wrencrain's Profile

From the adult child's perspective (I'm not dealing with this yet as a parent, as my 2.5 year old isn't a huge producer of artwork) . . . I was very overwhelmed when I returned to my childhood home and was presented with boxes of my own artwork from my childhood. My parents saved most of it, and now it was my responsibility to make decisions about what to save and keep. That sucked. I wish they had edited the collection for me as I grew-up - I didn't remember what was important to me.

So, man & woman-up parents and model how to deal with all the stuff in our lives!

Ug. I had a 7-14 month old who ate all sorts of interesting things from many green veggies to very spicy thai curries. Then he grew-up, began exercising his freewill, and eats only white food.

Please, please, please don't judge me! We offer, and provide, but into his mouth it does not go . . . "no mommy, that is for you to eat . . ."

wifi enabled photo frame that automatically displays photos you email to the frame, or photos from a flickr or picasa stream. Pretty awesome.

We put up a huge curtain that pulls across part of our living room to make a little room for our guests. With a curious, early-waking toddler in the house this was the only way to make sure everyone wasn't roused at 6am against their will. It works quite well, as it allows them some privacy even during "public" hours in our little house.

We stocked it with a reading lamp, and a clock (I hate waking-up in the middle of the night in a strange place and not knowing the time!)

DST used to be one of my favorite holidays . . . . Now its just a really long day.

My mom used to make Baby back ribs with peach baby food. So, good.

Ingredients

2 1/2 lb. loin back ribs

2 4 1/2 oz. jars baby food peaches,

1/3 c. catsup

1/3 c. vinegar

2 tbsp. soy sauce

1/3 c. brown sugar

2 garlic cloves

2 tsp. ginger

1 tsp. salt

Dash of pepper

Hey Question! Other parents-who-use-iPhones-with-2-year-olds how do you keep them from push the home button, like all the time? I start-up an app, and he's into it, but inevitably pushes that home button and gets frustrated. Any tricks?

On the more intellectual side of this conversation: People keep noting that parents are trading good chances to interact with their children for smartphone face time, and that is not how it works. I love to sit and build things with my boy, go for walks, make dinner together, but the truth of parenthood is that sometimes you have to get something done that isn't compatible with interacting with the baby (calling the bank, draining boiling hot pasta, cleaning the toilet, checking out at the grocery store, etc). THAT is when the iphone comes out in our house. We drive, long drives from upstate NY to South Dakota, I don't think I'd use the iphone for a 3 hour trip up the road, but after 3 days of being in the car, even he is tired of telling me what color the semi-truck that just went by is.

In the end, its all about moderation.

And no, I do not think there is any difference between looking at pictures in photo album (which no one would criticize as ignoring your child) and looking at them on the iPhone. . . . now if I could just get him to stop pushing that "home button!"

Blah. . . . I was blessed to have a child while in graduate school (some might say cursed, but a dissertation CAN be written over the course of a year of naps), but I dread having a second child and not having that flexibility.

I love working, but I already feel guilty towards imagined child #2 for not being able to promise it a year of delicious mommy time.

When I complain about this some say it is a decision, in the US you can choose career or family, and that's good, it promotes hard work, and perceived equality between men and women. They truly believe you can be fulfilled by deciding to be a kick@ss mom OR CEO, and that it really is incompatible to be both. But I say PHOOEY! This is no way to live life in the world's richest country.

Match box cars. He found one on the playground at 11 months and there has been no going back. The three we've collected since then are waaaay-up on the favorite list.

This is not our only plastic, non-idealistic toy, but it is our favorite and one I was not expecting given my deep affection for the little wooden cars.

Every girl I know who was born in the last year has what I've taken to calling the "lala."

Leila
Layla
Kealia
Analiea
Leelu
Kayla
Analasia
Ila
Inla
and even "mayla"

I am dead serious. Every. Single. Girl. in the 2009-2010 period.