the vocabulary of a 17 month old boy

Our Mr. O has been diligently expanding his vocabulary. Below is a current list of favorite words.

snuh = snow

snah = snack

nana = banana, also a code word for "give me something that's good 'n' tasty to eat because I will expire from hunger in three seconds if you don't"

baba = bottle, of course. Can also be code for "sippy cup"

meh = milk

da = downstairs, also "what's that?", also an all-purpose term for anything for which we don't know the word yet

Mah! = Max, the name of one of our cats

Mah! = Coco, the name of the other cat

Cah! = cat

mama = mama

dada = daddy

duhduh = Zee

Duh! = duck

Cuh! = cow

aaaaaaarrrrrrrr = growling sound, can be related to polar bears, lions, tigers or bears in general. Occasionally related to pirates.

Dun! = done, as in "I'm done with dinner. I'll throw it on the floor if you don't clear my placesetting fast enough...oops, you're too late."

boh = book

baf = bath

No! = No!

i'm now a kids' tv connoisseur

Zee and I are into a new show called "Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!". The animation is reminiscent of the Powerpuff Girls. The stories are silly and good-natured with a soundtrack of feel-good-about-yourself pop which reminds me of the music you find on the original Scooby Doo cartoons as well as The Monkees.

The minis are also fans of "Jack's Big Music Show". A lot of the music seems to be written and performed by alt-music peeps who had kids somewhere along the way, or have encountered kids in a big way. Mostly pop, again, though I saw one hip hop-ish video at some point. How can you not like a show where Jon Stewart makes a guest appearance playing a reporter who is trying to interview a groundhog in honor of Groundhog's Day?

Top 5 Kids' Shows at the House

• Wow! Wow! Wubbzy
  
• Jack's Big Music Show
  
• The Wonder Pets
  
• Pingu
  
• Thomas & Friends (because we all need a little Anglican instruction once in a while)
  

today's question

Pirates or ninjas?

No, I'm not telling you the answer.

the sort of e-mail that

makes you feel like you're missing something. From a good friend who's going to grad school right now:

"I went to Iceland last week for four days with my studio, and had a
wonderful time there exploring the place and generating ideas for our
theoretical music venue."

Shouldn't I be the one who's writing that e-mail to everyone? Where did I go wrong?

when did I become such a sap?

Two of the most beautiful people I know - I'm talking full-package, all-around, inside and outside beautiful - just welcomed the birth of their second son and sent a Quicktime movie to all of us. I sat, watching and trying not to weep loudly, as the tiny one kicked, stretched and made newborn mouth movements. He has an older brother who's a couple weeks shy of 16 months old and who's also a beautiful, sweet little man.

This movie nearly sealed the deal for me having a third kid. Almost.

more clothing I will never wear, no matter how trendy it is

1. Neither skinny jeans nor leggings.
2. Any kind of tiered skirt, short or long.
3. Camisoles as outerwear.
4. Satin baseball style jackets.
5. Giant furry hats.

My Generation X has been searching for ways to differentiate itself in the parenting arena. You have your hipsters, queen bees and wannabees, the new radical stay-at-home movement for both dads and moms, the "why can't we be it all" post punk/goth baby disco contingent and a whole host of ways to differentiate oneself from the "typical" parent of the boomer and previous generations. We fight against overscheduling kids, jockeying for the one spot at the coveted school while pitching in to make the urban public school system work and eschew crass commercialism.

I've seen posts on not allowing kids to listen to crap pop music and banning branded merchandise. There are onesies emblazoned with snide witticisms and political stances. Any trendy piece of adult clothing can be had in mini. I am guilty in putting Zee in the Gap's "skinny jeans". Well, folks, they were on sale, and she's skinny - part of the 10th percentile club, dontcha know.

At the end of the day, are we any different? Does our dogmatic hipster, or what have you, attitude make us any better than the far right or overambitious parents who were molded in the '80s?

Even more so than the boomers, we want to maintain our individuality. In the end, we're all the same - hopessly in love with our spawn and wanting nothing but the best experience for them.

lofty goals

Even though I know better, I like checking my horoscope to see how often coincidence comes into play. This list contains my personal sign's resolutions for the year:

1) Allow true intimacy into your romantic relationships.

2) Open up your friendships to deeper trust.

3) Let new, fiery acquaintances enter your life in time to motivate you.

4) In September, your creativity will reach its peak, in time for you to resolve to accept any opportunity to make your hobby your work.

5) Allow yourself to believe in yourself - as much as others do.

I am completely fascinated by #4, namely because I don't have any hobbies per se.

sad = not happy

From a recent conver with Zee:

"Mommy?" [said in a small, dramatically quiet and emotion-laden voice]

"Yes, baby."

"I'm sad."

"Why are you sad?"

"Because I'm not happy anymore." [said in a matter-of-fact, yet mildly petulant and accusing manner]

There is a philosophical school of thought for this, though I can't think of it right now.

Mr. O's no longer the big cheese.

Mr. O has graduated from the infant to toddler room at daycare. Shocking news for him - he's no longer the big dude, and there are GIRLS in his room. His infant room was a bastion of testosterone for a year. Yet he learned how to blow kisses. He was a little put out by the transistion at first, but perks such as getting his own little chair and eating Cheerios with a spoon have won him over.

In related news, Zee was holding hands with one of the young men in her classroom, and they were running around and laughing maniacally when I went to pick her up. They were partners in a Go Fish tournament, and they must've done well. Her father is not pleased.

God-frickin'-dangit

Mr. O has some malady whereby his symptoms include not eating and general crabbiness. I have even asked him, rhetorically, "What. Do. You. Want?!" No response but wailing. There is nothing so frustrating in the world as a screaming child who can't quite communicate in complete sentences what the problem is. Hugs were no good. Offerings of graham crackers and bananas were met with an emphatic "no" via head shaking.

We'll ride it out, but this is one of those times where a magic cure-all elixir would be very helpful.

one of the better stories I've told my kids

We took the Christmas tree down last Saturday and took it over to the park for recycling. Everyone should do this. If you can get a tree in the house, you can take it to a recycling center.

D-Money was able to sneak it out without arousing suspicion. But keen-eyed Zee immediately noticed something was amiss when she walked into the living room.

"Mommy, where's the tree?"

"Daddy took it back to the forest."

"Why?"

"Because the tree lives in the forest and wants to go back to see its friends."

"Oh."

"We'll see the tree again next Christmas."

"Okay."

A bit of a lie but I don't think I can adequately explain recycling to a three year old. The fault is with me.

song in my head today

Morrissey's "Everyday is Like Sunday". Not a bad thing.

I forgot how much I like Spandau Ballet.

I am now obsessed with '80s music circa 1983. I'm listening to Spandau Ballet's "True", and yep, I still like the album. And who could forget the sample of the song proper in P.M. Dawn's "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss"?

typical Chicago winter

the house in winter,
originally uploaded by urban mama.

The first snow this year was not benign. We had about four inches or so, but it sure does make the house look purty. The lights around the porch and the wreath that is on the door (which is not visible in the photo) is all we've done so far as exterior holiday decor. I think that's just peachy.

rolling into the holidays

I'm excited about the holiday season this year. The one cloud is that my father passed away during Thanksgiving weekend last year, so it will forever be a melancholy time of year for me. But, I am happy that the babies are doing well and are as happy as they can possibly be. They are such swell kids.

The big joint present this year is an old school style rocking horse similar to what D-Money had when he was wee. I think they'll both like it, and they'll both fight over it. Other than that, they'll get the usual assortment of books and fun things. Zee is getting the FP Kid Tough digital camera for her birthday and probably a small paul julius t-shirt. And a stuffed penguin that's two feet tall. I fear that she'll take it into her tiny and already overflowing with stuffed animals toddler bed with her. She's learned how to walk like a penguin and will perform on demand for a change. It is good stuff.

Intellectual strengths: Zee is excellent with puzzles and games, patterns, logic. O is excellent with problem solving (physical and mental) and building Duplo structures, and he's a charming little guy to boot. They have the makings of being evil geniuses if we don't instill any ethical standards with them.

I should be working.

It's slow today, and I'm spending my time messing around with Flickr and stalking home prices in the SFBA. Then I'll go home and coddle Mr. O, who's been stricken with a nasty illness that combines a super-stuffy nose, raging ear infection and scalding hot fever. Poor little man!

In related news - I came across a house in the LS that looks decent and that we could've afforded. Drat! I don't dare bring it up to D-Money. I can hear the groans of disappointment already.

Mr. O's birthday bash

cakes for all,
originally uploaded by urban mama.

Mr. O turned 1 on October 1. Amazing. We had a few of (my) friends over + one set of grandparents. It was the first party I've hosted in the house, and it went very well. I am now emboldened to hold future gatherings.

the uniform

Today I am wearing:

Wide-legged grey wool pants
Black cashmere turtleneck
Robert Clergerie black platform wedges from a few years ago

I still have my screaming pink wool dufflecoat by Isaac Mizrahi for Target, though I should cycle that out and keep it as a weekend coat. It's great for the playground and doing errands. The pockets can manage a big sippy cup. Don't tell me that's not handy.

Ssshhhh, I'm trying to read.

Am reading "Bel Canto" by Ann Patchett, finally, and the book follows me around everywhere. Next is "Longitude" by Dava Sobel and then that Calamity Physics book that just came out. I wish I could still take public transportation so I can maximize my reading time.