Mega Meme

1.Do you like cheese? definitely, all kinds

2.Have you ever smoked? only on a dare

3. Do you own a gun? nope, but there are some in the closet would-be burglars

4. Do you like listening to Christmas music? only during December

5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? 100% unless it's with the allergist

6. What do you think of hot dogs? I feel sorry for them, people should treat their pets better.

7. Favorite Christmas song for all time? The First Noel

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? milk with a little coffee

9. Can you do push ups? is this a dare?

10. Who is your favorite Grey’s Anatomy Character? Addison

11. What’s your favorite piece of jewelry? wedding ring

12. Favorite hobby? childcare

13. Do you eat “exotic” foods? I find Mexican food exotic

14. Do you have A.D.D.? not one bit

15. What one trait do you hate about yourself? I can be bossy

16. Middle Name? Elizabeth

17. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment? "I need to make an eye dr, appointment" :"Wish I was at the Library Hotel" "Eclipse"

18. Name 3 things you bought yesterday? soy milk, wine, gift cards

19. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink? coffee, dr. pepper, orange juice

20. Current worry right now? my parents lack of desire for receiving any Christmas gifts

21. Current hate? how the print on this screen seems too small

22. Favorite place to be? rocking my child

23. How will you bring in the New Year? champagne wishes

24. Where would you like to go? The Library Hotel in NY city

25. Name three people who will complete this? myself, Stacy, and possibly Kerri

26. Do you own flip flops? in every color

27. What shirt are you wearing? Lands' End pjs

28. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? nope

29. Can you whistle? only by breathing in

30. Favorite color? green

31. Would you be a pirate? nope, they're too violent

32. What songs do you sing in the shower? U2's the Joshua Tree

33. Favorite girl’s name? Ella Kate

34. Favorite boy’s name?

35. What’s in your pocket right now? no pockets

36. Last thing that made you laugh? CRB

37. Bed sheets as a child? rosebuds

38. Worst injury you’ve ever had? Split open my chin

39. Do you love where you live? Roll Tide!!

40. How many TV’s do you have in your house? two

41. Who is your loudest friend? no one is louder than CRB thankfully

42. How many dogs do you have? 1

43. Does someone have a crush on you? not sure

44. Do you get embarrassed easily? not really

45. What is your favorite book? it's not Twilight but I am really enjoying the series

46. What is your favorite candy? rock candy

47. Do you know all the words to the Fresh Prince theme song? no

48. What song do you want played at your funeral? nothing with the pipe organ

49. What were you doing at 12 AM last night? trying to sleep

50. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? Let's go back to sleep

Christmas Cards

Here's my favorite photo from our photo shoot, but oddly it is not the one I chose for our cards. Colin was unwilling to pose with CRB, so I may end up doing a few New Years cards with just Colin. After all, he's my boy too ;-)

Sunday we took photos, and I got the cards and envelopes printed. Sam's Club won my business because I was able to use an online tool to design the cards and pick them up in one hour. A side benefit was the 100 cards for $25 dollars, including premium envelopes. Since I am a geek, I have the addresses for most everyone in an Access Database, and I use Mail Merge in Word to print the return labels and addresses on the envelopes. Once I had made a few updates to the address, six minutes later I had envelopes. Now I just need stamps and Ho, Ho, Ho I am done with cards.

If anyone would like a card from us, just send me an email with your address to classicrockbaby@gmail.com

No time for

Christmas cards? Since about 2003 I have really taken pride in creating a wonderful holiday photo card. For several years Colin graced the cards. The past 2 years Colin has had to share the spotlight with CRB. This year, I have no photos. Now that my grades are submitted I have time to do this but it looks like I am late for getting these printed. I guess I could print photo cards at Target again but I always am nervous about how under/over exposed my cards will be. There is a photo store in town, but gosh, I did not have any luck there last year. I really wanted to do some cards through Tiny Prints but I would need to complete the order by tomorrow. Yikes. New Years cards?? Are those cool? They don't exactly say Merry Christmas to me.

Six

as my baby book remains un-updated I can at least blog this so I don't forget.  CRB can count to six!  When he does not know the next number he says "More?"  It's too cute.  Maybe I will get out a video camera before I hate myself for not having this...

Pretend cat

For sometime now, CRB has been very interested in cats.  We love our cat stickers on the light switches but nothing is better than the real thing.  Our neighborhood is very much a dog neighborhood, but thankfully a few cats lurk in the yards nearby.  CRB will shush you when we walk near the drainage culverts, hoping that if we are quiet we'll get to see a cat close up.

Tonight during dinner at DePalmas, he announced firmly that this pizz-zey (CRB for pizza) was for the cat.  DePalmas is a relaxed restaurant but there is no restaurant house cat. He motioned to the cat. He shushed us and said "for the cat ... yum, yum, yum, yum  ... CAT" and then proceeded to offer the imaginary cat pizza and a sip of his apple juice.  He was delighted when I played along with feeding the cat, but seemed confused when I asked him what the cat's name was.  He said, emphatically, "THAT CAT" with a sentiment of "silly mama" thrown in there.

I am not sure that I am really for CRB to have a pretend cat. Cats are housebroken right? Watch out Colin. There might be an imaginary cat sitting wherever our 25 month old chooses tonight.

What I should have said...

It's been more than a month since my last post, and just a photo post at that.  Fall semester is in full swing and things in T-town are crazy, but a crazy kind of good. 

Here's a list of post titles that you should have gotten to read, if only they had been written.

"We can call it a nap mat now, at least for this one day."

"When Dr. Google and your real doctor agree, you should listen."

"My kid would lap your kid in a Power Wheels 4-wheeler race, especially with his new 'cheater motor.' "

"My dad would rather sit in the student section instead of an assigned Faculty/Staff section seat at Bama football games.  Seriously, he wanted to move over to where 'the wave starts, not dies.' "

"I never knew parenting involved so much wrestling."

"It's Kelly!!"  Who knew stickers could be so motivating to a preschooler.

"W.W.S.D.?"  as in What would Saban do?  Did I *actually* say that to motivate my students? You bet I did.

"Wonder when a team will suggest 'blacking out' the Tide again?  Maybe ... never!"  

"He's TWO!"

Game On - Bama beats Clemson

Party Games or YouTube

Tonight we witnessed CRB opening a child-proof medicine bottle, getting the medicine dropper and plunging it in, then pouring the contents on the white carpet.

I am considering buying a gun safe for my entire household contents. I promise not to lock myself inside during these "moments."

Thanks Mr. Sandman

Friday during naptime Miss Amber held CRB and he was able to fall asleep for just a few minutes.

Today, his first day back, he napped again. It was for a little over half an hour and no, it was not on Miss Amber or his nap mat, but it was in a high chair that affords him a great view of everyone else sleeping. Mrs. Betty said that she thought this was a turning point and she would do the same things again and gradually move him to his nap mat.

I am hopeful that this is marking the beginning of better sleeping at preschool. He needs the rest, his teachers certainly need the break, and I need the peace of mind.

The Score

CRB: 5

Naps: 0

When I arrived today, I saw my little Linus, dragging his crocheted blanket around the room. Unlike Linus though, he was sucking on the corner of his pillow, not his thumb, and all the while he was laughing and playing with the other children, not sitting in the corner with a miniature baby grand.

I was so happy with what I was seeing that while standing at the gate I began this fantasy where Miss Amber was relaying the details of a multi-hour nap, when I was interrupted by the reality (he did lie down upon the nap mat for 30+ minutes, but no sleep and then he was allowed to get up since he is not disruptive).  Our conversation quickly and unfortunately attracted CRB, who is always working the room. When he saw me he joyfully yelled and pointed " MAMA! MAMA!!"  but then began a major meltdown. His teachers assured me that he had not cried today, or even looked upset, until I arrived to pick him up. Then, we could not get out of the room fast enough, one shoe on,on shoe off -  the other having flown off in his full-tilt boogity down the hall screaming "Dad? DAD?? DADD - E?!?!"  

I am going to assume that he just remembered how much he missed his parents today, and that in his sleep-deprived state, the feeling overwhelmed him.  That makes two of us. 

Half full

Toolman and I were impressed with the changes that we saw in CRB this week.  The most obvious change is the talking.  He talks more and with more words, and usually he wants something that he is trying to obtain by talking about it. The second change is that he now enjoys books more.  Before, books had to have flaps, sound or textures to be at all of interest to him.  Now he enjoys looking for familiar items in books, finding the item, and naming it.  

Wednesday was his last day at preschool this week. He still would not nap but he did actually lay down on his nap mat.  I think bringing his crocheted blanket and Ocean Wonders glow seahorse helped him.  Perhaps next week he will get the hang of napping away from home.

Thursday he spent the day at home with our nanny.  We were all very excited to see her and I was glad he was going to have a break at home, and I was going to have some help.  Later Thursday morning we realized that CRB had developed a cold.  I guess not sleeping, stealing toys that other people had in their mouths, plus eating Goldfish crackers when you are milk intolerant has a downside.

CRB is home sick with me today.  We've had a good time playing with toys and watching Kerri's copy of Toy Story.  He's doing just fine with the toddler bed and I am hoping it will help make him a more flexible sleeper. 

Although I wish he was not sick, I think the positives of preschool outweigh the negatives.  My little boy is growing up so fast.  I wonder how he will change next week?

No Naps on the Campaign Trail

If I were an O.M.G. kind of person this would be an appropriate time.  CRB is the king of napping. It's as if he cannot relax enough to nap at preschool. After talking with his teachers I can promise that they are doing all that they can, short of putting him in with the infants in a crib, which I agree would not be appropriate.  

On my way home, I decided that I needed to listen to the Montessori philosophy and remove the crib rail from the crib.  Toolman had the toddler rail up as I was getting home and now CRB is passed out in what is his toddler bed now. 

The Politician

CRB started preschool today.  Yesterday afternoon was preschool open house.  We all enjoyed meeting his teachers and several of his classmates and their parents.

It turns out that CRB will be the oldest in the class, and I could not be more thrilled about that. Also of great relief was the fact that he did not come across as a stereotypical shy only child. Instead, he was exceptionally outgoing to both the children and adults.  This morning when I dropped him off, he greeted everyone with big smiles and babbling.  Later, when I pick him up it will be telling, but I expect that he will have had a good time today.

Yesterday, at the end of the open house while dad was in line with the notary, we made some laps of the hall and rooms.  One lady, from a baby room where I had never taken CRB, called us in her room and said "That's Will,  during church nursery today we decided that he is going to be a politician.  He really enjoys meeting and seeing people, more than any child I can think of." 

So faithful readers, weren't we thinking he'd have a stint as a Wal-Mart greeter at some point?

If he does end up in politics it seems to me that he may be into wealth re-allocation. But at this point, at least he smiles at you while he tries to steal your toys. 

Wow, you never know what you might find on the Internet at 1 a.m. ...

I believe this to be the *second* photo in existence with the three of us. We have got to start handing people our camera! Thanks Sara and Scott for capturing us on film (do you still call it that when it's digital?) at Ross & Leah's shower!

Ever since CRB was born, you rarely find me without a smile on my face. Maybe it's what's in the sippy cup? Well, we are Presbyterians, but it's those two guys next to me.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

So as happens so many times, Stacy posts a quiz and I have to play along!

You Are Pocahantas!

Free-spirited and wise. You have a strong passionate spirit that touches and changes all who know you. The wisdom and common sense that you have is really what guides you through life. Even so, you also have a very playful side that loves adventure and excitement.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

A distance second for me was Jasmine.

Labeling

In just a few short days, CRB will be starting preschool at our church.  Since the beginning of July I have been working to get him ready for this big change.

We've stepped up our church attendance to get him acclimated, and he has even made some friends.  I have been working with him to clean up at home before we change activities.  I have also tried to introduce him to a few new art activities and I have worked with him about playing "nice" and talked to him about feelings.  Other than that, I don't have any good ideas for helping him emotionally to make the transition.

For my part in getting ready for this, it's all been about the labeling, both of the stuff and of us. (More about the stuff later).  Hardest for me has been the reaction of other people about how we are "sending him" to daycare ... as if we don't love him enough for me to quit my job, have more babies, home school, and grow all our food organically in the backyard. 

A reality check is in order here: CRB is the only child of two only children.  This means he does not have any aunts or uncles, or first cousins.  He has some more distant cousins, none of whom live down the street.  While it is possible he could have a sibling, he does not have one now, none is in the works, and he needs interaction with other children and adults NOW, not 9+ months away.  I don't want to say that I have big expectations for CRB related to his career, but I will say, proudly, that I hope to enable him to be whatever he wants,  learn about whatever interests him, and attend school wherever he can. For him to even have a chance at doing that, I recognize a need in him for some interaction and experiences we cannot provide for him at home (even if I quit my job, had more babies, home-schooled, and learned to farm.)

The rest of this getting ready has been the acquisition of stuff, none of which I knew about until recently.

First up, the nap mat.  Thankfully, I opted on asking a co-worker dad (and fellow church member) about the nap mat.  I was preparing to buy one of those red and navy kindermats when I got his email about how everyone gets a nice cloth mat, monogrammed, that is sent home for washing on Friday.  Randy then told me where to buy it and where to have it monogrammed with the child's name.  We found a great nap mat with an open wheel car print.  I monogrammed a patch I made (red with yellow lettering in a very Tifoisi (Ferrari) font) and stitched it to show when the mat is rolled for storage.

Next up, sippy cup labeling.  In real life, CRB's name is quite common, so I ordered some of these neat bands (think Lance Armstrong Live Strong or ONE campaign bracelets) with his first and last name.

It is also recommended that you label clothes and other items.  For that I found a place that makes labels with his name woven.  Most of the looms for this seem to be in Europe, but I found a place able to do the labels with a 3 week lead time.  While I was ordering those, I also ordered plenty of impermeable stickers with his name.  I received these items yesterday, and they are great.

Lately I have been spending some time looking into what to pack for his lunch and snack.  I want him to have good options for eating at school which is a little complicated by his inability to digest milk products, and the fact that he only has 8 teeth or so :)

Zoo Trip

Time for a quiz. Your answer will let you know how well you know CRB.

What was CRB's favorite part of the zoo?

a. those goofy monkeys

b. the train ride

c. the gift shop

d. the drinking water fountain

e. the cougar close up

If you answered a, you got it wrong, but that would have been my guess too.

If you answered b, shame on you, the train was pretty tame and was not loud at all.

If you answered c, wrong, though the A/C was nice.

If you answered d, Good Job, you know CRB! (quick shout out: Way to go Pops!)

If you answered e, nope, but that was my favorite.

Desperately Seeking... Help!

A few weeks ago, a harsh reality set in for me.  I had been thinking that as soon as the semester was over and I was rid of the firm time commitments that I was going to have all this free time to do stuff.  The reality for me seems to be that when you aspire to do less, trading it in for that hypothetical "all the stuff that I have been waiting to do", nothing really happens.

Where's this post going?  To tell you that I have joined a fitness center for all the wrong reasons. Getting in shape? That would be ok. Losing weight? Well, that would be a nice side benefit.  No, I joined our local fitness center for the childcare.  Without a schedule, I can go and do something for me without calling a babysitter or pleading with Toolman for help.

Inspiring to this mom of a toddler

Antique Mommy's This Minute.  Read it if you haven't.

Painting the Nursery

Yes, CRB is 20+ months and I am just now getting to this.

Follow the link to see a color chip on flickr: Yarmouth Blue

Our painter started Wednesday evening. I cannot wait to see how it turns out.

First Haircut

I have been putting off CRB's first haircut for several months. He could have used one in November, definitely by January, ridiculously so by March, and by April friends and family quit remarking on how it was time.

So June 5th it was, and who better than the lovely Amanda who rid me of the purple hair to do the honors!

Weeks ago, Amanda and I discussed that one of my hang ups was that I did not want him to look any different. He's growing up so fast and that is more than enough change for me. I need him to have those baby curls in the back and I cannot handle his hair to look too structured, but at the same time I would like him to look less "hooligan."

Here's a link to a slideshow of the event. We don't have a photo of the final results because, well, by then we needed to leave the salon, but he looks absolutely precious, and he still has some curls.

Helter Skelter

As covered by U2 not the Beatles...

I have so much to catch you up on, CRB's first haircut, joining the fitness center, a trip to the pool, my "switch" to a Mac, and so on.

So be excited, a post a day for awhile.

First up: the haircut.

Good Times

CRB is almost 20 months. I really have to work on (get started on actually) his baby book, but in lieu of that, here are some things in which he is expressing a great deal of interest:

• play-doh
• the Backyardigans
• soccer balls
• pouring water from one container to another
• dogs and cats
• saying new words, but only if it is his idea.
• peas
• plants
• using his sense of smell
• rocks

Old School

CRB has been to the doctor (not vet actually) for the second time in ten days.

Today after a very serious examination, our awesome Dr. D revealed that CRB is suffering with a cold which he expects to continue for the next ten days. Apparently my kid has never really had much of a cold before because this is a new level of misery for him (... and the rest of us.)

Entertaining CRB indoors is pretty hard. This afternoon, I got out two of my old toys for him.

First up was the Fisher-Price School Days desk. This is the one with the magnetic chalkboard and letters, the slider bins for storage, and the cards for spelling out words like TREE, NEAT, DOG, etc. The only reason I do not leave this out for CRB is that the letters are very small and do not pass the choking gauge test. Courtesy of some seller on ebay here's a photo:




Second up was my awesome circus train. He loved the toot toot sound and all of the animals. This is another toy that I put up and away from his reach. Today was the first time he got to play with it and he was very excited. Again the "new" choking hazard test indicates that people are too small. I also worry about him breaking animal parts off and swallowing those. Thanks again ebay for the awesome photo resource that your sellers provide:






Fisher-Price needs to bring out new classics of these like they are doing the telephone, tv, and clock. CRB does not really enjoy new toys like he does empty boxes, plastic cups, sticks, rocks or orbital sanders, but he seems to have a thing for these toys of his mama.

Addison's Trash Can

I am pretty sure that if you added up Toolman's lifetime medical bills and compared the sum to Colin's lifetime bills, Colin would be the "winner". Monday, Colin added to his extraordinary total with another vet visit.

Sunday, during my mommy-cleanup-a-thon that happens as soon as CRB is tucked in every night, I noticed that Colin was chewing something but I assumed it was a rawhide. On my next trip back through, I found that Colin was choking. Getting closer I realized that he was trying to eat the pork chop bone. I was able to remove it, and next I stuck my finger very, very far down his throat and I retrieved more pork chop bone.


Though I had just taken out the kitchen garbage, I did that too late. Earlier that evening we had pork chops. Toolman is a good cook but I was not able to finish mine. I guess the pork did not get wasted because during CRB's night-time routine, Colin got the pork chop out of the kitchen trash can.

Monday morning Colin began throwing up, and unusually rejected his breakfast. As dogs cannot digest pork, I became very worried, so after a call to the vet, we made the 70 mile trip. Our vet x-rayed Colin and the x-ray revealed that there was some object that was not poop in his lower intestine. This was good news, and the vet said since it had made it that far, it should make it's way out. Colin was not showing any signs of pancreatitis, so our doctor thought Colin would be fine.

I don't know how many times Colin has scavenged through the garbage since CRB was born but Sunday night will be the last time. I don't know how he manages to open the pantry door, or if he has just lucked out with it not being completely shut, but I have a new challenge for him.

When I told Toolman that our trash can has a website, he said "That's disturbing." But it's less disturbing than a yorkie eating most of a pork chop, bone and all.

Not Pictured

This afternoon, CRB had a good time using the garden hose to water the flowers and plants in the planters on our front porch. I decided that I needed to get the camera so that I could take some pictures and video of this, so I quickly stepped in the house to grab my camera. As the camera did not have a camera card, I had to take an extra few seconds to put one in the slot.

I was not gone very long, but long enough for CRB to decide to come inside and find me. Camera in hand, I entered our front hall to see CRB standing there, on the oriental rug, garden hose in hand, and yes, the hose was running... What followed: some laughter, 5 large bath towels, the taking of the rug out to hang it on the brick wall to dry, and a quick call to my mom to tell her what "her" grandson did.

I wish I had pictures, but then that is how this started.

Sidewalk Chalk

CRB has really started to enjoy doing things. This is exciting for me, because since 2002, I have been eagerly anticipating playing with my child.

Sara, a former student of mine and now fellow church member, introduced him to sidewalk chalk during a cookout at her house. Sara is an awesome person, someone with whom it's always fun to spend time - she is full of smiles and joy. I had no idea that he'd find sidewalk chalk fun, but she did!

We've already worn out our first set of Dollar General sidewalk chalk. When my parents were visiting a few weeks ago, my dad got him to mark on some 1x1 wood scraps. CRB thought making chalk covered sticks was fabulous. Later, the cozy coupe became like a BMW "Art Car" once he covered it with various scribbles in multiple colors. If CRB turns out to have talent, or even interest, in art, his paternal grandmother will be excited, and no doubt relieved that he can be interested in something without internal combustion. But as he is the kid who tries to hug the leaf blower, we'll have to see...

He still does not seem to have a firmly established hand preference. He'll take the chalk in either hand that he finds handy and he will make line marks, straight and squiggly. He likes for me to make big recognizable shapes like squares, hearts, and hold your breath here ... "Balls!" ... otherwise known as circles to you and me. Toolman was more impressed with my Bono-headband COEXIST inspired graffiti, but to each is own...

Perhaps if CRB is feeling better tomorrow afternoon we can make some use of our new tiny splurge: Crayola-brand sidewalk chalk.

Peace out.

Go, Go, Go!

Crazy Cozy Coupe

One day soon, I will lose interest in the Cozy Coupe, but that day is not here so let me regale you with some current and past events. Photos not yet available...

Upon awakening at a very rock and roll time of 10:30 a.m. (we are not rock star parents, he went to bed at 7:40 p.m.), CRB's first mission was to find the Cozy Coupe. It did not matter that it was only 50 degrees. As CRB's mom,I had anticipated this, and I had him dressed in layers. After about an hour, I decided that we would just have to bring it inside. CRB pushed it around and finally took my cue of "Let's play drive in movie. I know that you've never been to one, well neither have I, but Look! It's a new episode of the Backyardigans! Please for Mommy, watch TV, for just a few minutes so that I can change clothes for work, please!"

Fast forward to this evening after dinner and some errands when the CRB impressed Toolman with his ability to push it around the house, and next with his plea for help in rolling it upside down so he can check out the underneath. And again, roll it back over Daddy.

I am thrilled that he is enjoying it so much. I remember seeing Cozy Coupes as a kid, and really, really wanting to check one out. Today during a moment of free time I decided to research the history of the Cozy Coupe and solve the mystery as to why my friends and I did not have one with which to play. It turns out that the Cozy Coupe was introduced in 1979 when it won a toy of the year award. By 1979, I was already 6, which is on the old side for one...

Did you know that in 1997, 313,000 Cozy Coupes were sold in the US, and 100,000 in Great Britain. You didn't? Check out this informative piece from the NY Times: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E07E3DF133BF932A15753C1A96E958260

Cozy Coupe

I am pretty interested in getting a Cozy Coupe for CRB, even if the neighbors don't throw one out. I do question my judgment on this because we did return little Ella's fire truck coupe after borrowing it only for a day because CRB was so rough on it.

Is this inevitable with fearless CRB?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1S7z9ZeLOZQ&feature=related

It looks as if he'd have years of enjoyment:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mp_cIceZQg&feature=related

Dear Neighbors:

The entire Classic Rock family has come up with a list of some things that we would like you to throw out, since you all seem to be in that mindset.

From CRB:
1) a cozy coupe
2) any kind of ball

From ToolMan:
1) a rotary screw air compressor
2) a backpad style blower to help make yard work easier since we actually do our own and most of you folks don't. (OK that was really mine...)

From Leslie:
1) chairs for the porch, preferably in that black plastic wicker
2) a classic Mini Cooper

Thanks in Advance!
Leslie

My Neighbors Are Crazy

I guess one of the perks of living in a nice neighborhood is the fact that your neighbors buy and throw out a lot of nice stuff. Yesterday, we may have gotten what will be our best find ever, but before I show it to you, here are some of our other finds.

One very used basketball goal. It needed a new net which I got for $1.76 at W-M. I know that the net is huge but CRB thinks it is just great.



Next up, a very used Big Wheel. CRB carried this home himself when he was about 14 months. That should tell you how determined he was.



Yesterday's first find: some very cute ride ons, sized perfectly for toddlers:



And now, the holy grail of all neighbor trash finds. A Kettler trike. No kidding. Sitting on the trash can out at the curb on trash day. The handlebars were 30 degrees cocked, but after 15 seconds of Toolman and a wrench we have this:



This one is missing the oh so awesome pushbar, the sand bucket, as well as the seatbelt. My guess is our neighbors just did not install the accessories... We have a similar trike, (not as nice but with the pushbar, seatbelt and sand bucket) so I am going to find a good home for this one. Who would throw this out? To me a $189 trike is not a disposable item... like those other things I picked up!

Tell me ...

... that is it not worth $14.95 to have greater control over layout, larger images and time-released posting...

• http://classicrockbaby.typepad.com/classic_rock_baby/

What could I do with the money instead?

... P.S. What do you think of my Spring-fresh design here at blogger?

Heard at my house

"Ball?"

"No sweetie, that's an orange. It is shaped like a ball but it is an orange."

"Baaall?"

"No sweetie, that's a light. It is shaped like a ball but it is a light."

"Baaaaall?"

"Yes, we are passing by Charles' house where once you played with his soccer ball."

"Ball?"

"No sweetie, there is no ball in the sandbox, but I did put one in there one time."

"Baaaaaaall!"

"No sweetie that's a play tomato. It is shaped like a ball but it is a tomato."

WFMW: easy choke tester gauge

My son, CRB, is one of those children who really likes to put things in his mouth, so while I am concerned about lead I am petrified of him finding a small object and choking.

Several months ago I looked for a choke test cylinder so I would be able to drop an item in to see what kind of problem it presented. I was not able to find one to purchase locally, but I did find some directions, and I attempted to make one. When looking around to find something of the right circumference to wrap my cardboard cutout around, I noticed that one of our amber colored perscription medicine bottles was almost the exact size: 2.5 inches deep with a circumference of 4.5 inches.

The only difference between the bottle and the cylinder diagram would be the bottles lack of a slope section in the bottom. That means the bottle would be a more conservative gauge than the official choke standard. I am ok with being more conservative on this one since CRB will probably have a career as a taste tester at some point in his life.

Play Food

CRB is still having a lot of fun with the play kitchen. Play food seems to be very important to his play. When we purchased the first kitchen, I bought a set of Fiesta food. ToolMan and I thought CRB would have a better chance at recognizing Mexican food rather than the standard American cuisine since we eat Mexican food like it is standard cuisine. The Fiesta set was really cheap in many ways but it was a big hit and that fact now has me spending an inordinate amount of time looking at more play food.

Haba (a German company) makes some wood food that is pretty neat. I like the fact that I can be assured that it is lead free since CRB is not a picky eater and that tendency passes even to play food. My only concern is the small size of the items.

Elves and Angels sells some neat food and the average size seems larger than Haba's.

As an etsy lover, there is so much play food to crave:

• Mermaid Sparkle's fruit assortment
• Felt Chef's ice cream cones
• Sweet confections sugar cookies with sprinkles
• Look Mama Made It's veggies
• I could go on and on

Last week we received the Step2 play food assortment which I am viewing as temporary food. Some of it is really neat and CRB even said "Peas!"and handed me the plastic green peas which look a lot like his favorite steamed peas, I'll admit.

I want to craft some felt food this weekend. Even if he will be able to recognize the plastic stuff and won't give my felt endeavors a second glance, I am determined to try. It's going to be tough to compete with realistic plastic food, not to mention the real marshmallows and snapeas we use.

Hold me to it readers.

Blondes Have More Fun - CONFIRMED

Friday after our cookout lunch on the deck, ToolMan called his hairdresser Amanda to see what could be done about my hair as it was still a violent violet. Amanda checked with my (former) hairdresser and said that it should tone down some, but that if I wanted, she would be happy to take a shot at improving it. Her first opening was Tuesday, or I could come in right now and the former said she could put an orange rinse on it to help tone it down for the weekend. I waited until Tuesday ;-)

I was pretty nervous about the whole thing. Amanda checked my hair and said that it was in excellent condition so we had a two options: darker or lighter. She said that normally she would not feel good about highlighting the purple hair but she was willing to give it a go since mine was in good shape.

Once she was finished I have to admit I was absolutely shocked by the results. Yes, I was WAY MORE blonde than I intended but my hair looked good (and not just because it was almost devoid of the purple.) I actually scheduled a touch up and cut for 7 weeks. Could I become someone who cares about her hair? With Amanda at the helm, maybe so.

I am also considering scheduling CRB an appointment for a haircut with Amanda if that tells you anything :)

Kitchen Remodel

One of my goals over spring break was to help encourage CRB to engage in more pretend play. Since the doctor kit was successful, I decided to buy him a play kitchen.


The first kitchen I bought did not work out well at all. I was excited that it was made in the USA, in nearby Olive Branch, Mississippi. That fact may have been it's best feature, as the $38 I paid for it was too much. The kitchen was created out of a few hundred snap-off injection molded pieces. No matter how hard we tried, most every detachment point featured a very sharp burr. We did assemble the kitchen in a record 1.5 hours, thanks to ToolMan's mechanical ability. Our assembly may be the best example of that play kitchen as we took some time to debur the more dangerous edges. But even with our careful assembly we decided that it would not be able to take even 10 minutes of CRB before we would be left with snap-off kitchen pieces scattered throughout our house. To my delight, Kmart graciously took our fully-assembled kitchen back.



After that bad purchase I really questioned my judgment. Is CRB too young? Is it bad that I am buying a boy a play kitchen just because I cannot bear making more car sounds with the hot wheels? Should I go with an heirloom quality, all wood kitchen that is devoid of all electronics? After all I am trying to encourage pretend play, and shouldn't I just be getting him to rely on his imagination? Does CRB (really CRB's mom) need a status kitchen like the PBK one?


At the toy superstore, CRB got to check out the grand walk-in kitchen. He loved checking out the doors, drawers and stools. Alothough the kitchen did not have any batteries installed CRB mashed buttons intently. When we started shopping for a kitchen my plan was to put it on the deck (hence the appeal of the $38 lizard lounge). We were more put off by the space needs of the grand walk in kitchen (as I did not want to just stuff it in a corner) than the price, although it seemed to be a big leap to spend 6.5 times as much.


After enough deliberation, deliberation that could have been used to solve world problems, we decided on the Step 2 Party Kitchen. There are many, many variants, but this was the one that our toy superstore had in stock, and luckily it was the one I wanted to get him. It took a little over 30 minutes to put it together, and it required 11 batteries.


CRB has completely surprised me with how much and for how long he will play with the kitchen. The first time he got to play with it I had to stop him after 55 minutes. This is the same child who cannot sit long enough to watch TV without being contained in the jumperoo and who cannot focus on a three piece puzzle for long enough to get more than one piece in place. Tomorrow we will have had it for one week and I am ready to say it has been a fabulous purchase that has really helped to change his style of play for the better. In addition to the fun with the doors and drawer, he loves the interactive experience that the battery items add.

Here are a few action shots:









The play kitchen blends nicely with my real kitchen, and since he gets so much enjoyment out of it, we'll be leaving it inside.

Easter 2008

To see more click:
http://s253.photobucket.com/albums/hh80/s4mom/easter2008/?albumview=slideshow

Hello, Violet Speaking.

• Johnson's Bedtime Bath
• The Color Purple
• Prince's album Purple Rain
• Strawberry Shortcake's friend Raspberry Tart
• My hair

I decided to use some spring break time to get my hair highlighted. I was very clear that I wanted Jennifer Aniston highlights which would in no way be mistaken for ashy beach blonde. I ended up with neither. Apparently my hair dresser was going for some sort of honey pearl effect and what she mixed ended up tinting my hair purple. It's very nicely "spaced", but it is purple. She did do another process to counteract the purple and that helped, but nonetheless, my hair is purple. This happened Tuesday and I waited as long as I could stand to wash it.

Washing it has made it worse... I am glad that I have perspective that this is not a huge life problem but it is still not pleasant and was *actually* expensive and time-consuming (I was there for 3 hours and 40 minutes...)

She said any of the remaining violet color would be gone within a week, but she also had said that 2nd process she put me through would fix it.

Do I believe her? Is my hair going to get more purple each time I wash it? What would you do?

Name that Movie

I saw this at Lauren's and Stacy's and I am determined to do something fun today, so I am participating.

Here are the rules:
1. Pick 10 of your favorite movies.
2. Go to IMDb and find a quote from each movie.
3. Post them here for everyone to guess (if you know them all, please don’t guess every one).
4. Strike it out when someone guesses correctly, and put who guessed it and the movie.
5. No Googling or IMDb-ing. That’s cheating, and that’s no fun!

Here are my quotes:

1. "And now my friend the first rule of Italian driving ... What's behind me is not important." The Gumball Rally - ToolMan

2. "We better keep an eye on this one. She's tricky." Mary Poppins

3. "I wish I could switch places with her for just one day." Freaky Friday

4. "You'd rather live with that silly little fool who can't open her mouth except to say "yes" or "no" and raise a passel of mealy-mouthed brats just like her. " Gone with the Wind

5. "Let me tell you I am not a father figure. I am not a brother figure or an uncle figure or a cousin figure. In fact, the only figure I intend being is a total stranger figure." Father Goose

6. "If there's a mental health organization that raises money for people like you, be sure to let me know." As Good as It Gets

7. "You want the moon? Just say the word and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down." It's a Wonderful Life

8. "The sportos and motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, wasteoids, dweebies, dickheads... they all adore him, They think he is a righteous dude." Ferris Bueller's Day Off - Wren

9. "That is so fetch" Mean Girls - Kerri

10. "So, Mr. Tipton, how could it take you 5 minutes to cook your grits when it takes the entire grit eating world 20 minutes?" My Cousin Vinny - ToolMan

Point to Ponder

Do you still call it a child "safety" cover if you child removes an outlet plug cover and sticks it in his mouth?

I sound like the exhausted mother of a toddler who spent the day trying to go through all cabinets and drawers. I thought we had made some progress when last week, after being told "No" about opening some drawers, he used the knobs to climb the outside of the drawers to the snack area.

When told about these occurrences, my neighbor said "Oh, he's so smart." I think smart would be recognizing the danger when you have been told "No!" plenty of times. If we have to label him, let's say he has remarkable dexterity and poor judgment.

Up All Night

10 pm, 2 am, 6:30 am

it's like having a 2 month old, except now when he's up he is a whirling dervish of destruction.

phone calls to ToolMan at work about whether lotion is toxic...

... emails about whether those AA battery boxes were empty ...

I tried sending him out on the deck with Colin but the dog is petrified of him...

That makes two of us.

Blog stuff

When I was considering re-doing my blog design, one thing that was important was that my blog would render nicely on a mobile device. I probably check on my peeps (band members list) at least once or twice a day from my iTouch instead of using a real computer. CRB has not figured out that my iTouch is a tool of wonder yet, and since my laptop is in physical danger in his presence, the iTouch seems to be my main web browser now. I've told him that slamming my laptop to the ground "won't free Elmo" but he seems determined.

There are some things that I still need to improve about my design but the most important one would be spacing out my band members, so that my clumsy finger can click the links. The neon glow is a tad intense but at the moment, I am inclined to leave it

I have never gotten into bloglines. It's not that I have copious amount of free time, or that I do not agree that it is a great service, but I just enjoy going to the actual sites. For me the actual visit outweighs the wasted seconds when one of my peeps has not updated. Plus, I often re-read the posts, if a new one has not been posted. I like Stacy's blog roll at Vader's Mom. If you hover your mouse over a link you can see the date and time of the last update. I may have to give the Blog Rolling service a go very soon.

I hope you enjoy the new look as much as I enjoy visiting your sites :)

Under Construction

Howdy, I am making some updates to the look of the site. All of this must be done when CRB is occupied with something else, but hopefully I can work on it again later.

*Updated*: I think I am done for now :) I would like to tweak the margins a bit but that will have to wait.

Resources I used for making the update:

• Free graphics & online logo maker (site only asked for attribution) http://grsites.com/


• Hexadecimal color values interactive tool http://houseof3d.com/pete/applets/tools/colors/


• The "scribe" blogger template.

CRB at 17 months

Hot Wheels

One of ToolMan's racing buddies has a son who submitted a video to the Hot Wheels video contest and he is in the top ten. If he wins, his parents plan to let him use the money for karting, I mean college, ok well, some of both...

You can check out the videos at http://www.hotwheels.com/index_hwkids.aspx

Max's video is the one in the widescreen format. As Kerri pointed out, you can see Daddy's speed gun clocking the hot wheel action at 73.2 mph.

Good luck Max!

Visual DNA test results

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

This web quiz was pretty fun. I liked it because all you had to do was click the picture that described the term. The teacher in me must tell you to click Read my VisualDNA to get the kool narrative description.

I would love to see your results so if you participate, give me a shout in the comments or drop me an email!

Looking for Rupees

Today, in continued celebration of the coming spring, we spent some time getting our deck in better shape. Pre-CRB this would have meant that we pressure washed it, sealed the deck, planted flowers in all the pots, and fixed a lovely gourmet meal on the deck, all in about half a day. Since we are in the CRB era, all we managed to do was get all the leaves off the deck and move some stuff around.

My deck has become the final resting place for many pots and planters. Today CRB had the best time using the terra cotta pots as "stacking cups." I work hard at not hovering over my only son, trying to give him space to explore and the confidence to try things on his own. This approach does have its downside, in the sense that he will have a few more scrapes, pinched fingers, and phenomenally dirty clothes. Today it also meant that we had a deck that needed to be re-swept and blown off.

I am pretty sure that next week, I won't be thinking about the extra laundry and broken terra cotta, but the memories of CRB playing with the pots, enjoying the feel of dirt, and the magic of rocks.

March!

There are so many things to love about March!

Presented in no particular order, here are some things I am excited about this March:

1. March Madness - I don't regularly watch basketball, but when the Sweet Sixteen starts I am interested.
2. Spring greening - goodbye bare trees and brown grass! Today it is a lovely 70 degrees. No ice scraping needed.
3. Colin's birthday.
4. Daylight savings time is in a week!! How I love more daylight in the evening. I think it is an incredibly fair trade for getting up "earlier."
5. St. Patrick's Day - what's not to love about a day when everyone is Irish.
6. This year an early Easter. Growing up Baptist as I did, Easter Sunday has a very special meaning for me. In our Baptist tradition Easter was a more important holiday than Christmas.
7. Spring Break for our university! Enough said there :)
8. Formula One begins. I wonder if my tot will be one of those who can name the drivers by mere sight of their helmets.
9. Mandy will have both babies home. I am so very happy for my friend!
10. Kerri begins a new, exciting phase in her life. I am proud of her for making these big changes.

What is your favorite part of March?

A Southerner Deals with Frost

for your amusement, here's the content of my email to ToolMan this morning in reply to how he has potentially found a battery for my uber-wagon.


"hey that is really great about the battery for my car. I agree one of those has to be the right one.

I miss my fancy-garaged VW. This morning it was 25 and the Excursion was frosted over. I did get the Excursion to crank but it was not making any heat fast (meaning in like 15 sec) and the wipers were ineffective at the frost. I did not think I could scrape without a ladder and it was already 7:35 by this point.

I got the garden hose out to put some water on it (I did not think it was cold enough to crack the windows so I decided to go for it.) A little water came out of the hose but then the hose quit flowing. Then I realized that I forgot to leave the wipers on, and now it was ICED over and I had no more water... before it just seemed like I did not have good visibility, now I really didn't. I ended up taking mom's car which we had put in the garage and telling her to check the hose in case I turned it the wrong way and not righty-tighty and it was still on when it thaws later... "

Color with Me

You Are a Yellow Crayon

Your world is colored with happy, warm, fun colors. You have a thoughtful and wise way about you. Some people might even consider you a genius. Charming and eloquent, you are able to get people to do things your way. While you seem spontaneous and free wheeling, you are calculating to the extreme. Your color wheel opposite is purple. You both are charismatic leaders, but purple people act like you have no depth.

What Color Crayon Are You?

I Hate February

It's like Debbie Downer has attacked my blog!!

No other month of the year blows as much as this one. My normally manageable job goes into chaos overload. I have no idea why this happens in the spring semester and not the fall, but it does, and it does it annually.

Since I am the low person on my priority totem pole most of my needs go unmet. I think that is the lot of moms and parents in general, but I have not been doing this all that long, and I have not figured out any sort of balance.

Here's a list of some of the things that I don't have time to do:

1. Dentist appt. rescheduled 2x, finally called them and said "I'll call you when anyone with a pulse can keep CRB when I am not at work and your office is open."
2. Go to the mall and pick up my contact lens. My six month supply ran out in December... jeez ... and my eyes hurt.
3. Get my haircut. Last hair cut, first week in September.
4. Get my hair colored. Last professionally done March 21, 2007, just in time for my Grandmother's funeral. What a positive memory.
5. Buy some makeup. I'm out, and I have been out. I have a few hundred people who look at me every Tuesday & Thursday. Again this would be a trip to the mall where the stroller would have to cease rolling forward for at least a few minutes, so for me this is an impossible task.
6. Buy some clothes. When ToolMan brings it up you know I am not exaggerating my needs, or trying to follow InStyle trends. I have bought things that did not come as mail order about 3 times since CRB was born, and two of those occasions were for Christmas parties. Thankfully my maternity clothes don't fit, but my pre-CRB wardrobe is pretty pathetic, as I have not bought a lot of clothes in recent years because I was always hoping to be pregnant.
7. Exercise
8. Relax

On a positive note, at least the dreadful month of February is the shortest month of the year.

Debbie would like to add "but it is a day longer this year!"

My Celebrity Soulmate

Stacy of Vader's mom always finds the best quizzes, so when I saw that she had found a new one, I rushed to check it out. This one is a lot like those quizzes from YM magazine (you know the magazine girls read before Seventeen) so I was thrilled!

I know you are dying to see my match, so without further ado:




Take the Quiz



Don't you know Meredith is fuming!!

Rehab

Unlike Amy Winehouse or Britney Spears, nobody's trying to make me go to rehab. I guess the absence of drug use and the lack of alcohol abuse is keeping me out. But I would like to go. I have no idea what I would work on, but Eric Clapton's Crossroads at Antigua looks beautiful. I could talk about how I had to cut back on my C-section medicine gradually after taking it a bit too long, and how I know there are exactly two pills left. But I am thinking that is not what they mean by needing to go to rehab.

I am the sort of person who feels that it is a moral failing to complain. No one is sick, no one is dying, we don't have storm damage, but things are hard. Here's some snippets of what I remember from the week.

Last week started out O.K. enough, at church with CRB in the nursery. Due to all the sickness, ages 1-3 were together in one room. Yikes! And they were using the room that faces the playground, showcased through the large picture windows, but they won't actually go to the playground. CRB will end up screaming. Prediction: met.

Later that night I took CRB to the grocery so ToolMan could clean the carpets without CRB's assistance. Driving by the front of the store I did not see any carts with cars. As my whole plan was to entertain him but not actually shop, I circled the lot to find said kind of cart, 10+ deep in the cart return. Parking as I do uphill and far away from the cart return and other vehicles, I toted CRB with me and somehow managed to move the almost dozen carts away, freeing the car cart for our use. Ouch, is that my shoulder? Yes. Is this going to be a problem? You betcha.

I don't remember Monday. Will that count as a blackout for enrollment purposes?

Tuesday was a long day but it was made longer by an impromptu dinner engagement for ToolMan. He brought Newks home for me as a peace offering, since I actually had a dinner plan that got wacked. I think this is the evening where I began to use the heating pad with the 40 foot extension cord so that I could still move around but try to keep heat on my shoulder to loosen it up. Flashback to law school and exam prep and the inception of the heating pad with 40 foot cord.

Wednesday escapes me too. Somewhere in there I did some grading and I got ready for class Thursday. Still not great for me, but probably too productive for rehab eligibility.

Thursday was a low point. ToolMan was headed out of town for a meeting, and I had a day full of class. In my 8 a.m. class, I started feeling light-headed but I pressed on. After class, while answering student project questions, I began to notice I was gasping. Flashback to the doctor's a few weeks ago when the result of my test indicated that my asthma was not well controlled, and I say to the learned Dr. D. "but I haven't needed my inhaler in months, I do not even know where it is" and "did you see how high my pulmonary test indicated my lung function was? I am fine!" I tried to call ToolMan but I did not get him, so facing those 60 college faces still checking out Facebook on their laptops and/or playing Sudoku on their iPhones, I announced "talk to your neighbor" and "I will be back shortly" and I left the room. I headed to my co-worker's office to look for her purse to see if she had her son's inhaler in it. No joy. I tried to relax, spending a few minutes talking to our student worker receptionist, hoping that relaxing would be enough. Back in class, I decided to tell them my problem, you know in case I fell out on the floor, like I was a guest star on House. In retrospect, my triggers were 1) high amounts of stress 2) taking the diesel Excursion so my beautiful hand-chamoised car would stay clean and 3) low temperatures. Thankfully, I made it through the day, feeling better around 2 p.m., but part of me wished I had to go home sick.

Friday ToolMan worked from home so as to help me with CRB. In the afternoon, I wrote an exam from scratch for my Legal and Ethical Issues in Computing class. That evening I slept through Ocean's Thirteen once it seemed to be the same as Eleven.

Saturday, again no idea what happened for the most part. I went to Target to try to buy food, baby gifts, clothes for CRB, and some sort of toy organizer for the playroom a.k.a. The Room that Was Once the Dog's. The result? CRB thinks it is great fun to dump out the bins and then climb the organizer, but his new 12 month sized outfit fits my skinny boy perfectly with room to grown. The person behind me in line got most of my food, as it was not in my car or on my receipt. Mission: Mostly Unaccomplished.

Saturday night I decided no more flexeril or whatever it is called. I'd rather hurt than feel this out of the loop, plus my breathing is still the pits.

So here I am Sunday night, heating pad and all. I am not sure what it is that I want or need to be different. This stage with CRB is just hard.

Laps Around the Lathe

Super, Fat Tuesday

On Christmas day, CRB amused his relatives by showing his expertise with the ear thermometer. He got it out of my purse, turned it on, stuck it in his ear, pressed the button, and then "read" the screen for his temperature. He did this over and over impressing the relatives and of course his mama.

Last week, I broke down and finally went to the doctor for my sinus problem. CRB tagged along (wait that makes it sound like he went willingly, or cooperatively...) to my appointment. When the nurse took my blood pressure I was absolutely shocked that it was 90/60, because the whole time CRB was intent on grabbing the puffer. Earlier in the visit he almost managed to turn off the nurse's PC (in order to free Elmo I am sure) when we were doing my pulmonary test. S0 though I felt stressed, I guess my numbers did not show it.

A few minutes later, Dr. D began to examine me, listening to my breathing, looking in my ears and throat. CRB was mesmerized. He stood still, and took it all in.

Over the weekend, I bought him a Fisher-Price medical kit. I did this not to cultivate an aspiring cardiologist or reproductive endocrinologist, but to get him something to play with that was NOT something to throw or make noise. The item said 3+ as the pieces looked to be large enough not to be a choking hazard I bought it anyway. I expected complete rejection, and that I would be adding another item to the closet of Toys Not Right for CRB.

The doctor kit has not changed much from the one my friend had in the 70s. The basic contents are the same. I have to admit that I was disappointed when I could not hear my heartbeat with the new stethoscope. ToolMan informed me that it never worked, and I must have just had a good imagination "back in the day." The thermometer now displays a "digital read out " and the whole thing is contained in an aqua colored sack instead of the molded plastic case.

We spent a lot of Sunday playing doctor and vet (thanks Colin!) and we checked out many of the stuffed animals. This afternoon when I arrived home, it was not that surprising when our Nanny said "He has played with this all day. He gets mad if you don't really put the bloodpressure cuff on your arm." He loves to ride around in the Diego car, wearing the stethoscope, ready to make the next house call.

Many, many people constantly tell me how smart CRB is. I say this NOT to brag but to try to state my problem. I am very resistant to agree with them. I have no problem agreeing that he is cute, or social dynamo, but one cannot get me to agree to more than that. Usually I joke and say "Regardless, I still think he will work as a Wal-Mart greeter."

I just don't want to be one of THOSE moms. I find it very irritating when people say that their 18 month old old can subtract, and my irritation is not because I am feeling competitive with those mommies ;-)

CRB does not talk as much or as clearly as most children that I have been around. My parents are full of stories about my (early) talking. ToolMan's mom has a piece of paper with all the letters of the alphabet, and next to the appropriate letters, all the words that ToolMan knew at 16 months. It's a baby lexicon, truly.

CRB talks but I do not understand most of it. I thought that only twins made up their own language. He constantly makes lots of sounds, mostly beginning with the BU, BA, BE. Today, Hannah our 9 year old neighbor said "He just repeated you, he said Thank You!" I did not hear him say anything actually, I was just trying to make sure he did not fall off his new trike. Similarly, my mom is constantly translating RockBaby to English for me. Perhaps it's that I am not listening closely, but I would still expect to be able to understand more of the time than I do.

Maybe he is smart, I don't know. If he is, we cannot take credit for it. If he is polite toddler and teenager, pat me on the back then, because his mama is behind that.

Physicist Richard Feynman's mother has been quoted as saying "If Richard is the smartest man in the world, God help the world!"

Wii

Over the holidays ToolMan and I got to experience Wii at his grad student's home. We had the best time. Since the New Year I have been on the lookout for a Wii. It's not something easily obtainable in stores, and as I do not have a lot of extra time or energy lately, I began checking out Wii tracking web sites, and watching items on ebay.

The other week I made the purchase, and our Wii arrived yesterday, a week earlier than I expected. Last night, Kerri came over and helped me check it out.

With the console comes Wii Sports, a set of sports games, where the moves you make holding the Wii remote actually parallel the real-life action. My favorite of the bunch is Tennis. Kerri was a natural at Bowling. As I have never gone bowling without having a beer in my left hand, it was super challenging for me, but I got better. Wren, Kerri's brother, absolutely smoked all the Wii Sports he tried, especially Baseball. ToolMan's Boxing Mii is who you want backing you up in a dark alley fight. Our Wii bundle also included Wii Play. Kerri and I loved the new age duck hunt, laser hockey, tanks and horse racing.

The Wii is not just another gaming sedentary system. Just like how TiVo revolutionized how many of us watch TV, the Wii is doing it for gaming and family & friends fun nights.

I don't have any pictures of our action last night, but here are some links to video showing how it works:

• http://us.wii.com/viewer.jsp?vid=6 bowling
• http://us.wii.com/viewer.jsp?vid=10 tennis
• http://us.wii.com/viewer.jsp?vid=4 golf
• http://us.wii.com/viewer.jsp?vid=11 baseball