PractiGal

The Twos

When I hear of the terrible 2's, I think of a phenomenon that will occur around 2 years of age. I didn't realize that this could start as early as 16 months. However, I think that the fits we've been seeing lately are actually tantrums. My sister told me that her kids' tantrums peaked around 18 months. So, terrible twos, look out, here we come!

We noticed a few weeks ago that our little guy would occasionally hit his head on the floor. Not in a fit of anger or anything. It seemed like he was doing it just because he discovered he could. Then he'd get upset, probably because it hurt, and proceed to hit his head on the floor again if we didn't intervene fast enough. Now it seems like the head-banging happens when he's tired, and once in a while if he's frustrated. It really bothers me, though, and I scoop him up or put a stuffed animal under his head right away if I see him doing it. Sometimes when I pick him up from his head-banging, he smashes his head into my face. I take it this is the terrible twos, right?

My little boy is also putting up a fight getting into seats now - the car seat, stroller, high chair. He wants to run around, push the stroller, push the high chair... We get into wrestling matches, and the distractions I offer aren't quite so effective any more. I usually end up letting him run around and then trying again to put him in his seat a few minutes later. This morning I headed out on a walk with him but didn't get any further than our own street, because the little guy wanted to push the stroller; he screamed and thrashed when I tried to put him in it. The neighbors probably thought I was hurting him, the way he was wailing.

Oh boy. This too shall pass, I suppose. Right?  Please tell me how quickly it passed for your children, if you're a parent. Or you could always just lie and tell me something reassuring!

I'll be strapping him in tomorrow for a 3-hour ride in the car -- there will be a LOT of running around before he gets in the car!

Saturday a.m. update: Have you ever experienced a tantrum at bath time? Let me tell you, it's scary. Last night's bath was hellish. This is a child who typically loves baths - splashing, squealing, not wanting to get out... Last night I got in the tub with him so I could hold on to him & prevent him from thrashing in the tub. My husband was assisting from outside the tub. This isn't normally a 2-person operation, but there was no other way last night!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!

Thanks. I needed that virtual scream!

Basil Pesto

The basil in my garden is growing deliciously high. And for the first time, I've grown garlic this year. I was so excited to dig it up the other day! Isn't it beautiful? And now I can't wait to use it. I plan to roast some garlic for a spread and make fresh basil pesto to serve with pasta. Mmmmmmm. Just be glad you can't smell me online.

Here's how I make pesto:
1 package fresh basil*
1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
2 cloves of garlic (or more)
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
salt & pepper
hot water to thin, if needed

Chop basil, nuts, garlic and oil (I use a mini-chopper, which makes short work of this task). Add cheese, salt & pepper to blend. Thin with a Tbsp or two of hot water. Toss with hot pasta.

*When I don't have fresh basil in my garden, I buy a package of hydroponically-grown basil. The leaves from one package seem to be about right. This probably makes about 2 cups of loosely packed basil leaves - I've never actually measured it though.

I'm submitting this recipe to this week's Carnival of the Recipes, at Feisty Repartee. Submit your recipes to the Carnival by e-mailing recipe.carnival ( at ) gmail.com by Thursdays at midnight, to be included in that week's line-up!

Rocky Mountain High?

How would you like to drive 1700 miles with a 2-year old and 4-year old? That's exactly what my sister and her husband are doing this week - driving from Colorado to New York state with their 2 little tikes. I am grateful that they're making the trek, since I'm at the end of the line in NY, and I can't wait to see them. However I keep wondering what it's like for them on the road.

I need to use the potty.

I'm hungry.

She hit me!

Are we there yet?

...And imagine what the kids are saying!  ;-)

According to my calculations, they're averaging over 400 miles per day, over 4 consecutive days of driving. Maybe I'm some kind of wuss, but I really can't imagine doing that. I can drive 12 hours straight by myself, but with kids??

Our parents did the same with us - NY to CA and back, actually - when I was a preschooler. I think they're glad they did it, but I was too young to appreciate it.

I'd love to drive cross country with my family some day, but I wonder when it's a good time to do it? When is it actually appreciated?  Or is it more something you do for the adults to appreciate?

Have you ever driven across the U.S.? 

Complimenting 101

I was proofed today. Carded, IDed, whatever you call it where you live. Along with the rest of my groceries, I was buying a 6-pack of beer, and the teenaged cashier asked for my ID. Granted, the policy at my grocery store is to proof everyone. So, if you're a 75-year old buying a 12-pack, you'll be proofed. I didn't care that it was store policy. I told the cashier I was flattered, even though they ask everyone for ID. I explained that I'm turning 40, so I took it as a compliment. He just smiled.

And that little episode made me smile for a long time after I left the store. In fact, I even bragged about it. I don't buy much beer, so I'm not used to the whole store policy of proofing everyone, even when the customer is obviously a senior citizen.

Tonight I looked at the receipt, where the cashier had noted my birthdate.

Sep 01 1955.

There are ways of making an almost 40-year old woman feel good about her age; asking for ID is one of those ways.

Adding ten years to her age is not.

Embracing My Inner Rocker

In a curious turn of events, I found myself with both a sore throat and a Jack Black attack this weekend. As for whether the two incidents are related-- the jury is still out on that one.

I will say that some roll-on-the-floor nonsense movies are very good medicine for the common cold.

First, we watched Shallow Hal. In the words of my husband, "that wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be!" There are some downright funny lines in this movie, starring Jack Black, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Jason Alexander.  Not for the easily offended.

Next, was The School of Rock. This movie must have a cult following. A rocker (Jack Black) in need of cash fakes it as a subsitute teacher at a prep school; he invents a school "project" trying to get the kids to help him win a battle of the bands contest. It's a good thing our library has this film, because I can see myself needing another fix, after watching it twice this weekend. The two has-been rockers in this house are now both Jones-ing for some AC/DC. I can't believe I'm admitting all this here. It's true though. If you're a rocker (or a has-been, like me), just try watching this movie without craving some AC/DC afterward.

Has anyone seen Tenacious D?  Looks like essential Jack Black...

Now to get Back in Black out of my head...

Nothing Like a 5-speed

We're selling my husband's car to downsize our fleet to a more manageable 2 vehicles. It's a nice little Toyota, in great shape with low miles - a 5-speed with air conditioning. I think someone will snatch it up.

Last night we got a call inquiring about the car. The woman on the phone was psyched until Hubby mentioned the 5-speed fact. She said she doesn't drive a stick. My salesman Hubby replied "well this would be a great car to learn on!"

I overheard this & started chuckling, because it reminded me of buying a car when I didn't know how to drive it.

I was 25 and looking for a car. My first car out of college had been a Plymouth Horizon, or Horrorzone, as I called it. That car was a perpetual problem-mobile. I decided I'd do my homework before buying another vehicle, so I consulted Consumer Reports and decided I'd buy a Honda Civic.

I brought a friend who was in sales with me for the negotiation phase of the purchase. She was a big help with the back and forth. I also had a stack of spreadsheet printouts with me, so when the sales guy stated a price, I'd know what my monthly payments would be. What a nerd. (Of course these days, you could just show up with your laptop, but this was 1990.) I think the sales guy was a little intimidated by that! I knew what kind of payment I could handle.

Once we agreed on a price, I was sent to the "business manager" who was very skilled in talking down to 25-year-old women. He told me that IF I qualified for a loan, I could finance through them. He said they'd fax my information to such and such a place, and turned around and pointed to the fax machine (no duh, in 1990 I knew what I fax machine was - though a few years before, I didn't... that's a funny story to be blogged, actually). I told him that I had already qualified for the loan I wanted, through my credit union and that I'd be financing through them. I also told him that I didn't appreciate being talked down to.

Anyway, that was that. The deal was made. Soon the day came to pick up the car. I had a friend drop me off at the suburban dealership after work. The keys were in my hands, and it was time to drive it home. It was all mine (and the credit union's, of course). The only problem was - I didn't really know how to drive a stick. I bought a 5-speed because of the cost savings; you see, I wanted air conditioning, and by having a manual transmission, I saved enough to justify the additional expense of AC. I had had a couple of lessons from a boyfriend in college, so I knew the basic mechanics - in theory. I just needed some practice. Oh yeah, I needed a LOT of practice.

At the time, I lived in a city apartment, where I parked on the street.  I knew I'd have to drive my new car home to parallel park on the street. I was terrified.

Instead of driving home to the city, I turned the other way out of the car dealership and headed for the country. I wanted to find a secluded parking lot where I could practice 1st gear and reverse. Because really, once you've mastered getting the car into motion from a stopped position, you're set. The other gears are a piece of cake once you're in motion.

I found a near-empty parking lot at an office park. Perfect. I practiced pulling into a parking spot, stopping, reverse, 1st, 2nd, and then repeated. Over.and.over.and.over.and.over...

Eventually, a woman in a security guard uniform approached my car. "Everything OK? Are you having car trouble?"  Oh no, I explained that I was just learning to drive my new car.

I continued this exercise til it started to get dark. I got better and better, and I could see that it would be fun once I really got the hang of it. I remember talking to my sister after I bought the car, and she she said, "oh, you'll be shifting while eating an Egg McMuffin in no time." Something she apparently had gotten quite skilled at herself.

I made it home, and miraculously parked the car between two others on the street without hitting them. Then I kept driving it for about 140,000 miles.

Do you have a story about learning to drive - a stick-shift or otherwise? Let's hear it!

HP Moments

I'd say Kodak moments, but our digital camera is HP...

I thought the whole idea of digital pictures was to simplify life. I love having the ability to snap a bunch of pictures & then e-mail them around for family and friends to see. When someone asks for a print... well, that's a different story.

I share pictures of my little boy with family via an online service, which is very handy. I just click, click, click to add photos to my online albums, and then click to share with others via e-mail. That part works easily & beautifully.

Then the e-mails start coming in. Oooh! Ahhh!  And, "would it be hard for you to get us prints of this one, that one, that other one.... "  Hmm. No, it wouldn't be any harder for me than it would be for you!  The site is all about selling, so you have the opportunity to "add to cart" on every picture. But I guess the grandparents just want to receive good old fashioned prints.

For prints, I use my grocery store's web site. I can upload my pics, place my order, and then pick them up at the store when I go in, usually the next day. This way I don't have to pay shipping. So, this morning I sat down with a notebook and pen, and jotted down all the pictures in the various folders that I want in print form. I spent an hour and $13 organizing a photo order for the Grandmas and Aunts.

How do you share your digital pics? Do you get many prints made?  Do you have any relatives who "get" technology?

My Little Magnet

I've noticed something new this summer: My house is now on the map.

When I bought this house as a single woman 5 years ago, I knew I was moving onto a friendly, neighborly street. The mailman rang the doorbell to introduce himself just after I moved in. Neighbors stopped by to welcome me and make sure I knew about the annual picnic in September and holiday party in December. But basically, mine was like any other quiet, childless home on the street. People walked by, and that was that.

Recently I've noticed that our house, driveway, and yard have become a destination. It's like we went from being invisible to having a neon "Come play with me!" sign above our door.

Not yet 1.5 years old, and my son is drawing visitors. We walk down our little street and the other kids know him by name & come to greet him. My little boy is very interested in the other kids and will walk into a group of them on the sidewalk without hesitation. He's interested in their bikes, skateboards, etc. - basically, whatever they've got. A 10-year old saw my boy out one day and brought his soccer ball over so they could play with it together. The 5-year old boy next door is always asking where "his baby" is...

Yesterday, my little guy befriended a 6-year old girl who was wooed by his toddler charm. After playing together out front in the morning, she came by looking for him in the afternoon too. Yes, someone actually knocked on the door wanting my 16-month-old to come out and play. He was napping, but they did play again later.  I've learned that we not only have cool monkey-bars on our swingset, but we have a small tree that's prickly yet climbable.

I guess I need to have plenty of popsicles and lemonade on hand -- I never know now when a playdate will suddenly emerge!

Free Dietary Analysis

As the primary grocery shopper in our household, I am sometimes daunted by the fact that I am in charge of my family's nutritional well-being. Others in this role know that you do your homework, read the labels, and buy what you think is best, within your budget. Rarely do I get in-store feedback on my selections. Til last night.

The cart was fully loaded, and I had my husband and son with me; I scanned the open aisles. Drat, the wheelchair-accessible lane is closed. That's my first choice when I have the little guy with me.  So we head for a regular aisle with one of my favorite cashiers: Sue. I don't know Sue personally, but she's been at my store for a long time (9 years, according to her nametag) and she's the best bagger & cart-packer around. And I've told her so before. She groups items appropriately, double-bags where necessary, and does the paper/plastic combo where it makes sense. And she does it all swiftly.  Hooray for Sue!  Anyway, we greet each other, and I figure she doesn't know me from a hole in the wall. You must wait on a gazillion customers over 9 years. But I know Sue, and I know that my groceries are in good hands.

My husband went to look for one last item, and I was busy keeping the little guy's hands distracted. Sue and I barely chatted. She rang up my long conveyer belt of stuff, and at the last minute, I grabbed a small Dove dark chocolate candy bar. Sue knew that was a purse item (I love a smart cashier), so she handed it directly to me after she scanned it. I smiled and nodded sheepishly as I tucked it away.

Then Sue said "That's the only bad thing you bought!"

Huh?

And she continued "well, not that it's 'bad' but you buy really healthy stuff."

Really? Not always.

"Oh, I remember you, you do buy healthy stuff."

How can you remember?

"Oh you'd be surprised. Some of the orders we see coming through... Yes, I remember you. You get healthy stuff; I wish I ate so healthy."

Hmmph! The stamp of approval from Sue the cashier. How about that?! Nearly made me fall over. I thanked her for the compliment. It completely made my day.

I'm thinking of inviting Sue over so she can tell me how neat my house is. OK, so she'd laugh if she saw my house. But at least I got Sue's gold star for grocery shopping this week.

Toys and Talkin'

Once again, I'm realizing the pleasure of computing. Booting up and having the PC at my service in mere moments, not minutes - not having time to make a cup of tea while loading various e-mail programs... Clicking on an icon and opening a program instantly. Besides speed, we've finally entered the new millenium with a new operating system. I can't believe we limped along on Windows 98 for as long as we did. I am gleeful! Hubby and I are both enjoying our new toy / work tool.

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Speaking of toys, the new bathketball thet I bought for our tub the other day won't thtick. I'm pithed! It's really cute though, and my son runs around with the little balls that came with it -- "baw! baw! baw!" and he likes to carry the hoop around too; we'll get it hooked up somewhere so he can shoot some hoops!

In addition to baw, the little guy is now saying cracker and cookie. I'm amazed that he's making distinct sounds, correctly identifying the morsel coming at him! Cracker is 'ca-ca,' and cookie is 'coo-coo.' It won't be long til he's telling me what we need at the grocery store.

...And then teaching his parents how to use the operating system on our next computer!