Friday, February 27, 2009
Boys and their noise!
Um... yeah - -I dedicate this to my sister-in-law's blog (she wrote my my nephew giggles when he makes a bodily function noise). And then I remembered another Adam-ism this week. He was sitting in his high chair and would pass a little bit of gas - then giggle. Apparently the giggle "shut off" the gas-passing mechanism, because he would have a little more gas pass and giggle again. This continued about 5 or 6 times in quick succession and while he thought he was all alone. I was hiding around the corner both bemused and amused that at such a young age they've already figured out the fun noises the mortal body makes!
It's all fun and games until someone loses a balloon...
I have to admit - I've got the greatest kid around. I came home from a day-long support staff retreat for work yesterday with a punch-balloon in hand (they'd used it for decoration) knowing that a certain ball-obsessed kid would probably appreciate it. Sure enough, when I got him up from his nap (forgetting that the punch-balloon was in the living room chair waiting for him), he went running into the living room, stopped dead in his tracks, yelled "BALL!", and ran straight to it as if it was the greatest thing he'd ever seen in his little life! (And, maybe it was...) That kid played with the balloon for the next 6 hours until bedtime - - he wouldn't even eat his dinner!
I had a tense moment, though, when his balloon got too close to the cactus. For his first birthday, he got a punch balloon. It lasted about 20 minutes until the cactus made it explode. Talk about a melt-down! He kept handing me the pieces of it over and over, sobbing the whole time, expecting me to be able to mend it. This time, though, I have back-up just in case it comes to an untimely demise! Of course, I don't have pics of him playing with it, but will tonight. I'll just attach other pics to help you get your fill.
Adam getting his fill of Tardis birthday cake. Mommy said "no blue frosting", but daddy slipped him some when she wasn't looking. He CLAIMS he didn't hear me...
Adam really liked the feel of blue frosting being SQUEEZED between his fingers. He then got the brilliant idea to rub his hands together like he does to suds up the soap and rub the frosting in his hair like shampoo! (You can't really tell much from the picture, but it was all over in his hair and ears!)
Finger-lickin' delicious!
"What?"
"Get away from my cake, man. I need my fix!"
I had a tense moment, though, when his balloon got too close to the cactus. For his first birthday, he got a punch balloon. It lasted about 20 minutes until the cactus made it explode. Talk about a melt-down! He kept handing me the pieces of it over and over, sobbing the whole time, expecting me to be able to mend it. This time, though, I have back-up just in case it comes to an untimely demise! Of course, I don't have pics of him playing with it, but will tonight. I'll just attach other pics to help you get your fill.
Here is the Tardis cake (Doctor Who series) I made for my friend, Tabby. By the time we got to eat it, it was more like the "leaning tower of Tardis" - but she seemed pretty delighted nonetheless...
Adam getting his fill of Tardis birthday cake. Mommy said "no blue frosting", but daddy slipped him some when she wasn't looking. He CLAIMS he didn't hear me...
Adam really liked the feel of blue frosting being SQUEEZED between his fingers. He then got the brilliant idea to rub his hands together like he does to suds up the soap and rub the frosting in his hair like shampoo! (You can't really tell much from the picture, but it was all over in his hair and ears!)
Finger-lickin' delicious!
"What?"
"Get away from my cake, man. I need my fix!"
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Oh NO!
Adam has learned a new word this last week. It's the dreaded word that every parent hates to hear. "No!" Clear as a bell, the kid knows exactly what he is saying. It completely caught me off guard when he whipped it out on Saturday. Then, as if correct usage in response to, "do you want to go to time out?" wasn't enough, he occasionally practices it while he's playing quietly and happily. He'll sort of say it to himself. I was getting ready for church when he came into the bathroom muttering, "No, no, no, no, no" over and over, apparently working on intonation and inflection. Believe me, the message is clear!
The Calm Before the Storm?
So - I realized last Friday night after putting Adam to bed that I've got it pretty good. And then I wondered if it wasn't the calm before the storm? Since about the 2nd week of January (after we detoxed from the holidays), Adam and I have a pretty good bedtime routine. At 8:45, we say prayers with daddy before kissing, hugging, and sending him out the door to his night job. From 9-9:30, Adam and I watch "Style by Jury" while getting ready for bed on the commercials. Then, at 9:30 sharp, I excitedly yell, "Who's ready for night-night?," and make up a night-night song while chasing him up the stairs and race him to his room. Sometimes I win, sometimes he wins. But, the point is, he ALWAYS goes!
Once we're in his room, he runs to his crib and then anxiously reaches for me to pick him up. I ask him what we do when we go night-night and half of the time he remembers and immediately folds him arms or hands to say a prayer. Occasionally he gets our routine out of order and when I ask him what we do before we go night-night, he leans in and gives me a kiss. Either way, we say our prayers (I say "amen" and he says an emphatic "ga-ga!"), then he gives me a hug, a kiss, and then leans toward the crib prompting me to put him in where he gets all snuggly into his blankets. And that's it! I walk out, turn out the hall light and don't hear a peep out of him for the next 10-11 hours! What bliss!
Strange Bedfellows...
I get parenting tips and development updates from babycenter.com each week letting me know what's normal and what's not for kids. I've been watching for Adam to pick a favorite toy or item that he MUST take everywhere, such as a blanket or stuffed animal, but he never really latched on to anything other than "big bear" (a 2-foot tall purple carebear) - but even then he didn't NEED it like the air he breathes.
Until this week...
A couple of nights ago, he broke with routine (see above) and didn't go to bed without a peep. He was very anxious after I had put him in his crib and inconsolable. I went back into his room to investigate and thinking he wanted me, I asked if he wanted another hug and reached for him. He shook his head and yelled "no!" - so I followed his gaze to try and figure out what he wanted.
And then I saw it - the stupid boot that he carries with him everywhere! And since then, he and the boot have been inseparable. He had frequently carried and played with it up to this point, but now he apparently can't function properly without it. So, I gave it to him, he grabbed it and then snuggled down into his blankets. That was it. He just wanted his boot. When I went to check on him an hour later, there he was snuggled in tight with the boot under his chest.
Why couldn't he just need a blanket to carry around like normal kids? At least Rachel's sheet was a little more snuggly than an outgrown workboot! : )
The Calm Before the Storm?
So - I realized last Friday night after putting Adam to bed that I've got it pretty good. And then I wondered if it wasn't the calm before the storm? Since about the 2nd week of January (after we detoxed from the holidays), Adam and I have a pretty good bedtime routine. At 8:45, we say prayers with daddy before kissing, hugging, and sending him out the door to his night job. From 9-9:30, Adam and I watch "Style by Jury" while getting ready for bed on the commercials. Then, at 9:30 sharp, I excitedly yell, "Who's ready for night-night?," and make up a night-night song while chasing him up the stairs and race him to his room. Sometimes I win, sometimes he wins. But, the point is, he ALWAYS goes!
Once we're in his room, he runs to his crib and then anxiously reaches for me to pick him up. I ask him what we do when we go night-night and half of the time he remembers and immediately folds him arms or hands to say a prayer. Occasionally he gets our routine out of order and when I ask him what we do before we go night-night, he leans in and gives me a kiss. Either way, we say our prayers (I say "amen" and he says an emphatic "ga-ga!"), then he gives me a hug, a kiss, and then leans toward the crib prompting me to put him in where he gets all snuggly into his blankets. And that's it! I walk out, turn out the hall light and don't hear a peep out of him for the next 10-11 hours! What bliss!
Strange Bedfellows...
I get parenting tips and development updates from babycenter.com each week letting me know what's normal and what's not for kids. I've been watching for Adam to pick a favorite toy or item that he MUST take everywhere, such as a blanket or stuffed animal, but he never really latched on to anything other than "big bear" (a 2-foot tall purple carebear) - but even then he didn't NEED it like the air he breathes.
Until this week...
A couple of nights ago, he broke with routine (see above) and didn't go to bed without a peep. He was very anxious after I had put him in his crib and inconsolable. I went back into his room to investigate and thinking he wanted me, I asked if he wanted another hug and reached for him. He shook his head and yelled "no!" - so I followed his gaze to try and figure out what he wanted.
And then I saw it - the stupid boot that he carries with him everywhere! And since then, he and the boot have been inseparable. He had frequently carried and played with it up to this point, but now he apparently can't function properly without it. So, I gave it to him, he grabbed it and then snuggled down into his blankets. That was it. He just wanted his boot. When I went to check on him an hour later, there he was snuggled in tight with the boot under his chest.
Why couldn't he just need a blanket to carry around like normal kids? At least Rachel's sheet was a little more snuggly than an outgrown workboot! : )
Thursday, February 5, 2009
I'm Famous!
First Glenn Beck. Now this:
Published Wednesday February 4, 2009
My Wacky Job: Many layers to building a career in cake
BY BRYAN REDEMSKE
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
After the "I do's" and the dress, the cake is among the most important details of a wedding.
Brides often have a very specific look in mind. It's up to Sarah Bryan to make it happen. By day, Bryan coordinates the Sharing Clinics at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. In her spare time, she creates custom cakes.
It all started about two years ago when a co-worker told Bryan about a cake-decorating class.
"I was pregnant and bored," Bryan said. "I thought, 'Why not?' I absolutely loved it."
The class set Bryan on a path she hopes will someday lead to full-time cake making. She operates Creative Cakery out of her home near Fort Calhoun, Neb.
Bryan will usually bake a cake the night before it's needed, then frost it the next morning. While that sounds pretty straightforward, each cake presents its own challenges. The first is color.
"I always ask brides to go to a paint store. They usually have a certain color they're seeing. They can look through all of those colors and find the exact one."
And then there's the transportation. Cake and frosting aren't the most durable mediums in the world.
"That's the most nerve-racking part of the whole process," she said. "You get it just right, then you have to take it somewhere."
In case of emergency, Bryan always has a fix-it kit. It contains a full recipe of frosting, plus the necessary tools to make repairs. So far, she's had to repair only one "disaster."
"I had this layered cake with chocolate ganache filling. By the time I got to the hall, the top layer had dislodged from the bottom. It was 5 inches too short. I had four hours to get it done, so I repositioned the cake, peeled off the parts that were screwed up and then redecorated."
Here, Bryan draws out the branches of what will become a cherry tree complete with blossoms.
Sarah Bryan runs Creative Cakery out of her home near Fort Calhoun, Neb. Bryan makes custom cakes in her spare time, but she hopes to turn it into a full-time business.
Published Wednesday February 4, 2009
My Wacky Job: Many layers to building a career in cake
BY BRYAN REDEMSKE
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
After the "I do's" and the dress, the cake is among the most important details of a wedding.
Brides often have a very specific look in mind. It's up to Sarah Bryan to make it happen. By day, Bryan coordinates the Sharing Clinics at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. In her spare time, she creates custom cakes.
It all started about two years ago when a co-worker told Bryan about a cake-decorating class.
"I was pregnant and bored," Bryan said. "I thought, 'Why not?' I absolutely loved it."
The class set Bryan on a path she hopes will someday lead to full-time cake making. She operates Creative Cakery out of her home near Fort Calhoun, Neb.
Bryan will usually bake a cake the night before it's needed, then frost it the next morning. While that sounds pretty straightforward, each cake presents its own challenges. The first is color.
"I always ask brides to go to a paint store. They usually have a certain color they're seeing. They can look through all of those colors and find the exact one."
And then there's the transportation. Cake and frosting aren't the most durable mediums in the world.
"That's the most nerve-racking part of the whole process," she said. "You get it just right, then you have to take it somewhere."
In case of emergency, Bryan always has a fix-it kit. It contains a full recipe of frosting, plus the necessary tools to make repairs. So far, she's had to repair only one "disaster."
"I had this layered cake with chocolate ganache filling. By the time I got to the hall, the top layer had dislodged from the bottom. It was 5 inches too short. I had four hours to get it done, so I repositioned the cake, peeled off the parts that were screwed up and then redecorated."
Here, Bryan draws out the branches of what will become a cherry tree complete with blossoms.
Sarah Bryan runs Creative Cakery out of her home near Fort Calhoun, Neb. Bryan makes custom cakes in her spare time, but she hopes to turn it into a full-time business.
Nerdapalooza!
This last weekend, David and I headed off with our good friends (Joe & Tabby) to Des Moines, Iowa, for the Iowa Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association annual conference. As exciting as high-tunnel growing and proper sanitation sounds to the average non-grower, we had a BLAST!
The highlight of the trip was visiting Jennie & Kevin Heileson (Jennie is my cousin) and their family. They were VERY gracious hosts (so much so, we may just have to go back - that will teach them to be so hospitable) and Jennie is a fantastic cook! She just secured a spot on my "idol" list!
One of the perks of the trip was getting to split up our group and do whatever we want whenever we want. David hit the conference circuit all three days and the rest of us went on short adventures. It helps that Jennie's girls are close to Adam's age. We went to the Maytag Blue Cheese Dairy farm where we were fed cheeses of all kinds and shown the history and process of making their world-famous blue cheese. I even tried the stuff - and though I still don't like it because of the tanginess, I could appreciate the high quality. David, the blue-cheese fiend, got a wedge from Adam for his Birthday.
Addy, Daisy, Adam & Brinley at the Maytag Blue Cheese Farm in Newton, IA. Daisy is about 67 years old and made out of paper mache.
We also went to the Mall in West Des Moines and played at the play place there (as well as shopped and ate lunch until the various melt-downs indicated naptime). It was Adam's first exposure to slides and he LOVED it!
The highlight of the trip was visiting Jennie & Kevin Heileson (Jennie is my cousin) and their family. They were VERY gracious hosts (so much so, we may just have to go back - that will teach them to be so hospitable) and Jennie is a fantastic cook! She just secured a spot on my "idol" list!
One of the perks of the trip was getting to split up our group and do whatever we want whenever we want. David hit the conference circuit all three days and the rest of us went on short adventures. It helps that Jennie's girls are close to Adam's age. We went to the Maytag Blue Cheese Dairy farm where we were fed cheeses of all kinds and shown the history and process of making their world-famous blue cheese. I even tried the stuff - and though I still don't like it because of the tanginess, I could appreciate the high quality. David, the blue-cheese fiend, got a wedge from Adam for his Birthday.
Addy, Daisy, Adam & Brinley at the Maytag Blue Cheese Farm in Newton, IA. Daisy is about 67 years old and made out of paper mache.
We also went to the Mall in West Des Moines and played at the play place there (as well as shopped and ate lunch until the various melt-downs indicated naptime). It was Adam's first exposure to slides and he LOVED it!
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