Saturday, June 20, 2009

Life & House in Order


Ok, so the title isn't exactly accurate. Life in order? With a toddler and my husband? Um, not likely. But, the house, that I can handle. I think.

Our house has been in chaos every since, well, ever since we moved in. Before, actually. From the day my husband and I were engaged, our lives have been on fast forward. Within two years we: Got engaged, moved 3 times, remodeled a house, sold a condo, got married, took four major trips, ran for public office, had a baby and started a new job. Hopefully I didn't miss anything.

Now, things seem to be slowing down. Or more likely, I've adapted to the pace of a non-stop, high-stress lifestyle.

At any rate, recently I decided that I was tired of being overwhelmed with our "stuff". Stuff in piles, stuff boxed up, stuff all over the place. I'm going to organize and put our belongings in order, once and for all.

I started with the top of my desk, a two day project. After tossing past due invitations and other time sensitive but, expired, materials that had piled up, I tackled the documents that needed to be filed, shredded and put in a "future" pile (reminders to pay certain bills by certain dates, etc). I can finally see my desk. I'm not entirely happy with it as I still have some things to sort through or decide how to handle. For instance, I have a newspaper clipping about a book called"The Almond" by Nedjma --it's a book I'd like to read; do I order it now and add it to the growing pile of books I've been collecting that I haven't had time to read or do I keep the clipping for someday in the future? I should probably just order the book.


Now, sitting here at my desk, I'm tempted to tackle my husband's desk but is that really a good idea? I'm hesitant to delve into someone else's belongings. He probably doesn't even know what's there and will be more likely to sort through his things if they are orderly. Sigh. Decisions, decisions. Honestly, I don't think he'd care either way. I'll save his desk for last in case our newly ordered house compels him to clean his own desk.

My reward for a clean desktop was to take on the master closet. Anyone who knows me knows that I love fashion and putting my (ok, and Husband's, we do share it) closet in order is nothing but divine. Especially since it was mostly in order to begin with.

My list is long but if I keep at it, eventually I'll reach my goal of an orderly home with everything in its place, or close. Daily maintenance is certainly easier than putting to order more than three years of chaos, right?

Today, I'm cleaning out the closet in Daughter's room, the one we've used mostly as storage since we have kept her things in a dresser and on a clothing rack my dad made for her. Wish me luck!

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Are they trying to make me suffer?

After Daughter's great dentist appt today, we decided to go to lunch. The only thing she wanted was "broccoli" and without a lot of ideas besides Thai take-out, which we do at least once a week, I decided to go to a club. Theoretically this club is child-friendly and many of the members under 50-60 are parents of school-age children. Theoretically is such a nice word, don't you think? And how grand would it be if "theoretically" turned out to be "actually" more often than not.

Upon arrival at the restaurant, we chose a corner booth sat down and waited. And waited. This would be the theme of our lunch.

I should let you know that Daughter is fairly experienced in dining out and while she IS 2.5 years old, she is NOT (generally) obnoxious. Besides the fact that she's a relatively well-behaved child, my husband and I take great care to ensure that she learns proper dining etiquette. We don't allow her to run around in restaurants*, not only is it rude but it's dangerous. I try to remember to bring activities (Color Wonder, mini Etch-A-Sketch**, etc) but when I fail, there's always Elmo videos on YouTube on my iPhone. We talk to and interact with Daughter so she doesn't get bored (that's typically when they get into trouble). She generally knows to use her "inside voice". She doesn't throw food or crawl around on the floor and if she gets out of control and warnings don't work, we get up and leave (and she knows we will). We also tidy up the table and tip well prior to departure.

Our waitress approached and asked us if we'd like something to drink. Milk for the toddler, water for me. The restaurant is more than half empty. This is important to note because had the restaurant been full or not well-staffed, my patience level would be much higher and I would have thought twice before bringing Toddler into someplace that might not be able to give us speedy service.

She brings us our drinks and while Daughter doesn't do well with straws & lids on her paper cups (she plays with them), I appreciate the thought the waitress put into making it child-friendly.

Unfortunately, that was pretty much the end to the child-friendly service.

I ordered a fruit cup & a Nutella w/Strawberry Preserves sandwich for Toddler and Gazpacho & a Veggie Wrap for me. I'm not sure if they were running out to a farm to gather the tomatoes for my Gazpacho but it took forever for my soup to arrive. Nothing for Toddler. The fruit cup was a separate order/dish/whatever you want to call it, so I'm not sure why Toddler's fruit cup didn't accompany my soup, first-course and all that. Perhaps, they think toddlers want to sit patiently and wait while others eat?

Thankfully, Toddler likes just about everything and even if she doesn't like something, she will nearly always try it. So we shared my soup while my eyes searched for a staff member who might be able to deliver the fruit cup. Toddler soon tired of my Gazpacho and wanted HER lunch. No kidding!? I had tempted her with fruit and a sandwich made of delights she rarely gets. My heart rate quickened as I watched Toddler fidget with increased energy. This was not good.

I spotted our waitress and called her over (she didn't even glance at us until I said, "Excuse me"). "Would you mind bringing us her fruit cup so that she has something to snack on?" No problem.

Maybe the kitchen is 10 miles from the restaurant? I'm beginning to wonder now. They certainly can't be picking the fruit for the fruit cup, can they?! FINALLY, our food arrives. Not just Toddler's fruit cup but the whole order. Success!

Or is it? She puts my plate in front of me and it is clearly a veggie BURGER. Very nice but not what I ordered. I should have kept my mouth shut but I was caught off guard and out of my mouth spilled, "This isn't what I ordered." She said she'd get my veggie wrap. I politely said, "I'm not sure it's worth it; Daughter is getting pretty restless." She told me she'd be quick and scurried off. And I waited.

Daughter polished off a good portion of her fruit and one of the sandwich halves by the time my lunch arrived. By this time I wasn't hungry and I was seeking a quick escape because I knew that we were nearly at Toddler's Expiration Date. I asked for a to-go box and the bill, please.

While waiting yet again, I ate half of my wrap and tried to entertain The Toddler. The waitress made at least 2 appearances in our general vicinity before she showed up with the bill. No to-go box. And she scurries off again. (I suppose I shouldn't use the term scurry because it might imply the slightest bit of speed to some readers and I would hate for the you to think that!).

Finally she delivers the to-go box and I throw our food in, look at the bill; I really shouldn't come here again.

We made it out alive, or rather I made it out with most of my sanity intact, no thanks to the waitress (Toddler was impressively well-behaved given the amount of waiting we had to do).

Perhaps I should draw up a contract for my next dining experience.
Here's what it would entail:

- I / We, Parent(s), do promise to contain my child and not allow them to endanger staff or themselves by running through the restaurant.
- Child will not be allowed to throw food or make large messes and if Child does, Parent(s) will make a valid attempt at cleanup and / or leave the premises with Child immediately.
- Child will not be allowed to scream and disturb other patrons.
- If Child cannot be controlled or managed by Parent(s), Parent(s) will remove Child from restaurant.
- Parent(s) will consider additional mess or effort required due to Child's presence when tipping.

In return,

- Waitstaff will offer to bring Child's food, or a portion of, immediately. If that is not an option, crackers or bread will be offered.
- Waitstaff will remember that speed is appreciated and while Parent(s) & Child shouldn't be ushered out, everyone needs to keep in mind that the longer a child sits, the more prone we all are to disaster.
- If you make a mistake and bring the wrong food, be honest about how long it will take to get the order right instead of promising to be quick and then failing. Time is of the essence here. I'd much rather go without lunch than experience a melt-down because you couldn't be honest with me.
- If in doubt, ASK. This is a good policy for life and I wish more people would do it. When encountering parents with a young child, ASK if they'd like their bill now or later. Yes, I suppose some might be offended but trust me, it's much better to offend one than have a string of bill-seeking, desperate parents on the hunt for you because their child just decided to wear a salad bowl into the kitchen after performing a version of Mission Impossible on the table.
- Don't forget the to-go box if asked for one. Really, after I've spent an hour waiting for a $6 peanut butter sandwich, I'm not in the mood to wait any longer, and yes, I do plan to take it with me (Child will be hungry as soon as we get home). In fact, bring a to-go box even if Parents don't ask. Worst case, diners don't want it. When you're dealing with small children, though, chances are, they'll want to take home what's left after Child took exactly one bite of his or her $12 macaroni & cheese.




*Daughter did this once to our great embarrassment and the remainder of our meal was spent taking turns dining alone while the other parent escorted our little convict on a walk outside.
**Cool site to see how Etch-A-Sketch works.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Rain, Rain, Go Away

I know what you're thinking, "It's June. And it was gorgeous today!" That's true but as I live in the beautiful state of Oregon, I must always be prepared for rain.

With a toddler, that means activities galore! I prefer to limit Daughter's television consumption to when I absolutely need to buy myself 5 minutes, or when we've had 2-3 consecutive snow days and I do not want to go outside for the umpteenth time.

Here are a couple of things I'm squirreling away for a rainy day:

The "I'm not bored anymore" Jar. Now, don't get me wrong, I didn't buy one of these. Not when there are so many opportunities to make one (or more) of my own! Grab a box, an empty jar, anything that will hold a bunch of goodies. Throughout the year, collect little knick knacks and stash them in the jar for later. When people send you cute cards, keep the side with the artwork. Look at things with the eyes of a child; if it's sparkly, cute or fuzzy, add it! Throw in some of those buttons you saved for the jacket you gave to charity 3 years ago. Tiny ribbons and little satin flowers or bits of lace can be added. Beads, googly eyes, fuzzy pompoms, stickers, pipe cleaners all add to the fun. You may or may not want to buy a few items to compliment the items you randomly come across.

Depending on the age of the child and / or how much supervision you want to provide, you can add some child-safe craft scissors, a glue stick and a metallic marker or puffy paints. I'm currently working on two: A holiday jar and an every day jar.
Coloring! Always a fun activity. If you're like me, there are some areas of the house that are "safe" for regular markers and crayons and there are others, where I'm just not willing to risk my walls, carpet or furniture. Overall, Daughter is well-behaved and I don't worry about her going crazy on my walls or furniture but, she's TWO, which means, all bets are off and I have to be prepared for anything. Knock on wood, nothing has happened yet. One of my all-time favorite products (great to bring to restaurants & Grandma's house too) is Crayola Color Wonder products. For regular markers and crayons, here's a website with a bunch of coloring pages to print out. Some of them are completely lame but others are pretty good. When printing, use the Print Preview & Page Setup functions to make sure the picture is sized properly and you aren't printing out extra pages or headers & footers.

FYI: You can print directly on the Color Wonder paper if you'd rather buy the drawing pad instead of the kits each time (one only needs so many sets of Color Wonder pens).


Other things to keep The Toddler happy on a rainy day: Baking cookies or cupcakes, Beads and more beads (at two, sorting colors, occasionally stringing them, etc) and playing chase around the dining room table (hey, I need some exercise on a rainy day too!).

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Baby Shower!

A wonderful and beautiful friend is expecting a son this July. Another friend and I were excited to throw her a baby shower.

For the comfort of the mother-to-be, we held the shower in her backyard.
On the menu:
Fresh Oregon strawberries
Fruit plate w/honeydew, grapes & pineapple
Vegetable platter
Cheese plate w/Roquefort, Champignon, Italian Truffle Cheese & Aged Gouda
Selection of crackers & Grand Central Seeded Pico
Chicken, cranberry & pecan finger sandwiches
Curried egg salad finger sandwiches
St Cupcake "dots"
Mini Pavlovas
Coconut chocolate bars
Rosé
Chardonnay
Champagne
A variety of sparkling lemonades & Perrier
Favors:
Gerber daisies wrapped in tissue paper
Games:
- The Rice & Safety Pin Game. Fill a bowl 3/4 of the way full with dry rice. Add a packet of small safety pins and mix them in well. Guests are blindfolded and given 1 minute to find as many safety pins as they can.
- Ribbon. Pass around a spool of ribbon. Each guest cuts off the length of ribbon she thinks will reach around the expectant mother's tummy. Once everyone has made a guess, the mom-to-be tests each length.
- Baby Photos. Each guest brings a baby photo of herself. The pictures are taped to a board and numbered. Guests attempt to match the pictures with the right guest.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Shoes, Shoes, Shoes

I feel like I'm constantly buying shoes for Daughter and if I'm not buying them, I need to. Her little feet grow so fast!

While I love shopping for shoes for ME, the idea of taking Daughter shoe-shopping does not fill me with glee. Battling the ever changing toddler moods, deciding if "we" are going to walk or carry her 35-lb body for blocks (I just can't do strollers and she doesn't have much patience for them either), convincing her to try on a shoe or God forbid, more than one, it's all more than I care to deal with. Time with Daughter should either be fun or in some way beneficial and shoe-shopping for her really isn't either. Not when there are alternatives.

Welcome to online shopping!

After looking online at Nordstrom, Zappos and Stride Rite, I decided I felt more comfortable with Stride Rite because they have a step-by-step sizing guide. Despite the sizing guide, I wasn't confident ordering shoes without consulting a professional so I found the store locator and called one of the area stores. Daughter measured a Toddler 8 and they recommend going at least 1/2 size up from the measured size.

I ended up buying a pair of sneakers for now, a pair for later (1/2 size up from "now" size) and a pair of sandals, all on sale.

Bonus points for calling: The sales consultant at Stride Rite told me if you order from the store vs online, shipping is FREE! Fabulous. And no trip to the store!

Monday, June 8, 2009

Razor Clams

A few weeks ago, Husband, Toddler & I met up with some friends and their kids to go clamming near Gearhart. I don't have a license (necessary!) so I looked for clam holes & hung out with the kids. Low tide was at a pretty comfortable hour and we got a late start (easy-to-do when you're trying to get out of the house with a child) but the three people with licenses, including Husband, all came away with their legal limit in about an hour or so. I'm thinking I need to get a license for next time! How to dig for clams (instructions).

Before we left for the coast, I emailed a friend to get her recipe. Problem was, neither Husband or I had ever cleaned the things before. I found this blog, with a pretty good description of how to clean them. Still, convincing Husband he needed to do this after reading instructions off of my iPhone, wasn't easy. Thankfully, a friend came over just in time to help. He'd learned earlier in the day how to clean razors and was more than happy to show us.

We did do a couple of things differently than in the blog. Our clamming friends told us that when we arrived home, we should stick the clams in cold water and let them purge. A friend later told me that kills them. I don't know whether that's true or not but they didn't do a lot of moving so why not?

With the help of Friend, we cleaned. Well, I watched while the boys did the work. We boiled water (same as blog) except rather than pouring the boiling water over the clams, we gently dropped a few at a time, into the boiling water, keeping them there until the shells popped open and the flesh started to move from the shells. From there, cleaning pretty much followed the blog.

Side story: While the clams were soaking in the cold water, Daughter wanted a look. Keep in mind, she's 2.5 yrs old and fast. Husband lifted her to get a good look at the clams in the sink but that wasn't sufficient. She wanted to touch one. Okay. By this time the clam had its neck and foot fully extended out of the shell. Husband grabs one from the pot and offers it to Daughter, who promptly BIT the clam. Ah, yes, I have a child who will try nearly anything. Definitely a positive but I'm not sure that raw razors are something she should be eating. Talking about it STILL makes Husband and I laugh.

The Recipe (courtesy of KMH):
Rinse clams and dry them with paper towels. One of the keys to success is to pound the clams thin using a heavy bottom pan, put them between two pieces of wax paper. Pay particular attention to the square tail end, it is thicker.

Set up three separate dredging stations, first flour, then eggs (beaten), then a mixture of fine bread crumbs (japanese panko works well) and bacon crumbles. If you can find smoked bacon that works well. To make the bacon crumbles from scratch, bake on a cookie sheet until mostly crisp, then finely dice.

Fry in a mixture of canola and butter (we used duck fat, so you'll not be able to replicate the flavor exactly unless you have a tub of duck fat in your fridge).
** I used Land O Lakes® Spreadable Butter with Canola Oil with bacon drippings because it was convenient at the time but I think using actual canola oil with the butter is probably a good idea even though the Spreadable Butter w/Canola worked.

Fry clams in hot oil for about 30 sec on each side and lay onto a crumpled brown paper bag to absorb the oil.
Sprinkle with sea salt and plate.
Serve w. aioli.

The recipe turned out great. Yum!

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Mama Tips

Some things I've learned since pregnancy & becoming a mom:

* A large purse placed strategically in front of your belly can help to prevent unwanted belly rubs. For some reason complete strangers (in addition to people you know) seem to think it's alright to "reach out and touch someone" if she is pregnant. I've never understood this. First, I'm not fond of people touching me to begin with and touching a person's stomach, well, would it be ok to do that to a non-pregnant person? C'mere, you Pillsbury Dough Boy... Now, add to that intrusiveness, a mama bear protecting her young. Seriously, you want to mess with that?

To be fair, some women don't mind. Some even like it. You don't know which side of the fence a woman falls on though so it's a good idea to ask FIRST. That means before your hand touches, thank you. And don't get angry or try to argue your case if she says no. No means no, not maybe and not you might be able to cajole me into letting you cop a feel.

* Traditional Cloth Diapers are better than fancy burp rags (credit to my friend, Jasmine). They are larger and very absorbent. Fancy burp rags don't cover nearly the acreage a small 6 lb 7 oz baby can cover in a single spit up and I didn't even have a constant spit-up and frequently projectile kind of baby. Since traditional cloth diapers are about 3 times the size of fancy burp rags, they also soak up a whole lot more when you're doing clean up duty throughout their toddler years. TCD are also less expensive.

* OxyClean & a bucket of water can save all those cute clothes from the never-wear-again-pile (credit to my mom). Spit up turns yellow if you don't treat it and once they start eating on their own, you see all sorts of stains. I keep a bucket in my laundry area and a giant Costco-sized box of OxyC ready to go. Clothing comes off and goes into the bucket, warm water + a scoop of OxyC and I just let it soak, adding clothes to the bucket until laundry day comes. Laundry day arrives and the clothes go into the washer with another scoop of OxyC then I hang dry the items just in case they need another soak (sometimes necessary for spaghetti, grass & mud stains). Whatever you do, don't put stained items in the dryer; you'll set the stain. My clothes often end up in the OxyC bucket too...

* Hanna Anderson Organic Cotton Pilot Cap was my favorite baby hat. It ties on and covers well (including ears!) without slipping down over Baby's eyes (a sure opportunity for fussing or worse). It's soft and comes in a variety of colors & sizes to grow with your baby. Unless you have a preemie, I'd start with the XS (not the XXS) because there will be more room for growth. If large heads run in your family, you may want to start with the S size.

Monday, June 1, 2009

Do As I Say

Even before I had a child, I knew, on some level, that kids learn through emulating the behavior around them. I guess I didn't consider how quickly it could happen and how difficult it would be to change those little bad habits. Oops.

In some ways, knowing I have a human sponge soaking up every infraction, helps me be a better person. I've become more aware of my "pleases", my "thank yous" and most definitely my eating habits (whole grain, please; limit the salt; dessert is a treat, not the beginning, end & middle).

Other things are more difficult to change, and in some cases, I don't even realize I'm doing (or not doing) something until I notice that Mini Me has picked up some behavior or habit I'd prefer she not. Sigh.