Top 5 Toys My Babies Play With Daily

After an extremely long hiatus, I have decided to try and return to the blogging world. We'll see how this goes. As I am typing now, I am also refereeing, drinking coffee, keeping the dog away from the baby, trying to keep Z from free falling off the side of the couch and thinking about getting dressed. One thing at a time, right?

 

My kiddos are both still pretty little. My son, Z, is not quite 2 ½ and Ky is only days away from turning 1. Watching Ky Ky begin to play with the toys she has inherited from her big brother it is obvious that some are bigger "hits" than others. I thought I would post a quick list of the top 5 toys my kids seem to play with at least once every day we're home.

 

1. Fisher Price Learning Home

 

We originally inherited this little musical doorway when our son was barely crawling. All of the buttons and openings give them plenty of room to explore. Combine that with the cute songs and we have a winner. Our hand-me-down doorway stopped playing music recently and we went out and invested in a replacement toy that same week. In a stroke of luck my big brother was able to fix the original toy by soldering a piece inside that had come loose so now we have one at the grandparent's house too!

 

2. Laugh and Learn Musical Learning Chair

 

This was another hand-me-down present and until a few moments ago I had no idea how expensive it was! Honestly, I'd pay the $199 for it if we ever needed to replace it. This chair gets crawled onto and sat on every single day. My kiddos will get antsy over whose turn it is to sit in it and push the buttons to make the music and lights flash. If you can find one in a consignment store snatch it up quick! It will definitely get played with by little ones!

 

3. Pop Up Tent

 

We actually have the "Cars" themed tent. I found it at Family Dollar for less than $10 and it was so worth it! This flimsy little tent folds into a small disk for easy storage and I find both kiddos just sitting inside giggling. They love their little "fort" and who can blame them?

 

4. LeapFrog My Pal Scout

 

My in laws picked this up for our son when he was around 6 months old. He really took to it by the time he was a year. It is a staple in his night time and nap time routine. It took awhile before we sat down and actually linked it to the computer to personalize the puppy but it is such a cute toy! He sings songs with our kids names in it and plays lullabies for nighttime. Very sweet. We did pick up the female version, Violet, for Ky but Z tends to run around with them both for now. I'm sure Ky will take Violet back eventually.

 

5. Small Slide

 

We live in a pretty small place. Our yard is equally small and for the most part, I absolutely love it. We generally have to say no when it comes to most outside toys because size is definitely an issue. We picked up this small slide/fort for our son's 2^nd birthday and it has worked out perfectly! Not only is it compact but the kids both love crawling in and out of it, going down the slide forwards, backwards, on the bum and tummy. Glad we have some sort of jungle gym for them to beat up and it hardly takes up any space. You could certainly have this inside a playroom just as easily as a small porch!

 

 

 

 

 

A Post For and About My Hubby

I saw this post on www.dooce.com and decided since I have a lack of posts since this whole pregnancy started 9 months ago I would snag it up as an opportunity to put pen to paper…     

What are your middle names?
Patrick and Paige; I like mine, he hates his

How long have you been together?
3 years in March

How long did you know each other before you started dating?
Technically we went to high school together. He remembers me but I don't really remember him. So, I'll say we started dating immediately after meeting on Myspace 3 years ago.

Who asked whom out?
I asked him where he was bartending via email on Myspace. He was bartending at a "guest only" pool so I couldn't visit to finagle free cocktails. He then convinced me to let him buy me a drink instead.

How old are each of you?
28, however I am 7 months older

Whose siblings do you see the most?
Mine. His brother lives in New Jersey and doesn't travel to the West coast as often. I have a sibling on the east coast as well but because I live so close to my parents I get to see him a lot more often and my other brother just moved back to town. Yippee for me!

Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?
Hmm. We don't really argue but there are definitely things that are more stressful than others. I suppose anything to do with splurging financially is rough. We have a hard time telling ourselves no.

Did you go to the same school?
We went to the same high school for 2 years. I lived in my own world at the time and he was busy dating every girl in the choir and theatre departments…

Are you from the same home town?
Yes-ish. He is born and raised in Las Vegas and I moved here when I was 10 years old. It is the place I always refer to when speaking about growing up.

Who is smarter?
I have more education but he retains information far better than me. At some point he needs to go back and finish college, not that it will make him smarter per say. I suppose he is probably smarter but he is also more of a smart ass so I'll say we're an even match here.

Who is the most sensitive?
We are equally matched here as well. I am definitely more sensitive when it comes to arguments or relationships but he is far more sensitive when it comes to relating to movies and songs. On more than one occasion I have watched him shed tears over a cheesy teeny-bopper movie. Too cute.

Where do you eat out most as a couple?
When I'm not pregnant, sushi is our favorite dining out splurge. Only a few more weeks until we get to stuff our faces with raw fish! Yowser!

Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
Bora Bora on our honeymoon, it was the most romantic and beautiful trip I have ever taken. It was a complete surprise that he planned and I couldn't imagine a better place to head off to after a wedding.

Who has the craziest exes? Me.

Who has the worst temper? Me again. JB doesn't tend to get angry. If he gets mad he definitely doesn't yell. I have the occasional temper tantrum. The last resulted in my dragging gigantic furniture cardboard boxes through the house and throwing them onto the front lawn. Not my finest moment but at least we don't live our lives on reality tv. The only time I have to relive it is in my mind's eye…

Who does the cooking?
This is an equal distribution. We can both cook, JB tends to make things up and combine ingredients on a whim. I definitely stick to the recipe and follow directions exactly.

Who is the neat-freak?
Me more than he is but neither us are "freaks" about it unless people are coming over to visit

Who is more stubborn?
There is probably a reason why our son's name will be spelled with a "Z" instead of an "X" although I'd like to think I just brought him over to my school of thought on that particular decision.

Who hogs the bed?
Hannah. That would be our basset hound.

Who wakes up earlier?
Definitely JB. He regularly goes to sleep hours after me and wakes up prior.

Where was your first date?
Starbucks for coffee

Who is more jealous?
Neither one

How long did it take to get serious?
We were serious right away. I told my mom I was going to marry him 3 weeks after our first date. She suggested we wait a year to marry so we waited 13 months from our initial coffee date.

Who eats more?
He eats more in quantity and I eat more variety.

Who does the laundry?
Me. He loathes laundry duty and perhaps messed up on a load just so he doesn't have to do it anymore.

Who's better with the computer?
Me. I work on a computer all day and he serves cocktails. Now ask me who is better at tossing bottles…

Who drives when you are together? JB, I enjoy being chauffeured if possible.

25 Random Things

You are supposed to tag people on this one but because I haven't blogged in months and I'm not sure anyone even checks this site currently, I am not tagging anyone. Enjoy these random facts about me.

 

1. I am currently addicted to blogs. I follow close to 20 and read them daily. I am fascinated to hear how other people, strangers, live their lives.

2. I used to collect pez and went to the California Pezcific Coast Convention with my oldest brother in 2002. We were hands down the coolest people there and we are really not that cool. I was considered a small collector as I only had around 300 pez at the time. They now sit in garbage bags in a closet. I have no idea what to do with them.

3. Listening to an educated person intentionally use poor grammar and constant slang irritates me. I constantly feel the need to correct JB when he starts speaking "ghetto". It is one of the only on going discussions we have in our marriage.

4. I caught the first fish (I think) a few weeks ago while ice fishing in Michigan. It was a 22" pike and I was told it had teeth and could bite me right before the picture was taken. I am not a big fan of fish with teeth.

5. I have a really terrible memory. Sometimes I will just smile and agree when people talk about things that happened in the past, truthfully, I don't remember any of it.

6. I love Red Lobster. I'm not sure when I went for the first time but crab legs and cheesy garlic biscuits make me happy.

7. I loved being on stage in school and being a part of performances but I have terribly social anxiety in crowds of people that are not my close friends and family.

8. I am allergic to my two dogs but I still let them sleep with me at night. I would rather take a pill everyday and still suffer with a stuffy head than give them up. My mom does not understand this at all.

9. I love planning and running events. I only quit being involved in that world because the hours are terrible and I needed a social life.

10. I quit my job and backpacked Europe when I was 25. It was one of the best decisions I ever made.

11. JB and I went to high school together and have tons of mutual friends but I don't remember him at all. We even had a class together. I try and try to conjure up some memory of him but there is nothing.

12. JB and I met and connected via MySpace. I agreed to meet him for coffee and within 3 weeks I told my mom that we were going to get married. She might have panicked a little.

13. I love to read. I sometimes get on kicks where I finish at least a book a week. Right now I have slowed this habit down due to my current love of easy crossword puzzles. I do a crossword before bed every night.

14. I have always wanted a big family. Even when I was little I dreamed of having 6 kids. Now that I am pregnant with the first one I am strongly reconsidering wanting that many children.

15. I am addicted to sparkling water. I drink at least 4 a day.

16. In the sixth grade I ran for school treasurer. I made up a rap to sing over the loud speaker as my speech. I won and later did a food drive campaign while wearing a giant banana costume. I felt no shame then.

17. In college I helped organize and throw Christmas parties for our friends. We asked people to bring a gift to donate. Our slogan had something to do with drinking for the kids. My senior year we raised close to $500 and donated a couple bags of new toys.

18. My junior year a friend slipped me the tongue during an onstage kiss. I punched him during the blackout. It wouldn't have been so bad except he had just eaten an onion guacamole burger from Carl's Jr. - He now has 3 beautiful little girls & a hot wife so he must've learned his lesson.

19. I got caught drinking a beer and smoking a cigarette by my brother when I was in the 4th grade. I'm not sure I actually inhaled at the time or drank more than a sip but I was hanging out with older kids and going through the motions trying to be cool, I suppose. This fact makes me scared to have children.

20. The most relaxing and beautiful trip I have ever taken was my honeymoon where we lived beyond our means for two weeks in Tahiti, Moorea & Bora Bora.

21. When I get dressed I put my sock on and then a shoe before putting a sock on the second foot. This used to irritate a college boyfriend and perhaps subconsciously this is why I still get dressed that way.

22. I am passive aggressive.

23. JB taught me how to do a multi-pour of shots. This made me happy and my counters/floor very sticky.

24. My grandparents had a potato farm. I feel that this is enough justification for me to have some form of potato with most dinners.

25. I have never had a sweet tooth before getting pregnant. Now, I often dream about blizzards and milkshakes until I satiate that craving. Luckily this has not pushed me into gaining 50 lbs.

Proposition 8

I am not gay, nor do I have any gay relatives (that I'm aware) but I was so saddened by the passing of Proposition 8. I really appreciated what Keith Olbermann has to say. I hope you'll take the time to watch his commentary.

Happily in love, waiting for future...

One, two, three, four...

I saw this video today and loved it. I guess I'd better get used to watching a little Sesame Street.

I Spy

… borrowed from Mama Tulip

I am 28 years old, married to a wonderful man, owner of two crazy hound dogs and wishing I could uproot my life and transplant it in another state.

I admit that I was always called a social butterfly in school but suffer from occasional bouts social anxiety as an adult.

I dig musicals, crème brulee, French fries, crab legs and road trips.

I still try to learn something new everyday

I had a glass of chardonnay while watching Hairspray the musical rented from Netflix

I try to be patient even when the emotions start flowing

I should get up and take a walk with the dogs. Those 5 lbs aren't going to lose themselves…

I shouldn't get upset at my husband when he tries so hard to get us put together enough to move to Oregon. After all, he is working overtime so that I don't have to stress out about it. I should stop lashing out from guilt and step up to the plate to get things organized.

I just don't know where to begin.

I do want to get pregnant in the worst way. Even knowing how drastically life will change when we have children, I still wait and wish every month in the hopes that this month will be the one that tells us things are going to be different.

I don't want people to ask me if I'm pregnant yet. It's hard enough to deal with on your own without a continuous reminder from anyone else.

I wish that we had this house rented for the next year so we could concentrate on moving and what to expect in the new city instead.

I won't give up on the dream of a fresh start.

I think my husband is incredible but I'm not sure he realizes how I feel.

I fear change and the inability to make this transition happen in a reasonable way.

I love artichokes, funky artisan jewelry, comfortable shoes, and reading interesting blogs.

I like vacations and traveling without a specific plan.

I loved the Buffy and Angels' series on television. I must admit, I was truly sad when they ended. I think they were two of the only shows I ever actively anticipated new episodes.

I want to have healthy children, live near my siblings and live somewhere that has block parties and pot-luck dinners with the neighbors.

I need a good karaoke night out with some friends. Nothing says a good night like cheap cocktails and a warbley rendition of "Crazy"…

I require a once a week date night. Working days while my husband works swing shift sometimes gets a little old.

I said that I wanted more responsibility but I think I was just trying to be nice.

I thought it wouldn't matter if my parents supported my decisions as an adult but it turns out it makes life feel a whole lot easier if they do.

I write occasionally. I have to admit, I am self conscious of my writing but love to read other people's thoughts.

I hate feeling claustrophobic, clothes that fit too tight, picky eaters and bad breath.

I never leave the milk out. I have this thing about milk. I really hate the changes that happen when it gets warm. In fact, I pick it up last when at the supermarket and put it away first when I get home. The whole idea of luke warm milk kind of gives me the willies.

I probably should get over this fear of milk. After all, the whole refrigeration thing hasn't been around forever.

I can't even comprehend drinking warm milk, but a luke warm latte doesn't freak me out. I know, it's my own logic.

I can be a great listener and advice giver. It has always been a quality of mine but only works when the listening and advice doesn't have to do with my personal life.

I find it difficult to negotiate. My boss jokes that if he wants to pay double the price then he will send me in for negotiations.

I know that I have a wonderful support group. I've managed to collect a handful of kick ass friends and family they just happen to be spread out all around the world. I need to figure out a way to centralize them.

I learn by doing.

I remember very little lately. It seems my memory needs a good push. Too much partying in college may have softened my brain for life.

I bought nothing recently, our new reduced budget hasn't left any wiggle room for purchases other than gas and groceries. BORING.

I miss the simplicity of life in college. Whoever said rushing out into responsibility was a good thing?

I spy on my husband when he is sleeping. I love to watch him snuggled up with the beagle and basset hound. They look so peaceful together it makes me want to get in the middle.