Thursday, February 27, 2014

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.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

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.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

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!)

Monday, February 24, 2014

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.)

Sunday, February 23, 2014

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?

Friday, February 21, 2014

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.


Thursday, February 20, 2014

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.


Wednesday, February 19, 2014

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.

Monday, February 17, 2014

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!

Sunday, February 16, 2014

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!

Saturday, February 15, 2014

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.

Friday, February 14, 2014

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

Thursday, February 13, 2014

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?


Wednesday, February 12, 2014

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!"

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

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!

Monday, February 10, 2014

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!"


Sunday, February 9, 2014

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!

Saturday, February 8, 2014

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.

Friday, February 7, 2014

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!

Thursday, February 6, 2014

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!"

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

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!


Tuesday, February 4, 2014

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!

Monday, February 3, 2014

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!

Sunday, February 2, 2014

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!