I NICE NOW!!!

November 22, 20111 Comment

Baylor has been working on pushing her boundaries lately. She’s exercising her right to ignore me and flexing her 2 year old muscles when it comes to doing the exact opposite of what I am asking/telling/screaming at her to do. In all? It’s been a fun two weeks.

I decided it was time to get tough so on Sunday, I instituted “two times and then time out” – meaning I will ask her two times to do something (just in case she didn’t hear or understand me) and if she still doesn’t listen, it’s to the crib for some quiet time.

Her school describes the use of time outs as a chance for the child regain control of themselves. Which I think is a nice way of saying “we make them sit by themselves until they get their sh*t together and can rejoin their pals”. Which I am totally down with.

I lost my temper on Sunday when she just. would. not. sit. and. eat. her. food. It was making me insane and she was doing everything except eat including dancing, crawling across the counter, singing, screaming and feeding her carrots to Bear. I had had it so I scooped her up and deposited her in her crib and said “Call me when you’re ready to be nice”. Maybe 5 minutes later, I can hear her saying Mommy and then something else, but I couldn’t make it out. Then PW started cracking up – she was saying “MOMMY!! I NICE NOW!!”. And she was nice. She came out, finished her dinner with only a little fussing and we had a great rest of the evening.

Then yesterday morning, 6:45, she was right back in the crib for not listening when I asked her to sit down in her seat rather than stand on it. Again I hear ” MOMMY!! I LISTEN YOU NOW!!!” and she did listen and the rest of the day went smooth.

I’m not sure if the time oust are more for her or for me, but I can say that her humor cracks me up.

Baylorisms – part 2

November 21, 2011Leave a comment

Because our sweet girl has a language all her own:

“Frog” – Bay has a humidifier that looks like a frog. Therefore all humidifiers are called Frogs.

“Hopsitle” – or hospital to you and me

“Gubs” – gloves

“Cookie” – her cousin Quincy

“Nahma and Nampa” – grandma and grandpa

“Poppynoni” – the fast way to say Pop and Noni

“NumNums” – her favorite stuffed rabbit – Peter taught her that rabbits say “num num num” when their little noses twitch

“Loga” – yoga

“Busssssss” – when she was just starting to speak, she would only say Buh for bus. I would accentuate the S sound and now bus has a super long s!

“Baylor lock” – the lock on the door that she can’t reach and therefore keeps her inside. When Peter comes home, I hear “Mommy!! I can’t open door because the BAYLOR lock!!”

The Littlest Blockwatch

November 18, 20115 Comments

Ever since we’ve become friends with our neighbor, Melissa, Bay has had an eye on her house. B was hooked with the first high-five “Missa” gave her and now she is constantly on the look out. I know when Missa has left her patio light on. I’m told when her kitchen blinds are open and if her car is there all because the Littlest Block Watch is filling me in. I know when Missa is cutting her grass and when she’s missed a spot. I know if Missa has gotten her mail or if it’s still in the mail box.

The funniest part is what Missa is allegedly doing when she is or isn’t home – if the blinds are closed, I’m told that Missa is very tired and still sleeping. If her car is gone, then she’s probably at “Loga” – or yoga to you and me. And when Bay’s door is open with the baby gate and Missa’s windows are open, there is a constant stream of “HIII MISSAAAAA!!!” being shouted out the door until I explain that she probably can’t hear her – or that Missa probably thinks there is some kind of wild animal making crazy sounds.

I finally broke down and told Melissa a few months ago that there is little that she does that goes unnoticed at our house. I was expecting her to freak out and decide to put up a privacy fence or something (and rightly so). Instead she responded “Oh good, I’m glad someone’s got an eye on the place!”. And now I get a text once in awhile asking the LBW to keep a close eye while she’s away.

This will be a great story when Bay is a detective or a FBI agent some day….or as evidence against her in a stalker trial. Either way, it’s cute.

Today is Scottsdale Moms Blog day! Be sure to see my post on cute Thanksgiving themed crafts.

Say Cheese

November 14, 20111 Comment

I have been on the hunt for a photographer that fit into our budget to take family pictures for us. I love pictures and I like when I get to be in them, which doesn’t often happen when I’m the one taking all the pictures! Plus, I love the candid shots and retouching of professional work.

Awhile ago I “liked” a friend from high school’s photography page – 2 Comforts Photography. I thought she did mostly wedding work but recently saw some family pics pop up. So I reached out to Meredith for a quote and it turned out that not only were her rates increadibly reasonable, they were having a special AND had openings! Jackpot!

So we met a few weekends ago at Civic Center Park and spent an hour snapping pics. I have to say that Bay was quite cooperative. She did start to loose it towards the end of the hour, but Meredith and her husband Travis were able to catch some great shots during that phase. Needless to say, I am thrilled with pictures and I can’t wait to get them up on the wall!

Here are a few of my favorites:

This is the epitome of our relationship – we just follow her lead!

Act surprised when you get our Christmas card, ok?

I love this one

This was when we started entering the uncooperative phase. Thankfully she looks cute when she’s being defiant.

Thank you again Meredith and Travis for the gorgeous family treasures!

Garlic Shots

November 10, 20112 Comments

Two weeks. We are closing in on two weeks of sickness around here. As soon as one of us starts feeling better, another is feeling worse. And then we switch.

A family friend told me about a Mexican homeopathic remedy that was sure to ward off whatever illness I have an also keep me healthy. As I was scribbling down the recipe, I started feeling a little queasy at the thought of ingesting the concoction. But I’m into natural remedies and I would like to get rid of my Rudolph nose, so I was in.

I gathered all of the ingredients and then began mixing: 2 cloves of garlic finely crushed. Juice of 1 lemon. Honey. A little hot water. And I added some crushed ginger because it too is a great immunity booster, and if you’re going to drink something disgusting, it might as well be really sick. I stirred all the ingredients together in a high ball glass because it made it feel a little more fancy.

Then the moment had come. I couldn’t mix any more so it was time to drink. I picked up the glass and chugged that beast like it was Thursday at Dirtbags and the glass was filled to the rim with a Sicilian Whore.

And really? It was not the worse thing I had ever had. It sort of tasted like a sauce you would use on chicken – a little spicy and sweet. So if you see a recipe here soon with those ingredients, you’ll know where the idea came from.

As for the immunity properties, I’m undecided. I think it might do better if you were trying to stay healthy rather than get healthy. So Bay and I opted for a trip around the medical complex (our doctor’s are right next door to each other) and got loaded up with antibiotics. We’ll save the lemon garlic honey mix for the chicken.

The Hall Girls~Bows, Tutus and Everything Girlie – GIVEAWAY!!

November 8, 201119 Comments

I am very fortunate that I have some crazy talented friends. I’m so excited to post about Ashley and Amber, the creators of The Hall Girls~ Bows, Tutus and Everything Girlie! Together they make bows, tutus (duh), headbands, wands, etc. They have a huge selection to choose from and make custom items too (think holidays, sports teams, college themes and perfectly matched to any of your kiddo’s outfits!). And they are very generous to offer a giveaway to The Goon Room readers! But first, a preview.

I won the BTEG “Favorite Halloween Costume” contest and recieved this adorable Halloween wand for Ms.B. I think our last name played a roll in winning…we taught Bay to say “boop!” and tap your head with the wand. She’s smitten.

I also ordered a UofA themed bow. I told Ashley to just do what she does best and I was so excited when I recieved this:

If this isn’t enough to convince you her stuff is amazing, check out her youngest, Ellison in her headband and tutu:

So here’s the best part: Ashley and Amber are giving away two Thanksgiving themed bows!! All you have to do is check out The Hall Girls~Bows, Tutu’s and Everything Girlie’s etsy shop and then comment on this post what your favorite item is. Bonus points if you visit and like their Facebook page. The winner will be chosen by Random.org on Thursday 11/10/11 at 5pm MST (or whatever timezone Arizona is now).

Look how cute! Who new turkeys could be so adorable?

Step by step:

1. Go to the etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/thehallgirls

2. Check out all the fun things Ashley and Amber have to offer.

3. Also take a peek at their Facebook page and “like” it: http://www.facebook.com/AllTiedUpBowsAndTutus

4. Make a comment on this blog post about your favorite item.

5. Win! One winner will be chosen at random on 11/10/11 at 5pm MST.

6. The winner will be announced on Friday 11/11/11 on The Goon Room.

That’s it! Go! Browse! Comment! Win!

How Fast They Grow

November 2, 20111 Comment

I was struck by a picture I took of Baylor this weekend. I occurred to me just how fast she has grown. Here’s what I mean:

March 20, 2010 October 22, 2011

Same kid. Same bench. From cruising to climbing. Several inches and a lot more hair in just a year in a half!

Happy (belated) Halloween!

November 1, 2011Leave a comment

Yeah I know this is a day behind, but trying to create Halloween too far in advance is just too much work!

We had a great weekend filled with lots of pumpkin carving – or drilling in Peter’s case (don’t ask because I can’t explain). We had a blast scooping out the guts, trying to interpret what Baylor wanted hers to look like and watching Peter create a master piece using pipe cleaners. Here’s how they turned out:

{Baylor’s classic “pumpin”}

{Peter’s. Enough said}

{And the pièce de résistance – Cannibal Pumpkin!}

This is the first year that Bay really got the whole enchilada. She likes to dress up and she totally got the hang of trick-or-treating once she realized there were M&M’s involved. We were also lucky to inherit a hand me down Minnie Mouse costume from Bay’s cousin Madi. It was the real deal too; dress, ears, gloves, ring, tights and shoes. She was in love. Minnie is one of the only characters she really knows so she was excited to look like one of her favorite “amimals” or stuffed animals.

The gloves didn’t last long and the tights were too hot, but the important parts were there! Including a Minnie bracelet from our super cute neighbor.

First stop of the night

Aunt Christiane (Titi) and cousin Zoe the Gnome

Enjoying all the candy she could eat!

It’s Nice to Know

October 28, 20111 Comment

I think every mom worries/wonders/prays they are doing a good job raising their children. And I think often, the little buggers are quicker to pick up on the “bad” or less favorable things we say rather than the good stuff (read Baylor yelling “WHAT DID I SAY?? DID I SAY YES OR DID I SAY NO??” in my tone and inflection).

But once in a while we see them doing something that we know they learned from us. And it’s a nice thing. And it shows that maybe they are getting as much of (or more hopefully) of the good things we’re teaching them and not all the “patience lost” moments. I got a little of this reward on Saturday when I walked by Baylor’s room and found her snuggled in her chair with Minnie Mouse, a blanket and a book. She was quietly “reading” the story to Minnie. I watched her for a few seconds before she looked up and smiled and then went back to her book.

Trunk or Treat

October 25, 20113 Comments

We went to our first Trunk or Treat at Bay’s school on Friday night…and we have 4 bales of hay to prove it.

Trunk or Treat is a big event where families volunteer to bring their cars and decorate the trunk. Then all the munchkins dress up and trick or treat – or trunk or treat – at each car. It’s kind of like a tale gate for trick or treating. And it was awesome.

I signed up to be on the planning committee and when I explained the process to Peter, he immediately said “We’re going to do a trunk, right?!”. A little shocked by his enthusiasm I said of course we were. We settled on a western theme and set out to find bales of hay to put in the back of the truck. I got cowboy hats and bandannas to decorate several pumpkins and LOADS of pretzels, Goldfish and candy to give out. I had two crock pots of chili cooking all day (our house may never get the smell out!) and my mom brought a third to contribute to the total of 18 crock pots and 100 hot dogs! And not one drop of chili or one singe hot dog was left at the end of the night.

We handed out candy and crackers to tons of Bay’s friends and watched her play and interact with all of them. It was so cute to see all the kids and all the parents put so much work into their trunks. One of my personal favorites was our friends Stephanie and Jeff. Their trunk was filled with luggage and departure and arrival time signs. Stephanie was dressed as a flight attendant and Jeff was a pilot. And Morgan their daughter was a gnome…get it? She was the Travelocity Gnome! So clever and adorably executed!

{Holding down the fort}