Tales From the 'Vine

oops

2009-01-29T18:51:00.000-08:00

This poor little blog gets so neglected. I hope anyone reading this knows, but we had our second child. About a month a go. Oops. Here is a photo of the boys. I will try to keep this one more up to date with pictures, especially for the grandparents. But two kids is hard. Especially with our Cupcakes and Cutlery blog. That is much more of a priority. And if I get 10 minutes to post, I have to do it there since we have actual followers. Not many, but a few. So, I guess, happy new year!

Elf on the Shelf

2008-12-10T18:41:00.000-08:00

So Grandma Marilyn got our family this really cool holiday keepsake. It is called Elf on the Shelf and I should put a link in here of where you can buy it, but I am too lazy. Anyway, starting at the beginning of December, you place the Elf, which your child names (ours is named Carl) on a shelf and the story goes that he goes back to the North Pole every night to tell Santa if the child has been good or bad and also what they want for Christmas. So someone is supposed to move it every night so it is kind of like a scavenger hunt for Carl. Last year, O was okay with it, but really didn't know what is going on. But this year, when we started talking about him, the mere idea of Carl was too evil for O. But we got him out anyway and placed him on a shelf. It has taken a few days for him to be okay with Carl being in the home and now even kind of likes him. Every once in a while though he freaks out about Carl. Like when he saw me taking a picture. He was yelling at me to stop taking pictures because Carl was so special. But here are a few that I got. It really is a fun tradition and I can't wait for O to teach baby brother all about him. And if any of you were wondering if O's 15 minutes were up yet. No, they quite clearly are not considering that this is he and his friend, E, at the Mission Viejo Mall last week. We are still semi-famous.

my guy

2008-11-21T09:26:00.000-08:00

O and I have taken to doing crafts. He likes the idea but when it comes right down to it, he doesn't understand that there is an end to the project. We recently put together a foam gingerbread house. We had gotten it all put together and I had even let him be in charge of the glue...and then he started ripping all the pieces apart again. But I managed to get him to stop and put things back on so that we could show daddy when he got home from work. Every time we go to a craft store I buy a little, cheap craft and we have a lot of fun doing them. He is really looking forward to making foam ornaments but today we have to back a cake on account of daddy's birthday. Happy Birthday Daddy!

My sister and her family are stars

2008-11-07T14:10:00.000-08:00

So my sister loves good food. She is a good cook herself, but like me, of course we like it more if people cook for us. She had an amazing opportunity to have a chef come to her house and cook a Thanksgiving inspired meal for a spread in a local magazine. And the meal was cooked in less than an hour. Apparently, it can be done. So check out the article from the local magazine's website. I can't wait to see the magazine when it comes out!!!! Aren't my nieces so cute!!!! That is little B staring at the food. Sis, maybe you should feed her more...

Soda tried to eat my son

2008-09-10T07:21:00.001-07:00

So last night. O was sitting on his dad's lap. And Dad went to take a sip of soda. O decided it would be awesome to grab the can and ended up with soda all down the front of him. Dad removed his shirt and O went off to play. A little bit later, I noticed that O was scratching his stomach and when I took him to better light I found he had red welts all over his stomach and some he was scratchy until they were bloody!!! I immediately gave him some benadryl and then kept him up a little while longer to make sure his breathing was normal. The only ingredient listed in the soda that looks like it could be a problem was "caramel color" which can sometimes contain milk. Now I have never tried pouring milk on my son to see if he reacts, but I don't think I will now. That was the worst hives I have seen him have ever. There is a chance it wasn't because of the soda, but I have no idea what else it could have been. And his dinner was something he has eaten before. I hate food allergies. And just in case all you relatives want to make sure that this doesn't happen on your watch, the name of the soda rhymes with Tepsi.

Totally out numbered

2008-08-18T06:51:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to make sure everyone knew!! It's a boy! Another one. I'm totally out numbered and will have to learn how to wrestle now!!! O can't wait to meet his new brother. No names picked yet. Hopefully we'll find some that we like soon.

CPK I heart you!

2008-08-07T21:29:00.000-07:00

Tonight I discovered a very exciting thing. California Pizza Kitchen has their allergy info on their website. Which means that since I was already getting myself food, I could also get something for Oliver. He had the kids chicken and broccoli which looked amazing and to which I added lentils and fresh blueberries to round it out. Amazing. Usually, even if I eat out I have to cook his dinner so I can only be half lazy. So this was an amazing surprise to not have to. But to my dismay I looked at their locations list and think the closest CPK to where we are moving is 20 minutes away. So again, I feel dejected. I better go eat a gallon of ice cream to feel better.

a few more from Reno

2008-07-29T21:07:00.000-07:00

so what

2008-07-29T16:41:00.000-07:00

I know it has been a while since I posted. It has been very low priority. But I just finally sat down and went through the photos from our Fourth of July trip to Reno. I know, about a month ago now. But you all should be happy that there is a new post up at all and enjoy the photos.

Boom

2008-06-18T17:03:00.001-07:00

I have no idea what I am going to post about on Cupcakes and Cutlery tomorrow so I am procrastinating. But here is a post I have been meaning to put up for the past few days. Yup, I'm pregnant. Baby #2. Life as we know it is over. I am 11 1/2 weeks along and due Jan. 4, 2009. Seeing as O was a few weeks early, I am anticipating the same with this baby. I just pray it isn't born on Christmas. And I can say "it" because I don't know if it is a girl or a boy yet. And we're not sure we are going to find out. And just because I call it an "it" doesn't mean I love it any less. So there. This baby likes peaches and Taco Bell and gets lots of both (incidentaly, I have had more Taco Bell in the last two months then I did all of last year.) Okay, I better figure out what to post on my other blog now or my cohorts will be all over me.

We saw it

2008-06-05T18:27:00.001-07:00

So here is a pic from the day we went to see his ad in person. It was a lot bigger than I thought it would be. I saw his little face immediately when we got off the elevator from across the department. It was kind of weird. There was no one else in the place so we couldn't even really show off. And O was SSSOOOO not interested. He wanted to be running around the store instead of looking at himself. So far, the Mission Viejo Mall is the only place the photo is. So he is not nearly the star that he thought he was. We are going to cut his appearance fees for parties to $1,000 a piece. It's only fair.

Yeah, he's a star

2008-05-29T16:30:00.000-07:00

So O is the big time now. He now part of the display for Split toddler clothing at Macy's. Yeah. This was spotted by T during a shopping trip to the Mission Viejo Macy's. I wonder if he is anywhere else? My son is cooler than your son today.

Help me, help you

2008-05-24T18:31:00.000-07:00

So, O watched an episode of Dora the Explorer today. I used to limit the shows that he watched on account of their lameness and I'm selfish and feel like as a family, we are much cooler than the shows...but the joy he has when he watches them overpowers all of that. But I digress, so I took him in to change his diaper and he was laying on the changing table when he started saying, "ayudeme! ayudeme!" Luckily this is one of the words I still remember from junior high school. "Help me! Help me!" he was saying. It made me laugh really hard. He had no idea what he was saying but he just kept saying it and I just kept laughing. He is getting so funny. I think he will give his father a run for his money in the comedy department.

Surprise, a new post!

2008-05-21T16:19:00.000-07:00

Are you amazed to see a new post? I am quite frankly. I am sure you know that most of my time is now spent over at Cupcakes and Cutlery. It is a fun undertaking, but I had no idea just how long it would take to post an item. Needless to say with the working 6 hours a day, paying attention to my son and cooking dinner, there is not a whole lot of time for extra computer stuff. Celebrity gossip I miss you. I now have to catch up on it on my iphone when I use the restroom. Was that sharing too much? But I'm a multi-tasker. That's what I do. So to catch you up, O is now sleeping in his big boy bed. I was unsure of how to introduce it and did some very brief reading on the subject. That led me to have B put the bed together and leave it in our living room for weeks talking about it. Really we needed to further O proof his room and were just being lazy about it. So last Friday, was the big night. It had also been my intention to take the pacifier at the same time. The bed thing worked out pretty well. Taking the pacifier, not so much. He got out of the bed only once and now he waits for me to get out of the bed in the morning. But the pacifier, wow. He really likes that thing. He was hysterical for an hour and I couldn't console him. It was then that B and I discussed that if he wanted to use it until he is 8, then he can. So there. But only at night mind you. Not out and about. And I'm sure you will notice the jammies above. Yes they are Christmas. And yes it is May. So.

First Sixth Annual Grilled Cheese Invitational

2008-04-28T19:47:00.000-07:00

Many of you have inquired about this fine event that I recently went to. Me and the girls (T & E) had tried to go last year but didn't make it. In previous years, the event was very underground. The organizers are a rag tag bunch of crazies from Los Angeles who didn't permit the event and would just tell everyone to show up at a certain location at a certain time and be ready to cook your grilled cheese sammiches. But since more and more people have found out about it this was the first year that they decided to go legit and permit it. But then a few key media sources linked the addy and the organizers advised to arrive as early as possible and that they would have to close the event when it reached a certain limit. So, any who, we left a very important bridal shower early to ensure that we would make it in. And we did!!! Oh the joy! You could smell the grilled cheese in the air. We first came upon the Kraft (a big sponsor for the event, given that it is grilled cheese month after all) tent handing out free 1/4s of grilled cheeses. We visited them often. I think we may have had about 6 1/2 total sandwiches each from them. Then they announced how the competition would work and then it was under way. First up was the "missionary" category. Only white bread, cheese and butter allowed (other categories include dessert and anything goes). A few hundred people gathered around the grilling area as the teams began putting together their masterpieces. It was here that past the man in the long sleeve fish net shirt with an amazing amount of chest hair and hair down to his waste, that E spotted a table of young hipsters deep in competition mode. Unfortunately, that did not include any kind of sanitary practices as we spied that they were not wearing plastic gloves and running their fingers through their haphazard hair dos and also licking their fingers when they would get something on them. And then touching their sandwiches. Which we were supposed to eat. I tried to suspend my normally stringent cleanliness codes to embrace the devil may care attitude of the event. So we waited for 10 minutes and finally got our hands on a 1/4 of a grilled cheese sandwich from a nice clean looking lady wearing a baby. It tasted...like a grilled cheese only slightly less better then the ones that kraft was giving out. After another 10 minutes of not seeing another sandwich even come close to our vicinity, we realized that we would, in no way, be close to trying most of the sandwiches, nor make it to the dessert round. So we cut our loses and drove to Sunset for dinner at Ketchup. But not before grabbing another 1/4 from the Kraft table. So you would think we had enough cheese to last us a lifetime right? No, E ordered a grilled cheese for dinner!!! (in her defense the menu said it was white cheddar and who doesn't love that! I had a great time that day with my girls as we were also celebrating my birthday and spent some quality time together. I propose our own OC grilled cheese cook off...in a nice clean kitchen with some nice refrigerated cheese and butter and clean hands and hair nets...

Head

2008-04-17T15:47:00.001-07:00

So O is all about putting things on his head right now. If anyone knows why, please let me know (Grandma GG I think this may have your name written all over it...:) If there is a hat lying around, he'll put it on. He especially loves daddy's hats. But lately he has been putting tote bags, lunch pails, etc. What a nut. And on the way home today, he kept saying "suck". And then he started shouting "suck mom" so I am thinking that I truly offended him in some way. If I figure out how I wronged him, I will let you all know. Also just wanted to let you all know that I will be attending the First Sixth Annual Grilled Cheese Invitational this weekend. Rest assured I will let you all know how that goes.

Happy Birthday Everyday

2008-04-15T19:47:00.000-07:00

Let me first start by apologizing to my sister in law, Alyson. In no way, did I intend to offend her or infer that she is a terrible mother in my previous post. I had not been thinking clearly when I titled the post Horrible Mother and then uploaded a photo of her daughter to be run immediately after the title. She is not a horrible mother, in fact she is the best mother in the world. Even more motherly than Mother Theresa...okay I might be pushing it a bit now...So again, sorry! I'd also like to say that I realize I have been neglecting this blarg (which is now what B and I call blogs after watching a super funny episode of Miss Guided on ABC. Do you guys watch that show? It is one of my favorites which must also mean that it is awful and doomed for cancellation...) because i have been having soooo much fun at my other blarg. If you haven't seen it yet, you have to go look. now. I'll wait.... So, with all of the birthdays that have happened recently, it has gotten us singing Happy Birthday rather often. So often in fact, O now asks for me to sing it to him every night after we read our book before bed. Since I only know, Itsy Spider and Twinkle Star, I am okay with having another option. And at first we sang it to different family members. Then it branched out to his friends at daycare. Soon we began singing it all the way to daycare and he then added in Starbucks, trees, houses and cups to the list. But it took a weird turn last night. First we sang it to the color Blue (or maybe he has seen Old School and was singing it to the old man character named Blue). Then we sang it to banana and I tried very hard to keep a straight face. And then, hold on to your hats and glasses, we sang it to time out! I just about lost it. I hurried and laid him down and ran out to tell B about it. So funny! And again, tonight, we sang it to time out, but this time also added, lion, diapers and potty. And since I had encourage singing Twinkle Star instead of Happy Birthday, we capped off the night singing Happy Birthday to Little Star. This kid is so funny! And I came across the above picture and had to post it. Everyone always says O looks like my dad and they certainly do resemble each other. I think O has the same size head!

Horrible Mother

2008-04-07T19:13:00.000-07:00

How gross is it that I was almost happy that Oliver had to go in time out so I could start writing a post? Sheesh. Almost as gross as when I was at Target on Sunday and had a coupon for $10 off a purchase of $100 or more and was hoping it was more then a hundred bucks. Which really I shouldn't have worried about because it is ALWAYS over $100. The dollar section really adds up. Hmm, wouldn't you know it, when I went to spring O from the clink (timeout) he wasn't there!!! Seems I inadvertently left his bedroom door open and he was behind the rocking chair sitting with a book. So more time out. Yeah me! Anywho. Okay, i just put him down to sleep so hopefully he'll drift off in to never never land really quickly. doesn't he know that the Hills is new tonight and you can watch it on mtv.com before 10pm when it really airs? That is too late for mama. This is a photo of my niece that I just came across on the computer. she is five now. and super skinny. no more chubby cheekies.

Cupcakes and Cutlery is here!

2008-04-05T11:39:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I have not been posting here as frequently as I would like, but I wanted to let you all know about a new project I am working on with my sister in law, Alyson. You need to check it out and tell all your friends...Let me know what you think! I'm super excited about it. I think we could end up on Martha some day! www.cupcakesandcutlery.blogspot.com

Let them eat cake

2008-03-29T19:47:00.001-07:00

So we spent a chunk of the day at a park for cousin N's bday party. He is 1! It is crazy how time flies. O had a blast seeing the cousins and only nearly died a handful of times. And luckily when he found the knife to cut the cake with he didn't stab the little girl standing next to him. It would have been really hard to see him behind bars. Although he does look really cute in stripes. Here is the best part of the party. the before, during and after cake shots. Well, apparently my neighbors are having a party this evening so I am really hoping O can sleep through it and I can eat my ben and jerry's and read my us weekly in relative peace. Auntie mouse, the party turned out awesome. I can't wait for you to see the rest of the photos. P.S. I have one of who started smearing the icing all over N's face...

F U Earthquakes

2008-03-26T21:34:00.001-07:00

Stay tuned for a strongly worded letter to Earthquakes. But I am too shaken up at the moment to write it now. Pun intended.

Hmmmmm

2008-03-26T21:02:00.000-07:00

it seems like the time between posts is getting longer and longer... i guess the novelty has worn off again. i will let you know that i have all but given up hope on perfecting the iced tea. i think it may have been a gateway drug though as all of a sudden, i am CRAVING coffee in a big way. it doesn't even need to be from the bizzle. it can even have coffee grounds in it. that is how hooked i am. don't get me wrong, i still get the tea once in a while, but is it taking a back seat for good? that remains to be seen. i knew that i owe you a photo from the treat face post so it is above. As are a few other photos that you all may enjoy. what else can i update you on? this morning on the way to work/daycare, O started saying "w" over and over again. He usually doesn't say his letters until he sees them or we are talking about them so I turn around to see what he saw and he was holding up one hand and pointing to the last three fingers which resembled a "w." As if there was any doubt he was a genius. Hopefully by April 1, I will be able to direct you to a sort of secret project I've been working on. And that ain't no joke. But we probably could have thought out our launch strategy a bit better...what a fool. i'm being super lazy tonight cause i wanna go to sleep so i don't know or care what photos are in which order, but i am pretty sure you will be able to tell what's what. one is treat face, one is the local cousins on easter, one is oliver on easter morning with money he found in the first egg he found and then didn't care that there were more eggs and one is from the first time O had a soy cream sandwich, which apparently was very close to being another treat face incident...

O loves disco!

2008-03-13T07:06:00.000-07:00

This weekend we went to a little thing called Baby Loves Disco at the Shark Club in Costa Mesa. It was awesome. They turn a night club into a kiddie club from 2 -5 pm. The dj played disco and 80's and the dance floor had bubbles and fog. The full bar was open for the parents and they offered cocktail service to the seating areas. Not only could the kids dance and dance some more, they could also do baby yoga, get their hair done did with color sprays, get their faces painted, and play with all kinds of toys, they could also eat all kinds of provided snacks including juice boxes, cookies, crackers, cheese and fruit. The only hard part was making sure that O didn't eat any of the food that had been left lying around, on account of his dumb allergies. It would be so much fun to go with a big group of people...Let's do it! I will warn you though, the only thing I didn't like about this is that the floors were super sticky, like at a club. I don't know why, but for some reason, I thought they would have been able to clean this up...in any event, I wore flats and I kept walking right out of them as they stuck to the floor and I didn't...Now, stop thinking about how the kids are probably sitting on that floor from time to time, or picking things up off the floor. Just don't do it. Don't even let yourself think about it... And a big fat "What's Up?" to Allie C! I am up to 5 readers now!

On the fritz

2008-03-07T09:08:00.000-08:00

This is going to be quick 'cause I'm working for the weekend. Our home computer is in the shop. Not sure when it is coming back. But here is a quick thing that put a smile on my face this week. Recently, O has taken to waving and saying "hi" to Starbucks as we pass the two stores on our way to daycare. He doesn't even really see the stores, he just knows we are close and says in his pipsqueak voice, "hi starbucks!" and repeats this another 15 times before it is out of his system. It brings a tear to my eye...

Treat Face

2008-03-02T19:26:00.000-08:00

I knew one of the hardest parts about being a parent was going to be when O did something bad, that was at the same time hilarious, and trying to keep a straight face. Boy was I right. A few nights ago at dinner, O had some carrots. They were cut up in small pieces. I would love to know the thought process pulsing through his little brain that told him that pressing on the carrots with one finger as hard as he could would result in sheer comedy. I just sat there looking at him, like what is this little crazy doing? One finger pressed on to the carrot, so hard he was straining a bit. And then...a little carrot bullet shot across the table grazing my nose. He looked so startled, and after a moment of thinking decided, yeah, that was awesome! So he did it again twice more as I sat there shaking and sweating, trying not to crack a smile. But then, a few nights later, it was almost too much to bear. O has severe food allergies which two of my now three readers (holla jen m!) already know. I had found a recipe for a special treat that I knew he would devour. Since he can't have peanut butter, I found a recipe to make soy nut butter cups, complete with a layer of approved chocolate on top. I could see it in my head, he would love every minute of eating it and then be up for the next three days because of the sugar. But he's a kid and while I don't always indulge him, I had really been looking forward to making these. So, I made them and told him that once he ate all his dinner, he could have a treat. While finishing the green beans proved to be no easy task after a promise like this, he ate most of them and so I dutifully got up and broke off a piece of the soy nut butter cup. He took his first bite and you could tell he was in sugar ecstasy. I sat there are all warm and fuzzy knowing that at that moment, he liked me better then his dad. But after a few minutes I think the sugar started to kick in. He took the treat and put the chocolate side down on his face right between his eyes, and pushed it up his forehead and on to the top of his head leaving a chocolatey stripe in its wake. I looked at brian who was sitting across from me and had to put my head in my hands to keep from laughing or even letting O see my smile. And then he had it just sitting on his head, laughing maniacally (If you haven't seen this laugh, you all need to. It is crazy, and wonky eyed, and hysterical). Brian jumped up from the table and I think he's doing it so that O won't see him laughing. but he came back a moment later with the camera. You won't see a photo of him on this post though because at the moment, we can't download any photos to our computer. So check back often. I managed to tell him in a firm, but shaky voice that our food doesn't go on our head and eventually he took it down. While I cleaned up from one of the funniest meals ever, Brian took him in to give him a bath and showed him his face in the mirror. More maniacal laughing ensued. When the bath was over, O came out wrapped in a towel and chanted treat face, treat face! I love that kid!