10 not so tiny toes

I love Giggles but she has freakishly BIG feet.

Giggles is the bloggy name for my 18-month old daughter. She wears toddler size 8 shoes. To give you an idea of how freakishly big her feet are, let me tell you that my 4-year old Dimples has recently moved to size 10.

Don't get me wrong, I love Giggles. But she has BIG feet.

The morning after she was born, I remember the pediatrician coming into my room after doing my one-day-old baby's checkup in the nursery. After he told me that everything was fine with my newborn, he asked if I had any questions for him.

I asked, and I quote without any exaggeration: Are her feet too big?

Thank goodness the doctor understood that I was probably high on medication or tired from the labor and birth process, or simply not right in the head, and he did not laugh. At least not on my face.

Doctor: They are what they are, Miss ymK.

He did smile, though.

The other day Dimples asked me if she could paint Giggles' toes, and after a little convincing she made me say yes.

In a little while, Giggles came running, showing me her feet, saying 'Pity?' (Pretty)

I looked at her feet with 8 of her toes painted pink, 2 telling the tale of her squirming and making it impossible for Dimples to finish the task, and I said, 'Very pretty!'

Because when I think of the Top Ten Pretty Things in my Life, her big feet are right there close to the top.

They are pretty when she curls up her toes while she waits by the kitchen sink, as I fill up her sippy cup with water.

They are pretty when she spreads out her toes if she steps on something she considers dirty.

They are pretty when she tiptoes.


They are pretty when covered in sand.


They are pretty when covered in chalk.

They are pretty in her size 8 flip flops.


And they are pretty when she tries on other's flip flops.


And I tell her: With those pretty big feet, I mean big yet pretty feet, don't worry my dear, you are getting there.

Black Eyed Peas make a song for my kid

Boom Boom Boom Gotta get-get!

Boom Boom Boom Gotta get-get!

Hubby and I were dancing (read shaking, moving, rocking but NOT dancing) to this song in the car, on our way to pick Dimples from her grandma's. Since I try not to listen to most songs with Dimples in the car, and since I tell myself that its okay to listen to them with Giggles as she doesn't understand the lyrics yet, I was savoring the moment.

I looked at Giggles sitting in her car seat, and shook my head and hands insisting her to dance with us. She gave me a strange look for a minute or two, saying with her eyes 'Are you right in the head?' and I thought its for obvious reasons, anyone who sees us dancing would look at us that way.

Then she finally gave in and joined us, and she is way better than us. I wonder where these girls are getting their dancing genes from, both Dimples and Giggles. Not from us, trust me.

But in the middle of the song, I started laughing uncontrollably. Hubby was curious to know why, and I have a feeling you are too. Let me explain.

I realized Giggles had not been astounded by our nerves to actually ask her to join in our pathetic dancing attempts, but at Black Eyed Peas for making a song for her!

Boom Boom is what she calls her milk- the milk she drinks, which is my milk-you get the point. Don't ask me why. I have no idea why. All I know, is that whenever she gets hungry, she comes to me, pulls on my shirt (down or up, whatever is convenient for her) and demands, 'Boom Boom'.

I remember telling my sister that its good that she doesn't say 'milk' when she is pulling my shirt in public, and she said, 'You think Boom Boom is any better?' She had a point.

She sees me changing, she goes 'Boom Boom.'

I bend down to pick something up, and she gets a glimpse of the source, and she goes, 'Boom Boom.'

The other day I went to Victoria's Secret. Just because. And found out they were giving away a $5 coupon just for trying on their new bra. Well ofcourse I picked one up, and headed right to the dressing rooms. And as I tried it on, you guessed it right.

Giggles kept singing 'Boom Boom Boom!'

So if you are ever at Victoria's Secret (or any similar store), and you hear a kid going 'Boom Boom', I must be in the dressing room next to yours.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cKnTLrDbcw

Go Fetch!

Last night, out of the blue Dimples made a request.

'I want a pet', she said.

'A pet.' I repeated.

'Yes. We can go to the Zoo, and get a pet for me. Like a Lion or a Monkey. I will bring it home and when Giggles is sleeping I can play Fetch with my pet.'

I wonder if this has anything to do with me stopping her from playing Go Fetch with her little sister.

And who gets a pet from the Zoo? Not sure about Monkeys, but I have a feeling Lions will be offended.

You'll be in my heart

Dimples and Giggles were watching Tarzan for the first time. Somehow we missed the beginning and started watching from the time Kala found Tarzan.

Dimples: Where are baby Tarzan's Mama and Papa.

Giggles: (pointing to the TV showing closeup of baby Tarzan) Ba-ba.

Me: (clapping my hands) That's right, its a baby!

Giggles: (pointing to the TV showing closeup of Kala) Mama.

Like baby Tarzan, baby Giggles just knew. Something inside of me ached as I smiled at my eager-to-learn Dimples who had grown smarter than a baby.

As glad as I was that my curious 4-year old knew that Kala was not Tarzan's Mama, it was a soothing realization that my one-year old knew that she was.

Lyrics: You'll be in my heart

Come stop your crying
It will be all right
Just take my hand
Hold it tight

I will protect you
from all around you
I will be here
Don't you cry

For one so small
you seem so strong
My arms will hold you,
keep you safe and warm
This bond between us
can't be broken
I will be here
Don't you cry

'Cause you'll be in my heart
Yes, you'll be in my heart
From this day on
Now and forever more
You'll be in my heart
No matter what they say
You'll be here
in my heart always
Always

Only a baby can

It was Hubby's Birthday a few days ago, and Dimples, Giggles and I got him a Cookies and Cream cake. These days Cookies and Cream is my favorite. Hubby likes some other kind of cake, but being the good wife that I am, I don't want him eating too much cake. His health is more important than mine. Yes, I am an angel like that.

Apparently Giggles liked the cake too, as all day yesterday she ate quite a bit of it. So much so, that whenever I kissed her, I smelled cookies and cream. I kissed her more than usual yesterday. And I kiss her a lot usually.

But by evening, when I pulled her out of her high chair, I could smell something more than just the Cookies and Cream. I smelled her diapered butt, and the stink gave away what was inside. She was a combination of cookies, cream and poop. As I carried her to the changing mat, I wondered. . . How are babies capable of smelling so deliciously yummy yet disgustingly stinky at the same time?

Coming Soon to Mom-I-Am

Confessions of a (new) Bloggaholic will be coming soon to a blog near you. http://mom-i-am.blogspot.com/

ymK will star in a story about addiction, withdrawal, relapse, and dependence. Read about a girl who gets sucked into the web of blogging.

Featuring Dimples, Giggles and Hubby.

Note to self: Let kids be stinky

No more of those 'No more Tears' shampoos and bath washes. Actually, no more of any kind of shampoo and bath wash. Dimples and Giggles can stink all they want.

No more bubble baths, Dimples can go play in mud instead.

No more nice smelling lotions, they can scratch themselves all day long. Dry skin or Cancer? I choose dry skin.

No more soft wipes, Giggles butt is getting cleaned with a wet towel.

Check out:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/12/AR2009031202940.html?nav=hcmodule


http://safecosmetics.live.radicaldesigns.org/article.php?id=414

Also,

http://safecosmetics.live.radicaldesigns.org/article.php?id=426

ND* (not detected) by the way does not mean that it is safe. According to the article:

Why “No Detect” Doesn’t Mean No Problem

Some products tested for this report did not contain formaldehyde or 1,4-dioxane. However, that does not mean the products are safe. There is no guarantee that other samples of the same product are not contaminated. Also, there are no legal requirements for children’s products to be made with the safest ingredients possible. As a result, it is common to find chemicals of concern in brands marketed to children.

Product Name	1,4-dioxane (ppm)	Formaldehyde (ppm)
Lotion
American Girl Hopes and Dreams Shimmer Body Lotion (Bath & Body Works)	ND*	310
Baby Magic “Soft Baby Scent” Baby Lotion (Ascendia Brands, Inc)	ND*	570
Baby Magic “Soft Baby Scent” Baby Lotion (Ascendia Brands, Inc)	0.92	610
Baby Magic “Soft Baby Scent” Baby Lotion (Ascendia Brands, Inc)	ND*	330
Johnson’s Bedtime Lotion Natural Calm Essences (Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies)	ND*
Mustela Baby Body Lotion (Laboratories Expanscience)	ND*
Tinker Bell Body Lotion (Goldie LLC)	ND*	220
Shampoo
CVS Baby Shampoo (CVS/Pharmacy)	0.92	350
Johnson’s Baby Shampoo (Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies)	ND*	200
Johnson’s Baby Shampoo (Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies)	1.1	210
L’Oreal Kids Extra Gentle 2-in-1 Fast Dry Shampoo – Burst of Cool Melon (L’Oreal USA)	0.95	260
Suave Kids 2-in-1 Shampoo – Wild Watermelon (Unilever)	0.69	ND*
Liquid Shower Soap
American Girl Hopes and Dreams Glistening Shower and Bath Wash (Bath & Body Works)	14
American Girl Real Beauty Inside and Out Shower Gel – Apple Blossom (Bath & Body Works)	6.3	210
American Girl Real Beauty Inside and Out Shower Gel – Apple Blossom (Bath & Body Works)	5.7	220
American Girl Real Beauty Inside and Out Shower Gel – Apple Blossom (Bath & Body Works)	18	150
American Girl Real Beauty Inside and Out Shower Gel – Sunny Orange (Bath & Body Works)	35	ND*
Bath Wash
Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Creamy Wash (Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies)	1.4
Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Creamy Wash (Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies)	1.7
Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Creamy Wash (Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies)	4.6
CVS Kids Body Wash – Blueberry Blast (CVS/Pharmacy)	0.75	54
Equate Tearless Baby Wash (Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.)	0.63	290
Gentle Naturals Eczema Baby Wash (Del Pharmaceuticals, Inc.)	6.4
Grins & Giggles Milk & Honey Baby Wash (Gerber Products Company)	2.8	400
Huggies Naturally Refreshing Cucumber & Green Tea Baby Wash (Kimberly-Clark)	3.2	410
Johnson’s Moisture Care Baby Wash (Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies)	3.9
Johnson’s Oatmeal Baby Wash – Vanilla (Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies)	4.2
Mustela Baby Shampoo (Laboratories Expanscience)	2.8
Mustela Dermo-Cleansing Gel for Hair and Body Newborn/Baby (Laboratories Expanscience)	3.9
Night-time Bath Baby Wash (Target Corporation)	3.6
Bubble Bath
Barbie Berry Sweet Bubble Bath (Water-Jel Technologies)	0.65	440
Dora the Explorer Bubble Bath (MZB Personal Care)	1.5	130
Hot Wheels Berry Blast Bubble Bath (Water-Jel Technologies)	2.8	100
Mustela Multi-Sensory Bubble Bath (Laboratories Expanscience)	1.7	ND*
Sesame Street Bubble Bath – Orange Mango Tango (The Village Company)	2.8	340
Tinker Bell Scented Bubble Bath (Goldie LLC)	11	420
Baby Wipes
Huggies Naturally Refreshing Cucumber & Green Tea Baby Wipes (Kimberly-Clark)	ND*
Huggies Soft Skin – Shea Butter (Kimberly-Clark Global Sales Inc)	ND*	100
Kirkland Signature Premium Unscented Baby Wipes (Costco Wholesale Corporation)	ND*
Pampers Baby Fresh (Procter & Gamble)	ND*
Pampers Calming – Lavender (Procter & Gamble)	ND*
Hair Relaxer
Dark & Lovely Kids Beautiful Beginnings No-Mistake Nourishing No-Lye Creme Relaxer, Normal to Course Hair (SoftSheen-Carson, owned by L’Oreal USA)	ND*
Dark & Lovely Kids Beautiful Beginnings No-Mistake Nourishing No-Lye Children’s Relaxer System, Fine Hair Types (SoftSheen-Carson, owned by L’Oreal USA)	ND*	ND*
Soft & Beautiful Just for Me! No-Lye Conditioning Creme Relaxer, Children’s Super (Alberto-Culver Company)	0.27	ND*
Hand Soap
Pampers Kandoo Foaming Handsoap – Magic Melon (Procter & Gamble)	0.49	310
Sun Block
Banana Boat Kids UVA & UVB Sunblock Lotion SPF 30 (Sun Pharmaceuticals Corp.)	ND*
No-Ad Sun Pals SPF 45 UVA/UVB Sun Protection (Solar Cosmetics Labs Inc.)	0.46
Toothpaste
Colgate Kids 2-in-1 Toothpaste and Mouthwash – Strawberry (Colgate-Palmolive Company)	ND*

Z helper

As I unload the dishwasher, two tiny hands are eager to help.

Z hands me spoons, I say 'Thankyou!'
Z hands me forks, I take them away quickly.
Z reaches for knives, I stop her.

Then Z helps load it up.





Takes out her 'picnic basket' and goes for a stroll with it.



Then brings it back and puts it in place. (To the best of her efforts)



Oops, almost forgot to reload.



Thanks my little helper! Mama loves you.

Barbie for my girl? No, Thanks!

I have never bought a Barbie for A. Nevertheless she does have a few among the 20-25 dolls that she has. All gifts. Because when people go gift shopping for a little girl, all they can think of is :

1. Doll
2. Doll
3. Doll
4. Makeup
5. Makeup for doll

My girl likes playing with cars, robots, dinosaurs as much as she does with tea sets, tiaras or magic wands. So, please enough with the dolls. All other kinds of gifts are appreciated. Thanks.

And especially, no Barbies please! Let me explain.

My daughter loves trying on different outfits. There was a time when she changed 8 outfits in a day. (Thank goodness those days are over.) She thinks her dolls share her obsession, so she undresses them ... but then either loses interest, OR does not find a better outfit to put on, OR has trouble putting the outfit on. So, her dolls are almost always naked. (I would like to think the reasons mentioned above are the only reasons...) So, on her toy shelf, she has one bin for 'Dolls' and another for 'Doll clothes'. I don't mind a pacifier sucking baby-looking doll sleeping naked under the dining table. What I do mind is a huge breasted Barbie in the middle of the living room.

Now, don't get me wrong. I did play with Barbies growing up. I still have the dolls and fond memories of those days. But I also remember a too-young-to-have-breasts me thinking to myself, 'I don't have those. I'm a girl too...' (Well, I still don't have those...but staying focused on the subject...)

I don't want A getting any such ideas. She's not even 4 yet.

And what's with a 50 year old Barbie getting tattoos? Talk about mid-life crisis!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3ZKVTrWxDk

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Tattoo-Barbie-Parents-In-US-Voice-Concern-Over-Message-Of-Doll-Featuring-Body-Art/Article/200903115235033

Baby Kangaroo?

So, Z is a little more than a year old now, but she either thinks that she and I are from the Kangaroo family, or she has a weird concept of human gestation period. Or, human gestation. Period.

I will tell you what I think she thinks.

Baby is conceived. (Let us not go into details, I don't want to know if she knows the details.)

Mama carries baby in her tummy for 9 months.(Although now doctors say its 10 months? But that's a topic for a later post.)

Mama goes to hospital.

Mama cries and yells in pain if does not take pain meds, scratches herself crazy if does take pain meds.

Mama pushes baby out.

Dad cuts the umbilical cord.

Now, we know all that! What makes me think that Z has a strange concept of human gestation?

Z thinks that after the umbilical cord is cut, baby spends 13 more months (and counting) attached to Mama's breast, or her leg.

'Mama, you're the best!'

It was one of those days...

Me: 'A!'

A: 'Yes Mama.'

Me: 'Come upstairs please.'

A: 'Okay mama.'

I give her a shirt. 'We have to go to Giant.' ( Yes, I know that's all where I take you. Not to the park, not to the playground, not to play in the snow, or to ride your bike in summer- I take you to Giant, to CVS, to Target.)

A: 'Ohh!! I love Giant!' (uh-okay...love it? really? isn't that a rather strong word to use for a grocery store? Well, at least she has not started using 'hate' as fervently. At least not yet.)

A: 'We don't have any cereal, we can get some cereal.'

Me: 'Yes.'

A: 'And we don't have apple juice. Do we have apple juice?'

Me: 'No it finished.'

A: 'So, we can get apple juice. I like apple juice. And apples. Do we have apples?'

Me: 'I think we do.' (Do we? I have been procrastinating about getting groceries for a while...)

A: 'I don't think we do. We can check. But I checked in the banana hanging thing, and there weren't any apples. So, you can check in the banana hanging thing, and get apples. okay?'

I smile.

A: 'And we have to get fruit rollups! Don't forget fruit rollups! Grandma has fruit rollups and cookies.'

Me: 'Okay....' (Yeah I know Grandma's pantry and fridge actually carry things they are made for.)

A: 'And cereal straws. We don't have cereal straws. Grandma has cereal straws. We can get cereal straws. Heyyyy, where did the hamper go?'

Me: 'In the other room.' (Because its overflowing, and was getting in everyone's way, so I deal with it like I deal with any other problem in my life: I hide it, and pretend like its not there anymore.)

She laughs, 'Silly hamper!Where are my pants?'

Me: 'I'm looking for them.' I give her the only one that's not in the hamper.


A: 'Thankyou mama.' Starts struggling with the pants. 'It has a hole!!' (oh you noticed, eh?? Just wear'em kiddo, go with the flow! I hear they are back in fashion. Not that I would like her to follow this kind of fashion, but did I mention this is the only one not in the hamper or washer??)

To her I say: 'I can't find any other, baby.'

A: 'Oh, I like these pants!' (uh-oh. really?)

Me: 'Were you wearing socks?'

A: 'Yes. I took them off.'

Me: 'Where are they?'

She hands me one pink and one white.

Me: 'They don't match.'

A: 'Yes. One is mine, one is Z's.'

Me: 'But weren't you wearing these?'

A: 'Yes. You gave them to me.'

*sigh*

Me: 'Can you go find matching socks please?'

A: 'Okay.'

With Z in my arm, as I look through drawers for socks, hoping to find a decent pair of pants too, I feel bad for my kids. It was one of those days, when everything is waiting to be done - not enough grocery in the house, hampers overflowing, dishes towering in the sink... and I let these days come too often. I'm failing at this, I'm failing my kids.

'Mummaa' Z brings her face in front of mine. I look into her eyes.

'mmmwah!' a big, sloppy kiss that has the power to get not just my cheek but my eyes wet too.

A runs back in, 'Mama can you please close this button?'

I button up her pants, with a hole at the knee.

'Thanks Mama. You're the best!'

Really? Do you know there are moms out there who would not make their kid wear pants with holes, nor socks that do not match in size or color? Please don't find this out any time soon.