Gourmet Cuisine

On Wednesday, I went to the grocery store to pick up more baby food for Hannah. I was looking for more interesting blends that don't include strawberries (because I don't need another child with hives). And there, on the shelf, I noticed this:Yes, veal for babies. Let's ignore the fact that many people think veal is inhumane. I personally don't care for it. The one time I had veal, I found it to be very tough. I just don't understand who is buying veal for their infant. Are their taste buds really that refined that they notice a difference between veal and beef? I mean, the meat baby foods all basically look and smell like cat food. I couldn't even bring myself to subject Hannah to them until the doctor said I could buy the ones blended with other stuff (chicken and rice, beef and vegetables, etc.). So, who in their right mind is buying these tiny jars of veal? And, what's next. . . lobster? Caviar?

Love, The Trahans

The Dancing Trahans

There isn't anything to say about this video. It is, as the title of this post states, video of the Trahans dancing. Or, three of the four of us (Mike capturing the video in all its chaos). We started by videoing Hannah making silly noises. Then Mikie wanted us to video him being Mikie (which was a combination of bouncing, playing leap frog from the furniture to the trampoline, and dancing). Somehow, Mike ended up breaking out the iPod, and we all started dancing to Scooby Doo.

It is cute to see Hannah dancing and giggling to Mikie's moves.

Love, The Trahans

The Blob

Hannah is a little blob. A cute blob, but a blob none the less. At eight months, she has made no attempt to crawl. She is content to sit where she is and enjoy being doted on. And, unfortunately (due to her cuteness and generally pleasant disposition), EVERYONE dotes on her. We bring her toys, food, coddle her when she makes a sad face. It isn't just Mike, Mikie and I who are guilty. Daycare workers, even the other babies in her class. Hannah sits in one place, and I watch the other kids crawl or walk over to her. Someone takes her toy; Hannah looks sad, and either the other child gives it back or the teacher comes to her rescue.

Of course, I end up feeling like a jerk when I don't jump to attention. Because I have to get two kids ready for school each morning (in addition to attempting to make myself look presentable), I have to leave them to play. Some mornings, Hannah has no issue playing with her toys (or watching Mikie play with her toys). However, if she sees me look over at her, the sad face appears, followed shortly thereafter by sobs implying "How could you abandon me, leaving me with this crazy kid?"Forget trying to encourage her to crawl. Lay her on her stomach, and the sobs are accompanied by the pathetic head-into-the-carpet move. "Don't worry. . . I'll be okay. . . I'm sure I won't suffocate even though I can't move and seem to have forgotten to turn my head to the side so I can breath without swallowing carpet fibers." If only she hadn't inherited Mikie's flair for the dramatic. . .

Since encouraging her to crawl appears futile, I try to encourage the one activity she loves. . . walking. She hasn't mastered her footwork and frequently steps on her own feet (she inherited my grace too). Here is a video of Hannah walking to Mike. Before we grabbed the camera, she looked like a pirate, moving one leg and dragging the second behind. After we turned on the camera, she started lifting both legs, in a homage to the tango.

My apologies to my parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. Only now do I realize how much back pain you must have suffered in an effort to keep me happy. If I didn't fear for her life as it is, I would teach Mikie how to help her walk.

Love, The Trahans

Where is Thumbkin?

We must be the most juvenile parents ever. Mikie came home from school the other week and sang a new song he learned in music class. Every kid learns it: "Where is Thumbkin?" Because we are thirty going on thirteen (or maybe we have too much stress in our lives), Mike and I nearly peed our pants watching Mikie sing this song. I couldn't imagine the music teacher keeping a straight face while eighteen kids waved their middle fingers gleefully in her face. So, we did what any responsible parent would do. We made him sing it two more times until we got a decent video of it for him to enjoy when he is thirty. Other than watching the effort and concentration put into making sure he has the right fingers up, my favorite part is the shout out to Auntie Katie at the end.

Yes, little things amuse me. . .

Love, The Trahans

Tiny Dancer

At daycare, they have a little ballet barre and mirror for the babies in Hannah's class to use to pull themselves up on. And, in Hannah's case, make smiley faces at each other. Hannah LOVES to stand at the barre and smile proudly to anyone who will pay attention, a look that says "Look at me, I can stand by myself. And I'm cute too!"

So, I couldn't help myself when I saw these tutus at Carter's this weekend. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the shirt I intended her to wear with it. So, the outfit may look more reminiscent of Sarah Jessica Parker in "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" than prima ballerina from Julliard. Of course, I've seen women wearing leg warmers and side ponytails recently, along with stirrup pants at Walmart. If the 80s is making a comeback, maybe she is right on trend.

Love, The Trahans

The Three Little Pigs Revisited

Every evening, I ask Mikie what he did at school that day. At five, he already wants to volunteer as little about his life as possible. Begrudgingly, he volunteers five things. Well, volunteers in that he can't watch cartoons until he tells me five things he did. . .

Today, the first story he told me was how they read "The Three Little Pigs". Afterwards, they all made houses that were as strong as they could make it.

Mom: "So, what did you design your house out of?"

Mikie: "Hot lava!"

Mom: confused "No, I mean, one pig built his house of straw, another used twigs. . ."

Mikie: "Yeah, but we didn't have to use the same stuff. We could use ANYTHING."

Mom: "So you used hot lava."

Mikie: "Yeah."

Mom: "But why would you use lava."

Mikie: "Well, I thought about using logs tied together with vines. But than I decided to use lava. Because it's so hot, it's on fire. The wolf won't ever be able to get in the house because he would burn on fire!"

Mom: unable to argue with the logic. . . "But, if the house is made of lava, how would you get inside?"

Mikie: "Through the secret door. It's just a regular door NOT made of lava, but it's hidden in the back. And, you can only open it if you say the secret password. Do you want to know what the secret password is?"

Mom: "Sure, what?"

Mikie: "Open sesame."

Original. Even more amusing than his logic was watching Mike trying to rationalize with Mikie when we retold the story.

Mike: "Mikie, why didn't you use steel, or concrete."

Mom: "Don't try. I already went there. You can't argue with the logic. The wolf wouldn't be able to get in."

Mike: "Mikie, what did the other kids build their houses with."

Mikie: "Lots of stuff. Chris used lava too."

I can't wait until Mikie's in college and they are arguing/debating over Thanksgiving Dinner about some new design project Mikie is working on. . .

Love, The Trahans

Snow Bunny

As the "signs of fall are all around " (to quote Trouble) and the thermometer is dropping, it is time to break out the jackets and hats. Especially if you are tiny with a newly developing immune system.

So, Nibbles and I went to Old Navy in search of a fleece jacket for her afternoon walks. Jacket selection was slim, but this hat made the trip worth while:

Maybe I'm biased. . . I didn't think it was possible to make this face any cuter, until I put this hat on her head.

While I'm bragging about how cute she is, we entered Hannah in the Gap Casting Call. She can win a $1,000 gift card or a vacation. If you want to vote for her, click here.

Love, The Trahans

May the Force Be With You

Halloween is fast approaching. And, being that Mikie is obsessed with Star Wars, he insisted on being "Luke Skywalker". More specifically, Luke Skywalker in his flight costume with a blue lightsaber (or lightsaVer as Mikie calls it). Anticipating that Mike would decide he needed to get dressed up to take the kids trick-or-treating, I ordered him a costume also. Mike is going to be Darth Vader (taking the "Luke, I am your father" line to a whole new level). And, to finish out the Star Wars theme, Hannah is going to be an Ewok.

While I have had concerns that Hannah will despise me when she is older because I made her an Ewok instead of a Princess, I am now concerned that she would rather have been a Jedi like her brother:Mikie wanted someone to place Star Wars with, and he got his wish. Unfortunately, the lightsaber is bigger than she is, so it makes it difficult for her to "fight back". And, since Mikie has a fight scene choreographed in his head that includes pulling out your lightsaber and flicking it open, playtime included a lot of panic attacks on my part.

Days later, Mikie wanted to know if Hannah's costume came with a stick like in the movie. I told him, "No, and we aren't going to get her one either. She's just a baby." His response (in true Mikie fashion), "Well, we can get her a little gun instead." The kid has an answer for everything. . .

Love, The Trahans

Lady's Man

It's fall, and with the changing seasons comes our battle with croup. Last season, our pediatrician was kind enough to give us some prednisone to give him if he comes down with it at night to prevent having to go to the ER. So, when Mikie came home barking like a seal yesterday, we tried to give him the steroid. Unfortunately, he had such a bad outbreak that we drove to the ER anyway.

After a long night in the ER, Mike agreed to stay home with Trouble while I went to work to "relax" (note the sarcasm).

At lunch time, Mike called to let me know how the patient was doing. Instead of "hello", he started the conversation with "Your son is such a flirt." Yeah, cause he gets that from me. . . I naively ask, "Why, what did he do now?" convinced the answer would have something to do with a girl in the waiting room. The real answer: "He asked the doctor for her phone number and then invited her to his birthday party."

Someone should tell Hannah because he told her he was going to marry her when he grows up.

Love, The Trahans

Mommy's Little Helper

Cuteness alert. Hannah helped me do laundry recently. Somehow, I kept her from eating/drooling on Mikie's pajamas. Instead, she decided to show me her newest trick. . . Peek-a-boo. Cutest video ever.

Love, The Trahans

Moving Away

Mikie frequently threatens to "move to a different neighborhood." So, Mike was not surprised when Mikie got mad and threatened to move away. . .

Mikie: "I'm going to move to a different neighborhood."

Mike: "How are you going to get there."

Mikie: "I'll call a taxi."

Note: the irony here is that we don't have taxis near our house.

Mike: "Do you know the phone number?"

Mikie: "Yeah."

Mike: "What is it?"

Mikie: "Well, I'm not going to tell you!"

Mike: "What are you going to wear for clothes?"

Mikie: "I'm going to wear MY clothes."

Mike: "So you're going to take those with you?"

Mikie: "Yeah, I'm going to take my drawers. I'm going to take ALL my clothes. And, I'm going to take all my toys too."

Mike: "Well, then you better get a U-Haul instead of a taxi."

The logic here is priceless. I don't know which one of them was worse.

Love, The Trahans