Sitter

Yesterday we left Bright with a sitter, a non-family member, for the first time ever. He did just fine. We were only gone a short time so they could get to know each other and if things didn't work out, we would be back fairly soon. She said she only charges 2 dollars an hour which seems crazy to me so we paid her five bucks for the half hour she was here. She lives right in our complex and they played outside on his trike. He was all smiles and laughs when we came back so I think it was a success. Tonight Grandma and Grandpa came to watch Bright while we went for ice cream. It was really hot and humid and Bright was kind of in a funk- not his usual self but not crabby either. Here are some pictures that Grandma took from tonight.

Bright and Grandpa in the back yard looking at a boat in the lake.

Grandpa and Bright with the trike

Andy and Bright with the new swing at Grandpa and Grandma's house.

pictures and plans

Here are the pictures that I was unable to upload yesterday. Bright loves his kitty. Sometimes a bit too much. She is tolerant of him, even though she used to be a bit bitey when we first got her back in OR. Maybe she has figured out that he is here to stay.

Bright seems to love to get involved in everything we are doing. On this day we were taking down the sheers in the living room and replacing them with cellular blinds to keep the heat out better. Bright had a blast picking up the tension rod and carrying it around unsafely through the house- until it was confiscated.
Still wearing my hat around.....
Wouldn't we all like to fall asleep like this?
Bright's hair is getting pretty long in back but the curls are too cute to snip off just yet.

So we are trying to plan a trip out west during Andy's winter break from Dec.-Feb. We were thinking of maybe 10 days split between Portland, Eugene and maybe back to Santa Cruz, if we could get Bright to ride a car that long. If not, then maybe out to Sunriver. I am thinking that early-mid January would be a good time to go. We'll keep working on a firmer plan. The idea of traveling with an almost 2 year old seems daunting.

Strawberry Lovin' Baby

Thursday morning I woke up with a case of the bed spins not due to a hard night of drinking. Apparently I was struck with a bit of viral labyrinthitis which messes up your inner ear and balance. Not fun. Reminded me of the stadol (if that's how it's spelled) at the hospital. That hung around for a while and luckily Andy was home all day to watch Bright while I slept most of the day. Friday was a low key day- stopped at the library- Andy drove thankfully, because I was still a bit dizzy, went to the small playpark right around the corner, and just enjoyed the lake. Saturday we did some grocery shopping and made the mistake of watching the beginning of Wild Hogs. What a bad movie. Our great library has a wonderful new release section there and the librarian checks on Netflix to see which movies have gotten good reviews from viewers and orders those for the collection. We can get just about anything there for free so we go there pretty often. That movie was just not for me, maybe at a different stage in life I would find it funnier. Same thing with 27 Dresses. That one was very similar to a lot of other movie. So much so that Andy and wondered what other movie it was modeled after. So, some hits there- some misses but free, free, free!

Sunday we took Bright to grandma and grandpa's so we could go pick strawberries. He has a new swing there and tried it out for the first time. Loved it! It's shaped like a cruiser car and doesn't require any drilling into the tree. We got it at Lowes for 24 bucks and is good for 3 years or 55 pounds. The berries were pretty good. Not nearly as sweet as the berries in Oregon- but those were so sweet that they would go to mush soon after picking them. We picked 15 quarts, gave a bunch to mom and dad and froze all but three. Bright loves them. He was very pushy about eating as many as possible, as fast as possible.

Pictures to come later. Blogger is having a bad day loading them onto my page :(

You want me to do what?!

Today Andy asked me if I had listened to the phone message from the library regarding the lapsit program I was asked to do this summer. Well, no. I hadn't. I saw that the library had called and just assumed that they were calling to let me know some book or movie I had placed a hold on had arrived. In actuality they wanted me to come in and tell them what I was planning on doing for the program and introduce myself to the parents. Easy enough. When I got there I asked a few more questions about the program. How long would it be each time, age range, etc. The idea is that it will be about an hour (not the half hour I was assuming) and for ages 0-4 (not the babies program I had thought) Okay... Now I really need to get planning. Wow- that is a long time to entertain a bunch of kids of really different ages. Luckily, right after we moved I started griping about how the town library (not the one where I will be doing the lapsit program) had the weakest children's section I had ever seen. I finally decided to call the Eugene Library back in Oregon and ask if they would send me some of their Story Time songs or story lists so I could interlibrary loan the books that I could never get here. Sure enough they did. Boy are they nice folks out there! So, I am going to use some of the songs from their lists, do some fingerplays, and read Bear Snores On. Check it out at www.bearsnoreson.com
I have some pictures of the animals in the story to use as props so that will be nice. Then I think I will teach the kids some signs and then read them Who says Moo? I think it will be a real crap shoot that first time to see who shows up and what level they are for attention, behavior, etc. I actually sat down and did a lesson plan of sorts to get ready for this. No one likes to bomb in front of a crowd of kids and their parents! I figure a little preparation each day and I will pull it off okay.

Today was another busy day. Andy was teaching at 7:30. Bright took a great nap. On the way towards falling asleep in my arms (as usual) he was closing his eyes really tight to fall asleep, and then started smiling and silently laughing out of nowhere. Very cute. I had to make myself not look at him because it was starting to make me laugh too. Actually had to wake him up after two hours to get some lunch-which he was to sleepy to eat, and get ready for his play date with Madelyn. They had a great time chasing each other and really got into it when all the grownups were laughing about it. There is nothing funnier than a toddler running! Then off to the library and back home to find the refrigerator repairman there to fix our fridge that died yesterday after only a month of service. Then dinner and bathtime. I made the colossal mistake of using Head and Shoulders shampoo on Bright to help with his cradle cap- suggested to us by our old doc in OR. That was fine until we rinsed it out and the tiniest of drops got in his eyes and stung like crazy. Poor guy! He cried and cried, and we panicked and tried rinsing it out (Not a fun thing for any of us). Then to calm him down we took him outside for trike time and garden inspection. Phew! I was pooped. Thankfully he went to bed just fine. Andy is playing his new Metal Gear game which has amazing graphics, better than the Grand Theft Auto one in my opinion. Off to bed. Top Chef Reunion is coming on.

Challenges

Having a toddler is great, and not so great. I mean that in the nicest of ways. Babies are a lot of work, but a different kind of work from raising a toddler. Babies require a detective super-sleuth kind of work. Always trying to figure out why they are crying, not sleeping, spitting up, etc. Toddlers are much easier to figure out. Their signs for being hungry, sleepy, sick, or wanting a specific item are typically very clear. They make no bones about what EXACTLY they want and when they need to have it. RIGHT NOW- is always the answer. Everything must be obtained right at the very minute they see it or a sub-atomic nuclear meltdown is sure to ensue. You know how sometimes you go into a store and see the mom struggling with their darling child who is raging over some sort of Dora the Explorer toy or clothing item- child screaming and flailing, mom trying to look like she has it under control while really her patience is shot and her deodorant conked out minutes ago, only to be replaced by fear sweat? That was me a few weeks ago with Bright in Wal-mart. Nothing like having to do the walk of shame out of the store because your child cannot get it together and really thinks he needs to have that pair of Spiderman shorts, size way too big and ugly. These episodes seem to be happening more and more frequently as lil' Chuffy tests limits left and right. Example one- Rachael eating a late dinner at the table, reading something with head down. Andy fiddling with blinds and Bright cruising around the futon nearby. Rachael lifts head, shrieks when she sees that Bright is now standing (very calmly, I might add, like he's done it before) on the arm of the futon right next to his dad who was too absorbed in getting the knot out the cord to notice. Yeeks! Time Out for climbing when told constantly throughout the day to not. Parents on heightened sense of alertness due to Bright's rascal-iness. Next up- play time outside. Lil' Bright takes off through parking lot, a new thing. Normally when he does this on the lawn he gets about 10 feet away, looks back with devilish grin and comes running back. Not so lucky this time. We had to go fetch him a million times because he would not stay close by. Good lessons to be learned while on home turf though. Cannot trust child to be safe. And lastly- feeding time. Ugh! The sweet boy that he is- cannot settle himself to eat to save his life. He needs toys, props, gadgets, you name it, in front of him to keep his hands from swatting away the incoming spoons and forkfuls of food these days. Sometimes he wants to feed himself, others he gets bored half way through and wants to be fed. Other times he eats like he was left in the woods for days. Always something to keep us on our toes.

Today was a great day for yard sales and we hit just one- the Mother of All Yard Sales! This family had 4 boys and one crazy, organized mom who kept the clothes in great shape, saved all the directions for the toys along with original packaging. She put the clothes out in outfits and charged 1.50 an item which seemed great given the condition and that they were older kids sizes. We got a bunch of 18 months things for the future and some sweet shirts to show Uncle Kyle and Aunt Pam when they come to visit. Bright came away with some new toys, not that he needed any more- our place looks like a daycare center with all of the things he has.

Summer is shaping up nicely. Now if only the humidity would take a vacation.

Fun

We have just harvested our first broccoli here. Bright seemed to enjoy eating it raw. Kind of fun to be able to just hand him a stalk and let him have at it. Tough to chew though without any grinders so as he walked around chomping on it, his cheeks began to puff like a chipmunk's. I asked him if he had too much and he nodded yes, opened his mouth and let it all roll out...Bright seemed to find my floppy hat to be really funny. Gotta love it when they are amused by the smallest things. We took him outside on one of the hotter days this week and filled up a dishpan with soapy water and took that out too. He had the greatest time just filling up cups of water and dumping them out or sending the bubbles flying. Cheap fun. Can't beat it! You can see only a small portion of his construction trucks squadron in the picture below.
It seems like getting him to eat these days involves lots of distracting tools. Jar lids, small toys, a plethora of batman action figures twist-tied to the chandelier and sent spinning, etc- all help to distract him so we can sneak some food in his mouth. Such a busy boy he doesn't want to stop to eat. One thing we have found to help make sure he gets some good vitamins is V8-Fusion juices- one cup is a whole serving of both fruits and veggies. Sounds like an ad, huh? It tastes great- try the Banana Strawberry. He loves it!

Recently at the Robak House

We have been super busy here. This weekend we hit some mega yard sales and bought lots of dvds and books for Bright- books for now and some Bob the Builder dvds, etc for when he's older. We also bought him his first potty there- 2 bucks. Can't pass that up. He is super amused by it but wants to stand in the potty rather than sit on it. We aren't even thinking about trying to start training him, just wanted to get him used to it. Then we went to some huge fireman's parade with bands and about 30 different fire companies in it. He was thrilled. He loves trucks- all of them and points them all out loudly when they are near by. Monday we went to the doctor for his 15 month visit. He was 22.10 pounds (25th percentile) and the 25th percentile for height, and his head was in the 60th percentile. No shots this time around- we vetoed the Hep A one. Only issues were in communication since he still isn't really talking. Only have heard momma out of him twice. Tonight he was working on his own name though. Then various trips to stores and seeing his Godparents. It sure is hot here- been in the 90s for days. He seems to get through it okay thankfully. Roseola rash is still around. Poor kid. Pictures to come another day. Been so busy we haven't even charged up the laptop and I am running on only 11% power as we speak. On to Top Chef finale. Come on Stephanie!!

Guilty Pleasures

Okay, everyone has them. Think about it. What stuff do you love, but are reluctant to admit to the rest of the world? We all have them, those little secrets. Here are some of mine...

1. Sugar- Any and all of it! Yes, I am a true addict. How do I know it? Well, when you think about sweet stuff throughout the course of your day, think about it when you are in line at the grocery store, or even just driving by a convenience store, have eaten it and hidden the wrappers, or been asked to share with your loved one and given them wayyy less than a proper amount hoping that they wouldn't notice, you have a problem. Way back in the day I could not get enough sweet and sour candy. Nerds were my thing. Growing up there was a store in town that sold probably 10 different flavors of nerds for 50 cents a box. That's where it all started. Now days I think fondly of those flavors and wonder why you can only buy grape, cherry, lemon/lime and apple, or the rainbow box. One Christmas several years ago, I found five boxes of the jumbo Rainbow packs under the tree. How long do you think they last? I am too embarrassed to admit it. Needless to say there are serious repercussions for such a love of the sweets. The dentist is putting his kid through college solely on my business.


In Oregon a few years back

2. Crappy Reality TV shows. Man, oh man. Bravo must write the junk just for me. Top Chef, Work Out, Step it Up and Dance, Project Runway. I lose really significant chunks of precious sleeping time each week to this stuff. I mean, who can even believe that Lisa is still in the running on Top Chef?! She has such a lousy attitude and just has a mean face. Ugh! And somehow I got hooked on Work Out this season. Never even thought about it before but now I TiVo all of that junk. Please don't forget about the Hills. Heidi and Spencer? Lauren and Lo and Audrina? I love them all! How can you not get into a show that has been so successful and really been based solely on looks- the cast and their expressions. Jon and Kate +8? Also a great show- love the kids, hate the mom, as well as Little People, Big World. How many people out there have the courage to live like such slobs and have such bad parenting skills, and show that stuff to America?

3. Crappy Home Improvement Shows and Cooking Shows- Designed to Sell, Design on a Dime, Good Eats, Everyday Italian, Barefoot Contessa. Love them all- even though I have seen everyone at least four times a piece. The only one I cannot stand is Paula Deen. The day I saw her make a hamburger with seven pats of butter in it and then stick it between two doughnuts rather than use buns, I lost all respect for her. You know some wacko out there is making that stuff and eating it because they saw her do it on her show.

4. Men's Magazine- Maxim, Details, Blender, etc. Yup, they are sleazy and have semi-naked pictures of women on every cover but the articles inside are pretty decent. Good stuff on music and videogames, movies, pop culture etc. And usually not a single ad with an anorexic model to be found.

5. Celebrity Gossip. This I find to be the most embarrassing one, but the hardest one to shake. Everyday I wake up, read people's blogs and then head to the gossip pages to see what happened overnight. I used to take huge stacks of magazines like People and Us Weekly to my station at the gym where I worked out and would hole up on the bike for way more than my 30 minutes so I could see what Nicole Richie wasn't eating that week. Now it's not so bad really. I don't think that I am obsessed, just really curious about how people can live such insanely different lives from me. Fortunately my husband will humor me and listen to my rants about celebrity society today.

6. Cooking Stories- Somewhere along the way from loving the Food Network, I came to realize that you can get amazing stories about people and family and food at the bookstore. Not cookbooks- but more like cooking narratives. That obsession started off slow and then just snowballed. I have way more books than I need but cannot bring myself to trade-in or give away a single one. In the days before Bright, I could polish off a paperback in a weekend. Now it takes me a month but I still do it. Right now I am working on The Tenth Muse.

Well, that is all I am admitting to right now. You probably know more than you need to. Don't hold it against me.

Hello Roseola!

Well, Little Bright has Roseola. A textbook case- high fever for several days, followed by a rash over trunk and arms, a bit on his neck and face too. Caused by a virus that is common in 6 months to 3 year olds. He's been a real sport though about it- waking up in a cold sweat sometimes but willing to sleep for a few more hours in our bed most nights. Couldn't see putting him back in his crib when his sheets were sweat soaked. Poor guy.

Here's some pictures to check out...

Look what came in the mail from Babies R Us

Bright and Poppa- chillin' on the couch sporting similar hairstyles

Bright- super excited to be out to play and running to....

The new tricycle our neighbors gave us. We get the BEST hand-me-downs from their granddaughter.

Bright- checking out the new fridge we got- Nakie style! Possibly trying to help himself to a Coke Zero...

Sunday Sick? still

Still with a fever today but no other signs of sickness. Up a lot last night but slept in until 7:30 this morning. Took took naps thank goodness. Andy went and had a "man date" as he calls it with The Godfather and saw Iron Man. I just couldn't get behind seeing that although he raved about it when he got home. I am waiting for The Hulk and Batman. Nothing new to report. Helping mom at her office tomorrow while Andy chases Bright around. Gotta find some "office presentable" clothes... Oh boy... Better put down the bowl of sweets soon.