three pugs & a baby: January 2011

Monday, January 31, 2011

{ child's play: will you be my valentine? }

I love doing holiday craft projects, but somehow, I always manage to fall behind and don't get some things done on time.

With the start of the new year, of course, I have re-committed to being more on the ball and giving myself plenty of time to complete these little projects.

It's incredibly helpful when mommy friends direct me to concepts like this one, which helps encourage me to get cracking.

There's still time to make your very own lollipop Valentine's before the big day.

And, if you are someone who gets major holiday mail from our family, you may want to skip reading this post entirely, or else the surprise will be ruined.

Don't say I didn't warn you...

What you're going to need is a good photo of your little one, preferably dressed in some Valentine-themed clothes (like this adorable "All You Need Is Love" t-shirt from my favorite store, Target).

Just kidding. While I love this picture, we really need one with his fist out. As if he's holding something.

Like this.

I fully support bribery (we worked with Teddy Grahams) in order to keep your little one on track.

Otherwise, you end up with a lot of snaps that look like this.

Eventually, we got a winner.

Time to get to work.

I uploaded this picture into my Photoshop Elements and played around with it a little.

I wrote a message on it, added a border and then got some 5x7s printed at CVS.

I liked the fact that it has that white border around it, and didn't crop it any farther.

Now, pull out that handy dandy Exact-o knife. And be super careful. These bad boys are sharp!

Make cuts along the top and bottom of the fist, as shown here.

I jiggled the openings very gently with the blade to create a little give. It's all about the give.

Next, I pulled out my lollipops, long-stemmed hearts that come in bouquets. These are also from Target. Shocking, really.

Then gently work the lollipop stem into the cut on the top of the fist...

and out the bottom, like so.

Could these be any more adorable?

Happy Valentine's Day!

Sunday, January 30, 2011

{ the wii fit is out to get me }

Correction.

It's out to get all of us.

True story.

The other day (Day 28, for those of you keeping track), I logged in, eager to get started on my workout.

The little animated Wii board on the screen greeted me with a jaunty bow and a chipper "how do you do?"

It proceeded to welcome me back and congratulate me on my dedication.

Buttering me up, is what I think.

As I tried to skip ahead to the training portion of the day, the animated Wii board wandered off topic.

Animated Wii Board (AWB, for short): You know, I haven't seen Bentley around lately.

(Yes. We included the pugs in the Wii Fit Plaza. It's kind of fun to have them there.)

AWB: Did you know that proper development of core muscles help improve posture?

AWB: By the way, how is MacGyver's posture doing?

Do what now?

Was my Animated Wii Board asking me to rat out my husband?

I went ahead and clicked A on my Wii Remote. A sure way to move on to the next task at hand.

Instead, I was presented with four option boxes. And no way to click past them. I had to choose.

My options?
A. Looks good!
B. Looks bad!
C. No change!
D. Is improving.

Um. Ok, then.

All I really wanted to do was knock out a 30 minute free run.

I chose D. Is improving. After all, he's been doing all kinds of things on there. And he just had a bunch of massages. And we just got a new mattress in order to help posture while sleeping. If his posture was off-kilter, surely the combination of the three would have led to some form of improvement.

Right?

AWB: Well. You may be right in some ways. Let's get started!

What the hell does that even mean? You may right in some ways? Is AWB calling me a liar? Because it sure sounds that way.

And how does it benefit me to rat out my own husband? Do I burn extra calories that way? Do I get to the next level of the Segway challenge?

And what does it ask MacGyver about me? I'm not sure i like the two of them discussing me and my posture behind my back. I don't think it does much for team morale.

Just saying.

So, as I'm putting in my time on the balance board, I'm wondering. What else is that AWB up to? Plotting? Thinking about?

It's a little unnerving and I'm not sure I like it.

Stay tuned. I may have to put a stop to the whole thing and go back to yelling at Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred if the espionage continues.

Does your AWB play these kinds of mind games with you? I'd love to hear your stories.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

{ slumber party! }

Sometimes, as a mother, you forget to take much-needed time for yourself.

Time to relax. To recharge. To get in touch with the woman you are.

Which is even better with friends.

And even better than that is getting together with those friends for a slumber party.

I mean, really. What's better than whipping out the vintage Rainbow Brite sleeping bags (Or in my case, the non-camping air mattress that plugs into the wall and deflates itself. Because you know I'm not equipped for roughing it) and mixing up some cocktails?

And let's not forget digging into the most delicious spread of food.

We had a theme. I commemorated it in fondant.

I believe in embracing themes.

Please note the popcorn and box wine. Staples of any (adult) slumber party.

The group hailed from regions up to six hours away. Hence the sleepover. We all met in a somewhat central location. Some of us have been friends for several years. Others were meeting for the first time.

The most notable thing to me is that we just fell into the night as if we had known each other forever. It was absolutely comfortable and easy.

We created a MattressLand in the living room and we stayed up talking til... 2:30 or so.

And it was wonderful.

We talked. For hours. We talked so much, in fact, that I've been hoarse for the last few days.

About our children. Our lives. Our parenting challenges. Our life experiences. Silly things. Serious things.

Everything.

It was so wonderful. So relaxing. Even though I only got four or five hours of sleep, I wasn't tired when I got up. I was absolutely refreshed and energized. I haven't had that feeling in an insanely long time.

Here's to friends, both new and old. Here's to having amazing women in my life. Here's to many more nights of talking and sharing and laughing.

Here's to you.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

{ photo tour: turtle's big boy room }

Here's my confession.

I never really "finished" Turtle's nursery.

The walls were painted. There was a crib, a dresser, a lamp, a couple of random accent shelves, and some round mirrors. I did some decoupaged wall circles and wall letters.

And that was that.

The thing is, he was NEVER EVER in his room except for to sleep. And even that didn't start until he was seven or eight months old.

Then it turned into a thing where I just didn't want him to be distracted by "stuff" in his room, when his room was supposed to be for sleeping. Since his mommy is pretty much an insomniac, it only makes sense that I would want to start healthy sleep habits from the get-go.

Then it turned into, well, we'll be switching him to a "big boy room" any day now, so why put the time and money into "finishing" this room.

Which brings us to the renovation.

The bedding was a hand-me-down gift from MacGyver's brother and sister-in-law. It's perfect, from Bombay Kids, and in beautiful condition, featuring jungle animals.

Complete with tons of pillows.

The colors are bright and fun, and I love the whimsy of it.

Those wall circles got a nice coat of glossy yellow paint and repurposed over the new bed.

I picked up a few 11x17 canvases from Walmart and free handed a lion and a giraffe to complement the bedding. (I say "complement" because I know they don't match. I tried.).

I also found these frames for $3 each. I painted them in yellow and green.

We also moved his dresser into the alcove and rehung all the circle mirrors.

We are still going to be hanging these rain gutter bookshelves in the next week or so. Of course, I'll report back on how that goes.

And Turtle?

He loves it.

He told us "Thank you for the new room!" and he is absolutely in love with his bed.

I did feel a pang of guilt because it's not a Toy Story theme, but he hasn't yet complained, so it's all good.

I'm glad we got to put the bedding to use, even if we do end up changing it in a few years. And I'm most glad that he loves it.

Monday, January 24, 2011

{ happy birthday, molly! }

On Monday, Molly turned six!

She's still a young pup. And she's still totally awesome.

She's also a little touch of estrogen to help me out in a mostly testosterone-d household.

Since we had just gone to Chick-Fil-A on Monday (not that you can ever have CFA too often), MacGyver wanted to switch it up and get Molly a doggie cake.

Sadly, there don't seem to be any dog-centric bakeries in our area, so he decided to make one.

Want one for your pup? Here's are some recipes. (We used the Peanut Butter Delight with a cottage cheese frosting).

Cake time was a super exciting time for all.

It kind of looked like carrot cake. I'm going to go out on a limb and say it didn't taste like it.

The birthday girl nommed it all up.

Happy day to our little princess!

Sunday, January 23, 2011

{ growing up before our eyes }

First, I have to apologize. I have been out of commission, in the blog world and pretty much everywhere else, since last Wednesday. It happens, but I feel badly for not being prepared.

Moving on.

Part of the busy-ness of the past week has been a very big move.

Turtle has graduated from a toddler bed to a real-live Big Boy Bed.

Excuse me while I weep.

But the full mattress and boxspring were delivered late last week, and despite the bug Turtle has been fighting, MacGyver whipped out his "trusty tool belt" and started dismantling and reassembling.

Turtle was very excited to tell Monkey all about what was going down.

And then, not to be outdone, he picked up a screwdriver and started in with the hard labor.

Love the can-do attitude!

His reaction to the new sleeping arrangements?

"WOW! It's a BIG BED!"

Yes, pumpkin. It is.

Look how itty bitty he seems in there.

Luckily, Turtle has always "transitioned" well. He gave the side eye to some of the rearranging, but he's been having fabulous night's sleeps.

That's what counts.

Another positive is that he's staying under his blankets, something he flat out refused to do with his crib. That makes me feel better, because it does get cold in his room, and he absolutely insists on having his fan running.

He's so particular.

A dear friend in Texas asked me how I was handling it all.

And honestly? I am. Pretty well, if I do say so myself.

It's tough, seeing your little one grow and become so independent. And yet gratifying, too. My heart swells every time I think of how he is coming into his own. I can't quite describe it.

I'm proud of our little guy. He is such a trooper and an amazingly good sport.

Did I mention that he's cute as a button?

Based on his growth pattern, I'm not entirely sure how long he's going to stay in a full bed, but for now, I'm so glad he's enjoying it.

Stay tuned. I'm going to post pictures of his big boy room tomorrow!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

{ speaking of birthdays... }

Turtle's little friend, H, just turned 3!

I can't believe that all these little kiddos are getting so big!

The major bummer is that Turtle was either sick or teething. Or a combination of the two. Sadly, his runny nose and cough was enough to keep him home.

He would have had a blast.

The theme?

Toy Story.

(In other news, Turtle has requested a dinosaur party for his own third, so I'm really scouring the world wide web - and beyond - for adorable party concepts).

H's mom asked me if I could help out with cupcakes. Specifically, alien cupcakes.

You know. The aliens who say "ooooh!" and "the claw!" a lot. And are really quite adorable.

They were so much fun.

I loved making them and I was so happy with how they came out.

H's mom also totally nailed it when she suggested they be set up on the Sit-n-Spin.

What a perfect way to display them!

We hope you had a wonderful birthday, H!

Monday, January 17, 2011

{ yes. we're those people }

Monday was a very special day.

Oscar's birthday.

This little guy turned 11.

Can you believe?

He's gotten gray in the face, and his eyesight is poor and his arthritis and displaysia make it hard for him in the winter, but he's still the biggest bundle of love you could ever snuggle.

Oh, and that tongue? From Day 1, it was always there, poking out. He sleeps with it out. It's the best.

So, in honor of his big day, he got some special attention.

For breakfast, I shared my scrambled egg with him.

And for lunch, MacGyver made a very special trip to Chick-Fil-a for pug birthday nuggets. Oh, and some lunch for us, too.

He may not see really well, but he KNEW that nugget was coming.

And he was ready for it.

MacGyver almost lost a finger there. Nom.

Molly and Bentley weren't excluded, either.

No, sirree.

Hats for all!

Seriously. These pugs will do a.n.y.t.h.i.n.g. for food. Anything.

Happy birthday to my sweet boy pug. Hope it was wonderful!

Sunday, January 16, 2011

{ the mommy store }

One of the things that's hardest about this age, for me, has been Turtle's discovery of the phrase:

"No mommy today."

This can be delivered in a whisper, an ear-splitting shriek, or any combination of the two.

My brain is fully aware that he doesn't mean it and that he's just not articulating his true feelings in the proper manner.

At least, my adult logic thinks it knows that.

It still stings. Some days more than others.

On Saturday morning, I was chatting with my mom. The conversation, of course, moved to Turtle, and the fact that he appears to be teething. Again. (Does it EVER stop???), and was therefore congested and cough-y and foul-tempered.

And I vented openly to her about how "challenging" it is right now and how "overwhelmed" I am by some of his behaviors and how "difficult" it is to maintain calm all.the.time.

And after a brief moment of silence, where I just KNOW she was thinking to herself: "Haha! Karma!", she told me what she used to do back in the days when I was Turtle's age and would say similar things to her.

Apparently, her solution was to tell me "Ok. Then we'll go to the New Mommy Store and you can pick out a new mommy."

And I would mull that over and say something wonderful like "Nooooo!"

And we lived happily ever after.

So on Saturday night, when Turtle told me "No, Mommy. No mommy today," I pulled it out.

Me: Ok. Then we will go to the New Mommy Store and you can pick out a new mommy.

Turtle: No, Mommy!

Me: (on the inside) SCORE!

Turtle: Want Daddy to come!

Fail.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

{ theorizing on three }

On Thursday, no less.

Apparently, I've been reading too much Dr. Seuss. Alliteration is seeping into my blogging.

But anyway.

Turtle is creeping up on the magical age of Three.

There was always talk of the "Terrible Twos." I was prepared for that. Kind of.

It was only recently (the last few years) that parents started spilling a horrible secret.

Apparently, the Threes make the Twos look like a walk in the park.

And also? The Threes don't actually have to start at Three. They can start now, even when the toddler in question is still firmly entrenched in the Twos.

Talk about unfair.

It's a horrible thing to watch.

Turtle, who lulled us into a false sense of security with his mellow personality, is embracing the next stage of toddler development with open and flailing arms.

He's also a really big fan of the word "No."

And of changing his mind.

And of Oscar-winning displays of theatrics whenever the wind blows the wrong way.

Which could work out great for him if the NFL thing doesn't pan out. But in the meantime, it's a little intense.

I have never second-guessed myself as a mother so much as I am these days. Every morning, I get out of bed, hoping for the best, preparing for the worst.

The good days are wonderful. The bad? Well. I don't like to talk about the bad.

I try so hard to put a positive spin on the behaviors. I use the word "assert" a lot. Turtle is "asserting his independence" or "asserting his opinion," or "asserting himself."

I try to focus on the fact that he is just two. And that even though he is incredibly articulate, he is still not emotionally mature enough to effectively communicate all the things going on his head to us. It's got to be incredibly frustrating: to not be able to give voice to the feelings you're having inside.

At least that's what I tell myself.

But it's so hard. Just this morning, we engaged in battle about who would be joining him in the potty. Except it was a wailing "NOT DADDY! NO MOMMY! I DON'T WANT DADDY NO MOMMY GET OUT BENTLEY!!!!!!" And no. I didn't forget punctuation. That's how it all comes out.

On the plus side, breakfast went smoothly.

We focus a lot on "using our listening ears" and "making good choices." The amount of buzz words I use in a day is frightening.

We are embracing "consequences." Usually a time out does the trick. Two minutes where he can just sit and take a breather. He's protests briefly, but by the end of the allotted, he's usually moved on to the next thing. Sometimes, he puts himself in time outs, if he's overwhelmed or can't get a handle on himself. I suppose that's ok. It seems to be a coping tool for him, and I'm certainly not going to get in the way of him learning how to cope.

I try not to take it personally when he looks at me and says "I don't want Mommy today." I mean. Where am I going to go? The Bahamas? Dare to dream, right?

I know this, too, shall pass. It's a phase. Our job is to weather this storm as best we can, guiding Turtle through it and getting him to the age of Four. About which I have heard nothing negative. So far.

On the days when my personal parenting morale is high, I can handle Turtle's Three-ness reasonably. On the days when I'm self-doubting, the incessant pushback winds me tight as a guitar string. By the time he goes to bed some nights, I'm ready to crawl into my own.

It's hard work. Clinging to every shred of patience. Being consistent. Redirecting over and over and over again. Keeping calm.

I drove home today to the chorus of "No Mommy! Mommy get on the ground! Mommy, stop driving! MOMMY ON THE GROUND NO MOMMYYYYYYYY!" I'm not entirely sure what I was supposed to be doing on the ground, or how he expected to get home if I just suddenly pulled over and abandoned the driver's seat, but we made it. Now he's down for a nap, from which I hope he'll wake in a refreshed state of mind. We'll take the next part of our day from there.

I have my fingers crossed that this phase will be short-lived. There are so many fun things going on at this age - his imagination, his ability to grasp abstract concepts.... the sheer hilarity of some of the things he says. Of course, with the good comes the negative. I guess so we appreciate the highlights more.

I hope when he goes to bed at night after a particularly trying day (like today), that he forgives me if I've gotten snappish or impatient or raised my voice. It's not often, but I'm not perfect, either. Even when he's acting out or having a bad day, I still adore him and I never want him to feel anything but loved.

This mommy thing is not for the faint-hearted. That's for darn sure.

What tips and tricks do you have for making it through these "assertive" years? I know I do lots of counting to ten and deep breathing. What works for you?