MiniMaple Singing and Silliness

From a few months ago, but I'm just getting around to posting it!




The song is "Colors of the Rainbow" from Signing Time.

Happy New Year!

May 2008 bring you and yours peace,
health and happiness.
Best wishes from the "Maples" for
a wonderful new year!

A big thanks, and cc2.0a-nc-sa attributions, to the following image contributors
to my mosaic: Leo Reynold, raybob, El Ramon, marie-ll, Claudecf, mag3737 , and cenz.

Minimaple buns...

...are now using the POTTY! Friday, our Kohler Family Seats arrived, and MrMaple quickly installed them. MiniM immediately wanted to sit down and try it out - and he did!

Yesterday, Saturday, was our first official day. We cranked up the woodstove, and the diaper (and pants) came off. It was quite entertaining to see Mini running around half naked all day, but it worked! He used the toilet ALL day, NO messes, and he did it himself without prompting or reminders!

We created a reward chart (below)--a red oreo cookie (his favorite) for peeing on the potty - with a Thomas passenger car or Hot Wheels car on the 5th attempts, and a Hot Wheels car for every poopy on the potty--which he was a little too driven to complete. We had to explain that running to the potty ever 5 minutes to do 2 drops of pee does not mean another sticker on his chart. I guess he gets that from me--since when I was told I could only bring one--not all--stuffed animal to bed as a child, I just took my largest animal and tied all of the others on top of it. Anyhow, the ultimate reward at the end of the day was Thomas the Tank Engine underpants, which he was VERY proud of!


Anyhow - we'll see how day 2 (underpants only, no other pants though) proceeds, but we are glad we waited this long (he turns 3 in February) as he seems to be truly ready and embracing the process. We are VERY proud parents today!

Animoto video

Enjoy!

Tidbits

** I JUST came to the realization yesterday that a pint of Ben & Jerry's fits beautifully in my car's cupholder. This is DANGEROUS information to have.

**One of the many reasons I enjoy working on a college campus.

**See minimaple in action on YouTube!



**MrMaple got us a new family toy. So far this is mini's favorite widget on it. And don't forget to click on it - you know you want to!

Our Day Out with Thomas

Highlights from our "Day Out with Thomas"

at the Upper Hudson River Railroad
in North Creek, NY on Sunday, May 20, 2007.

For captions, and scalable images, visit this album on Picasa web albums.

Blizzard Baby

Most of you did not know that MrMaple and I were expecting again. That Valentine blizzard , and snow day at home, brought us a blessing. Unfortunately, we learned during an ultrasound yesterday that our little one was not growing and her/his heart had stopped beating just shy of nine weeks.

We have been through this before, but it does not make it any easier. I had made room in my heart for this little soul, and starting looking towards their November arrival. I don't know if it was the thought of this child being created on a day that celebrates love, or while snowed in all cozy at home in front of the fire, that made this baby seem particularly magical.

Regardless, in the spirit of "good grief," MrMaple and I will yet again participate in the March of Dimes WalkAmerica. If you are so inclined, you can sponsor our walk here. Your monetary help, no matter how small, can truly make a difference in the life of a baby. Consider this:

• $100 could help 10 families with babies in neonatal intensive care learn how to care for their baby when he/she comes home.
• $760 could provide prenatal care classes for 15 pregnant women.
• $3,800 could fund a program to help 180 pregnant women quit smoking.
• $150,000 could provide a research grant to study malfunctioning genes responsible for many birth defects.
• $482,700 could provide a multi-year grant to study variations in genes of mothers and babies that might trigger premature birth.

I'd like to send a shout out to the wonderful Moms on the BabyCenter "November 07 Thankfuls" board. You ladies have been a wonderful source of support as we all wade through expecting November babies together after a previous loss. I will miss being your moderator, but I wish you all a happy and healthy nine months.

Lastly, I'd like to thank my husband for being there, loving me, even when I push you away. Your love makes it possible for me to see beyond this pain, and celebrate the wonderful family and home we have together. I love you.

Mine!

I was sitting in the big, comfy chair in our playroom. MrMaple squeezed in next to me and snuggled warmly. We watched lovingly as our son played with his wooden trains, and MrMaple nestled his head against my chest.

Upon witnessing this, MiniMaple came over, pushed his father away from my breast and declared, with one of his few words, "Mine!"

Movie Still from Finding Nemo. TM & © 1995- 2007 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

A New You for the New Year

So I had my Weight Watchers at Work weigh-in today, and my efforts to limit holiday sweets intake seems to have succeeded! I lost 2.8 pounds bringing my total loss to date to 17.8 pounds.

At starting WW in mid-October, I made two short-term goals for myself:

1. Lose 10 lbs in a month and
2. Lose 15 lbs. by Christmas.
   

I succeeded on both fronts a little early and fairly easily. So I'm going to push myself a little harder and see if I can...

1. Lose a total of 30 lbs. by miniMaple's birthday, February 21st.

That would be 12.2 lbs. over the next 7 weeks. It would also push me past my 10% milestone.

Research shows that losing 10% of your total body weight can have a significant effect on your overall health, including lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and a lower risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes or Heart Disease.

As our meeting leader reminded us today, "Weight loss and maintenance is not a resolution, but a lifestyle change." May we all be a little healthier this year!

Happy New Year 2007!

As my family slept peacefully, I watched Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve for the first time in several years. MrMaple and I generally perform in local First Night celebrations, but found ourselves having a quiet family night a home this year.

I apparently fell off the planet 2 years ago, because I somehow missed the news that Dick Clark had suffered a stroke. I must applaud his courage and professionalism for returning to the Rockin' Eve. It was great to see him in his element, and realize he still is "America's Oldest Teenager."

But as I lay on the sofa, watching the festivities in Times Square, and admiring our enormous Christmas Tree, I started thinking about resolutions. So here goes, in no particular order...

1. Continue Weight Loss. If the scale at home is right, I've lost another 2 lbs. over the holidays, bringing my total to 17 pounds.
   
2. Continue to strive for Family/Work Balance. This includes finding separate couple, parent and family times. I know this will be an everlasting goal - but worth mentioning here!
3. Get on a Sleep Schedule. I sleep erratically and struggle often with insomnia. I've been known to fall asleep sitting upright at my desk at work while sitting in front of my computer.
   
4. Find Time for Music. I would like to start doing something musically again - even if it is simply taking 10 minutes at work to play piano in one of the practice rooms next to my office.
5. Organize more time with Friends. This is two part - since we also need to find some local babysitters to make this successful.
6. Be a Better Blogger. I need to revisit my goal of a post every 3 days. And work on more thoughtful content. And read and comment on a more diverse group of blogs.
   

That's all I can think of at this late hour, so I guess I should really start working on these by addressing #3 above and hitting the hay.

I hope you had a lovely New Year's celebration and I wish you health, peace and happiness in 2007.

Photo Credit: AP Photo/Henny Ray Abrams

Ramblings and Insomnia

It's almost 3:30am, and I can't sleep. I think it is the sore throat/upper respiratory infection I get every year, which I affectionately call the "Christmas Crud". I've checked on a few friends blogs, posted some uninspired comments, and watched the fire in the woodstove, but have been unable to decide what I want to blog about. So here are some sleep-deprived ramblings...

I came downstairs after lying awake to see two bright boxes of light on the living room floor. They were coming from the skylights in our vaulted ceiling, and as I looked up, I saw a full moon staring back at me. It was a rather eerie yet peaceful moment. I imagine if someone were looking at me - I would appear to be on stage, under a square spot light, gazing upward.

This seemed very poetic to me at the time, but when I tried to creatively write about it - it seemed to lose its magic.

I've lost almost 14 pounds in 5 weeks on Weight Watchers. I am proud of this, but I have SO very far to go, and I don't really "feel" like I'm carrying around less weight and my clothes only fit marginally better. But I am doing the program at work, which is quite convenient and it has allowed me to meet some other women from the college - so that is an added bonus. Doing it at work is also healthier than the days my friend and I would weigh-in then go out for fast-food afterwards. (although I miss those days, Sierra)

MrMaple has received some outstanding job offers lately - and although I am insanely jealous of the fact that he will likely be telecommuting full-time - I am so very proud of my talented and brilliant hubby!

I miss singing. This time of year, especially. I used to manage a symphony chorus, sing in several community choirs and a cappella groups, and get paying gigs for solos and recording sessions. But since MiniMaple's arrival, I've felt strongly about spending my non-working hours at home. I was just offered a paid solo gig to do the alto solos at a Messiah sing-a-long, but between the "crud" and the fact that my voice is terribly out of practice, I think I will decline.

I am getting the music bug again, though, so I might have to spend a little time in one of the practice rooms next to my office and do some seasonal piano improvisations.

Ahhhh...my eyelids are finally getting heavy...

Giving Thanks

This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for so very much...

• My loving husband and beautiful son
• Our warm and cozy home
• My mother, for her love and generosity
• My grandparents, for their relative health , and traveling all the way to our new home
• My uncle, for being the calming presence in our family
• MrMaple's Mom, for braving my family and spending the holiday with us
• My first turkey and all the fixings (which I believe was a COMPLETE success!)
• The BOUNTY of food (despite my implicit instructions otherwise!)
  
• My will to eat yesterday in moderation (I've lost 11 lbs. this month)
• An interesting job in arts and education
  
• The beauty and wonder of Vermont
• The new democratic majority
• Sunshine and bright blue skies
• Living in a free society

And lastly, thank you my friends and readers, for sharing this journey with me, and I hope you each had a lovely Thanksgiving.

Butterball Hotline

One of my favorite West Wing moments was when President Bartlett called the Butterball Hotline (1-800-Butterball) to ask a question about stuffing in the turkey. (Episode: Indians in the Lobby)

Well, as I prepare to make my first major, family Thanks- giving dinner, I might just have to give them a call myself. Don't fear, however, Butterball also has a whole Holiday Cooking Guide online and even a Turkey Podcast!

I will be posting my whole holiday menu on my other blog if you want to cook along. The first recipe, Spicy Cranberry Chutney, is already up there. It's a great treat, especially as a spread on those leftover-turkey sandwiches.

Guests will include Mr. & MiniMaple, of course, my Mom, uncle and grandparents, Mr.Maple's Mom, plus possibly Sierra. If only I could make a wish on the drumstick BEFORE cooking the bird!

Photo by tallmariah

Safety in Numbers

This blog is usually for keeping in touch with friends, and to express the occasional opinion. This post is a departure in both content and mood. I have been writing it off and on for two weeks, and deliberated whether to post it at all. But it is important information, so I will share it now.


We recently had a horrific incident in Vermont. A college student went missing. Her parents were up visiting, and reported her missing when she didn't show up for dinner. She had spent the previous evening out on the town with friends. These friends gave an accurate description of what she was wearing down to her earrings. They had taken cell phone pics of her that night. They remember her asking to borrow some guy's cell phone around 2am when her phone's battery had died. A friend remembered her calling from this guy's phone - they traced the call. They found jewelry store security video footage of her walking with this guy using his phone. There were missing persons posters, news bulletins, and e-mails everywhere I turned. There was more info than any other missing persons case I've ever seen. Still, hikers found her body, on a trail near a popular swimming hole, a week later.

Yes, there probably is a false sense of security here in Vermont. Everyone is friendly and helpful. We don't have the same alarming violent crime rates as metropolitan areas. People run into gas station or markets and leave their cars running outside.

But terrible things happen even here in little Vermont. And I've been wondering how to teach MiniMaple about strangers. I want him to be wary - but not to the point he's screaming "stranger danger!" every time a little old lady smiles at him in the grocery check-out line.

But I might also not be the best role model for him. I was molested, as a teenager, by a stranger. I wonder even now how I let it happen - how he gained my momentary trust. And there are some small answers there - he knew my name. It was across the back of the t-shirt I was wearing. I was also in a strange environment, which I didn't know well - and I was inclined to believe/trust someone who "worked" there. I was lucky to be knocked unconscious during the rape and only have brief, incomplete memories. But it left my trusting nature, and my basic faith in human deceny, shattered.

According to a Mayo Clinic report, here are the numbers on abductions:

Missing children overview

• Of the 837,055 missing persons reported in 2001, an estimated 80 percent were children.
• About 99 percent were found within hours or days by usual law enforcement response.
• More than 7,000 children nationwide were missing for prolonged periods. (Sources: FBI, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children)
  

Nonfamily abductions

• In 1999, more than 50,000 children and adolescents were taken by nonfamily members by physical force or coercion for at least one hour.
• Ninety-one percent of nonfamily abductions lasted less than a day, with 29 percent lasting two hours or less.
• Classic nonfamily kidnappings pose the greatest risk of death or serious harm. About 100 children were kidnapped by nonfamily members in 1999.
  (Source: U.S. Department of Justice National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Thrownaway Children, 2002)

So what do I do to teach my son? Of course the usuals: I'll tell him not to accept anything from strangers (candy, a ride, etc.) If someone approaches him that he doesn't know, run to a parent or teacher. The National Crime Prevention Council also recommends the following:

In addition to teaching children how to recognize and handle dangerous situations and strangers, there are a few more things parents can do to help their children stay safe and avoid dangerous situations.

• Know where your children are at all times. Make it a rule that your children must ask permission or check in with you before going anywhere. Give your children your work and cell phone numbers so they can reach you at all times.
• Point out safe places. Show your children safe places to play, safe roads and paths to take, and safe places to go if there's trouble.
• Teach children to trust their instincts. Explain that if they ever feel scared or uncomfortable, they should get away as fast as they can and tell an adult. Tell them that sometimes adults they know may make them feel uncomfortable, and they should still get away as fast as possible and tell another adult what happened. Reassure children that you will help them when they need it.
• Teach your children to be assertive. Make sure they know that it'’s okay to say no to an adult and to run away from adults in dangerous situations.
• Encourage your children to play with others. There'’s safety in numbers!

And you can be certain, I won't be sending him out in a T-shirt with his name across the back.

MiniMaple's Words

This started as a list on a tiny piece of paper, but the paper is full now, and my memory is starting to lose track - so here it is for all to share - MiniMaple's words to date:

Spoken
Apple, ball, bath, blue, boo (as in peek-a-boo),
Bubble, bye, CAR (1^st word), cat, choo-choo (says "koo-koo"),
Cup, daddy, ducky, five, go,
Happy, hat, Hi, hoo (an owl), hot,
Kitty, milk, mine, mommy/mama, no,
O (the letter), “Oh Yeah”, out, pea (also pee & 'P'), pop,
Purple, rainbow (says "bainboo"), uh-oh, up


Signed
Airplane, all done, apple, baby, ball,
Bed, bird, blanket, block, car,
Catepillar, cereal, change, cheese, colors,
Cracker, dog, duck, eat, fish,
Five, go, grapes, happy, hat,
Helicopter, hungry, juice, leaf, lettuce,
Lion, MILK (1^st sign), moon, more, one,
Orange, pear, peas, please, popcorn,
Rain, rainbow, red, shoes, signing,
Sleep, snow, socks, sorry, stars,
Strawberry, sun, thank you, thirsty, time,
Train, Tree, water, your turn/my turn

For the records - MiniMaple is 20 months and we've VERY proud of him! If you are interested in teaching sign to your infant or toddler, we highly recommend "Signing Time" by Rachel de Azevedo Coleman.

Bizarre happenings...

The last few days have been wild, wonderful yet also quite weird...here's an overview:

1. Had dinner out with MrMaple, MiniMaple and Sierra Sedan recently. Great to see Sierra and as to be expected with a toddler, the meal was a little chaotic and rushed, but just as well. Since Sierra was home a little earlier than expected, she actually surprised and scared the burglar out of her home. I won't give away the details, as I'm sure she'll have plenty to blog about on the matter, but she is safe and sound, and is struggling to identify if something is actually missing. Please give her a shout out...
2. MrMaple's good friend Flayra is visiting from the west coast. SO great to see him...as it has been 3 years since his last visit. He arrived right on the heals of number 3 below...so we're wondering if he is our "good luck" charm (we were expecting after his last visit!)
3. We got a condolence card from our vet's office yesterday since they took down the "missing" poster for our cat Bailey. Well, not more than 10 minutes after reading their card, we got a call from a woman in the next town who saw a "found" cat poster that looked remarkably like a skinny version of our Bailey...so she was thoughtful enough to call us with the "found" number. MrMaple called "found" who said this cat has been coming around every few days or so to eat, but was currently not around. They will call if he comes around again, though!

Lastly, I've been contemplating how to be a better, more consistent blogger. My current goal is to post one day, comment on other's blogs another day, and write/research or rest the next. Hopefully that means you'll see something new here every 3 days or so. We'll see how well I do.

MiniMaple 's 1st Gig

Last Fall, I bought a wonderful hand-made sweater and hat set for MiniMaple at the local Farmer's Market. I took photos of him wearing this warm ensemble on a cool November afternoon. One of these photos is now featured on the knitwear's website!

K.D. Hill Knitwear: Hand Loomed Knitwear, Made in Vermont

Here are the other pictures from that leafy autumn day!

Toddler Tails

MiniMaple is absolutely crazy about animal tails. And they specifically need to be tails long enough to fit the length of his hand AND have a tuft of hair-like fur at the end. He used to caress the hair at the tip of the tail as a soother, but he has progressed to ear massage. Yes, I said ear massage.

MiniMaple now takes the tip of the animal's tail and caresses his ear with it. If he can find two animals with tails, he will do each ear. We even took him to the doctor, thinking this was his way of telling us he had an ear infection. But no, his ears are clear. He simply likes his tails.

As you can see from the pic above, he has lions with tails, cows and giraffes; even tail books. The latest addition to his "ear ark" is a cute, Vermont-made, grey donkey, we've named Eeyore . But this latest addition is my favorite. For when someone asks me what my son is doing (and if he's OK,) I can honestly tell them, "He's fine. He simply has his ass in his ear."

Mommy Blogging

When I first started blogging, I noticed some negativity toward "Mommy Bloggers" and for a while I made a conscious effort to avoid being labeled as one. But it is posts like this one that make me proud to say, "I am a Mom and I blog. Deal with it."

It’s just been one of those weeks…

So you may have noticed that I've been MIA a lot recently. It has been absolutely crazy around here…

Last Friday: First houseguest in our new home. Exciting, but the room we planned to use as a guest room was also the room, while moving in, we threw everything we didn't know where to put. Needless to say a lot of clean up, overhaul, bed set-up, decorating, etc. had to happen first. Luckily, this guest was a long-time friend (up for the next item) and quite forgiving!

Saturday: 20^th High School reunion. Fairly relaxed and informal, yet I realized how few true friends I actually had in my class. I participated in a lot of musical activities outside of school (youth orchestra, etc.) and that'’s where I made most of my closest friends. In my high school, most of my friends were either seniors when I was a freshman, or juniors when I was a senior. But I digress. It was great to see the people I was closest with, and interesting to see how my classmates had changed. The evening affair was followed by a family picnic the next day, which proved most fun however.

Sunday: Impromptu dinner party. Following the picnic, I invited our houseguest, plus a few friends back to the house. We'’ve had 1 or 2 people over to dinner in our new house, but never 5 adults and 2 babies before. I do feel it went fairly well, but a few "notes to self"” are in order:

• Move hors'dourves to dining table or living room. It’s hard to prepare while guests are surrounding your cooking counter.
• Enjoy the outdoors.– It was a great night, but we were all crowded around our little dining table, when we have a patio and picnic tables outside.
• Do NOT check your phone messages during a gathering (more on this later)
• 7 adults, 3 children, the oven on while cooking a veggie dish, summer heat, and a Mike'’s Hard Lemonade or two, make it a little warm in the kitchen! (or at least the chef!)
  

It was super, however, to see these folks, and allow our houseguest some extra time with family and friends.

Sunday/Monday: We realize we have not seen Bailey, one of our two Maine Coon cats, since Friday night. I call the animal hospital, MrMaple canvases our property and the neighborhood, but no kitty yet. We're hoping he's found a girl and they're shacked up in some boathouse down by the lake.

Monday/Tuesday: This is the phone message I listened to Sunday during our dinner party. Our daycare provider decided to change her schedule. She used to only be open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, but now she'’s switching her Tuesdays to Wednesdays to accommodate some changes in her son's special needs programming. While I completely respect and understand her decision, it has been a nightmare trying to reorganize our lives. I used to work Wednesdays from home, so I could spend more time with Minimaple. Switching this day to Tuesdays means asking up to 8 colleagues to rearrange weekly meetings; also sifting through up to a year of other committee events and personal appointments, and moving them to adjacent dates, plus also arranging for MrMaple or my Mom to take time off from work to watch Minimaple on the Tuesdays I have required events at work. While I'’m sure it will all work out, the hardest part was the asking. I feel already like my co-workers have been quite accommodating with my schedule, so asking them to flex even more made my ol' Catholic guilt resurface.

Wednesday: Minimaple and I spent the day canvassing the local animal hospitals, pet food stores, humane societies and local gathering places with fliers about our missing kitty Bailey. All told, we posted 20 fliers, over a span of 25 miles, within 5 hours. We have gotten at least two leads already, though!

Thursday: After a week of trying to find it, I realize, that I need to replace my ATM card. There were no customer service reps available at the bank, so the receptionist tried to assist me. 35 minutes and 6 incorrectly completed forms later, my account should be linked to the other ATM card I have at the bank (our old wedding account.) I've yet to see if this will actually work. Also, I suddenly realized that I scheduled vacation time for Friday-Tuesday. MrMaple and I don't have any plans, but I need the downtime. That being said,– the day was a rush of trying to get my work, my office, my LIFE, in order. I worked straight through lunch, and up until 5:55 (I don't think I even visited the restroom) and didn't get a third of the work done I wanted to. C'est la vie! AND - it's our wedding anniversary, too!

So now you know why I haven'’t been blogging. And you know MUCH more that you probably wanted to. But just jotting this down has been tremendously therapeutic, so thank you. And let's hope next week is quieter.

Updated: Why does the spell checker change my punctuation to accented A's?