Web Comic: Decoy Pie

Well, I know this one is a little late but it applies to Christmas and Holiday goodies too. Our son likes to taste one of everything dessert-like that comes out of our kitchen so we came up with the concept of making decoys. As soon as the treats are done I have to hide one or more for the guests or for the real event and then give him one to eat or play with in the mean time. Same goes for cookies since he likes to take a bite out of every one. Oh, and cupcakes, he likes to just eat the top of course.


(This comic is our copyright. Please contact us if you are interested in using it. This was not a sponsored post.)

Web Comic: Boy in Pink

I was so bummed, he only wore his St. Patrick's Day shirt once before the leprechaun's got to it.

(This comic is our copyright, no use without permission. This was not a sponsored post).

Web comic: Too much of a good thing

If you are like me you keep the old markers for way too long and the new ones just keep adding to the pile. When they get all dried out, like they very quickly do since the lids are always the first thing thrown on the floor from a new package, we just get a cup with a wet paper towel for our son to dip the markers in. It gets the ink working again and kind of looks like watercolors. He calls it a "wee cup" because he still calls water wee. He has even taken the concept to chalk art and always insists in having water to dip his sidewalk chalk in outside so it is more like paint. So getting back to the comic, whenever we are getting ready to visit my Mom she asks if our son needs new markers. As I look at the huge pile of them all over our house the question just makes me laugh.

(This comic is our copyright. Please let us know if you are interested in using it. This was not a sponsored post, although I am sure the marker people have made hundreds off of us already.)

Web comic: Comics and underwear

Yes we actually had this conversation but he has a point. Whenever we visit our favorite mall in our hometown we split up and he goes to the comic book store and sends me to Victoria's Secret. Maybe it is his way of getting me not to feel like he is spending money on "silly things" but I suppose the opposite is true.

(This comic is our copyright. This was not a sponsored post, I just like VS and that was what we actually talked about. If you are interested in using our comics please email me.)

Web comic: Men's work

I think this one speaks for itself ...

(This comic is copyrighted by us. Please contact us if you are interested in using it. This was not a sponsored post.)

Web comic: Talk like a parent

He is right you know, that actually can happen, but it is not the normal thing you say to a 2 year old. We find ourselves worrying about stuff like that and that we are going to somehow damage our son for life in some way. I even told him the other day not to touch the chicken cage at a farm because he could get Salmonella. I can't wait to hear the things he is going to tell other people when he is a little older. Hopefully we don't make him too afraid to leave the house.

(This is our copyright. This was not a sponsored post. Please contact us if you are interested in using the comics.)

Web Comic: Mom initiation

Ok so the bug wasn't quite this big but this did happen, and it was a lot earlier than I thought it would. Our son was probably around 18 months and we were in the back yard and he put his hand up to give me something which I didn't even question and then I saw it was a little slimy bug. I can tell this is only the beginning ...

(This comic is our copyright, illustrated by Ken Wright, we co-wrote it. The comics are available for use with our specific permission.)

Web Comic: Accidental Exposure

I love that he drew the coffee cup balancing on her boob. Well, this never actually happened, at least not in public. I was pretty shy about nursing in public and always had a cover but was a little more open in the backyard. There was a bee incident once, I have to say, and I was a little worried about the neighbors but really, it was not quite as exciting as this strip. It must have made more of an impression on Ken than on me.


(You know the drill, this is our copyright, no use without our permission but we would love to hear an offer. This was not a sponsored post.)

Web Comic: Cell phones and Men

Hey all you men, this isn't a joke. Well, it is but, it is sort of true too. I read somewhere that men should not keep their cell phones in their pants because some scientists somewhere  found that it could have an effect on sperm (http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/09/18/cellphone.sperm/). You know, men really pay attention when you mention a product having a potential effect on maleness. He wouldn't eat flax seed for a while when I told him what can happen when men eat too much, since it acts a bit like an estrogen. And then there's the soy conversation ...

(This comic is our copyright, no use without our permission. This was not a sponsored post.)

Web Comic: Flexible Mama

Really I have only gotten to go through my favorite yoga video twice or so since our Son was born. He would always seem to wake up after the first section. The other day I was doing yoga and realized how different my state of Zen is as a Mom than it used to be. I used to have to make sure the living room was all nice and clean and I had my yoga blanket perfectly folded. Now, I just try not to step on any of his toys as I move into positions and usually end up using one of his bigger blankies from the couch for the yoga mat. I also end up contorting over the cats since they think our Son's naptime is their attention time so they come right over and try to help out and get some pets along the way. Even with all this chaos it feels so good to get through the whole video and get my muscles stretched out after being sore and tight from carrying and lifting my Son every day. I have to admit though, I usually leave the sound off just to make sure it doesn't wake him up.

(The video I like the most these days is Shiva Rea's Gaiam Postnatal yoga video. It even has a section for baby massage.)

(This comic is our copyright. It was illustrated by my Husband and we co-wrote it. No use without expressed written permission. This was not a sponsored post.)

Web comic: Boob in a bottle

Yeah, this one pretty much speaks for itself. Thank God for breast pumps. Seriously, all nutritional benefits aside, having a stash of Mommy Milk in the freezer is like magic juice for boo boo's, help sleeping and just plain comfort. The only thing is it's a little harder to make a Mommy latte than a Starbucks one you know?

Our Son still gets one 4 oz bottle when I am at work and it is just enough to take the edge off a rough day for him and my husband. Now that our Son is older, when he wants to nurse he knocks on my shirt and says "Apen" (open) and "Glug" (the sound my husband would make when he shows our son a bottle, like Glug, glug, glug.) Way better than him saying Boobie in public ...

(This was not a sponsored post. This is our copyright and may not be reproduced without our permission.)

Web Comic: He's drawing the line

This is our house right now, every day. Our son is so into drawing he must be the next Picasso. I have a big stash of Magic Clean erasers and microfiber cloths and know just which combo works for each type of marker and crayon that he uses to decorate our walls, himself, his clothes, the outlet covers, you name it.

We have started putting huge pieces of artist paper on the walls with masking tape that he can draw on which works pretty well, most of the time.

Web Comic: What the Beep?

It has always been annoying when the smoke alarms start beeping their little warning beeps when the backup battery is low, especially when it happens in the middle of the night. But, once you have a baby it is downright maddening, especially if you are home alone. The alarms are always so high up, which I am sure serves a purpose to keep the family safe, but there has to be an easier way to change out the batteries. Luckily when this happened to us our Son was in a deep enough sleep it didn't wake him up but you know how it is when you finally get your baby to sleep and some annoying sound starts threatening the peace.

(This was not a sponsored post. This strip was drawn by my husband for this blog and is our copyright, no use without our permission.)

How breastfeeding protects newborns

I stumbled upon this article (http://www.breastfeedingonline.com/HowBreastmilkProtectsNewborns.pdf) while trying to research which immunoglobulins are in breastmilk. Well it turns out all five are (M A G E and D shown as IgM etc, I always remembered Mag Ed in micro classes). Anyway, since our son had a blood test for allergies they said he had elevated IgA, well it turns out this is the main antibody they get from breast milk. Overall it is a good thing but can be related to allergies/asthma if it overreacts. I am getting off track. I just wanted to post this article for anyone who wanted a little background on the immune system protection offered by breast milk for their own interest or as proof to anyone giving them grief about breastfeeding.

Basically this article covers things like helpful bacteria in the milk delivered to the infant's digestive system, immunoglobulins, and particles that can adhere to bacteria and viruses and eliminate them and even damage the chicken pox virus. This author even says that there are immune system cells (lymphocytes) that grow in the presence of E. coli and act differently than the lymphocytes in blood. Also he says that certain breast milk hormones and proteins help to close up the leaky digestive system in infants to help it to be impermeable to pathogens (things that try to make your baby sick).

This was a total accident that I found this article but I really enjoyed it and wanted to pass it along in case anyone else is as interested in the science behind breast milk and breast feeding as I am. If I ever were to go to Medical School I would do research on the chemistry and biology behind this process. I am especially curious about the letdown reflex and how many times it triggers when. I am sure I am getting into blah blah blah mode so I will stop. I hope you enjoy this article.

Oh and by the way, yes I am still nursing my 21 month old son and I think this helps keep him from getting sick very often. I have to admit I almost CAN NOT fall asleep without him nursing, it is crazy. Something about the hormones or my body relaxing and knowing he is right there safe. I can't stand when people I barely know ask how old he is and how long I am going to nurse him for like it is time because they think it is time to wean. You can just tell when that is what they are getting at compared to the people who think it is great and really understand the bond and health benefits. I always pull out my "go to" line "Well, the World Health Organization recommends nursing until age 2" and of course "He's allergic to cow's milk anyway so he needs something." I don't know why I feel like I have to make that excuse. It really is no one else's darn business but if they are going to ask I am going to really let them know what I think. I plan on nursing our son until he is done with it or I just can't really do it anymore. I figure around 2 1/2 or 3 probably. I do think there is a limit. I am not going to nurse him into first grade or anything so everyone can just relax but I don't feel this is something I should give up for anyone else but our own reasons.

(This was not a sponsored post. I own no rights to the linked article so contact that author if you are interested in it. The image is from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Milk_glass.jpg and was taken by Stefan Kuhn shared under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 License.)

Web Comic: Name that liquid

You would be surprised how often this happens. As I am sure most Moms, and probably Dads, can attest, even when the kid is in a diaper there always seem to be mysterious liquids coming from somewhere. Lately our son protests wearing a diaper at home so once in awhile we get caught in the spray. My husband was exaggerating a bit with this strip but, I have to say I am pretty sure those words have come out of my mouth at least once.

(This art is our copyright, no use allowed without our consent but please ask if you are interested. This was not a sponsored post.)

Web Comic: kid or cat food?

We have a few cats and this has really become an issue. If we turn our backs for a second they are going after our son's food, and actually, for a while there, he was going after their food. There were these organic cereal puffs that the cats just went crazy for. They kind of melted in your mouth. Oh well, at least they are getting healthy supplements to their normal diet, right?

(This was not a sponsored post. This comic was drawn by my husband and is our copyright, no use without permission, but if you want to pay for syndication you can totally use it!)

Web Comic: zone defense

Recently my husband told me that our parenting style is like Zone Defense in football. I had no idea what he meant but basically it is that we each kind of have our zones in the house or when we take our Son out so whichever one of us owns the zone our Son runs into, that parent has to chase the little quarterback wide receiver (I was just corrected) until he runs back into the other person's zone. This is in contrast to both of us chasing him everywhere or one of us directing the other one what to do. At least now I understand a little more about football!

Mommy Tip: Organized Chaos - The "Go Back Box"

This box is basically a bunch of junk which is very important because most of the time this type of junk is spread all over our house now that our Son is walking and climbing and exploring everything. That means he is disorganizing all the organizing I had done for the 8 years in this house before he was born. What that also means is I usually am going crazy about the amount of random things in odd places. We finally came up with the "Go Back Box" like they have at grocery stores for things that need to get re-shelved. 

Basically, it is just a shoebox that we keep in our pantry and throw all the random "stuff" we find around the house once our Son is done playing with it. Then about once a week or so I grab the box and take the items back to the places they really belong. Of course some things stay in the Go Back Box longer than others or are favorites of his and I should just leave them out. Some of the things lately range from various child proofing supplies like cord keepers and parts for drawer latches, a box of binder clips, mardi gras beads, a hoop earring, a bag of old Legos and a 1950 Charlie Brown toy I keep meaning to sell on eBay but never do, Star Wars Easter stuff I got on sale after Easter for 75 cents, a night light bulb, butt paste, a bag of screws (collected from all the ones I find around the house from the day he opened all the childproof sets to get all the screws out), oh, and our webcam that had been lying by the TV for about 2 months. 

Anyway, it is a great way to have one place for the random miscellany (I love that word, never get to use it) that is strewn about our house, to make me feel a little more like my old organized self but so I don't have to go around constantly organizing and cleaning up. 

(This was not a sponsored post. All the junk really is ours and I am sure we actually paid cash money for it at some point.)

Mommy Munchies: Easy and Fun Veggie for Kids - Spaghetti Squash

I was never a big lover of squash but one of my friends at work brought in some cooked spaghetti squash one day and I was hooked. Our son is getting picker these days and this is one of his favorites which makes me happy because he is getting a vegetable.

• Ok, take a spaghetti squash and wash it off.
  
• Poke a bunch of holes in it with a fork. It takes some muscle but is important so it doesn't explode in your oven!
  
• Put the squash directly on the rack in your oven at 375C for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
  
• When it is done it will be a little crisp and softer than it was when you put it into the oven. Oh yeah, it will be REALLY HOT! Don't burn yourself.
  
• Take the squash out of the oven using good oven mitts and place it onto a plate or cookie sheet.
  
• Cut the squash in half lengthwise using a regular table knife. It doesn't have to be too sharp. Watch out for the hot steam coming from the inside!!! It kind of pops when you cut it.
  
• Flip the squash open and grab a spaghetti spoon (any spoon or fork will do but this one works great).
  
• Use the spaghetti spoon to scoop out the center seeds and squash that is a bit darker. Throw this away.
  
• Then use the same spoon to scoop out the cooked squash into a casserole dish (or 2 if you have a big squash and want to pre-make leftovers for another night).
  
• Put some butter, salt and pepper and cheese of your choice ( I like Mozzarella) on top.
  
• Place the casserole dish in the oven for 3-5 minutes at 350C until the cheese is melted to your liking. 

Enjoy!


(This was not a sponsored post. Only one Mommy was slightly injured during the creation of this recipe but no medical care was necessary. As usual these photos were taken by me and are copyrighted by me but are in need of improvement. Don't worry I am not planning on writing a cookbook. If I do I will hire a food stylist and photographer.)

Mommy Munchies: Quick Cake Topping Instead of Frosting

This is a very quick and easy tip for topping a cake with something sweet and pretty other than frosting. Have you guessed it yet? Probably so from the photo but remember, you must let the cake cool ALL THE WAY before you put the powdered sugar on top or it will melt or soak into the cake. It will still be yummy so if you just can't wait, go for it. But, don't say I didn't warn you. I used a flour sifter to evenly dust the powdered sugar over the cake but a steady hand is fine too. Another variation is to block out designs by cutting out hearts or stars or a name in paper, laying it across the cake or cupcakes and then applying the powdered sugar. Remove the paper carefully, keeping it level so as not to spill the sugar back onto the design. You will be left with a pretty design or name on the cake in the "negative space" (aka "plain cake" for any non-Artsy folks, my husband is an artist so I accidentally pick up these terms and try to sound cool using them once in awhile). 


(This was not a sponsored post. The picture was taken by me and is copyright by me. Pay no attention to the crumbs on the counter.)

Mommy Tip: storing wrapping paper

This is a really handy, easy, space-saving tip for storing wrapping paper. All you do is put as many nails into the wall as you have rolls of wrapping paper, just space them apart depending on the size of the roll. Then get some binder clips in the office supply section of your local store (they come in fun colors, not just black). Clip the clip to one side of the roll of paper, and hang the loop over the nail. The wrapping looks very organized, you can find it when you want it, it says rolled (finally!) and it takes up no floor space. This way you can take advantage of unused closet wall space. I have mine in the hall junk closet, four on each side. Keep in mind for really big rolls you may need bigger clips. 

(This was not a sponsored post. Photos were taken by me and are copyright by me, not that they are that great.)

Web Comic

This comic really is true in our house. We finally got a web cam last year and used Skype to connect with my husband's parents, once. We planned this for a long time because we live 4 hours away from them but never get around to using it. The thing with the webcam is you have to be semi-presentable, in clothes (as opposed to PJs depending on who you are visiting with) and it is harder to multi-task during the conversation. Plus, all of us have to be there for the call instead of just my husband while I hang out with our son or we move around the house, etc. Not to mention you have to be home. I have a lot of guilt about this because I do want my husband's parents to get to see our son more, even if it is only by webcam when we can't get together for an in-person visit. The other issue now that our son is walking is keeping him in one room long enough to stay on camera. At least the camera we have is separate from the computer so we can just pick it up and aim it at the Little Man when he is on the move.

(This is not a sponsored post)