52 Realizations of 2013

You may remember my 2012 Realizations, now a year older and wiser here are my "A-HA" moments of 2013 (not in any particular order)

1. everyone will speak to your kid in english. if you want your kid to know your own native tongue then it's up to you to reinforce it daily, ideally without the use of TV
2. it's really nice to have a life outside of home even if it's just going to work - i can speak to adults!
3. carry lots of snacks in your purse, always have fruit in the bag
4. if all else fails, fried rice with peas, carrots, and eggs is a great dinner that meets food group recommendations
5. add at least an extra 45 minutes to your trip if you need to go out, kids are distracted easy or want to stop drop and roll in the middle of the sidewalk for fun
6. sometimes you just have to go to bed at 9pm because the kid is taking forever to go to bed and startles awake at the cracking of your joints (co sleeper rant)
7. (food) rules are broken at grandma's house
8. best place to cut finger nails and hair is in the tub, Max just sits still with no problem
9. balls, measurement cups, random cups are great bath toys…no need for anything fancy or specialized
10. sometimes there's just no reason for that tantrum …or the reason is so minuscule that it doesn't even register to the adult what the problem was …but it can be a huge deal to the kid
11. having facial hair is your ticket to being snubbed by Max. For my dad, it took about 20 months for Max to accept him
12. sometimes you just have to shower with a crying kid going hysterical behind the curtain, but in short matter of time (maybe 7 showers?) they'll understand you're coming back…but they'll still be right there waiting for you and wanting you to be done ASAP
13. there is nothing better than waking up to a kid lying beside you saying HI and smiling and giggling
14. brushing teeth is a nightly BATTLE but it must be done and it's worth it
15. shirts and cotton pants that no longer fit are the new pajama's at night until they really no longer fit
16. patience is the key to parenting a toddler. PATIENCE
17. i admire kids who are well dressed, I'm just satisfied that Max is dressed to begin with…it's a daily battle, the kid thinks it's enough to be in just diapers
18. i need to take Max swimming during the winter months
19. poo stains take forever to come out in the wash, it's ruined so many clothes
20. white shirts don't fit a toddler's lifestyle…let alone white pants
21. Max despises jeans because they hinder his range of motion when playing and climbing things
22. Max despises button up shirts for no apparent reason
23. after having a kid, menstrual bleeding is near paralyzing in the first 48 hours (so heavy)
24. these are probably the last few weeks of baby wearing Max…it hurts afterwards, wow! shopping isn't worth it
25. you don't have to come out of a toy store with something bought, give them time to play and get bored
26. stairs and escalators are two ways that delay the completion of errands quickly…why do they have to go up and down multiple times?
27. after a crying tantrum, it's beneficial to give them a hug and say you're there for them and love them. it's really strengthened our bond and i hope it opens up the doors for Max to be emotionally honest with me
28. it doesn't hurt to let your kids choose what they want to wear…seriously, who cares as long as they're appropriately dressed for the weather
29. ask for kisses and hugs all the time. hold hands as you walk
30. get them out of the stroller and let them walk. yes, they're slow.
31. talk to them at their level, get down and make eye contact instead of always towering over them…sometimes it really gets the point across faster or a resolution is achieved quicker
32. there are times when having memories is more important than having money
33. there are times when learning experiences are more important than having money
34. craigslist is still our friend…to add to the club, we've also joined kid swaps and buy and sells on Facebook
35. there's really no break for mom's. at work you work, on your days off you're 'working' by taking care of the kids
36. having kids is a great way to keep off the junk food, if they see you eating it they want it too. so unless you want your kids on junk food, don't have it in the house or at least don't eat it when they're around
37. Max likes to sleep in cold rooms, he wakes up cranky and crying if he was hot or sweating (even if he was having a peaceful sleep during)
38. i need to learn to drive in 2014
39. having a beach tent is VITAL to a great summer day. great place for them to nap and take a break, otherwise you either baby wear and sweat, risk a cranky over stimulated toddler, or go home in the middle of the day for your kid to nap and lie down, uncool
40. watch the f-bombs, toddler's pick up the bad words so fast!
41. meet up with your friends at least every 2 months sans children
42. meet up with your maternity leave buddies at least every couple of months to not only socialize the kids but see how much everyone has grown….it's hard to see their growth when they're your kid, easier looking at other's
43. online shopping is your new go-to
44. i have so much stuff from Max's infancy that it's really not apartment friendly in quantity, remember your child not only grows up fast, they get tired of things quick, they don't need all that STUFF
45. ban the iPad, turn off the TV. turning the radio on works or just dumping the toy bag in the middle of the living room works wonders for distraction when i need to cook
46. tell them what's going on, give them verbal instructions, talk talk talk to them …these kids understand even if they can't reply verbally all the time…damn they're sharp!
47. take photos, but don't let that take away from your experience. live life! on the flip side, get a good camera!
48. i still don't know if i want to get a data plan for my upcoming cell phone term expiration date. do i really need to be connected and subsequently distracted?
49. i feel really strange doing extra curricular things without Max …i always feel the need to rush to get back to him even though he's ok. he's my velcro child
50. this blog has been really awesome at helping me remember so much of our life together…I'm glad I'm keeping up with it even though it takes up my scant amount of free evening time
51. im not ready for a second child, even though in theory it would be better to get it done now
52. you need your husband, kid needs dad. totally different relationship than mama and Max

Christmas'ing with Max

we went to Max's first Christmas party of the year and he had a ball! i didn't post the pics of sheer terror directly correlated with the presence of Santa Claus and the picture that he was forced to be in despite my multiple warnings and reservations. After, we headed on over to Oakridge Mall where he wanted to hang around Santa's area, his own little desensitizing mechanism I suppose? But he didn't want to step any closer than 6 ft away from him…he was just content with looking at him for now. So smart! Later on in the afternoon, Max had an emesis that would put the vomit episode from the Exorcist movie to shame. It was that projectile and that Huge. In no way connected to the Christmas party, Max now has a case of gastroenteritis! Poor little guy who is still all smiley and happy despite the oral and rectal outputs! 

Wash your hands A LOT  this time of year! Plenty of crowds and plenty of germs to go around!

Christmas'ing With a Toddler

You might remember my post last year on starting a Christmas ornament gift tradition for Max. This year, Max's ornament looks like this

The one with Max's picture was a gift from my mom a long time ago, the snowflake is a 1970 sterling Gorham ornament from ebay (in case you're wondering). Each year there's a different design and i just absolutely L-O-V-E them and can't wait to have many more. Every time i look at one I think of Max's adulthood and his own tree …whether a charlie brown or a full fledged real tree, i hope these ornaments are hung with special memories attached to them.

speaking of trees, we hoisted ours up on december 1st…well we, as in my husband only because he's so picky about where the ornaments go. he bought all the ornaments, he had all the ornaments since before we met, and heck some of them are even older than me (like 30+ years old). he's got this way of organizing them where it's supposed to look spread out and full. the shapes of the ornament dictate where on the tree they're to be hung. oh and he hates it when the tree branches aren't all spread out and 'fluffed' out. my OCD tendencies do not target the tree at all…I'm more on the WHATEVER WHEREVER side, so each year since even before Max was born, I'm given a date where i would head out and come home to a completed tree and a husband feeling accomplished. 

I'm currently on vacation now till sometime near new years. in the pre-baby days i would consider this almost way too much time to be off and would look forward to OT calls that I want to snatch. however at this point, i don't have my Christmas shopping done and I'm not even in a state where i know what I'm going to be getting people. Our days at the mall are pre-planned where i know where to go and what to buy….but most importantly, what route to take to avoid distractions that would cause some lengthy delays during our excursion. all Max needs to see are those kids rides, escalators, elevator buttons, that blue car in that cellphone shop, a toy store and there we have it…delay delay delay! I'm getting some windows of acceptance for the ERGO again but man is the kid heavy and I'm barely able to carry stuff plus kid nowadays. phew! so, our shopping days are stretched out over a few weeks and because of this now seemingly chronic activity, Max now says "Max shopping!" or "Max shopping?" or "mama shopping?" a brewing shopaholic oh no! 

Christmas Gift Guide 2013

It's that time of year again when people are put on the spot and asked what they want for Christmas. For me, I'm such a consumer- i want SO.MUCH.CRAP that ill happily buy for myself. However, when it comes down to someone asking me what I want for Christmas, I'm completely stumped and get stressed out about it. In essence, i want a lot but really need nothing and content with that. As each year I'm maturing (hopefully) I'm pretty happy with what I've got and look forward to traditions being met (like eating certain foods) more than any thing. On the flip side, i love buying gifts for people mainly because i kind of love shopping. If you're feeling like you need some support in that department, here are some of my recommendations for  some people in your lives:

---> For The New Mamma and Pappa: 
ERGO Stowaway

i love our ERGO and I'm glad the company has finally come out with a travel carrier because their carriers take up a lot of space. Whether it'd be in the undercarriage of a stroller, a backpack, your luggage, or just any where, from baby to toddler stage, i consider this carrier a sanity saving device! fussy baby? tired kid who refuses to walk? kid a slow walker and you didn't bring a stroller? quick errand and need your hands free? going to the mall and don't want to be part of the craziness that is the elevator waiting times? wear the kid!

--> The Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins
iPAD

clearly Apple doesn't need any more advertisement but i really need to rave about this life changing device for Max's grandparents. the one thing we love about it was the FaceTime app and because of this, Max is able to see my parents on a daily basis without have to trek over to their house. Since he was a baby, we can keep them on board with updates and they can talk in real time, no fuss, no getting dressed, no diaper bags, and hang up when he's cranky! to top it off, the technology is free (no long distance charges), it's light and portable, cheaper than an iMac or macbook and is very intuitive for the not so technologically inclined. 

--> for the KIDS!
Sensory Shapes!

Max has 2 sensory balls and ill be getting him the rest of the set. He calls them "spiky balls" and he just absolutely loves playing with them and carrying them around. they're a fun texture, they float in the bathtub, they're lightweight, they're colourful, it doesn't hurt if thrown at your, and if you keep rotating them then it's like a new toy every week!

Wedgits

I saw Max playing with these Wedgits at Strong Start. He was really into it staking them high in different order and colours, and then of course once it got a certain height either someone would kick it down or Max would tip it down so it all comes crashing down…and then he would rebuild it again. I thought it was just a plain stacking toy until i saw the website and you can do so much with the pieces and the add on's! it's really neat and not only does it support creativity through construction, it's perfect for small hands with no choking hazards. I thought you didn't get much for what you paid for (vs. Lego) but then when it was time for clean up, i was like YES and DONE! 

Play Kitchen

1 // 2 //  3

I love pretend play with Max and at the Strong Start kitchen we often play with the foods and utensils. I almost flipped out when someone said to me something in the realm of, "don't lie to him, it's not real food." i was like WTF?! i know it's not real food, Max knows it's not real food, but we're playing pretend. Argh! Anyhow, a full kitchen is not so apartment friendly but I'm digging these little pieces to prep with, to eat, and to drink. Max is always rifling through our kitchen drawers and whipping out the utensils. For food, these are just some starters that he's familiar with like the lemon, banana, orange and apple. And because he sees his dad drink coffee all the time, we like to have our own tea parties with cups that won't break when he decides to just clear the table..his own way (everything on the ground using in one swift motion of the arm)! haha

Hope this helps you some, happy shopping!

of course if you're really curious as to what I want here are some links to some beauties:

this bedroom  // all of these // these sandals // i can find homes for these // i won't say no

Candy Town Yaletown

While illness swept through my house, my family and I took Max out to the 2nd annual Candy Town at Yaletown. Perfect crisp weather to add to the Christmas ambiance, it's definitely beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Vancouver!

^^ it was pretty darn cold, and i loved it! Max was warm though through and through ^^

^^ love the rosemary this time of year ^^

^^ year 2 of Max being scared of Santa Claus! just prior he let out a loud screech of sheer fear, discomfort, and disapproval. he's not scared of his Santa doll though, i wonder what's going on aww ^^

^^ Max wouldn't even taste let alone hold the cotton candy! ^^

^^ charming horse drawn carriage tours in the middle of dense yaletown ^^ 

^^ ending off the day with some dancing to some Christmas music ^^

Not sure what's next for our Christmas activities, but I'm totally looking forward to it. Perhaps a picture with Santa Claus sans tears? yeah!