High Maintenance Mom - Venting

Looks like someone is going to get a spanking when they get home

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 21:19:22 -0800

I was at Whole Foods on Monday with both boys trying to get a medium size list of food. It was a reasonable trip with only a few trying moments such as N operating the automatic peanut grinder and both kids blocking the aisles. Another shopper, who was male, told me I was a great mom so I was trying even harder to be that person I want to be. Of course, the euphoria started to decline as the experience continued and by the time we got into the checkout line, we were all ready to go. N asked if he could stand up in the kid's cart he was pushing and I said no. A minute later I looked over, noticed he was standing up, and said in a nonconfrontational way, "N, it's not safe to stand in the cart. You asked if you could and I said no." I was amazed he asked in the first place but since he did, I thought I was handling things pretty well and he was getting out of the cart. It was at this point that the checkout clerk said, "looks like someone is going to get a spanking when they get home..."

Veggie Booty Recall

Fri, 29 Jun 2007 09:39:00 -0700

The recent recall of Veggie Booty an all natural, vegetarian snack made of puffed rice and corn (this one with spinach and kale) made me furious. Yes, furious! I am pregnant and have a 20 month old and do everything I can to eat right for my unborn child and buy foods that are good and fun for my toddler and my husband. So, I go out and buy organic this, all natural that and sleep a little better at night.

Schedule-not a four letter word

Mon, 23 Apr 2007 17:19:18 -0700

Ever since I found out I was having a baby a while back, it seems that the schedule debate has been looming as if it was a nasty four letter word. It was very clear to me that having a schedule for my new family would be a blessing and something that I would hold to come hell or high water. Let me make myself very clear, however. I do not believe that newborns should be on any schedule except for their own! I am talking about babies old enough to self soothe and those who understand the rhythm of the day. I found an interesting question and answer series on www.aplaceofourown.org in the Topics, Child Care Management, Schedules and Routines.

I lost my voice...

Wed, 07 Dec 2005 21:39:36 -0800

After our long weekend of activities B was up all night and on Monday we found that he had another raging ear infection right around the time I realized I had a sinus infection. Thinking I could get better on my own, I didn't start antibiotics until Friday when my voice disappeared (B started antibiotics right away as he's had chronic ear infections). I thought it was funny and didn't realize that it might not come back for a while. By Sunday, I admitted that I had laryngitis when no sounds came out. This week is our big international geophysical conference (AGU) and I love talking to everyone. Of course, talking or whispering only makes it worse so I have had to write in a notebook. Writing in a notebook is fine for adults, but almost useless for our 3.5 and 1.5 year olds...

Transitioning back home after being away

Sun, 20 Nov 2005 22:42:45 -0800

I was in Alaska last week and returned to a sick husband. There really are times when I wonder how everyone else, who isn't happily medicated or with full-time live-in help, does it. As I write this, I can hear B asking if his nap, which he hasn't taken even though he threw a huge fit while we were trying to leave a playdate, is over. No, it's still not over. My biggest worry is that he'll wake his brother and then I won't even be able to fall back on a video since Baby Entropy is much more interested in destruction than he is in being sedated by the television...

Introducing Baby Entropy or "Hey I just put those away"

Tue, 11 Oct 2005 22:53:14 -0700

Little Grab is now deep in the middle of the dumping phase. Anything than can possibly be dumped, must be dumped thus causing him to earn the new nickname, Baby Entropy (Entropy can be defined as a measure of the disorder of a system and the Second law of thermodynamics basically states that "there is always an increase in disorder")...

Please eat...

Wed, 05 Oct 2005 22:02:52 -0700

Little Grab isn't eating very much anymore. He's still running around and climbing on things but he's not sitting still long enough to eat. A few months ago he had an allergic reaction (mainly hives) to a sulfa drug and ate poorly for over a month. During that time he lost a lot of weight and went from about the 10th weight percentile to below the 0 mark. He looked thin and sick but continued to run around. It was scary and we were very excited when he started eating again and made it back to the 10th weight percentile...

Zen and the art of registering children in activites

Thu, 29 Sep 2005 12:54:13 -0700

I couldn't sleep last night knowing that I had so many things to do today. Tomorrow begins four inservice days for our preschool and I had several projects at work to finish beforehand. Today was also the day to register for gymnastics for out-of-town families. It's not enough that we have to pay more money but we also have to get to registration before 8 AM in order to get a spot in our second or third choice class...

Mommy, what would happen if...

Thu, 29 Sep 2005 13:21:54 -0700

I was tired yesterday and that made answering some of the same questions over and over even more difficult. "Mommy, what would the small airport people say if a big plane tried to land at their small airport?" We've been discussing plane and airport size for about a week and I blame The Pocket Physicist for starting it by pointing out a small airport on one of his drives...

Conversations I don't want to have with my kids

Thu, 28 Jul 2005 22:03:49 -0700

I consider myself an open person. I'm outgoing and generally happy to talk about almost anything with people I've just met. There are, however, many conversations I don't want to have with my children. I'm sure that some of them are unavoidable, but I am trying hard to delay them. The one I have recently had to work to avoid has been menstruation. I'm pretty sure that I didn't learn about it when I was three...

You know he should be wearing a hat

Mon, 18 Jul 2005 23:20:06 -0700

After not wanting to stay up for the Harry Potter party at our local Barnes and Noble, I decided to turn the purchase into my exercise for the day and walk downtown. Little Grab and I rushed out of the house with only a sippy cup, wallet, and phone. It was a cold and cloudy Saturday morning on the Peninsula and I was in a great mood. That is until the clouds cleared and I was confronted by another walker who wanted to let me know that Little Grab should be wearing a hat...

The lure of the great outdoors

Mon, 11 Jul 2005 23:41:23 -0700

B is fascinated by his ability to open the front or back door and venture out on his own. He's also started to notice some of the older boys in the neighborhood riding their bikes without their parents. My explanations of why he's too young to be outside by himself do not appear to be having an effect and our second seems to have a sixth sense for determining when a door may open so he can also go out...

Writing notes

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 21:13:49 -0800

B came into the living covered in ink earlier today. He said he had been writing notes -- on his hands, arms, legs, cheek, and bottom of feet. He was very excited and had used every marker color he owned. Last October, B wrote a note on his pillow using several "washable" markers. When asked about it, he told me it said, "Dear Mole, Meet us tomorrow at the maple tree, Fox, Skunk, and Racoon." The Pocket Physicist refused to take him to the computer store for another visit. I often wonder if there is a secret handshake to get in...

12 May 05 - Rushed in for a meeting that never happened

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 21:12:37 -0800

My husband stayed home with Mr. "Atypical Chickenpox" Mon - Wed so I was home this morning with Mr. "Is that Pink Eye Again". No goo in the eyes when he woke up this morning and no goo when he woke from his first nap so I rushed into the office. I dropped him off at daycare noting the antibiotics and lack of goo in the eyes.

I then spent then next five hours in front of my computer working. I had already moved my much needed morning exercise with a friend to later in the day so my plan was to work until the meeting and then exercise. At 3 PM I rechecked the email about the meeting. I had wanted to send email in the morning setting 4 PM as the last time I could meet but I decided against it. At 4 PM I revised the email I should have sent in my mind.

It really is my turn to use the bathroom

Mon, 01 Aug 2005 22:20:30 -0700

Sometime between having a life of my own and having two children, I've compromised on taking time to use the bathroom. At 5:53 the other day I realized that I had been working for several hours without a break and had seven minutes to pack up my stuff (2 min), use the bathroom (3 min), and pick up two kids (8 - 15 min) before the center closes. I run to the daycare center (yes, I'm lucky to work a few buildings away) once again making the mistake of thinking I can use the bathroom there. I'm spotted on my way in and somehow one child escapes from his room in a full sprint towards me...