Stop the Presses -- a 17lb baby???

What the *%&$#?

We'll get to the fact that this was her 12th baby some other time

How about a caption contest? Anybody got a good one for this photo?

"Please don't eat me", perhaps?

Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner

When I was in high school (oops, did I just give away my advanced age) Aunt P and I rented Dirty Dancing. She'd seen it in the theatres, I hadn't -- and it was a cute, girlie high school movie..... but I remember thinking how absurd the name "Baby" was..... how could anybody go through life with the nick-name "Baby" (said with an excessive amount of disdain)

Well, flash forward a few years and here a I am -- the mother of two small children -- a toddler, 2 year old 'lil Dubya and a beginning-to-toddle 10 month old 'lil Dubyette.

When we brought 'lil Dubyette home from the hospital, the 'lil Dubya was a mere 17 months old. He was great with basic words, but the 'lil Dubyette's name proved to be a tongue-twister for the little guy, so he referred to her as "Bay-bee". We all thought this was cute and as you do with new babies, we often referred to her as "the baby" as well. Time went on and we somewhat unconsciously adopted his moniker and we too began referring to her simply as "Baby".......

Well, now the 'lil man is much better with enunciation and can say her name well and fine -- yet, she's still his "Bay-bee". We try to encourage him to use her real name..... but to no avail, she's still "Bay-bee" to him. I wonder if she always will be?

This is one of the funniest thing I've ever seen

In the interst of full disclosure, this is totally stolen from Dadcentric

I just couldn't help myself --the only thing funnier than the caption is his

sincere expression as he delivers this hard-hitting news --

This will keep me laughing for days!

Nice find CroutonBoy....

Is anybody else really annoyed

Is anybody else really annoyed by this recent slew of Hollywood DUI's?

I mean seriously -- these are people who can afford a taxi, or a driver, or a fleet of limos -- what the f*ck is wrong with them?

Just the book review made me feel better

I just read this review written by a blogger whose site I've really come to enjoy.....

I may have to go out and get this book..... just the review made me feel better about the struggles I had early on..... and everyday.

And the next contestant on "Can it Swim?" is....

Yes, I found mine in the toilet......

I haven't spoken to my husband in the past few hours, so if you happen to run into him somewhere in the blogsphere..... let him know that I may not wait 'til noon to start drinking -- it's 80 degrees and the concept of a humming blender is music to my ears right about now.

My ipod, well..... it wasn't charged up anyway, so it'll be a while before I know if it works..... I'll keep you posted, but feel free to cast your vote.

'nuf said

Go Sox!

Priorities

Isn't it funny.... if you had told me two years ago that I'd pass up the chance to see the Yankees play the RedSox at Fenway in September..... I'd have laughed out loud an told you to go back to your crack pipe. But that's exactly what I'm doing tonight.... I'm sitting at home and the Big Dubya's at the game with 39 and our friends over at Cape Buffalo.

The Big Dubya got tickets months ago.... before we knew what the season would be like... and we were psyched. I could smell the peanuts.... I had it all planned out.... thought we might have some dinner here and then move stroll across the street for arguably the coldest beer in Boston.... head over to the game..... a perfect night out.

But, I'm a mother now..... the kids haven't been home for an entire weekend since the end of July -- 'lil dubyette is cutting her four top front teeth, the 'lil man's got a head cold..... I had to ask myself -- what's the best thing for them? In the final analysis, it wasn't driving 3 hours to Boston only to drive back the following day. So, I'm here..... watching the game on TV.

The Big Dubya took off this afternoon and I stayed behind -- and I'm actually fine with it.

Don't get me wrong -- I would love to see the Sox play the Yankees at Fenway, and this is a great year to do it -- but, I'm needed here. The Yankees will come back to Fenway next year, and for many, many years to come. The 'lil Dubyette...... well, she's never going to cut these teeth again -- and as she gets more and more independent (she's 10 months tomorrow!!!) she needs me a little less each day -- I'm not going to miss the chance to be here for her.

On the bright side, I can switch back & forth between the Sox & the Patriots, I'm in my pjs on a comfy couch and my beers...... they' re free :)

Things I swore I'd never do

Before I was a parent, I had a long (very long) list of things that I swore I would never, under any circumstances do......

Some, I've kept -- others I've broken..... and then there are the ones that I've taken to a whole new level.

So..... what are yours?

For those who are a bit slow..... this is me trying to figure out if I have any readers.

You know maternity clothes won't make you pregnant, right?

What is it about maternity clothes that freak people out?

After I had the 'lil lady, I learned that one of Aunt P's friends was expecting -- so I shipped my crate of maternity clothes off to her via Aunt P.

My cousin had lent me a bunch of stuff too, but she didn't want them back--- the instructions I received were "give them away, sell them, burn them.... I don't care what you do, just don't bring them back to me -- I will never need them again." So, I sent those along too.... why let them go to waste.

The Big Duyba, who'd made his desire to stop at two children crystal clear, was very happy to see them go..... apparently just having these clothes meant we might find ourselves needing them, and he didn't want to take any chances.

Well, Aunt P's friend is set to deliver any day now, and when we were at Aunt P's this past weekend I got the clothes back. The Big Dubya looked at these giant Rubbermaid containers with such disdain -- you would have thought the were filled with anthrax.

In contrast, Mr Tall Guy (Aunt P's husband) was giddy to see them go -- in fact, he carried them to the car for us.... if we didn't have room, he probably would have driven the 3 hours to deliver them....

You guys know that it's not the clothes that get you pregnant, right?

Update: on the Stroller Derby

A week or so ago, I posted about my stroller woes......

Well, the nice people at the stroller company have gotten back to me (we'll ignore the fact that it took over a week) and are going to replace the mangled hoods -- and all it's going to cost me is the $8 shipping charge -- which, I think is fair.

Yaaayyyyy -- I've still got Granny keeping an eye out for a double stroller in good condition at the Church's yard sale..... just in case these hoods don't stand up, but I am pleased that the stroller company is going to do the right thing by the Dubyas.

Good God, Please say that this isn't true

The latest suspect

One more to add to the list of things that can't swim

So, the 'lil man gingerly tossed my phone into the kitchen sink while I was doing dishes -- I grabbed it quickly -- but apparently not quickly enough. First it wouldn't shut off, then it wouldn't charge and now it won't do anything. If you've been trying to call..... don't bother... I'm not home.

I stopped at the Cingular (Cingular, AT&T.... whatever they are calling themselves this week)store near my office at lunch today to see if there was something they could do -- perhaps replace the battery..... I had to try.... it was still a decent phone.

When she finished laughing at me she asked if I had insurance..... uhm, I don't know.... insurance? that probably would have been a good idea, huh?

She removed the battery and began laughing again..... "I've never seen the water damage button this bright before. Yeah, this phone is done -- sorry."

Did you know my phone had a "water damage button" , cause I didn't...... and I also didn't know that it's bad, really bad when the water damage button is bright red.

Looks like I'll be getting a new phone......

well, it aint the happiest place on earth -- that's for sure

Not sure what it was, but Labor Day Weekend hit me like a ton of bricks this year.

Despite just getting back from CA on the 23rd, I had a deep desperate need to do "something" for the last official weekend of the summer. I emailed suggestion after suggestion to the Big Dubya and got a whole lot of "uhm yeah, maybe" from him all week. I'd finally just kinda chalked it up to a weekend at home when on Thursday afternoon I got an email from him proposing we execute one of the ideas I'd laid out earlier in the week.


I'll be honest, I was psyched and pissed all rolled into one. Psyched because we were going somewhere, doing something..... something that the kids would LOVE. Pissed because I had one day to get the house in order, the laundry done, the kids packed and ready to go away AGAIN. But, with a fair amount of grousing and a little bit of help from the big guy, I did it




On Saturday morning we jumped in the car and headed for Sesame Place. The plan was to be there roughly when the park opened and stay all day. I'd arranged for us to attend a "character dinner" where we'd have the opportunity to "dine" with Big Bird, Cookie, Ernie, Bert and all the gang. I had high hopes for this dinner..... I have high hopes for any dinner that charges me $16.95 for a two year old who eats like.... well, like a two year old.

What did we think of Sesame Place?

Well.... it's not Disney. It's not clean, the workers spend more time talking on their cell phones than working (oh, I'm not exaggerating one tiny little bit) and the patrons are rude -- rude to the workers, rude to the other patrons, rude to their kids and rude to each other. It's fair to say that we've been spoiled by Disney and probably expect too much, but..... with a name like Sesame attached to it -- I expected way more from Sesame Place.

The dinner was terrible, the service was terrible, the food was terrible -- but, the characters were great and the kids were in little-kid-heaven -- making it all worthwhile.

It could be that the holiday weekend is responsible for my negative impression of the place, it could be that it's dry (yep, no booze on Sesame Street) -- but, I was underwhelmed.

Once you add in our not-so-stellar experience at the nearby and newly refurbished (cough, cough, cough) Comfort (a misnomer if there ever was one) Inn -- we were glad to get back home on Sunday.

We are so spoiled

I was emailing back and forth yesterday -- with a friend I don't see or speak to nearly enough. Since we had kids and I moved out of state -- I find we just don't seem to get together like we did, like we should. Email's so impersonal..... yet, if we didn't email.... we probably wouldn't talk at all -- so impersonal as it may be, I'm very grateful for it.


Anyway, we were chatting away about this and that..... what our kids are doing, what our weekend plans are (oh, us?? yeah, we don't have any plans yet because the Big Dubya's been a big lazy ass and hasn't told me what he wants to do... so we'll probably end up at home, which is fine, but.....) and our shared desire to have a baby #3. We've had nearly identical discussions with our husbands about the topic.... we get similar arguments from them -- we don't have the money, the space, the time..... it would be chaos, we are getting older, how'd we pay for college and where on earth would we put a third car seat?


All reasonable arguments....


And, then I thought about it.... I'm one of three...... my mother didn't have a car until I was in high school and Aunt P and I shared a room 'til then too -- I think we've turned out okay.


Isn't it funny how spoiled we've all become? I mean, my mother came from a family of 7 children -- they lived in a tiny house with 3 small bedrooms and it didn't even have a bathroom until the 1950's. My dad's family was considered "small" with a mere 6 children..... his cousins were all one of 10, 11 or 12. He remembers the day their house got electricity -- and neither of my parents had a phone in the house where the grew up -- my dad's parents got theirs when he was in college -- and I remember when my mother's mother finally got hers (no, I'm not that old).


We've got ourselves programmed to think that our kids have to wear clothes from Hanna, Lilly or Ralph (my personal obsession is with Baby Gap, but.....) and that their days just have to be filled with lessons, play dates, trips and activities -- why can't they just go play in the dirt? we did. They have to have a DVD player in the car for long rides -- whereas we did just fine making up games..... we used mile markers, license plates and of course, we played countless games of Uno.


It will boggle your mind if you stop to think about how our kids are being raised compared to how our parents were raised and how they raised us... without disposable diapers, without wipes (how can you live in a world without baby wipes???) -- there were no Boppys, no Exersaucers, no battery operated swings.... all things that we think we absolutely "NEED" our parents and grandparents did just fine without.

Don't get me wrong -- I'm not casting stones at any of you..... my kids have more "stuff" than they will ever need or want -- and I think for the most part that's okay -- as long as we raise them to be grateful and to know how fortunate they are.

The Stroller Derby

No not the blog....... this is my life people.

Once upon a time, I was an expectant mother..... yes, it seems like so very long ago. At the urging (insistence) of my sister, I registered..... and after laboring and deliberating and researching...... we registered for a Graco travel system. Friends and family all weighed in on their preference.... "Peg Perego's the one you want" I heard over and over again. But, I chose the Graco largely because the car seat received a very high safety rating and only weighed 7lbs -- but also because I couldn't bring myself to register for something that cost as much as the Peg Peregos.

The car seat was terrific -- safe but light enough for me to carry without trouble, the 'lil lady is still using it. The stroller? Well, it was big and bulky -- it handled like a dream and had two awesome cup holders as well as a cute compartment for other stuff, but it was big and bulky and took up the entire trunk of my car. I never wanted to take it out because I knew that I'd ultimately have to lift it back in.

While at TJMaxx one day, I found a Peg Perego for $100 or so (I can't really remember now) it was a similar pattern to the Graco car seat so I picked it up. It was much easier to manage and it fit in the back of my car much better -- I used it quite a bit -- 'til the tray snapped off (I guess it was at TJ's for a reason, huh?). The stroller still worked fine, but -- it looked kind of ghetto with a broken tray dangling from it.

When the 'lil man got a little older, I ended up getting one of the compact strollers..... it's really just a fancy umbrella stroller. I liked it a lot -- so handy, so compact -- but he couldn't really recline in it and it offered minimal protection from the sun/elements.

When the 'lil lady came along I insisted that I wouldn't bother buying a double stroller -- I could make do with what I had. I used the Baby Bjorn a lot -- coupled with the mini-stroller, the kids were manageable. Except..... w/ the Bjorn a coat is tough (for you or the baby) and getting them both in and out of the car and settled into their stroller/Bjorn in the midst of a New England winter can be a challenge.

I secretly spied double strollers..... man, they are pricey! I was in the mall one day and I saw one that looked cool, manageable -- not too big, not too fancy -- but could recline and would provide sun coverage. I stopped the woman and asked her about it -- she was psyched to share the info -- she told me everything. Apparently, I'm not the only one who obsesses about strollers..... she'd collected a few herself but really liked this particular model.

So, based on the recommendation of this random woman I stalked in the mall, we broke down and bought one. We literally left the mall and went to BabiesRUs to buy this stroller. So far, it's been all I dreamed it would be..... EXCEPT c'mon you knew it was coming...... why else would I be boring you all with my stroller fetish. The hoods (the manufacturer calls them canopies) are bent. They've been kind of mis-shapen since we got it, but I thought they would regain their shape once the stroller wasn't all smooshed in the box -- but, nope -- and the more we try to manipulate them back into shape -- the more warped they get.

The problem with the mangled hoods isn't really as cosmetic as it sounds -- its more that they don't offer much sun protection. I thought we just got unlucky, but while in Disneyland last week we spied several other couples with the same stroller and all of them had mangled hoods. I approached a few of these parents and asked about it -- pointing to our own gimpy hoods. They all held the same opinion -- love the stroller, but the hoods are a disgrace. A few people had improvised and picked up these in order to provide some protection from the sun.

When I got home, I dug out the instruction manual -- to see if there was a customer service number and sure enough they had an order form where you could order replacement parts. So, I filled it out and faxed it over to them -- asking them to replace the hoods for free. My rationale is that I love the stroller, but it is only 6 months old -- the hoods should be in better shape than this, and replacing them should be covered by the warranty. I asked them to contact me if they had questions...... haven't heard anything yet. Good sign? Who knows!

I'll let you know how it goes.

In the meantime, I did pick up the supplemental shade and have called a couple of consignment shops to see if they have a gently used double stroller in stock -- maybe I can trade a couple of my singles for a deal on a double? or a triple? (just kidding and, of course trying to freak the Big Dubya out) who knows!

Disneyland? or just MiniDisney?

Just back from a week in California that began in Santa Monica and wrapped up with a few days in Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure Park.

My sister and I took my mother to DisneyWorld back in the fall of 2001..... it was shortly before I got married. It was my first trip and I recall how amazed I was at all the pride and joy these employees ("cast members") had. It wasn't just the "Welcome Home" people at the hotels, it was the people running the rides, the people serving the food, the people driving the buses.... even the people cleaning the bathrooms -- they were all doing their work with a spring in their step.

Since that first trip in 2001, I've been back to DisneyWorld -- geez, it must be half a dozen times. My impression of the place hasn't changed -- everyone walks around like they are an owner -- and it's nice..... maybe a tiny bit irritating at times, but it's really nice.

Disneyland? Well, Disneyland was different. Don't get me wrong -- the 'lil Dubya had an AMAZING time. He got to meet Buzz and Woody -- he got to dance with Sully and Boo -- he shook hands with Mickey and waved sheepishly at Pluto. The dancers gave him high-fives and the photographers couldn't wait to take his picture. But....... there were also the usual disgruntled employees that you'd see anywhere..... well, anywhere except DisneyWorld that is.

It was really nothing too serious, just a guy who was annoyed by my coffee order..... a gift shop clerk who wasn't all that interested in answering questions.... a ride operator who didn't care when I told him that the monitor in our "car" was busted, a Buzz Lightyear who was 20 minutes late for his photo-op -- all things that happen anywhere, except of course DisneyWorld that is. The maps, well they weren't quite as detailed or easy to follow and the photo-ops were never where they were listed to be. I understand that this was largely driven by the heat, but...... it's Southern California -- uhm hullo, didn't they know it'd be hot in August?

The BlockParty Bash was awesome -- the 'lil man danced and Bo Peep twirled him around. It was a little boy's dream-come-true. My heart broke when he looked up with his enormous brown eyes and signed for "more, more" and we had to tell him that it was over.

I have to give two thumbs up to the waitresses that took care of us in Downtown Disney at the ESPN Zone and the House of Blues -- I mean, they really knew how to help out a couple trying to have lunch with two babies.

Side Note: I got a great tip from Kara over at CapeBuffalo one day when the Big Dubya & I were dining in a restaurant with the Buffalo family. I was still pregnant with 'lil Dubya and wondered why she ordered Baby Buffalo's food as soon as we sat......before she even opened a menu herself she was ordering a hotdog or something for kiddo..... it was a stroke of genius. The kid's food comes right away and you can help them get started with it before yours even comes -- isn't it amazing the 'lil tips you can pick up from the more seasoned moms????.

The ESPN Zone's food wasn't very good -- but the service was such, that we didn't really care. The food at the House of Blues was outstanding -- the Big Dubya even tried something new. I also have to note that I LOVE the dudes who do curbside check-in at LAX. When you've got two carseats, a double stroller, two squirmy babies and a week's worth of luggage..... curbside check-in is a gift from God!

Overall, I really liked Disneyland -- it is much, much smaller than DisneyWorld -- but the way the two parks and Downtown Disney all share a common courtyard makes it really manageable to hop from one to the other throughout the day, even with two wee ones in tow. It also makes the characters a bit more accessible. We got to see most of the ones we wanted up close multiple times because the crowds aren't so huge. It was also easy to find a quiet shady spot to sit and enjoy a cold adult beverage while the kiddies snoozed in the stroller.

If your kids are fans of the Pixar movies, and you have the opportunity -- the Block Party Bash is really worth it.

Hmmmm, 'lil Dubya, DDS?..... maybe

Just back from a wonderful, albeit whirlwind trip to California....... cousin's wedding in Santa Monica, miniature family-reunion at Hermosa Beach and then a couple of days at Disneyland in Anaheim (longer post on all of that later).

In the meantime, let's just say...... the 'lil Dubya got to spend some quality time with his Pixar heroes. After giving Lightening McQueen a good polish......


He decided Mater needed some dental work

Safe & Sound in Santa Monica

So, here we are -- safe & sound in Santa Monica.

The kids were amazingly well behaved, despite hardly sleeping at all on the flight. People actually stopped to comment on how well behaved they were...... I was so proud.

Taking it easy today -- got a rehearsal dinner tonight, but did go for a nice walk this morning -- this truly is where the beautiful people live.

Let's just hope the kids are as well behaved during the various wedding festivities.

California, here we come!

I know it's been a while... and it's not that I haven't had anything to say.... it's just that I haven't really had the time to say it.

This has been one of "those" summers....... one where every weekend has been overbooked with things we "just have to" attend and a bunch of things we "just can't miss"

A wedding in Ireland, a christening in New York, The Police rockin' Fenway Park, friends home visiting from Colorado, another wedding.... this time in Santa Monica. That's right, the Big Dubya and I are packing up the lowercase dubyas and we are flying (on a completely sold out flight) to CA on Thursday night. Can you hear the fear in my voice?

Six hours people....... a two year old and an 8 month old.

I'm trying not to panic...... but please pray for us, and for those poor unfortunate souls who sit near us.