New Foodie

Baby girl is now officially a foodie.  At her last doctor’s appointment we got the go ahead from her pediatrician to begin her on solids when we thought she was ready.  She must have understood the doc because from that moment on she began to get stronger and stronger.  When the girl began to eye down anything and everything anyone was eating we decided we should start feeding her soon before she began a plot to feed herself.  

"He was a bold man that first eat an oyster." ~Jonathan Swift

So for the past week or so she has been eating her big girl food.  Well... maybe not big girl food but a bowl of mush definitely counts for something.  Rice mush with some sort of vegetable puree all mixed together.  She loves it!  So far she hasn't found anything she doesn't like. .  

"Like religion, politics, and family planning, cereal is not a topic to be brought up in public.  It's too controversial." ~Erma Bombeck

Currently she doesn’t have much say as to what or how she eats.  We strap her into a chair and give her what we want to give her.  But over the next few years she’ll begin to develop her own eating habits.  Sure, I hope she develops healthy eating habits and enjoys nutritious foods but those aren't the habits I’m too concerned about right now.  Instead of wondering what kind of weird quirky habits she’ll develop.  

"I don't like food that's too carefully arranged; it makes me think that the chef is spending too much time arranging and not enough time cooking. If I wanted a picture I'd buy a painting." ~Andy Rooney

Will she...  

• demand that her food not touch other types of food?
• eat everything with only a fork?
• eat her plate in order of least favorite to favorite or will she start out with her favorite item first?
• become a vegetarian?
• will she develop trichophagia and compulsively eat hair?    

"I want my food dead. Not sick, not dying, dead." ~Oscar Wilde

Everyone eats and everyone has some sort of habit attached to their eating.  I did a Google search for odd eating habits and found a few weird celebrity examples:

• Steve Jobs once tried a fruit and veggie only diet in hopes that it would allow him to stop bathing.
• Ronald Reagan didn’t eat a tomato for 70 years.
• Michael Jackson used to have granola, almond milk, fruit juice and a tank of oxygen for breakfast each morning.
• Claudia Schiffer eats nothing but fruit before noon.
• Elvis once flew 800 miles to eat his favorite sandwich.

"I won't eat anything green." ~Kurt Cobain

The holidays are a great time for eating. Enjoy your sugar cookies, honey baked ham, tiramisu, fondu, and all of your other family favorite recipes.

"My idea of fast food is a mallard." ~Ted Nugent

Enjoy... Happy Eating!

Ho Ho Ho...

With Thanksgiving in the rear view and Christmas approaching quickly, I am slowly getting into the holiday spirit.  Growing up I didn’t celebrate Christmas so I don’t automatically go into fa-la-la mode just because tis’ the season.  

"Aren't we forgetting the true meaning of Christmas? You know, the birth of Santa." ~Bart Simpson 

Don’t get me wrong, I like Christmas and over the past week I’ve given it my best shot to begin getting festive.  Last weekend, I went to a gingerbread cookie baking event at the boy’s preschool, I put up our tree and took the family to a local drive through light show.  I'll admit it, I've even sang a carol or two in the car while drive around the town. (Some of those songs are really catchy!)

"Christmas is awesome. First of all you get to spend time with people you love. Secondly, you can get drunk and no one can say anything. Third, you give presents. What's better than giving presents? And fourth, getting presents. So, four things. Not bad for one day. It's really the greatest day of all time." ~Michael Scott (The Office)

Having kids definitely adds something special to Christmas for me and makes me want to get more into the spirit.  Watching the boy get excited about the lights, music, etc are definitely memory's I'll remember forever.  (Luckily for me he’s still too young and hasn't begun asking for outrageous gifts ~ so far its still just about the fun!)  And watching baby girl have her first Christmas will be very special.  (We already got her picture with the big fella framed.) I'm sure on the big day she will be in a very cute holiday outfit with a bow, on her still mostly bald head, looking prettier than ever. With my great kids and wonderful wife how could I not get into the Christmas spirit?

"Okay, this is extremely important. Will you please tell Santa that instead of presents this year, I just want my family back?" ~Kevin McCallister (Home Alone)

According to Santa, it appears that some of my behaviors and actions still have some room to improve.  To see the video I received from Santa (and make your own Santa video) click here:My Message from Santa.

"I hate Christmas.  The mall is full of nothing but women and children.  All you hear is, 'I want this,' 'Get me this,' 'I have to have this' ... and then there's the children.  Ans they're all by my store 'cause they stuck the mall Santa right outside ringing his stupid bell.  As if you need a bell to notice a 300-pound alcoholic in a red suit. 'Ho, ho, ho,' all day long.  So, nice as can be, I go outside, ask him to shut the hell up.  He takes a swing at me.  So I lay a hook into his fat belly and he goes down.  Beard comes off, all the kids start crying and I'm the bad guy." ~Al Bundy (Married with Children)

Since I’ll probably need to the till the last second to get myself on the “Nice” list.  I’m going to track Santa’s journey around the globe.  You should too!  Check it out here: NORA Santa Tracker

"You stink, you smell like beef and cheese, you don't smell like Santa." Buddy (Elf)

I'm pretty sure this year will be my best Christmas ever! 

I hope it will be yours too. Have a wonderful holiday season.. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, 

Rock on you Festivus people, Happy New Year, etc, etc, etc...

Keep them Quiet

(Photo by iskir)

We've all been out in public and heard a kid freaking out.  The parent is frazzled and the kid just keeps yelling and yelling.  The parent will threaten, ignore or yell back but nothing works.  It is easy to say that you would never allow your child to act in such a way but things don’t always go as planned.  Luckily... there’s an app for that.

Don't bother people for help without first trying to solve the problem yourself. ~Colin Powell

The only thing worse than hearing a kid freaking out in public is hearing your kid freak out in public.  My baby girl is still too young to cause any real issues but the boy is quite capable of causing quite a stir.  Most of the time he’s happy to go along with the day’s scheduled activities but for those days when he’s not in the mood I hand him my phone and let him play away.  Is this bribery?  Sure it is... but it works.

If the new American father feels bewildered and even defeated, let him take comfort from the fact that whatever he does in any fathering situation has a fifty percent chance of being right. ~Bill Cosby

Here are some of the apps that have kept him entertained.  If you have a kid in the there year old range, or know someone who has an out-of-control little rug rat , try these free Android apps:    

• AIAI for kids - A simple alphabet app with several different games. The simple and easy alphabet game for kids.
• NumNum for kids - Same format as AIAI for kids but this one is numbers as opposed to letters.
• Bubbles - Make and pop bubbles.  Very simple but can buy you a little quite time at the food store.
• FishFarts Kids - Touching a fish makes it fart and zoom off.  
• Kids Connect - Connect the dots to create a picture.  The dots can be either letters or numbers.
• Zebra Paint - Color pictures by touching a color then the object you want to change.

Hopefully these apps work for you too because I certainly don't want to hear your kid acting a fool!

Simple Ice Cream Social or beginning of a New World Order?

Preschool is in full swing and the boy is still having a blast.  So far he has had his first field trip, me and the Mrs. had our first back-to-school night, and most recently the whole family attended an ice cream social held by the school.

"Life is like an ice-cream cone, you have to lick it one day at a time." ~Charles M. Schulz

The ice cream social was a lot fun.  There were several activity stations set up for the the kids to enjoy including: spin art, pumpkin decorating, temp tattoos, ring toss, bean bag tosses, etc.  At each station was a Girl Scout (or two) that supervised the event and kept things running smoothly.  

"Three groups spend other people's money: children, thieves, politicians. All three need supervision." ~Dick Armey

At first, I was very impressed with the Girl Scouts.  While appearing to be only 8 or 9ish these girls had complete control over their stations and the kids partaking in the activities.  They had crowds of 3 and 4 year old children following their every instruction.  These girls were amazing.   They had everything running so smoothly that the parents were able to just let their kids have fun and do what they wanted while they stood back and watched or talked amongst themselves.

"For a people who are free, and who mean to remain so, a well-organized and armed militia is their best security." ~Thomas Jefferson

However, after watching the Scouts in action for a little while, my opinion of these girls began to change.  Don’t get me wrong... they were still doing a great job, but I began to realize who these girls were and what they were capable of doing.  All of these girls were the alpha girls that ask the teacher for homework or remind the teacher that they were supposed to have a quiz.  But instead of being separated they were all in one place.  They were motivated and working together very much like the raptors in Jurassic Park.

"Now nobody get nervous, you ain't got nothing to fear. You're being robbed by the John Dillinger Gang, that's the best there is!" ~John Dillinger 

It made sense. The school wanted to keep the kids under control so why not get the most controlled kids out there to do the work. Just like how the Rolling Stones hired the Hell’s Angels as bodyguards to control the partying concert crowd. And that worked out well... hold on, that did not end well at all! The Hell’s Angels turned on the crowd and started a melee. Would these girls try to take over?

"The first duty of a revolutionary is to get away with it." ~Abbie Hoffman

The night ended without the Scouts trying to take over but I saw a glimmer in their eyes that showed they could if they wanted to.  Be careful, I think these girls may be up to more that just selling cookies!

Oh, those Preschool Days!

So big brother is now out there in the big world.  He has been enjoying preschool (or at least we think he has been) as each day of school has offered him something new and exciting.

"Every child has, at birth, a greater potential than Leonardo Da Vinci ever used." ~Glenn Doman

Since birth, my wife and I, have watched and marveled as he has progressed through the various stages of life. He has grown from an infant, into a baby, into a toddler, and now into a kid.  We have always been impressed with what he could do but never really thought about what other kids his age were doing.  Entering him into preschool made us realize that our big guy was now going to be surrounded by his peers. I know that all kids develop at different paces but I couldn't help but wonder how he would compare.  He's not a big talker, he's very independent, full of energy, not yet potty trained (still working on that one), and never really been with anyone but family.  How would he respond to being told what to do by a random adult surrounded by strangers? Would he fit in?   

"To learn anything fast and effectively, you have to see it, hear it and feel it." ~Tony Stockwell

After much consideration, my wife has proclaimed that she would be willing to pay $500 for access to a live video stream of his classroom.  (A little steep but I think I'd also pull the trigger at that price.) But since this is not an option, we only know what the teacher has told us, and what we have seen the few times we were able to view him through the classroom's window, as to what actually goes on in class and how he is performing.    

"If you can dream it, you can do it." ~Walt Disney

All signs indicate that he is doing really well! He clearly has been having fun! Each day he goes in happy and comes out happy. Each day after class he exhibits some new skill or performs a new activity that he just learned that day. He's talking more, singing more songs, being more helpful cleaning up, and exhibiting more creativity with his art. We couldn't be prouder of how he has handled this big change in his life.      

"To learn it, do it!" ~Roger Schank

While I’m glad that we decided to enroll him into preschool, and glad that he is having fun and learning so many new things, I am a little concerned about his picture depicting Humpty Dumpty's tragic fall.  

The blood coming from the nose... In my opinion, a little too spot-on for preschool!

Keeping Pace...

On a recent run along the canal, I noticed a fellow runner in the distance and decided that I should catch that runner.  So I picked up my pace a bit and started my pursuit towards this unknown runner.

"A lot of people run a race to see who is fastest. I run to see who has the most guts, who can punish himself into exhausting pace, and then at the end, punish himself even more." ~Steve Prefontaine

After about half of a mile, and seemingly only gaining slightly on the the runner ahead, I decided the best approach would be to just keep a nice steady pace and slowly catch the runner over the next few miles.  Since this stranger didn’t even know I was chasing him, he certainly wasn’t going to be impressed by me passing him and then collapsing at his feet in my personal victory.  

"Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

With only a few hundred more yards to go, before I was to exit the path, I finally unceremoniously passed that runner.  

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.... or not

My real goal was to get to my destination, not to pass this person.  As I approached my exit, still feeling proud of myself, I suddenly realized that the bridge I was going to cross was not there.  The bridge was removed and the area was surrounded by construction equipment.  This jog just got interesting!

"To get through the hardest journey we need take only one step at a time, but we must keep on stepping." ~Chinese Proverb

Recently everything in my life has been interesting.  At home I’m still adjusting my routine to having baby #2.  Baby girl is growing and changing almost daily while the boy keeps developing into his own person.  At only three years old he already thinks he knows it all.  The potty training is still moving along slowly but regardless... he thinks he knows it all.  (Only two weeks til preschool starts!)  At work, no different...my situation keeps changing.  As soon as I think I’ve set up one thing, I find out something else is in the works.  Throw in the fact that Tough Mudder is fast approaching and every aspect of my life is... interesting.      

"Success is not a place at which one arrives but rather the spirit with which one undertakes and continues the journey." ~Alex Noble

So I kept going down the path as the lack of a bridge ran through my mind.  I knew of a bridge a few more miles down the path but there had to be a closer bridge, right?  After pondering this for a few minutes I stopped running to determine if crossing the canal was an option.  Moments later, that mystery runner passed me, but I had other issues now.  

"A journey is a person in itself; no two are alike. And all plans, safeguards, policing, and coercion are fruitless. We find that after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us." ~John Steinbeck

So my five-miler turned into nine and half, and the last few were down a stretch of road I don’t plan to revisit. But, I reached my goal.  During those last few miles I was really happy that I didn’t burn myself out chasing that mystery runner.  I just kept a nice pace and was able to finish despite how the circumstances changed.

"Too often we are so preoccupied with the destination, we forget the journey" ~Unknown

Now I just have to remember to pace myself with everything else in my life...  

Big Brother to take on the Big World!

With the arrival of Baby Sister my son seems so much older (and heavier) than he did just a few weeks ago.  Seeing again what a newborn baby is like I really appreciate how much my son can do.  He is quickly becoming a big boy!  However, at the same time he is still not that big.  

“We've had bad luck with children; they've all grown up” ~Christopher Morley

Sure he struts around the house like his poop don’t stink.  When in fact I know all to well that it does.  Which brings us to his next big step... potty training.  We have had a few prior attempts at potty training but failed to ever gain any real traction.  This attempt is going a little better.  He has sat on the potty several times and has had some successful attempts!  Sure, we also have had some “spills” but we will get there.

“You have to do your own growing no matter how tall your grandfather was.” ~Abraham Lincoln

This latest potty training stint is being aggressively pursued because Big Brother is going to start pre-school in September.  We have been fortunate to be able juggle our schedules so he was always able to stay home with either my wife or I but the time has come for him to take on the big world.  He will be going two days a week for a couple of hours each day.  He's still not a big talker so we are hoping that the time away from my wife and I will be good for his social development.

"There is hope for the future because God has a sense of humor and we are funny to God." ~Bill Cosby 

It is going to be an interesting next few months....   

• Having to follow a new routine
• Being responsible for his book-bag
• Lining up with other kids
• Having to listen and follow instructions from strangers
• Not be the center of attention.

...but I'm sure he'll do great!

Meeting Baby Sister

For the last few months, my wife and I have been preparing for baby number two to arrive.  We prepared the house, the cars, ourselves, etc.  Then we waited... and waited as the due date passed.

"Better late than never." ~Matthew Henry 

Ultimately, our standard weekly doctor’s appointment turned into an a trip to the hospital for inducement.  The baby would be coming soon... one way or another!  Thanks to a network of family members, my son was well taken care of and I was able to be at the hospital with my wife.  Once we got to the hospital, the events began to move quickly.  

"Fast is fine, but accuracy is everything." ~Wyatt Earp  

Knowing that go-time was fast approaching, I called the grandmothers to inform them them it was time. They both arrived at the hospital will little time to spare. The birth moved quickly and a healthy baby girl was born.

"If a girl looks swell when she meets you, who gives a damn if she's late? Nobody." ~ J. D. Salinger 

After all the measurements were made, and toes counted, I sent out a mass email to family and friends.  As the congratulations and ‘can’t wait to meet her’ messages came in, I realized that over the next few weeks baby girl was going to be meeting a lot of new faces.  While I’m excited for everyone to meet baby girl, there is one person in particular I couldn’t wait for her to meet.

"I am convinced that material things can contribute a lot to making one's life pleasant, but, basically, if you do not have very good friends and relatives who matter to you, life will be really empty and sad and material things cease to be important." ~David Rockefeller 

Over the past few years my son has systematically become king of the castle.  He has gotten us pretty well trained to his liking.  While we have been prepping him for his baby sister we weren't exactly sure how he would respond.  Would he get angry if we were holding her?  Would he ignore her completely?       

"Sometimes one creates a dynamic impression by saying something, and sometimes one creates as significant an impression by remaining silent." ~Dalai Lama 

The next morning, my son and I took the short drive over to the hospital.  I keep telling him what we were doing, but he never let on if he knew for sure what we were about to do.  I like to think he did.  As we walked down the long hallway to towards the elevator I kept thinking how special it was that he was about to meet someone who he will have a special relationship with for the rest of his life.

"It is only at the first encounter that a face makes its full impression on us." ~Arthur Schopenhauer 

As I opened the door to my wife’s room, my son appeared a little apprehensive.  I suggested that he go ahead but it wasn’t until my wife called his name that he fully entered the room.  Following my wife’s voice, he ran into the room and immediately noticed baby sister.  His eyes lit up and he leaned over and smiled at her.  He liked her!

"Big Brother is watching you." ~George Orwell 

Now that we are home and adjusting our routine many things have changed over the last few days.  But one thing that hasn’t changed is big brother loving his baby sister.  He still smiles when he sees her and even gives her kisses.     

                        Life is good!

I feel like Batman!

For years I avoided getting a cell phone.  I found great pleasure in knowing that I was off the grid.  You either knew where I was or you didn’t.  I was free...

The key term is "was"... this past week, I decided it was time for me to enter the 21st century and get a phone.  So I went down to the local Verizon store and bought the HTC Droid Incredible 2.  

With one kid, and one about to arrive any day, it seemed like the right move.  Now instead of being free and unconnected, I am completely connected.  Not only can my wife call me at any point now, she can also see my exact location!  
I started this blog to help me keep my priorities in order - a way to help me monitor the different aspects of my life and keep them balanced.  As I've begun to download apps, I've tried to avoid loading up on time-killers and focus on finding the ones that will help me in my everyday life.    

I’m still looking for more, but here are the helpful apps I've found so far...

All of the apps are connected to my Google account.  In particular my Gmail, calendar and tasks information.  It has taken me a lot of time developing my contacts, lists, important dates, etc...  Having that information automatically loaded and accessible makes the phone instantly useful.

Google Latitude:  While the idea of letting someone know where you are at all times can freak some people out, I really like it.  With my wife at the end of her pregnancy it is nice to know that I could easily find her if she called and said that it is go time.  It’s also nice to know that she could find me if I get lost or injured on a run.

Map My Run:  This app is great!  It makes it very easy to track and monitor my runs.  Last year when I was in marathon training mode I purchased a Garmin GPS watch.  The watch worked great but the model I had required me to manually load my run information from the watch to the computer.  This app does all of the work for me, making it much more practical. The Map My Run app is easy to use and appears to be very accurate.  I highly recommend!

Foursquare:  I’m still getting used to this app.  The thing that interested me most about this app was seeing a reserved spot at a local mall for the Foursquare Mayor of the mall.  This spot in particular was closer than the handicap spots!

Handycards:  This app allows me to store all of my store loyalty cards.  I’m not a big fan of loading up my key-chain so I find this one handy (pun intended).  So far I’ve only used it once at the food store but it worked fine.

USA Today:  This one came recommended by my brother and he was right on.  This app delivers the national news in a clean, easy-to-read format.  With this app I feel like I’m on vacation.    

Google Goggles:  This app is amazing!  It allows you to search based on a picture you’ve taken.  If the pic is of a product, it will tell you what it is and where you can buy it.  If you take a pic of an unsolved Sudoku puzzle it will provide you with the correct solution.  

Google +:  Google + is an excellent new tool for sharing information and this mobile version is great.  This app, combined with my phone's camera and camcorder, have already allowed me to capture and share some great family moments.  With the baby #2 about to arrive this ability will get more and more use. 

However, one app that I can’t find is a good video chat app that will work with my Google contacts.  I downloaded Vtok, but it wouldn’t allow me to switch the camera.  So the person I was talking to could only see what I was facing - not me.  Fail!  If anyone knows of a good video chat app (or any other good app) please let me know!

I’m sure the novelty of having this phone will wear off, but in the mean time... I feel like Batman!

Breech baby... version attempt...

At my wife’s last few prenatal checkups the baby has been in a breech position.  With the due date fast approaching we were running out of time for the baby to flip down on her own.  

"Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending." ~ Maria Robinson

Since my wife is a real trooper, she tried just about everything to get the baby to flip.  She tried laying on an incline (head down), putting cold peas on the top of her belly, placing a flashlight at the bottom of her belly, etc.  She even put on her bikini and did somersaults in the pool!  

"Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try." ~ Unknown

Since none of the tricks worked, she had to schedule a cephalic version.  A version is a procedure where a doctor attempts to manually move the baby into the correct position.  (This is done from the outside of the body.  In case you are wondering.  I had more than one person ask.)  

"The fox has many tricks.  The hedgehog has but one.  But that is the best of all." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Since the version puts pressure on both the mom and baby, it does involve some risk.  Before, during, and after the procedure, the baby’s health is closely monitored.  If baby encounters too much stress, or the amniotic sac breaks, an emergency cesarean delivery (C-section) is performed.  In addition to the risks, the process can be very uncomfortable, even painful,  for the mom.

"Risk comes from not knowing what you are doing." ~ Warren Buffet

We get to our appointment... after what felt like forever, the doctor is finally ready to perform the procedure.  

"I got no patience and I hate waiting." ~ Jay Z

Thoughts in my head:  (1) Is this going to cause the baby to be born right now? (2) How much pain is this going to cause?  (3) I hope this works!

"We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think." ~ Buddha

After just a few seconds into the procedure the doctor states that the baby moved and is now in the correct position.  It was the easiest baby move any of the hospital staff had experienced.  No pain for the mom... no stress on the baby.  Great success!

"Celebrate we will because life is short but sweet for certain." ~ Dave Mathews Band

Now we just have to hope she stays in the right position and wait for her to make entrance!

Check out a video of a version (not my wife):

Off to Ikea!

Fresh off my business trip, we proceeded as planned to make progress on the baby’s room.  The next item on our to-do-list was to purchase a new dresser for the boy.  While he and most of his stuff made the move over to his new room, his clothes remained in what will soon be the baby’s room (again).  After some Internet searching we opted for a dresser from Ikea.  We considered having the items delivered but after seeing the $99 delivery price-tag we opted for a road trip.

"People say I am cheap, and I don't mind if they do." ~ Ingvar Kamprad

I’ve never been to an Ikea before, but have always heard that going to one of their stores is a fun experience.  The store was very big.  As you enter, maps (that double as a purchase wish list) and pencils are available to assist you with your shopping.  The first few sections of the store are mock rooms decorated entirely with their products.  If you see something you like, simply write down the product's descriptive information and continue along your way.  After zigzagging through the all of the showrooms you arrive at a food court.  I ordered the veggie wrap and some sort of chocolate cake. The food was decent and reasonably priced. The next stop is the warehouse. This is where you pickup all the items you want to buy.  The warehouse is very well organized.  The product information you wrote down in the showrooms contains the aisle and bin number for each product.  The process could not have been mapped out any easier.

"In the successful organization, no detail is too small to escape close attention" ~ Lou Holtz

The experience was also fun for the boy.  The food court and many of the showrooms contained small play areas for little kids.  One of the showrooms even had a slide!  Behind the steps to the slide was a mirror so the boy kept walking up backwards so he could watch himself.  Safe?  Not completely, but it wasn’t that high.      

"When you're safe at home you wish you were having an adventure; when you're having an adventure you wish you were safe at home." ~ Thorton Wilder

Shopping was the easy part.  Next, I had to assemble the two dressers we purchased.  This process went fairly well considering the instructions didn't contain any words, only pictures.  I put together the larger piece in a few hours with no problems.  The next day, I put together the smaller piece. It took slightly less time but longer than it should have taken. The extra time was because I messed up the drawers (made them inside-out). I had to take them apart and reassemble.  

"You can't build a reputation on what you are going to do." ~ Henry Ford

With the dressers in place, my wife moved over the boy’s clothes.  Well... with another task completed we are that much closer to having the house ready for the baby.