Even More Boobs!

The Bean is really getting hilarious about the body parts. Last night after I ate dinner she looked in my bowl (we had some fettucine) and said “it’s empty!”

“Yes, I know,” I replied. “It’s in my tummy now.”

She patted my stomache obligingly. “In your tummy. This is your tummy,” she said wisely. Then she patted my chest. “These your boobs. I like them.”

I’m not sure who was more amused: me, or my hubz sitting across the table. It was definitely hilarious. Bean is coming to the boob love a little late, since I didn’t breastfeed her (after very unsuccessful attempts that first week, I had to give up eventually), but she definitely seems obsessed lately.

Grandma’s Boobs

My mother-in-law arrived Saturday for a week-long-plus visit, which is very welcome since we haven’t seen her in so long. In fact, she hasn’t been with us since the Bean was about six months old, and obviously her almost-three-year-old version is quite a bit different! Bean knows who Grandma is though, and speaks to her on the phone regularly, and was extremely excited about her visit.

On Saturday, at one point I had to take Bean upstairs to change her diaper (no, still not potty-trained, but that’s another post). After putting on a clean pull-up, I stood her up on the changing table and pulled up her shorts. She held onto my shoulders and then sort of absently patted at my bosom.

Background info: Bean is kind of fascinated with my chest lately. She was not breastfed (long story) so she isn’t what you’d call intimately acquainted with the girls. But she often pats them and says stuff like, “Mommy that’s your belly.” So I absent-mindedly told her once, “Those are my boobs.” Smart move, Groovy. Now the kid often pats my boobs and says “your BOOBS Mommy!” But that’s my own fault, isn’t it?

So anyway back to Saturday, she was patting my boobs and said “Those your boobs Mommy.”

“That’s right,” I replied.

“I didn’t see Grandma’s boobs,” she stated in a matter-of-fact tone. “Grandma doesn’t have boobs.”

Trying to stifle laughter, I quickly ran through the options in my head: tell her Grandma DOES have boobs, and risk her then bringing up the subject with Grandma? Ignore it and hope she forgets about it (yeah, right)? Turn back time and erase the word “boobs” from her vocabulary?

“Well, I think she does, but you don’t have to mention it to her,” is what I decided to go with. And shocker: she didn’t mention it! At least not on Saturday…

Mother’s Day Suggestions

OK all you clueless dads out there. Mother’s Day is Sunday. That means you need to get the moms in your life (your own, and your wife/baby mama if you have kids) something. Please do not ignore Mother’s Day. As president of last year’s “I Got Absolutely Nothing for Mother’s Day, No Acknowledgement Whatsoever” club, I can tell you – it’s not a nice club to be in. It’s lonely and sad. Yes, motherhood is its own reward, blah blah blah. Get her a present anyway!!

A few suggestions:

1. A card is always nice. They sell them everywhere! Try Target, the grocery store, CVS, whatever. The card does not have to be sickly-sweet and sentimental. It can be humorous! Buy it, sign it, mail it or hand it over.

2. Flowers. Does not have to mean expensive delivery of roses! Buy a bouquet at Costco or the grocery store and bring it home. Put it in water. Present to mom figure.

3. Gifts. Small is OK, if it’s thoughtful. If you have the bank, sure, get your mom/wife the latest electronic gadget or diamond necklace or trip to a spa you know she really wants. But it’s a tough economy – nobody expects you to go into hock for this thing. Small but thoughtful gifts include: candy or some other type of food that she craves but doesn’t often treat herself to, a picture frame (bonus points for putting a picture of your child or children in it), a pretty scarf or snuggly wrap, a “World’s Greatest Mom” themed coffee mug or t-shirt, fancy hand lotion, a small bottle of perfume, an elegantly-bound notebook to use as a journal. You could even go quirky, if the mom in question has a sense of humor – a back scratcher, perhaps? Or a Chia pet?

4. Gift cards should be your last resort, but seriously – if you can’t think of anything, go ahead and get a gift card. T0 some it seems imperaonal but I think it’s actually a pretty thoughtful gift. Good gift cards: Sephora, Amazon, a local department store. Do Best Buy only if you know your girl is geeky and wants gadgets. Bad gift cards: Home Depot, Lowe’s, or anything else that reminds her of all the chores she needs to get to.

Now go out there and make it a nice Mother’s Day!

How Much is Too Much?

The Bean is in daycare, at a place very close to our home, which we really like. She’s been there since she was about four months old. She loves the teachers, the other kids, and the activities. It’s not a fancy place by any means – it was, in fact, the most reasonably priced daycare situation we could find when I was expecting (other than the company-subsidized daycare operated by my husband’s then-employer, which had a two year waiting list). The building is old, and it’s not in the most glamourous part of town. But they do a pretty good job, and we’re happy.

In addition to her regular schedule, the daycare center offers special enhanced activities, like a music class, early reading class, Spanish language, etc. We’ve signed The Bean up for the music class every time, because she loves it. When she gets a little older I plan to enroll her in the Spanish and reading classes too.

The other day, a flyer came home describing a new class that they were offering, apparently even to kids as young as The Bean (who won’t be 3 until the end of June): cooking. A cooking class – for toddlers! Um…OK. Don’t get me wrong. I can see where they are going with this: helping kids understand how food is prepared, the dangers of the kitchen and how to be safe, etc. But honestly, is a kid really ready for an activity like that at 2 or 3 years old? I don’t think so. My guess would be more like 5 or 6. Maybe 4, if your kid is really precocious. So I didn’t sign her up for cooking. Does that make me a bad mommy? I don’t think so. I think cooking class for a 2-year-old is just too much.

Hello Kitty