Thanksgiving Thursday -- The Sisterhood of Motherhood

A real glimpse into the sisterhood of motherhood, worth the time to read: The Path We Walk
at Oh The Joys.

Wacky Wednesday: Everything You Need to Know about Having a Baby, Only 99 Cents

If only it was that simple:

Toddler Files Tuesday: Don't Have a Paddy

A reprint from the New Zealand Ministry of Education:

Toddler tantrums

A mother recently asked what she could do with a two year old toddler, who had terrible tantrums, refused to cooperate over anything and could even undo the buckle in her car seat while they were moving. Once in a tantrum the child was inconsolable and most things set a tantrum off. She and her husband had conflicting views on how this could be handled. Whatever they tried did not seem to work and they were at their wits end. It seemed like tantrums were ruling their lives. Does this sound familiar? It probably does, since most toddlers go through a tantrum time as they learn to assert their autonomy. But, telling parents that this is normal is not enough, they want answers!

Keeping your cool is reassuring to a toddler (over time!) who is in the process of finding out about their own feelings and responses in ways that are new to them too. This means keeping your voice low and calm as much as possible. If having a paddy is noticed and attended to, the child learns that having a paddy is the way of getting what they want. If the tantrum is ignored, they will learn in time that this is not how to get what they want. The key here is "in time". It takes many experiences before they first realise paddys do not work and then that a paddy is not the way to get what they want. Somehow a parent has to learn to close off to the sound of heels drumming on the floor as the learning takes place. This is hard!

Allowing toddlers as many chances to do things for themselves helps, but again takes time. If you are racing out the door it is not the time to tell the toddler to hurry up! This is when s/he wants to put their own shoes on and halfway through gets sidetracked into another activity. Have you noticed that a toddler is not good at realising a sequence of events? They live in the here and now. Saying "we cannot go if you are not ready" is meaningless. The child who undoes the seatbelt does not realise that if she kept it on a little longer she could see grandma or have an outing.

Giving some choices of their own will help. Watch out that the choices are not too hard and have an element of non-choice. This can include the non-negotiables. Wearing a seat belt is non-negotiable - you have to wear it in the car. Getting them into it can be an issue, but you can try a choice, "you have to wear your seat belt. Do you want me to do it up or will you?" If they refuse you need to get out of the car and not go. If the child undoes the belt in the car you need to stop and repeat the process until they realise that wearing the belt is a non-negotiable. It is important to see the process you have decided on right through as many times as it takes. You will need to allow time for the child to do it themselves.

Avoiding situations where the child is powerless will help. This means keeping to routines so the child learns to know what comes next. Avoid going shopping when anyone is tired, hungry or fractious. This is the time to consider is shopping with the toddler worthwhile or do you need to leave them with someone else while you shop. Putting your precious things up high or away means you avoid having to continually watch while the child persists in reaching for it. We do want the child to keep that perseverance, but only after they have learned to discriminate! Above all, it is useful to remember that this time will pass and your strong willed child will come out of it older, wiser and more sure about who they are. This is their task in this stage.


This paper is copyright to the Ministry of Education and may be freely distributed as long as it remains unaltered and identifies the Ministry of Education as the copyright owner. It may not be distributed in return for compensation of any kind.

You Might Be the Parent of a Toddler If:

1. You appreciate the efficiency of a grocery list written in crayon.

2. You are not offended by wiping someone's nose with the edge of your sleeve.

3. Shirt is really just another word for bib.

4. You face down boogers bare-handed.

5. You spend enough money on diapers each month to cover a car payment.

6. You have heard the word "Mama" repeated 368 times in a row, without pause.

7. You have decided setting the dog free in the kitchen is easier than sweeping up the Cheerios.

8. Getting by on 5 hours of sleep is a breeze because it is so much more than you were getting a year ago.

9. The last feature film you saw was The Wiggles Magical Adventure, for the 49th time.

10. Your home is adorned with 117 pieces of safety hardware, including cabinet locks, drawer latches, toilet lid locks, outlet safety plugs, stove knob covers, and a special stretchy cushion that covers the edges of the coffee table.

Mombot Monday -- More Yum Yum for Your Money

These Gerber Graduates Mini Fruits (Banana Strawberry) are apparently like ambrosia to toddlers. The heavens open up, sunlight beams down, the birds sing and troubles cease to exist on the earthly plane when my girls are given this snack time favorite. The only problem is the little mathematician in my head cringes at their $2.99 price tag each time I pull them from the grocery store shelf. That is $2.99 for 1 ounce of freeze dried fruit. Which makes these little yum yums cost nearly $48.00 per pound. Yikes! What else costs $48.00 per pound? Maybe lobster? Really, really good lobster?

Thinking there must be a better way, I did a little research and found this on the Internet -- 100% Natural Cereal Toppers (Bananas & Strawberries). For significantly less money, it seems worth a try, so long as you order in sufficient quantities to balance the shipping cost.

*Graphic from CerealToppers.com web site.

Get Involved

Getting involved and making a difference may be easier than you think. Online activism and use of the web for organizing are making it easier than ever. Whatever side you are on, your voice is important in achieving true democracy.

Easy places to get started for the 2008 campaign:

Political Party Sites:

Call Talk Radio
The Republican guide for calling national talk radio shows, complete with call-in tips and talking points.

GOP.com
Republican Party Web Site (available in English and Spanish)

Democratic Party
Democratic Party Web Site (available in English and Spanish)

50 State Strategy
A quick explanation of the 50 state strategy

Democratic Presidential Candidate Sites:

Obama '08
Barack Obama Presidential Campaign Site

JohnEdwards.com
John Edwards Presidential Campaign Site

ChrisDodd.com
Chris Dodd Presidential Campaign Site

Bill Richardson for President
Bill Richardson Presidential Campaign Site

HillaryClinton.com
Hillary Clinton Presidential Campaign Site

JoeBiden.com
Joe Biden Presidential Campaign Site

Kucinich 2008
Dennis Kucinich Presidential Campaign Site

Republican Presidential Candidate Sites:

Tommy2008
Tommy Thompson Presidential Campaign Site

TeamTancredo
Tom Tancredo Presidential Campaign Site

MittRomney.com
Mitt Romney Presidential Campaign Site

RonPaul2008.com
Ron Paul Presidential Campaign Site

JohnMcCain.com
John McCain Presidential Campaign Site

GoHunter08.com
Duncan Hunter Presidential Campaign Site

JoinRudy2008.com
Rudy Giuliani Presidential Campaign Site

Brownback.com
Sam Brownback Presidential Campaign Site

A Sweet Surprise, Sweet Potato Fries

This simple recipe offers a nice alternative to candied sweet potatoes or french fries.

Ingredients:
Sweet Potatoes, cut in slices; Olive Oil; Salt; Ground Allspice

Instructions:
Place sweet potato slices in large bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and add salt and allspice to taste. Mix ingredients until slices are evenly coated in olive oil and spices.

Spread in a single layer on aluminum foil lined baking pan. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 25 minutes.

* For an even sweeter treat, add a little cinnamon and sugar to the mix.

Thanks Giving Thursday -- There's a New Candidate in Town

Money talks, and $25 million says a lot. Barack Obama raised over $25 million in the first quarter of this year alone, a sure sign he is a serious contender for the Democratic nomination. Notably, Obama reported donations from 100,000 people compared to donations from only 50,000 for Hillary Clinton, indicating broader support for Obama and possibly a continuation of the grassroots level of involvement repopularized by the Howard Dean presidential campaign.

Wacky Wednesday -- What's In a Name

I look back fondly on the 80's, but not this fondly.

Yahoo! News
Couple fights to name baby 'Metallica'
Tue Apr 3, 4:15 PM ET

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Metallica may be a cool name for a heavy metal band, but a Swedish couple is struggling to convince officials it is also suitable for a baby girl.

So well-reasoned too:

"It suits her," Karolina Tomaro, 27, said Tuesday of the name. "She's decisive and she knows what she wants."

Apparently "Prudence" just wouldn't do. Perhaps Metallica has a much different ring in Swedish.

Goodling in the Spotlight Again

How pivotal is what Goodling knows?

As the Justice Department's former White House Liaison and senior counsel to Attorney General Gonzales, Monica Goodling was involved in ongoing meetings about the dismissals for months. She was one of five senior Justice Department Aides in a November 27 meeting with Gonzales in which he approved a detailed plan for the dismissals even though he claims he was only minimally aware of plans to remove the prosecutors.

Perhaps just as importantly, as a participant in an April 6, 2006, phone call between the Justice Department and Senator Pete Domenici (R-N.M.), she may have first hand knowledge regarding the nature and extent of the Senator's urging that then U.S. Attorney David Iglesias focus more on a corruption probe against Democrats leading up to the 2006 elections.

Dems seek to interview Gonzales aide
By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS, Associated Press Writer
Tue Apr 3, 8:24 PM ET
from Yahoo! News

WASHINGTON - House Democrats on Tuesday asked a top Justice Department aide to come to Capitol Hill for a private interview in the next week on the firing of federal prosecutors, arguing that she cannot simply refuse to testify on the matter.

Monica Goodling, who has said she would assert her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination to avoid appearing at Senate hearings, must tell Congress which specific questions she's refusing to answer, Democrats said in a letter to her lawyer. . .

Potty Train -- Hip Hip Who Pottied?

The potty dance is the dance. At least it's the dance at our house. It's the celebratory dance, it's the cheering baby on dance, it's the please remain seated on the potty dance.

Here at Chateau ZoKai, there is no end to the foolery in which I will engage to make the potty training transition easier. I even purchased a potty that sings. Yes, a potty that sings! It sings not just one, but many songs, about potty time, toilet paper, and all sorts of things potty related.

This fabulous potty rewards baby with a congratulatory "You did it!" each time she abruptly sticks her tiny little hand in the potty. Not quite what I expected. In fact I can see this feature combined with its inopportune "now it's time to flush" reminders leading to bigger problems down the road, especially with twins.

Alas, the ill-fated musical potty shall spend most of its days with its power switch in the off position.

Mombot Monday -- Mommy's Little Internet Secret -- One Step Ahead

I like things trendy and adore things classically stylish, but I love, love, love things practical. It is this love of things practical, greatly enhanced by becoming a twin mom, that led me to the discovery of the ultimate retailer of practical products for mommies and babies. One Step Ahead is the online place to go when you think, "Surely someone must have invented a ___(fill in the blank)___ for this by now."

A couple of weeks ago I was thinking there must be someone who sells wipes in a teeny tiny package rather than those ridiculously envelope-size "portable" wipe containers you see so many retailers peddling to moms. (I don't care what luxurious fabric you cover them in, they are still insanely oversize for carrying five or six wipes.)

Voila! This week my One Step Ahead catalog arrived featuring these:



I think I'm in love.

Of course that wasn't all to be found in the One Step Ahead treasure trove of practicality.

There is also this ultra large sun canopy which attaches to almost any stroller, a product I purchased last year and have enjoyed so much that I am considering buying another.

As if that isn't enough, there is also this:


The incredible insta-bib! Actually, they just call them bib clips, but imagine the convenience of never again having to tuck another dirty bib into your already overcrowded diaper bag. Just take it apart and throw the dirty part away. Yippee! While I haven't tried these yet, they are definitely on my short list of products to buy.

Another product I have tried is the Cozy Crib Tent. One of my girls has always been an incredible kicker, even before she was born. She was constantly kicking her leg through the crib slats and then getting stuck. Fearing she would seriously injure herself, I looked at many different solutions. The Cozy Crib Tent offered the perfect solution because it protected her from getting her limbs stuck between the crib slats and also prevented her from climbing out, leading to crib falls, when older. Additionally it allows excellent air flow and is transparent.

One Step Ahead offers many more products ranging from tub spout covers to a car seat that converts to a stroller for travel convenience. You can check them out yourself online at www.onestepahead.com.

(*I'm not receiving any sort of recompense for the glowing review above. I really just enjoy their products that much.)

Testimony and Emails Fanning Flames of Political Firestorm Surrounding U.S. Attorney Firings

This week Kyle Sampson, former Department of Justice Chief of Staff, dropped a political bombshell when he flatly rebutted U.S. Attorney General Gonzales' statement that he was not directly involved in decision making regarding the plan to fire U.S. Attorneys. The flames of the ensuing political firestorm are being fanned by documentation available from Department of Justice and White House emails (some of which are available for review online) showing not only the factual inaccuracy of Gonzales' statements, but also a surprisingly cavalier attitude toward the dismissals and their impact.

Easy access to breaking information in the investigation of the firing of U.S. Attorneys can be found at the following sites:

Attorney Firing Investigation page on C-SPAN.org with video of Sampson's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, documents selected for public release by the Department of Justice, and video of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' press Conference.

Full Coverage: U.S. Attorney Firings from Yahoo! News, featuring links to news stories, editorials, video, audio, and related websites

Full audio files for NPR's continuing coverage at NPR.org

For a view from outside the United States, read the latest on the "U.S. Prosecutors Row" as reported by the BBC.

Thanksgiving Thursday -- Checks and Balances Ending the Reign of The You Can't Tell Me What to Do Administration

The Bush Administration has revelled in hearkening back to the inception of the Constitution for the basis of many of its arguments, cloaking themselves in the seemingly noble robes of strict constructionists, but not when it comes to the limits of authority granted to the Executive Branch. One of the most important issues facing the creators of the Constitution, the power of each branch is balanced carefully against the others, so that all can be kept in check. Their hope was to prevent any one branch from usurping democracy by exerting dictatorial control even in the face of widespread opposition.

It is this finely crafted system of checks and balances that empowers voters to make change. The Legislative Branch is the most audible voice of the people, the branch most easily held responsible by the people and therefore the branch most responsive to the people. In November, the people demanded change. This time, Congress heard them. Change is finally coming.

Voters were and still are exasperated with the Bush Administration's continued proclamations that things are going well in Iraq and that the best solution is to stay the course. They are tired of a President who continues to back loyal party players in scandal after scandal (Plamegate; Scooter Libby's perjury conviction; Tom DeLay's ethics debacle; "Brownie" who was doing a "great job" during and after Katrina; and now Gonzogate).

The Constitution was created by men with a deep apprehension of exactly the situation we face, men who not only envisioned the problem, but also presented the solution. All that remains is for Congress to avail themselves of the powers they possess to begin to set our nation back on course, and it seems that is what they have begun to do. We no longer have a "Do Nothing Congress". They are fine-tuning a warfunding bill with a March 31, 2008 goal for withdrawing troops; they are holding hearings on firings of U.S. attorneys, firings that were at best unethical and at worst may constitute obstruction of justice; and they have held hearings on the FBI's misuse of National Security Letters. They have been in power three months. This is only the beginning.

Congress is no longer a rubber stamp. This Congress is finally checking the power of the Bush Administration a.k.a. "The You Can't Tell Me What to Do Administration" thanks to checks and balances.

Wacky Wednesday -- Refrigerator Art, My Favorite Kind of Art

I would love to visit this coffee shop in New York featuring a silent auction of works by two young artists, ages 2 and 4.

from Refrigerator Art Maybe, but Buyers See Local Resonance
from The New York Times
Livingston Manor Journal
LIVINGSTON MANOR, N.Y.
March 26

The work is of distinctive preschool character, much like the 28 other paintings on the mauve walls of the Peez Leweez coffee shop on Pearl Street, at the southern tip of the minuscule downtown in this picturesque hamlet abutting the Catskills. The artists are sisters who share a passion for pink and an odd taste for cookies paired with slices of ham and cheese.

The creator of the kitty-cat is Arley Foster, age 2. Ayla Foster, 4, favors colorful flowers and dolls with big heads. Their 29 oil, highlighter and crayon creations have fetched bids from $5 to $100 in a silent auction over the last month.

Click here to read the rest of the story on NYTimes.com.

Wacky Wednesday

Today's Double Feature -- Mom's Political Punditry and Mombot Monday

"Off-Ramp -- or Dead End?" from the February Issue of Harvard Business Review presents a case study of the choices professional women often face and offers excellent advice on managing the balancing act between career and family.

In the fictional scenario presented, Cheryl, a high-performing professional, is faced with the competing needs of her job and her daughter and finds herself at an apparent impasse. Advice from four different experts on how to approach the situation follows.

Overall, the advice comes down to one simple thing -- common sense. Essentially, present the solution rather than the problem. Demonstrate why your solution is better than the current situation for both the company and you.

My favorite piece of advice, the most realistic and straightforward, came from Evelyn Sevin, a partner in the Paris office of Egon Zehnder International, a global executive search firm:

My experience has taught me that while women should never feel guilty about asking for what they want, it's naive to think that employers can or should bend the rules for them. More and more companies are building flextime into their working arrangements, and this is to be commended; at the same time, global firms require that their senior women be able to travel, to work in different time zones, and to do what it takes to make the firm successful. Women can bring their own style to work, but the commitment of time and energy remains the same for every senior person, regardless of gender.

Additionally, "Off-Ramp -- or Dead End?" is excellent read in conjunction with "Discovering Your Authentic Leadership" in the same issue. The authors conclude that ". . . you do not have to be born with specific characteristics of a leader. Leadership emerges from your life story." The article goes on to explain that authentic leaders develop through learning from their life stories, knowing their authentic selves, practicing their values and principles, balancing their extrinsic and intrinsic motivations, building their support teams, integrating their lives by staying grounded, and empowering other people to lead.

Two articles worth reading especially because the advice offered is applicable to most aspects of life. Whether dealing with your boss, partner, toddler or grandmother, there are nuggets of insight and wisdom in these articles that will work for you.

Spring Break

Everybody needs one don't we? I'm giving myself a spring break. I'll be back in a week or two.

Flitting through the Blogosphere -- New Faves

Ah, the life of the bloginista, so much to read and so little time. How to decide? I will share with you a few of my recent finds.

You can be sure these are really, really enticing. How can you be sure? Because my friends, I have the attention span of an impatient fruit fly on crack. If a blog does not catch and hold my attention within the first half second, I'm off flitting through the blogosphere in search of the next tasty morsel upon which to feast my starving mind.

Mom 101 -- Funny, real and touching.

Lawyer Mama -- Never afraid to take on the tough topics, always writing with style.

Slacker-Moms-R-Us -- Funny, oh so funny, and the real deal.

Blog Con Queso -- A riot, an absolute laugh riot.

California Sunshine -- Special Feature for Thanks Giving Thursday

I had to make a little trip into L.A. today and thought I would bring a little of the joy home to share with you. A little sand and sun fix . . .

Thanks Giving Thursday

This week's Thanks Giving Thursday post will be a special feature posted late Thursday evening rather than in the wee hours of Thursday morning as usual. Please come back and visit for a little something special.

Wacky Wednesday -- It's a Tough Job

From Reuters.com

Parents beat up principal over grades
Mon Mar 5, 2007 3:00PM EST

BARI, Italy (Reuters) - An irate Italian family beat up a principal because they were unhappy with the grades a young relative had received and a ban on cell phones at school.

Wacky Wednesday -- And Now for Your Viewing Pleasure . . .

Monty Python and the Holy Grail in Lego

Toddler Files Tuesday -- Whatever It Is You Think You See Becomes a Pair of Shoes to Me

It seems like yesterday she pulled up and began walking. Then I bent over to put the dishes in the washer and turned around and found Baby K had put on her girlie pink moon boots all on her own.

Twenty months old and the girl loves shoes. Shoes. Shoes. Oh, the glories of shoes!

All pretty things were meant to be shoes. Baby K will and does put any pretty thing on her feet. It's like a Tootsie Roll commercial. Whatever it is you think you see becomes a pair of shoes to her. Green stacking ring? No silly! It's a sporty wedge. Empty Tupperware container? No my dear, it's a classic loafer. Colorful butterfly teething ring? Obviously, it's a strappy sandal. Even the coloring book? Clearly a casual flat.

But this time, she got it right. She put on her own shoes, all by herself. I can't help but feel we're embarking on a venturesome journey.

Potty Train -- What's In a Name

Lest you think I am a prude based on my previous post about "sh_t," I should share with you that I am a big fan of George Carlin's "Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television," a routine brought to mind by the whole potty training experience. Afterall, there are so many words associated with the potty that are just not acceptable in polite company. I mean, it's not good to be a "potty mouth."

I have read several blog entries recently about the importance of teaching our daughters the anatomically correct word "vagina," and I agree. When it comes to what to call our bums however, the path is less clear. Therefore, I am hard at work preparing a list of contenders for the title in our home. These are the current front-runners:

1) heinie -- my personal favorite
2) fanny -- fun choice, but also the name of a great aunt, which taints its appeal
3) hams -- interesting what you find in the thesaurus
4) rear -- more a location, don't you think?
5) rump -- cute, but also descriptive of a roast
6) bum -- cheeky, I like it
7) backside -- scary, makes me think of someone saying, "I'll tan yer backside."
8) posterior -- rather complicated
9) booty -- shake it! shake it!
10) groove-thing -- 70's flashback

Mombot Monday -- Special Recipe Flashback

Cranberries offer a refreshing tartness, good not just for winter, but also springtime dishes. This yummy and simple recipe for Cranberry Sauce makes a delicious treat over toasted English muffins.


We eat cranberries once or twice a year and every time I think, "We should do this more often." I was a little intimidated by them as a cook until last year when I made my first cranberry sauce. It's actually very simple. So I am sharing my own recipe for anyone who, like me, has ever been intimidated by cranberries.

Easy Cranberry Sauce Recipe

Ingredients:

-1 cup fresh cranberries, washed and drained
-1 medium green apple, cored and chopped into half-inch pieces
-1/3 medium orange chopped into half-inch pieces, leave rind on
-1 cup carbonated limeade beverage (12 ounces of 7Up or Sprite may be substituted)
-ground cinnamon to taste
-ground nutmeg to taste




Directions:

Place all ingredients in sauce pan over medium heat. Cook with lid on until sauce begins to simmer. Remove lid and simmer, stirring occasionally, until cranberries pop open. Remove from heat. Serve hot over toasted English muffins or your favorite breakfast pastry, or serve cold along with turkey or ham.

And They Call Him Senator

I have been repeatedly embarrassed by remarks made by Senator James Inhofe (R-Okla.) from my home state of Oklahoma. This is the man who continues to claim man-made global warming is "the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people." Frankly, I thought he could no longer disappoint me. Then he came up with this:

from
Washingtonpost.com
But Did Ginger Rogers Wear Flip-Flops?

By Dana Milbank
Saturday, March 3, 2007; Page A02

Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) got the crowd cheering early in the day. "I have been called -- my kids are all aware of this -- dumb, crazy man, science abuser, Holocaust denier, villain of the month, hate-filled, warmonger, Neanderthal, Genghis Khan and Attila the Hun," he announced. "And I can just tell you that I wear some of those titles proudly."

*Thanks to Daily Kos for picking this up. Visit Daily Kos directly to view the ensuing discussion in comments.

Thanks Giving Thursday -- On Being a Slacker Mommy

Easy is good. I like things easy, like Bisquick Complete. Just add water, shake it, and it makes pancakes. Well, you do have to actually pour them on a griddle and cook them, but still. If that's too much for you, you can buy frozen buttermilk pancakes and heat them in your microwave. Seriously! They sell these.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches? You can buy them at the grocery store ready made. They even cut the crusts off. They're called Uncrustables.

Remember when you had to buy peanut butter and jelly in separate jars, open two jars, dip the knife in each and spread it on bread. Man, what a drag. Well, not anymore. Goober Grape to the rescue.

All winners in my book because they are time savers. And as we all know, time is not a renewable resource.

But the thing that really makes a slacker mommy's life complete is convenience cleaning products. I know, "slacker mommy" and "cleaning" might not seem to go together at first blush. But let's face it, if you have kids, you've got to clean. Heaven knows there's nothing a toddler enjoys more than trying to give you a heart attack by finding that one brown mystery glob you missed and leaning over to lick it off the floor.

Convenience cleaning products are the bomb, because after all, every minute I don't spend cleaning is another minute I can spend buffing my nails, eating ice cream bonbons and reading upscale fashion mags. Uhm, sorry slipped off into Never Never Gonna Happen Land momentarily. So, as I was saying, convenience cleaning products rock my world. And, drum roll please, I have found my favorite. The Lifetime Achievement Award for All Convenience Cleaning Products goes to Pampers Clean n Play Wipes.

They clean everything. AND they're even safe for cleaning things baby might (read inevitably will) put in her mouth. Great for highchairs. Cleans glass without streaking. Works like a charm on stove tops. Good for cleaning grime off of walls. Lovely on counter tops and chrome. If it can't be cleaned with a Pampers Clean n Play Wipe, it pretty much shouldn't be cleaned. Well, except for baby. They're not safe to use to clean the actual baby, but other than that, they're pretty much perfect.

(*I am not receiving any sort of reward for this gushy spiel about Pampers Clean n Play Wipes. I really just find them that exciting. Look out, soon I might be asking for a new washing machine for my anniversary.)

Wacky Wednesday -- Back to Mussel Beach

BBC News
Wales
Tuesday, 27 February 2007

Mussel's first class sea return
A shellfish has been returned to the sea off the coast of Anglesey after being posted "home" from Shropshire.

The mussel had been picked up by five-year-old Alastair Thornton from Church Stretton whilst on holiday.

His mother contacted an Anglesey website asking for advice to save it . . .

Toddler Files Tuesday -- The Incredible Floating Rump

The amazing butt-in-the-air sleeping position is well-documented by moms everywhere. You know the one, where baby's bottom is so precariously high it seems the child is destined to topple at any moment.

How do they do this? Now that I'm 37, I'm wondering how they even get the thing up that high without throwing their backs out, much less how they sleep that way.

The crazy thing is, it seems to be a comforting position. Had a big tantrum? Teething? Hoist your heinie in the air, fall asleep, and you'll feel much better.

Who knows how they do it. I'm quite sure I would fall out of my bed if I tried. (You can tell I've considered it.) At the very least, I would wake up unable to stand upright for several days.

Ah yes, to be a toddler again, to fall asleep with my fanny aloft, wear spaghetti sauce on my shirt with pride, and be endlessly amused by random things dropped on the floor.

Mombot Monday -- Keeping It Real, Not Ironing Sheets

My tip for the week? Let's be real. Despite the advice delivered on Oprah this past week, I do not iron my sheets twice a week. In fact, I doubt I will ever iron my sheets, because frankly, I would rather read a book, go for a walk, or volunteer at a homeless shelter. By comparison, ironing my sheets twice a week? Just seems like not such a high priority.

As parents, we constantly face the pressure of the clock. We are constantly prioritizing, then adapting and reprioritizing. There is always one more thing to be done that could make life better. Exercise more. Weed the flower beds. Cook meals from scratch. Grow a garden. Ironing sheets just doesn't appeal to me as adding that much to the greater good.

Maybe ironing sheets is your thing. Maybe it makes you totally happy. If so, more power to you, but if not, don't stress over it. In the grand scheme of things, tasks like ironing sheets and folding a fitted sheet into a perfect square don't have that much impact on life.

Here's my suggestion, each time you feel guilty about not ironing your sheets, or some other such thing, just think of the positive thing you did during the time you could have spent ironing sheets. For example, instead of ironing my sheets today, I walked to the park with my daughters.

I'll choose the walk to the park every time.

Potty Train -- Peezza

It's funny how toddler skills transfer from one area to another. It appears this week we have been blessed by the ability to say the word "pee." Anything that sounds like pee is now known as pee. For example, when we ordered pizza this week, the girls delighted at the arrival of the "pee." No matter that I called it "Pizza." Clearly, it was "pee."

"Pee! Pee!" they exclaimed as I carried two deliciously warm pizza boxes into the kitchen.

"Pee, Pee, Pee," as they went into the highchairs. Someone who didn't know them would have assumed I was making a huge mistake by placing them in their highchairs at that exact moment.

"Pee!" as I cut up the pizza.

And "pee," they sighed as I placed it on their trays.

Maybe we'll go out to eat at a peezza buffet soon, or maybe we'll just drop by for entertainment.

Mombot Monday -- Follow Up

As a follow up to last week's Mombot Monday article about online learning, the animated header above (imperfect as it is) is one I designed by learning from these helpful folks:

Jon Armstrong -- http://www.blurbomat.com/archives/2006/10/31/ (Photoshop tips from Dooce's husband)

Helpful Bloggers -- http://groups.google.com/group/blogger-help/search?q=header+photobucket&start=10&sa=N& (Blogger Help Group messages re implementing new headers)

Russell Brown -- http://www.russellbrown.com/ (Photoshop tips from an Adobe guru)

Janee -- http://www.myjanee.com/tuts/animation/animation.htm (Easy animation instructions)

If you would like more information, just leave me a comment and will be happy to post a more detailed explanation of the steps I followed.

Political Pop

Half a week was spent discussing the inconsequential details of a minor dispute between the Obama and Clinton campaigns. Sadly some major news broadcasters do as much news creating as they do news reporting, repeating the same story ten times or more in one day. It's like journalistic brainwashing.

Should what one Barack Obama supporter said about Hillary Clinton really be headline news? Does it impact the issues? Does it impact who either candidate is or their positions on issues? No. Period.

In this situation, however, the supporter was a wealthy Hollywood power player. CNN, in particular, jumped at the opportunity to add some glitz and drama to the challengingly dry political arena by focusing on something other than the issues. It's like watching reporting perfectly attuned to the interests of 12-year-old gossiping girls.

If I recall correctly, another one of their top stories recently was that Donatella Versace said Hillary Clinton should wear skirts instead of pants. People, leave it alone. If there's no political news to report that you feel the American public would be interested in, then don't report any, but for Heaven's sake, don't just make some up. Donatella Versace said Hillary Clinton shouldn't wear pants? That's not news. Let me help you with the distinction. If Prime Minister Blair said President Bush shouldn't wear pants, that would be news.

What will be next in political news? This week's journalistic feeding frenzy will occur in Hollywood, centered around the Oscars. So we might expect some political news to come from there as well.

The audience viewing the Oscars is larger, I'm guessing, and vastly more tuned-in than the audience for political campaigns. It's only logical to believe messages delivered there have potential to have more impact than those delivered via traditional modes of political communication. So, don't be surprised if your favorite actor delivers his or her own political message along with an acceptance speech, as has happened in the past, because the fact is we remain insatiable consumers of political pop.

Perfume

The right scent wafts me away. Perfume is my innocent escape. It's one of the things that defines me as me and not just mom-me.

When I was pregnant, nothing smelled good. Except maybe pickles. On nachos. From 7-Eleven. But now, welcome home, fragrance my friend.

Scents that are earthy and warm appeal to me most, scents like musk and sandalwood, scents that say, "I'm crunchy, but sexy, in an I-shave-my-underarm-hair kind of way."

Gourmand scents can be lovely too, with notes of cinnamon or vanilla. If I wasn't afraid of smelling like a freshly baked pie, I just might sprinkle a little nutmeg behind my ears and go.

The right florals can be nice, although I'm much more picky about those. I don't want to smell like I've been doused in Grandmother's rose water, but I do love the intoxicating scent of Jasmine.

What makes my blood rush though is the ultimate, the complex ambery scent that brings it all to a climax in one enveloping aromatherapy party, the one crafted by an expert perfumer and rare enough that once a man associates it with you, he will think only of you whenever he smells it. That my friends is perfume. Va-va-va-voom.

Wacky Wednesday -- Bogged Down by Beanie Babies

From The Muskegon Chronicle
Not so warm and fuzzy: Burglar nabs 145 Beanie Babies
Monday, February 19, 2007

By Lisa Medendorp
lmedendorp@muskegonchronicle.com

The getaway car -- loaded with 145 purloined Beanie Babies -- got stuck in the snow early Saturday in Norton Shores.

Not willing to lose his loot, the alleged Beanie Baby burglar got a pickup truck from a friend's home, drove back to the intersection of Worden Street and Sunbury Avenue and tossed the stuffed critters into the truck bed.

What the 37-year-old suspect didn't know was that Norton Shores police were already on the way . . .

from The Toddler Files

You can create your own card at Blyberg.net. Thanks to Jerusalem at My Little Life for the great find.

Potty Train -- Next Stop Disinterestedville

The potty has lost its charm. Interest has been flushed away. I'm trying to follow their cues, trying to learn the ever elusive natural potty schedule. We'll keep trying, but I won't pressure them. I've been told by every mommy I know the dangers of too much focus on the potty, so we're easing up, but not giving up.

(To see the Potty Train animation, just click here.)

Framing the Issues -- Iraq -- What Will Work in '08

The Republican Party's success over the past several years, until the November election, was due in large part to their framing of the issues. Their concern about facts and positions was secondary because they picked the issues to be discussed. It was a marvelous strategy and worked with amazing success. It had only one flaw. It was interrupted by reality.

It seemed Republicans had the magic formula for winning votes. They simply found the common denominator among key groups, issues strong enough, emotionally charged enough, to make people abandon loyalty to their other long-standing beliefs to secure their future with regard to that one precious issue. They were the masters of the single-issue campaign, and fear was their key motivator.

Fear is one of the basest emotions, at the root of survival instincts. When it is appealed to, it is one of the most effective motivators. Republicans became masters at framing campaign issues in fear.

Vote for Republicans. We're for Homeland Security.

"Homeland Security" -- a brilliant marketing term. If they could have bottled it and sold it, it would have made them billions of dollars.

Who could have watched the events of 9/11 and not felt fear for ourselves and for our nation? We all experienced trauma, in a way many had never before and in a way we may never again. The Republican strategy seized on that weakness, like a master manipulator, and used it rather than healing it. Regardless of whether you view this as opportunism at its worst or the only way to save our nation, the fact is it worked. At least it worked for a time.

Initially, when someone raised an objection to the Bush Administration's approach to The War on Terror, domestic surveillance or the Iraq War, Republicans simply waived the Homeland Security flag, said anyone who opposed them was unpatriotic and rather dismissively said, "Go away."

The Bush Administration and its followers badmouthed, spied upon, arrested and even blacklisted people who dared to express opposing views. It was all quite McCarthy-esque.

But little beams of light did break through. Reality persisted. It's kind of annoying that way. The Administration attempted to maintain a choke hold on much of the media. They used innovative techniques such as "embedding" journalist with troops, making them one of the team fighting the war and therefore emotionally embedded as well. They used old standards such as intimidation and revealing government secrets to control people's public speech. Nonetheless, little bits of accurate information made it through the media and into the stream of public consciousness. Reality is just so annoying that way.

Eventually, it became clear to the vast majority of people, undeniable even for President Bush, that the war in Iraq is going badly. Unfortunately, that CNN footage of IED's repeatedly blowing American military vehicles to pieces, with American men and women inside, does nothing to bolster our image of Homeland Security.

Expert after expert has come forward declaring the Iraq War has disintegrated into Civil War. Our efforts may have destabilized the region to a great degree, fostering the strengthening of dangerous factions that are likely to remain long after American troops leave the arena, and creating a much greater threat to Homeland Security than the alleged WMD which were never found.

Americans are worn out by fear. They want a way forward that will work. They are tired of threats of failure used to control.

Before the war, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice acknowledged that "there will always be some uncertainty" in determining how close Iraq may be to obtaining a nuclear weapon and stressed, "We don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud."

Now President Bush warns, "If we do not defeat these enemies now, we will leave our children to face a Middle East overrun by terrorist states and radical dictators armed with nuclear weapons."

Americans want, need, are yearning for, a positive way forward. The key is hope, not dire predictions and threats.

Enter Obama. This is where Obama's message has been wildly successful and will continue to be so. The presentation of his message is always positive.

Barack Obama may or may not be the winner in '08, but whoever the winner is will learn from his message. The winner will have a plan, although it need not be complicated, voters are rarely interested in details, and an identifiable goal, revealing the way to an obviously attainable successful conclusion.

Fear will always be a motivator, but the leader who shows voters the path to success, the way to triumph over fear, will win in '08.

That Crazy Tamiflu

Something at the end of a Tamiflu commercial today caught my attention. It went something like, "Patients should be watched for signs of confusion and unusual behaviour after taking Tamiflu blah blah blah." I took a look at the web site and found this:

Some incidences of self-injury and delirium with the use of TAMIFLU in patients with the flu have been reported (mostly from Japan). The reports were primarily among children. The relationship of these reported events to TAMIFLU is not known. Pediatric patients with the flu should be closely monitored for signs of abnormal behavior throughout the treatment period.

Oh sure, it will cure your flu, but it will make you crrraaazyy. But really it's okay because most of the people who have wigged out have been Japanese children. Yeah, you know those crazy Japanese kids.

What?!?!

Personally, I would rather have the flu.

Friday Fun -- Gustafer for Fun

Click here to explore Gustafer's lovely life and home. See if you can find the mint green bee and the cookie recipe.

Want a quick summary on Gustafer? Click to watch the video below.

Thanks Giving Thursday -- Maurine

Maurine was one of my Mimi's best friends. In my mind, as a child, they could have both been my grandmothers, loving, cuddling and doting.

Maurine could bring out the best in anyone. She believed the best of everyone.

If there is such a thing as karma, she must have loads of good karma. She could leave a diamond ring by a bathroom sink at a restaurant, go back later, and it would be waiting because someone found it and thought to themselves, "I should take this lovely diamond ring and turn it in. Someone surely will want it back." What was even better was that Maurine believed it would be there.

Tonight as I lay on the MRI table, mind adrift, a comforting scent came to me and brought her to mind. It smelled like her house. I walked through it in my mind. Through the front door. Then to the left and hiding under the piano with her red-headed grandson Rob. Into the living room and looking at the couch along the wall. Back to the back of the house and to the right into the kitchen. Past the kitchen sink to the shelves just at child height. I see a little plaque and it reads, "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

There in her kitchen I feel at peace knowing she will be home soon. Breast cancer will take her there. She has had the serenity to accept it, the courage to face it, and the wisdom to accomplish it all with grace.

Happy Valentine's Day

Valentine Animation by Jlaruby

Wacky Wednesday -- In my day it would have been hairspray . . .

In my day it would have been hairspray (think 80's and big hair bands) . . .

Teens turn out to be underarmed and dangerous...
Mon Feb 12, 2007 3:57PM EST
From Reuters.com

BERLIN (Reuters) - A group of young German women used so much spray deodorant in the bathroom of a North Sea youth hostel that it set off a fire alarm and brought the local fire brigade rushing to the rescue . . .

Toddler Files Tuesday

This week the Toddler Files Tuesday post will appear Tuesday evening rather than Tuesday morning.

The Mother Lode -- Thanks Cool Mom Picks

Cool Mom Picks sent me this great gob of goodies just for posting their Holiday Gift Guide button, the button I posted simply because they have truly great finds. I had no idea I could win prizes too. Bonus!

My fave from the whole bunch, the Skip*Hop Saddlebag in pink camo:



From the Skip*Hop website:

n. sad·dle·bag
1. One of a pair of pouches hanging across the back of a horse behind the saddle.
2. A pouch hanging from a saddle or over the rear wheel of a motorcycle or bicycle.
3. A stylin’ pouch from Skip Hop that attaches to the sides of nearly any stroller.

Check the cool karate pants from Beasty Baby. If only the "Cranky" pants came in my size . . .




I love this adorable lavender tee from Emotional Armor. Guess what. These come in mommy size.



From Mommytrackd, came these nifty eat sheets -- menu planner and grocery list all in one. Where have these been all my life?



Tired of picking up sippy cups off the sidewalk? Boy, am I. I can't wait to try this one. Drop Stop, from Atea Kids, is designed to prevent baby paraphernalia such sippy cups and teething rings from making their way to the ground.



Last, not least, this lovely lavender scented Head-to-Toe Baby Wash from Bug & Pickle, is a treat for the whole family. The scent is soft enough for baby, masculine enough for dad and fresh enough for mom.



Thanks Cool Mom Picks!

Potty Train -- A Step in the Right Direction

"Hhhmmm. Pee-pee. Uh-oh."

Progress! Baby K uttered the words above as we drove to the bookstore today for a family outing. I never thought I would be so happy to hear my child tell me she wet herself, but it really seems like progress. While we still are not making many pees and poos in the potty, the girls are becoming more aware of what is going on with their bodies. I hope that is a big step in the right direction.

Mombot Monday -- No Thanks to $9 Dish Soap

I love Restoration Hardware. Their products are classically designed, and comparatively speaking, not terribly expensive.

When I received their Early Spring 2007 catalog recently, I enjoyed a quick fantasy run through it. Although I found lots to love, I just couldn't help but find the humor in the $42 soap and lotion "3-Piece Caddy" seen here:



A bit pricey for three plastic bottles of dish soap, hand soap and lotion, don't you think? While I don't mind paying Restoration Hardware prices for the quality they offer in more significant items such as sofas or bed linens, I just can't see paying $16 for Restoration Hardware Dryer Sheets or $9 for Restoration Hardware scented dish soap. I mean, do I really need my dishes to be scented? No, I think not.



But I do love the look of the simple little soap and lotion caddy pictured above. Here's my solution and tip of the week. Peruse the catalogs of the places you love and learn which less expensive stores imitate their style. You can invest in quality for significant items like artwork and furniture and save a little on things that are less noticeable, such as dish soap and dryer sheets.

I found a similar soap and lotion caddy at World Market for $15. Granted it has a slightly different look, but for a price difference of nearly $30, that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.



World Market and Pier 1 Imports often carry goods very similar to current offerings of Restoration Hardware. Their prices are lower, and you can find some great deals on sale.

Live, Learn, Listen -- The State of Black and White America

"I have a dream" still rings in the ears of those who believe in an integrated society. Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka revealed the concept of separate, but equal schools as a farce and made it legally unacceptable. In most places, however, the reality is we still have separate schools, only under a different guise, and they are not equal.

We have separate churches and separate neighborhoods -- separate lives. Black and white America live in separate realities, a fact that makes genuine understanding a true challenge on either side.

With that in mind, regardless of your race, I would like to direct your attention to The State of Black America hosted by Tavis Smiley which aired this week on C-SPAN. Participants include: Douglas Wilder, former Governor of Virginia; Cathy Hughes, Radio One Founder and President; The Reverend Jesse Jackson; The Reverend Al Sharpton; Sonia Sanchez, poet; and others.

In law school, I was privileged to take a course called Race, Racism and the Law, taught by Professor Anita Hill. Perhaps the most important lesson I learned was that people's positions are not always what you anticipate. If you read about something, you can learn to think about it, but if you live something, you truly learn it. If you can't live it, you can at least listen to someone who has lived it.

To view The State of Black America hosted by Tavis Smiley as aired on C-SPAN, just click here or click here to go to the C-SPAN.org page featuring their recent video archives, scroll down and click on the program title.

Even Their Dog Was Staring

The girls and I picked up these lovely new toys today at World Market. So shiny and pretty and impliedly smart too, because I mean look at it, it has a globe inside. Oh, and it spins too, like a real spinning globe. And it's surrounded by little flashing lights. It's spectacular. The best toy ever. Why? Because it has hypnotic powers. I don't know what it's called, but it should be called the Incredible Toddler Hypno-Ray. Works like a dream.

And we got two of them. Yay!

Naturally, when the girls became cranky just before bath time, the obvious solution was for me to do a little Incredible Toddler Hypno-Ray dance. Of course they work best in the dark, so I turned out the lights in the room and pretended to direct a plane coming in for landing. Then dancing with crazy, flashing maracas. Next flaming torches in a native island dance. Soon I was a one woman light show for the Rolling Stones.





It was about that time I looked over and realized the curtains were open and a family of three was stopped in their tracks on the walking path behind our home. Even their dog was staring. Apparently too troubled to move until they had satisfied themselves I wasn't experiencing some sort of sequence of uncontrollable body spasms, they stood there expressionless, unwilling witnesses to my artistic interpretive dance.

When I confessed to my husband this evening, he suggested perhaps they were wondering if the show would be at the same time tomorrow night.

It's My Potty, I'll Sing If I Want To

People frequently ask how I manage with twins. Sometimes it's challenging. Sometimes it makes things easier. Today it was both.

Not long ago, I mentioned that we recently began potty training. Today was a banner day, three pee-pees in the potty and one almost poop.

The best part though was the girls' antics.

"Okay, let's go potty," brought instant smiles and a race to the bathroom door.

While Baby K sat on the potty "meditating," Baby Z would dance and sing the potty song for her. I have no idea what inspired her, but her sister loved it, and it seemed to work.

"Pee pee pee pee pee pee pee pee," she sang, smiling and spinning like a whirling dervish. And then her sister peed. And we all cheered and clapped.

Baby K was so pleased with the whole experience she wanted to give the toilet a big hug. When it flushed, she kept trying to lay her head on the lid and wrap her arms around the commode as the water swished beneath. Maybe it looked just a bit too much like a big kitty with that fuzzy toilet lid cover.

Wacky Wednesday -- Wow, He's Buff! Wait I Mean, In the Buff.

From USA TODAY, Dutch gym to introduce 'Naked Sunday' for naturists -- "AMSTERDAM (AP) — Self-conscious about what you wear while working out? A Dutch gym plans to introduce "Naked Sunday" for people who like to huff and puff in the buff."

For me, signing up for "Naked Sunday" would be enough inspiration in and of itself to get fit. It's bad enough that someone might have to see my extra-wide mommy fanny in Yoga class, but my naked extra-wide mommy fanny, now that would be really bad.

Potty Train -- I Found the Wrong Video. Did You Find the Right One?

I would like the same people who create Disney Channel's marketing to come to my house and potty train my children. I think they could get them to do anything. It's a little frightening really.

They don't have a mind control Disney video for potty training that I have been able to find, so Saturday, I bought Elmo's Potty Time. How could you go wrong with Sesame Street and Elmo? With the help of Sesame Street's Guess that Shape and Color, I have been teaching the girls shapes and colors already. Unfortunately, I didn't find the Elmo's Potty Time video nearly as helpful.

It was long on explanation and short on illustration. Perhaps it would be suitable for children quite a bit older with more language skills and longer attention spans. Our girls are expressing an interest in using the potty now, so this is not the video for them.

If you've found a potty training video you can recommend, I would love to hear about it.