No Potty For You!

I'm not one to use my blog to bash people, places or things. I think it can come off as a little tattle-taleish sometimes.

It irks me when people blog about bad products or companies in the hopes of receiving some sort of compensation. (read: free shit they probably don't deserve)

On the other hand the heads up on a product/company/etc is definitely a bonus.

I suppose it's all in the delivery.

Forgive me if the following delivery comes off as a little tattle-taleish. I'm pissed off.

We went shopping last Friday. Our plan was the hit up the outdoor mall not far from our place. Exchange a few things at Old Navy, pick up some summer things from H&M, drop Kadyn off at Small-land and buy a new coffee table at Ikea and end at Future Shop for some sort of external storage device.

I should mention it's not nice outside here. Walking around this 'outside mall' was not an option with a 3 year old and a baby. So it was park, shop, drive. Park, shop, drive. Park, shop, drive.

Annoying.

We made it through Old Navy relatively quickly and headed over to H&M. We wandered around for about 20 minutes and I had accumulated an arm full of clothes. I was just about to head to the till to pay when Kadyn told me he had to pee. I called over to Ryan and he took Kadyn to the fitting rooms to ask a staff member if Kadyn could use their washroom.

Ryan was told that they did not have a washroom and he could either go to Walmart (a good 10 minutes away) or walk to the pizza place on the other side of the parking lot and buy something so we could use their washroom.

Ryan went to another staff member and asked. The RUDE woman at the till shook her head and, in her snotty, attitude-y voice, said "We DO NOT have a public bathroom." I looked at her and said, "It's for my 3 year old. He really has to go to the washroom."

The woman closed her eyes, shook her head again and said, "No public bathroom."

Ryan got mad, asked her where they went to the bathroom and told her how ridiculous that was. I asked, "Are you serious? You not going to let a kid use the washroom?"

She shook her head no.

So I threw my arm full of clothes down and we left.

I was a little dramatic about it (reasonably so, I think) but it's not like I had choice. My kid needed to pee!

On our way out a woman told us that this had happened to her before and so she does not shop there with her daughter anymore.

I told her I wasn't sure if we'd be shopping there at all anymore.

We managed to find a washroom in time but since there are no 'public washrooms' in an outdoor mall, this could have ended very differently.

Obviously I posted a Facebook status about this when I got home. Within minutes I had a bunch of comments from friends on my personal page. One friend had the same experience at the same H&M only her son didn't make it to a washroom on time, another Mom and her daughter were denied at The Children's Place and a few others agreed that the entire set up of this outdoor mall was pretty ridiculous.

Ryan also called H&M head office where whoever he spoke to spewed some nonsense about their 'global policy' and liability issues, then thanked him for his feedback.

Uh, you're welcome?

My intent here is not to bash H&M (or any store) but I think this is just ridiculous. I'm not a 'customer is always right' person and I completely understand a company's reluctance to provide washrooms for customers (um, people are GROSS when they aren't responsible for the clean up) but to deny a CHILD use of a washroom when there really is no where for them to go?

Is it wrong to think a company has a certain responsibility to cater (to a certain extent) to its customers? Especially in an outdoor mall set up.

I guess I sorta get it from H&M but The Children's Place?

That one really surprised me.

End result for us?

We will not be shopping at this outdoor mall any more unless we are going to a big box store for specific items.

The drive, park, shop cycle is too much with two kids and it's just not a kid friendly set up at all.

But I am curious...

What do other parents do when their kid has to go but there is no where to go?

ETA: A travel potty was suggested on my Facebook page so I Googled. The smaller porta-potties are too small for Kadyn and the bigger potties are so big that they would be cumbersome on a shopping trip. Kadyn also refuses to pee sitting down but his aim is not good enough for the porta-potties I found.

It is a great suggestion! I'm just not sure it would work for us.

Wordless Wednesday

Pen Man on a Ship

Ms Lindsey (Otto's Mom) tagged me in a penmanship meme and since I've had annoying writer's block for about a month, I'm not opposed to having a post write itself for me.

Except I had to actually *write* this one.

Also annoying.

And I had to root around my basement to find paper. Seriously. Who actually uses pen and paper anymore?

I really dislike 'favorite' lists.

I'm so fickle when it comes to stuff like that. And I'm not really a 'quote' kind of person.

And I am really complain-y today.

Blech.

What the Crock!?!? - Carnitas

I'm totally cheating this week.

This is what we made.

There is no point in rewriting the recipe here. Just go there and check it out.

My first stop was to find something that did not involve chicken or rice.

Carnitas! Yum!

This recipe is ridiculously easy and so delicious!

We added tomatoes, lettuce and avocados. So good!

Go make it!

Conversations with Kadyn....

Kadyn: Daddy! It's very RUDE to close someone's window!

Daddy: Kadyn, it's very rude to not listen to me when I ask you to put your window up.

Kadyn: Daddy! You got a ticket! You're going to JAIL!

Daddy: I'm not going to jail.

Kadyn: Yes, you are! For being RUDE! That was very, very, very, very RUDE!

Daddy: Well, I am very, very, very, very, very sorry.

Kadyn: We need a robot daddy.

Mama: A robot daddy?

Kadyn: Yes, cause this daddy is going to JAIL! So we need a robot daddy.

Daddy: You don't like me, Kadyn?

Kadyn: No!

Daddy: Awwwww. Well I like you, buddy. I love you! You're my turkey butt!

Kadyn: NO! You're MY turkey butt!

Daddy: I'm your turkey butt?

Kadyn: Yeah! Hahahaha!

Mama: Daddy's a goose butt.

Kadyn: AAAAHHHHHH! Daddy you're a GOOSE BUTT!!! YOU'RE ALLLLLLLL GOOSE BUTTS!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

Flying by the Seat of My Meticulously Planned Pants

"Ok, so here's the plan..."

My husband does an awesome job at pretending he loves those 5 words.

He wouldn't know what to do with himself if his weekend didn't start with me laying out what needs to be done and how it's going to be done.

He COUNTS on me to keep him organized and on task.

(That last part? Not a joke.)

He's the kind of guy who'd just jump in the car and go. Zigzagging all across the city and forgetting half the things he needs to do.

I just don't have that kind of time. Or enough prozac.

Besides a failure to plan is a plan to fail!

And my crazy list-making, schedule-writing over-planning has saved us countless hours.

COUNTLESS.

Ryan's even admitted my planning has its perks. Albeit begrudgingly.

Whatever.

I know he's learned to love it. It's just easier that way.

This post was inspired by the prompt "Something you do that drives your significant other CRAZY" from Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop.

I am a Believer

Yes.

I am a believer.

Not in the Monkees sense.

And NOT a Belieber.

Yuck.

I'm talking about amber teething necklaces.

I am a believer. 100%

Graysen was near inconsolable. Wouldn't sleep, wouldn't stop whining, crying and contorting his little body in discomfort. Tylenol wasn't working and he wasn't interested in any of the teethers we bought for him.

I was cranky and tired.

He was cranky and tired.

Kadyn was oblivious.

Kadyn also did nothing more than drool like a waterfall when he was teething. His teeth popped up 4 at a time over a 6 month period without any bother whatsoever. I think we gave him Tylenol twice. And he might have been sick while teething. (He was IN LOVE with an vibrating elephant teether but I'm not sure his love had anything to do with teething. Silly boy.)

With Kadyn being such a superstar teether, my treatment arsenal consisted of, well....nothing.

So I did what any good mama would do.

I asked Twitter.

Obviously.

My good friend, Brandy, suggested an amber teething necklace.

I'd heard of them before but brushed them off as junk in the same category as those ridiculous high heel shoes for baby girls.

But Brandy wouldn't recommend junk.

And I had been seeing these necklaces on a lot of blogs lately.

What do I have to lose?

So I texted the hubs and told asked him if he would run over to a baby store near his work and pick up an amber teething necklace. No way was I ordering online and waiting for it to be shipped.

I put the necklace on Graysen as soon as Ryan got home and there was a noticeable difference within an hour.

But I still wasn't completely sold.

Until yesterday.

Since it's not safe for a baby to wear the necklace while he or she is sleeping, we wrap it (loosely) around Graysen's ankle at night. Monday morning the necklace somehow made it off Graysen's ankle, out of his sleeper, out of his sleeping bag and vanished.

He was a wreck all day.

Wouldn't sleep. Wouldn't play. Wouldn't let me put him down.

He was a whiny sad sack all day.

I finally found it (at the bottom of our bed) about 5:30 last night. And, once again, within an hour of putting it back on him, Graysen was his smiley happy self.

So now, I am a believer.

100%

What the Crock!?!? - Chicken Mole

"What the Crock!?!?" seems to have become an inappropriate title. What it should have been called is "I eat chicken and rice every freaking day."

And so here's another chicken and rice recipe.....Yay!

This one was wholly disappointing. I knew it would be, too.

Chicken Mole, from what I've heard, is one of the most complicated and precise Mexican dishes around. This was the opposite of complicated. And I was not at all precise.

The end result was not bad. It was just more tomato-y, raisin-y chicken and rice and less Chicken Mole. Well, it really wasn't Chicken Mole at all.

You can find the recipe here. I'm not typing it up because I don't think it's worth it. Ha!

I do intend on finding a good Chicken Mole recipe. Somehow I doubt a crock pot will be involved.

And I promise next week? No chicken and no rice!

Conversations with Kadyn....

Kadyn: Let me check your teeth. Say AH!

Mama: Aaaaaahhhhhh....

Kadyn: Oh wow! Look at all those broken teef! One, two, and three! Wow! You don't have any cavities but lots of broken teef.

Mama: Oh, dear.

Kadyn: Let me check your ear......OH! There's one piece of bug.

Mama: Just one piece?

Kadyn: Yup! Now your hair. Put your head down.

Yuck! There's another piece of bug!

Mama: Are you sure? I just washed it.

Kadyn: Uh huh. Now check my hair. Are there bugs?

Mama: Nope, no bugs. Just a bit of dry skin.

Kadyn: No! Bugs!

Mama: Ok, dude. Bugs it is.

Kadyn: Thanks!

Wordless Wednesday

Solid, Man.

Huh, this is new.

Ok, what is this stuff?

Seriously, what the HECK is this?

I don't know about this, Mama.

Why? Why would you do this to me?

Oh! There's more....Gimme!

Maybe it's not so bad.

Ok, yeah. It is that bad.

Why, Mama? Why!?!

What the Crock!?!? - Butter Chicken

Oh, I love me some Butter Chicken. Mmmmmmm!

I can cook pretty much anything. Except soup and ethnic food. I make a freaking to die for lobster bisque and a very tasty tortellini soup and that's about as far as my soup spoon goes. Ethnic food?

Well, uh......

I make a mean sushi roll but I am sure it's anything but authentic. And I make a yummy curry chicken but, again, not authentic.

And I make french fries. AND! AND! AND! I can turn those french fries into anything-but-healthy poutine.

I mean, that's ethnic, right?

Anyway.

I love butter chicken. But the Indian take out around here SUCKS! It tastes good, don't get me wrong. They are just so darn stingy. For $10 you get the equivalent of one piece of chicken just DROWNING in sauce. And that means I have to share that one tiny bit of chicken with my husband.

I'm just not sure I love him that much.

I have been meaning to find, try and perfect a butter chicken recipe (so I can stuff myself stupid whenever I please) but I just haven't. When I stumbled upon one on allrecipes.com, I nearly jumped off the couch.

And so, without further ado.....

Here's what you'll need:

Chicken thighs - we used 16, boneless, skinless and chopped into bite-size-ish pieces.

Butter

Olive Oil

Onion, chopped

Garlic, minced

Curry Powder

Curry Paste

Garam Masala

1 can Tomato Paste

Green Cardamom Pods

1 Can Coconut Milk

Plain yogurt - we used Greek style

Saute onions, garlic and chicken in olive oil and butter until onion is translucent. Stir in curry powder, curry paste, garam masala and tomato paste. Stir until well combined.

Pour into slow cooker and stir in coconut milk and yogurt. Add cardamom seeds.

Cook on high for 3 -4 hours or on low for 6 - 8 hours.

Remove and discard cardamom pods before serving.

So I was all reckless and stuff and didn't really measure any of the ingredients.

I know. That makes things a little difficult for you, doesn't it?

I can tell you I used about 3 or 4 tablespoons of curry paste, about 4 teaspoons of curry powder, about 3 teaspoons of garam masala, a cup and a half or so of yogurt and I have no idea how many cardamom pods. (I put those in a tea leaf infuser thingy, by the way. Fishing all those pods out of a giant pot of chicken and sauce would only mean it would take longer to get that deliciousness in my tummy.)

This is what I love about cooking. I just do what I feel. What looks right.

So that's what you should do, too.

Cook with love, people!

(Don't mind me. I'm so totally high on the homemade Butter Chicken goodness. Mmmmmm.....)

(If you want to be all boring and follow the exact recipe, you can find it here.)

Conversations with Kadyn....

Mama (to Graysen): You are too cute, dude! I want to eat you! I want to get a spoon and eat your squishy little face!

Kadyn: NOOOOOOOOO! You can't eat him with a spoon!

Mama: I can't?

Kadyn: No, you can't.

Mama: Why not?

Kadyn: 'Cause I'd miss my little brother and then I would be so much sad.

Mama: Oh.....ok. I don't want you to be sad so I won't eat Graysen.

Kadyn: Thanks!

Wordless Wednesday

What the Crock!?!?! - Deconstructed Chicken Stir Fry (with no stirring and no frying)

That's not a convoluted title or anything, eh?

We completely dropped the ball this week. (Or rather Ryan did, but I'm not one to point fingers or anything) What the Crock!?!? was completely last minute, what do we have in the house that takes absolutely ZERO prep work. It wasn't great, but it wasn't bad. For the amount of effort I put into it, it was pretty damn tasty.

Last week I tweeted that I needed a chicken recipe and two people suggested version of a sweet and sour/hot and sweet chicken. Otto's Mom sent me the link to PW's Hot & Sweet drumsticksand I tried it with chicken breasts - was pretty tasty!

This morning I had a whack of chicken thighs (yes, a 'whack' is a unit of measure) and half a jar of apricot preserves.

Hmmmmm.....

So I mixed up the preserves with some ketchup, soy sauce, chili sauce and some hot sauce.

And I was totally rebellious about it, too.

Didn't. Measure. A. Thing.

And the garlic?

I peeled it, sliced it in big chunks and threw it in.

RECKLESS.

Anyway.

I piled my chicken thighs in the slow cooker, poured the preserve/ketchup/etc mixture over the top, gave it a stir and set it on low.

I made some rice and steamed some broccoli to go on the side and that was dinner.

(My apologies for the garbage picture.

I served and took this picture with a mostly unhappy baby on my hip.

And the settings on my camera had been changed.

And I didn't realize that until after I had taken the pictures.)

The oven version was definitely better. But this was still good and so simple and effortless.

I've got some big plans for the next few What the Crock!?!? installments!

Knock on wood I didn't just jinx myself.

Conversations with Kadyn....

"I don't want to talk to strangers....

I want to talk to girls!"

Random and scary.

Dear Graysen

I am utterly gobsmacked that you are 6 months old already.

I just can't believe it.

It seems like I waited so, so long for you to arrive and now 6 months have passed in an instant.

I think back to all the anxiety I had when I was pregnant with you and it makes me laugh. How could I ever think that I could not find room in my heart for you? While I am still surprised by how my love for you and your brother makes my heart ache, I am never surprised by how easy it is to love you.

Love is definitely not something I am short on. Time, on the other hand, seems to run out before it has even began and I am not sure I will ever get over the guilt I feel for never seeming to have enough time for you and your brother. I feel especially guilty for not being able to enjoy your babyhood like I did with your brother. But those moments we do have? I will cherish them forever.

I feel that you and I have something special and maybe that's my saving grace for not being able to take in all of you all of the time. It was clear to me from the start that Kadyn was and is Daddy's boy. And it is clear to me that you are mine. I feel our connection in the way you look at me. The way you smile at me. The way you watch my every move when someone else is holding you. The way you nuzzle into me. I feel our connection with every ounce of my heart and it makes my heart ache that much more.

It is amazing to see how alike and how different you and Kadyn are. Kadyn is a doer. A mover and a shaker from the start. You seem to be a thinker. Always watching. Taking everything in. Watching you watch others is quite amazing. I can almost see your mind working.

And Kadyn is someone you love to watch. The way you look at him takes my breath away. You are nothing short of fascinated with that almost 4 year old bundle of energy. I can already hear Kadyn whining to me about how his 'annoying little brother' won't stop following him around. (Although I am HAPPY to wait several more years to hear it!)

I know you two will fight and argue and be brothers but I hope that, underneath all that, will be a bond stronger than anything else in this world. Unbreakable. I want that for you and Kadyn more than anything. And I truly hope that I do my job of instilling in both of you how important each of you are to the other.

Goodness, I still cannot believe that you are 6 months old. You are almost sitting up by yourself, you are rolling all over the place and are beginning to scoot and crawl. I am excited and heartbroken that in another 6 months I will very likely have two bundles of energy running around this house.

I wish I could freeze time.

Freeze it until I am full up with your giggles and snuggles.

But that would mean time would be frozen forever.

Love

Mama

Wordless Wednesday