3.30.2011

Sea Chanties, Part the Second (or, "I've officially gone crazy")

Despite my sometimes prickly view of "children's music," I couldn't resist buying this album for HD: Emphatical Piratical.  I've officially gone of the deep end, by way of the plank.  Haven't made Hubs listen to it yet, but HD's already got a funfilled earful!

At Jasleen's request, this photo seemed apropos.

3.27.2011

Avast, Ye Scurvy Dog! (or, "HD Wants a Poochie")

HD seriously loves dogs.  She squeals every time a poochie walks by when we're on walks.  She adores her daycare provider's puppy.  She even laughs over and reaches for my parents' dog, despite Mikey's completely cold and growly nature towards HD (she kind of unseats him from his place of glory in my parents' home when we visit).  HD's most beloved toy-of-the-moment is Pink Poochie -- a stuffed dog, naturally.

Hubs didn't grow up with pets.  My family is a sucker for lost cause dogs (the second we hear a dog's in danger of being put down, the dog comes home with us).  My new little family doesn't currently include a dog, but Hubs has known since our dating days that it's only a matter of time.  As a gag wedding gift, my uncle got us a dog mannequin from Nordstrom.  It took a lot of rangling with a salesclerk to make that happen.  His name is Rowdy.  HD is convinced he's real.

3.17.2011

Scurvy Lasses O' The Green Isle (or "Happy St. Patrick's Day!")

A couple of years ago (or should I say, last decade...!), March 17 would mean the following:
- many green beers!
- whiskey!
- Flogging Molly or Dropkick Murphys or any other band of remote Irish descent!
- green food coloring mysteriously dying the lining in my purse!

Flash forward to 2011. Today's evening routine will be:
- train home while listening to Flogging Molly, et. al.!
- pick up my little leprechaun from day care!
- bastardized Irish lamb stew in the crock pot!
- U-C-L-A FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT! Teach baby the 8 clap!
- one green beer after HD goes to bed!

The luck of the Irish has smiled upon me :)
 


3.16.2011

Mutiny on the Bounty (or, "Give the People What They Demand: Videos")

The readers have spoken!  More vid of the kid!

The funny thing about HD is that she adores cameras.  She has some weird sixth sense about being filmed; she always knows when a camera is upon her.  And she either poses or attempts to eat the camera.  My apologies if that means that most of our videos tend to be all of the same thing, only with HD in different outfits.  I promise she can do all sorts of tricks (she's pulling to stand and attempting to cruise, clapping, cutting her two front teeth, she talks and sings all the time).  It's just that it's ridiculously hard to get them on film.

Without further adieu, here's HD crawling around in her PJs:


More to come later.  Don't ever say the Cap'n never did anything for her crew!

3.14.2011

Sailing Solo and Buried Treasure (or "The Cap'n's Day Off")

Avast!

This Saturday, I got a super duper treat.  Hubs took the baby and headed out to see his folks for the afternoon, and magnanimously urged me to spend the day on my own.  Now, it must be stated that Hubs and I try to give each other occasional breaks.  One of us will spend some quality time with the kid and allow the other to go hang with some friends.  But last Saturday was different.  This was a day to myself, no plans with friends or family, no errands, and most importantly -- no plan.  An incredible break for a lady who usually over plans, and who loves to spend time by herself.

I threw my book (Middlemarch) into a bag, put on my comfiest cute flats (Cole Haan outlet!), and cranked my new iPod playlist (Raphael Saadiq, the Faces).  The destination -- my beloved San Francisco.  No way I was wasting my afternoon of freedom in the 'burbs.

I found myself in the northern center of town and scored free all-day parking.  It was just that kind of day!  I headed east on foot with no idea of where I wanted to end up.  Meandered east past a few main thoroughfares and then went up into Russian Hill to wander past all the pretty historic apartment buildings and hidden parks.  Went down the Vallejo steps (one of my fave parts of the city), jamming to my music and occasionally hanging out on a bench strategically placed to take in the fullest bay view possible.  Cut through Chinatown and glanced through the insane weekend markets.  By then, I was hungry and near a beloved spot of mine, Mario's Cigar Store.  They don't really sell cigars; just Italian food and wine/beer.
Beer and George Eliot ("one of these things is not like the other...")!

Panini with salami,  cheese, roasted peppers, and peppercinis.   Nom nom nom.

I proceeded to enjoy my read and a crazy tasty sammie with beer.  Chatted up a doctor who loves college basketball; my kind of lady.  My server warily asked if I was taking pics of my food to put on Yelp.  I told him I was going to send them to Hubs to make him jealous.

I then headed straight up Union street, and called my Mama.  My mother is one of the absolute best people I've ever known -- and I'm not just saying paying my dues when I say that.  She really is a wonderful friend, hilarious and a good listener to boot.  She also has a firm love of San Francisco, so I called her on my walk and gave her the blow by blow of my day (Mama -- now you get photos to go with it!).  In true Mama-Cap'n fashion, we caught up on family gossip, an upcoming trip, our respective days, and baby updates in about 15 minutes flat, talking a mile a minute.  Our conversation ended because I stumbled upon the Most Splendiforous Stores Thar Ever Be, Molte Cose and Belle Cose, and immediately had to enter.  This place made me feel just like Mikey when he saw One Eyed Willie's "rich stuff" for the first time.  Picked up a couple of surcies (Charlestonian for "present for no apparent reason") for my beloveds.  An ultra-cool Lil' Helper's tool kit for HD, Art Deco tray for the house, SFFD carved box for Hubs.
Old, cute, shiny things!  A pirates treasure trove!
By that point, it was time to wrap it up.  I basked a bit in the sunshine, blew a kiss to the bay view before me, and headed home.  And on the way back, was lucky enough to catch up with one of my best  (and busiest!) friends via phone [Hi, Jazzy!]
One happy sailor, enjoying some gorgeous weather.
And just a bit later, this fully recharged captain was once again reunited with the finest first mate in the seven seas.  Nothing like an HD monster hug to round out a perfect day.
Who, me?

3.08.2011

Sea Chanties (or, "Playlist for the Kid")

I realize that it's not exactly earth-shaking to say that I dig music.  Really, who doesn't?   My folks were on the young side when they had me (26 and 24).  I grew up with a former frat boy daddy who pumped tunes on a constant basis, and a mama who's not afraid to shake her groove thang.  Couple that with the fact that MTV was 2 months old at the time of my birth, and you've got all the ingredients for a rockin' childhood.  I vaguely remember listening to some "children's music;" we had a Wee Sing cassette tape and some Disney Sing-Along videos.  But the majority of my memories are of road trips and backyard barbecues, complete with thumping bass line.  The bands prominent in my youth -- Allman Brothers, Led Zeppelin, the Police, Jimmy Buffett, Dire Straits, Lynyrd Skynyrd.  And (perhaps oddly?) the Ghostbusters soundtrack and Paul Simon's Graceland album.  My favorite song when I was 2 years old?  Van Halen's "Jump."

Needless to say, I don't believe you really need to screen your music sensibilities for your kids.  I mean, I didn't understand half of the lyrics until I was in the double-digits.  And by then, I was listening to Snoop Dogg and Salt'n'Pepa, so the age of innocence was kind of over at that point anyway.  I play music for HD constantly -- we dance around the kitchen while preparing supper, I sing to her at night, and she shrieks along in the car to my tunes.  It warms my heart.

Here's a sample of songs we love together; songs I play for her or sing to her.  Warning -- I couldn't keep this brief.  I got too excited.

1.  "Tiny Dancer" - Elton John -- Hubs and I went to an Elton John/Billy Joel concert when I was about 6 months pregnant.  Not only was it awesome, but pre-natal HD was bopping all over my uterus to this song.
2. "It Won't be Like This for Long" - Darius Rucker -- Purely sentimental; I dare you to listen to this and not tear up.  
3.  "Daylight" - Matt & Kim -- For me, this is HD's theme song.  It's happy, playful, and awesome.  I was obsessed with this song in September 2009 (had just seen M&K in concert and played this All The Time), which happened to be the month HD came to be.
4.  "Stand" - REM -- HD pulls herself up to standing position now.  For months, whenever I would hold her up to stand, I'd sing this to her.  She cracks a huge smile whenever she hears it.
5.  "(Baby) Hold Me Tight" - Kitty, Daisy, and Lewis -- HD likes to dance around to this one.  Anglophile that I am, I just like that it's peppy and the artists are Brits.
6.  "A Pirate Looks at Forty" - Jimmy Buffett -- You didn't really think you could get through this list without a pirate mention, did you?  I do actually sing this to HD when rocking her to sleep.  Yup, even the part about having "been drunk now for over two weeks." *shrug*
7.  "Ooh Poo Pah Doo" - Trombone Shorty & James Andrews -- Great tune from the Treme soundtrack.  I was in love with that show all summer while home on maternity leave.  I would dance teeny HD around during the musical scenes.  She seemed to like it.  Or I can pretend she did.
8.  "The Book of Love" - the Magnetic Fields -- This is a strange little love song.  But it's one of the most beautiful and true songs I've ever heard.  That may be cheesy, but I like singing it in the soft glow of her nightlight.
9.  "If I Had a Boat" - Lyle Lovett -- This is HD's number one absolute favorite song.  It calms her down every time, no matter what level of crankiness we're talking about.  As many times as I've sung it, it's a good thing I love it too.  
10.  "Stop Your Sobbing" - the Pretenders -- This is for when she's crying bunches.  Obvi.
11.  "Sweet Thing" - Van Morrison -- It's a slightly scary time when you're hugely pregnant and closing in on your due date.  This song slowed my pulse and helped me breathe during that whole final month.
12.  "I've Just Seen a Face" - the Beatles -- My little love ditty to my daughter.  
13.  "Moonshadow" - Cat Stevens -- Loved this song in high school (I know, I'm weird), and always thought it sounded like a cool lullabye.  Guess what?  It totes is!
14.  "Tangerine" - Led Zeppelin -- My buddy Travis was kind enough to give me a bunch of "mellow Zeppelin" recommendations to download when I was convinced I had to educate my baby in rock history (I still kind of am).
15.  "She Bangs the Drums" - the Stone Roses -- On maternity leave, when I was really bored and HD was napping, I'd play Guitar Hero III.  This song was always dedicated to my little Tica.
16.  "Daughter" -- Loudon Wainwright III -- You may know this as the song at the end of Knocked Up. But it absolutely sums up being the parent of a small girl.  But to a TEE.
17.  "Everlasting Light" - the Black Keys -- One of my fave bands.  Is it wrong of me to attempt brainwashing my daughter into loving them as well?  I've already given up on Hubs.
18.  "Hold On, I'm Coming" - Sam & Dave -- This song is what family and friendship is all about, on every level.  Plus, it's kickin'!
19.  "Mind of My Own" - Frances England -- Ok, so I did make sure to include one "children's artist" on this list.  This song personifies my independent little miss.  Plus, it's just good music, and doesn't talk down to kids (or annoy their parents).  If that's my biggest beef with most kids tunes, Ms. England has shown me it doesn't always have to be so.
20.  "The Happy Song (Dum-Dum) - Otis Redding -- The man himself!  If I could pick one artist to feature on the soundtrack of my life, Big O is it.  I hum this song to myself on the train when I'm heading home to pick up my HD.  It's my "shed work worries, you're going home to play with your kid" song.

Something tells me I'll be making a few CDs for my car tomorrow.

3.03.2011

Doublets, Waistcoats, and Breeches (or, "Costume Box!")

I haven't written in awhile, which saddens me.  I really like giving an update a couple of times a week.  I could make excuses...in fact, I will make excuses.  No new entries in a week because:
  • I've been working during lunch breaks.  Work got stressful all of a sudden -- go figure.
  • The weekend was spent cleaning and spending quality time with my source material (that would be HD and the Hubs).  Lots of time at the library and on the swings.
  • I've been watching the Masterpiece Classics special Downton Abbey.  PBS really knows how to appeal to my inner nerdiness.  I'm obsessed, but only have 2 episodes left.
By the by, if any of you readers have a hankering for an particular update/topic ("more crawling footage!") or if you have burning questions that must be answered ("why on earth did you make HD wear ____?"), feel free to email me or post in the comments.  On to the show!

I heart projects.  It’s a little thrilling to come up with the idea, make prep lists, gather all materials, and have a set end product.  Makes-ah me happy.  I’m also a big fan of playing.  There are all sorts of games/toys from my childhood that I reverted to when babysitting…and I’d love to dip into those as a parent too.  I get ridiculously excited over playthings for HD.  Scouring Etsy for retro toys; stockpiling books that I loved when I was young (Laura Ingalls Wilder -- holla!); and dreaming of couch forts, art projects, and playhouses [Interjection -- LOVED building an “Are You Afraid of the Dark”-inspired fort in the woods with my bro, my BFF Kim, and some neighbor kids.  We dug a pretty sweet mini-cavern to use as a hiding place.  It was cool until the hideout became a haven for skunks and teenage boys who liked to share an illicit beer].  I know the biggest lesson for me will be to dial back my own nostalgia and follow HD’s lead on her likes and dislikes.  Thankfully, as the moppet gets bigger every day, she has exhibited a few interests that have helped me form a project or two for later.


HD has revealed an extreme fascination for makeup, hair, and jewelry.  At least, I can convince myself that she has.  Makeup – she likes holding pots/tubes when I put it on in the morning (ok, so it’s prolly because the pots are perfect size for her chubby lil’ hands).  Hair – she always has her hands in my or her hair; loves playing with it (yeah, all babies pull hair any chance they get).  Jewelry – I daresay she examines my necklaces with a particularly delicate touch (ooh! shiny!).  I mean, the evidence of a future fashionista is solid!  I have decided it’s my duty to cultivate this potential hobby.


Hubs and I comb through our wardrobes every couple of months to weed out items to give to our local mission or Goodwill.  It occurred to me during this last round of closet cleaning that I should save some of the booty for my daughter.  I definitely used to dress up in my parents’ gear, usually dragging my little brother into the process.  So I have started setting aside old clothes, and pieces of old Halloween/sorority costumes that I weirdly hung on to.  A veritable costume box for HD!  You know, for once she’s walking and changing her own clothes and whatnot.  Examples of it current contents:

·         Various pirate paraphernalia (duh) – plastic sword, kerchief, eye patch, several hats, etc.
·         Awesome black kimono-style dress with huge multicolor sleeves
·         Heeled tap shoes (from my high school musical days)
·         A white eyelet & lace dress
·         Purply satin bridesmaid dress
·         A jaunty red beret!
·         The coup de grace – a bright red, old-timey union suit, complete with drop-down flap on the butt (lovely gag gift to Hubs one year from my folks; a welcome-to-your-new-Southern-family kind of thing)

Overzealous?  Perhaps.  I prefer “prepared.” 

HD, Mama promises that she will only dress up with you in the privacy of our own home, special occasions notwithstanding.



Incidentally, God help Hubs and me if HD ends up loving lucha libre or investment portfolios or something.  Although if she bats those eyelashes at us, I’m sure we’ll instantly become huge fans of whatever she wants.