Happy Birthday

So, our "baby" turned one yesterday. I don't have to check the infant box when I check her in at the Y and I don't have to refer to her as so many months old.

She tore into the cupcake and licked her fingers like a pro. I guess that some things are just instinctual. Of all the things she got from her birthday she was most interested in a musical card. Just goes to show you that going overboard for a kid's first birthday party is not necessary unless you want to. We love you Heidi and remember your birth like it was yesterday. Thanks for waiting until AFTER the Bears game to come into this world, Daddy appreciated that. Congratulations to my wife too. We survived another infant even though I know you will probably get teary eyed thinking about it just remember they will ALWAYS be our babies.

Elf on the Shelf

I just read another blog about Overachieving Elf on the Shelf Mommies. http://peopleiwanttopunchinthethroat.blogspot.com/2011/12/over-achieving-elf-on-shelf-mommies.html?spref=fb&m=1.

Funny stuff but what I feel I must say in return is that why would I want my kids to only behave three months out of the year because of a doll that watches for naughty behavior when I can teach them to be good 12 months out of the year? To think that people dedicate all their time to making this Elf real makes me wonder just where in the heck are they finding time for this stuff? Even just making a list of things you can do with the Elf seems like a colossal waste of time.

I commented on my friend's FB who posted this on her profile and she apparently deleted my comment. I guess it is because I am not Pro-Elf. Sorry, but I think that the best judge for who is naughty or nice should be the parents. We do all the work so why does Santa and this freaky position changing elf get all the credit? In our house Santa gets the kids things they need like toothbrushes and underwear. He's the go to guy when someone needs new socks not because his elves slaved away making tiny plastic parts in the frozen north.

Now I realize that doing something like this feeds into the magic of the season. I do talk about Santa a little bit but I never say anything like "Don't stick your sister's Barbie in the toilet because Santa won't bring you a Harry Potter Lego set" The Elf on the Shelf was created by two people in 2005 and they have made loads of money off this idea. I understand why I just find it baffling. I definitely think that a study is in order. I see a control group with Elves on Shelves, a placebo group with other things on shelves and a group of kids whose parents just teach them right from wrong and about consequences. Hmmm...I wonder . Merry Christmas everyone!

If it were socially acceptable...

Heidi is a week away from being one. It is winter and in the morning it can be 30-40 degrees outside. My morning consists of getting the kids ready for school, lunches, breakfast, and going to the bus on time. After that, I drive to the Y to workout. While at the Y, I have a two hour window before Heidi will have her morning bottle before taking another nap. So it makes sense to me to keep her in her PJs. So, sometimes I leave her in her fleece footed pajamas. SO WHAT!

Listen, people, these things are super warm. Trying to dress a baby that doesn't like her diaper changed is not so fun. Wake the kid up, give her some breakfast, and throw on a coat over her pajamas. She's a baby, she is not going to work on Wall Street. Give me a break. You don't have to say "Are you still in your jammies?" or "Did you just wake up?" No biotches, Daddy is just lazy and putting pants on a kid who is just going back to sleep in an hour is cutting into my squat time. I don't bust on your kid because he is wearing a Batman cape to school everyday. I don't ask you if you celebrate Halloween year round. You let him because it's cute and eventually they will lose that cuteness and become cute for different reasons.

Honestly, if it were socially acceptable I would wear footie pajamas all day. Maybe a track suit version with three stipes down the sides? Those things would keep my necessary parts warm son! Granted, they are not the most attractive article of clothing but people buy Snuggies right? Those are basically footie pajamas without feet. I know that Heidi is not going to be wearing these things forever and that this will fall by the wayside with the white onesie soon but for now it is working for us. Doubt me? Just try snuggling up with a baby in one of these...it will make you hypnotically sleepy. Nothing like a warm baby on a cold winter's morning.

I Wanna Hold Your Hand

Everyday my 6 year old son gets off the bus and everyday he grabs for my hand to walk him home. Part of me looks at the bus and wonders...is he getting too old for this? I say "Heck no." He's my special little boy and I am going to hold his hand as long as I can. I realize that one day he is not going to want to hold my hand so I am going to savor all the chances I get to hold his.

As our "baby" gets older (she will be 1 year old in 9 days!) it is a little tough to admit that our kids aren't going to be babies anymore and that we are passing that part of our lives. I guess technically they will always be our babies but Adam, who is 6 and Sarah who is 4 don't like being called babies. I guess it is all that emphasis on being a big girl or big boy and letting them do things on their own. For now however, I will enjoy the hand holding while I can.

Baby Drinking Games

One of the first things I did with all three of my kids when they were first learning to drink out of a sippy cup was to teach them how to cheers. The babies loved it because they could bang their cup against your cup and usually it would make a cool sound if you were using a glass. I further incorporated the word "cup" or "cheers" each time they would drink. Heidi has really taken to this and when sitting at the dinner table will repeatedly say cup until I pick up my glass and cheers her. She won't redo it until I actually drink however which lead me to think that I could really use this to my advantage by creating a drinking game called Drink Baby Drink!!.

My years of study at ISU taught me that when someone "cheers" you you have to drink so it is only natural that this came about. In Drink Baby Drink there are only three rules: You have to drink when your baby cheers your cup. You have to drink if the baby says cup or what you think is the equivalent to cup. Thusly, your baby will get you drunk in no time. Heidi only really says "cat" and "cup" so I am good to go. Oh, and the occasional "dada" but I think she is just trying to get my attention to pick up my cup.

Lego Equality!

As a stay at home dad of two young girls I have to say why is there no Lego product line for girls? I personally would like to see some Lego equality in the brands that are available. I am truly surprised that Lego has not struck a deal with Disney creating a Lego Princess line for girls older than 5. I realize that Lego Duplo offers chunky Dora sets and other sets that limit their focus to playhouses, stables, and supermarkets. While I understand them offering these options at a young age why is it that you can walk down a Lego aisle and only find one pink lego set? The Lego Harry Potter, Pirates of the Carribean, and Toy Story are universal but wouldn't it be nice to offer sets like female engineers, architects, doctors etc? I realize also that Legos need not be pink to be used by girls but it would be nice to see a Lego Princess line or a line geared towards professions. Why limit the scope of young girls? Legos are a great eye-hand coordination activity and they foster creativity as well. Sarah is super into Legos now that she no longer eats them and I suspect that given Adam's influence it will carry over to Heidi. Combining the Lego brand with the Disney Princess brand seems like a no brainer to me and a major money maker I would assume but maybe I am just looking out for my girls. Lego Equality Now!