Third tooth

Top right.

Top left looks like it's coming soon.

Over Mt Shasta and through the snow

To Grandmother's house we go
The Saab is quite fast and handled the pass
and it's winding, twisting road

Over the Grapevine and through Tejon
into the smog below
The onboard computer tells up there is
two more hours to go.

M-O-O-L-A-H

Moolah spelled her name yesterday.

Sunny State (?) Here we are!

Moolah has enjoyed Dora & Blue on the portable DVD player. Grown ups also enjoying a peaceful ride. Fresh snow over the pass, but clear roads. Lunch at Chuck E Cheese in Redmond and both kids got to move around. Nap time. We're hoping for a good long one.

Happy Birthday to Daddy

Second Tooth, First Fall

Ace got his second tooth today. Front lower left.

He also fell off the bed. The "pillow jail" contained Moolah for at least a couple months after she learned to crawl. Not Ace, he's going places....

Politics

Strider's House is usually a politics-free zone. But, I read an interesting article in Parenting Magazine this morning while I was "feeding" Ace. I hope you will think hard about these important issues in the voting booth!

Campaign promises moms want to hear:

• The National Institutes of Health will give a large grant to find a cure for stretch marks by the year 2010.
• The IRS will allow you to write off up to 100 lost barrettes, socks, pacifiers, mittens, stuffed animals, and blankies per annum.
• National and local weather alerts will also be able to predict temper tantrums.
• Any parent who wants to enter her newborn in a clinical trial for colic research can simply drop off the baby every evening and return when the crying stops.
• Families will receive a free Toddler GPS system -- complete with cookie-jar alarm -- upon their child's first birthday or first steps, whichever comes first.
• Beginning with 2009 models, all family cars will have to come equipped with soundproof barriers behind the front seats.
• For every hour of baby-induced sleep deprivation you endure, the government will compensate you with a state-sponsored spa experience, including a 60 minute stone massage, aromatherpay facial, and all the things you'd dream of if you got any sleep.
• Mothers will be permitted to use passport and driver's license photos from back before their shirts were accessorized with grape jelly and their lipstick was "borrowed" by Barbie.
  

Author: Jen Singer

Guinness Stout Gingerbread Cake

This was the standout new recipe of the day. Everyone liked it, from toddlers on up. WARNING: This is not diet food. It is, definitely tasty, though.

Thanks to Oosje for cutting it out of Sunset Magazine:

• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, melted and cooled. (Yup, 1 1/2 cups, that's not a typo)
• 1 cup Guinness stout (not extra stout)
• 1 cup dark molasses (not blackstrap)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped crystalized ginger
• 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 tbsp grated lemon zest (from 2 - 3 lemons)
• Powdered sugar for dusting
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 325. Butter 2 8- by 8-in glass or light colored metal baking dishes (Note from Mama, I used dark baking dishes and it was fine).

Bring Guinness stout and dark molasses to a bold in a large, deep saucepan. Remove from heat and whisk in baking soda (it will foam up dramatically) (Note from Mama, this is true! Use a big pot or you'll end up with a sticky mess on your stove. Trust me on this); let cool.

In a bowl, whisk together cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice, salt and flour.

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup crystalized ginger, melted butter, and dark brown sugar and stir together with a wooden nspoon. Add eggs and lemon zest and stir once more. Gradually stir in dry ingredients in four batches, alternating with Guinness mixture. Pour batter into greased baking dishes, dividing evenly.

Bake 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean. Cool cakes on a wire rack, then dust tops with powdered sugar. Cut each cake into 4 to 6 squares and arrange on a serving platter.

In a small bowl, whip cream and granulated sugar together until cream holds soft peaks. Stir in all but a teaspoon of crystalized ginger and serve in a bowl alongside the cake, sprinkled witht he last bit of ginger.

May be made up to 2 days ahead. Cool, cover with plastic wrap, and store at room temperature.

Christmas Calendar

7:00 p.m Christmas eve. Moolah puts the final touches on the cookies for Santa. Daddy helps her write a note.

12:00 a.m. Mama and Daddy finish the baking/wrapping/assembly.

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7:00 a.m. Moolah wakes up, doesn't really remember that it is Christmas. She says things like "when it is Christmas," and "Santa will come," during our conversation. I don't correct her right away. I figure this is the last year I'll be able to get away with that and I should appreciate it while I can.

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7:30 a.m. Presents.

8:30 a.m. First viewing of "How the Grinch stole Christmas" of the day, approximately the 38th viewing since we bought the DVD on Saturday. Moolah likes to say how the Grinch is "not very nice to his pumppy."

Mama makes coffee and gingerbread. Two more showings of the Grinch buy some time.

11:00 a.m. Daddy gets the turkey on his new rotisserie grill (early birthday present), Mama is working on bread and more.

1:00 p.m. Snow. No-kidding-giant-flakes-that-stick-on-the-ground snow.

2:00 p.m. The B's arrive. Their two children and two parents distract our two children allowing a bit more focus on dinner.

4:00 p.m. Dinner.

• Rotisserie turkey (very yummy, Daddy)
• Granma's Stuffing
• Oosje's cranberries
• Peas in butter sauce
• Mashed potatoes
• Clove rolls
• NEW! Green beans with blue cheese and hazelnuts. Mama loves it. The rest of Strider's family could do without it.
• NEW! Savory honey and whisky roasted sweet potatoes. These went' over better than the green beans.

5:00 p.m. Big Brother B. brought the giant space Lego set that Santa gave him. The Daddies play with him. Moolah and Miss A. are unleashed. Dress up clothes, Daddy's sand tray, and all the pieces of Candy Land are spread in a fine layer all over the house. Eventually they end up mostly naked, with Miss A. wearing Moolah's panties.

8:00 p.m. The B's head home after only one or two minor meltdowns. Mama and Daddy put the leftovers in the refrigerator and leave the rest for later.

A Red Present

Last year Moolah didn't really understand how Christmas worked. So, when she came home from her daytime family a few weeks ago with the information that Santa Claus would bring her presents, I thought it was a good way to open the conversation.

"What do you want Santa to bring you."

"Presents."

"What kind of presents?"

"A red one."

"What kind of red present?"

(Confused) "A red one."

"Yes, but what do you want to be in the red present?"

(Maybe if I talk slower and louder she'll understand me): "A RED one."

"OK. When you open up your red present, what do you think will be inside."

(Pause to consider, then gleefully) "Cookies!!"

Check. Red present with cookies. There was a little glitch because the next day she told me that Santa was going to bring Zoey a red present and that she would get an orange one. Still cookies (but only when pressed). I searched for orange paper, which is very hard to come by in December (maybe it's hard to come by at other times of the year, I don't know, I haven't ever needed it before). Then, last week, exactly one day after I found orange packaging, it was back to red. "I thought it was going to be orange." "No! Red like his suit!" We agreed that Ace would maybe get an orange present.

The big guy came through. There was a red box of cookies, snowmen and Christmas trees. There were also a few other red presents for her, and some orange ones for Ace. There were even some presents for Mama and Daddy. Mama's favorite was the new emerald "nose earring" that Moolah picked out.

New Year, New Names

I started this blog last January. Boo was just over 2. She had pigtails and an infectious laugh. We knew R2 was on the way, but we didn't know whether we would have another girl or a boy. So, when I thought of their blog identities, I was working with what I had at the time.

At 3, Boo is a thousand times more individual, more self-actualized, than she was a year ago. She has a name she calls herself, and it's time for the blog to catch up. So, from now until it's time to change again, Boo will be:

Moolah

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R2 has also outgrown his gestational name. He isn't ready to choose his own name yet, but it's time for an update. He could be Blue, Finch, or Rudder, but I've decided that I like one based on the names we chose for him:

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Ace

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First tooth

Front lower right.

Birthday Highlights

Happy Birthday Song #1:
Sunday night at the Daytime Family Christmas Party with a cupcake christmas tree.

Happy Birthday Song #2:
Thursday with the daytime family and some chocolate cupcakes.

Birthday Train at Zoolights.

Elephant Poop.
As the train went past the elephants Boo asked "What is that smell." Daddy replied "Elephant poop." Boo wanted to see the elephant poop. Not the elephants. We all walked over. She was enthralled. The poop was next to the elephant. It was "this big".

Birthday Song #3
Boo chose rice & beans for dinner, one of her favorites. We went to Chevys, where they also gave her ice cream with whipped cream and cookies and chocolate sauce and cinnamon. She also got a sombrero and another song.

Birthday Song #4
At home, there were some presents to open and a piece of cake. Mama and Daddy sang to her and got her ready for bed.

That's not all... Panties!!!
Boo has been dry in the morning for a few weeks now. About a week ago I told her that if she was dry every day until her birthday she could wear panties to bed when she was 3. She made it, and happily went to bed in her panties.

3!!!

Boo helped decorate the tree this year

A good day

I had an excellent birthday. I didn't go to work. I did some shopping for me, some for others, went to Boot Camp, and to Salvador "Boo's" for dinner, then home for chocolate cake.

My best present was from R2. He crawled straight into my cake. He got one fist full of frosting and the other fist full of ice cream. He actually didn't put either in his mouth, he just opened and closed his hands, looking and feeling. I gave him a little bit of frosting on my finger. Boo thought that was fun and gave him some frosting and some ice cream. Sitting on the floor eating chocolate cake w/ my beautiful children... it was perfect.

It was also a jewlery birthday for me. Daddy bought me the mothers rings I've been wanting. Since I chose them for myself, they will be here in 4 - 6 weeks.
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I also bought myself a diamond.

All I want for Christmas is...

This.

Arrrrr, like a Pirate

When I was a toddler, I couldn't say the hard "C" sound. This made it hard for me to tell my best friends Carol and Kenny about my new carpet.

Daddy reports that he couldn't say "oy".

Boo's stumble is "ar". She can say "arrrrr" like a pirate, and she can say lots of words with "r" in them, like Strider or rhinocerous. But, in words like park, dark, party, and (interestingly) the alphabet song, "r" comes out as "oy".

Mobile

Daytime Mama says R2 is crawling at her house. We haven't seen it yet. D.M. speculates that her hardwood floors are easier to move on than our carpet.

Solids

R2 got his first rice cereal on Sunday night. He likes it.

Boo's Go-Tos

Oosje and Bampa helped me make a list of some of Boo's go-to phrases.

• Wowie!
• Ooh!
• (exaggerated gasp of excitement)
• Guys, as in "What are you guys doing", or "Hey, guys, wait for me", or "I want to play with my guys" (the collection from Boo Town)
• Silly goose
• Oopsie Daisy
• Booty Ta-Tooty "As in, Oopsie daisy, I fell on my booty ta-tooty"

Some that are a bit more advanced (or manipulative, depending on how you look at it)

• Na Na Na Na Noo Noo (an answer whenever she doesn't have an answer or doesn't want to give the appropriate answer)
• Ga Ga Ga Ga Goo Goo (usually her interpretation of what an adult said when she doesn't want to acknonwledge what the adult really said, as in "Daddy just said Ga ga ga ga goo goo")
• I’m not talking to you/You're not talking to me (Another avoidance for when there is a question, answer, or instruction that she does not want to acknowledge). Often preceeded by a very innocent "But"... "But, you're not talking to me, Mama".
• What did you say? A fun game to see how many times she can get an adult to repeat the same thing to extend the conversation.
• I don't know. Used in place of "Na na na na noo noo" or "You're not talking to me."

Goodbye to a Giant

A few times a year I drive out to the northern coast of the Rainy State. Along the way there is a sign for the "Worlds Largest Sitka Spruce." I've never stopped, but I've always been curious and intended that I would stop "someday."

This weekend's storm was the end of the tree, which was estimated to be between 500 and 750 years old. I feel strangely sad for this tree I never saw.

I also wondered whether there was a "Worlds Second Largest" waiting in the wings somewhere, with a caretaker saying "order a new sign. We're the biggest now." It turns out that there has been controversy for decades and a tree near Quinault Lake in Washington has claimed to be bigger. It has a larger circumference but is not as tall. The American Forestry Association, keeper of the "Big Tree Registry" has declared them to be co-champions, creating more hullaballoo than one might expect. But, unfortunately, the demise of the "Klootchy Creek Giant" won't necessarily end the big tree fight as there are apparently up at least 3 other trees in California and Canada also claiming the title.

Holiday Initiation

I never really considered that Christmas traditions have to be taught. Here are some of the things Boo has learned (her logic).

1. Santa Claus wears a red hat and a red coat and brings presents. Boo's biggest interest is in dressing up like Santa Claus.
2. Santa Claus will bring her presents. She would like an orange one. Zoey wants a red one. What does she want inside? This confuses her mostly, but after repeating her choice of packaging she decides she wants cookies inside. What kind of cookies? Pink, blue, yellow, purple, green, orange, red....
3. She will give a present to Santa Claus because Dora did. She will give Santa claus a rainbow.
4. It is Christmas time now. What happens at Christmastime? Her birthday.
5. We will get a Christmas tree inside. It should happen "today" or "now" but Mama keeps saying that it will happen on "Sunday" and pointing at her calendar. Mama won't let her draw on her calendar other than to mark off days. That's a little confusing.

We thought it would be a treat to let her stay up late last night and watch "Charlie Brown's Christmas." She didn't think that was so great. She liked the hot chocolate and cookies that I gave her just to get some positive reaction. In retrospect, Charlie Brown probably wasn't the best special to start with. It has no identifiable characters for her, and the story is pretty esoteric for an almost-3-year-old.

Boo's learning curve has made me wonder about R2's experience. I know that he will still learn all the parts, but Boo's knowledge and excitement is sure to impact how and when he learns.

Four on the floor

R2 is now getting up on his hands and knees and rocking in "crawl position". We have been putting toys just out of his reach to try to get him going. Of course, when we say, "R2, come get this. You can do it," Boo either (1) gets it and gives it to him, or (2) gets it and says "Look, I did it! I did it!" Despite his sister's interference, we're pretty sure he'll be mobile soon. He really wants to GO and his scoot, turn & roll trick just isn't satisfying him as much anymore.

Surgery

Strider and Boo's Elmo slippers had a fight one day while they were unsupervised. Elmo lost the battle, and his eyes. Boo and I took a trip to the craft store and fixed him up. I ran the hot glue gun and she did the rest.

First science, now math

Daddy and I were taking a shower. Boo wandered away from Blue and came into the bathroom.

"There are two people in the shower. That's silly," she said.

"Well, when you shower with me, there are two people in the shower," I reminded her.

"I want to shower," she said.

So, she undressed and got into the shower.

"How many people are in the shower now?" I asked.

"Three."

"If R2 got in, how many people would there be?"

"Four."

Basic addition, very good. Very, very good. I decide to go to the next concept.

"If Daddy got out, how many people would there be?"

"Two."

Subtraction, too. What about story problems?

"How many girls are in the shower?"

"Two."

"How many people with brown eyes?"

"Two." (No hesitation to consider who has what color eyes).

How far can I go with her, I wondered?

"If R2 got in and Daddy got out, how many people with brown eyes would be in the shower."

"One."

"Who?"

"Me."

Wow. I'm just flat impressed.