Elmo Mania

How do you know your child is obsessed with Elmo?  When she points to a fish in a book and says, "Dorothy!"  I never knew who Dorothy was until a couple of weeks ago.

Have you ever noticed how Elmo is everywhere?  He and Big Bird are on the newborn diapers at the hospital.  That's where it begins.  Then you buy some organic baby crackers and there he is on the front of the box.  They're smart because he's red and easy to spot at Babies R Us.  The name "Elmo" is also easy for a baby to say.  Now my 16-month-old is completely attached to Elmo and asking for him at every turn.  She watches the show and giggles when he does.  This is crazy!  She also said "noodle," referring to Elmo's clown friend Mr. Noodle.  I thought I had at least another year before this craze began, but alas we now have a stuffed Elmo and Elmo DVD's and books.  For people who didn't want our child to watch TV, this one is hard to avoid.  Although I did love Sesame Street as a kid.  Shhhhhh, whatever you do, don't tell her about Sesame Street Live coming to town...

Next Stop, Wimbledon

It was a big day in our house -- we bought LO her first tennis racket, a Babolat B'fly.  It's so cute, the pink cover has a backpack strap on it.  Just in case you gotta fly, I guess.

Those who know me know how much I love tennis and hope LO will too.  I played in college and a little after, coached and still play any chance I get.  If LO decides she wants to be a tennis player, she's got mama.  Her Uncle Tony to her Rafa.  Her Jimmy to her Chrissie.  See, I'm already projecting onto LO and she's only 15 months old.  But how's she gonna kick butt at mommy & me tennis if we don't start preparing now?  I can honestly say she loves her racket, which she calls "rack!" and swings around the room yelling "pow!"  I love it.  The furniture...not so much.

 

An Open Letter to Saks Fifth Avenue

Dear Saks Fifth Avenue,

I've tried to get off of your mailing list.  Really, I have.  But no matter how many times I unsubscribe, those daily emails keep a comin'.  Letting me know about all of the designer jeans, handbags and shoes I'm missing out on.  What are my must haves for summer?  You told me and I thank you.  But to be honest, you're barking up the wrong tree.  (See prior blog entry about $2 paycheck).  Where I come from, we put it this way -- it ain't happenin'.  I know it's my fault I got in your list in the first place.  A year ago I did buy an overpriced handbag to go with my overpriced shoes and yes, I could use more.  More.  MORE.  I just want to be up front in this relationship because no matter how many times I try to break it off, we're still together.  So consider yourself informed.

Thanks,

LA Mom

p.s. Love the Miu Miu pre-fall collection!

Oh, Canada!

We just got back from a long trip to Canada to visit my in-laws, better known as Gram and Gramps.

It was our first plane ride with LO.  I packed meticulously, bringing a full carry on suitcase stuffed with every kind of puff/graham cracker/yogurt bite/squeezable fruit imaginable.  My arsenal also included an array of new, travel-friendly toys and books.  We don't let LO watch TV, but being terrified newbies, we brought along a DVD player as a last resort.  If we reached DEFCON 1, maybe Sesame Street would hold her attention.  So naive...  The DVD player was brought out in the airport before we ever boarded the plane.  The ride went surprisingly smooth, however, even the dozen trips up and down the aisle where LO said "Hi!" and waved to everyone.  Her excitement was contagious.  To the woman across from us trying to sleep, I'm truly sorry.

One thing I did not expect was LO's primal need to push anything that would move.  I guess that's just what 14 month olds do.  Here's how we spent the long ass wait at baggage claim:

We had to take turns going round and round as she pushed with all her might.  When she ran into something, she'd try to turn it, get angry and squeal, then lay face down on the ground crying.  Seriously?  The pushing was cute, though, and everyone in the customs line was pointing and laughing at this little baby powering this huge cart.

Jet lag has set in and I must retire.  Part II to follow tomorrow.

Hey Kid, I Want My Beach Pail Back!

I took LO to a playground yesterday in Malibu.  It's very nice and the beauty of it was that, unlike on weekends, it was practically empty.  I was so excited to have an afternoon outing just the two of us, and I was especially grateful for this time now that I'm faced with the possibility of starting a new job.

I packed up all the gear -- new beach toy set, stroller, sunscreen, hat, snacks, toys for the car ride.  To be honest, I was feeling pretty good about myself as a Mommy, which these days constitutes being able to locate my keys and cell phone before going out.  We sang songs in the car and LO was in the zone, that perfect post-nap, blissful mood.

The playground has a large sandy area with a jungle gym and slides and a large adjacent sand box with an umbrella.  We parked the stroller at the sand box, got out the new beach toys and started raking sand.  I sat in the sand with her as she diligently filled the pail.  She was so happy.  She walked a few steps away to check out a rock in the sand when a big boy (probably around 5) ran over from out of nowhere and jerked her pail away.  I said "Hi" to him and invited him to play with us.  He laughed at me.  I asked nicely if he'd give it back since it's brand new and she's just a baby and...  He didn't care.  He took off running into the playground.  I shouted, "Hey!" but he kept going.  I was fuming.  He took my baby's new beach pail!

What I really wanted to do was chase him down and body slam him.  I could feel the anger welling up inside of me.  I couldn't go after him and leave LO alone in the sandbox.  He was too far away for that.  I couldn't carry her around while I chased him either.  He'd be too nimble.  I looked around for any signs of his concerned parents -- nothing.  It was the weirdest feeling, the instinct to be protective and put the hurt on that little kid.  What are the rules on a playground?  At what point can you body slam other people's kids?  Eventually a parent yelled out from somewhere for him to give it back and he did.  My blood pressure dropped back to normal and we had a wonderful time together at the park.  

Is It Too Late to Mention that I Have a Wooden Leg?

I went on a job interview recently and this week was the second round.  The exercise was to produce a sample of the show and then they'll make their decision after seeing the candidates' creations.  I was reminded of one of my favorite skits from "The Tracey Ullman Show," where Tracey and two other candidates are given a box of random items and given :60 to do something creative with it.  This probably aired in the 80's but it's totally relevant today:

Special Skills - Part 1

Special Skills - Part 2

Anyone had a similar experience?

Walking and Talking

LO started walking this week!  It began with standing without holding onto anything, then progressed to a few steps and now she's unstoppable.  She falls a lot, but she just gets right back up and goes!  Today we went to the park where the grass was kind of high and kept tripping her up.  Every time, she got right back up and went as fast as she could toward the big kids kicking a soccer ball, shouting "Baw!"

Peekaboo!

New vocab this week includes:
Key
Where de key? (I swear)
Where dat?
Yo-ur (yogurt)
Cheese
Doowr (door)
Puh (her beloved cereal puffs)
Nana (banana)
Poon (spoon)

What a week!