Tales From The Weird And Ridiculous Files: Gifts

I hope that this does not sounds wrong before I begin. I am very grateful for any gift that I receive, truly. I do wonder sometimes why people do not put more thought into what they give when it comes to gifts. I am not a big spender nor do I have high expectations when it comes to gifts. I have gladly received a box of freshly washed baby clothes from the thrift store that were all hand picked my my fabulous Aunt Mary. That meant alot to me. Not because I even need baby clothes but because she took the time and thought and picked them out herself and washed, folded, shipped them to me from Wisconsin. Nor do I mind if someone re-gifts something to me and admits it especially if the gift suits me or perhaps I was in greater need of the item than them. I do often end up returning gifts when I have received something that we do not at all need but someone got a buying high while buying. If that makes any sense?

Anyway, here is my "Tale From The Weird And Ridiculous Files," to share with you on a recent gift that I received after the birth of my daughter. A wrinkly flattened gift bag with 3 baby outfits in it. OK, three summer outfits given to a November baby in the middle of December in the Midwest. Sleeveless and legless paper thin "heat-of-July" outfits that are given when the temperature is in the single digits and only going to get colder. Given to a women (healing from a cesarean) who now has a newborn and a toddler to cart around to stores to make a return in arctic temperatures. With NO gift receipt?

Then once I attempted to return the item in the arctic temps with a newborn and toddler in the Christmas season, I find out that they were clearance items from the previous summer. Soooooooo the outfits were clearanced down to eighty cents in the summer. They were re-gifted from my friend from when she had her baby girl in May. Totally useless gifts and I can't even exchange for a bigger size. Gift ignorance. Got any good "Tales From The Weird And Ridiculous Files" to share as of late?

P.S. The outfits are still in the bag and hanging on a hook in the garage, tags and all. Can I re-gift to some friends that are having a baby girl this summer? What if they want to return them? Ugh.

Alternate Serenity Prayer

God, grant me the serenity 

to accept people for who they are,
the courage to change the only person I can,
and the wisdom to know that person is me.

Dog Humor

A New Favorite

I have been watching many a kids show this winter while stuck inside with a newborn and toddler as you can imagine. I have a few shows that I really kind of like as an adult and my son watches. Then there are some other shows that are OK and then there are some shows that I cannot stand at all. But Little Buddy likes to be right next to us when I sit in the rocker and nurse Little Munchkin so I do not get much of "Mommy Shows" either because Little Buddy quickly learns that I am not near him and must come in and have his show on OR he will jump all over the room and shout at me and talk and talk and talk so I cannot hear my show. Arghhhh! Anyway, sometimes I just sit in the rocker with Little Munchkin and start nursing her on My Brest Friend Pillow and then sneak out to another room to catch a bit of the news. (OR I'll go stark raving mad). Anyway, I have to embrace the kids shows to survive and I just found a new one that I like. Oswald The Octopus is a show that we were started to watch one day and I thought, "Oh brother, what is this one about?" But it's actually very cute. I also recognized some familiar voices in it right off the bat so I investigated and I was right. Fred Savage is the voce of Oswald and David Lander (Squiggy from Laverne & Shirley) is Henry the Penguin. Oh and he has a little weiner dog that has a hot dog bun around him named Weenie. Click on this to see a short clip of Oswald in my favorite episode of him chasing the ice cream truck.


So it comes on just after Curious George is on. During this I am nursing Little Munchkin in the morning and Little Buddy just wakes up and comes in the room and watches it. I like Curious George, I think it's a cute show. I happen to LOVE Arthur! I like Sesame Street, Caillou, Franklin, Martha Speaks and Little Bear is kind of cute too. Wonder Pets, Dora, Barney and a few others that I cannot think of right now are my least favorite and I really do not like watching them. I like shows that have some kind of a moral lesson and aren't just nonsense. Yo Gabba is nonsense to me. I think it might appeal to adults and teenagers but for a preschooler? Nah. Oh, those Wiggles, don't do a thing for me or Little Buddy either. Blues Clues never caught on over here either. Oh and I thought that Sponge Bob was kind of funny and creative until they started calling other characters morons. No thanks.

Anybody else out there (moms or otherwise) who have favorite kids shows? I know that this may seem silly but I can only think that most other moms MUST develop likes and dislikes for kids shows. Anyone?

11 Pounds Last Night And 8 Weeks Tomorrow

Last night Little Munchkin weighed in at the LC's at eleven pounds on the nose. Yowzah, that means she has been putting on over an ounce a day. That would explain all the poo poo diapers and her good sleeping at night. Keep up the great job little one. Tomorrow she will be eight weeks old. I can hardly believe it. The beginning is so hard with a baby and so frustrating and exhausting and emotional and stressful. The days seem to be neverending and full but they also seem to swallow up the time. Before long it will be spring, right?

Mental Note For The Future: Grandparenting

When I have grandkids I will try to be considerate of what shape I send my grandkids home after they come to stay with me. I will apply boundaries so that when they go home they do not think it's OK to climb on top of furniture. I will feed them at appropriate meal times and not give them too much crap before bed or nap time. I will not let them sass me cause I love them to bits and think it's cute and want me to be their favorites?!?! I will also try very hard to be involved but not an over bearing mother-in-law that wishes the grandchild was mine, mine, mine. I will respect the parents parenting style and try to utilize their style of discipline when I see fit. I will NEVER, I mean NEVER compete with my children's gift giving and I will NEVER manipulate my grandkids when they are away from their parents in an attempt to get them to love me more than anyone else. Just because you are a grandparent does NOT mean it's a free for all, spoiling is a given BUT it creates more agony for EVERYONE especially their dear little grandchild when they have no boundaries in your care. Period.

Just Some Useless Bullets

· Little Buddy Drank Bacteriostatic for the humidifier right in front of me as I had the capful sitting on the counter and was filling the tank. He plays with laundry and shaving cream caps in the bathtub so I'm sure he just thought it was water. Bad, bad, stuff. Fire department came, grandma came, neighbors called, Cop Dad nearly had a heart attack at the PD. The stuff can cause irreversible damage but didn't thank heavens. Horrible mother.

· Little Munchkin sleeps a good hunk at night and has most night for weeks. An LC told me to nurse her every 2 hours ALL DAY LONG in awake hours so she does not need to wake as often for her calories at night. Best advice I have ever gotten for newborn sleeping. Last night was bad BUT many nights are not.

· Missing watching movies with my hubby (among other things), forgot when it was last time when you start to get some of your life back after you have a baby but I think it kinda goes hand in hand with the sleeping through the night stuff? I room share with Little Munchkin for now but curious how cosleepers stay up after the baby goes to bed and watch tv with their hubby? How does that work? Among other activities. Just curious.

· Ready for spring now, too dang cold here in Chicago land. I HATE being cooped up.

· Concerned for Little Buddy. He is doing pretty well as far as adjusting to a little sister. He has intense sound sensitivity (dryer, windshield wipers, radio, furnace, fireworks, etc.) and does not like to watch ANY of his little kid movies any more? That makes for wayyyyyyyyyy too many Caillou, Dragon Tales, Wonder Pets, reran on cable all the time. I'd do anything to see some Toy Story or other kid movies that we own and no longer watch. Not sure what's going on with him but I am concerned.

· I am a SAHM (Stay-At-Home-Mom). But I HATE staying at home. I mean I love being sole caretaker and being home with my kids but staying in this house day after day after day with the sub zero temps . . . . . . . . . . NO THANKS. Need me some spring and green grass and windows open and Little Buddy playing with the sticks and the play set, etc. Oh, and walks and no coats and hats and all that fun bundle up stuff.

· This week friends are coming to visit. YEAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! With the holidays and everyone having illness and new baby adjustments, F-I-N-A-L-L-Y! Thank you Lord for friends. Have no idea what I'd do without them :)

· I actually got to bake zucchini bread the other day as Little Munchkin napped in her swing in the kitchen and Little Buddy was with Papa and Sessie.

· This baby wearing all the time is breaking my back. I don't mind it some times but OY VEAH, have no clue how people do it all the time. Happily? And pain free? And I have a restless baby who likes it if I am walking a straight line but once she falls asleep if I am doing laundry or dishes she would rather be in her chair. All wiggles and whimpers if I am too active. Maybe I'm doing it wrong.

· Did I mention that I am desperate for spring? With a capital D!

· Ooh, I have decided to TRY to pump out a bottle for Little Munchkin so hubby and I can attempt to go to a movie in a few weeks, or dinner? I NEVER did that before and not sure if she will take it but am eager to try. It would be a once in awhile chance to spend some time with Cop Dad. Any one out there have luck with this? I think I waited too long to introduce a bottle as they say between 3-5 weeks and she is 7 weeks old now. Hmmmmm . . . . . . . . .