The B party take 2

So Milo had a birthday.  And with it came a little gathering of folks!  On Milo's first birthday we were at the beach and I didn't make the cake.  I didn't make the food.  I didn't buy presents. 

We bought the cake.  My mom made spaghetti.  And the husband and I had bought him  -oh, I don't know, a YEAR FULL OF DIAPERS.  In a word, nada.  Honestly,  we were relishing in the handfull of birthdays where we didn't have to oblige a verbal child with an opinion. pfft...

So this year, for his 2nd birthday, I decided to make the cake. And the food.  Turns out this is a LOT of work.  The cake recipe was from the "What to Expect..." book for baby's first cake.  I don't really recommend it.  Or maybe I don't recommend making it the way I did.  I'm not sure what I did wrong, but it tasted more like a bread than a fluffy, moist cake.  Now, I'm all for healthy eatting.  In fact, I'm ALL for healthy eatting.  But let's not "healthify" the cake.  It's CAKE.  Let him eat a CAKE.  With sugar!! Real Sugar!!  Not the sweetened with applesause bullshit.

Needless to say, I've yet to get my "cake face" birthday boy shot.  Maybe next year...

We had a few friends come by to celebrate!!

Some pool time...Notice the sand toys in the pool.  And the 4 wheeler is also in the pool.

Nothing but class and relevance, people...

It's homemade!  Can't you tell...

My brother took some fantastic shots!  Really documenting the whole experience!

He's got the look of, "Yay.  I'm at my nephew's 2 year birthday party.  11am on a Sunday!!

Happy Birthday to you...

And later, after a MUCH NEEDED NAP, we opened some gifts!  Here's a present from Uncle Josh and Aunt Sharon...the dinosaur from Toy Story!

Milo is surprisingly patient while daddy puts together...

My first Tricycle! (from a neighbor!)

All in all, it was a very nice day...but I can't help but think that next year, Milo is going to expect us to get him gifts, lots of specific gifts...and not the kind that capture poop, and a cake with full diesal sugar...

Vacation. with a 2 year old. Yay.

Hi, my name is Lynsey.  I've been on a blog-cation.  Let's see if I can remember how to do this:

So this is the post where I show off the fab pics the ones that don't make me look like a bad mother/hungover/old/fat of our annual beach vaca. Don't worry, I've narrowed them down quite a bit...who really wants to see 156 pictures of me topless on a beach taking multiple tequila shots with the lifeguards a kid playing in the sand?

We went to Delaware for what seemed liked 3 years because 2 year olds do not know how to relax without reminding everyone that they are TWO and totally unreasonable for a week, staying at a quaint ocean side abode:

there were some handy-man wants (door falling off the hinges) but hey...OCEAN FRONT!

Milo is usually-always in charge of the hose. I call it his fine motor exercises.

It took Milo several days to acclimate himself to the beach.  Who knew 2 year olds aren't big fans of changing up their routine?  We took him to the beach everyday and after 5 minutes he'd be "side, side, side" wanting to go back in the house.  However, each day got a little better...

and we spent some quality time with his (once removed) cousins!

 

Milo "helping" build a sand castle...

Our balcony view was Lover-ly!!

Spontaneously grabbing uncle Ben's hand at the park.  Thank goodness there was a park across the street!  It was a convenient option for Milo when the beach lost it's appeal...

The ocean is SO BIG!

  Milo loves the outdoor showers...

a lot...;)

But it wasn't all baby at da beach...

There was a date night!!

or 3!!

where we had drinks!! With shirtless bartenders!! Me AND my HUSBAND!!

No vacation is complete without a drag show!!

and we ate good food! and had adult conversation! and smelled like date-night expensive perfume! and there wasn't a diaper in my purse!  Thanks to my mama who gave us so many opportunities to break free have some quality -couple only- time.  So it actually felt like a vacation!!

2 Years young

Dearest Milo,

I've turned on a dime and there you are calling me mama, eatting a popsicle and showing me where every clock, kitty, dog, circle, star, airplane and baby is in a book.

You easily eat with a fork -steak, lamb, chicken.  You easily drink from a cup (and sometimes straight from the juice carton!) -protein shakes, carrot smoothies, water...and, your favorite, JUICE!

You walk up and downstairs, jump on and off furniture, you give spontaneous hugs to your friends.

You laugh at Sesame street, stare in amusement at The Wiggles, and dance with Barney.  You ask for Yo Gabba Gabba (GA-GA, GA-GA) by name every morning.

You easily say "Hi" to every "baby" at the grocery store and wave "bye bye" to others in the parking lot as they drive away.

You grab your ear and say "loud!" when a motorcycle drives by and shout "TRUCK" when you see them in the road or parking lot.  You shout "plane!" when one flies high above, and you easily spot the "moon!" no matter if it's day or night...

You sleep through the night.  (HALLELUJAH...HALLELUJAH!)

But you still get up between 5:30 and 6am.  6:30 if we're lucky...

When you were 3 days old we returned to the hospital for a bilirubin check.  You're jaundice numbers were pretty high at your birth.  A mere 24 hours ago we had been discharged.  There was a lady in front of me who was holding her baby.  I overheard her say that her son was 1 week old.  I remember staring at her in complete awe and amazement. 

I remember thinking, "WOW. She survived the first week.  It can happen!" It was Monday morning and I hadn't slept since Thursday.  When I presented you to the world that Friday morning I was so excited, hormones and adrenaline surging through my body! You were finally in my arms, a perfect tiny human.

When I was pregnant I remember, embarrasingly, thinking: I can't wait to have this baby and feel normal again!  Thinking my life would shift right back to how it was before conception.

Ha! You've taught me better than that...

You have joined our life and we joined yours.  Everyday I seek out a new balance.  Your awareness, your consciousness, your personality gets bigger as you go through your day, exploring the world around you.

The past 2 years have been a ride.  Moments where I have felt completely intolerant, inept, and so bothered with...everything.  I remember feeling guilty for needing sleep.  I was angry at my body for not being able to get by on little/interrupted sleep. Crazy, I know.  Thinking, I should just know how to do this!  And do it well!  I have books, I'm educated goddamnit!

But it wasn't until I put the books down, opened up and tuned in to my instincts, and asked for help, that I started feeling some confidence in parenting.

Don't get me wrong...I'm still fumbling my way through....

It takes work.  All different kinds of work (emotionally, financially, patience, common sense, phone calls, play dates, shopping, nutrition, exercise, vino regulation...) to make it ALL WORK.

So the pay off?

Well, I think we all know the answer to that...

Milo turns 2!!  And continues to break hearts.  Specifically mine...

keep growing my little baby boo-boo bear, but not too fast...

TWO!

love,

mama

A book review, of sorts.

Goodnight Moon is, of course, a staple item in most homes. That is, homes that have kids.   I have found some issues in the book that I would like to discuss...

On the last page, "good night noises everywhere," the "old lady" (who isn't a lady at all, but a RABBIT) has left the room, WITH THE FIRE STILL ROARING.

OMG OMG OMG -the baby rabbit is alone in his room with a fire in the FIREPLACE.

Not safe -Margeret WISE Brown.

Also?  You left the bowl full of mush on the bedside table. Ants aren't cool, Mags. 

And about that mouse...is this a pet mouse? Or an unwelcomed visitor due to the mush THAT'S LEFT ON THE NIGHTSTAND?

And can we talk about the red balloon? It disappears...and then comes back...and then disappears. Hmmm...my son worries about the balloon.  Exclaiming, "uh OH! uh OH!" As he frantically looks for the balloon...

Mag-pie, you're hurting and confusing my son.  Not cool.

And why are there lights on in the "little toy house?"  Most toy houses don't have electricity.  Did toy houses have electricity when this book was published in 1947? From the looks and style of your clocks and phone, I'd say you must be into the  *vintage* look, as well as, way ahead for your time.

 Speaking of which, there's a phone next to the "baby's" bed? Really? Is this necessary? Are you concerned about late night phone calls that could wake the little darling?

I mean, the "old lady" worked HARD to get that rabbit to sleep, afterall....sitting in that chair, knitting...with the occasional finger to the pursed lip "whispering hush..."

 "goodnight nobody"
Really?  Is this "writer's block?" You couldn't come up with anything here?  How about "good night, jumping on the bed.  Good night, Sprout Channel."  Those would be ideal.  And relevant...

 The rug next to the bed looks like tiger skin.  Did the "old lady" go hunting, skin a tiger, and then make her little bun-bun a rug?  Is she trying to scare her child?? 

"Act right, or you'll be a rug next to your sister's room!"

I do enjoy the gradual dimming of each page...nicely illustrating the transition into night...
And the detail of the 2 clocks in the room...how they display 7:00 and then subtely change to just after 8:00 by the end of the story,  again demonstrating the movement of time...

Oh, Goodnight Moon, you will always have a place in my heart of hearts...

How many beds does it take...

Wondering what's a-happenin' with the whole "big boy" bed thang?  Well, it's been a few weeks, so let's recap:

Milo got a job as a ninja and decided to master his skills at home before prowling the streets protecting the innocent.

And by *practicing at home* I mean he would leap out of the crib with not so much as a thump or an "umph."

So, being the conscientious parents that we are, we took apart the front end of his crib.  Which was great because we bought this overpriced convertible crib that is supposed to last a lifetime -through all the stages of development. LIARS.

So we were jazzed to move to the next "level" of toddlerhood:  the toddlerbed.

Only one small problem:

1.  the crib had been recalled.

2.  One year ago

3. I had not sent in the hardware and paperwork to get a "voucher" for a new crib

4.  The crib sat too high for it to be a bed-bed

Okay, four problems.  I'm bad with math.  I was an Art Major in College.

OH!  And another thing,  Milo found this situation to be very, very awesome.  So much so, that winding down was a joke...

It was pure playtime

"I will own you mother f*ck*r!!!  Take THIS"

So we broke the entire bed down...

AND THEN, well...this little toddler mattress was also, a joke, because he kept rolling off, waking up, and well...we relived the good 'ol days of having a newborn...up. every. 2. hours = not.fun.

So THEN, we pulled in a full sized mattress and he slept on that for a couple of weeks...but still, the boy didn't sleep all that well...

He would cry-cry-cry at the gate (placed in his doorway) until he finally passed out...

So, the "big boy" bed?  Doing well...actually.  Nice to be able to put a *check* next to that.

This, my friends, is a little bit of nighttime heaven.  Also? It's supposed to *grow* with him. HA...we'll see...

It took about a week for Milo to completely fall in love, but we. are. sleeping.

IN THE BED!!! 

The WHOLE NIGHT!!

To all you parents out there whose babes are still crib bound? 

Best of luck to you in the transition!!

no pants is the new black tie

 

Uh, excuse me, sir.  Didn't you get the memo? This is a no pants zone...

...I've been working for the man quite a lot lately, so this here blogger has been very un-prolific. But when I do get out from the confines of a "clocked in" existence I still enjoy taking my son to public places...sans pants.

It's the good life.

How does one order a sandwhich in a public place with a toddler that doesn't understand patience?  Give him a 10 inch popsicle...take off his pants...and Voila, an easy moment in time!

How do you handle the 2 second attention span of a child in public places?

(almost!) 2 going on...

16: "I can't be seen with you people.  You lower my numbers...I'm going to eat my dinner over here. KTHX."

Also? How much do I LOVE our new dining room table??  It's just 20 times perfect for the space!

21: "Can I get you cold one? Anyone?"

Seriously...he opened the fridge, took out 2 beers, opened a drawar, took out the bottle opener...then promptly went to work trying to open the bottle...(he wasn't successful, btw)

25: the next generation of Jack-Ass?  or Cirque du Soleil?

Also? I could say he picked this outfit out himself...but, no, that would be wrong...this is a "dad" outfit. Thankyouverymuch...

Happy 4th of July weekend!!