Free = Good

I've mentioned before that I'm always up for a deal, especially when it comes to things for Miss Olive who will 1) not know any better and 2) use/wear most things for only a short time.

Tonight the Hubby and I took the little one to dinner at Chili's, where we found out after arriving that kids 12 and younger eat free on Tuesdays.

Though the Ladybug just turned 1, we recently started ordering her, her own kids meal when we go out to eat because then she can have as much as she wants of what she likes plus try whatever she'd like off mine and the Hubby's plates.

Here's my beef (no pun intended ... OK, maybe just a little pun ...) with kids meals: At some restaurants we can pay $5 or $6 for Kraft Easy Mac with a side of broccoli, which Miss Olive might - on a snarky day - eat three bites of and be done.

I'm all about the free kids meal. I doubt most kids finish every bite of their pint-sized burgers or two-piece chicken finger meals. As long as the child meal is free along with the purchase of an adult meal, I doubt the chain restaurants that offer these freebies are loosing money.

In honor of the Ladybug's free cheeseburger, mashed taters and "moo juice" (chocolate milk that she will ONLY drink because she is convinced it will make her "Moo" after every sip), here is a Website I found on which you can search for free and discount kids meals near you - http://kidsmealdeals.com/.

Miss Olive seriously enjoying her cheeseburger.

A Good Start

I can't think of a better way to start Memorial Day weekend.

Last year, I ended up getting pretty sick after my C-section, so I had to stay home and miss out on all Memorial Day-weekend fun. This year, things are so much better already.

Yesterday, I took Miss Olive and one of her cousins to a mom/kid event they have at one of the local malls. It was a carnival theme with a big blow up slide, cotton candy, face painting, a balloon-animal-making clown and more.

I've taken Olive to these events before, and she always seems to enjoy watching the other kids as much as anything else. Yesterday was about the same - she wasn't big enough to ride down the slide, but she loved watching her cousin slide down over and over and over again.

After too much sugar, a flower balloon, a (crappy) "dog" (a long balloon with a dog head and no legs or tail that the clown insisted was "fun for littler kids")  balloon, and meeting up with some friends, I took the girls to lunch and to a few stores before leaving the mall. They were blinged out with lighted rings and glitter bracelets by the time be walked out the doors - I'm definitely a sucker, but it was SO much fun.

Posing with Miss Olive holding said crappy "dog" balloon and her cousin with a flower.

The fun continued today. Miss Olive went with me this morning to run some errands while the Hubby worked on fixing up our once-falling-apart but now almost-back-to-usable 2nd bathroom.

On the way home, we passed through a village about a few minutes from our house and noticed chairs lining the streets and people setting up for a parade. I pulled over and asked some people setting up a float what time the parade started, then rushed home and told the Hubby I thought it would be fun for us all to get ready and go.

About an hour later, we were in our chairs on a friend's lawn telling Olive to wave and say "Hi" as the firetrucks, band, politicians, boy scouts and others passed by. 

It was her first parade, and she absolutely loved it. The Ladybug is a big fan of being outside for just about anything. Combine that with trucks, waving and candy, and she was pretty much in heaven.

The fam. By the way - this was our first time to use this clip on umbrella on Olive's seat and we love it. It's from JCPenny and it was great to give her just enough shade.

The Hubby with Olive, whose hands are filled with two suckers she picked up during the parade.

My silly Ladybug showing off her tongue, which turned blue after she licked some Laffy Taffy.  Her lips were stained blue all afternoon. Too funny.

The rest of the weekend will be filled with family time with both mine and the Hubby's families, which will include swimming and cookouts. 

Hope everyone is enjoying their Memorial Day weekends as much as us - Happy Memorial Day!

Weekend in Photos

A few favorite photos from Olive's birthday weekend ...

The singing of Happy Birthday. The Ladybug wasn't sure what to think of the candle and refused to show off her skills to blow it out.

Before this first handful, Miss Olive started with just a dab of icing on her first finger, bite by mini bite. After this handful, she was all-in.

She just noticed she had a little something on her hands.

Getting close to cake overload.

Opening presents. About mid-way through, the little one pooped out and decided she was more interested in snuggling with Mama than opening any more presents. It was, in fact, a VERY long day.

On her actual birthday, Sunday, Miss Olive opened some presents from the Hubby and me, including this baby doll.  This doll has been the object of many Olive kisses since.

My daughter, who can barely be bothered to wear a hat or a hairbow for more than a few minutes at a time, sported this princess crown (a gift from her 2-year-old cousin) for a good chunk of the afternoon. I finally had to take it off her when she started breaking a sweat from the feathers.

God decided that his birthday gift to my outdoor-loving daughter would be one of the only super nice, warm, sunny days so far this year. We broke out the water table Olive got as a gift from my aunt, uncle and cousins. She had a blast!

Re-hydrating, and enjoying getting to drink from a wide-open cup all by herself without anyone caring how much she spilled on herself.

Looking for mischief. Sadly, there was little to be found in the chair pocket.

What are some of your favorite memories from your little ones' first birthdays? 

What are some of your favorite memories from your birthdays as a child?

Happy First Birthday

Dear Olivia –

A year ago today as the day began, I was still anxiously waiting to meet you.

After almost two days of labor and the (at the time) impending doom of a C-section, I was both ready for you and scared of your arrival all at the same time.

But then, at 8:41 p.m. (by C-section), there you were. And in one second my reality, my heart, my way of thinking about things, my way of looking at the world, and my entire life changed – all for the better, all because of you.

I have had the pleasure of making your life, your learning, your comfort and your needs my new fulltime job. I’m thankful that I’ve been able to spend every day with you, making memories of your successes and growth along with you.

I’m in awe of how much you’ve grown over the past year. It seems like it’s gone by so slow and so fast.

When thinking back, I don’t know where my little tiny baby who had to be so gently cradled went. I know I was here by your side watching you grow, so I’m not sure how it happened. But, it feels like I missed the chunk of time when you grew into a little girl who points while asking for “this” or “that,” makes one of the greatest cow “mooooo”s I’ve ever heard, and is ready to rough-house at a moment’s notice.

You might be small, but you’re mighty and determined. You’re attentive and inquisitive. You want to figure out how everything works and you want to try it yourself. You’re sneaky and always up for a challenge. You’re so very loving and so very sweet.

I’ve learned so much from you during our first year together. You’ve made me stronger than I knew I could be. You’ve taught me a whole new kind of patience. You’ve made me appreciate taking time to breathe and really enjoy each and every moment.

I know all too soon, you’ll be running with the big kids, and when those days come, I’ll be waiting for the moments when I can still steal a quick hug.

As you get older, I want us to always keep being silly together. I want to always be able to make you laugh and for you to always know I will never be too busy to listen. And even when we’re at odds over something, please know, my love, that I only want the best for you. I love you more than I ever could have known.

So, dear Olive, Happy First Birthday. I look forward to seeing all the joy you’ll bring and how you’ll grow in the coming years.

All My Love,

Mama

Miss Olive in her party dress opening one of her presents at her first birthday party.
(More photos to come)

Some Accomplishments

The past couple days have been BIG for Miss Olive ...

1) She finally figured out her snack trap snack holder - We've been working on this for awhile, but up until yesterday, she was mostly amused by stuffing her entire hand inside and swirling and squirming it around until she crushed as many items as she could. Now, she's actually picking out a snack - in our case Baby Goldfish Crackers - and eating them one at a time. WooHoo for less mess!

2) She learned how to drink from a straw - So, I complained once before about my mission to find a sippy cup that Miss Olive couldn't bite to make it work, but rather a sippy cup she would actually have to learn to drink from. Oh yeah, and I didn't want it to spill everywhere.

I wanted the same thing with a straw, and I really don't think that it was too much to ask. I bought a couple types no-spill cup with silicone straws and was once again annoyed to find that they ONLY worked when you bit the straw. What the What??? Why would I want her to learn that straws work by biting them? So stupid. I threw them out without ever letting Miss Olive even try them. Then, about a week ago, I saw a kid-sized "frosty" mug -the kind with the liquid inside that you freeze - on the end of an isle at Kroger. It had a lid and a anti-spill (not quite spill proof, but good enough) straw that was plastic inside and silicone outside the lid.

We tried it last night at dinner, and it worked perfectly. The Ladybug thinks she is such a big girl using her straw cup. She's so very proud of herself.

Yes, my daughter did, in fact, learn to use a straw by drinking water from baby beer mug of sorts.

3) Miss Olive had her first taste of ice cream - The Hubby and I decided we'd made it just about one week shy of the Ladybug's birthday (in an attempt to avoid allergies, if possible), and we felt OK about jumping on board the ice cream train.

Just like there's no cookie/cake/candy/sweet anything Miss Olive doesn't like, I'm pretty there also will be no kind of ice cream she doesn't like.

We took her to the only appropriate place in Southwest Ohio (as far as I'm concerned) for your first taste of ice cream - Young's Jersey Dairy. Oh, did she love it. She has some of Mama's Lemon Custard ice cream from a cone and some of Daddy's Chocolate ice cream by spoon.

Not only did she like the ice cream, but the Young's plastic bib tied around her neck to protect her clothes from her ice cream adventure had a lion picture on it. She "roared" with joy.

Miss Olive's first bite of ice cream.

She liked it just a little.

4) Oh, and she learned to drive ...

Blowing kisses to her people.

My First Mommy's Day

This is my first year to officially celebrate Mother’s Day.

Last year on Mother’s Day, my belly stuck out so far I couldn’t see my feet, and I was anxiously awaiting the arrival of Miss Olive (whose original due date was May 14, 2010). Last year the loving Hubby got me a manicure/pedicure package to my favorite salon so I could get pampered before the big day. It was great, and made my Mommy-to-Be Day very special.

As nice as that was, this year was even better because I got to spend it with not only the Hubby but also my lovely little Ladybug. We spent a nice day as a family – mostly at home – and the Hubby made me a special dinner.

Since Miss Olive was born, I’ve really wanted some kind of jewelry with her birthstone – an Emerald – in it.

Of course, any reason for new jewelry is a good reason, but my wanting something with her birthstone was more than just a sneaky ploy for new bling.

When I was little, my mom had a ring – a couple actually but one in particular – that had my birthstone, a Sapphire, in it. I thought it was gorgeous, and I always wanted her to let me wear it, even though it was way too big for my tiny little fingers.

I knew it was my birthstone sparkling on her finger, and though I’m not sure I ever told her, I felt extra special when she wore it.

Then, when I was old enough – I think I was around 16 – my mom gave the The Ring. It was so much more than a piece of jewelry to me. It was a sign that my mom trusted me not to lose it, that she thought I was old enough to have it, and that it was a piece of her I could keep with me.

Today – OK, so yesterday because The Hubby was sweet and didn’t make me wait another day – Miss Olive helped me open a little hinged jewelry box holding an Emerald-pendant necklace. My heart jumped, and I couldn’t hardly get it out of the box face enough to put it on.

After attempting a nice Mommy-and-Me pose with my oh-so-silly daughter, we went with this because, well, it worked. Oh, and I'm wearing the necklace. Love it :)

The Hubby took Miss Olive with him to pick it out, which I know she won’t remember, but I always will.

Someday, when the Ladybug is old enough and responsible enough, I’ll give her, her Emerald necklace, just like my mom gave me the ring. I hope it will mean as much to her as the ring did to me.

All in all, it was a great first Mother’s Day.

Wishing a Happy Mother’s Day to my Mama and all the other great moms out there! 

Thoughts about Princesses - Part 1

After awhile on a waiting list, I finally got the call from the library to pick up my reserved copy of Peggy Orenstein's Cinderella Ate My Daughter.

After reading commentary from many fellow bloggers and Mommies, I was super intrigued and knew I had to read it.

That said, I will preface with the fact that our house is not a princess-free zone. I don't have problems with princesses - or branded toys in general - as long as they are not the only toys in our house. I've really only started the book, so maybe I'll feel differently when I finish.

Early on in the book, Orenstein talks about they way toys, clothes, etc are now drenched in pink to make them "for girls." When I read this, I had to tie it to a blog because I had noticed a lot of this myself recently, and it was something I thought about writing about anyway.

Like princesses, I have no problem with pink. Miss Olive looks adorable dressed in pink, but she also looks just as cute in blue, red, yellow, green, black and any other color. She has a fair amount of pink in her wardrobe, but it is definitely NOT the dominant color. Not even close.

As for her toys, she has pink things, but they're sparse when looking at the big picture of all the toys taking over our house.

She has, among other things, a singing dog, shaped blocks for sorting, magnetic alphabet letters, and a toy laptop. Olivia's versions of all these toys are, for lack of a better description, rainbow colored - mainly primary reds, yellows, greens and blues. 

Until recently when shopping at Target, I never thought much about the colors of her toys. These items seemed gender neutral, not leaning toward one traditional gender role or the other, so I guess it made sense to me that their colors designated them as such.

But then, while shopping, I noticed a pink version of her Love to Play Puppy. "That's weird," I thought, but blew it off. 

Shortly after, I noticed at Meijer the pinkified version of her Baby's First Blocks.

I then started intentionally looking in toy aisles. Were companies really making toys pick just because girls are supposed to like pink?

After them finding pink and purple magnetic letters (really?), and - even more bothersome to be - multiple versions of pink toy laptops from VTech and LeapFrog (OK, so this one is purple, but close enough).

What gives? Are girls not supposed to play with things they don't look girly? Is it really necessary for a toy dog, blocks, the alphabet, a laptop and more to be "pretty" in order for us to want our daughters to have them? But boys toys just need to be smart or "learning toys," regardless of colors, to be deemed good?

I sure hope not. I'm glad our house has not become a pink nightmare just because we have a baby girl. I'm all for her playing with "girl" toys - babies, a kitchen, toy jewelry, etc. - just as long as she also has other toys to learn from - like her Spinnin' Speedway racecar track, her farm animal Jumperoo, and her Learning Table. 

It seems ridiculous to me to think that the Ladybug would or should like these things less because they're not pink. 

OK - done ranting.

Your thoughts ...

Would you prefer to buy a "girl" version of what would otherwise be a gender-neutral toy? 

What about getting the pinkified versions of toys for your son?

Does over-pinking our daughters teach them to see the world in a "be pink and delicate" kind of way?

Bring on Tomorrow

This Mama is ready for a fresh start in the morning.

Today, for all but the last couple hours before bedtime, was literally the roughest day of Miss Olive’s short life.

My typically pleasant, cheerful, sociable, loving baby girl was a pill. She was what I will lovingly refer to as my “banshee child” all day long.

She started having a rough morning shortly after she woke up, and I wasn’t worried about sticking it out until after the morning nap. I figured the sleep would turn her around, as it usually does if she’s a little crabby.

Oh how very wrong I was.

The Banshee Child awoke after just over a half hour. She alerted me with a loud, shrill cry. I knew I was in trouble when I opened her door and all the hair on the right side of her head was at attention. After much combing, brushing, wetting with water – and, OK, a little spit, it remained untamed for hours to follow.

So did Olivia.

She wanted to be held, but got mad when I held her. She wanted to play, but got frustrated by every toy. She wanted to read books, but was annoyed by every single one. She acted hungry, but she refused more than two bites of a wide variety of what are typically her favorite foods.

I got whining. I got the crinkled-nose, pursed-lip pouty face. I got crying. I got whaling. I got full on fits.

I know I’ve been blessed with a pleasant child. She was never a fussy baby. She never had colic . She has a generally pleasant disposition and is always up for a good time.

Not today. And by about 1 p.m. I was all out of happy-baby tactics. So, since I had planned to head to Target today anyway, we hopped in the car and took off. To be honest, I wasn’t sure it I would be safe in such close quarters with the Banshee Child, but the thought of her possibly regaining cheeriness in public seemed worth the risk.

In hindsight, it wasn’t. Not at all.

My little angel who is typically all smiles and chitchat, who waves wilding yelling “Haa” (Hi) and “Buu” (Bye), was nowhere to be found. She had been replaced by the Banshee Child who made the grumpy rotten face at passersby and continued her crying and ranting throughout the store.

“Aw, she’s so pretty, but she looks upset,” said a store clerk. “Understatement of the year,” I replied.

The Banshee calmed overcome by sleep midway through our 10 minute drive home.

I have never in my life enjoyed silence so very much.

Inside, I put my little ball of rotten straight down to keep on napping. When she woke up almost two hours later, I must admit I was afraid to go in her room. What if she hadn’t shaken her mood yet? Was I really ready for more? “Deep, deep, really deep breathe,” I thought, as I opened the door.

Thankfully, she seemed happy to see me, and I was greeted with a big hug and a slobbery kiss – nothing better.

I know I’ve said before that I am thankful for Miss Olive’s delightful personality, but I have never meant it more than I do after today. I’m sure she’s just going through a spell of something – teething, growth spurt, frustration about not mastering something she’s trying to learn as quickly as she’s like.

Here’s to a better day tomorrow. I’m ready to greet by sweet little Ladybug come morning. My prayers before bed tonight will include one for a banishment of the attack-of-the-Banshee-Child in the future.

Wanted: This lovely, loving baby girl. 

Olivia's World

Tonight, the Hubby and I, along with the rest of the world, learned that Osama bin Laden was killed.

It’s definitely not quite sunken in yet. As I write this, we haven’t heard the President speak yet. We don’t know all the details. It’s overwhelming news.

I’m always appreciative for members of the U.S. military and law enforcement, but tonight take an even greater sense of pride in those who choose to fight for our freedoms – those who fight for the life my daughter has the opportunity to live.

Though Olivia will never have the same emotions tied to events like Sept. 11, 2001, that I do, she and all children born since that day and in the future, will have a different view of the world than I did as a child.

Because of vile people in this world – such as Osama bin Laden – Olivia will never be able to stand at an airport gate and wave to someone as they walk down the boarding hallway. She will grow up under the watch of a color-coded security label (or whatever new system they’re using now). She will live in a country that nearly 10 years ago was in a matter of moments changed forever by fear.

There will always be wars. There will always be bad people. Horrific things will undoubtedly happen again in the future. As much as I wish I could spend my life shielding her from these things, I know that’s impossible.

But, tonight, I’m thankful for people – police officers, firefighters, prosecutors, members of the military and more – who have dedicated their lives to protecting her from all the things I’ll never be able to.

Thank you.