Missing MetaDaddy

It's funny the things you take for granted. I stay at home, and MetaDaddy goes to work. I'm at home with the kids all day, he's at work all day. Sometimes he has to leave very early (e.g., 6AM) for a meeting or a flight, and when he does, I think "poor guy" as he wakes me to give me a goodbye kiss -- I promptly nod off again. Other times, as I'm surrounded by cranky offspring while making dinner at 6PM, I think "lucky guy." Those days, I get annoyed when he's late. Regardless of the time, when he gets home, it's a treat for everyone. The kids get to hug the daddy they missed so much, I get a relief of parental pressure, and I think he gets to relax a little (as much as you can at home with kids prodding you).

So when he goes away on business, I think it's tough on everyone. It's tough on the kids because they know something's different, but they don't quite understand it. MetaGirl might be a little less aware given that she's 11 months, but there's definitely something amiss. And MetaBoy is constantly asking "where's daddy," to which I reply "he went to the office on an airplane and he'll be back soon." I don't know if that's the best thing to say, but he seems OK with it. He chimes in with "and he's going to bring me a present!" because that's what MetaDaddy told him at the airport as we were saying our goodbyes.

Obviously, it's tough on us, the parents. Him because he's traveling, dealing with airlines, coping with jet lag, tolerating food that can be hit or miss, and missing home. Me because there's no reprieve from the mayhem. They wake with me, spend all day with me, and I only have that short bit of time between their bed times and mine. I love them, but OMG! That's a lot of giggles, whines, smiles, complaints, hugs, pushes...tears.

It's funny how getting by day by day can help you take for granted the little things. Having MetaDaddy around is wonderful because we all love him so much. But it's more than that. He helps everyone function better. He teaches and shares things with the kids that I don't. His point of view gives the kids balance. He helps me from getting overwhelmed or taking on too much, for everyone's sake. He's the yin to my yang. The woo to my hoo. The melon to my proscuitto. Mmm...proscuitto...

6 days and counting.

Miss you!!

Aer Lingus Cuts San Francisco to Dublin Route

As a family that routinely flies to Dublin, Ireland from Los Angeles, we were in agony when Aer Lingus, the only airline to fly a direct route between the cities, canceled it. MetaGirl comes along, and they pull this on us. Why, why, why?!?

"The airline is stopping Shannon flights to Chicago from September 1, while services from Dublin to Washington and San Francisco are being dropped from October 25. It says the restart of these services in summer next year will be 'subject to review'."

Ugh. We flew via Chicago last time. A pallet of luggage and bathroom water froze while being loaded on the plane. We will not be doing that again. We were hoping to go via SF this Christmas, but it doesn't look like that'll be happening.

Back to the drawing board.

Aer Lingus cuts US winter service

Tired, Bored...Time to Get Away?

1. I have no MetaDaddy (out of town on business).


2. I have two kids on my lap, which translates to about 50 pounds of whine, cheese not included. (seriously, they're both on my lap.)


3. I've battled a toddler tummy that resists food.


4. I've watched more Noggin than I care to admit to. At least it's a relatively commercial-less source of entertainment. And my justification is that it slows MetaBoy down so he's not running back and forth, back and forth, back and forth when he should be resting and recovering.


5. I'm kind of bored. (blame all of the darned cartoons)


6. I'm congested.


7. I'm a little afraid of the germy toddler.


8. My hands are super dry because I keep washing them. (see #7)

I've never been a fan of package deals, but an all inclusive trip to a place that doesn't use a different currency, allows kids everywhere, has what sounds like great child care for all ages, and has great food...this is looking pretty sweet right now.

The Club Med Vacation: Only more appealing now that kids stay free

Holiday Madness

While it may seem that's I've fallen off of the face of the earth, I assure you I haven't. You know what December's like. You still have all of the same errands as usual, but now you have to worry about presents, parties, and travel plans.

I've gotten most of our shopping out of the way (no small feat, let me tell you), and we're actually looking forward to relaxing at a friend's party this weekend (probably because it's one of the rare occasions we're not cooking/cleaning/worrying the whole time). Ah, ain't it grand?

And travel. Well, ya. We've decided to do it. The big one. We're taking the fussy, whiney toddler on a plane with hundreds of poor other passengers. And ya, we're taking the infant, too. Crossing our fingers that she'll be a bit less fussy than MetaBoy, but you never know. We thought that because he was such a good eater (he would routinely nurse and immediately fall asleep), we could rely on that habit to help us pacify him on the flight. Whoa, were we wrong. He slept all of 30 minutes, but that's been the case on every flight he's ever been on. He doesn't fall asleep in his car seat either, so that was another tell-tale sign. For those 10 hours, some of the time he was calm, some of the time he was entertained, but most of the time he was cranky.

But MetaGirl already seems generally calmer than him, and she can actually fall asleep in her car seat. So we've decided to chance it and go to Ireland. We're going to enclose ourselves in a tiny space with a gazillion people for 10 hours. Why? Because it's the holidays. We all have to suffer a little to know how good we have it. Besides, when we get to Ireland, it'll all be worth it. MetaBoy is going to have a ridiculously good time with his aunts, uncle, and Nana. Our biggest challenge will be stopping him from eating salmon at every meal (he's just like his daddy, that way).

So, don't fret. We're all still here. And if you're ever wondering, I've been tweeting since it's much easier to do from my phone (I don't have as much computer time these days and there's a character limit...which I need).

Hope the holidays are treating you all well!!

Putumayo’s Sesame Street Playground

Can't travel? Sing along!

Putumayo’s Sesame Street Playground sounds like a fun musical investment. Good for the whole family, and cool way to expose everyone to other languages.

Click through for some videos, too. Good times.

PhotoStory Friday: Disney Daze

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

So, we went to Disneyland as a family for the first time. It was fun, but honestly, we didn't get as much out of it as if the kids were a bit older. That said, kids under three are free and we (MetaDaddy and I) had tickets for free admission, so it was a fun experiment.

It turns out that MetaBoy is still not past his "people in suits freak me out" stage. Santa, for example, is not a welcoming figure for our little lad. Dude, can you blame him?

Anyway, here's our story.

******************************************************
"Holy Crap? Seriously? There's a bear behind me? Shouldn't we be running?"





















"Dude!! You scared me. I thought it was a bear! That's some dork in a costume. Whew!"





















"In fact, take a picture, mom. A picture of me with a bear. Ha ha."



















"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"





















[Pant, pant, pant, pant...]
"Ya, I know it's leaving, but is it coming back? That wasn't cool. He was behind me, then next to me. Those things move FAST!! Can I have a pain au chocolate? You know, you settle my nerves. Peeeeeeeeezzz?!?"

Geography Refresher

Annoyingly, I found I couldn't mentally place a couple of states this past week. So, I decided to search for a map online. Even better, I found a little U.S. geography quiz, along with various other geographical quizzes that have worked to sharpen my world geography. It's amazing how much I've forgotten! And it's amazing how unfamiliar I am with Eastern Europe. I'll have to take the quiz every so often as a refresher...since we won't be doing any serious travel for a while.

World Geography Quizzes

Air Travel News

A Flier Strikes Back - A flier sues over a weather related flight cancellation and wins. Sure, he won a default judgment because Delta didn't bother to show up, but a win's a win. And I'm sure it felt really, really good.

United Keeps Free Food on International Flights - It just goes to show that fliers still have some power. Just remember that airlines might actually listen to complaints if they get enough of them. That said, it's entirely unreasonable for United to eliminate the expectation of food on a long haul flight. Leaving fliers to worry about bringing enough food for a 12 hour flight with weight limitations and security restrictions?!? Not cool.

PhotoStory Friday: Smart Cars

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek
When we were in Europe a few years back (my, how time flies), we saw a lot of cool things. Old building, castles, towers. Had great food, met nice people, traveled the various metros. All good stuff. But it's the little things that really make you say "OMG, can you believe that?"

I kept seeing the Smart car. I've been hearing about it a lot more lately, and seen my fair share here in Santa Monica. There's even a dealership in Venice, just down the road. It's a small car, hence it gets great gas mileage. That said, it's a small car, so I'm hardly interested in driving Los Angeles freeways in it. When there's an accident, it's a doozy.

But I digress. It's not the miles per gallon, fun colors, lack of trunk space, or comedic size that caught my eye. It's the fact that it can be parked in non-existent parking spaces. Abso-lutely Awesome!!!

PhotoStory Friday: Debating Monks

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek
Joining my ol' buddy MamaGeek in PhotoStory Friday. Ah, Friday mayhem :-)

We traveled to Lhasa, Tibet in 2004. There were many things to be said about the city, but one of the most intriguing to me were the monks. They were everywhere! It was such an interesting feeling. I don't know many (any) monks, but I always held them in a sort of reverence because they were so disconnected from the city life I know. It turns out they wear sneakers, use cell phones, and wander all over the city...just like real people. They were part of every day life.

Here's one exciting thing they do in Tibet. They debate. They gather in groups and debate religious issues, ending their point with a powerful *stomp* or *clap* to vanquish the evil perspectives. They were done with joy and excitement, not in a tedious or dire way. They enjoyed it so much, you'd hardly wonder if they were serious about their arguments at all! We consider ourselves truly fortunate to have been there to watch a few such exhibitions

I don't know how much has changed since we were there. I'm assuming a lot, but I'm hoping that it hasn't.

Around the Internet

Flying the Friendly Bookshelves - Boogie is going through an "I love planes" phase. For boys, I hear this phase lasts...forever. MetaDaddy is still in his. Me? I'm out.

Terra Cotta Warriors - We saw the Terra Cotta Warriors in Xian, China during our 2004 trip. There are a staggering number of these warriors. And at their age, it's shocking that they can travel. If you're in the Los Angeles area and you can make it, stop by the Bowers Museum to check them out. Honestly, I can't imagine they'll be coming back any time soon. So you can see them here, or fly to China ;-)

Ceramic Water Stakes via Boston Gals - Plants keep dying? Need some help watering them? Get help! I must say, I'm intrigued.

Thrifty Kitchen: Use it up! - Some clever ideas on reducing your kitchen waste.

Around the Internet

The Tales of Beetle the Bard - I saw this link on Amazon, and I was racking my brain and quizzing MetaDaddy to see if he'd ever heard of "The Tales of Beetle the Bard." Eventually, I clicked through and found out it was from the last Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Duh! He didn't read any of them, so he's off the hook.

It turns out J.K. Rowling wrote the book comprised of five wizarding fairy tales, and Amazon bought one of the seven handmade (yes, handmade) copies at a Sotheby's auction for £1,950,000 (that's around $3,810,276.62).

"The Tales of Beedle the Bard is extensively illustrated and handwritten by the bard herself--all 157 pages of it. It's bound in brown Moroccan leather and embellished with five hand-chased hallmarked sterling silver ornaments and mounted moonstones."

More airports to use 'whole body imaging' machines - A pat-down is a bit of a privacy thief, so it seems like it's a bit less intrusive to have a machine do the job, especially since:
(1) the screeners are in a remote location,
(2) the face is blurred (pixelated), and
(3) the image is not stored.
That said, I don't know if I really want to subject my body to something called "millimeter wave machines" if I can avoid it with a dehumanizing pat-down.
Dang, I've totally just doomed my next flight. I'm going to be sooooooooooo not happy.





RAKKIDDO - For Kids - How many shoes does a kid need?








Matryoshka Dolls via Cool Mom Picks - Are these not the most precious things you've ever seen? I know MetaToddler's just going to put them in his mouth or slather them in yogurt, but I'm pretty sure he's going to get a set before the year is out :-)

Cell Phone Camera's "Ah-Ha" Uses

Having a good camera on your cell phone is a great way to take an impromptu, if mediocre, shot of a moment. After all, we don't always have our cameras. But there are some other camera uses that are handy. A friend and I were hashing out some these. I think he was inspired by Japanese technology.

Here's what we came up with.

• Take a picture of an item in a store, which includes the price. Go home, research the item and price. Is there a better item on the market? Is that Costco price better than Amazon? Easier and quicker than writing everything down.
  
  
• Take a photo of a specific item you need to get at the store. For example, that bottle of wine you really liked, or that ice cream that you'd better get right this time, or else!!
  
  
• Similarly, if you remember something after your S.O. left for the store, take a picture and send it.
  
  
• If you're going to a busy place with your child, take a picture of him/her before you set out. That way if the unimaginable happens, you not only have a recent picture, but you have a description of what s/he is wearing.
  
  
• Take pictures of your family members (or pets, toys, trains, planes, etc.) so you can show your kid when he's bored. If you're in a line (or on a plane) with your antsy little one, this might really, really, really come in handy. It might also help him get to know family members s/he doesn't get to see often.
  
  
• Take a picture of your rental car so you remember which one is yours.
  
  
• Take a picture of where you parked your car, which includes the floor and/or area number, so you can find it again. For that matter, take a shot of your hotel room number. Though avoid carrying anything that identifies your hotel just in case you lose your card key & phone.
  
  
• Maybe you're out and you want to see if you have spinach in your teeth, or check your hair, but there's no mirror around. Take a picture of yourself and check that gleeming smile beaming back at you.
  
  
• Take a photo of notes (e.g., chalkboard or whiteboard). Great for instant recall on meetings.
  
  
• Similarly, I've taken a picture of a flier on a bulletin board. Easier than any alternatives when toting a toddler.

Boston for Easter

Give me an inch, and I take a mile. It feels like I haven't posted in months!

So, Boston was great. We saw MetaDaddy's sister, her husband, their 5 year old daughter (Cousin L), 18 month old son (Cousin E), and feisty pug. Unfortunately, Cousin L was a bit under the weather with pink eye. She got better, but was pretty miserable until the day we left. Sucks for a 5 year old who wants nothing more than to run around and play. The 18 month old had a runny nose, but that's hardly enough to keep a kid strapped down. With MetaToddler there, they were quite the pair. Running around the house, sharing sippy cups (yes, he has a runny nose now), chatting to each other, "sharing" toys, and so on. Sharing toys was entertaining because Cousin E is really easy going, while MetaToddler is rather grabby. So, MetaToddler kept taking cousin E's stuff. I say stuff because it was toys, sippy cups, food, everything. He did it innocently enough, and Cousin E didn't resist. But upon realizing he'd been duped, MetaToddler was halfway down the hall, and the tears would start to roll. Not every time, mind you, but enough.

And then we had an Easter egg hunt. Who knew kids could get so excited over chocolate?!? Personally, I didn't know about putting stuff like toys and chocolate in plastic eggs. When I was a kid, we actually looked for hard boiled eggs. Aw well, at least MetaToddler won't be deprived. My sister-in-law did a great job. She "invited" the Easter Bunny over so it could "hide" eggs everywhere. Then the kids just started hunting. Cousin L was a pro, but the boys were just wandering around amusing themselves until someone said "look, an egg. Let's open it and see what's inside!" The hiding part was hilarious. Apparently at that age, hiding means leaving the egg on the windowsill, in the corner of a sofa, or under a table. It's a good thing the Easter Bunny was managing this instead of me. Otherwise, we might still be looking for the last few eggs.

Overall, he had a marvelous time, so the trip was well worth the inconvenience of travel and jet lag. However, traveling with one toddler is tough. Between having to entertain, feed, and distract him, there was no time to rest. Maybe I've said it before, but I couldn't imagine doing the trip without MetaDaddy. And I say that because his sister has traveled many times with her toddler to Ireland from their former home in San Jose, California. And now, she's traveling from Boston to Ireland (shorter flight), but with a toddler and a 5 year old. OMG!!! I don't know how she does it. Just...OMG!!

We were also lucky enough to get to see our friends. We haven't seen them in ages, and it was wonderful catching up with them and getting to see Ellie. She's grown so much since we last saw her. All three are doing so well, it's inspiring. Dave forged a garden out of nothing in their backyard, and has managed to keep them eating well all winter (salads included!). He's also become quite the handyman doing some truly impressive projects around their house. And Kathryn wrote a book, all the while maintaining her always beautiful flowing locks. (I've actually forgotten to brush my hair before going out some mornings. Seriously.) Oh, and they maintain careers while working with Ellie non-stop. Need I say more? They make me feel like I'm moving in slow motion. In fact, I could take a nap right now.

Ellie's gorgeous, and you just can't help was stare at that beautiful little ponytail. It's just perfectly bouncy, just like her. A happy little girl :-)

So we're back. I hope you had a lovely holiday, if you celebrated. And if you didn't, I hope you had a lovely weekend. Either works ;-)

On the Road Again: Boston

So, what better time to go on a trip than when the following sync up:

• 19 weeks pregnant
• occasional morning sickness
• the start of what will be 4-5 months of unyielding back pain
• a rowdy toddler
• a MetaDaddy who thinks said toddler won't run away from us in the airport
  
• uncooperative TSA
  
• an overburdened airline system (not that it's not their fault...I'm just saying)

But hey, it's Easter. So we're going to visit family in Boston and expose MetaToddler to the joys of cousins. Cousins and a holiday that has become rooted in chocolate. What more could he ask for?

For the flight, bought some nifty flashcards that come on a loop which will hopefully provide more entertainment than a book. Downloaded some Blue's Clues and Sesame Street on iTunes for the iPod. We'll see how that goes. I suspect not well, but we'll take what we can get.

So it's all good. We'll have fun. Posting might be light, but should be back on track next week.

Have a great Easter!

Around the Internet

Mortgage rates skyrocket - Have you noticed how mortgage rates are climbing instead of dropping? If the Fed keeps dropping rates, how does that makes sense?!?

"When people hear that the Fed has cut short-term rates, they expect long-term mortgage rates to move in the same, downward direction. But it's a stubborn fact that when Fed rate cuts are deemed inflationary, long-term mortgage rates go up. And that's what has been happening in the past few weeks."

Specifically, lenders aren't too keen on lending money on the cheap. If inflation is on the horizon, they're better off upping their rates to reflect the state of the economy.

U.S. postal rates will increase in May - Yes, again. To 42 cents. However, if you purchase Forever Stamps prior to May 12, their value will rise to match the price adjustment. Otherwise, stock up on 1 cent stamps. More details here.

Classic Beach, but Much More in Santa Monica - The New York Times says Santa Monica's a good place to visit. Obviously, we agree ;-)

Travel: A Helpful Hoodie

This is a great idea. A hooded sweatshirt that's made to make your travel easier. Well, easier if you're not traveling with a toddler. In fact, if you had this sweater, you wouldn't even notice those pesky toddlers any more ;-)

I'm just saying.

Some cool features:

• Hidden Stash Pocket with Ear Plugs
  
• Armpit Zippers [for ventilation]
  
• Removable, Inflatable Neck Pillow
  
• Snap-Out Light Shield [to cover your eyes]
  
• Sound Pocket with Headphone Cable Port
  
• Zippered, Internal Passport and Ticket Pocket

Traveling with a Cold

Caught a mild cold in Ireland. No biggie. It did however sweep over the household in all of it's mildness. A few sneezes and sniffles, but no more. There were no aches and pains. No severe bouts of exhaustion.

Then, we got on the plane. The sneezing and coughing in a confined space laden with dry, recirculated air is not pleasant. Symptoms were exaggerated, as is my memory of it all. Upon descending on our approach home, my annoying but tolerable sinus pressure hit a high point where sharp pains started attacking my eye. It felt like needles were plunging into my eyebrows, and all I could do was apply pressure to relieve the pain. Incredulous, I was really to drive to my doctor when we got off the plane. MetaDaddy said I should just chalk it up to flying with sinus pressure. Grr.

When we got home, the "mild" cold actually got worse and I started experiencing exhaustion and various other symptoms, surely not aided by jet lag. That night we went to sleep at 7, and after waking several times due to congestion, I woke up for good at 2 A.M. along with MetaToddler. He was seemingly struggling with jet lag, so after spending about an hour with MetaDaddy, I took over for the night (he had work the following day, and I was already awake for the night). MetaToddler didn't go back to sleep until his 11 A.M. nap, and I didn't go back to sleep until 8 that night. Oddly enough, I didn't feel too tired, so I didn't feel like I was unduly pushing myself (despite what MetaDaddy says). Except for MetaDaddy, we all slept a bit better than night. Apparently, I was breathing heavily, on the verge of verbalizing my exhales. I think I heard it a couple of times, but for the most part, I was ignorant to my moans. Poor MetaDaddy!

Thursday went well, until the evening. I suddenly got ridiculously tired, and it was all I could do to drag myself to the dinner table to eat, much less make dinner. Frozen leftovers came in handy there. Mmm...coq au vin, courtesy of MetaDaddy.

While overall I was better, my cough got worse, which is par for the course for me. I forgot what my doctor called it, but when I get a certain kind of cold, I have a kind of asthmatic reaction causing difficulty breathing. It also means I have unproductive coughs, so I cough more often. The result is a severely sore throat after a while, potential coughing attacks where I can't catch my breath, and a cough that lingers for weeks past the initial cold. When I started using an inhaler, it made a huge difference, including reducing the longevity of the lingering cough. However, I don't like the edgy, shaky reaction I get from using it, so I keep it to a minimum. Last night I used it, and sleep went well for everyone, including MetaDaddy.

Fortunately, MetaToddler didn't experience a similar escalation of symptoms like I did. I'm past the worst of it, and should be up and dancing with him in no time.

Good Times!

Annoyances of Flying

Why do kids and parents get all the dirty looks, but little to no help in coping with the difficulties of flying?

Consider this. If I'm flying with a baby, and you're flying alone with the intention of a peaceful flight, wouldn't it be easier on you if I had the resources to help my child cope with the stresses of flying? Don't give me dirty looks because that only makes me bitter and frustrated. And don't make snide comments to the couple with the lovely, quiet child like "YOU have such a well-behaved child" while glaring at me. If my child is crying, it's probably because he's tired, frustrated, ill, or uncomfortable. He's miserable, and I'm miserable because I can't stand to see him cry. If you want to make it better, make faces or mildly engage him. He's not made of slime.

And if you're really serious about a peaceful, quiet flight, bring a pair of noise-reduction headphones (pretty cheap these days) and wear a hooded sweatshirt. No one will bother you and you won't hear a thing.

So be nice or stay in your corner. You're only making things worse with your unpleasantness.

Around the Internet

From the book of "Better Late Than Never" by me, Bob Vila's tips on preparing your home for winter via Lifehacker. And some great ideas on keeping your apartment insulated without breaking the bank.

If you've booked flight on Max Jet, which sounded fabulous about a month ago, you might want to call your credit card company for a refund. They filed for bankruptcy on December 24th, and will only be working to assist travelers who have already started their journeys. I hope you're not one of them!

Speaking of flying, here are a few nice ways airlines seek to pacify traveling kids.

And just to keep the flight theme, we figured out a way to make meal time on our flight a bit easier, kids or not. We requested a special meal, which meant that we got something a bit more interesting than chicken or beef, and we got our meals before everyone else. We ordered three vegetarian meals, which turned out to be a tasty tofu curry. It's not exactly gourmet as it's still airplane food, but we were happy. There was a child's meal option, but it was food like chicken nuggets and french fries...that just wasn't going to cut it. While the airline we flew had a large selection of special meals (e.g., Kosher, vegetarian), they didn't offer a peanut-free meal. A concern for those with young kids or allergies. In any event, MetaBaby ate some of his meal, which we supplemented with food we brought from home (lentils, avocado, banana), and he did pretty well. Breakfast was also different, and was actually much nicer than the standard meal. Papaya, strawberries and kiwi. We couldn't have asked for better. Contact your airline for more details and to request a special meal.