Off, off and away!

We're heading off for a mountain ski vacation. I'll check back with you in just over a week.

Have a great week (I know we will!)

My cupboards are empty

Okay, this has got to stop. I need to reclaim our kitchen. The little guy has taken off running with every pot, pan, lid, collander, spoon, etc...in the joint. The clanging and the banging is driving me nuts! Not to mention the piles of confiscated stuff we're now storing on the countertop. Our floor is covered in cracker bits, cereal, rice and pasta from broken open packages. I'm not exagerating when I say that it looks like a hurricane blew through the kitchen (and the rest of the house for that matter). Just as I'm cleaning up one mess, he starts another one.

And, he's now discovered how to get at the garbage can under the sink. I think he's been throwing toys in there -- a lot of them have mysteriously gone missing in the last couple of days. He's either found a new hiding spot (hopefully not the toilet), or they are buried in the trash. I don't feel like digging around to find out.


Should I put locks on the cabinets, or block the kitchen with a gate? I'm thinking a better strategy would be to get him a play kitchen and a play garbage can and let him go wild. It's worth a try!

Forget what I said yesterday

Today he was happy to see me, and eager to accept my hugs when I picked him up after work. No, it wasn't because it was Valentine's Day, but rather because he had had a bad fall and was feeling quite traumatized. The poor duck tripped and fell on his face, and bit his lip really hard. There was much blood, and much crying. Our caregiver called to let us know so that we were prepared for the sight of his fat lip. I'm glad she did because, let me tell you, it looked aweful! I had to fight to keep my composure.

Luckily, mouth injuries heal quickly. The swelling has already started to go down and it doesn't seem to be causing him any discomfort.

All this to say, I got a positive reception when I picked him up today. I just wish it had been under different circumstances!

I feel so rejected

Don't get me wrong. I'm glad (extatic even!) that the little guy loves daycare. It's just that I wish he'd act a little happier to see me when I picked him up. I always feel like I'm crashing a party that I wasn't invited to.

Yesterday, he was busy cooking up a storm in the play kitchen when I rudely interrupted him. And today, I got between him and a joy ride with a giant toy bus.

Half the time, he doesn't even notice me when I walk into the house. Or, if he does, he gives me a quick smile and then turns back to the fun activity of the moment. No hugs. No kisses. No "I'm so glad to see you mom" glances. When I go over to pick him up, he protests loudly and tries to squirm away.

Sigh....Does he know that I think about him all day long? That I count the hours and minutes until I get to leave to pick him up? That I can wait to embrace him the second I walk through the door? Of course not. He's much to busy to notice any of that. I know, I know. That's a good thing. It means he's happy, well-adjusted etc. I'm just feeling a little rejected, is all.

And that's just at the end of the day. In the morning, he can't wait to get out the door. Even before he's had his breakfast, he starts dragging his snowsuit and boots around the house as if to say, "Come on, hurry up! I'm going to be late for daycare!"

My feeling of rejection melt away once we get home, and he realizes that "hey, hanging out with mom can be fun too!" I may not offer the same level of entertainment as daycare, but to my credit I can build a very nice tower (for him to knock down). I do great animal impressions when I read Barnyard Dance (a thousand times a day). I have a good repetoire of songs, which I sing on demand (with hand actions). I also dance on demand (and boy do I have some good dance moves!). I let him play with REAL pots and pans in a REAL kitchen (and I even let him pull crackers out of the box all by himself). I am always up for the "upside down" game, the "roar" game, and the "I'm going to get you" game (his favourites). Plus, I give special mommy hugs. Only I can do that.

Do more with less

I often complain that our condo is too small. That is, until I saw this web site! If we could make our place look as swanky as some of these tiny apartments, I think I could live here happily for a long, long time! My personal favourite is the apartment that came in third place.

Of course, I don't think any of these people have kids....

My son, the flirt

I know that it is true of most babies, by I honestly think my son is the biggest flirt of them all. Here are just a few examples:

- At a restaurant a few weeks ago, he started winging his toys over the back of the bench to get the attention of the pretty young ladies at the next table. The girls thought it was so cute and funny that it soon turned in to a game of catch.

- Any time we go shopping, he seeks out flirting opportunities. When he sees a pretty female approaching the eyelashes start fluttering, he puts on his lady-killer smile, and starts cooing, laughing, etc...It takes me twice as long as normal to grocery shop with all of the "flirt" stops we have to make.

- We often let him run loose in restaurants just before we leave, to burn off some of his excess energy. Without fail, he finds the table where the prettiest young lady is sitting and introduces himself with a big, dimply grin. I hope this isn't any indication of how he's going to behave as a teen ager...

- We had a meeting at the bank the other night, inside an office with a glass door. The little guy caught sight of a cute little 3 year-old on the other side of the door, and started banging on the glass, waving, and smiling to get her attention. She took notice and started smiling and waving back. The flirting soon turned into a game of peek-a-boo (just as he was hoping!). If she wasn't two years older than him, I would have said it was a match made in heaven!


My mother says he comes by it honestly. My dad is also a big flirt. He still drives the ladies crazy even though he's now in his 60s!!!

The world needs a big blankie

When the little guy is upset, he reaches for comfort in the form of a fleece blankie. We have learned from experience that a blankie should be within reach at all times -- at home, in the car, in the diaper bag. Any time he's upset, mad, or in pain from those darn molars we offer him his blankie. Instantly (and I mean instantly) he calms down, and puts his thumb into his mouth. It's really quite amazing.

I've often thought it would be funny to run an infommercial advertising the "Wonder Blankie 2000". Calms any baby, any time, anywhere. As a bonus we'll throw in the "mini -blankie" for adults. Having a stressful day? Feeling down in the dumps? Need to cool off after a heated argument? The mini-blankie conveniently and discreetly tucks away in briefcases, office drawers, and is even compact enough to fit in a pocket!

Imagine the benefits the world would reap if everyone had a blankie. It could be the magic solution for world peace.

One of my colleagues told me that she secretly wished it was socially acceptable for adults to carry blankies. She confessed that she still has her childhood blankie. I confessed that I too still had mine -- and that it was among my most prized possessions.

Like my son, I was very attached to my blankies as a child. My mother says I had about a dozen of them and every night I would bring the "lonliest" one to bed with me. Over the years I widdled down my collection to one -- my favourite. It is yellow with age, and has a torn edge that I tried to repair with a needle and thread when I was too young to know what I was doing. The botched sewing job now adds to its charm.

Let's face it -- most of us have a secret blankie stashed somewhere. Most of us are just too ashamed to admit it.

My hubby is worried that our son is turning into a "blankie sissy". Well, then I guess he's joining the rest of us "closet" blankie sissies. I say we all unite, and hold up our blankies with pride. Blankies make the world a better place.