The Olivia & Emma Show

I think I need to visit this blog more often

2011-03-11T19:34:00.003-05:00

Geez oh petes.

I clearly haven't been here in a while.

November 2009...really??

OK, so in that time, Olivia has finished kindergarten, started first grade and is growing like a weed. Emma is flourishing in preschool/daycare - which eases the whole "mommy guilt" thing (a bit).

I promise to hang out here more.

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-03T09:28:00.001-05:00

Happy first day of school!

2009-08-31T14:59:00.004-04:00

Olivia & mommy at the bus stop!

Happy first day of kindergarten, Olivia! Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you! You are going to learn so many new things and make so many wonderful friends. You were so brave getting on the bus this morning...you didn't cry, you didn't even look scared. It was as if you had been doing it for years. I cannot believe that you're already in school -- you are growing up so fast. But, we are going to have so much fun this year!

Love,
Mommy & Daddy and Emma

Kindergarten!

2009-08-26T15:40:00.003-04:00

Olivia @ her locker!

The new student!

In her classroom

Classes officially start Monday!

A milestone

2009-06-03T10:32:00.003-04:00

Today, at 2:30 p.m., Olivia is graduating from preschool!

Olivia. Graduating. From preschool.

I just want to know one thing: where in the world did the last five years go? How is it that my baby, my first born is starting kindergarten in August?!?

I will post more after the ceremony (and, after I stop crying).

A reflection on history

2008-11-06T09:01:00.005-05:00

Dear Olivia & Emma,

Something truly amazing and wonderful happened two nights ago - America elected its first African-American president. This is a moment in history that I am preserving for you both - by collecting newspaper front pages, magazine covers and news stories about this day. It is the step forward that we as a country needed to take in order to finally put behind us the years of racial divide in our country.

You are both too young to understand why this is so important or why it means so much to so many. To you, Barack Obama was just a man on TV who was running for president - you are too young to understand what that means. Soon enough though, you will both learn the history of our country and will come to know words such as slavery and civil rights - and then you will, I hope, truly understand why this is such an historic moment for the United States.

Knowing (hoping) that this year was going historical, I made it a point last month to take you both to see Barack Obama at a rally here in Toledo. Olivia, you were very excited. You listened to his speech and even picked out a "Kids 4 Obama" T-shirt after the rally. Emma, you were still too young to understand...and ended up sleeping through the rally. But we have pictures to prove that you were both there.

Olivia, you spent the last few weeks before the election writing "Obama" on pieces of paper and drawing pictures of Sen (President-elect) Obama. My favorite picture is when you drew him with a purple crayon and then made him wear a green suit. A classic piece of art. You walked around the house yelling "Obama! Joe Biden!" And on election day Olivia, you said you wanted to vote for Obama. You have no idea how proud I was of you at that moment.

It makes me so happy to know that because of this election it is possible that you will both grow up in a world where race is no longer something we focus on with such intensity. My hope is that as you grow, everyone of every race, gender, creed and sexual orientation will finally be treated as true equals. My hope is that by the time you are both old enough to vote, we will have elected women presidents and Hispanic presidents and openly gay presidents and that FINALLY there will no longer be glass ceilings to be broken or racial barriers to be torn down. I want you to grow up in a world where you KNOW without any doubt that everyone is created equally and where everyone is treated as such.

I want you both to know that I cried on election night. I was the only one still awake at our house and as I sat on the couch, surrounded by my cell phone, laptop and a small pile of Halloween candy, I cried tears of joy and celebration. Joy because I knew that this election brought with it a new world of change and possibility for everyone, regardless of what color state you lived in or what ticket you voted. Celebration because at 11 p.m. EST the American dream was finally realized.

Love,
mama

Funny Emma

2008-08-07T15:21:00.002-04:00

Driving the girls home from daycare today I had the minivan windows rolled down -- no a/c today, it's too NICE outside.

Suddenly from the backseat I hear Emma cracking up.

I quickly glance back to see what is so funny and see that she's laughing AT THE WIND.

Yes, the wind.

As it blew through the windows and over her face and hair she found great humor in it all.

It was so pure and so lovely.

I think we should all find humor in simple things that like.

Cedar Point!

2008-07-24T09:05:00.001-04:00

An update on the girls...

2008-07-24T08:42:00.005-04:00

I realize that I don't post here as often as I should...but the girls keep me busy!

Olivia is 4 1/2 and is turning into such a "grown up" little girl. Oh my. It's amazing to watch her every day. She's so smart and so sweet and LOVES being the big sister. She calls Emma "emmenem" and "pumpkin pie". Love that!

It's hard to believe that in a year Olivia will be starting KINDERGARTEN! Where does the time go? For now, she's in a preschool program at the daycare and decided on Monday that she wanted to take a Phonics class. Her BFF Avery is taking the class and I think that was one of the main reasons Olivia wanted to do it. But, it's going to be good for her -- she's still in speech therapy during the school year for her delay...so any extra lessons will be beneficial.

Olivia and Avery. Apparently they are two peas in a pod at daycare. I love that Olivia has made friends like that - I still feel guilt every day that my kids have to be at daycare and can't be at home with me.

Sometimes I miss being a stay at home mom. I hate that I'm missing important milestones -- but at the same time, I know they are learning valuable things that will help them as they grow. It's definitely a catch-22.

Emma. My little peanut Emma-nem. She's 18 months old today and she's is such a doll. Loves to cuddle. And is getting into everything. No more pack-and-play for her!

Em is a little comedian...always doing something to make us laugh. Her new obsession is throwing things away in our garbage - she picks things off the floor and walks into the kitchen, opens the garbage "drawer" and throws it in. I have to be careful though...she has a tendency to throw out Olivia's toys!

Emma has been suffering from ear infections for the past year. It seems that every 6 weeks or so she was getting sick...and so last week we went to the ENT doctor and he said "TUBES!". So, on August 25th, baby Em is getting tubes in her ears. I just hope that they do their job and make her better.

Em seems to be doing well at daycare too...although Kevin says every morning she screams and cries when he leaves her -- but when he checks on her again she's perfectly fine. Sounds like a future acting career is in the stars for her!

We took a 'staycation' earlier this month -- spent a short weekend at Cedar Point. I'll post some photos soon. We're going to make that our new annual "family trip" -- and make it be part of the girl's b-day presents. With January b-days it's hard to do anything "fun" when there's a ton of snow outside and it's freezing. So, we'll do "half-birthdays" in July!

We're hoping to go to the "beach" on Lake Erie this weekend...if we do, I'll post more photos.

New pics of the girls....

2008-06-09T10:07:00.001-04:00

A mini movie

2008-05-03T11:29:00.001-04:00

Spring has sprung!

2008-05-02T19:59:00.000-04:00

My girls.

2008-04-04T10:07:00.001-04:00

Let the teeting begin!

2008-03-18T09:51:00.003-04:00

Well, it's not just one, single lonely tooth anymore.

Emma currently has seven or eight teeth coming in. All at the same time.

I think the kid is miserable.

I also think it's a good thing that we cannot remember how painful teething really is.

Baby Motrin is a god-send.

Finally!

2008-02-15T15:42:00.003-05:00

Well, it has only taken almost 13 months, but Emma finally has a tooth coming in.

One single, very lonely tooth.

A photo will follow soon -- once I can pry her mouth open and have enough time to take a photo before she tries to bite me.

At this rate, she might be 2 before she has all her teeth.

Bubble Wrap!

2008-01-06T10:12:00.000-05:00

As Olivia and I sat at the kitchen table this morning, popping bubble wrap bubbles, she looked at me and said, "Momma, this is so much fun."

It was hilarious to watch her. She popped each bubble individually. Very serious about the whole thing.

And really, it was so much fun.

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-23T07:28:00.001-05:00

Olivia & Emma say:

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-06T18:11:00.000-05:00

See the girls as dancing elves, thanks to ElfYourself from Office Max.

Here.

I'm stuck!

2007-12-03T16:15:00.000-05:00

Olivia's new thing to say when I tell her it's time to get up in the morning: "I can't, I'm stuck in bubblegum."

Now, I have no idea where she learned that (or how she knows that bubblegum is sticky), but it's so darn cute.

And Emma...well, her new thing to say is "Hi!", while waving. It's so cute. She's so proud of herself. I walk by and she says "Hi!" with a wave. And then laughs. And she's only 10 months old.

I tell ya, my kids are brilliant.

And she's off!

2007-11-19T19:42:00.000-05:00

The girl just wants to GO!

Olivia says: Go Bucks!

2007-11-19T19:09:00.000-05:00

Olivia, as an OSU cheerleader, crushes the competition.

Our first press!

2007-11-19T12:21:00.001-05:00

Check out the Toledo Free Press this week online.

Lisa Renee mentions our blog in her Blog it Toledo column.

Thanks!!!

Happy Halloween!

2007-11-01T19:50:00.000-04:00

Olivia and Emma - Halloween 2007.

This was the first year that Olivia really "got it" at Halloween -- she understood that we were going to get candy from strangers. She loves dressing up in her princess costumes, so that was easy. I think she made 3 separate trips out around the neighborhood - each time with different people in tow.

Emma...well, she didn't quite understand what was going on. We dressed her up, stuck her in the stroller and took her with us. She probably thought: "Why am I dressed as a fairy to go on a walk?"

All in all...it was a lot of fun.

Disney photos!

2007-09-26T14:20:00.000-04:00

Emma-nem!

2007-07-25T10:41:00.001-04:00

Too (two?) cute

2007-07-17T10:42:00.001-04:00

Singing in the sprinkler

2007-06-11T20:42:00.001-04:00

Do we look alike?

2007-06-01T09:35:00.000-04:00

Emma's daddy and I both think

she looks a little like

the baby girl ogre. :)

(In a cute, good way...of course!)

Cereal!

2007-05-17T20:33:00.001-04:00

Emma had her first bowl of cereal tonight.

We think she liked it. She slurped it up

pretty good...and made a big mess.

How fast they grow!

Could I be any cuter?

2007-04-16T09:44:00.000-04:00

Happy Easter

2007-04-09T14:17:00.000-04:00

All dressed up for Easter Mass.

How cute it the hat??

Olivia's fake tattoo

2007-03-27T15:47:00.000-04:00

My mommy has 2 tattoos....

so why can't I have a fake one?

Olivia models her "new" fake

Tinkerbell tattoo.

Smiling baby...

2007-03-27T15:46:00.001-04:00

Olivia as the little mermaid

2007-03-17T21:51:00.001-04:00

Olivia puts her own "twist" on

the Little Mermaid....

St. Patty's baby....

2007-03-17T21:50:00.000-04:00

shhh....

2007-03-08T14:28:00.001-05:00

So cute..

2007-02-19T14:35:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day

2007-02-14T14:48:00.000-05:00

Hey! Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Sisterly love....

2007-01-29T12:26:00.000-05:00

They are unstoppable!

2007-01-29T12:24:00.000-05:00

My brother-in-law created this photo.

I think it's hilarious!

Baby love

2007-01-29T12:15:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the world, Emma Grace.

January 24, 2007

Happy Birthday!

2007-01-09T08:58:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to you!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!

2006-12-18T09:14:00.000-05:00

Bye, bye pacifiers!

2006-12-11T08:54:00.000-05:00

We finally did it -- we managed to get Olivia to give up her pacifier (or, as she
calls it, her "mimi").

I was tired of listening to her say "Mommy, I need my mimi"....and so, on Friday night, we told her that we needed her to put them all in a box and wrap them up for baby Emma.

She was all for it. We found a pretty gold box, filled it will all her mimis and wrapped it up in Disney Princess wrapping paper...and put it under the Xmas tree for baby Emma. Then we told her that when Emma is born she can bring the present to the hospital.

It seems to have worked. She went to bed Friday night without asking for the mimi. And since then she's only asked for it twice -- much less of a fight than Kevin and I thought it would be.

Now, we must work on potty training. I would LOVE to have that somewhat mastered by the time Emma arrives -- it would be nice to only have 1 kid in diapers. :)

Happy Halloween!

2006-11-01T07:13:00.000-05:00

Off to trick-or-treat with Daddy!

By the end of the night,

Olivia's bucket was filled to

the top with candy!

Olivia dressed up as

Sleeping Beauty.

And what a beauty she was!

A visit to the pumpkin patch

2006-10-21T15:14:00.000-04:00

Looking for the right pumpkin!

A day at the salon

2006-10-21T15:09:00.000-04:00

Olivia had her bangs trimmed today...but one would have thought she was going in for a full day of salon services. She is such a girly-girl...I love it!

She had to show off her very blue tongue, having just enjoyed a blue raspberry Dum-Dum sucker.

I just love the shot of her looking in the mirror. What a girl.

Fall!

2006-10-10T20:42:00.000-04:00

Olivia loves the falling leaves!

Tickle me elmo....or not

2006-09-26T08:19:00.000-04:00

Olivia has decided on yet another potential name for baby.

Elmo.

Yep, that's right. She wants to name her new baby sister after the very cute Sesame Street character. We aren't sure why.

First it was 'Rella (short for Cinderella). Now it's Elmo.

I don't think either of those names are on the short list.

Olivia checks out the ultrasound photos

2006-09-16T12:37:00.000-04:00

Olivia wanted to see photos of her baby sister...so we gave her the ultrasound photos. We aren't sure if she knew what she was looking at - she has a rather puzzled look on her face.

"Um, mama...what exactly is this?"

The Wiggles!

2006-08-15T21:45:00.000-04:00

We took Olivia to see The Wiggles live in concert. She had a great time. Here are a few pics.

Pretty as a princess, part 2

2006-08-04T15:58:00.000-04:00

All dressed up and ready to go...with flower in hand. Olivia is growing up SO fast!!!!

Olivia's first E.R. visit

2006-06-01T12:53:00.000-04:00

Olivia made her first trip to the E.R. this morning. She is proudly displaying her injury in the photo.

Here's the scoop: She was brushing her teeth (and hates to be helped) and slipped off her step stool and BAM! -- hit her chin on the countertop and her top teeth went into her bottom lip. Instant hole in the lip.

The ever-so-unhelpful ped's office said "if she needs stiches, we don't do that here, so you might as well take her to the emergency room."

And so, we did. Olivia thought her admittance "bracelet" was rather cool...for a short time. And she freaked out when the doctor came in. But we came out of it OK - no stitches required and only 5 days on amoxocillin.

Pretty as a princess

2006-05-21T13:51:00.000-04:00

Look at me!

I'm in my new dress, ready for church!

Bath time paparazzi

2006-05-11T08:28:00.000-04:00

Hey lady! I said NO photographs during

bath time! Geez, can't a girl get a break?

Potty time with Olivia

2006-04-30T13:56:00.000-04:00

No, this isn't about potty training...we haven't yet ventured down that road.

However, Olivia's fascination with the toilet continues....

Yesterday morning we put her down for an early nap and went outside to do yardwork. We thought (incorrectly) that she was sleeping.

When we finished the mulching and went upstairs we discovered what our little darling had really been doing. Playing in the toilet. The bowl was filled with toilet paper and the walls were dripping wet. And Olivia was very impressed with her work.

I caught her in the act today. I thought I heard her get out of her bed, but when I came upstairs her door was shut. Ok, I thought, I'm hearing things. And then I walked into the master bathroom just as my little darling was walking out...with wet hands and a guilty smile. Real cute.

Very tricky, this one. She shuts her door to make me think she's still in there....and all the while, she's in my bathroom.

Yeah, laugh all you want. My mom thinks it's hilarious.

We're buying locks for the toilets ASAP.

Ch-ch-ch-changes, Part 2

2006-04-08T19:32:00.000-04:00

Olivia decided to do a bit of climbing on Thursday...right out of her crib!

She woke up from her nap, I opened her door and said "mommy will be right back" and all of a sudden I heard "thud" and the pitter-patter of little feet. And there she was -- standing in my room with a huge smile on her face. "Hi!", she said.

We figured it was only a matter of time before she figured out how to escape the confines of the crib...but it was still a bit of a shock.

I put her back in the crib and said "show mommy how you got out"...and without a moment's hesitation, she threw her legs over the side and PLOP!...she was out. It was rather hilarious to watch...she was so proud.

So that night, we converted the crib to the toddler daybed...and now we're just waiting to see if or when she is going to fall out. But at least if she does take a tumble, it's only a few inches to the floor...instead of a few feet from the top of the crib.

Sigh...my baby is growing up too fast!

Color me happy

2006-03-23T14:25:00.000-05:00

Olivia has found a new outlet for her boundless energy - coloring. I've been trying for months to get her to pick up the crayons and color, but as usual, things have to be done on her time.

She finally picked up the crayons the other night and started to color - on a garbage can. I came downstairs to see why she was so quiet and there she was - sitting on the basement floor, coloring away.

And now, it's all she wants to do. She will sit for at least an hour or two surrounded by her washable Crayolas and piles of white paper, scribbling away.

I am not one to stifle anyone's creativity, so we're just letting her color away. If it makes her happy, we're happy.

In fact, we're going to buy her an easel so she can color more.

I'm actually hoping that the coloring will lead to other forms of expression - such as talking.

Olivia still refuses to talk, more than the occasional word like "hi" or "mama" or "daddy." She has yet to form a sentence, although I'm sure the words are in there. Kevin and I both think that she's being stubborn and one of these days it's all going to come tumbling out. [Hopefully, without all the colorful swear words that I'm always saying].

The coloring took a while, I guess talking will come in time.

In the meantime, I'll post some of her artwork soon.

A few more Disney pics

2006-03-15T09:05:00.000-05:00

With Mommy, Chip and Dale...

In front of Cinderella's castle...

Testing the waters in Clearwater

Disney World

2006-03-11T21:30:00.000-05:00

Olivia's first trip to the Magic Kingdom was wonderful. She seemed to be amazed every time she met a new character and wasn't scared of any of them.

However, we did have a minor lapse in judgment -- we took her on "Snow White's Scary Adventure" and she screamed thru the entire ride. I mean SCREAMED. Guess the "scary" in the ride's name should have been a tip off that it wasn't suitable for a 2 year old. Oh well, live and learn. At least she liked "It's a Small World."

Ch-ch-ch-changes....

2006-02-17T21:18:00.000-05:00

Had to finally take down the pack-and-play today. I probably should have done it months ago (at least weeks ago), but I kept delaying the inevitable. [Plus, it was a nice place to plop the kid when I needed to do something, such as shower]. However, our little angel decided to climb out of her pack and play yesterday.

I was upstairs and suddenly heard a slight "thud" and then crying. As I ran down the stairs expecting the worst, my darling pre-schooler ran into the living room smiling and laughing. She was, I think, rather proud of herself. The crying..well, that was due to the fact that she left her sippy cup of milk in the pack and play. Apparently, this escape was not well-planned.

We're just waiting for her to figure out how to climb out of the crib. When that happens, it'll be time for the toddler bed. Next thing we know, she'll be asking for the car keys.

Kids grow up way too fast.

A minor name change

2006-02-10T13:44:00.000-05:00

Decided that I had to make a minor change to the title of this blog.

Apparently, my 2-year-old is no longer a toddler, she is offiically a "preschooler." I suppose that I knew this, but it was confirmed in a monthly email I recieved yesterday titled "Your preschooler this month - 25 months old."

So, it's now Olivia's Timeouts - same content, just a different name.

Enjoy!

Cutie pie

2006-01-19T15:39:00.000-05:00

Sometimes it's all about the cuteness.

Pack your bags..it's time for a guilt trip!

2006-01-18T09:02:00.000-05:00

Olivia has mastered a new art form: the guilt trip.

As I was leaving for bar review last night she had a complete meltdown - crying, screaming, grabbing at my coat -- it was really enough to garner an Academy Award nomination.

It's not as if she's stuck at day care all day and never gets to see me. Nope, she spends all day with me - unless I have to teach. But almost every night when I get ready to leave for bar review, the waterworks start.

It makes me feel bad. I'm sure it makes Kevin feel bad (as in: "Hey kid, it's your daddy here. I'm gonna be taking care of you tonight...isn't that OK?").

I'm also sure that as soon as I walk out the door, she stops and is happy as a lark. It's all just a ploy to keep me from going to bar review. Smart kid.

Elmo's potty mouth

2006-01-12T09:41:00.000-05:00

Olivia and I made the local news yesterday - and no, it wasn't because I finally gave in to my Starbucks rage and changed a poopy diaper in the middle of a coffehouse!

It was all about Elmo (as is usually the case in any household with a 2 year old).

Olivia received this book for her birthday called "Potty Time with Elmo" - it's one of those books with the sound buttons on the side. Well, little did we know what sounds would be coming from the book.

When we opened the book, my brother-in-law said "that's the book people are selling on Ebay for $60", because according to him, Elmo asked if someone wanted to die. I said, "oh sure", thinking that no way could that cute little red monster ever say anything terrible. I was wrong.

Sure enough, when you press the button for "Baby David" (Elmo's doll) it says "Uh oh! Who wants to die!?" -- in Elmo's cute little voice no less. It sounds rather sinister, actually. (It's supposed to say "Uh oh! Who has to go?")

Being the responsible mom that I am, I contacted the publishing company and informed them of the "defect" in the book. Within 5 minutes of my email being sent, I received an email from the company that said this: Thank you for notifying us about your experience with Potty Time with Elmo, We apologize for the inconvenience this has caused we aware of this problem and we are issuing a revised version of the book. We would be more than happy to send you a replacement. If you like please call me direct at 312-649-3619 or e-mail me your shipping information in order to make the necessary arrangements.

Now I'm thinking: ARE YOU KIDDING ME???

This company knows that the book is defective, yet it's still being sold to unsuspecting kids and their parents? Normally, when a child's toy is defective the manufacturer will issue a recall and replace all existing toys with non-defective ones. Not in this case. Rather than recalling all the "Potty Time with Elmo" books and replacing them with books that have the correct phrase, this company is WAITING for parents to contact them.

This is not only LAZY, but it's completely IRRESPONSIBLE.

So, I made a decision - I emailed the local ABC affiliate here in Toledo and told them my story. And yesterday morning a cameraman showed up and did an interview with me and Olivia.

We were on the 5 and 5:30 newscast and as I type, we are still the "top" story on the 13ABC website (http://www.13abc.com/). The headline is: "Elmo book has unusual message." To say the least.

[Continuing my "15 minutes" -- this morning I was a "guest" on a local radio show].

My whole point of contacting the media was to make other parents aware of this book and to maybe make local retailers take notice and voluntarily take the "defective" books off their shelves and get replacements from the publisher. My brother-in-law actually found several copies at a local Wal-Mart, and they all contained the "who wants to die" statement. Seems to me that the company is doing nothing.

Meanwhile, I am going to keep the offending book -- and try to get a replacement from the company.

[Note: As of 1-12-06, there were 4 copies of the "defective" book being sold on EBay. The highest bid as of today was $25.99].

2006-01-08T22:24:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday!!!

Dear Anonymous.....

2005-12-15T11:01:00.000-05:00

In response to my recent vent about Starbucks lack of parent-friendly accommodations, someone left this comment on the blog:

Anonymous said...
Gee, I am glad I am not such a bitter person. Sorry everything and everyplace on earth is such an insult to you. Sad, you could probably learn to be a much happier person. But do keep standing up for all those rights you think you deserve! Just found your blog browsing by. I shall look forward to your comments about my reply.

Just to clear things up a bit for this "anonymous" non-parent....

1. I am not a bitter person. I am a parent, which is a full-time job that is hard enough on its own without restaurants and coffee shops making it even harder by not having high chairs, changing tables and the like.

2. I never said that everything and everyplace (which is really 2 words: every place) on earth is an insult to me. Obviously "anonymous" has no kids or he/she would be able to understand the frustration that comes with having to change a poopy diaper in the front seat of a car when it's 35 degrees outside.

3. And yes, I do think that every parent deserves to be treated the same as any other customer at any establishment. Actually, we should be treated better...we're raising future customers. Non-parents just don't get it. Broken high chairs, negative attitudes toward kids, nowhere to change diapers -- things like that MATTER when you have kids.

4. Oh and for the record, I am a very happy person.

So, "Anonymous", I am not a bitter, unhappy person, I'm a parent who is often stressed to the max and annoyed to the point of exhaustion with the stupidity of non-parents.

And it's obvious that you just don't get it. So until the day comes when you have to change a diaper in the front seat of your car in the dead of winter because your local coffee shop doesn't have a changing table, how 'bout if you just shut the hell up.

No kids at Starbucks!

2005-11-29T18:38:00.000-05:00

Went to a local Starbucks today, with Olivia in tow (we were waiting for Xmas photos to be developed) and came to the conclusion that the American coffee palace has a secret anti-kids policy.

Sure, they have 8 oz. kid's drinks for a buck. And chocolate chip cookies and rice krispie treats too. But it's what they don't have that makes me think they dislike kids.

First, there are no high chairs. To a parent such as myself, this means: "Keep your kids out of our stores. We sell over-priced coffee drinks and play "cool" music and our non-parent clients don't want your kids interrupting their NY Times crossword puzzle."

I can almost get past the high chairs now that Olivia likes to sit in a regular chair. But still, the lack of high chairs sends a definite message.

It's the other missing necessity that really pisses me off. There are NO changing tables.

I needed to change Olivia's diaper -- but found that there was not a changing table in the restroom. I was THISCLOSE to plopping her down on one of the tables in the store and changing the very stinky poopy diaper right there (that certainly would have made my point) -- but I decided better of it. Instead, I had to change my daughter's diaper in the car, when it was 35 degrees outside. Neither of us were very happy about that. In retrospect, I should have changed her on the table, in front of all the other patrons - it SO would have been worth it to see their faces.

I've made the argument before - if a restaurant or coffee shop does not want kids to come inside, then post a sign on the door that says "NO KIDS ALLOWED." It's really very simple. If you don't have a sign, then you damn well better expect parents to come in with their kids in tow. And if we're coming in, then you damn well better cater to those us and our kids. Whiche means - have changing tables in both restrooms and have high chairs available.

Those eating and drinking establishments who refuse to cater to clients with kids better realize right quick that we are a very powerful and LOUD bunch and we will make your shortcomings known to everyone we know. Hey Starbucks - No changing table? Well, guess what -- a local coffee shop right down the road from me has a changing table. They probably have high chairs too. Guess who is going to get my business? Not you, Starbucks.

Happy Halloween, Part 2

2005-11-02T09:43:00.000-05:00

Trick-or-Treat!

Happy Halloween!

2005-10-31T13:31:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween!!!

Dining out

2005-09-13T15:54:00.000-04:00

Went out to lunch today - which is always something of an adventure with a toddler in tow. It always makes it so much more interesting though when you go somewhere that isn't exactly "kid friendly."

First, the hostess takes us to the table (really, one of those round booths that aren't suitable for toddlers or babies in car seats - we had both in our group), and I say to her, "I need a highchair." To which she responds, "Oh someone is bringing one."

Meanwhile, I'm standing there holding Olivia, who is squirming and irritated because she can't get down and run around. Now, why would it have been so difficult for the hostess to carry a freakin' high chair to the table? After all, she walked right past them. I guess the menus were too much for her to handle, let alone carrying a high chair too. Never mind the fact that I mananged to walk through the entire dining room carrying a 20-month old, a diaper bag and my purse. I probably could have carried the damn high chair too.

Finally, the designated high chair carrier arrives and thankfully, the high chair was in relatively OK shape. That's a huge pet peeve of mine -- high chairs that are well beyond their "use by" date. I have lost count of the number of places I've gone where the high chairs were all in various states of disrepair. Either they are missing part of the lock clip on the safety belt, or the safety belt is tied in a knot, so as to keep it at "one size fits small" presumably, or the chair only has one part of the safety belt, or all the screws are loose and the chair is ready to fall to pieces.

I admit, I get a little pissed off about the high chairs. But really, is it that much to ask to have safe and clean high chairs for my kid? And when you question the owner or manager about the state of their chairs they always look at you as if you had just asked them to end hunger worldwide. I actually had a pizzeria owner say to me that it was "really expensive" to get highchairs fixed. Gee, I wonder how expensive a personal injury lawsuit would be if a child fell out of one of those broken or damaged chairs? When I find a chair that is unsafe, I always request a different chair. I don't care if it makes me look like a crazed mom. I want my kid to be safe.

Another point of contention with me -- kids menus, or the lack thereof. My statement is this: if you don't want kids to eat at your restaurant, then put a sign on the door that say "NO KIDS." Otherwise, have a kids menu. It's that simple. You don't need to have crayons or other fun stuff (although, that's nice too), just have a menu for kids.

I guess my point is this: going out to eat with kids is hard enough - restaurants should make it easier on us by having safe seats, good kids menus and a good attitude about kids. If they can't do that, then just hang up that "NO KIDS" sign and we'll get the message.

An extra hug today...

2005-08-31T21:26:00.000-04:00

Spent most of the day watching CNN. The tragedy unfolding in New Orleans and the rest of the Gulf Coast areas affected by Hurricane Katrina is mind-boggling.

I sat here this afternoon, trying to imagine what I would take with me if we had to evacuate our home. Here's my list so far: Kevin, Olivia, the 2 dogs - Jake and Mollie, the 2 cats - Daisy and Gatsby, our photos, my wedding dress, our cameras, clothes, diapers, Olivia's blanket and stuffed toys, food, water, cell phones, home movies...the list goes one and on. Basically, it would take both cars and probably a U-Haul to take it all. But that isn't realistic, now is it?

It is unimaginable to me...what these people are dealing with. Many of them have no homes or belongings to come home to. They have the clothes on their backs and memories. That is what's left for most -- only memories.

I said today that I won't complain anymore about how tough things seem to be. The residents of the Gulf Coast have it much, much harder.

Sure, our gas prices went up to $3.09 a gallon...but at least we have 2 cars to drive. Yes, money is tight right now, but at least Kevin has a job and we have a home to keep us safe and warm. We have electricity, food, water and all the basic necessities that probably seem like luxuries to those living in Katrina's aftermath.

My thoughts and prayers to everyone on the Gulf Coast tonight.

Believe me, Olivia got many extra hugs and kisses today, just because.

Fruit Salad...Yummy, Yummy!

2005-08-30T13:16:00.000-04:00

Why fruit salad, you ask? Because I have The Wiggles on my brain. All day, all night. I go to bed at night singing their silly songs and wake up in the morning still singing them. It used to be annoying, now it's just plain weird. Of course, if you spent every day watching at least 2 - 3 hours of The Wiggles with your toddler, you'd probably do the same thing.

Olivia is OBSESSED with The Wiggles. Seriously, I think the girl needs a toddler 12-step program or something. She screeches like a banshee when she sees them on the Disney Channel or on the shelves in a toy store or a bookstore. She even makes a beeline to the Wiggles DVDs at the video store. I'm not sure how or when it happened...but The Wiggles have become a daily part of our routine.

And I hate to admit it, but I'm kinda fond of the guys from Down Under. Yeah, at first they seemed a bit, well, freakish. Four grown men, dressed in knock-off Star Trek uniforms, dancing around with a giant dog, a green and yellow polka dotted dinosaur and a pirate named Captain Feathersword. But they grow on you, like some sort of fun, funky mold.

I can sing just about every song word for word (much to my husband's annoyance) and, as much as I hate to admit it, I actually LIKE some of the songs ("Eagle Rock" comes to mind). And, yeah, a couple of them are sort of cute.

And so, another day of Wiggle-induced mania begins....stay tuned for more fruit salad and hot potatoes! Hoop Dee Do!