Fun for Kids: Ollie Koala Playdate

Pop quiz.

It's another raw, dreary Sunday. Your toddler has his face pressed up against the french doors (again), pointing and saying "Ow-side! Ow-side!"

If you hear "There's A Party In My Tummy" one more time, you might put your head through the TV screen.

What do you do, man? What. Do. You. Do???

Shoot the hostage!

Wait, no! Sorry. That's only if Dennis Hopper's involved and out for revenge.

Go to Ollie Koala's!



Ollie Koala's is a cross between Chuck E. Cheese and Dave & Buster's. It's got all kinds of games (modified for younger children), as well as things like skeeball and a huge, hamster tube play area. They also have concessions with things like pizza, chicken fingers, soft pretzels and ice cream (and beer!).

Turtle was a little overwhelmed at first. The lights! The noise! The shrieking! The running! Heck, Mommy was a little overwhelmed, too.

But then we got him into a quiet area, settled him into a ride-on Tonka truck with his little girlfriend, H... And he warmed right up.



She adores him.



And he's all cool, showing off his mad driving skillz.



MacGyver just had to put him in the little NASA space shuttle.



And then he played his very first game of skee ball. We'll turn him into a Jersey boy yet!



After that, it was time to explore the play area.

K offered to take Turtle and H up if I watched her sweet baby, I. Being a flip flop junkie, I had no socks and wasn't sure if I should attempt it.

Getting up into the structure.



So high!



Totally a pro.



After a couple of rounds, I said "screw it!", chucked my flops, and did my turn with the little ones.

H went down the slide like a big girl!



Followed by a slightly less together me! And Turtle!



Taking on a whack-a-mole type game.



MacGyver lends a hand.



So all in all, it was a great day. We were ALL exhausted by the time we left. Not for every day, of course, but it was the perfect solution to keep the wee ones occupied and their minds off the fact that they couldn't be outside.

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Fun for Kids: Valentine Shaker

A mommy friend pointed out this adorable Valentine Shaker craft from No Time for Flashcards, and hosted a wonderful playdate so a few moms and little ones could get together and make their own.

First, draw a heart on the back of a paper plate.



And then let your little ones paint both that plate and the back of a second plate.



Red was the color du jour.



Turtle wasn't interested at first, but then he realized he couldn't let everyone else have all the fun.



He even sprinkled on some glitter.



Sparkly!



Little B, going to town.



And then we let the paint dry (No Time for Flash Cards suggests botting with a paper towel to speed the process. We just played).

Cut out the heart shape with a pair of scissors.



So the top of your shaker looks like this.



And then tape a piece of cellophane to the back of the heart cut out.



This was about the time in the day when J wanted to climb my legs. How can you resist that face?



Fill the bottom paper plate with pom poms, jingle bells, rice, beads... whatever you have on hand.



Seal the edges with tape, glue, staples or whatever you like.



And you have a fun Valentine's Shaker!



And plus, a yummy roll of tape to chew on :)



Thanks for the great day, ladies! We had so much fun!

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Recipe: Rigatoni with Brussel Sprouts and Bacon

Tonight, I dared to be different.

I wish I could take all the credit, but I can't.

This particular inspiration came from Mandy, over at Harper's Happenings.



I came across this blog when Mandy appeared as a guest blogger on The Heir to Blair, and I haven't really looked back.

The deal is, I hate brussel sprouts and MacGyver loves them. I have refused to make them thus far. The very thought of their nasty little cabbage selves steaming away, violating my stove, is the cause of great consternation. Mind you, I'm the girl who makes her husband cook his own damn corned beef on St. Patrick's Day. Outside. Lecturing him about how the Irish don't even EAT corned beef. And if he had half an Irish bone in his body, he'd just get a Guiness and forget all about the whole thing.

But I digress.

When I saw Mandy's Rigatoni with Brussel Sprouts and Bacon, I noticed immediately that it had the Two B's. Bacon and Butter.

And so I decided I would be an awesome wife, live on the edge, and make MacGyver happy.

He expressed his eternal gratitude by bringing home pinot noir and making a yummy bruschetta.

First, put slices of bread on a foil-lined baking sheet (this is Publix 7-grain baguette). Brush with olive oil and broil for 5 minutes or so.



Add slice of tomato and fresh mozzarella.



Return to broiler with a sprinkle of basil (I have not yet replaced our fresh basil, so forgive the ugly dried stuff) and broil until the cheese is all nice and melty.



And then we move on to the main course.

The offending brussel sprouts. Washed, dried, and ready to be quartered.



Melt some butter and minced garlic in a saute pan.



Add your quartered brussel sprouts to the pan.



While the brussel sprouts are cooking, start up your rigatoni (13 minutes for super al dente).



Continue cooking the brussel sprouts until you start seeing this beautiful golden color on the edges.



Add in your bacon. However much you like. I believe more is better.



I took another picture because it just looked so darn good.



Drain the rigatoni and toss with some more butter, fresh ground pepper and kosher or sea salt.



Toss together with the brussel sprouts/bacon mixture and transfer to a serving dish. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and serve.



It was surprisingly simple, hearty and tasty.

MacGyver thanks you, Mandy!

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MacGyver on Child-Rearing

MacGyver is a great daddy. I can honestly say that I have very few (if any) complaints about him as a father. He is devoted and completely involved with Turtle. He takes time every single day to spend time with his son, and he enjoys every second of it. It's a ridiculously beautiful thing.

I'm very lucky. We're very lucky.

However, there are times when I do raise an eyebrow in his general direction.

Like the day when Turtle apathetically picked at breakfast, lunch and dinner (even though I tempted him with macaroni and cheese) and I come to find out that maybe, just maybe, it was because MacGyver had managed to stuff him with two macaroons, a chocolate chip cookie and half a cupcake in the less than 60 minutes they were hanging out alone that day.

That totally got "the look."

But it really makes me wonder.

Where does my baby daddy get his parenting ideas?

I firmly believe that one can't be taught how to mother or father from a book. It's just not that easy. That being said, I love researching different ideas, opinions and styles, because I do get lots of great ideas that may not have come to me naturally. There are also things I am not an expert on, and research for more information so that I can make educated and informed decisions on behalf of Turtle and my family.

For the most part, MacGyver seems content to let me take the lead. On the one hand, it's nice, because I'm not faced with opposition for things in which I believe. On the other, it's a lot of pressure to make sure I'm making the "right" decision (and like the SAT's, there's never a right answer, only a best answer).

But there are times when he digs in his heels, and makes a "Grand Parenting Declaration."

"You're going to spoil him if you give him that piece of bagel when he hasn't finished his breakfast."

"He's just mad that he's in bed. If you get him now, he's going to remember that and keep doing it."

"He has to learn X, Y, or Z."

And I think of the copy of Golf's Sacred Journey on his nightstand, and how it would be covered with a year's worth of dust if not for the weekly swipe with the rag it gets from me. And the fact that the last time I saw him crack a book was... never. And how he glazes over when I broach the topic of gentle discipline as opposed to spanking and try to discuss the best ways to give a time out for his age and for what behavior such a thing is appropriate.

That's when it strikes me.

He's getting advice from somewhere.

And I bet it's Rex Ryan.



There are very few people MacGyver really listens to. But he can watch and rewatch every single Rex Ryan press conference with a somewhat disturbing reverence, from start to finish. He rewinds if he misses a word, a gesture, a subtle blink. He absorbs.

This is why I'm convinced that MacGyver is constantly referring to a very top secret tome: "The Rex Ryan Guide to Rearing Children." I bet he heard about it on the Howard Stern show on Sirius, and had to pay with his Visa or Mastercard, $19.99 plus $5.99 shipping, and had to wait 6-8 weeks for delivery (obviously to a different address so it was not intercepted and destroyed. By me.).

Important chapters probably include "Don't Eat Hot Dogs in Someone Else's Playground" and "Toddlers Shouldn't Cry. But Daddies Can."

The crux of his philosophy can be summed up by this: "You’ve heard of KISS philosophy (keep it simple stupid) but we’re going to have a KILL philosophy .. keep it likeable and learnable. We’re going to make mistakes, but we’re going to make them full speed. We’re going to be an attack team..."

Which fully explains why MacGyver reacts first and asks questions later. And a million other seemingly inexplicable things. And which is why, when I find this manual (and don't worry, I will), I'm sending it back to its creator with a little PostIt "love" note.

So moms, if my story sounds at all familiar in regards to your partner, keep an eye out. You especially want to be aware of Lane Kiffin's "Commitment Is Golden, Until You Get A Better Offer" and the Brett Favre/Urban Meyer compilation "All Done! Just Kidding! Maybe!" (please note, the latter provides great insight into your toddler's mindset, so might be worth holding on to)

And as for MacGyver, who is treating himself to his Saturday morning couch-nap, well, he is slowly coming to the realization that Rex is no match for his wife. It's a good thing.

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Potty Training: The Prologue

THE SITUATION: Tomorrow, Turtle is going to be 22 months old. He is growing at an alarming rate (translation = he'll be too big for normal diapers soon). His "interest" in Potty-Related Happenings is limited to declaring "POOP!" when I walk in his room to get him from nap (as if the smell wasn't a clue, buddy), and shoving his way into the bathroom with me and asking to wash his hands.

(Interesting side note: he seems deathly afraid of the flush noise in public restrooms, which he deals with my promptly affixing himself to my leg).

THE PLAN: Introduce a Potty Chair. The thought process is that if we just have it around, he will get used to it and not be so intimidated when the time comes. We

THE SUPPLIES:

#1. The Fisher Price Cheer for Me! Potty.
It sings. It's bilingual. It has a shiny silver handle and a pull-out rod to hold a roll of toilet paper. Yes. I folded the TP in a point. I judge myself for that, thank you very much. The only thing this bad boy doesn't do is get rid of the excrement for you. Bummer.



#2. The "Potty Cookie"
If you are friends with me on FaceBook (and you should be), you would have seen "Potty Cookie" on my list of things to buy today.

You know you want to ask.

It came up in a hurried phone conversation with my mother this morning. I mentioned our intentions for the Great Potty Chair Introduction of 2010, and she was all enthused.

Mom: Now get the one that sits on its own. Not the one that goes on the actual toilet seat.
Me: Ok.
Mom: Oh, and don't forget the "potty cookie."
Me: Ok. Wait. What the hell is a "potty cookie"????
Mom: You know. It goes in the bowl. It's a duck. Or a boat. And they can pee on it.
Me: Oooohh! Ok. A lot of people say you can just use cheerios or froot loops.
Mom: But, honey. What if he decides he wants to *eat* them?

You got me there, Mom. I never, in a million years, would have thought that urine-dappled cereal oh's might be tempting. But now that you mention it, I can see where you're coming from.

So, "potty cookies" are probably a thing of the past (I confess. I couldn't bring myself to ask.), but they had these wonderful Piddlers, right there next to the potty chairs. Dubbed as "toilet targets" and boasting that they are all kinds of safe and biodegradable, I figured they would be just fine.



#3. Reinforcements

Look. I've got MacGyver on my team. And after last night's run around of "So he's going to sit on this?"-"Yes."-"Like sit on the seat?"-"Yes." "So he'll sit?"-"YES!!!" "Well. What if he has to take a leak?"

So, yeah. Reinforcements.




HOW IT'S PLAYING OUT.

While MacGyver and Turtle were enjoying a bite of macaroni & cheese at The Loop, I put Mr. Potty together. I turned my back for approximately 7.3 seconds and turned back to find Bentley toilet papering the house.



He's shameless.



Then we introduced Turtle (and Original Monkey) to his new friend. Notice, no toilet paper.



He found some "reading material" (the back of the World Trade Center DVD), and kind of chilled for a while.



So that's where we're at. We're not pushing anything for right now. MacGyver spent some time on the phone with my mom tonight, reviewing "Potty Cookies" for the umpteenth time, and getting all manner of tricks and fun stories. Apparently, I got actual money for peeing in the potty, and dragged around a beer bottle bank as tall as myself to collect. (This is a practice I'm seriously considering reinstating, btw).

I'm cautiously optimistic.

But I have an Ace in the Hole.

Mom and Dad will be here from February 28 through March 16.

Who wants to bet that Turtle will be confidently sporting Batman underoos by March 12?

(And also, do they even make underoos anymore? Because if they don't, that's just a shame).

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$5 e-gift card for Babies R Us! Today only!

Run, do not walk, to Facebook and Become a Fan of Babies R Us!

A mommy friend of mine has advised that today only, for becoming a fan, Babies R Us is offering a $5 e-gift card, good for in-store and online purchases. All you have to do is fill out your name, email address and physical address, and BRU will email your e-gift card (within a couple of days, according to the ad). The e-gift card expires 2/20/2010, so plenty of time for shopping.

Hurry, to get yours!

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