Wrestling Rules

Translation:
This is just for people over 1 year old
All wrestlers must have undies on.
No jewelry while wrestling.
Play gently!
and have fun!

The Loot

In the envelope was a few postcards from his bookstore, a CD of children's songs, a DVD of 3 of his stories in animated form, a flier on "The Dot Day" and a personalized and hand-watercolored thank you:

We are off to find other authors asking for snail mail!!!!!

Girls Day!

1. Erin sewed two dresses for her barbie dolls. 

2. We took a bike ride and found an awesome leaf pile. 

3. We went to the trampoline place and jumped for an hour.

4. We went to the Orinda Community Park and played. 

5. We watched a wood-working show. 

Can't wait for the next Girls Day. 

New Park

We live in a small, semi-suburban community.  So when there's a new playground at a local park, it's something not to be missed.

It might not look like much to the un-indoctirnated folk. But this is epic. It's 3 stories.  With 2 slides. One enclosed, one bumpy.  There are 6 music "stations", a food serving area, climbing wall, double-helix stairs (no, I couldn't resist the small genetics lesson there), precariously oriented step ladder, and zip line. Not to guild the lilly, but there's cattle grazing all around the park, so if the kids get tired of the myriad play options they can go watch cows chewing cud.

Really, what's not 120% awesome about this?

A Useful List for All

Time to do serious recycling

We're cleaning out the kitchen to prepare for the remodel.  I've come across my college and grad school textbooks.  It occurs to me that
(a) I have two copies of MBOC
(b) They are different editions
(c) Parts of the earlier edition have been rendered invalid through the last 20 years of experiments
(d) I really need to get rid of some of my college and grad school books.

Anyone need something to prop up a wobbly coffee table?  Or maybe some kindling?

Today's reading list

Down By the Bay
Three Hungry Spiders and One Fat Fly
Peek a Who
Goodnight Moon
The Daddy Book
Monsters
Go Dog, Go
Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See?
Farm Animals
Giggle, Giggle, Quack,
Click, Clack, Moo
Maisy's Big Book of Flaps
Good Night, World
My Cold Went on Vacation
Ladybug Girl (2x)
Officer Buckle and Gloria
If You Take a Mouse to School
Diary of a Worm (2x)
I Loved You Before You Were Born
The Desperate Dog Writes Again
Where's Waldo: The Great Picture Hunt
365 Penguins
She's a Good Skate, Charlie Brown
Haiku Baby
I Must Have Bobo
10 Minutes to Bedtime
Ladybug Girl Dresses Up
Pete & Pickles
Insect World


We still have snuggly reading time (just before bedtime) to go.

My voice is hoarse.

Pre-Turkey day Weekend

What a busy weekend!  We didn't get photos of everything, but here were the things the McMillers did:

* cut/laid pavers for a path to the water meeter for the nice meter reader
* cleaned up ivy in the yard
* LOTS of laundry
* general house cleaning
* watched a movie start to finish, with few interruptions
* played board games with Grandma and Grandpa



(this ladybug game is harder than it looks!)
* Cooked and ate a delicious dinner of slowcooker pork with cider and prunes



* watched an awesome thunder/lightning show followed by hail
* made 2 runs to the dump
* hit the farmer's market
* more laundry
* paid bills
* ate an awesome pre-Thanksgiving dinner at Grammy and Papa's house, followed by ice cream sundaes



* took a bubble bath (the kids, not everyone)

* battled renegade ants

* snuggled and read new books

Phew!!!  Now it's time for bed. 

All grocery lists should start this way.

Pronunciation II

Some more Erin words I'm gonna miss when they're gone:

Booblerries

Flosso (dental floss)

Incher (ruler)

Omabama

Sfpecial

Tchocolate

Incadinca gas (Incandescent gas)

Peanuts (we'll let the reader translate this one)

Lellow

take my privacy/doing my privacy (as in, when she's using the big potty)

The bedtime shuffle

Bed assignments for last night

Mom: twin bed in girls room

Robin: next to Mom in twin bed

Brian: toddler bed in Mom & Dad's room

Erin: sole occupant of king-size Mom & Dad bed 

Erin 1000

Today is Erin Beatrix's 1000th day on this planet.  To celebrate, here are some things you might not know about our little E:

* Erin is over 3 feet tall, about 33 pounds (after dinner) and has 19 teeth. 

* Erin loves to paint.  Paper, hands, tummy, sidewalk, whatever.

* Erin loves dance parties, cooking show (making a recipe), hiking, soccer, swimming, projects . . . this list could go on and on.

* Erin hates washing her hair.

* Erin knows how to spell her name, but when she's typing she likes to designate herself "E2".  E for Erin and 2 because she's 2.

* Erin can dress herself, mostly, but still has a bit of trouble getting shirts over her head.  

* Erin has had one haircut.

* Erin loves reading.

* Erin watches the Simpsons nearly every night.

* Erin is a big fan of the "knock knock" joke, but hasn't gotten the punch lines down exactly.

* Erin has an imaginary friend named Cuckaduh.  He often follows us when we are driving, in his own car, which is white. Or sometimes black. 

* Erin sleeps in our room, mostly in her toddler bed.  She doesn't like to be lonely. 

* Erin is fully potty trained, even at night.  There is the occasional accident still, but she's pretty much an expert. 

* Erin still gets 2 jelly beans for a #1, and a hershey's kiss for a #2.  But sometimes she doesn't remember.

* Erin brushes her teeth twice a day and is eager to "get rid of the buggies" in her teeth.

* Erin weaned at 21 months, almost exactly 1 year ago. 

* Erin and her dad go for doughnuts, or sometimes bagels, nearly every Saturday morning.  She reminds him the moment she wakes up. 

* Erin still mostly eats toddler fare, in snack rather than meal format.  But she's starting to branch out.

* Erin's favorite meat is bacon.
* Erin does not nap by choice.
* Erin is full of élan, mirth, humor, energy, empathy, persuasion, ideas, and love.

Happy 1000 days, my Pumpkin Pie. 

2 bullet point quick post

• At the Cousin's house this evening, I watched Erin and Robin's cousin J (the one that share's Erin's birthday + 12 years) eat canned cranberry sauce with a spoon.  Teenagers are way cool.  The other two cousins, S and B, were also awesome at keeping our little Erin quite entertained. Oh, and happy birthday B!  (That really should have been 3 bullet points.)
• I've got a new little side project.  Keep your fingers crossed it'll blossom. 

Current bathroom reading

Sitting near the commode:

• Running Times Magazine
• Sunset Magazine
• The Hungry Caterpillar

Crowded campsite

Currently in the family room:

1 green built-in bench couch
1 rocker nursing chair with matching foot stool
1 pack n' play portable crib
1 kids' kitchen play set
1 antique easy chair
1 coffee table
1 wall-mounted 38 inch TV
1 wooden toy box

2 confused cats

1 2-person 3-season tent containing husband and 2 1/2-year-old daughter

Spring break survival tips

So I'm still relatively new at this stay-at-home-mom gig.  Erin had Spring Break this week.  I was concerned it would turn into Spring Breakdown for Mommy, but we somehow survived.  Here are a few rules I've learned:

1. Get out of the house every day.  Even if it's to Target.  

Seriously.  Thank you, Aunt Madeline, for reminding me of this the week before spring break.  We had lots of excursions this week - to the zoo (on half-price membership day.  Talk about a zoo!), to the "museum" (Lawrence Hall of Science), to a park, to the Lafayette Reservoir, to the Linsday Wildlife Museum, and yes, to Target.  

2. Find "yes" activities.

Brian taught me this one.  Go somewhere or do some activity where you don't have to ever say "no" to your toddler.  Or your husband.  Erin wanted to paint with tempra paints.  Rather than saying "no way" or freaking about the house turning into a fuscha smear, we took it outside.  Three little pots of paint, one ruined T-shirt (the paints say they're washable, but we know the truth), 10 sheets of paper, and you get one happy toddler enjoying self-directed fun for 45 minutes.

3. When not out and about, have projects.
Again, Brian taught me this.  Erin and I have done "cooking show" (her term for cooking/baking - we made excellent blueberry and chocolate chip muffins), sorted through baby clothes, worked on building castles, cleaning up said castle and other block toys, and the dishes/laundry always occupies at least a few minutes.  The below "castle" was constructed over two mornings, and took probably a total of 40 minutes.  40 minutes of quiet, self-contained occupation in toddler terms is astounding.




4. Television, when used judiciously, is a lifesaver.

Thank you, Dora.  Thank you. 

5. Find a baby carrier the baby actually likes. 

Robin hates the Baby Bjorn.  Hates it.  She tolerates the Ergo (my fave). But she loves the Moby Wrap right now.  So do I.  There are a variety of ways she can be bundled in, it's quite comfortable to wear, and when on the go, we've figured out how to nurse most discretely too.  The pattern I chose is black with a central panel of blue silk with a flower pattern, so it's quite pretty too. And I can wrap Robin  so snug against me, I can wrangle the 32 pound toddler when needed.

6. Have backup.
This may be the real reason why this week was a success. I'm lucky to have a husband who works out of the house.  So, he was able to squelch tantrums, do a diaper change here and there, and even have Erin watch Dora (quietly) in the office while I got to do something else for a little while.  Awesome.  

7. Have the wine/beer/cocktail of choice chilled for the end of the day. 

And have some kid cocktail ready too.  Fizzy is better.  Right now we're a big fan of the sparkling grapefruit juice from Trader Joe's.  With gin for the grown-ups.

This has been a fun week and I feel much closer to my girls now than I did the week before.  I bet most SAHMs are reading this and thinking, "Boy she's still such an amateur."    But at least now I have much more confidence in my new role - before this week just heading to drop Erin off at preschool seemed daunting.  Now we're all over getting out and about, just the three of us.  Nevertheless, I'm so glad school is in session next week. 

Fridge Inventory

Our fridge has one shelf dedicated to dairy products. Lately, it has expanded to two.

Currently in our fridge:

• 1 half-gallon whole milk
• 1 gallon 1% milk
• 1 half-gallon chocolate milk
• 1 quart buttermilk
• 1 pint half-and-half
• 1 pint heavy whipping cream
• 1 6-pack TJ's strawberry & cream yogurt
• 1 32-oz plain European style yogurt
• 1 8-oz blueberry yogurt
• 1 32-oz cottage cheese, whole milk
• 1 16-oz cottage cheese, whole milk
• 2 16-oz sour cream
• 1 8 oz cream cheese
• 1 can whipped cream
• 1 box unsalted butter
• 1 box salted butter

No, we are not lactose intolerant.

Earlier than the rooster

Some small person in the house woke up early this morning. About 4:35, approximately. By 5:30 it was apparent sleep was done for the night so the McMiller household got a bright dark and early start this morning. There are advantages to these early mornings. Here's what we've done so far:

Made, ate and cleaned and egg, bacon, toast breakfast
Fixed the stopper in one sink
Replaced the drain pipe of the kitchen sink
2 loads of laundry
Changed duvet covers
Made 3 emergency "Go-bags"

Bought more emergency supplies off the Red Cross list

Talked to PGE worker about safety posts around the meter
Baked 1 batch Maple Cookies
Watched 1 episode of Sid the Science Kid

Wrote 1 blog post

Time now: 9:00 AM

Vegging out = brain food

On the Tivo:

Nova

Nova Science Now

MacNeil Lehrer News Hour

How Its Made

Oregon Field Guide

Planet Earth

Antiques Road Show

America's Test Kitchen

Nature

House

The Office

Family Guy

Podcasts on Ms. A's iPod:

Nature weekly 

Cell monthly 

Science magazine daily 

NIH Research Radio bi-weekly

TED talks

NPR Science Friday

NPR On Health

NPR Food

NPR Sunday Puzzle

NPR Wait Wait Don't Tell Me

NPR This American Life

WNYC's Radio Lab

Futures in Biotech

Cooks Illustrated

Useful things

Found in Ms. A's coat pocket when hanging it up:

1 tissue, unused
1 stub from parking meter
1/2 stick construction staples
3 rubber bands of various sizes
1 ginko leaf, dried
small packet of fennel seeds

Macgyver, eat your heart out.