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By Rachel, on March 7th, 2011
A while back I promised that in my quest to find worthwhile, interesting children’s books that both little one and parent can enjoy I would post some of my favorites. Here is another one to add to the list:
 Art, by Patrick McDonnell.
Do you ever read the Sunday Comics? Well, I do. Always have, always will. Those of you who do may recognize this author as the brain behind the “Mutts” comic strip, which is one of my favorites. Adorable illustrations, funny, endearing, and simple text. He has managed to translate the same writing and illustration style into a full children’s book.
This book was given to us by a family friend who doesn’t have children, but has an eye for quality. Seriously people, books are some of the very best gifts you can give.
 The book is about a little boy named Art, who happens to love creating art.
The story and illustrations are simple and sweet, with a clever play on words that tickles me every time.
My daughter loves the simple and colorful illustrations, pointing to different colors and shapes and jabbering away about them.
And for some reason, every single time I read it out loud, the last page causes me to choke up. The story isn’t wordy, but the sweet message comes across loud and clear. I love it.
If you’re looking for a book that you’ll never tire of reading with your kid, check this one out.
**Not a paid advertisement, just sharing the love.
By Rachel, on March 4th, 2011
Well, it has officially been one week since the binkies hit the trash. Can I just take a moment to brag about what a great kid I have? I really feel like we’ve hit the 2 year old jackpot. Like all toddlers, my little girl can be emotional, irrational, stubborn, strong-willed, whiny, clingy, and all around difficult- much like myself on some days, I will admit. However, the majority of the time she is happy, funny, energetic, sweet, loving, smart, playful, silly, and even downright reasonable. She is extremely easy-going for a kid, easily transitioning to new situations and new people. I couldn’t be more proud.
This binkie experience has highlighted all the reasons I think she is such an awesome kid. Last week I wrote about how disappointed she was when she realized at naptime that her binkie was indeed gone and the bitter tears that were shed. I had braced myself for nights of crying and no sleeping. I myself was a binkie baby, and the story goes that when forced to part with mine I cried for days, searching the house for another one. I was fully prepared for such a scene to unfold with my own daughter. It never happened.
That night when we put her to bed she asked for her “binkers” and we gently reminded her that we threw them away and got her a toy puppy instead. She looked somber, but didn’t cry and went to sleep. There were no more tears shed from that point on. She has asked several times for her binkers, but she has never thrown a fit and has been so good. My kid is a rockstar.
EXCEPT…
Naptime. Up until this point she has consistently taken afternoon naps every day. Once we took the binkie away, she refused to nap. She’d jump around in her crib, put on a show for her stuffed animals, sing at the top of her lungs, cry, but she wouldn’t sleep.
Here’s where I interject a blurb about my jealousy for stay-at-home parents. If I were SAHM, I’d be bugged that the nap had disappeared (because honestly, the break is nice), but she’ll be 3 in a few months so that’s just how it goes and I would deal with it. Sadly, at this point in our lives we just don’t have that luxury. I work 5 days a week, all day. The husband goes to school every morning, 5 days a week and works on the weekends. His only time to get homework done is in the afternoons while the little one sleeps. The nap is not an option. She MUST nap for at least 2 more months or our whole finely-balanced system will fall apart.
So in our desperation we committed a parenting sin: INCONSISTENCY.
We gave her back the binkie for naptime. I cringe every time I think about it. I know it isn’t a huge deal, but I like to stick to what I’ve started. She still doesn’t have it at bedtime, which hasn’t been an issue so far. But it has worked wonders for bringing back naptime. We’ll eliminate it entirely again in a couple of months when the semester ends.
So for now it’s like 2 steps forward, 1 step back? That’s still progress, right?
By Rachel, on February 28th, 2011
Generally speaking I don’t watch the Academy Awards, simply because doing the dishes is loads more exciting. However, I do like to see the dresses from the red carpet so I usually check them out online the next day. Can I just say that when I grow up I want to be Helen Mirren?
 In an industry where aging is frowned upon, to put it lightly, and older women feel the need to look and act younger than they are, I think she exudes grace, confidence, and class. I love that she dresses appropriately for her age and embraces her gray hair and wrinkles. I think she is far more beautiful than so many of similar age (or younger) with face-lifts, heavy make-up, bad dye-jobs, and who think they need to show off way too much skin in order to be attractive. She obviously has taken good care of herself, and I hope that as I grow older I can do so with the same level of self-confidence that she appears to have.
Just sayin’.
By Rachel, on February 25th, 2011
Over the last several months I have had a running list in my head of some milestones that needed to be accomplished with the little one:
1. Break the binkie habit
2. Crib to a “big girl” bed
3. Potty training (please, for the love…)
All of these strike fear to my heart. For one, I have no idea how to successfully accomplish any of these. Secondly, two of those items involve her sleeping habits, which I am positively loathe to disrupt. You know those parents who brag about how their infant slept through the night within one month of coming home?
Yeah, our kid wasn’t remotely close to that. And I secretly hate parents who have babies who sleep through the night, well, EVER.
(Haha! Just kidding, I don’t hate them…)
Claire didn’t consistently sleep through the night until she was 18 months old. Yes, you read that right. A YEAR AND A HALF. And I’m not talking just a once a night thing. There were several months where we were up multiple times a night, all while we both worked full time and went to school. Dealing with all that breeds a special brand of crazy, I assure you.
We tried everything. We followed pediatrician’s orders to a T. We read books. We listened to friends. We tried old wives’ tales. We threw away all the advice we have received and went off instinct. We stood on our heads in the light of the full moon and begged the sleep gods to find favor with us. NOTHING WORKED. It was evident that our child did not enjoy sleeping and frequently shunned eating as well. If she didn’t come from my body, I would think we weren’t related at all, seeing as sleeping and eating are two of my very favorite things.
Aside from a few odd instances though, this last year has been bliss. We have a good nighttime routine down and for the most part the kid is a gem. Why in the world would I want to screw that up? No really, why would I even think of messing with it??
Today we threw away the binkies.
Hold me.
The kid has actually been quite upbeat and optimistic about the whole thing. About a week ago I proposed that if she threw away her binkies, we would buy her a new little toy. (Bribery is the key to successful parenting, in case no one told you.) She’s been excited about it and when we went shopping yesterday she was the one who brought it up, so I figured we might as well go for it. She picked out the toy, then cheerfully chucked her binkies in the trash and I unpackaged her prize. All was going well. It seemed a little too good to be true…
Cut to nap-time. We went through the usual routine, closed the door, and held our breath. A minute or two later…”Mom! Dad! Rache! (she now calls me by my first name half the time) I want a binkers! I want a binkers please!”.
I went in to gently remind her that we threw the binkers away this morning and they were gone now. On her face I could see that all the pieces of what happened clicked together and oh! The disappointment! My poor little girl’s heart was crushed, and so was mine.
Really, sometimes I think having empathy is totally overrated. Why must I feel so acutely the pain that someone else feels, especially my kid?
This parenting stuff is hard. H. A. R. D. I just keep telling myself that it is my job to move her through the tough things in life. I mean, what 6th grader still sleeps with a binkie at night, you know? (I have a feeling there are some out there…) It’s my job to stop that from happening. She has to grow up sometime! And really, in the grand scheme of things, I will have to steer her through much more difficult things in the years to come, so I might as well toughen up now.
But oh, to have this little squish of a baby back…
By Rachel, on February 22nd, 2011
This has been a banner week for me so far. Not only did I blow dry my hair and straighten it yesterday, but I did today as well! Yes friends, that is TWO days in a row! Actually, scratch that, I did on Saturday and Sunday too, so that is FOUR days in a row. But really the impressive part is that I did it yesterday and today, because that requires early-morning effort, and I am not a fan of such things. For the last several months at this job I have taken the lazy road and just washed my hair and let it air dry, allowing it to swirl around my head in all it’s fuzzy and random glory, occasionally pulling it into a pony tail if I’m feeling fancy. My hair doesn’t look too bad when I let it air dry, so I figure it is no big deal considering I work with all men who cuddle their MacBooks and iPhones in the night and who probably would hardly notice if I shaved my head.
Or so I thought!
Last week I went in later and actually took the time to do my hair, and one of my coworkers popped his head in my office to ask a question. He started walking away, they abruptly popped his head in again.
“Hey! I really like your hair today!”
Crap. Compliment= nice, yes, but people are noticing?
The fact that people are noticing isn’t exactly going to change my habits, I still just wash and run out the door most days, but yesterday and today I woke up a little earlier and decided it may be worth the extra effort. I mean, it is good to look nice once in a while, right? Besides, it makes me look more polished and professional and less like a 14 year old, so that is a good thing too, no?
This morning I waltzed into my twice weekly 8:30 AM meeting, knowing that for the first time in weeks I was attending the meeting fully put-together and feeling more confident as a result. For a few minutes it was just me and my coworker, who also happens to be one of my neighbors (how I got the job, if you want to know).
“How are you doing today?” he asked.
“Fine!” I replied, and flashed a smile.
“You look tired.” he said in response.
As a matter of fact, I was not feeling particularly tired this morning, but I played it off as though I were. Oh, haha, yes! Yes, I am always tired. Such a shame, thanks for noticing…Say, are you sick? You don’t sound so good yourself! (hehe) And then I gave him the stink-eye when he wasn’t looking. But no matter! I have lovely hair and matching clothes today and I’m pretty sure my arms are buffer than they were two weeks ago, so I’m not too concerned about what some random office dude said about my appearance.
Which reminds me of an interesting tidbit! At my old job, for years and years, there were two of my superiors who would often comment on my appearance. It has always been such a befuddling thing to me. They didn’t comment in mean way, necessarily, but not a flattering way either. For example, I was teaching a training class and happened to be wearing a cute red and white shirt that day. My boss at the time (who was also someone I considered a friend) walked through the training room and declared, “Hey look everyone, it’s Where’s Waldo!” and practically slapped his knee and chuckled at his own joke as my innocent trainees looked on.
I made sure to give him the stink-eye while he was looking for that one. Actually come to think of it, that comment was kind of mean, so he most certainly deserved the stink-eye and the hearty “HEY, THANKS FOR THAT!!” speech I gave him later on in his office.
My other boss (who is a close friend of my first boss, by the way) would often comment on my jewelry choices or hair style choices or footwear choices in such a way that I didn’t know whether to feel self-conscious or to blow it off. One day, while sitting in a one-on-one in his office and most likely listening to him drone on about college football (as he was wont to do for some inexplicable reason, seeing as I cared little and contributed nothing to the conversation) he suddenly stopped and leaned forward and asked loudly, “Do you have one braid in your hair?”, which I in fact did have a small french braid in the front of my hair and leading back to a pony tail, as is the style. After affirming that yes I did, he simply replied with a “huh!”, and continued on with his football rant.
Another time during a meeting he randomly exclaimed to me “You know what I’ve noticed about you? You always wear a necklace!” and then continued to prattle away about something completely unrelated.
Since he never followed up these comments with something like it looks nice, I was never quite sure if he is merely making some idiotic observation or if he was critiquing my fashion choices out loud instead of in his head, and then I’d spend the rest of the day overly concerned about my hair or my jewelry or something else he had commented on.
Over time though I stopped worrying about it and realized that these “observations” were coming from a man who clearly had zero fashion sense at all. After that, each time he commented on something followed up by a “Huh!”, I wanted to holler I don’t need fashion critiques coming from a 35 year old man who is wearing a wrinkled button-down shirt and giant black skater shoes to his office job!!
But I didn’t, because I’m a nice girl.
It was so curious to me that neither of these men knew basic fashion rules such as wearing a belt to match your shoes (or a belt at all…), or that you don’t wear a navy blue shirt with ill-fitting black slacks, or how to use an iron, and yet they paid attention to my fashion choices.
So anyway, I’m not entirely sure where I am going with all this, other than to say that being a lone female in an office can be tough, especially when you work with men who feel the need to comment on your appearance in the oddest way.
But then again I could be working in an office of catty women who greet me with a smile while ripping apart every detail of my outfit in their minds, so it could always be worse.
Maybe I’ll just work from home tomorrow.
By Rachel, on February 16th, 2011
(This “vintage” lunchbox for sale on Etsy. Vintage! Am I that old?)
The lunch I packed for work today:
1 peanut butter and honey sandwich on whole wheat bread
1 caramel rice cake (in place of chips. Stupid healthy eating.)
1 small container of raw baby carrots
1 small package of applesauce
1 frosted heart-shaped sugar cookie that was made by my mother. No joke.
A perfect lunch to fit into my old My Little Ponies lunchbox, no? The only thing missing is a friggin’ juice box.
If I didn’t know any better, I would think I was 7 years old.
(My lunch is in a plastic Wal-Mart bag. So much more grown up!)
By Rachel, on February 9th, 2011
Today is Wednesday which I am very happy about, because in two days it will be Friday, and after Friday comes a weekend which means I don’t have to work. I live for the weekends. Saturday means I get to stay in comfy pants most the day and get things organized and to feel all domestic and accomplished. Sunday means I get to again spend the majority of the day in comfy pants (after the required 3 hours in a skirt, which isn’t so bad) and not feel obligated to do anything at all and maybe if I’m lucky I’ll even get to take a nap. A nap!!
But what I love more than even my beloved comfy pants is the fact that I get to spend quality time with my two favorite people instead of cooped up in a windowless office. Since the husband usually works on Saturday I get to have a whole day with my little girl all to myself. Some days it is trying, as I have found I am much more patient when that patience is regularly exercised, much like a muscle, and during the week in my fluorescent cave my toddler patience muscle becomes weak. However, most Saturdays I relish the ability to hang out with this really awesome little person who likes to have dance parties in the kitchen and help mama clean and jump on the bed and color pictures and all manner of silly things.
Then on Sundays I get double the pleasure, double the fun because now not only do I have my little girl to hang out with all day, but my dear husband as well! We get to watch movies and cook or bake and joke and cuddle and as mentioned above, take a NAP in the middle of the day and I’m convinced there are few things better than us all being cozy in our beds on a cold afternoon. He always shaves on a Sunday (a bit of a rarity for my scruffy other half) and smells all good and I get to just lay there and inhale him as much as I want.
These last two weekends I have discovered the joy in simple fun. A couple of weeks ago after dinner we had nothing to do, nowhere to go, and had a jolly good time of it. We left the TV off and for some inexplicable reason began running about the house to create our own fun. The resident toddler loves when we chase her back and forth, screeching and laughing if we get within “catching” range or better yet, leaping over her en route. That quickly turned into us doing old football/dance warm-ups and exercises (football from him, dance from me, natch) and teaching them to one another. The little one found immeasurable joy in this, and at one point I sat back and reflected on how much fun it was to just goof around with no agenda, no timetable, and no worries.
The next weekend we decided to make a trip to the local mall where we treated ourselves to buy-one-get-one-free cheeseburgers and the small fry (ha, get it? I kill myself sometimes) to a corndog. We watched the teenagers mill about and realized how old we were because honestly, what were they wearing and what is with that hair?? I couldn’t help but look at my cute little girl next to me, bopping along to the music with a corndog in her hand and a smile on her face, oblivious to the fact that she was in public with her parents (how embarrassing!), and wishing with all my might that we could all just stay like this forever and that she would never turn into one of those weird teenagers. (Although I wouldn’t mind if she was potty-trained, so I supposed I would allow for a little bit of change.) Then we rode the train and the merry-go-round and wouldn’t you know it? I totally forgot to bring the blasted camera so I did my very best to take mental snapshots of the joy written all over her face.
These days we don’t have a lot of extra cash (or any, if I’m being honest), but on the weekends I feel like the richest girl in the world.
By Rachel, on February 3rd, 2011
I’m in San Jose on another business trip. Oh so fun. Or not. At least I was able to eat some good Thai food tonight and my sweet husband stocked me up with my favorite items of junk food for my trip: Milano double chocolate cookies and white fudge covered pretzels. Give me just a moment- mmmmmm…..
Anyway, you know what one of the best parts of flying on an airplane is? No, not the TSA patdown. SKYMALL. Oh yeah, you heard me right. I love flipping through the SkyMall catalog. I can kill a good hour being simultaneously intrigued and amused by that thing.
Let’s take a look at some of the gems found in this fine publication, shall we?
 Exhibit A- The Pet Wheel-Away. True, your pet has 4 legs, compared to your 2 that end in high heels, but he probably deserves to be wheeled around in a mesh cage rather than walking on his own. Only $120!
 Exhibit B- The Hidden Litter Box. Listen, I don’t mean to pick on somebody with limitations, but clearly this inventor does not have a sense of smell. There’s a reason litter boxes are kept in basements/laundry rooms/garages instead of your living room. They stink. And your book club guests are not going to be impressed seeing your cat smugly saunter out after chucking around litter.
 Exhibit C- Private iPhone Case. As described on the website, The private iPhone case is a great way to discreetly watch a movie or read sensitive emails with others sitting nearby. Because simply moving to a more private area to do such things would be totally weird.
 Exhibit D- Personalized Steak Branding Iron. I…I…I have nothing to say. I just know if my neighbor served me a steak with his initials branded on it I’d be seriously creeped out.
 Exhibit E- Head Spa Massager. Apparently this contraption massages your head like “thousands of tiny fingers”, but I want this sucker simply so I can look like I’m FROM THE FUTURE.
And last but not least…
 Exhibit F- Bigfoot Garden Yeti Sculpture. Are you tired of doing your darndest to keep up with the Joneses, only to continually fall short? This Bigfoot sculpture will blow their stupid garden gnomes out of the water. And would you believe it? This stunning bronze statue is cheaper than that dumb pet rolling carrier, and that’s no joke.
By Rachel, on January 28th, 2011
A year or two ago the husband and I went to dinner at a friend’s house. We had a lovely time, and after returning home we chatted while changing into our comfy clothes (my favorite part of the day!).
“Do you know what I love most about you?”, the husband said earnestly.
I tossed my hair and batted my eyelashes and got ready for the compliment. Could it be my sparkling personality? My witty sense of humor? My striking beauty?
“You’re not a picky eater”, he said decisively.
Uh…Well. Interesting.
It’s true though. One of our great joys as a couple is trying new foods, both while traveling or whipping them up in our own kitchen. We are devoted to the Food Network and can often be found taking notes or recording entire episodes. Food is fun!
I’m realizing now how many die-hard health fanatics would probably find this post to be blasphemous and alarming. Let me clarify- we actually are pretty healthy eaters (generally). I actually believe that those who do not enjoy the finer points of food and cooking often have more unhealthy habits, as they are more prone to regularly eating a frozen dinner and Cheetos rather than experimenting with the fresh vegetables discovered at the Farmer’s Market over the weekend. Know what I mean? But then again, “non-foodies” can be perfectly healthy eaters and “foodies” can eat terribly, so let’s not over-generalize here.
Anyway, over the last few years I’ve tried a number of new foods that I never thought I would like but discovered I really do! So without further ado, here is a list of things I once assumed would be disgusting but are actually really good! (Because I know you all care so much.)
1. Indian food- pretty much looks like someone barfed on a plate, but the husband convinced me to try it and now I get wicked cravings. I even got really brave once and tried lamb at an Indian restaurant in NYC. Traditionally lamb isn’t my favorite, but HOLY MOLY was that dish ever good!
2. Sushi- raw fish? Who in their right mind eats raw fish?? This gal, that’s who. Again, the man of the house convinced me and I’m happy he did. I still have a hard time with sashimi, the thin pieces of just raw fish (the texture! aaaahh!), but I do like a good sushi roll (and I’m not just talking a plain old California roll here).
3. Chickpeas- they look strange and have an odd name, but they’re super delish, especially on a salad or in hummus form. And they’re super good for you too!
4. Eggplant- also very strange looking with a strange name, but cooked correctly it can be all sorts of yum.
5. Avocado- believe it or not, at one time I declared I did not like avocados. I think the texture bothered me (if you can’t tell, food texture is a big deal for me). But I gave them another chance and now I love avocados so much I could marry one. Mmmmm….avocado…
6. Onions- not raw onions, don’t be crazy! Well, maybe occasionally on a burger or sandwich or something. But onions give such a fantastic flavor when used in cooking, I don’t know why I avoided them before. And there are few things better than caramelized onions. Oh man, put those on a steak sandwich or in some stuffed mushrooms and it is sooooo good.
8. Seafood- I realize this is an acquired taste. I think most people either love or hate seafood. I used to be ok with salmon and tuna fish and that’s it, but I realize now that for years I was missing out on crab, shrimp, lobster, sea bass, and other delectable items. My husband is trying to get me to try oyster shooters…eh…I’ll get there.
7. Spicy food- to a point, anyway. Growing up we never ate anything spicy so I was rather sensitive to it. Over time though I’ve found I like a little kick to my food now and then. My version of “spicy” is probably mild to some people, but I still like to think I’m more adventurous than I once was.
The more foods I try, the more I find I like. I’ve found a love for many ethnic foods and am dying to explore more. My point of this whole post is this: don’t knock it until you try it. One of the joys in life is discovering new and exciting things. Sometimes you just have to have an open mind and an empty stomach, to quote one of my favorite Food Network shows. Who knows, maybe your varied appetite will become your most attractive feature someday too!
(Even though I’m still not sure how to feel about the fact that that’s really my most redeeming quality.)
What about you? Any suggestions for foods I should try?
By Rachel, on January 21st, 2011
Life is still hectic and uncertain, but I have felt much happier this week and more at peace. Like everyone else, one of my New Year Resolutions was to be more acquainted with these guys:
And these guys:
In hopes of rediscovering these:
Back in my high school days I danced several hours a day which is pretty much the best work-out ever. Muscle tone galore! After graduation I took up running and even did a couple of small-ish races, which is a huge deal for me considering I had always hated running as a kid. Physical activity has always been one of my “things”…right up until I got pregnant and the mere thought of moving off the couch made me want to hurl. Ever since then I’ve managed to lose most of the baby-weight through sporadic exercise and moderating my eating, but the only thing that has really stuck is those last 5-7 pounds.
Lately, though, it’s like a switch has been flipped and I have this crazy desire to exercise, every day! I’ve been doing workouts from this website in addition to jogging and I love it. I have a long way to go before I feel like I’m in shape again, but it is nice to feel some soreness in my muscles and know that I’ve done something good for me. I go to bed thinking about the workouts I could do the next day and wake up anxious for work to get over so I can do them. Being more active motivates me to eat better, and I’ve found that my body just feels so much better when I eat fresh veggies with lunch instead of potato chips, etc. At times it seems a bit like a new obsession, but it gets me excited.
I kind of can’t help but worry that the switch will suddenly flip back the other way and *poof*, motivation gone! But I figure I might as well just ride the motivation train as long as I can.
I think part of the reason I’ve enjoyed it so much is because this is just about the one portion of my life I can actually control at the moment. With work, school, childcare, car, financial, and health concerns weighing me down it is nice to know that I can make the decision about what I eat and when I eat, and that I can decide to work my body and how hard, and that because of my efforts I can feel my muscles getting stronger and my confidence going up. Life is so unpredictable and crazy, and the more I sit on the couch and eat ice cream the more I feel like a victim of my circumstances and less like I’m in control.
The year is still young, but so far I’m feeling good about this resolution and my progress.
What about you? How are your resolutions coming? What motivates you?
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