Talent Discovered

This morning’s topic on Yo Gabba Gabba! was talent. Apparently, everyone has one according to DJ Lance Rock.


It got me thinking…what is my talent? Starting projects and not finishing them, check. Shopping online, check. Eating candy, check. Wrighting, cshek. Don’t judge me.

Around 3:32 PM it hit me. My talent, without a doubt, is procrastinating. I’m SO very talented at putting things off. If procrastinating were a sporting event, I’d get first place every time…or would it be last pace? I have a loooooonnnngg list of things I’m supposed to be “getting done” this summer. Consolidating Emi’s clothes, organizing my school stuff, taking things to goodwill, potty training (not me), and the list goes on and on. So far, I’ve been able to cross the most important item off the list - that being getting the satellite dish fixed. How else am I going to learn how to cook Italian food if I can’t watch Francesca’s favorite, Giada, on the Food Network? How will I know what fashion is current if I don’t have access to The Real Housewives of New Jersey?


If I could get my act together I would most definitely want to be as organized as Tsh Oxenreider, the mastermind behind Simple Mom. To say she is a planner is to say Michael Jackson is peculiar. I stumbled upon her great blog while I was putting off preparing dinner. You really have to check out her organizational tips that are free to download from the resource section on her blog.


Perhaps if I used one of these nifty pages each day they’d keep me in line.

Ooh! I just thought of another one of my talents – idea stealing.

-Kacey

Boot Camp

At the start of each month at my son’s preschool, the staff sends home a short newsletter regarding events in his classroom. Usual highlights include upcoming events and reminders to label your children’s clothing. The honest truth is that I usually scan the updates on my way to the trash.

For the June newsletter, things were a bit different. There, on the front page of the communication from the school, was a summary of the potty-training status; a quick overview of the “super-stars” and those that are “almost there.” My son was in the latter group.

I must admit that I have been somewhat of a lackey when it comes to toilet training. Giancarlo’s “almost there” ranking is more my doing than his. However, is it worth pushing the training camp on a kid who is not really ready? Everyone I know has a bit of advice for me.

The staff at the preschool we attend usually likes to take advantage of the drop-off or pick-up time to discuss potty training with me. I receive insight on how toddlers should “listen to their bodies” and what clothes Giancarlo should be wearing. It is one of the highpoints of my day. There is really nothing like having to repeat the word urination with a straight face while trying to prevent two toddlers from running out the door.

As many of you know, Thuy is my oracle. Some people use Google to find answers; I just pick up the phone and call my friend. She points me in the right direction. For toilet training, Thuy of course had a strategy...something about filling your kid up with an obscene amount of liquid for 24 hours and having them sit on the toilet for most of the day. She swears it will work. Now if only she could find an open spot in her calendar to come over and make it happen.

My cousin is a die-hard believer in what I like to call “adventure potty training.” This is a complicated hybrid of techniques that involves many different elements. I am not quite sure if I am ready to step into her world yet. She prides herself on teaching her boys to "sink the battleship" using Cheerios in the toilet bowl. Another popular method is to have the boys stand above the bowl and make the "blue" toilet water turn green.

My grandmother has probably been the most fanatic. It undoubtedly has something to do with the fact that she thinks of her age as a badge of honor. When Giancarlo turned one, she gave us a check. We were supposed to buy a wooden toilet training seat, like the kind that she used when her kids were young. Shockingly, her local Wal-Mart did not carry this item, even after her repeated conversations with the store manager. My son is now three and a half and my grandmother still asks me about the seat. Have I found it yet? What is my plan?

Today, I took a bit of time to finally follow up. Here are a few options I’ll probably send her way…



I think I like option # 3 the best.

-Francesca

Summer Beats

My sister Mindy is determined to have me committed to a mental hospital. She bought Emi her first Raffi CD for Christmas, as well as another horrid CD with toddlers singing. Naturally, Raffi is Emi's favorite and she insists we listen to him every time we get in the car. Agh!


As much as I used to love Raffi, he has increasingly gotten on my nerves. I am now at the point that I CANNOT stand to hear his voice. If I have to listen to Baby Beluga one more time, it might be the end of me. Tyler thinks I’m being dramatic. Whatever.

With summer arriving and Emi and I spending increasingly more time in the car, I’ve decided to draw the line and find some music we can both enjoy. Yesterday, I created a "sanity" playlist and, if I’m being honest, it rocks! Sharing is caring friends, so if you’d like to check it out, click below.


You can also find the mix at itunes under threebaybchicks summer 2009.

Rock on friends!

-Kacey

I'm Not Your Friend

I suppose you could say that I am a product of my environment. I come from a long line of women who do not spend their free time outside. My people prefer indoor activities, like cooking, reading, and socializing with a glass of wine in our hand. Sadly, the fondness I have for life inside is not shared with my children.

Giancarlo and Lucia are quite the opposite; their love of being outside means that we spend a lot of time at local parks. Over the course of the last two years since I became a SAHM, I have transformed into a CSI-like investigator at our local park system. I spend my days mentally profiling the different personality types that I come across.

As a public service to the blogosphere, I share the knowledge that I have gained from the playground with you today. The park isn’t quite the toddler utopia that I initially envisioned. Kids steal toys, hog the swings, and think nothing of pushing each other aside on their way through the crawl tunnels. Everyone should be prepared.

Here is a sampling of those who will likely cross your path at the playground:

THE HUNGRY LURKER: This child is not related to you, but somehow magically appears by your side when the snacks come out. Do not look this child directly in the eye. He or she may take this as an invitation to insert their grimy hands into your snack pack. Instead, I like to use the line, “Sharing is caring, but just not today. Why don’t you run along and play on the swings?”

THE THIEF: There are different degrees to the Thief. He or she may be like my kids, where they mistaken a toy as something that is community park property. This situation is easily corrected. However, there is a more serious offender occasionally on the loose. The true thief grabs toys away from your own or off of your stroller. If this situation should arise, feel free to repeat my mantra, “We’re not friends. If the parent won’t discipline this child, I must.”

THE EQUIPMENT HOG: There is no mistaking the Equipment Hog. He or she is continually trying to crawl backwards up the slide or swinging on the swings for 30 minute intervals while others are waiting. (These children grow up to be adults who exhibit similar behavior patterns at the gym.)

THE BIG KID: This is most commonly the rambunctious 6-year-old monopolizing the toddler slide and pushing ahead of smaller children (including yours). For some reason, the Big Kid steers clear of equipment designed for his own age group. The situation is further complication by the nearby parent, who is engrossed in a conversation on their cell phone or a text message regarding a critical issue, such as what Kris Allen is going to do now that he has won American Idol.

THE EXHIBITIONIST: Honestly, I blame the parents for the exhibitionist. This unfortunate child has confused park time with naked time. He or she can be seen peeing in the bushes or streaking across the playground because “it is hot.” I am unsure whether this youngster lives in a home without indoor plumbing, but, similar to the hungry lurker, do not engage and do not make eye contact.

It’s a jungle out there, but armed with the proper information and gear, there is nothing for you to fear. Wear protective eyewear and go forward with confidence. Not only do you need to protect yourself from the sun’s harmful UV rays, but you also need a way to openly stare at others incognito. Never a good thing to be caught rolling your eyes at the things other parents may be saying.

Take my word for it.

-Francesca

Keep It Simple

Like any SAHM, I watch my children each day. Lately, though, I have tried to take a step back and really observe; taking note of the things that render both Giancarlo and Lucia utterly happy, sometimes sad, and completely in awe.

After weeks of almost scientific-like observations, this is what I have learned:

There is nothing better than being naked.

Each night, before and after their bath, my children are in complete bliss. They are perfectly content to run freely around our house in the buff. This is especially true for Lucia. As soon as the last stitch of clothing comes off of her little body, she is gone, running, laughing, and trying to hide. Granted, she always chooses our bedroom closet as her hiding spot, but “finding” her there never ceases to make us both laugh.

If you don’t like what you are eating, simply take it out of your mouth.

Do this without delay. If the particular healthy vegetable or snack does not agree with your palate, simply open your mouth and let it drop out. Another option would be to stick your hand in your mouth and scrape the contents off of your tongue. Both methods work equally as well and provide a rapid solution to the problem.

If you don’t like what your parents are trying to make you do, simply go boneless.

This is a new tactic for both my children. I am not sure who came up with this brilliant idea first, but in our household, once one child stumbles upon a successful technique, the other is sure to follow. The three of us have learned that this works particularly well in public places. Two boneless children are incredibly difficult to manage in a place like the grocery store.

The nightly bath time and bedtime ritual is bliss.

There is nothing better than being pampered, right? While I am lucky if I am able to remember to brush my teeth most days, my kids are bathed, in clean pajamas, have full tummies, and a bedtime story all before bed. It really is a wonderful way to go to sleep.

Other than to share this knowledge with the blogosphere, I am not quite sure what to do with the wisdom I have acquired. Perhaps it is enough to simply be reminded of the importance of keeping things simple and finding joy in life’s little pleasures...

-Francesca

Keep on Swimming, Keep on Swimming…

Recently, I’ve signed M up for swim class. It was completely last minute, but M is at a point where he needs to work out some of his pent up energy. A lot of pent up energy.

By the time I was able to sign him up, only the earliest slot was available. Not surprising considering that I signed him up 12 hours before his first swim class. (Yeah, I’m a last minute kind of gal.) Needless to say, I was not thrilled at the idea of having to get up and immediately put on a bathing suit. Eck!

My son’s first impression of swim class was that it was “sexy.” As the moms were dressing or undressing themselves and their little ones, M made a wonderful impression by calling them and their kids sexy. Way to impress the ladies, son.

My first impression of swim class was not so positive. Swim class was like a big, warm bathtub where all the parents literally carry their children around and dance in circles, all while their bodies are half-way submerged in water. I don’t know what I was expecting, but certainly not singing and dancing to the Hokey Pokey; all that seems even hokier at 8 AM in the morning.

I was envisioning the Michael Phelps program (minus the weed), where M would be wearing those paper thin suits at the end of the program and swim like a little mer-baby around me. What’s with all this gentle nudging for them to even get their ears wet? I’m trying to train a future Olympian! Geesh! At one point, I almost wanted to tap the teacher on the shoulder and ask where the advanced class was…you know, because M is truly “advanced.”

Well, my lobbying for M’s promotion to the more advanced class is going nowhere. M and I are still in the average people swim class, but that’s because he hasn’t gotten "kicking off the wall" quite yet. We're practicing at home to hone that skill.

All joking aside, one great blessing about getting an early swim class is that the pool is clean. We all know that the swim diapers don’t do much and the idea of dancing around in pee-infested water, while singing the Hokey Pokey song, has me wanting to scream, “Everybody out of the pool!”

-Thuy

Spring Break Reflection

Last week was my official spring vacation. Nine whole wonderful days without 20 first graders, calling me "teacher", tattling on their friends, and asking me questions all at the same time. Bliss! Today, I asked my students to reflect in their journals about their spring vacation. They had to write 5 "good" sentences for me about their time off. Had I written a reflection of my own, it would have gone someting like this:

5 things I learned about Emi (aka Terror) over my spring vacation:

1. Playdates are my friend. This is my new mantra. Emi and I had three fab-u-lous playdates in one week! This, my friends, is going to be a necessity in order to keep my sanity over summer vacation.

2. Emi, much to my dismay, likes to play in the sand. The horror!

3.The Cherry Blossom Festival used to be one of my favorite activities in San Franciso. However, the Cherry Blossom Festival with Emi in a stroller = no fun for mom, grandma, & auntie.

4. Emi is a strange little girl.

5. Teaching 20 children is almost easier than spending a day with my daughter.

Hope you enjoyed your spring vacation!

-Kacey

A Series of Unfortunate Events

It is unfortunate that my daughter has no patience for car rides. During even a quick drive to the grocery store, she routinely attempts Houdini-like moves to wiggle her way out of her car seat to freedom.

It is unfortunate that when my daughter cries in the car, my son frequently joins in, giving me a “surround sound” like experience while I am driving.

It is unfortunate that as we were pulling out of the parking lot at the grocery store, we happened upon one of Giancarlo’s pre-school teachers, who was driving home in the same direction as us.

It is unfortunate that in an effort to distract my son and silence the crying, I became overly excited and accelerated in order to catch Teacher Rachel’s attention at a point when I should have been yielding and allowing her to merge peacefully onto the freeway.

I should have been looking more closely at this sign.

Instead, I was thinking how fun it would be to pull alongside her car and wave. For a moment, I actually complimented myself on the brilliance of my plan.

It is unfortunate that I am not a better judge of distance. If this were the case, I probably could have avoided cutting off Teacher Rachel at the on-ramp to the freeway.

I think Giancarlo may be too “sick” to make it to pre-school this week.

-Francesca

What's In A Name?

It is Friday, finally, and I am picking up Giancarlo from pre-school. I hear my son talking before I actually see him.

“That’s not my name. It’s Giannn-CAR-looooo.”

He speaks slowly and loudly so that the mother of his pre-school playmate can understand him. He is looking at her, waiting for a response, but she says nothing. I know what Giancarlo will say next and, because I am on the opposite side of the room, there is nothing I can do to stop it.

“Say it, please. Say my name. You can do it. It’s Giancarlo.”

The Mom does as she is asked and Giancarlo turns to me and says, “Mama! Did you hear? She finally said my name right.”

Long before I ever had kids, I knew that I wanted them to have Italian names. And while Giancarlo’s name maybe the equivalent to Bob Smith in the Italy, it is still different from the norm here. At age three, Giancarlo has been referred to in a variety of different ways, including Jean Carlo (in French), Juan Carlos (in Spanish), John, GC, and Carlo.

Dear Abbey advises her readers to try not to be embarrassed when people mispronounce your name. She recommends simply correcting them and moving on, knowing they probably won't make the same mistake twice. Since Giancarlo has been old enough to talk, he has been correcting people, loudly…even when I don’t.

After a lifetime of facing this issue myself, and ultimately resorting to “just call me Fran,” maybe there is something to be learned from my son.

-Francesca

Inside the Criminal Mind

My husband and I find ourselves in a desperate situation. It is with great difficulty that we are finally able to admit that, yes, our daughter has a problem with stealing. What’s worse, we believe that her condition is worsening.

Last month, I posted about several incidents that took place with our daughter. The outpouring of support and understanding that I received from my fellow bloggers was overwhelming. Thank you! I don’t know how I would be able to persevere through this trying time without each and every one of you.

Rather than dwell on the negative, I have been trying to understand the rationale behind my daughter’s behavior. Like any good Mom, I turned to Google to find my answers. This is was I was able to dig up regarding why children steal…

1) Modeling
Children learn by watching their parents. Parents who take things that do not belong to them may be teaching their kids that stealing is OK.

Could it be that my daughter knows of the indisgressions that I committed as a teenager? Taking my parent’s car for a joy ride at age 16, in an attempt to impress my friends, was definitely not my smartest move ever.

2) Some children have no money of their own to buy what they want
Perhaps my daughter is in need of disposable income? Children who don't have their own money to spend may steal what they want.

3) To make themselves look good in front of peers
The peer pressure that I see among children today is, quite simply, outrageous. To make matters worse, our daughter runs with a pretty “rough” crowd. It would make sense that she began stealing because her peers are doing it and she wants to be accepted.

I think our only answer is intervention. I came across what I think may be the perfect solution: Brat Camp, a therapeutic school and wilderness program for troubled kids.

I took some time to read over the fine print for the program. Since each of the children who spend time at Brat Camp are filmed and their story is aired on television, I would have to agree not to contact my daughter for the duration of the program. As an added bonus for allowing our daughter to be filmed, the production company would provide intervention and transportation services at no charge.

Wow! Treatment and fame. It sounds like the perfect solution, right? The only problem is that I think our daughter might be a bit too young for the program.

In reality, my husband and I have lovingly started referring to our little Lucia as “Trouble.” She works diligently each and every day to live up to her nickname. Trouble's escapades this week included running my car keys through the dishwasher and making our toliet overflow in an attempt to flush a container of playdough. Oh, and if you are trying to call me on my cell phone, you should probably give up. Trouble managed to get her little hands on my phone on Monday and I haven’t seen it since.

-Francesca

Lost in Translation

After the inauguration of President Obama, I’ve been thinking a lot about diversity and acceptance. I would like to think that, as a world, we’re coming together more and more each year and appreciating not only our similarities, but also our differences. In light of this cultural evolution, how can we better embrace diversity than through the adoption and admiration of different languages?

Without further ado, I give you a celebration of what can go awry when we dabble, with the best of intentions, in the languages of other cultures.

First, Hanzi Smatter, a blog dedicated to the misuse of Chinese characters in western culture. Asian character tattoos on westerners are an incredible way to announce your willingness to embrace other cultures. Truly, high school jocks and weightlifters are our cultural ambassadors.

Unfortunately for this “ambassador”, who was attempting to get “Knowledge, Loyalty, Courage, Warrior, & Father” tattooed on his back, ended up with:

識 knowledge, consciousness
寿 congratulations, celebration, long life, sushi
危 danger, dangerous
狂 crazy, insane, mad
父 father

“Dangerous, crazy, father.” Close, right?

Onto Engrish.com. Like the West, the East has truly embraced capitalism and shown its cultural inclusiveness by often having helpful signs posted in the local language and in English. Unfortunately, cross-cultural enthusiasm does not guarantee accuracy. Lucky for us, the mistakes are often hilarious. One of my favorites appears on their most popular list: http://www.engrish.com/2007/06/youll-block-traffic/.


-Thuy

Through a Child's Eyes

The way in which my son sees and interprets the world around him is a continual source of entertainment, amazement, and at times, even a bit of frustration for me. There are moments when he asks for something and I am proudly the only one in the room that can deliver. However, there are also instances when I do not have even the slightest clue what he is talking about.

Let's play a little game today. How many of the following items can you correctly identify? If you get at least one right, then you are doing much better than me....

Answer: The sandwich yogart. I learned this lesson while standing in the dairy section of the grocery store. Giancarlo kept repeating, "Mama, it's right there. The sandwich yogart." Finally, tired of how long I was taking, he decided that he would simply "showed me" himself.

Answer: Hearts. If you chose the logical "lily pad" answer, then you should probably re-think your game strategy at this point.

Answer: The Easter Bunny.

This is undoutedly my fault. In order to put our Christmas decorations away without my son mourning the loss of both our tree and Santa Claus, I told him that we could now start looking forward to the Easter Bunny. What I did not anticipate was how strongly Giancarlo would take ahold of this idea. We now see the Easter Bunny wherever we go. Not only is he is on the label of the Nestle Nesquik container at the grocery store, but, according to Giancarlo, the Bunnyman also called our house the other day and left a message on the answering machine.

When folding the laundry, Giancarlo turned to me and asked what this is for. Honestly, I stared at him for a few minutes and then said that it is Mama's shirt. This was not the answer he was looking for. Instead, Giancarlo informed me that this is what I use to cover my "belly butt."

-Francesca

America's Most Wanted

Have you seen this toddler?

Northern California detectives are on the look-out for this adolescent and you should be too. They say the baby girl shown in this photo remains the focus of an international manhunt for her alleged crimes.

Lucia has been seen exiting various businesses and pre-schools with the following items:

Scene of the incident: Blockbuster Video candy aisle
Stolen item: Cherry Passion Tic Tacs

Scene of the incident: Her brother's pre-school
Stolen item: Safari Farm Ram

Scene of the incident: Wells Fargo Bank
Stolen item: Dum-Dum Sucker

In the most recent episode, police fear that Lucia may be altering her pattern of simply hiding the stolen item in her clenched hand until her mother discovers her later trying to eat it. Yesterday, while at the bank, Lucia pushed the Santa Claus mug containing the Dum-Dum suckers onto the floor, smashing it into a million pieces and creating general chaos, all as part of a diversion to steal a sucker.

Although several tips have trickled in regarding Lucia's whereabouts, she's managed to remain at large. Detectives are hopeful that this won't always be the case, but for now, the fear is that she will strike again, laughing at the fun of it all.

-Francesca

It Would Have Been Nice to Know

Last Christmas, Emi slept through most of the holiday season. As a two month old, she seemed quite bored.

This Christmas, a year older, I was very excited, hoping Emi would relish the festivities and get in the spirit of the holidays.

We started with Emi's first Christmas tree outing. It was crowded and FREEZING, just the way you imagine it to be. And yet, she didn't seem to appreciate the experience as much as we had hoped. She can be so ungrateful at times.

This year, Tyler and I debated over what to get her. After much thought, we settled on a little Bumble Bee Scooter. Little did we know that Grandpa & Grandma had also purchased the same scooter.

She did seem to enjoy her mound of presents...just not as much as the two following items.

Yes, those are Mardi Gras beads. Yes, one of them says Cuervo. Yes, Emi is teething (nice drool, puddle!). And no, Emi did not "earn" the beads.

Her second favorite thing...Kleenex.

I found her "playing" with the Kleenex box. She takes one piece at a time and apparently has made up a game called, "let's see how many tiny pieces I can make before Mom catches me." Fun times. Had I known this is what would occupy my daughter's time I would have splurged and purchased her the ultra soft box (only the very best for her!).

-Kacey