October 10th, 2011

Bedtime. Again. Again.

I think this is my fourth post on the subject of Spencer and sleeping, but I’m really too lazy to go back and hunt them all down. Clearly SEO and inter-linking is a huge priority, no wonder I am totally cracking into the upper echelon of blogging. Like a bullet. Ahem.  So, bedtime. It sucks.

I really thought that bedtime wouldn’t still be a problem at 2 and a quarter. I’m not sure what I thought would have happened, but I thought this would all be worked out by now. I honestly think one of my biggest parenting mistakes (up to know) is not sleep training Spencer when he was younger. I mentioned this on twitter during a little bout of bedtime rage and someone countered with, can you just do it now? Honestly, I have no idea.

We have a routine. Bath and jammies downstairs with Dad and then I take him up pretty quickly. Spencer turns on the lights. We read books: Otis, Click Clack Moo, Goodnight Gorilla, Brown Bear, counting book, puppy book, and the mirror page from Pat the Bunny. Spencer turns out the light. We cuddle up on the chair for a sippy of milk and quiet time. And here is where it gets variable.

He may fall asleep at this point, but it is unlikely. If he is tired, he’ll ask to be transferred to the crib for some back-rubs hand-holding and drift off to sleep. Or, I might sing Puff the Magic Dragon, Barges and Twinkle, Twinkle over and over again for 20 minutes only to have him ask for more milk in the crib. Lather, rinse repeat. For up to two hours.

I have tried ever so briefly to leave him in the crib to see what happens. Mostly because sometimes in our 2 hour bedtime-a-thons, I have to pee. What happens is standing, angry crib rail shaking and much, much yelling. Once I hid in the bathroom for 5 additional minutes to see what happened. The yelling just got louder.

So, I have questions. People who never sleep trained, did your child just magically figure out how to go to sleep one day on their own or do you coddle cuddle them to sleep until they leave for college. Should I wait until his imminent switch to a bed to try anything? Help me, internets.

October 9th, 2011

Week in Pictures: Introducing the robot of the week!

I thought I would add a new feature within a feature to this little post. Since I have to draw endless amounts of robots on the patio, I’m going to show off the best one each week in this post. Awesome, lucky you.

He's obsessed with the tire ramp, but can't quite do it yet.

Train ATTACK

We decided to take Spence up to the hill trails in the park.

Of course, I was wearing ballet flats.

Donations!

This chair has had a pile of crap on it since last winter.

Hit the park after preschool on Thursday.

Diaper + train + rainboots = toddler

See also: blue mustache

good morning sunshine.

Mr Potato Bed

Robot of the week!

So, per Spencer’s request, I drew the above robot: Spencer-light-bulb-head robot with a mustache holding a Mr Potatohead.

Linking up with Amy for week in phone pics!

October 7th, 2011

Easiest Banana Bread Ever

I know, I know, you all are thinking – how hard is banana bread, why does it need to be easy? Here’s the thing: I don’t always want to get out the stand mixer. I don’t own a hand mixer and most banana bread recipes call for mixers. I never know if they need a mixer or the author is just mechanically because it’s their preferred method mixing. So, I’ve been working on this one and it can be made with a bowl and a big spoon. That’s right, banana bread made with one bowl, one spoon (or spatula), a pan, and measuring utensils. (I am also too lazy to mix the dry ingredients separately. I usually find out with a disastrous first batch with the separate mixing is required, not desired.)

Also, this bread is moist. Very moist. If you like your banana bread light and fluffy, just run away now. There’s yogurt and applesauce in this banana bread. It’s one of the most moist, dense and delicious banana breads that I’ve ever made. Sometimes the top gets sticky leftover. Of course, this is rarely an issue because the toddler and I can devour a pan of banana bread through the course of one day.

Easiest Banana Bread Ever

makes 1 pan

1 cup mashed banana -about 2 large or 3 medium
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup apple sauce
1/4 cup oil
2 eggs
3/4 cup brown sugar lightly packed
1 cup white sugar
1/2 vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups flour
cinnamon sugar (I keep a jar mixed in the pantry, but if you need to make some, mix 1 teaspoon cinnamon with 2 teaspoons white sugar and use any leftover on some toast.)

1. Butter and flour a loaf pan and preheat oven to 325.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mash bananas. I like to mash each banana in the bowl, then sccop it out and put it in the measuring cup and then dump it all back in the bowl when I reach 1 cup.
3. Add yogurt and mix well, breaking up any remaining chunks of banana.
4. Add apple sauce, oil, eggs, sugars, vanilla, baking soda and salt mixing very well after each ingredient.
5. Add flour 1/2 cup at a time, gently stirring the flour in with each addition.
6. Pour the batter in to the prepared pan, smoothing the top.
7. Sprinkle the top generously with cinnamon sugar
8. Bake for 45-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in to the center comes out clean.
9. Let cool in the pan for at least an hour and then stuff it in to your face. (I slice and serve from the pan, but if you want to pop the whole loaf out, slice around the edges and invert onto a plate (or your hand) and then flip back on to another plate.)

October 6th, 2011

600th post and all about me from A to Z.

This right here is my 600th post on Baby Baby Lemon. Which isn’t a super significant number, but it is a round number and those are worth celebrating. Then I got all hung up on what I would write to mark such a (non)momentous occasion and realized that it was the perfect time for everyone’s favorite blogging feature – a MEME!

I’d actually seen this one somewhere and thought it was cute, but then I forgot who and couldn’t find the questions. But my lazy self lucked out and Krystal just posted it, so here we go – Amy A to Z.

A. Age: 37 I’m old, yo.
B. Bed size: king. Not a Cal King, but a King, which in California is problematic. No one sells standard king stuff. No one.
C. Chore that you hate: Vacuuming, but I don’t mind the dust-buster.
D. Dogs: None. And I will call the city on your unleashed dog. I have the number in my phone. I’m *that* mom.
E. Essential start to your day: Coffee, Cuddles, Bubble Guppies.
F. Favorite color: Plaid.
G. Gold or Silver: Silver. Except my mom’s gold + amethyst jewelry, but only for sentimental reasons. I hate both gold and purple. I should get that stuff reset.
H. Height: 5 feet 9 inches. I was a tall kid, but now I just feel normal height. I stopped growing in 7th grade.
I. Instruments you play: None. I am delusional and think I would be a famous rock star if only my parents could have afforded lessons. Or instruments. We will disregard my tone deafness.
J. Job title: Classified
K. Kids: Spencer, Age 2.25
L. Live: Coastal Southern California, just suburban enough for there to be nothing to do.
M. Mother’s name: Jane. Also my mother-in-law’s name. I imagine if we had Spencer’s sooner, this would have led to lots of sitcom like grandma jane hijinks.
N. Nicknames: Very few. My sister called my Abers. I loathe Aim. Amy is just not that long, no need for a  nickname.
O. Overnight hospital stays: as a child for adenoid surgery as an adult for birthing.
P. Pet peeves: Bicyclists  on sidewalks, running stop signs and generally refusing to obey traffic laws.
Q. Quote from a movie:As for what anybody else thinks, always remember these words and live by them: screw ‘em! {Angus}
R. Right or left handed: Right.
S. Siblings: 1 sister, older
T. Time you wake up: Currently, the alarm clock toddler goes off between 645 and 715, not sure what will happen with the time change.
U. Underwear: 100% cotton. Always.
V. Vegetable you hate: Mushrooms. Wait, that’s a fungus.
W. What makes you run late: The men in my life.
X. X-Rays you’ve had: Teeth (horrible), Ankle (not broken), Lungs (for work)
Y. Yummy food that you make: Soups and Salads. Obviously.
Z. Zoo animal: Elephants. I notoriously wanted to be a zoo keeper as a child until we went to the zoo and I freaked out about the size of the elephant poo balls.

V should have been for Vampire Mommy Robot. Obviously.