Small(ish) Town Shopping

Laundry baskets! Who would think that finding just the right one(s) would be darn near impossible? This is the nicest laundry room I have ever had. I've never needed a fancy laundry room but the fact that this one is on the second floor and has actual cupboards - so many that some are empty - a sink, and hanging rack room makes is awesome. It could use some sprucing up but I'll get there eventually. Anyhow, I took out a shelf in my laundry room cupboard in an attempt to place baskets in for laundry. This allowed me to get rid of my rolling three net hamper that was in the way. It so happened that I had a basic but nice and flexible Rubbermaid basket we use in our bedroom that fits into the cupboard. Great says I. I will just go get three more. Off we go to Walmart (there are at least two one on each side), then Target (the only one), then Big Lots (only one), then eventually to the world's worst K-Mart (fortunately, in this case, also the only one in town). Not one place had the same kind of basket or a basket that would fit into the cupboard and let the doors close. I did try a couple of baskets but ended up returning them. This meant I had to go to the world's worst K-mart twice - eewwww!

Now, I have felt that we moved to a decent sized town. In hindsight it may be smaller than I really thought. I have accepted the fact that my clothing options are limited and that I lost my beloved used/thrift stores but since H has many clothes until size 8 that only cost a dollar or so, I was willing to forgo those weekly fixes. I have come to realize and accept that shopping for myself is limited by the turn around time for restocking. After holiday shopping was absolutely no fun as the stores here had very little stock! Okay, maybe it will save me money in the long run. Besides, I have a two year - all boy - boy that absolutely hates to clothes shop so it's not like I would have time anyway.

I could have tried to finagle a road trip to the BIGer city but it would have had to entail going with Hubs and son....two of the worst shopping companions ever. So, I respectfully reserved my next shopping trip to be in favor of something more exciting....like curtains or if I want to really live it up, shoes.

I am also willing to look for things on the internet out of necessity...like laundry baskets. Afterall, I had a well known name brand pretty basic basket, how difficult can it be to just order some online from say Amazon? Turns out VERY!

In the intervening years since I purchased my basket, it appears this basket type is extremely popular and also very difficult to find. Well, to be honest, it's hard to find a place to order from and when I did find a couple on Amazon, they were really expensive, Who would pay $60 for ONE basket plus shipping and handling? I came across one site that had a "box" of four basket for $100 plus S&H - the catch was they weren't currently available or in stock with no projected date of being in stock. Also, it turns out there are two different sizes and I need the tall one.

I was starting to get my right brain working on how to build some kind of frame to which I could attach my other nets to create a homemade project. Alas, see previous post on likelihood of that getting accomplished.

So, after indulging my obsessive need to compare the (scant) options, I came across a site that had them listed for $11.99!! Finally, my dogged research was paying off! I love a good price on an item truly desire to own. Whilst adding gleefully to my online cart I decide to check on the cost of S&H. Imagine my surprise when S&H costs MORE than the baskets. It must be noted that the baskets are shipping hundreds of miles and not from some big warehouse/distribution center AND it is only shipped FedEx. Seriously?

However, taking one for the team (and cutting into that idea that our cost of living is supposed to be at least 6% less here), I bit the bullet, hit the submit button and quietly surrendered the fact that I cannot just run all over town and keep taking things back AND I do not want this to be another drawn out project. All in all, though, I finally ended up paying per basket about what an expensive one from the previously visited retailers would have charged me including the nice surcharge for the privilege of living in the great state of TX (again just pointing out this does eat into the lower cost of living concept).

I must admit the shipping time was awesome though.

Slacker Mom

I saw this article the other day on the net. I must admit it's really really cool and I'm sure H would LOVE to have something similar in a year or two.

Super Mom Builds Formula 1 Race Car from Cardboard


However, I am learning that although I ha(d)ve BIG dreams for my creative outlets with respect to my son, life just takes over. I love creative crafty things. All the neat cute things I find on various blogs inspire me. "I could do that, that would be so fun" constantly runs through my head. Then, well, reality takes over and I am left being Full Time Working, Part Time Single Parent, Midlife, Slacker Mom.

I must admit at this point H doesn't exhibit much artistic talent. So, all the crafty projects I think that might be fun often don't materialize. He has started drawing something more than scribbles. He drew a basketball the other day which was at least rather round. This is a step in the right direction from the typical small circular scribbles he has thus far produced to reflect family members. He asks me to draw baseballs and bats - not terribly exciting or challenging but something that can be completed on the magnetic erase boards he has.

I had planned to be super creative with his room but have discovered that those rooms do not really present reality either. His first room was pretty basic without much fanfare. Super cute dog curtains and matching blanket courtesy of grandma (who made them while we were half way around the world eating various forms of unknown sausage - okay hubs was doing the eating - me I don't eat it if I don't know what it is), four paintings courtesy of gran, and some pictures from my childhood. In my defense, you really don't want to get cutesy or crazy when there is a high probability you will be selling your house!

Current room is also pretty basic but with a definite theme this time. It is adorned with curtains (again courtesy of Grandma), the addition of sports related items - basketballs, baseballs, soccer balls, footballs, golf balls, tennis balls. However, I do(did) have grand plans for adding creative touches to represent learning tools for the alphabet, numbers, colors, shapes, etc. I researched all kinds of wall hangings and the various ways to make them interesting and interactive. Yet, I had not figured out how to find the time to get started. I came across poster sized prints at the dollar store that seemed cute enough and colorful enough to work with. I mean, who can pass up spending $.50 for something that is perfect? I started to ponder ways to perhaps buy two of each and cut one set out so I could put velcro on the other and we could match items together, or making it magnet somehow, or other crazy and time consuming ways to exercise my creative brain. I couldn't quite think all this out to an actionable project though which I blame on my delirium of getting a real bargain (something that has left a crater in my personal shopping habits since we no longer have access to either Once Upon a Child or St. Vincents de Paul one dollar items).

So, after having the posters home for a few weeks, I opted to just tape them to the closet doors and room door. Perfectly sized, easily to attached, and best of all project completed! Slacker mom....

The moral of the story comes from H. He walked into his room with the new additions and said "Nice! Thanks, mommy!" So, did the super mom get the same gratitude from her kid? I can only hope so.

2GO3 Saying of the day

H had a Daddy day today. I had an all day work planning meeting so there was lots of male bonding. Well, mostly there was Daddy pushing the swing outside on a beautiful day. Fortunately we have the perfect swing branch in our little fenced area. H always wants to go higher!

Tonight in the bath, H started singing happy birthday and then looked at me to finish. He asked "why do (since he doesn't know "why" yet he says "do" when he wants to know something) that song for Mommy?" "H we sing that song on someone's birthday to celebrate the day they were born and let them know we care about them. Your birthday is in ___ which is later this year.

We do have a special day before that, though. We have Family Day. Do you know what Family Day is?" The answer was a wet toddler look who only briefly stopped pouring from cup to bowl.

"Family Day is the day we were able to adopt you and became a family."

H "Oh."

"What Doc Hudson do, mommy?"

Trip to the BIGger city

Sunday was a beautiful day here in the south. We decided to take a trip to the closest "big" city. H probably would have preferred to stay home and swing all day but, alas, the parents had cabin fever and decided to get out of dodge. I read a post today about one mom discussing how a quick trip to the store wasn't so quick any more and had to laugh. Before leaving out the door we make sure we have wipes, pull-ups, snacks (for everyone), clothes for various types of weather, multiple phones, sunglasses (including purple plastic ones), kleenex, camera, and anything that H currently has as an obsession (stickers, blanket, pillow, cars, shoes, etc.)

We loaded up and headed out in good time for a 1 1/2 drive. Since it was prelunch,we were hoping H would take a nap most of the way. We travelled about 45 mintues and it suddenly dawned on me....no stroller. How can the parents of a 2GO3 NOT REMEMBER A STROLLER when their goal is to go walk around the city??? I guess we were so excited not to get drawn into a fight to leave the swing we completely lost our minds.

On the plus side, H did fall asleep for about the last 35 mintues of the trip. We arrived to a blue sky day, warm enough to walk around without jackets. As we reached the city, H exclaimed "I like these!" "H, you like the big buildings?" "Yeth!" "I like garages, tooooo!" Why he felt compelled to comment on these two items I don't know. We lived in a city with tall buildings and parking garages but I don't supposed he could really verbalize about them back then. Now, we live in city where the tallest building ties with a health complex and a hotel. H knows a hotel when he sees one though...something he picked up on when we came to house hunt and during the move. Anyway, he was adamant that Lightning McQueen would sleep in the parking garages. Did I mention I have personally seen Cars more than a dozen times now? You can catch a lot more if you turn on the subtitles....

Once we figured out how to actually get to our destination, our first stop was Bass Pro. Why? Because they had shopping carts! What better way to keep a toddler busy than looking in a huge store with lots of interesting things hanging everywhere. I was a little disappointed at the size of this store's fish tank but we watched it from above anyway. H kept "catching" fish and throwing them back - kudos to Papaw for that memory. After doing Bass Pro, we decided to live dangerously and head outside to walk along the river. We both seriously considered taking the shopping cart with us since we were sans stroller but decided the store wouldn't be too happy about it. H did have fun running around outside. It wasn't very crowded and along the river there wasn't anywhere he could run off to so it ended up being ok. I can't tell you the kind of looks we get though when H runs ahead of us! They range from "where did you come from" to "oh, you have one of those kids" to "awww he's so cute!" Generally, we just hang back enough to keep an eye on him and close enough to reach him quickly if he really sprints. I must admit, he's getting faster as he gets older and somehow that doesn't equate to he same process for parents. While I didn't do any shopping we did enjoy the nice day. There was a kiosk outside that had a bubble machine on it. H and another little girl about his  age were madly chasing the bubbles for a good 15 minutes. The father of the girl wondered how much it cost....it was a great toddler occupier!

We did have a bit of a fight leaving the bubbles and he was a little cranky going back to the car. However, on the way home, we stopped at the model RC plane field. There were a half dozen or so planes there. I opted to sit in the car while H and Daddy walked around outside and oggled. I think they both really enjoyed the planes. Yesterday he kept talking about the "little" planes. "I like little planes, tooooo." We will definitely have to go back there.

Christmas Kept Coming This Year

We moved to be closer to family and yes being within one day's drive is "closer," however, we left some friends in the distance. So, H got presents for a few weeks after the main show. He has finally caught on to the present concept. Our first box was from some good friends who were along for the adoption ride and have been surrogate aunt/uncle since day one. This fits well as they already have four grandsons (and one more on the way along with a much anticipated girl). They were more than willing to come hang out with us at our house which at this stage in one's life cannot be expected of everyone.
H was interested when I told him the box at the door was for him. He opened everthing with careful gusto.The true winner was a warm and very soft Sesame character fleece blanket -hence forth known as his "new" blanket. I don't know what we will call it months from now but several weeks later it is still known as the "new" blanket.

The excitement was clear when yet another box arrived from a very old and very dear friend. Treasures awaited both of us in that box although he did the majority of the unwrapping. He was quite intrigued by the washcloth the size of a two inch diameter circle. We played with the puppet and other items and much fun was had with the new spiky soccerball and football character pens.

I think he fully grasps that boxes are for opening and inside there are surprises to be discovered. H was quite succinct in his bedtime wish that evening. "I want more presents."

2GO3 Sayings of the Day

"I like______________!"

H has been steadily expressing himself more and more. He has started saying "this is nice" about his room and recently added posters for alphabet, colors, numbers, days, and months. His bed is "nice." In addition, he likes things. We are all aware he likes certain foods (especially gummies and suckers) and he likes the movie Cars. Sometimes he will say "I like granda. I like Papaw. I like Daddy." etc. in quick succession. The other night he was really wired up!

Imagine this said in rapid fire succession in a dark room with the hall light on as I try to get him settled in for bed.
I like Meeny (his word for Lightning McQueen.)
I like Mater.
I like Sally.
I like Doc Hudson.
I Guido.
I like balls.
I like soccer.
I like baseball.
I like Daddy.
I like Papaw.
I like Grandma.
I like trucks.
I like blankets.
I like these (pointing to the posters on his closet doors).
I like bench (toddler sized work bench).
I like closet.
I like.....just about everything he could see and touch at that moment in time became  "I like..." It was quite funny. I really had to try and not laugh. It was so cute and hilarious at the same time. It was the longest list he has said to date. Somewhere in there he included me and the pets but think it ended with his current standby - "I like suckers."

I am glad he is being quite verbal. He's not always the most outgoing but we know he is and has been always very observant. Unfortunately, tonight's quick list included "I like Sponge Bob." Followed by "What Sponge Bob do?" "I don't know honey." Just as a side note, we don't watch SB here but he has seen it at daycare. Really, in my opinion not an appropriate use of my dollars for daycare but I am told this is the best in town. This I find incredible seemingly true at this stage. We are so looking forward to preschool but that is another post for another day.

Original Blog Title

My original blog was titled Mamu Mamu: Midlife Mom. Here is the reason for that.

Original Post

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Explanation

After looking up "mamu mamu" I figured a little explanation is needed. For some reason my 19 1/2 month old toddler - forever known as Hoot (who talks only when he really wants to but we know he can say many many more things than he does and that is a separate subject) can and does say Daddy - a lot.

Hoot, however, has not ever said "Mommy." He has said "Mama" on one occassion which was in fact the first time he ever associated the word specifically with me and said it rather absent mindedly as a form of out loud recognition. Hoot prefers to say "Mamu Mamu" when he wants me to do something or has a need for something. The need ranges from food, comforting, inquiry, just about anything and I get a rather pitiful, wishful, drawn out "Mamu mamu."

Of course, when the term is not an established word for an identified object, spelling becomes optional. For some reason, "mammoo mammoo" seems to much like muumuu. Besides, we are still learning our vowels and "EIEIO" doesn't introduce a "U" anywhere so let's not go overboard and just keep it simple.

So I Begin Again

What started as an interesting idea almost a year ago was halted by technological difficulty almost immediately. I created a blog on the very week Blogger apparently had a hiccup. I had a blog. I could find my blog from a link I had. Yet, no one else could find it and apparently I no longer could access it through the Blogger portal?! Alas, I love technology when it works.

I will be reposting my original.voluminous - okay 2 - thoughts but so much has changed since that time that I thought it best to begin again. Okay, it was pretty much required when no tech service was forthcoming and the answers to my help search showed that others had been similarly affected and apparently there was no fix.

C'est la vie.