For those of you who used to marvel at how EASY Jacob was as a baby, I have to say that 1) all good times must end, and 2) payback is a bitch. On our flight home from Texas yesterday, Jacob was that kid.
The flight to Dallas was packed, not a spare seat to be found. We learned on the flight out that Jacob does better near the window, and from that vantage he can usually only kick one seat and yank one tray table. So there we were, wrestling the whole way to Dallas. A short flight, thank goodness. Jordan, bless her heart, slept the entire way, and most of the next flight, too. Jacob shrieked, clawed, kicked, threw cheerios, did that weird rear and arch your back thing that only baby boys seem able to do. He was so bad that when we were sitting at the gate in Dallas, the woman sitting in our aisle seat turned to me and said "She was great", nodding to Jordan who was sound asleep on the woman's arm, followed by "He really gave you an awful time. I don't know how you do it. Next time try giving him Paregoric. Two drops in his milk and he'll be out." I just looked at her, like "What???" She says, all sarcastic, "oh, that's probably one of those things doctors would frown on in this day and age." So I got home and Googled it. It's freakin' Opium.
The leg to Albuquerque was empty, less that 40 people. Some woman took the seat right in front of me and Jacob. I leaned forward and said, "Just so you know, you have the worst seat on the plane right now. You might want to move." She just looked at me like I was nuts, and did not move. But she didn't ask me to drug my kid.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Jacob Headlines
I got my first smooch from Jacob two nights ago. It just melted my heart. It's been a bit of a hard sell to get him to go to bed at night. He's been pretty energetic well past his bedtime. While I'm trying to rock him to sleep, and generally calm him down, he'll pinch my face, poke my eyes, pick my nose, and push my face back and forth. All the while laughing. It's pretty funny. He's been just bumping his open mouth against my chin, and I was afraid he was getting ready to bite me. I think if he figures out biting, he'll find that even more amusing. But then he figured out how to give a kiss.
Christmas: Kropka Style
Happy New Year, Everyone! I hope everyone had a great holiday season, getting to do what you love with those you love! We surely did, and every year it gets better. We made a few tweaks to our Christmas festivities, for the better I think, and I want to remember the details in addition to the feeling of Christmas in our house.
First off, Christmas starts the weekend after Thanksgiving for us. Not a MINUTE sooner... We get down the tree, decorate the house, (try to) mail the Christmas cards. For me personally, Christmas is about spending quality time with family, hosting friends, creating a season of joy and wonder for the kids, and reflecting on our recent year and good fortune. It's important to me to NOT be stressed out at this time of year. For the kids, it's about extra playtime, extra movie time, extra sweets and goodies, and TOYS. For Jamie, I'd speculate that it's about chilling out and playing with his kids. Here's how we celebrated. It was wonderful.
- We spent Christmas at HOME. I'm a homebody. We have little kids. Christmas on the road is just too stressful right now. I'm so thankful for the family that could come to us, yet again, this year, and for those who couldn't but were here in spirit.
- We have a new family member! Karen's partner, Marsha, joined our family for Christmas this year, and we're thrilled to have her, and thankful she wanted to share Christmas with us. We all adore her. Jordan is NUTSO for her. She calls her "My Marsha"...- We really try to make Christmas about the kids, without going overboard. So this year, we just did gifts for the kids and modest stocking stuffers for the adults. It was nice, less stressful, and less "stuff" oriented. I always say money is better spent doing stuff than having stuff. Although the mess of toys downstairs begs otherwise.
- We went to the River of Lights. This will be an ABQ tradition, weather permitting. Poor little Jacob had a nasty cough for weeks and had to stay home with Nana and Pa, but Jo, Jamie and I braved the drizzle (which cleared up) and enjoyed a stroll through the lights.
- We went to Old Town on Christmas Eve eve to see the Luminarias lit up in the Plaza. So pretty, so nice to be outside in the crisp evening air, and I great way to get ready for Santa.- Food Food Food! I love to cook, and I really love to cook nice, decadent meals when I know I have a crew on hand to enjoy it and help eat it. Christmas Eve dinner this year was Latkes and Tamales, and Xmas dinner was a standing rib roast. We had cannoli, stroufflies, Biscochitos, my traditional Xmas cookies, and a new chocolate cake. I hope there will always be an abundance of good food in our house for the holidays.
- Outdoor winter fun. It's nice to live in a place that feels like Christmas and winter, with a reasonable chance of snow sometime over the holiday. We took Jo sledding and ice skating. Jamie and I spent New Year's Day skiing. It's nice to have activities planned besides eating and lounging.
So, onto the new year. New plans, new resolutions. I actually stuck with one of my resolutions from last year: stop eating junk for breakfast. This year, my goal is to stay positive with the challenges I've taken upon myself in the form of my new business, while keeping focus on my children as my number one priority. I hope it's a year of personal and professional growth. I know it will be as every past year has been: a fast-paced adventure.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Bad Mothering
I don't usually beat myself up too badly about my parenting mistakes. I try my best to learn from them, and then move on. But I've done a few things, just in the span of this week, that really upset me. Despite Jacob's best efforts to warn me that I need to be on my toes with him (I found him trapped in our shower the other day), he still managed to get a hold of a cheap flower vase this morning, break in on the tile floor, and proceed to PLAY WITH IT while I was totally oblivious in the other room. And yes, he did get cut. Just like a tiny paper cut, but still. Jordan comes in and informs me "Jacob broke a glass and he's playing with it." I just looked at her, like, dumb. Oh, the horrors that went through my head.
Earlier this week he got a hold of a Halloween sticker, chewed on it for who knows how long, got gagged in the car on the way home from picking up Jordan from school, and puked (forcefully) all over himself and the car. I had to pull over twice to check on him and clean him up b/c I didn't find the sticker in his mouth the first time. He is gonna be that kid that gets into EVERYTHING. Wait... he's already that kid. And Jamie thought I was already an over-protective mother. Time to step it up a notch.
Earlier this week he got a hold of a Halloween sticker, chewed on it for who knows how long, got gagged in the car on the way home from picking up Jordan from school, and puked (forcefully) all over himself and the car. I had to pull over twice to check on him and clean him up b/c I didn't find the sticker in his mouth the first time. He is gonna be that kid that gets into EVERYTHING. Wait... he's already that kid. And Jamie thought I was already an over-protective mother. Time to step it up a notch.
Costco Top 10
A lot of people know I'm a total Costco fanatic. I run up a ridiculous tally there month in and month out. But it's a very useful store, it's within walking distance of my house (not that I could ever walk home with what I bought), and for some reason, it's fun. I'm not sure if it's because their stock rotates, so there's always something new to check out, or because it's exciting to buy in bulk and know you only have to buy laundry detergent twice a year.... The samples don't hurt either, but I won't wait in line for them like some die hards. To be fair, there are some Costco offerings I'm really not impressed with, like their photo processing (just awful) and their pizzas (rubber cheese). Anyway, since this is the season of spending, I thought I'd share my Top Ten favorite things to buy there.
1) Books. An indulgence, to be sure, when I could just get them from the library. Eventually. But they always have the latest best sellers minus the hokey ones featured at the grocery store. And the monthly Costco mag has book reviews, so it's easy to try new authors.
2) Wine. I love wine, but I'm not gonna study it. They have several wines in the $10 range that rate 90 points or more from Wine Spectator or Wine Enthusiast. They have cheat sheets up for them telling you why they are good, what they pair with, what years to drink them.
3) Kirkland brand diapers and wipes. They're not any cheaper than Huggies, which they also sell, but they're superior in my opinion. I've found several Kirkland brand items to be better than name brand. Like:
4) Nuts. You can get 2-3 lb bags of pecan halves, sliced almonds, walnut halves, even pine nuts, for dirt cheap compared to the grocery store. And they last forever in the freezer.
5) Rotisserie chicken. I used to be really turned off by rotisserie chicken. I like the idea of it, and they always smell amazing, but then when you go to eat them, they're super fatty and kind of gross. The Costco ones are PERFECT. And only $5.
6) Frozen sweet potato fries. No explanation needed.
7) Organic, free range chicken stock. I like the name brand one (I think it's Pacific) better than the Kirkland one. These cartons are pretty pricey at the grocery, even on sale. I'll go through the case of 6 cartons in a month or two.
8) Gourmet cheeses and their cheese shows. I've found really good brie, aged Gouda, super sharp Irish cheddar, Manchego.... yum yum yum. Great for parties.
9) Dave's Gourmet pasta sauces. They carry a big jar of Marinara, and a smaller twin pack of butternut squash pasta sauce. They are literally good enough to heat up in a pot and serve. But the Marinara makes a great meat sauce, and fried pancetta would be really really good in the squash one.
10) OMG, the food court! The fat free frozen yogurt is amazing, and so is that chicken bake. And they have Churros!! Just stay away from the pizza....
1) Books. An indulgence, to be sure, when I could just get them from the library. Eventually. But they always have the latest best sellers minus the hokey ones featured at the grocery store. And the monthly Costco mag has book reviews, so it's easy to try new authors.
2) Wine. I love wine, but I'm not gonna study it. They have several wines in the $10 range that rate 90 points or more from Wine Spectator or Wine Enthusiast. They have cheat sheets up for them telling you why they are good, what they pair with, what years to drink them.
3) Kirkland brand diapers and wipes. They're not any cheaper than Huggies, which they also sell, but they're superior in my opinion. I've found several Kirkland brand items to be better than name brand. Like:
4) Nuts. You can get 2-3 lb bags of pecan halves, sliced almonds, walnut halves, even pine nuts, for dirt cheap compared to the grocery store. And they last forever in the freezer.
5) Rotisserie chicken. I used to be really turned off by rotisserie chicken. I like the idea of it, and they always smell amazing, but then when you go to eat them, they're super fatty and kind of gross. The Costco ones are PERFECT. And only $5.
6) Frozen sweet potato fries. No explanation needed.
7) Organic, free range chicken stock. I like the name brand one (I think it's Pacific) better than the Kirkland one. These cartons are pretty pricey at the grocery, even on sale. I'll go through the case of 6 cartons in a month or two.
8) Gourmet cheeses and their cheese shows. I've found really good brie, aged Gouda, super sharp Irish cheddar, Manchego.... yum yum yum. Great for parties.
9) Dave's Gourmet pasta sauces. They carry a big jar of Marinara, and a smaller twin pack of butternut squash pasta sauce. They are literally good enough to heat up in a pot and serve. But the Marinara makes a great meat sauce, and fried pancetta would be really really good in the squash one.
10) OMG, the food court! The fat free frozen yogurt is amazing, and so is that chicken bake. And they have Churros!! Just stay away from the pizza....
Sunday, November 28, 2010
New Tricks
These are my favorite posts: the ones where I get to share, and remember, all of the crazy stuff my kids do and say. Here are a few.
- Jacob is still short on words, but he likes to go " Bah bah bah bah bah!!" in a high-pitched voice, almost a squeal. He did it the other day and Jordan turned to me and said "that's his Princess voice."
- I was sitting back on my knees/lower legs playing with the kids. When I got up, I kind of moaned and groaned because my legs had gotten stiff sitting like that. Jordan tells me "Mama, you're getting so old!" is this concerned-sounding voice. Nice.
- Jordan likes Post-It notes. Basically, she likes any sort of paper product with a sticky back. She put a blank blue Post-It on her bedroom door yesterday. I asked her what it was for. She pauses, and says "It says Jacob is allowed in my room because I love him so much." My first thought was awww....how sweet!! My second thought was, did she just come up with a nice, new "Mom-approved" answer on the spot??
- Speaking of Aawwww!!! Jacob likes to lay the side of his down on anything soft and cuddly. When he does this, he expects you to say Aawww!!! And of course we do. He'll keep doing it until he gets bored with the game.
- Jacob keeps getting colds, and they congest his chest. When he coughs, or gets choked on his food, I always pat/bang him on the back. Now when he coughs, he starts hitting himself on the side of his neck.
Those are the highlights. I'm sure there are more that have already escaped my memory. Thank goodness for the blog!
- Jacob is still short on words, but he likes to go " Bah bah bah bah bah!!" in a high-pitched voice, almost a squeal. He did it the other day and Jordan turned to me and said "that's his Princess voice."
- I was sitting back on my knees/lower legs playing with the kids. When I got up, I kind of moaned and groaned because my legs had gotten stiff sitting like that. Jordan tells me "Mama, you're getting so old!" is this concerned-sounding voice. Nice.
- Jordan likes Post-It notes. Basically, she likes any sort of paper product with a sticky back. She put a blank blue Post-It on her bedroom door yesterday. I asked her what it was for. She pauses, and says "It says Jacob is allowed in my room because I love him so much." My first thought was awww....how sweet!! My second thought was, did she just come up with a nice, new "Mom-approved" answer on the spot??
- Speaking of Aawwww!!! Jacob likes to lay the side of his down on anything soft and cuddly. When he does this, he expects you to say Aawww!!! And of course we do. He'll keep doing it until he gets bored with the game.
- Jacob keeps getting colds, and they congest his chest. When he coughs, or gets choked on his food, I always pat/bang him on the back. Now when he coughs, he starts hitting himself on the side of his neck.
Those are the highlights. I'm sure there are more that have already escaped my memory. Thank goodness for the blog!
Friday, November 26, 2010
Turkey Day Post-Mortem
Ha ha, a phrase from my former life.... So, what died??? Plenty of things; here's the tally:
- the turkey, of course. it was delicious. as was the sausage stuffing, sweet potato casserole, roasted butternut squash with fried pancetta, salad, gravy, rolls and pies. I cheated and bought a frozen pumpkin pie; I think that's allowed (since I don't even like pumpkin pie).
- my downward trend on the scale. sharp uptick this week, I'm sure. Lucky for me, the battery on thing died, and it takes a funky watch battery, so, no scale! Woo Hoo!!
- Albuquerque's warm-ish spell. we woke up to some snow, and the high was 35. Burrr!!
- Texas' hopes for a crappy bowl game. You win some, you lose some... This year we lost A LOT.
All in all it was an awesome day. I got to spend it cooking and eating, watching movies with Jordan, hanging out with my family. We have much to be thankful for: we are well fed, well loved, and well in health. Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!!
- the turkey, of course. it was delicious. as was the sausage stuffing, sweet potato casserole, roasted butternut squash with fried pancetta, salad, gravy, rolls and pies. I cheated and bought a frozen pumpkin pie; I think that's allowed (since I don't even like pumpkin pie).
- my downward trend on the scale. sharp uptick this week, I'm sure. Lucky for me, the battery on thing died, and it takes a funky watch battery, so, no scale! Woo Hoo!!
- Albuquerque's warm-ish spell. we woke up to some snow, and the high was 35. Burrr!!
- Texas' hopes for a crappy bowl game. You win some, you lose some... This year we lost A LOT.
All in all it was an awesome day. I got to spend it cooking and eating, watching movies with Jordan, hanging out with my family. We have much to be thankful for: we are well fed, well loved, and well in health. Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!!
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