Moving

Hi Everyone!
This blog will be moving. I am relocating to my own websit: www.pollyhidalgo.com. Please join me there!

A Trip to the Theatre - Part One

This is probably going to be an ongoing series of posts since I work in theatre and spend a lot of time around them.

This time I took Slim. We went to see the show Ella at the Omaha Community Playhouse. (It is the largest community playhouse in the country and it was founded in 1924 and starred a 20 year old journalism student named Henry Fonda in its first season!)

If you can't tell, OCP holds a special place in my heart. I have had the priviledge of working shows there for the last 5+ years.

Ella was a spectacular show starring Kathy Tyree as Ella Fitzgerald. The show was a combination of biography, one woman show, and a musical review. It was simply spectacular. I can think of no other words to describe it.

I took one picture of the set before the show started and you can see it below. The set was beautifully designed by Jim Othuse and made use of beaded columns that changed color depending on the mood of the song or of the show at that moment. (Jim was also the lighting designer for the show.)

I saw Ella on its last weekend and was thrilled. I wish I had seen it opening weekend so that I could have encouraged more people to go see it.

I wasn't sure that Slim would enjoy the show since he didn't even know who Ella Fitzgerald was. (I grew up listening to her music. Thanks, Grandma!) However, he really had a good time, even tapping his foot along to some of the more upbeat songs and laughing at the jokes.

I think we both had a great time (but do you know how difficult it is to get more than a shrug and a, "Yeah,"?)

A Day in the Life - Late April

5:34 am - Cookie starts getting restless so I'm up. She's decided that a stinky diaper is the best way to start the day so we start off with a diaper change. I put her in a sleeper since today is going to be rainy & chilly.

No point in going back to bed.

My knees are stiff and the first trip down the stairs in the morning is about as painful as my last trip up them after working all day.

6:00am - My first alarm goes off. I call Sand to wake him. Yes, I call his cell phone. My knees can't take another trip down a flight of stairs to his bedroom this early. (Not to mention the trip back up.)

6:04 - I put Cookie in her swing and start for the kitchen.

6:05 - I start to make coffee only to discover that when someone made coffee the day before the grounds overflowed all over the inside of the machine. So I clean the coffee maker then I can make coffee.

6:15 - Banana arrives downstairs. And I go back up to grab a load of laundry, wake the younger three kids, and weigh myself. But we are NOT talking about that...

6:18 - Walk in to laundry room and attempt to flick on the light. Only to discover that the light bulb has burnt out. And then remember that I discovered that yesterday & forgot to do anything about it. I take Turtle & BB's clothes out of the dryer into a basket. Then I put their second load into the dryer so that I can start my load.

6:20 - Banana goes upstairs to weigh herself and whatever else she did, I don't know. I start this post on my phone.

6:25 - Banana makes the kids lunches while I go back upstairs and go for round two of rousting children out of bed.

6:27 - Sand comes upstairs & Jalapeno comes downstairs.

6:30 - The hustle of kids starts. Sand & Jalapeno eat breakfast. Mario comes downstairs and doesn't feel well. He's running a fever, so back to bed.

6:35 - I go to check in on the laundry situation and discover that the light bulb is still burned out. (Where are those light bulb fairies when you need one?!) I swap out the laundry in the semi darkness.

6:45 - Papaya comes downstairs.

6:48 - Cookie starts to fuss. (It's kind of a miracle she lasted this long in the swing, but I think it was the constant hustle and bustle of people keeping her amused.) I nurse her for a couple minutes before she decides that she's not really interested in eating quite yet. So, I hand her off to Banana while I pour myself a bowl of cereal & start making Dad's breakfast.

6:51 - Sand leaves to catch the bus.

6:55 - Pookie comes downstairs, dressed for school!

7:05 - Email from my boss. Demo at 10 am.

7:15 - I take Dad his breakfast and start trying to get ready for work. Cookie starts crying again, so instead, I head back downstairs to try again at nursing her.

7:30 - The daily saga of knotted Pookie hair begins. And comes to an end quickly enough. We have a compromise. She gets the majority of the knots and I get the annoying ones that she can't quite manage.

7:35 - I'm back to trying to get ready to go and Papaya & Pookie head to school.

7:50 - I am dressed and head down the stairs only to remember half way down that my phone clip is still upstairs. So I turn around and go back.

8:00 - I gather my stuff. Grab my lunch box. Grab a couple drinks. Head out the door.

8:03 - Stop for gas & call Jason about the fixture for the demo. He's out of town. Gives me Troy's number. I call & leave Troy a voicemail.

8:10 - There's an accident on the highway and traffic is backed up. And I just missed my last chance to get off the highway before getting stuck. Crap!

8:20 - I get passed the accident which was thankfully a minor one.

8:34 - Still on my way to work, I get a text from Troy. He can meet me in 20 minutes to give me the fixture.

8:38 - I arrive at work & clock in. Grab the keys to a work truck and take off for their warehouse.

8:56 - I arrive at their shop, get the fixture,  & BS with the guys for a couple minutes before I head back to work.

9:18 - I am back at work and I hand off the fixture to Boss.

At this point, I got really busy.

By 10:30 - I realized I hadn't pumped yet. So, when I went back to pull the two last minute rentals that were being picked up today I took a few minutes to do that. I decided I'd start setting an alarm on my phone so that I remember better.

By 11:30 - Both rentals has gone out. And sales orders were being processed.

12:00 - I heated up my leftovers and ate at my desk.

12:30 I pumped again.

I started to update this post on my phone again only to discover that it somehow got deleted & I had to start over again. So, after that I kinda lost track. But I did set my alarms up to go off every 2 hours. I placed special paint orders and pulled orders. I sent out an order by UPS. I talked to my boss about lenses and a customer about Willy Wonka. I placed a few more orders and printed out invoices.

At 5:00 I headed home.

There's other stuff, too. I don't know exactly where they fit in though. I know there was an upset little girl because Mario wasn't going to school. And I know that Papaya talked to her teacher and I got an email back from her teacher.

I know I left Banana with instructions on medicines (cold medicine & children's ibuprofen) for Mario.

I know I kissed everyone good bye. But I couldn't tell you what times.

And as for the after work time period, here's what I know. I nursed Cookie. I made dinner & got everyone fed. Bedtime routines were brief & children went to bed (pretty close to) on time. And chances are, I was in bed by 9:30pm.

Currently

I'm:
Reading... Journal Your Way by Gwen Diehn
Playing... Elder Scrolls Online
Watching... The Big Bang Theory (OMG! You gotta watch the latest episode!)
Trying... Not to fall asleep at my computer
Cooking... Raspberry Popovers
Eating... Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Drinking... Water. Lots of water.
Calling... No one really.
Texting... The kids usually.
Pinning... Lists
Tweeting... https://twitter.com/pollyhidalgo/status/465207584694104064
Crafting... Sugar N Spice Dress (the second one, I made one for the neighbor-across-the-street's daughter.)
Scrapping... The Ladybug Booties I was attempting. They just don't look right.
Doing... Planning for the Summer
Going... Great Plains Theatre Conference (Last Week of May) ok so I'm working it.
Loving... Snuggling a sleeping Cookie
Hating... All the youtube videos that my kids are blasting. (It's just too much cacophony!)
Discovering... That I make way too many lists... But they're awesome!
Enjoying... the prospect of Stage Managing Hands on a Hardbody next Spring
Thinking... That the end of May is going to be nuts.
Feeling... Optimistic
Hoping (for)... A New House Soon!
Listening (to)... Michael Buble
Celebrating... I got my laptop back & my car fixed for free! (Both were under warranty! Buy the warranty!)
Smelling... Popcorn
Thanking... My husband, for keeping me sane
Considering... Taking a nap
Finishing... Contemplating the nap.
Starting... The nap.

Pookie's Ears

I finally acquiesced and allowed Pookie to get her ears pierced this past weekend.

And I came to the conclusion that I had been using excuses to not allow it for quite some time.

When she was a baby, I didn't have it done on the thought of germs and not being able to keep them clean enough and worries of infection. (One that I still happen to think is completely valid, so I don't count this one as an excuse.)

But since she has been begging since she was about four to have her ears pierced, I have been using other excuses.

"You're not old enough." That one worked for a while. Until she began to recognize the process of time passing and wonder, "When will I be old enough?"

When that question popped up, I said, "When you are eight, that's when I got mine pierced."

Then the whining of began about how far away that was. In her little mind, that was a lifetime.

But the reality was, in retrospect, that I didn't want her to get them done. Why? Because it meant that my little baby was growing up. My sweet, innocent, little girl, would, from then on, not be. Now, I know, that this makes no sense whatsoever. I realize that.

But until the moment after the second earring was poked through her little ear, I would have given you the excuse that she wasn't mature enough to handle cleaning her ears three times a day and they would get infected. (Which does still worry me, but that just means we adults clean her ears.)

The moment after her ears were pierced, and she looked at herself in the mirror, with her shining eyes, so full of joy and happiness, my eyes filled with tears that I had to quickly blink away so I didn't break down crying in the middle of the mall. Instead I hugged her tight and I can't deny a few drops found their way down onto that curly hair.

She is no longer a baby. And she hasn't been for a while. But my little Pookie will always be my baby. She is a seven year old with her own personality but just like me in so many ways. And even though she is no longer a baby, I am so incredibly proud of her.

Maybe this will make it easier when it comes time to let Cookie get her ears pierced. But I wouldn't count on it.

I've been gone for a while

And there have been so many things. I've seen a couple shows with a couple of my kids. My mom was in the hospital for 3 days. I made carrot cake cup cakes and I made a baby dress for a neighbor's daughter who is due in June. And the Great Plains Theatre Conference is coming up at the end of May, so that part of life is getting busy. And I'll be stage managing again next year. Not to mention all of the little things that the kids are doing: first jobs, first rollovers (Cookie, not a car lol). Oh, and my lap top died. So, as soon as I can I'll get back to you with a bunch of posts!

Pretending

Do you ever feel like you're just pretending to be an adult?

I've been feeling that way lately. Yes, I have a job, pay bills, take care of my kids.

But at times, deep down, I still feel like I'm the most immature person and question why on earth people trust me with anything much less the lives of precious little children.

I guess it doesn't help that I work in an industry where people pretend all the time, although I am on the other side of the industry. (i.e. I don't act; I work backstage.)

I love video games, and goofing off, and playing on the computer. And I can hardly wait for Elder Scrolls Online to come out next month.

But I guess I do have some rather adult hobbies, too. I love reading (especially mystery novels), crocheting & trying to knit, sewing, cooking (sometimes), writing this blog, writing a novel of my own (or at least researching to write one), genealogy and history in general.

But I still feel like someone, somewhere made a mistake and someone, one day, is going to realize it and take away my "You are an Adult" card.

Anyone else feel this way even once in a blue moon?

The Union for Contemporary Art

The Union for Contemporary Art is a uniquely amazing place founded by my friend Brigitte McQueen Shew. This amazing organization lives in this unassuming little building with a yellow front door.

I met Brigitte and was introduced to The Union in 2012 while I was working the Great Plains Theatre Conference. My friends, Jake, Elly, & I painted over an old mural (think 1980's with some of the people having the tall Bobby Brown hair) so that a new mural might be painted. The brilliant local artist, Wanda Ewing, then came in and painted the new mural which we used as a backdrop for a show that was done at the Union.

The Union for Contemporary Art is a small, non-profit organization that is dedicated to using art as a way to bring about social change and directly support local artists.

They offer six month studio fellowships to artists which offer studio space, monetary compensation for supplies, among other benefits. In exchange, the artists pay it forward with community service.

The Union also offers many community programs including mentorship programs for youth, programs for children and their parents, the North Omaha Tool Library, the Abundance Garden Project, and neighborhood clean up days.

This great organization is, of course, always in need of money. And they would be more than pleased to accept your donations. But they also have a wish list of equipment and services that they would love to have filled. You can find it here.

Please, please donate to this amazing, sensational, effulgent, and completely worthwhile organization. They'll appreciate it. I'll appreciate it. The community will appreciate it. (No to mention, you'll just feel good.)

Advice for New Moms?

Ok, well someone I know thinks I might know something about this parenting thing and has asked me for advice for new moms. (She shall remain nameless to protect the innocent lol.)

And it has given me much to think about. Of course, there's the stuff everyone knows. Don't drop the baby. Feed the baby. Change the baby. Bathe the baby. Repeat.

Then there's the stuff that I hope everyone knows by now. You can't spoil a baby. Don't give babies cold medicine. (Believe me, I fought my doctor on that on at first, too.) Don't put the baby to sleep on its tummy. Use car seats every time and use them properly.

But what is left?

Swaddle the baby or don't swaddle the baby? Well, it depends on the baby. I've had babies that liked it. And babies that didn't. Babies that liked being swaddled as long as their hands were free. Babies that loved being a little baby burrito. Work with your baby and figure out what makes them happy.

Put baby on a schedule or not? Personally, I don't. If the baby is hungry, feed the baby! If the baby has a wet diaper, change the baby! But realize that if you desperately need a shower and you're about to step in when the baby wakes up early from their nap, it's ok if you go ahead and take that quick shower. (I'm not saying spend an hour in there while baby screams. But a 2 minute shower to make you feel human again is fine as long as baby isn't hurting or in danger.

Let your spouse, mother, father, or any other responsible adult help. They can hold the baby, change the baby, feed the baby while you get a nap, or make something to eat besides a sandwich or take out.

Remind yourself, daily, or hourly if necessary. "THIS IS NOT A COMPETITION." Do what you feel is the best thing for you and your baby. Don't get into the arguments about co-sleeping, sleep training, bottle or breast feeding. It drains your energy and spends your time arguing when you could spend that time with your precious baby. Just do what's best for you.

Elder Scrolls Online

Ok, so I'm about to geek out. If you aren't into video games, my sincere apologies. But I sincerely request that you give this one a shot.

It doesn't come out until April 4th but I've been participating in beta tests for it for a little while now.

It is awesome! I've beta tested and played quite a few MMORPG's before and this one is right up there.

It has first person as well as third person playing views. (I prefer third person for the most part.)

There are only four classes but the skill trees make up for it. You can wield a sword, or a bow, or a staff no matter what class you sign up as. And any race can wear any armor or wield any weapon.

There are also morphing abilities. When a skill reaches rank 5 (and I think every 5 ranks thereafter) you have the option of morphing that ability into a new, stronger ability. Even summoned familiars can be morphed.

The quests are interesting and not the usual "go kill 10 rats." There is some of the typical, "go kill skeletons" but they are disguising it a little more with a bit of "investigate the temple." In other words, the writing of the script is better than I've seen in a while. Also, the voice overs are extraordinary.

The fights are more interesting, too. You won't be able to just hit your hot-keys. You'll have to actually use strategy against some of the antagonists.

The crafting is more interesting than most of the MMORPG's I've played, too. Even Dad likes it and, generally speaking, he hates crafting.

Please, give it a shot. And send me a message with your character name & we can group up and go questing!

Shot day!

Poor Cookie got her 2 month shots today. I took the day off work. (Jalapeno has reactions to some immunizations, so, just in case, I felt it was better for me to be home today.)

They have started combining so many immunizations. Not that I'm complaining, fewer pokes is a good thing.

But holy cow! She got 3 shots and an oral vaccine. But she was vaccinated against 8 things. One shot had 5 vaccines in it.

And they no longer give polio vaccines orally. That's built into a shot now.

And they also don't want you to give them acetaminophen. They prefer to let them run a fever because they have discovered that babies develop a better immunity to the diseases when they run a fever.

Even in just a few years, things change so much!

Also, in better news, Cookie bear seemed to really like our family doctor. She was making good eye contact and cooing at him almost the entire time.

Books

So, yesterday was a book day for me.

First of all, Papaya goes to the library every couple of Saturday's. Yesterday, was that day. I asked him to see if they had a copy of the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. Well, he got a little overwhelmed with all the books about Benjamin Franklin. Instead, he brought me this other book on Benjamin Franklin. Considering it is the second book that comes up when you search Amazon for Benjamin Franklin and it's a New York Times Best Seller, I'm hoping it will be a good book.

I'll have to get the Autobiography on my kindle app on my phone and give it a try that way.

Also, my dear hubby took me out last night. We went and had dinner at our favorite restaurant in town, Thai Pepper. It's this little mom & pop place in a strip mall that is run by two Thai grandmothers. We love the place. We figured out last night that we have been going there for almost 9 years now. The waiter knows us by name. He knows what we order and doesn't bother bringing us menus anymore. The grandmothers come over to greet us and ask how we are. If you go, try the Thai Pepper Chicken (Dad's favorite) or the Red Curry Chicken (my favorite). And tell the waiter Lec, we said hi!

Anyway, after dinner, we went over to Barnes & Noble for a little book browsing. Well, being the bibliophile that I am, and the fact that he spoils me rotten, browsing turned to buying. I got a book on Tolkien Trivia, a book on reading body language, City of Dark Magic, The Witch of Little Italy, Aunt Dimity & the Family (I LOVE this series!), The Ultimate Diet Planner, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Writing a Novel, & Now Write Mysteries. And all but two were on the clearance racks! Score!

I've already finished the Tolkien trivia, but I guess I'd better give that Benjamin Franklin book a go before I dive into the rest... maybe not! I'll let you know what I think!

2 Weeks Back at Work

I'm sure I'm driving everyone at work nuts with baby pictures.

I still hate leaving in the morning.

And I count the hours (and minutes) until I can come home.

And once I get home, I don't want to cook dinner. Or for that matter, eat dinner.

I just want to hold my little Cookie and cuddle her.

I want to look at my precious little girl and see her smile.

I want to talk to her and hear her coo back.

I don't want to leave in the mornings.

Her cries break my heart every time.

I hate going to sleep at night  because it's time away from her.

How does this get easier?

Multi-Tasking

There are things you can do while multitasking. And things you should not do.

For example, you can walk and talk at the same time. (Unless you are coordination challenged like I am!)

But you should not text and drive.

Read a book and nurse a baby? No sweat.

Drink and breathe? Not so much. (Hint: Your lungs don't appreciate it!)

Crochet and watch tv? Maybe. Depends on your experience level.

Play a video game & use a headset? Of course!

Read a book and take a bubble bath? No sweat!

But please, for the love of all that is holy, people, I beg you, please stop trying to talk on your cell phone, drink a pop, smoke a cigarette, and drive all at the same time!

(Also, if you are going 45 mph in the fast lane at rush hour, YOU are the problem! A school bus just passed you! Move to the slow lane! Or, better yet, get off the highway and take the side streets!)

Ok, sorry, traffic rant over.

Comparing Parenting Styles

It was suggested that I write a post about how my parenting compares to my parents since they keep my little Cookie all day, and Pookie, Mario, & Jalapeno when they get home from school.

But I really don't think that it's a fair comparison really.

We know so much more about some things now than they did then. And we have so many more gadgets to make our lives easier now.

For example, the little sling that fits in the baby bathtub to hold a newborn securely while you bath them. And we know not to put a baby to sleep on their stomach. (In their generations defense, the doctors of the time told them that was the safest way for babies to sleep. There has been so much more research done since then.)

They also did not have car seats like we do now. My parents had a car bed that I slept in. The bed fastened down, but the baby did not. Picture this without the wheels:

Regardless, my mom is up to date on all the new baby safety measures. She knows not to lay the baby on her tummy to sleep but to give her tummy time so that she has practice keeping her head up.

She knows to always, always put Cookie in her car seat and not to take her out until the car is in park, no matter how much she screams. (She does NOT like the car seat. If you have any suggestions for that, let me know!)

And Banana knows not to give her cows milk, or honey, or even baby food yet. She trusts that I'm doing what's best for Cookie and I trust she'll listen to the "new-fangled" ideas that we "young whippersnappers" have now about how to raise kids. (And, no, she doesn't really talk like that!) 

We both trust each other and that's important when we both love the kiddos so much.

101 in 1000 Days/Bucket List

A long time ago I started a 101 Things in 1000 Days Project. And then, it evolved more into a bucket list because I ended up with WAY more than 101 Things.

And most of them were not achievable in 1000 days for me because of school, work, kids, etc. For example, traveling to India, isn't really practical for me right now, or in the next 3ish years.

So, in an effort to hold myself accountable, I have decided to share some with you guys.

One of my favorites, that I intend to start as soon as it gets warm enough (which I hope will be soon, but probably not before mid March) is to "Walk to Mordor." Being the geek that I am, I've been wanting to try it since I found the website but it was way too cold and icy to walk outside and I am not going to pay to use a gym. (Since I know I'd never go!) It just seems like more trouble than it's worth to drive to a gym, change clothes, work out, shower, change clothes again, and drive home when I could just go walk outside.

Anyway so here's a few:
1) Walk to Mordor!
2) Read Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography
3) Clean and moisturize my skin once a day
4) Read 1 non-fiction book a month
5) Get a postcard from every state.

If you want to join me on these, please feel free to email me, or comment on your progress here!
You can also make your own 101 list here or you can just get ideas for things to put on your list, too!

(My first one was on paper... ok, still is, I have it in a notebook. I'm telling ya, it's huge! I love looking at other people's lists, too. Maybe that's why my list is so long, I keep seeing things on other people's lists that sound fun!)

Burps

Ok, so this post was originally going to be about difficult burpers because until a few days ago, Cookie was a very, VERY difficult burper.

My doctor showed me how to do something that I call "around the world" when Cookie was 2 weeks old. You basically sit the baby up, and rotate the babies upper body around in a circle gently. You do this a few times and then proceed to burp the baby. (Sorry for not describing it well!) Genius!

This is amazing! There were times where she would burp before I had finished two rotations! It was so amazing! (It doesn't work every time but it increased how often I was able to get her to burp by about three times!)

We haven't really needed to do this the last few days because she has suddenly decided that burping is a good thing and she does it readily.

My favorite burps are the ones that are so loud you would not believe that it came out of such a little person if you weren't the one burping her!

(My least favorite are the ones that involve massive amounts of spit up, like everyone else I expect!)

Anyway, if you have a difficult burper, give it a try! (And if you can't figure out what the heck I'm talking about, let me know & I'll try to explain it a little better or maybe post a video.)

1st Week Back at Work

Well, it was my first week back at work.

And I hated it.

Don't get me wrong, I love my employers. I love my job. I just HATED being away from my little Cookie.

My employers are great. They are more than understanding when I need to leave early to be there for my kids' parties at school or take a day off because of Cookie's two month doctor appointment.

But being away from that tiny little angelic person is tough.

I realize that's mama hormones and how we humans are programmed so that we take good care of our little ones who would never survive without us.

But it's tough. And as is typical of me, I didn't know what I had until it was gone. I now miss what used to drive me bananas: sitting at home all day. Snuggling a little person all day.

I miss being a stay at home mom, and if we won the Power Ball or Mega Millions, I'd be back at home in a heart beat.

But I got this idea the other day, while I was at work. If I'm ever in a position to own a business, everyone who has children that aren't in school all day, will be welcome to bring their kids to work. We'll have on site day care (but more like nannies) and moms who are nursing will be called by the nannies to come nurse their babies whenever the babies are hungry. Meetings can wait. Another employee can help a customer. Oh, and there will be no additional cost for the parents to leave their babies with the nannies.

That sounds like a good business plan to me. Now, what kind of business should I run?

Raising Geeks and Gamers Part 2

I wrote yesterday about the rules we have about the electronics in our house.

And I thought I should bring up another topic in regard to gaming. Harassment of women. There have been a lot of articles written lately about guy gamers harassing women gamers. Even NPR has done a piece on it. You can find that here.

You can even find a video response by a bunch of girl gamers known as "Geek Girls & the Doubleclicks" which I happen to love. (Look for Adam Savage & Wil Wheaton to make an appearance.)

My contribution to geek and gamer culture is this:

I am raising a houseful of male geeks and gamers who would never think about treating female geeks and gamers the way that I have been treated in some circles.

I am raising a houseful of male geeks and gamers who have stepped up to defend female geeks and gamers and will continue to do so in the future.

Because they see these females as someone to whom they can relate. They see them as their friends. And I've raised them to defend their friends.

They see these women as someone's sister. And they would defend their sisters in a heartbeat. Not to mention, they would be furious to see someone treat their sisters that way.

And perhaps, best of all, they see these women as (potentially) someone's mother. And they would never talk to me that way or treat me that way, so they will never talk to someone else's mother that way.

How do I know?

I've read them the articles. I've told them my stories. And I've seen the looks on their faces. From the 25 year old to the 8 year old, the looks of horror and disgust really don't change.

Of course, having a geek/gamer for a mother, as well as having me work in a predominantly male industry, they've heard me tell off guys for treating me in any way less than I expect. At this point, they're like, "Where's the popcorn?"

It also helps that people like Adam Savage & Wil Wheaton stand up and help make those videos like the one above. Please, go thank them! They both have Twitter accounts: @donttrythis and @wilw (+Wil Wheaton)

Have the discussion with your children. Don't hide the world from them. Present it honestly and truthfully. Let them know that the internet does not make them anonymous any more than it make the person on the other side less of a person. And, if necessary, explain why certain behaviors are not acceptable.

Your children will surprise you. I guarantee it.

Raising Geeks and Gamers Part 1

Dad and I are self-proclaimed geeks as well as gamers. So I guess it should surprise no one that we are raising a household full of them.

We have the Minecraft players, the Cookie Clicker players, the Team Fortress 2 players, the Elder Scroll Online players, the Dungeon & Dragon players and we've already talked about all the games that Dad plays.

For those that think that video games are bad for you, I present this: 9 Ways Video Games Can Actually Be Good For You. 

I also present these videos from TED Talks:
1) Daphne Bavelier: Your brain on video games2) Jane McGonigal: Gaming can make a better world

And for those of you who think that all games whether video games or not are bad for you:Jane McGonigal: The game that can give you 10 extra years of life

Now, don't get me wrong, we don't let the kids spend unlimited hours on electronics. There are rules. 

We have a sign up sheet. The kids may sign up for an hour at a time on a specific electronic. 
The slots go from hour to hour, i.e. 1 pm - 2pm and turns are up on the hour. 
They may not sign up for 3 hours in a row on one specific electronic. So if they are on Dad's computer for an hour they can move on to the XBox, but not stay on the computer.
And if there is school the next day, they get off electronics at 6 pm.

They have to start their homework at 6 pm, but if they need the computer to do their homework we will allow them to use the computer after 6 pm for homework only.

And the electronics are the first things that we take away if disciplinary measures become necessary.

Tommee Tippee Bottles

I won't make this a habit, but I'm going to endorse these bottles.

You can find them on Amazon here.

I bought these bottles with the hope that they would:
A) not cause nipple confusion
B) that Cookie would like them and
C) that Banana would actually be able to get Cookie to eat using them. (She won't take any pacifiers.)

While I can't say for certain that Cookie likes them, the other two options are definitely true.

Cookie goes back and forth from the bottle to the breast with no issues. (Although, she won't take formula from them which I'm ok with since I'm pumping anyway.)

The last two types of bottles that I remember using were Avent and Playtex nursers (the kind with the drop in bags that you put the milk or formula in). The Playtex I used when I had never tried to nurse the child so I wasn't worried about going back and forth. The Avent I used after the baby was a year old and nursing was well established by then.

So, all in all, my point is that these bottles have definitely been worth the money so far. And, no, I haven't been paid to endorse them.

Meet the Family - Mom

So, last member of the family is me! I'm Mom. 

This is a picture taken a couple years ago by Dad for the program of a couple shows I was working on at the time. He's really the only person that takes decent pictures of me, I think.

I work in the theatre industry in many ways. I'm a stage manager, assistant production coordinator, a lighting tech, sound board operator, light board operator, and backstage tech. I've worked at the largest community playhouse in the US, one of the last free Shakespeare festivals in the US, and one of the largest (Top 5) children's theaters in the US. If you want info on theatre tech, shoot me an email, a tweet, or a private message. I'll be more than happy to answer your questions.

I like to write. I am an expert crocheter and a beginner knitter. I enjoy sketching, drawing, doodling, and painting but I have no delusions about my talent there (It is mediocre at best.) 

I am a dedicated book lover and reader. At any one time there is a huge stack of books that I am reading on my dresser. I tend to read multiple books at one time (and yes, I can keep the story lines straight).

You'll find little bit of all of these coming up I am sure.

Well, anyway, that's me. Welcome to my blog & I look forward to getting to know you all!

Meet the Family - Dad

Ok everyone, only two people left to meet; Dad & I! So, here is my honey, the love of my life. He's in Denver right now visiting his parents and even though he's only been gone 16 hours, I miss him a lot.

He's a USMC veteran and was active duty when we met and were married, 20 1/2 years ago (nearly).

Dad is a gamer through and through. He runs Transcendere Gaming and plays more games that I can keep track of really. But the ones he's been playing a lot recently are The Elder Scrolls Online (along with me & several of the kids; we all got beta invites), Day Z, Battlefield 4, Arma 3, and Altis Life.

He loves Mexican food, Chinese food, remote control cars and helicopters, and spoiling me rotten.

I'm forgetting something... what am I forgetting?... Oh, yeah! He, too, loves the Broncos! (The picture is kind of a clue, huh?)

He and I make a great team. We do that thing that people who haven't been together forever find really annoying; the whole reading each others minds bit. Ok, maybe not reading each others minds literally, but we know each other well enough to know exactly what the other one thinks on most (99%) of subjects, so it seems that way.

He's my sweetie. And I can't wait until he's home again! I love you baby!

Valentines

I've been asked a couple times what we did for Valentine's Day and my answer, "Nothing." has surprised & shocked some people.

My husband and I did not go out for Valentine's Day.

Instead, my honey, Dibuja, Mario, Smokey, & GF left for Denver after work last night. They'll get to spend some time with the grands before coming back on Monday. Dad hasn't been home to see his folks in at least a year, so this is a nice little get away for him, even if he is taking some of the kids.

I spent Valentine's Day here, with the rest of the kids and my folks, watching Mythbusters on Netflix while snuggling Cookie.

Yes, we spent Valentine's Day apart, with the exception of an hour or so before work & an hour or so after work. No, this is not a problem for us. We will go out for dinner sometime next week to spend time together but not on Valentine's Day.

After all there will be fewer crowds and the wait staff will less stressed. We won't have to wait for a table or make a reservation 6 months in advance.

In the end, it's only a big deal to miss Valentine's Day if you make it a big deal. We love each other. We know we love each other. We spend time together every week making sure that each of us knows that the other one loves us. So, it's not a big deal.

DIY - Valentines

I have decided to do a Do-It-Yourself of some sort every month. This month, it will be about Valentine's Day.  I looked at many, many items on Pinterest until I was just about ready to pull my hair out.

Should I crochet something?

Do something with the kids?

Draw?

Paint?

Stand on my head?

Ok, not really on that last one. I'm tired.

I decided to do something for my co-workers. They've had to pick up a bunch of my job while I've been out on maternity leave. So Karen, Candy, Terri, Amanda, & Courtney, if you're on here, don't look! You'll get your presents on Monday! (Yes, I know it's after Valentines, but I don't go back to the office until then.)

Everyone drinks something whether it's coffee, iced drinks, or water. So I'm making them cup cozies. Amanda likes hot coffee.

Karen likes Starbucks Energy Drinks.

Terri drinks iced coffee.

Candy drinks pop but hasn't been since New Years', so I'm hoping she'll still use this!

And Courtney drinks coffee, too.

None of these are my patterns. They are combinations, additions, and alterations from these websites:
http://littlemonkeyscrochet.com/valentines-day-mug-cozy/
http://www.bhookedcrochet.com/2014/01/30/magic-heart-free-pattern-and-tutorial/?n-and-tutorial/
http://www.redheart.com/free-patterns/crochet-can-cozies
And this one by Jonna Ventura but if you want it you'll have to join Ravelry.
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/frayed-knots-15-min-coffee-sleeve

Meet the Family - Cookie

And here is our little Cookie! You've seen numerous pictures of people holding her, but, finally, here she is!

No, we did not pose her. Banana was holding her and she did this all on her own. 

Her favorite activities are snuggling with Mommy, swinging in her swing, and keeping Mommy up most of the night. We are not sleeping through the night yet, obviously.

Oh, and did I mention, cute as a bug's ear?

Meet the Family - Pookie

Say "Hello!" to my little Pookie! She's 6 years old now and in first grade. This picture was taken at her Christmas party at school last year. Sorry it's fuzzy but she was super excited about the cookie she had just decorated.

She's is definitely a girly girl when it come to clothes and her favorite colors but she's rapidly becoming less so and has been swiping Mario's clothing to wear to school. So one day she'll wear a frilly white or pink dress and the next she'll be wearing jeans and a Angry Birds t-shirt.

But, she HATES dolls. That's capitalized for a reason. She absolutely abhors dolls. She's never liked them, never played with them, and, she wants me to tell you, she never will!

But she loves her baby sister, Cookie, although, I think it took Cookie arriving for her to believe that babies aren't born knowing how to walk, talk and play.

She has the most beautiful curly hair and is smart as a whip. She enjoys video games as much as her older brothers especially Luigi's Dark Mansion, which she got for Christmas.

Her favorite thing is to watch My Little Pony videos or Ihascupquake videos until she runs my phone battery until the phone shuts off.

"Hi Pookie!"

Meet the Family - Mario

Meet my 10 year old, Mario! 

Yes, that is actually a mohawk. It's longer by now, this was about a year and a half ago. He's had a mohawk, by his request, since he was four. He doesn't wear it up everyday. The days that I do fix it up, it takes longer for me to do his hair than I spend on mine! Needless to say, I only do it up a few times a year.

I've called him Mario because of his passion for Super Mario games. He received a bunch of Mario games for Christmas (and gets very annoyed when he can't beat a level right off!). He's also the one that will plug in the old Nintendo 64 to play Super Mario.

He's in the fourth grade at his school and he's an excellent student. He's also a member of a group a students at his school that work with a particular student with special needs. Obviously, I won't give any more details about that student, but he's a good friend to them and is, most importantly, a good person.

His first concert was Ozzy at the age of seven. Slash opened. (He had a better mohawk than some of the adults that were there!) Yes, I took him. He didn't have school the next day and we had a great time. He is totally my kid :)

Say "Hi!" to Mario!

Meet the Family - Jalapeno

This is my 12 year old Jalapeno! I had other, better, more close-up pictures. But I wanted to show the bond between Jalapeno and Pookie. They have always been close. (And I hope they always will be.)

This was taken at a friend's daughter's birthday party. They were sitting next to each other and the next thing we knew, she was sitting on his lap.

Jalapeno started middle school this year and has been taking the bus on his own rather than having Banana take him. He's enjoying his independence except when the wind chills are -20 degrees. Then, waiting for the bus sucks!

He enjoys playing Minecraft with his friends and was Steve (a character from the game) last Halloween. His other passion is penguins. Don't ask me why, but he LOVES penguins. Stuffed penguins, penguin Christmas ornaments, penguin pictures and videos, he loves them all.

My Jalapeno says, "Hi!"

Meet the Family - Sand

Meet my 18 year old son, Sand. (I originally picked a nickname based on his passion for cooking, but his friends call him Sand & that's what he preferred.)

He is a high school junior and loves cooking. Sand decided when he was eight that he wanted to be a chef and has never deviated since. (We have the Food Network to thank!)

He also writes "creepypasta" and occasionally draws characters from the stories as well. Sand also plays video games with his most recent obsession being "Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance."

(Getting him to smile proved impossible. Anyone with teenagers knows what that's like!)

Say "Hello!" to Sand!

Meet the Family - Dibuja

Say "Hello!" to Dibuja! He is my 19 year old son. I picked his nickname based on his favorite past time of drawing. It means "he draws" in Spanish.

His primary drawing preferences lean towards manga and drawing pictures for something my boys call "creepypasta."  This is apparently not anything to do with food. A Google search defines it as: "urban legends or scary stories circulating on the Internet, many times revolving around specific videos, pictures or video games." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Internet_phenomena)

Dibuja is also contemplating joining the Army and has been meeting regularly with the recruiter. So, I might be a military mama soon, too.

You Ever Have Those Days?

Well, today is one of those days.

I'm working from home while on maternity leave so that I still have a paycheck. And it's been a BUSY day work-wise.

Add to that, a screaming one month old. And I don't mean a little grumpy. I mean, she cried for nearly every waking moment today (about 5 hours worth). She finally pooped (twice) and gassed. Then she ate heartily and has been asleep for that last hour and a half.

Mama is relieved.

Mama is tired.

Mama is stressed.

Less stressed than when she was in the middle of her scream fest but still stressed.

You ever have those days?

Meet the Family - Slim

Today we are meeting my 20 year old, Slim. He's called Slim because he's tall and skinny. This picture is from a couple summers ago but he hasn't changed much since then!

Slim is unemployed at this time but looking for a job.

His main past time is reading fan fiction on the internet and helping with household chores and with Cookie now and then. 

His interests also include theatre tech work, just like me! (So, when possible, I drag him along to help on jobs.)

Say "Hi!" to Slim!

Meet the Family - Bronco Boy (BB)

Hello everyone! Today's intro is for my 21 year old son BB! He's seen here holding Cookie just last week.

He also works full time at a different branch of the same local grocery store, in the produce section.

An obvious Bronco fan (see the hat), he's still heartbroken over their loss on Sunday. And apparently the guys at work have been rubbing it in!

He enjoys playing basketball with his brothers and Madden on the XBox.

And occasionally holding Cookie. :)

He says, "Hey!"

Meet the Family - GF

This is GF, my son Smokey's girlfriend. (I couldn't think of a witty nickname, sorry!) She lives with us as well as Smokey. She is turning 24 next month.

She works part time at a local pet store.

GF is actually more nervous about me returning to work in two weeks than my mom or I am. (At least right now!) She's an only child and has never really been around babies, so this is a new experience for her.

Say, "Hello!" to GF!

Meet the Family - Smokey

This is Smokey my 22 year old son. He and his girlfriend (GF) live with us, too.

Obviously, he loves Denver, too. (Again, probably not a good idea to bring up the Super Bowl!)

Smokey works full time at the same grocery store as Turtle. He is the Assistant Deli Manager, a position he obtained after only 4 months at the store!

His current past time (in addition to playing basketball with his brothers and friends) is playing Call of Duty Ghosts. I interrupted his game to take this picture actually.

Say hi to Smokey!

Meet the Family - Turtle

This is my oldest son, Turtle, holding his baby sister, Cookie, just last week. He turned 26 this past December. A little blurry but sweet nonetheless.

He is currently working full time at a local grocery store.

Turtle loves anything Denver; Denver Nuggets, Denver Broncos, Chubby's Mexican Food, Las Delicias.

He also loves playing basketball with his brothers and their friends.

Needless to say, with his love of Denver, he, and his brothers and my husband were very disappointed over the Broncos losing the Super Bowl yesterday.  So it's probably best not to mention that.

So, say "Hi!" to Turtle!

Meet the Family - Banana

Everyone say, "Hi!" to my mom, Nana (AKA Banana)

As I said in my post introducing my dad, Papaya, Banana and Papaya moved in with us almost 6 years ago now. They moved in for a number of reasons, including so I could finish school and to get them out of a neighborhood that had gone downhill until it was no longer safe for them to live in their house.

Banana grew up in Florida and Georgia and this is the first time she's ever lived outside of the South. This picture was taken right after a major snowstorm. She'd never seen so much snow before!

She is a baby boomer born right after WWII ended, to a housewife who drank and smoked way too much because they didn't know how if affected unborn children back then. It was truly a miracle she survived, only weighing 4 lbs at birth. My grandmother said when she was finally allowed to bring her home, a month or more after her birth that the palm of her hand was larger than Banana's head. (And Grandmom was a tiny woman, only reaching 4'11" and having been a ballerina!)

Banana does a marvelous job of helping me with the kiddos. She takes the younger ones to school in the mornings and picks them up in the afternoons. And since Cookie was born, she's been helping make their lunches in the mornings, too. She'll be taking care of Cookie while I'm at work, when I go back. (Which is rapidly sneaking up on me.)

She was almost always a stay at home mom. I remember only one job that she had when I was growing up and that was packing candied pecans at a pecan factory. She kept the job one season and then stayed home, taking care of my grandmother and I until after I left home. After that, she worked in a grocery store in the seafood department.

Banana was my biggest supporter growing up, never missing a single ballet lesson or performance, soccer game, parade, football game (I was on flag line.), or band concert. She brings just as much dedication to my children as she did to me. (Thanks Banana! We love you!)

So say, "Hi!", to my mom!

First Smiles

We got our first smiles last Wednesday, January 29th!

By that I mean, the first smiles that weren't done in her sleep or while staring off into space trying out different facial expressions.

There was full eye contact, with Cookie's little face lighting up like the proverbial light bulb. She graced me with her beautiful smiles four times that day and twice for Daddy. And I can't even count the times since then!

I'm a Happy Happy Mama!

Dreaming Babies

Ok, I REALLY REALLY want to know, what do babies dream about??

Cookie has been laughing and smiling in her sleep for the last week approximately. Well, the smiling in her sleep started the day she was born. But the laughter is something new.

At first it was a single guffaw, like a little tiny explosion of laughter came out of that itty bitty person.

Today, there was a string of 5 or 6 chuckles with the biggest grin.

And did I mention, I can't wait for her to start actually smiling and laughing at us? Seeing that whole little face light up? Can't wait.

She's 3 1/2 weeks already! Where has the time gone?

Meet the Family - Papaya

Meet my dad! We call him Papa (AKA Papaya).

Never one to keep a straight face in a photo, this is the only semi-recent one I could find where he isn't being a screwball. :-)

He is a United States Marine Corps and Vietnam War veteran. He and my mother have lived with us for the last five years. They've been married for the last 38 years.They watched my daughter Pookie while I finished school and they will now watch Cookie when I go back to work.

The family joke is that I teethed on a 3/16th's wrench while "helping" Daddy fix a car. I was always Daddy's girl. I think he still feels guilt (although I don't think he's ever found the words to say it) about not being able to be there for my half-sister when she was growing up. So I think he made up for it by spending as much time with me as he could when I was growing up.

He never let me being a girl stop me from doing anything: he taught me how to use tools, feed the chickens, and clean out the gas filter in my grandmother's Chevette (while my grandmother and mother were making sure that I knew how to sew, crochet, embroider, set a table, use the right utensils and be a lady but more on them later).

Papa grew up in Oklahoma and as worked in so many trades that it's hard to keep track. Off the top of my head there was oil field worker, broom corn field worker, mechanic, bartender, truck driver, maintenance worker, janitor, and Walmart greeter.

We finally convinced him to retire after he left Walmart so he's been relaxing and reading every Western the library has for the last 2 years now. (Seriously, the library is running out of Westerns that he hasn't read!)

Anyway, he says, "Hello!"

Mom Guilt

Everyone has heard about new mom guilt by now. We all feel guilt no matter what, about everything from nursing or bottle feeding, cloth or disposable diapers, work or stay at home and possibly a thousand other things.

I have however encountered one version that I did not expect. And let me state now, that I do NOT blame anyone at all for my guilt.

Let me explain.

My acquaintance, we'll call her Cammie, was expecting her first baby, due the day after I was expecting my seventh, Cookie. I jokingly called us due date buddies. Whether she liked it or not, she laughed along.

She was very vocal on her favorite social media site about her pregnancy, whereas I chose not to even discuss it on there until Cookie was born. But she posted less than glowingly about her pregnancy. Yes, I was uncomfortable, and I felt like a whale, and I had trouble sleeping and at times it was painful, but I was bringing a baby into the world! What a blessing!

On January 4th, I woke up with contractions and two hours later, our little Cookie was born. Yep. You read that right: 2 hours later. I had a natural birth (and not by my choice, let me tell you). I found out later that day that Cammie had begun having contractions the night before. By the end, she had opted to have an epidural (of which I'm still a bit jealous lol) and she had to have a C-section.

So I feel guilty that my birth was so easy and hers was not.

Then I read (again through her favorite social media) that Cammie was having trouble nursing her son. And while Cookie and I had a little bit of a problem, we got it sorted out and she nurses like a champ. (Even if I am worried about having to pump when I go back to work.) Cammie's son, however, was hospitalized for dehydration and they are still having to supplement with formula.

So I feel guilty that my daughter nurses well.
And I feel guilty that I was lucky enough to avoid needing to supplement this time. (I have had to with one of my sons.)

And I have recently realized that most of the moms that I know (granted they are on their first kids) are so very much the "crunchy" moms about which you hear.

So I feel guilty about not wanting to use cloth diapers (I don't find them practical).
I feel guilty about not buying organic foods only.
I feel guilty that my kids don't have severe food allergies.
I feel guilty that I am fortunate enough to have my mother available to keep my kids while I work.

And I am sure I will find more and more things about which to feel guilty.

But maybe we, as mothers, should realize that we can't be it all.
We can't do it all.
And no matter what we are going to feel guilty about something.
Instead, perhaps, we should all just give each other a hug every time we pass each other in the grocery store, or at the pick up section at the school, or in the doctor's office and just acknowledge, even if it is silently, that we are all human. And all of us are going to make someone else feel guilty about something whether we mean to or not. (I know Cammie or my other mom friends don't intend to make me feel guilty.)
What do you say; want a hug?

Daddy

I've been debating for a couple days now on how to begin this blog. I have a couple stories that I wanted to tell before life flows on and I forget them. And it seems to me that the appropriate one to start with is the one I've been wanting to tell about my DH of 20 years since our story as a family starts with him, too.

We had our little Cookie's first doctor appointment last week, just to make sure she was growing well. He had trouble sleeping the night before, but he got up to drive us anyway.

We were waiting for the doctor to come in & she was fussing, as babies sometimes do.

I was doing the mama thing and rocking and murmuring to her and she calmed down a bit. He had been watching me comfort her & his words meant more to me that I will ever be able to express. He said, "You amaze me." At my puzzled look, he continued, "You're such a good mother. You have a strength that I don't understand."

I can't explain why or how, but he always knows just what to say to me to take my breath away, to chase away the tears, to give me strength. Just when I need it most, he says exactly what I need to hear even when I don't know what I need to hear. He is my rock. He is my life. And I love him.