A part of both of us...

It's amazing how babies end up taking on personality traits from both their parents. How they can be both of us is really quite fascinating to me. Two people in one tiny body. My son has shown that he is definitely the best of both his father and I. He has his father's silliness and easy going manner. His mother's stubborness and determination. His father's smiles and his mother's frowns. Both of his parents' love of people and parties. His father's appetite for food but his mother's sweet tooth. His father's feet but his mother's eyes. Amazing, I tell you. And interesting, to say the least. I can't wait to see what more I will discover about this little person. What other traits he'll come to show as he gets older. As it is, I find it hilarious that my son already insists on picking out his own clothes in the mornings when we get ready for school. Sometimes he wins (today he wanted to wear his Tims over his snowboots - okay, he got that one) and sometimes he loses (last week he wanted to wear his pjs to school - wasn't going to happen). I love that he is so strong willed even though it drives me nuts at times (i.e. when he wants to eat cookies for dinner) and am glad that he stands his ground when he is sure of what he wants. I think this is a good trait to have later on in life, even though yes as his mother it means some battles ahead. It's okay though. I'm ready and am learning which battles are worth fighting over. Looking forward to what's in store for me as my little guy becomes more and more independent, wiser and stronger.

New Year's Resolutions 2011

Every year I rattle off a few of the usual, standard resolutions that are typically on the top of most people's lists. As a mom, a single mom, I find that, albeit different I may now be, the top of my list still reads the same as it always has:

#1 Save money. I am in a constant battle with myself to find ways to stretch my dollars and yet live a comfortable, convenient, easy as can be requested lifestyle, which means spending $. Sadly, being thrifty and living comfortable seem to be two parallel worlds. I can't get them to cross paths. BUT this year, at the top of my list will remain "Save money" and I will do my darnest to order less lattes and pack more lunches.

#2 Eat better. I don't remember a day in my life when I didn't concern myself with my diet and weight. It's been an obsession for way too long. I stressed it less than ever last year, given I was just back from maternity leave and actually felt proud of where I was with myself - bodywise. But this year, while not as stressed about it as I was pre-baby, I am keeping it on my list. Drink water, turn down sweets. Let's see if I can at least do that...well right after I finish the last of this bag of M&Ms... 

# 3 Start a routine that incorporates exercise. Pre-baby and even during my pregnancy I was all about exercising. I lived to work out. I loved my kickboxing and pilates classes up until the day I went into labor. Now, finding the time for this is tough. But it can be done. It has to be done. So, my first attempt toward this goal is hooking up my new Wii and putting in my new dance games! Healthy, fit me, here I come.

#4 Find some me time in the craziness that is my single mama life. Stealing an hour here and there when someone is able to keep an eye on Sebastian, to get my hair did or get a good, much needed massage will be good for me, will be great for me.

#5 Keep it simple and take time to enjoy the present. Stress less, worry less, plan less. Spend more time at home, with nothing planned. Realize it's okay not to have everything planned out and remember that life is unpredictable no matter how we spin it.

What are your new year's resoluations? Anyone have anything ultra exciting or surprising on their list? Share!

"Snowed In" Intentionally

After a week of traveling and having our routine all out of wack, Sebastian and I were due for some much needed down time. And so this past weekend I decided to declare us "snowed in". We spent the entire weekend at home, in pjs. It was wonderful! It was cold and snowy out, we were warm and cozy inside. We played with new Christmas toys, read books, watched Elmo and the Wiggles, ate whole wheat pancakes with peanut butter for breakfast (his new fav), painted, played catch with his new basketball, put CDs in his toy CD player (over and over and over), played parachute and peek-a-boo with the laundry and went upstairs to visit our neighbors (Titi and cousins) for dinner. It was perfect. We spent a lot of time acting silly and as always my little boy's smiles were priceless. Truly, enjoyable moments. And during his nap time I actually got to enjoy a movie while getting his baby books sorted and in order (an on-going project). I felt productive, yet relaxed. Nice, calm time, with nowhere to be. It was a great weekend with my little guy.

And he said....

Can you guess what my little boy said when he saw this view?

Did you guess it?

It



was



o-cean!

See, I told you he was a genius!   ;)

Traveling with a Baby or Toddler

Is traveling with an infant or toddler ever easy? Does anyone have any tips as to how to make it an easier, more enjoyable time for both mama and baby? Here's what I usually do/pack:

1) I still use my Beco carrier and I make sure to have it on when traveling. I stroll Sebastian in his Maclaren (easy to fold stroller) while at the airport but during security and while boarding and taking off I keep him in the carrier.

2) I carry 1 bag - a big diaper bag with everything in it, including my things. Everything else gets checked in.

3) I pack lots of snacks - banana, yogurt, spinach puffs, Sesame Street cookies, squeezable babyfood pouches, tangerine, milk and juice boxes with a sippy straw.

4) I make sure to have many different toys/things to keep him (and I) busy while on the flight. A portable DVD player and the Wiggles and Elmo DVD is a must. But we also carry little cars, rattles, books and of course his lullaby music/book. And a book for mama.

5) Lastly, we'd never go anywhere without his blankie and pacifier!

But of course, with all that, there always seems to be a moment when not the toys or the snacks can keep me him occupied and he suddenly wants to run free and/or gets cranky and suddenly starts whining and kicks the chair of the person in front of us or grabs someone's hair from the row in front of us (yes, that has happened!). I'm left wondering what else I can potentially do/bring to make our next trip (because there has to be a next trip) more pleasant. Open to ideas.

Back to Daycare

I was extremely worried about leaving my son at daycare this morning. He has been with me for 10 days straight without "school" so I thought for sure he'd have a hard time staying at school today and cry when I left. To my surprise, he ran in smiling and went straight to hug his teachers! He seemed to have really missed everyone. As I left, I said goodbye, one last time and made sure he was still okay - of course he was. He didn't even give me a second look. It was a good, yet unsettling feeling. I am happy that he likes his school so much but I guess I was also a little bit disappointed that he didn't want to spend more time with me.  I guess we were both due for a little break. It did make my first day back at work easier, since I didn't have to worry about how he was doing. (I called a couple of times to check on him and they assured me that he was fine - running around and playing with his buddies.) That's my little boy. ;)

The Happiest Place on Earth...

Well, that is until your kid has a trantrum. Last Thursday as part of our Christmas with our family in LA, we spent a day at yep, you guessed it - Disneyland! It was a day of fun, family and shall I say it? Chaos. It turned out that everyone else in So Cal, or everyone in the world visiting So Cal, decided they too should be at the Happiest Place on Earth. Needless to say, the park was CROWDED. But we still managed to get on a few rides and Sebastian and his cousins, 2 & 4, were able to enjoy a ride on Peter Pan, Dumbo, The Choo-Choo Train and the Carousel. Of course, that was until the ride ended. At which time (yes, every time) Sebastian had a fit and wanted to stay on the ride. How do you explain to a 15 month old that he has to get back on line in order to ride again? You don't. Thus, the tantrum ensued. Let's just say that after those four rides, I threw in the towel and decided Sebastian would have to watch the rides from afar. There was no way I was going to repeatedly expereince what became the tantrum aftermath of each ride. I kept hearing a phrase my mom often told us when we were kids, repeating itself in my mind, "You kids are never satisfied." And finally at 31, I understood what she meant all those years. Go figure. But all in all, Disneyland was a huge success and Sebastian LOVED the lights, colors and being with family...okay, maybe that last one was what I loved most about the day. :)

Breakfast with Santa

Last week was Breakfast with Santa at Sebastian's school (aka daycare). I took the morning off so I could be there with him. I have to say, I was very excited about it. There's something about re-experiencing all these little traditions that I really enjoy. Sebastian at his age doesn't really get it but that's okay, he will soon. Maybe next year. But this year, what he does get is the excitement of the lights and colors everywhere. He seems to love Christmas trees. (Yay, because I do too.) Although, he doesn't seem to like Santa very much. He wouldn't go near the guy. I guess I wouldn't either if I was looking at Santa from a toddler's vantage point. A big, burly guy with a white beard in a red, fluffly outfit. Hmmm. Who invented this outfit anyway? Better yet, who is his stylist? I'm sure there's a book out there I've missed that explains this look. Something else to research and add to my increasingly growing To-Do list.

But back to Sebastian's Breakfast with Santa...a quick synopsis:
The kids all got seated around a long rectangular table where the older kids ate a breakfast of eggs and pancakes. The younger ones (Sebastian's class) sat along the wall, around the older kids looking around with their eyes bright and full of interest. What was all the excitement and noise about? They seemed to ask. Sebastian sat in his little chair with his legs dangling off the edge and smiled across the room at me. I, of course, was snapping pictures. (Any chance for a photo opp!) Christmas carols played in the background as Santa Clause made his big entrance. Whoah! Some of the older kids exclaimed. Sebastian and his two BFFs, Izzie and Morgan, looked a bit frightened. Santa said hello to all and then sat in front of the tree for photos and story telling. The kids gathered about. Sebastian and his group, stayed put. They did not want to go near the guy.  Presents were soon distributed from Santa's big, brown bag. The older kids yelled in excitement. As soon as Sebastian noticed gifts nearby, he attempted to open them. It wasn't that he wanted to take the other kids' gifts, it's that he loves wrapping paper and boxes and wanted to help out (and maybe take some wrapping paper home). A few kids, grabbed their gifts from him. Sebastian looked confused. I whispered to him that it was okay, his gift was coming. Alas, the third to last gift that came out of the big, brown bag was Sebastian's. And a big, wrapped box it was. He tried to pull the wrapping apart but it was suddenly time for his picture with Santa. He started grabbing onto me for dear life and wouldn't let me put him anywhere near Santa. Oh well. I took him back to his present and he went back to pulling the paper off. Maybe next year we'd get some good pics with Santa. This year it simply wasn't going to happen. ::shoulder shrug:: After all the presents were opened, Santa said farewell and a "Hohoho" and off he went. The kids all walked in a single file line back to their classrooms. I made sure my little man was settled in, playing with his buddies and then gave him a kiss good bye, and off to work I went...smiling and thinking: Wow, my little munchkin is getting so big...

Did anyone else have breakfast or pictures with Santa?