK who commented on this post and left the link to the revised information.  I would like to point out that I wrote this post on January 6, two days before the clarification was released.

     *****************************************************************

I buy most of Ryan and Cole’s clothes second-hand.  In the town I live in, there are a few really nice second-hand stores, as well as a semi-annual kids consignment clothing sale from Just Between Friends.  Most of my friends buy their children’s clothes second-hand as well. 

It makes great financial sense for several reasons.  When you factor in how much new clothes cost, and the fact that kids grow out of these clothes so fast, it doesn’t seem like you really get your money out of the clothes. If you are the parent of a boy, you know how fast they can wear holes through their pants. I remember buying Ryan a new pair of fleece pants last winter.  I think I paid $20 for them, and he had a hole in them the second time he wore them. 

I can usually go to the Just Between Friends Sale twice a year, and buy all the clothes the boys need, including pajamas, shoes, coats, and even find high quality toys too.  I spend less than if  I bought them just a few outfits brand new from some of the popular kids stores. However, it could be come illegal on February 10th, for second-hand children’s clothing and toys to be sold. 

A new federal law will go into effect on this date, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. It requires all products sold for children, including clothing, to be tested and certified as lead-free.  In theory this sounds like a great law- after all, we don’t want our kids exposed to lead, but in reality it is not practical for second-hand clothing and toys to be tested.     

Many business owners who sell second-hand children’s clothes, and charitable organizations such as The Salvation Army, are anticipating having to throw thousands and thousands of clothing items away.  Some businesses will have to close.  Parents who rely on stores to provide affordable clothing, would have to cut money elsewhere from their budgets.  None of the second-hand items will have the lead free certification, so selling them will be illegal. 

Handmade and second-hand toys, will also become illegal to sell, unless the creators can pay up to $4,000 per item to have each toy tested.  Obviously small business owners can not afford to pay this for every second-hand item they carry. 

I am all for making sure our children’s clothing and toys are lead free.  But this law seems to go too far for second-hand items, and has the potential to harm families, business owners, and the economy overall. I don’t want to see the wonderful second-hand stores in my town close.  They provide a very valuable service to the families in my community. 

Many shop owners are contacting their Congress representatives hoping to have the law amended to allow the sale of certain types of clothing and toys. I hope an amendment passes, otherwise, saving money on children’s clothes and toys, will be a thing of the past.

You can contact your Congress representatives to voice your opinion, and you can check out the Homemade Toy Alliance  for more information and petitions you can sign. 

I would love to hear your opinions on this issue.  Are you worried about lead in children’s second-hand clothing and toys, or do you think this law goes to far in banning these items?

Categories
Mothering Parenting Ryan

Happy Birthday Ryan

Dear Ryan,

I never thought this day would come- after all, weren’t you just born?  Didn’t your head just fit into the palm of my hand?  Couldn’t I just hold your entire body in the crook of my arm? Wasn’t I just holding my brand new baby, thinking you would always be this little? 

Five years could not have passed this quickly, but it has, and here we are today and you are five.  My life changed for the better the moment I found out I was pregnant with you. A moment before, it was just me- a moment after, I was somebody’s mother- your mother.  I realized from that moment on, it would never be just me again, and I would always have you.

As you have grown and changed from a newborn, to an infant, to a baby, to a toddler, to a preschooler, and now a little boy, I have always loved each stage you have been.  I always wish you would never outgrow the age you are in, but I know that isn’t possible, and then I find myself loving the new stage you are in.  As you grow older, I am finding out more and more about you- your personality, your likes, your dislikes, and it is a wonderful journey everyday.

You are such a good helper.  You love helping me get dinner ready, and you love helping Dad with any project he is working on.  You like to take our orders for dinner at grandma’s house.  Even though you don’t like to, you always put your toys away when I ask, and I can tell you are learning  responsibility.

You love dessert. Ice cream is your favorite right now- chocolate to be exact.  You are your mommy’s son.  🙂 

You love making waffles with Dad on Saturday’s, and you enjoy cooking with me and your grandmas’. 

Your favorite thing in life right now is your toys- your Mack cement truck Santa brought you for Christmas.  You love playing trucks, trains, cars, Lincoln Logs, and construction. 

You enjoy your preschool so much, with your friends and your teachers. 

Perhaps the most rewarding aspect, is how you love Cole.  You realize now that he is smaller than you, and is just trying to keep up with you.  You are so nice to him, even when he grabs your toys out of your hand and you always ask him so nice to give them back to you.  You like showing him things that you have discovered and he just glows when his big brother pays attention to him.  You two really are the best of friends.

Five years ago when you born, I had a new baby.  I had no idea how to be a mother. I only knew the second I saw you, I was in love.  But you taught me over the years what you needed.  When you were a baby, your cries told me.  When you were a toddler, your screams of frustration told me, and now as you turn five, you can talk and communicate to me what you need.  We have learned a lot from each other these last five years Ryan, and I love you so very, very, much. 

When you were born, I couldn’t have imagined I would love you more today, but I do- I love you more every day.  I am so grateful I am your mother, and I am so grateful to have you as my son.  As the next five years pass, (I hope they don’t pass as quickly, but I have a feeling they will) I can’t wait to find out even more about you.  I hope you know how much joy and love you have brought to our family and my goal for you (and for Cole) is to make sure you always know how much we love you, and to make sure you feel loved, happy, and secure- always.

I love you, sweetie from the bottom of my heart.  Happy Fifth Birthday.

Mommy

Here are some pictures from your birthday party on Sunday at the Children’s Museum in Denver.

014

017

024

pict80

026

028

030

031

035

038