Bennifer Plus

American Idol 2010 ~ Top 24

2010-02-18T18:19:00.001-08:00

Disclaimer: I am not American Idol’s target audience; I can’t recall any of the AI winners (except Kelly Clarkson and maybe not-Adam Lambert, I don’t listen to any graduates of the American Idol competition (okay, maybe some Kelly Clarkson but only post-hissy), and I wouldn’t call in to vote even if I could. So I’m not sure why I feel compelled to offer my commentary on this week’s AI, but I do, and I did, so here it is.

So, what did you think of American Idol’s Top 24? In this corner, the boys: I’m partial to Tyler Grady, maybe not the best vocals but I just love his energy and his wicked awesome moves. I knew he was going to be Top 24 when I saw his audition. And while I agree with the old adage, that neck tattoos are indicative of a person’s ability to make rational decisions, I just love Andrew Garcia’s vibe too.

I’m really conflicted about “Big Mike”. On the one hand, he’s about the only person I would allow to sing “I’m Yours” whose name is not Jason Mraz. But my inner momma bear calls bullshit on not being present at your first child’s birth. Even as I try to reason with said inner voice, momma bear is ready to take him down. Also, I naturally distrust people with muscles bigger than my head. I'm not even going to talk about the douchey hat.

Dear Todrick: Please take out those creepy-ass contact lenses and leave them in the 2000s (and that’s a grace period, because they really went out in the 90s). There’s something wanky about him, too. No likey. But thank you for *not* singing “Man in the Mirror”. Love, me.

Casey James = a messy Ace Young. (also, apparently a porn star. Google Image search it yourself.) Long blonde hair isn’t usually my thing, but come on: he’s yummy. But please don’t sing Bubbly. Ever again. Actually, I’m going to recommend that for everyone, everywhere in the world. Stop singing it. Seriously!

Since the rest of the boys are a blur of Efron hair and gangly arms to me, I’m going to predict that one of them will capture tweenaged America’s hearts and win the entire thing.

Over here, we’ve got the girls: So, I really want to make this a world where we don’t talk about people’s appearances…but how can we not talk about Crystal Bowersox’s teeth. Girl, please slap on some Whitestrips and ease up on the coffee, cigs, or whatever’s causing that mess…cause it’s really distracting. But please don’t get a shiny makeover, because I dig the laid-back thing.

Can we talk about the Tori vs. Hailey thing? I loved the bit they showed where Tori was giving that tired piece of shit Katy Perry song the ska treatment. And I’m pretty sure that way back when Ellen said “she could get annoying”, she was definitely talking about Hailey, because as adorable as she may be, she did. Real quick.

Granted, I missed the last hour of the Tuesday show, but there were two chicks that I had NEVER seen before Wednesday’s show. I suppose they did not have a story that was exciting enough to share, but they even showcased Lilly’s sandwich artist career. How boring do you have to be to not get even 60 seconds of camera time, when they re-hash the same shizz over and over again and even feature Mary Powers for like, an entire episode. (“You’re punk rock!” ~ Avril “No. She’s not.”~ Punk Rock)

And we’re back to the all-boy/all-girl format. Looking forward to the cringe-worthy all-boy numbers. Let the cheese roll!

Gratitude

2009-11-15T20:55:00.000-08:00

Been meaning to be more aware of the wonderful things in life for a long time now. Committing to capturing it on a regular basis, I'm hoping, will lead me to seek out the good things in every moment.

I haven't been quite feeling myself lately, and it has caught up with me a little. I have many things to be thankful for today, most especially a better outlook after a long talk with a good friend.

But an honourable mention definitely goes to the fact that my white t-shirt came completely clean after the coffee mishap. I actually whooped with joy when I pulled it out of the washing machine! Holla, generic oxygen cleaner!

Facebook....DRAAMAAAAAAH!

2009-08-23T08:02:00.000-07:00

True this article from CNN.com on the most annoying facebookers.

I have a FB friend (a "lurker"?) who "has no time for Facebook", yet is consistently up-to-date on my life via FB updates. I was somewhat creeped out at first, but seeing as that I *am* a daily FB user and truthfully, use it to organize my life (especially over the past few months as events, contacts and emails sync up through my BB which syncs up my Google calendar, yippee), I put it all out there. So I can't complain when someone sympathizes that I still don't have a fridge. It just surprises me. And somewhat irritates me. I thought they had no time for FB? But my life *is* innately fascinating, so I can't hate on their fixation with my status updates.

Deeper into the TMI...no group is more TMI than new moms. While of course you'd share a child's fever, worrisome illness symptoms, or potty successes (no details, please!), I don't really need to know about the contents of poop or the colour and composition of nasal discharge. I try to show the kids the respect of not mentioning their blueberry bums or constant crotch grabbing. (whoops.) Stuff on the internet can be permanent. And so many of my FB friends are guilty of this: naked baby/toddler/child pics! That shit is adorable, but there are creeps, oh so many creeps...

I also have a friend (maybe not much longer though?) who posts a monthly ("is not pregnant :(" ) post, along with lots of comments on my own child-related posts & pictures that just make me feel guilty ("I would trade sleep for a baby ANYTIME!") I'm all for wearing your heart on your sleeve but ... sigh.

I've also hid a few of the peeps whose status updates are a little over-the-top happy. Usually accompanied by excessive exclamation points. Maybe I'm just a cynic but when I read some of them, it makes me think: who are you trying to convince? ("had a great day with my hubby!!!! he is the best and such a wonderful life partner!!!! i am truly the luckiest person on the planet!!!!!") I'm all for shout-outs of love and respect and appreciating what we have, but some of you belong over at STFU, Marrieds.

On the other hand, those who are passive aggressively hashing it out via status update need some counselling. ("is cleaning up AGAIN while HE sits on the couch watching FOOTBALL.") Okay, that may have been an imaginary status update from my head. But if I add an "LOL!" or a "Men!! :)" it's not bitchy. Right?

Lastly, my favourite TMIs are the somewhere-out-there way back peeps I was barely friends with, at some point accepted their FB requests, who seem to still be rocking some *major* drama. My profile's restricted to those I barely know, because some of them are apparently batshit crazy, and to answer B's question of "why even be FB friends?", I present the following *actual* updates (censoring courtesy of me) so fun, especially coupled with the staggering amount of grammatically sketchy comments:

"why do i put myself through this? why cant i just accept that some people will continully disappoint me? U KNOW WHO U ARE" (too many of this ilk to list, from about 3 of my FB friends)

"from the pits of despair i rise up and say f**** you to all you HATERS!! oh not i, i will survive cos as long as i know how to love i know i will survive" (powerful.)

"finally HE IS GETTING A DIVORCE!!" (he didn't.)

Vancouver Sun Run (1:11)

2009-04-21T07:50:00.001-07:00

I've always felt that I take up too much room, just in general. I'm always the one to apologize when elbow bump, or to move out of the way on a crowded sidewalk. Being pregnant for half of the last five years gave me a brief reprieve (after all, it's not *me* in the way it's MY BABY!), but as I've struggled to lose the weight it's been a challenge for me to own my personal space. I'm glad just to be here. (Can you see around me? OK.)

So crowds have never really been my scene. Which is why I was not planning to actually run the Sun Run when I signed up for the training. I see the cover of the Sun every year and I get nauseated. But I got swept along in the excitement and camaraderie plus you know I can't stand to be left out of *anything*. On our training runs I didn't have any major difficulties running 40 minutes straight, just shuffling along one foot in front of the other. So I figured I may actually see something through to completion, something that doesn't happen very often lately (or really, ever in my life).

Starting off was probably the worst part. Downtown during the day has become somewhat unrecognizable to me, so I felt a little lost and claustrophobic as we moved along like cattle waiting to begin. I felt a little hemmed in by the big crowd. My girls started off at a pace that was too fast for me so I hung back and they were immediately swallowed up by the crowd. About 10 minutes in I decided to discard a layer and it proved more complicated than I thought, weaving around headphones and outer vest...I slowed to dead stop and had trouble regaining any momentum.

Running through two protestor demonstrations brought me some negative energy and I had a hard time finding my stride and pace. I seriously considered quitting at that mark, feeling that I had already failed being so far behind...but then I thought about how long it would take me to walk 6K and I got my run on. About a km later I saw an orange shirt that was actually FC, and a perfect pace song came on - and I felt connected again, and could run on the steady slow beat of the song. I tried to focus on keeping my heart rate in the 170s so that I wouldn't have to walk.

So the last of the run was good until someone jumped over a barricade and nearly went face-first into the pavement in front of me. I instinctively recoiled and pulled something in my neck. In the final stretch I didn't see any of the km markers, so it wasn't until I crossed the finish line that I realized that we were done. I swam along with the crowds until I realized I had no idea where anyone was, which resulted in a number of confused texts and phone calls between me and my girls.

I was still disappointed in myself for what I considered failing. Not that my time was slow or that I walked so much, but more that I didn't get the runner's high or the excitement and energy. I kind of felt like an imposter. I hate running, but I thought somehow I would fall under the magical spell of the love of running, or that I really would "feed off the energy of the crowd". Mostly I just felt in the way of the real runners.

So I'm not sure if I'll ever feel like a "real" runner, or if I'll ever do another 10k, but the 736 calories I burned is enough motivation to keep me going. Along with my super-supportive friends, of course. Without them I would have quit around week 5 and never seen that finish line that I didn't even see!

Marshall hates it!

2009-04-15T08:20:00.001-07:00

Took the boys swimming last night. Benson can now fully put his head underwater sans goggles. Marshall was so not into it. He loves to splash in the bath but the pool...not dealing. Not a toothy grin to be found all night, even in the face of other babies and "hi baby!"s.

the simple kinda life....

2009-04-14T08:39:00.000-07:00

Pineapple = baby crack

2009-04-11T09:18:00.000-07:00

Marshall will eat an entire can of pineapple tidbits. Not so much on fresh pineapple, though.

Who needs a plastic bucket?

2009-03-19T14:24:00.000-07:00

If only I'd had these on hand:

http://www.morningchicness.com/

that plastic bucket

2009-03-19T14:15:00.000-07:00

Remember when you were growing up and you had the designated "barf bowl"? In our house it was a burgundy plastic mixing bowl. It came out when you had that icky feeling and needed to lay on the couch. Just the sight of it made me want to hurl.

Unfortunately it was the only bowl in the house big enough to contain the product of our super duper hot air popcorn popper, so that was the bowl's dual use. Gross maybe, but not a lot of actual barf ended up in the designated bowl, in our defense. However...popcorn still = barf, in my mind.

So when faced with 3 boys with stomach flu in the house, I had to make a decision about what bowl to designate "barf only". The metal mixing bowls seemed to be a good choice, but they're not quite deep enough (if you've seen me with martini glass you get the idea).

I sacrificed our Madagascar 2 promotional movie bucket for the cause. And when the imminent danger of projectile vomiting ceased, Alex and the gang ended up in the recycling bin. Unfortunately the original contents of the promotional bucket was movie theatre popcorn...the circle of life?!

me = my mom / benson = ???

2008-12-20T15:10:00.000-08:00

me: "I'm not your slave, you know"
B: "Yes, you are!" (in a "duh" voice). Duh.

Teething. Ouch.

2008-12-01T20:52:00.000-08:00

Then comes the baby ogre?

2008-11-02T10:12:00.001-08:00

Every night, B and I have a little chat about things. He usually likes to talk about his family and friends, so it reminds me a little of the going to bed routine I had as a child ("and bless mommy, and daddy, and teacher, etc").

I completely adore the randomness of the people who come up in Benson's night-time shout-outs. Last night:

B: "I love my family. You, and Marshall, and Daddo. And girl Alex."
Me: "Girl Alex is your friend, but not your family...unless you want to marry Girl Alex?"
B: "No. I marry Daddo."

So, I almost said, "Oh, you have to marry a girl." But I don't really believe that. So then I almost said, "You have to marry someone your own age." But I don't really believe that. "You have to marry someone your own size?" Nope. And...come to think of it, you don't have to marry someone to be in their family! I decided to try to explain the concept of marriage/family a l'il bit more:

Me: "See, I married Daddo and we became a family. I am Daddo's wife."
B: "Oh you are a wife princess?"
Me: "Oh yes." (yeah, I know, not really - but it had SUCH a nice ring to it. Even though I'm sort of anti-princess, especially this time of year.)
B: "And you are a ogre?"
Me: "Yeah, I guess you're right."
B: "You are a princess ogre wife?"
Me: "I think you have it covered."
B: "I like Daddo to be my wife now."

Oh yes, we're all straightened out now. Thanks, Shrek.

6 months...and it's just the beginning.

2008-10-31T09:17:00.000-07:00

As I await the news of baby K...I'm going over my entire experience with Marshall's delivery in my mind as I imagine H going through it, from the sleepless night beforehand to the heightened awareness and brightness of the baby's BIRTHDAY!

And I think it either feels like yesterday, or a lifetime ago. In reality it's been 6 months. Marshall is an amazing 6 months old. No longer a newborn (at 21 lbs, check these biceps!)...it's all gone by too fast, much like the rest of life. But it feels like he has always been here.

Once you have one child, you realize how much your life changes, so you think you know how having another child will feel. I had no idea how much another baby would change our dynamic. It's fantastic. And just like the Grinch, my heart grew at least 3 sizes bigger.

Watching Benson learn how to be a big brother, and the absolute adoration for him in Marshall's eyes, is possibly the best thing ever. I think that's why baby K means so much to me, because I can't wait for the Ks to have this experience, too.

You betcha!! Wait...WHAT?!!

2008-10-17T10:37:00.000-07:00

The last week or so, Benson's been responding to everything with a "You betcha!", which I thought was sort of cute and I assumed it was something he picked up from one of the preschool teachers (although I can imagine neither of them actually saying it, now that I think about it)...but I just caught up on my PVR and Saturday Night Live with Tina Fey doing Sarah Palin...so I'm left wondering...how did Benson pick up a Palin-ism?!!

Nose vs. Potty Beans

2008-10-02T20:36:00.001-07:00

Benson LOVES his potty beans. When I remember to offer them up, he'll pee on demand! Occasionally, he'll go on his own and then come ask for some. But we're nowhere near "trained". Well maybe I'm trained, to change his diaper or throw out pooped-in underwear (sorry, Earth).

Since he only gets 2 PB's for pee, he likes to hold and cherish the beans, smell them, lick them, watch how they turn his hands different colours. Tonight, we were having a dance partay in the kitchen as we were cleaning up... Benson shook his thang a little too hard and went straight down on his NOSE.

He was so busy clutching the PBs that he did not reach out to block the blow. As the screams and hugs and blood gushed, the PBs remained safe in hand. The face...not so safe. The button nose was looking more like a swollen marshmellow. I made an executive decision to haul him to CC.

Shout out to Dr. Frankel, who said he didn't think it was broken, but if it shows up crooked after the swelling goes down, it'll be "Benson's First X-Ray". He didn't offer us any Botox. In related news, I grated off the tip of my pinkie tonight. That's why I stick with pre-shredded cheese, yo.

Potty Beans

2008-09-23T20:42:00.000-07:00

So most of my excuses for not potty-training Benson are up. I know, I should just be locking his naked arse up in the house for a week with Saran Wrap covering all upholstery, but I'm straight-up lazy and so have only been randomly using PT tricks. Lately, I've been having him in undies while at home; praising the successes (oh-so-random) and ignoring the accidents.

I had aimed to have him trained by now fo sho, but he's happy to sit in pee-filled pull-ups and before I know it, another month has flown by. Now it seems B's among the last of the diaper-wearing ilk and I realize that yeah, IT'S TIME.

Decided to go the "potty beans" route (a.k.a. Skittles, previously used as "good boy beans", "be quiet beans", and "sleeping beans"). It's been a while since any "beans" have been used in our place, mainly because I would randomly pull that trick out of the bag and offer up "clean-up beans", only to realize that someone else has rewarded themselves with said beans and the only beans left in the house were coffee beans.

So I brought home some potty beans today and shook them in front of B, asking him to go put on underwear and maybe later, he could have potty beans.

I have never seen a child move so fast. In the bathroom, pants down, diaper ripped off, and peeing on command, and demanding potty beans. 8 minutes later, the same routine. I was worried he was going to be dehydrating himself at this point. (Also worried I would run out of Skittles. You don't get much for 99 cents no more).

And an hour later, he peed on the floor downstairs, in his bathing suit, and on Marshall's carpet. 1 step forward, 2 steps back. Sigh. I'll be playing "find the smell" for a while, yet.

The Big Day

2008-09-21T15:30:00.000-07:00

Benson started pre-school this month. Here he is on his very first day. The preschool offers a gradual entry system so I'd just like to congratulate myself for actually remembering the ever-changing times for the first two weeks! So far I haven't been able to get him to say too much about the school activities, I'm hoping he learns to open up a bit more. The last few months he's been offering up "nothing" as a stock answer to everything, teenager-style. Sigh.

Slug Vs. Rhino

2008-08-24T20:26:00.000-07:00

Today we went out to the Mountainview Conservatory...awesome! It's like the zoo, minus the guilt. We saw zebras, giraffes, rhino thisclose! Aside from the torrential downpour, it was great. When we got out to check out the rhino, Benson became fascinated with a slug (of course). I tried so hard to get him to check out the rhino just a few feet away! But he was stuck on the slug.

Me: "Benson! Look at the rhino! Right there! He looks like a dinosaur!"
B: "Mommy, there's a slug!"
Tourguide: "There are lots of slugs around here, buddy."
B: "WHERE?!"

And later, during the recap, when I ask Benson what he saw today, he reported the slug sighting. He also asked to be a slug for Hallowe'en. I have him downgraded to spider, because I think I may be more likely to find a spider costume than a slug?!

Anyway, I guess these little outings had best be exciting for the grownups as well, since the slug was the high point for Benson - we could probably find them a lot closer than way out in Langley amid the wild animals.

King-size bed for the KINGS...

2008-08-18T11:18:00.000-07:00

I thought even the King-sized bed would be too small with all the Robbins smushed in...but it's great!

Marshall is weighing in at 16lbs, 2.5 oz at just 3 months old. At this rate he's going to outweigh Benson by age 1!

Almost there

2008-07-24T18:30:00.001-07:00

"I get dressed, Mummy!"

The perfect way to shop

2008-07-02T18:53:00.001-07:00

Ahhhh...the best way to get your shopping done. Two sleeping children!

So big, so fast!

2008-06-30T09:55:00.001-07:00

The next summer baby has come along...Jolee's little girl Ava! She is so wee...so beefcake Marshall looks even bigger! What a year for babes...Marshall is only 8 weeks old, and there were still 2 babies younger at Easton's 1st birthday party! :)

Can't wait to keep adding to the playmates!

My predictions:
Renee...girl
Sarah...boy
Shelley...cheat! girl!
Heather...boy
Melinda...boy

Even numbers of boys & girls for 2008?

New Emotions

2008-06-25T09:21:00.000-07:00

It's bathtime, Benson has his shirt off, pants & diaper still on. (Yes, I said diaper. Yes he's almost 3. Shhh.) He's playing in the water from the outside.

"Benson! Stop dilly-daddling and get your clothes off and in the bath!"

"Mom! I'm too shy!"

This is hilarious! Previously, we have only identified the following emotions:

Very hungry
Very sad
Not very tired
Very happy (and often, very very happy. yay!)

Now we can add "shy" to the list, and once again I can only wonder where it came from!

Dilly daddle = effing around

2008-06-13T09:00:00.000-07:00

One of our biggest detractors to an orderly life is...dilly-daddling. As in, "Benson! Stop dilly-daddling around and [insert instruction here]"

It may be a word I made up. In my youth, it was called dawdling. And we all came up with excuses to counter the accusation. And now my child is doing the same. Just like momma.

I find him on the floor, playing with his cars. I'm yelling, "Come ON, let's go! Stop dilly-daddling and get your shoes on!"

He continues playing with his cars, shouts "I'm coming, mom!" - but clearly has no intention of actually getting up or stopping his dilly-daddling, until I walk right up to him and repeat instruction, shoes in hand.

Later, I am looking up something on the computer, whether it's passport registration, where my UCCB is at, preschools (I'm too late), or what-have-you. Benson wants to go downstairs and watch a movie. He calls me from downstairs and I hear the tell-tale static of remote control-gone-wrong. "I'm coming," I shout, though I have not moved a muscle, and won't for another 3 or 4 minutes.

A-ha moment (Oprah, your cheque's in the mail)...I wonder if he even knows what that means, since he obviously hears and sees me say it all the time, just to buy a few seconds!

A moment of peace

2008-05-08T09:58:00.000-07:00

I really feel like a super-mom today...I "tricked" Benson into taking a nap.

Me: Why don't you lay down on the couch?

B: No lay down. No SLEEP!

Me: Oh no, I wasn't suggesting anything of the kind! Just lay down, put your feet up, like your dad does!

B (recluctantly): Okay. (semi reclines on the pillow)

And within minutes, both of the Robbins boys were out!

Marshall in tha house...

2008-05-03T09:33:00.000-07:00

Well it's been a moderately bumpy ride, but Marshall Robbins is here.

We went in for our scheduled section for 8 AM. Dr. Huckell came in at 7:20 to say that all looked like we'd be on schedule for 8 AM. Then a buzz of activity outside the prep room in triage...I heard noises and words that made me glad I had gone for the scheduled! So we were bumped... I *actually* fell asleep! I hadn't slept all night, the thought of epidurals, needles, and the actual surgery really freaking me out.

When I had all that last time, I was soooo tired and drained after the labour I just wanted Benson OUT! So an epidural was a welcome end to the pain of contractions, while this time it was nervously anticipated, and instead of using the word "frozen", the anaesthesiologist said "paralyzed", which really made me even more tense! But all in all it wasn't too bad. Marshall was taking up ALL the room in the womb, so I'm really bruised as they had to really give 'er to get him out of there.

He screamed right away, which thrilled me to death. (Benson took a while to make any noises!) We caught a quick glimpse over the sheet of his little face and HAIR! Whoa! As you know, Benson wasn't blessed with hair until he was at least 1. They took him away for cleanup etc...Bill took some pics and vids, etc. In recovery I finally got to hang out with the little fella. The nurse said that the pediatrician wanted his blood sugar re-tested 2 hours after birth. It was 1.3 (which I later found out was dangerously low) and his temperature was also really low. They grabbed him and sped away.

The nurse said they would probably just give him some formula and he'd be right back...well they took him to Special Care Nursery and he spent a day and half in there. His sugar levels did not come up...he was on an IV and I went down to nurse him every chance I got! the first trip down in a wheelchair a few hours post-op, and then someone stole my freakin' wheelchair so they ordered one...which I couldn't wait for. I hauled myself down there (you're supposed to move around, right!) every few hours. Marshall was a beast compared to the wee ones in there!

Anyway finally his levels came up, they took the IV out and agreed to do the blood tests from our room. At first they were okay...but then they dropped again. He also lost more than the recommended amount of his weight and is pretty jaundiced. So I'm supplementing with formula (and welcoming tips on where to find it the cheapest) and hoping to fatten him back up and get that yellow cast out of his skin!

As for me I'm rollerblading and back into my skinny jeans, headed to the latest movie premiere and pushing my giant old fashioned pram down the street in my Jimmy Choos. So I think I am all caught up on my People magazine reading...hee hee

Less reflection, more irritation

2008-04-29T18:48:00.000-07:00

Benson is really helping me out since I was feeling guilty and mooney about missing him. He has now decided, 30 minutes before I take him for a sleepover at my parents', that he "no like grandma's". That is complete BS. Seriously, grandma's rocks. She has a crapload of cats and dogs (not to mention a pet Grandpa), a huge TV with 800 channels, 740 cars and trains, and she always has something new that makes a crapload of noise. Don't forget rides in the wheelchair.

So now we don't want to go to Grandma's, can't wait to drag a kicking screaming child there now....or at 5:30 AM.

Gee, I sure hope Bill is enjoying his soccer game.

Baby Robbins Eve

2008-04-29T18:28:00.001-07:00

I'm very reflective on Baby Eve.

In just about 12 hours we'll meet the newest little Baby Robbins. After the ups and downs of the last year, I should be thrilled to pieces to finally be here in this position. But as I prepare my little man to go off to Grandma's for the big night, I feel a little blue.

First off, I'm nervous as hell about the surgery. I know exactly what to expect and none of it is very appealing (aside from the whole, um, "birth"thing).

But more importantly, I know how high the stakes are. The responsibility of raising a child right. The heartbreak I will no doubt face. Sometimes I just stare at Benson and cry, cause I love him so much. How in the world will I have enough energy to have that much love for two children?

Then there is the synchronicity of it all...on May 3, 2007, I said goodbye to a little boy who did not get a chance. And on May 3, 2008, I will be coming home to start my new life with my beautifully expanded Robbins family. It's hard to shake the sorrow that seems to bubble up near the beginning of each month, but I have faith that the gift of this baby will soften the edges of the pain of that loss.

Off to face the future, and all that it brings.

Random Benson-isms (aka, Thanks for Sharing)

2008-03-30T10:14:00.000-07:00

"I farted in my pajamas."

Bugs ... Bunny?

2008-03-18T19:12:00.000-07:00

Benson's new toothbrush has Bugs Bunny on it.

Kids today...not so familiar with the Looney Tunes. I was trying to entice him to use the new toothbrush...so I showed him Bugs!

"Hey! It's Bugs Bunny! COOOOOL!" I said...

"Bugs? Bugs in a teeth? No bugs! No bugs!" was the panicked response, with his hands plastered over his mouth.

"Uh, no...it's a bunny. But his name is Bugs."

"Bugs! Bugs! No bugs!!"

(We have some spider issues in our basement, which has apparently resulted in some sort of insect-related trauma/phobia. I can't say I blame him - the Robbins family spiders are beasts.)

Last night he woke up no less than three times screaming about bugs and spiders in his room. Damn that bunny....and my cheap self for not springing for the Thomas brush (ahem, twice the price!).

And seriously - they do not make children's toothbrushes without any kind of character association. Because trust me - I'd rather skip the whole thing. I don't think Dora, Diego, Sponge Bob, Barney, or any of those other conglomerates needs any more of my hard earned dollars to market directly to my child...

Off to try this again - hoping the toothbrush-Bugs association is forgotten tonight!

My favourite things right now

2008-01-29T18:45:00.000-08:00

I love how B says "Yes"...instead of "ya". Do you want some milk? "Yes Mummy." It's so proper!

While the next bit is adorable, it sometimes bothers me..."Sorry mom." It sometimes bothers me that he will do something he knows is wrong, only to immediately apologize: "Sowy mom."

Lastly....the check-in. "You okay, mom?" I love it.

Be silly...be very silly!

2007-12-29T08:12:00.001-08:00

One of the best things about being a kid is the lack of embarassment, self-awareness, or whatever you want to call it. Kids think they are the best at everything...dancing, singing, drawing. I can't ever remember a time when I didn't judge myself! I really wanted Benson to carry the self-esteem gene into his teenaged years.

One of his favourite TV shows...Bo on the Go. Bo is this little blue-haired girl that demands that the viewer to power up Bo by running, jumping, spinning your hands, etc. Benson is totally into it, until he sees me watching him, or sitting beside him participating... Then he says, "No mommy!" and gets embarassed. He's only TWO! How can he possibly be self-conscious?! It breaks my heart a little bit, because I never want him to feel embarassed or anything. I'm not sure why participating in this TV show invokes the same reaction as when I catch him pooping in his pants?!

So far, my solution has been to up the silliness factor in the house...running, dancing, and acting goofy. We are pretty silly up in the Robbins crib anyway, but I really, really want to celebrate my B's giant personality and I never want him to feel like he can't be himself.

I was a really good mom before I had kids: reinventing modern motherhood

2007-12-28T11:48:00.000-08:00

Wow. I have read a lot of books about parenting in the past 2 years...wait - let me re-phrase that. I have started to read a lot of books about parenting, sometimes skipping ahead to the crucial parts (i.e., how to get your baby to sleep alone) and then being disappointed to learn that I've already screwed up ("Never nurse your baby to sleep." Dammit!); sometimes feeling like a failure just reading the "About the Author" and giving up.

I read this entire book in just two sittings - and I felt like it was finally a book written for me! A real person! (Note - I didn't say "mom"...)

I especially felt like the end wrapped it all up in a single thought - that we get so wrapped up in being/doing/providing the best for our kids that we don't realize that kids learn most from our actions:

"Our children are watching us. They're seeing our stress, our anxiety, how we
beat oursleves up. We're teaching them that good enough is not good enough.
We're showing them that anything less than perfect is not OK."

Although one of the tenets of the book is to resist recruitment to the Mommy Wars and stop all the judgement, I really loved the Dirty Little Secrets woven throughout...and I found the chapter on husbands/partners especially relevant.

Now go read it yourself...you can also check out the website at http://www.iwasareallygoodmom.com/

Nutty McNuts: Enemy Number One

2007-12-22T10:57:00.000-08:00

Since eliciting so much concern with my latest Facebook status indicating my denial over the nut allergy, I thought I'd better explain...

I can't specifically recall ever giving him peanut or peanut butter, but I do know that he doesn't like it...so at some point he must have ingested some. Oatmeal with peanut butter used to be a favourite that I likely had to share. So much like the allergy to cats, I think this is a new thing.

His daycare provider gave him a peanut butter cookie and his lips and eyes immediately puffed up. The puffiness had subsided 10 minutes later when I got there but he still had an Angelina-sized upper lip. K was really beside herself with worry and couldn't believe how calm I was. I told her that I simply refuse to have a child with a nut allergy so this has to be some kind of one-off.

Bill took him to the pharmacy (all puffiness subsided by this time) and got him some Benadryl on the pharmacist's recommendation to lessen any symptoms. I suppose the next step will be to have him tested for this allergy. I just do NOT want to have to be that vigilant or worried - ALL THE TIME! Peanut allergies are so scary!!

At dinner, Bill told me that he is extremely allergic to walnuts. Which didn't make much sense to me since a) He has never mentioned this before; and b) Um, I put walnuts in a lot of my baking. (It's a superfood!) (Yes, I bake!!) But he says he swells up and gets hives so it's possible I've got a family with allergies.

So I'm optimistic that it's not a serious allergy; hopeful that I won't have to carry around a hypodermic needle everywhere I go...at least the nut allergy is more commonplace now so there are plenty of peanut-free foods, like Mars bars...(I'm sure there are others...)

Benson masters his colours...just about.

2007-09-30T13:35:00.000-07:00

All righty, we've got it now! In order of emergence from his seemingly marble-filled mouth:

Wed? Check.
Blooo? Check.
Ga-weeeen? Check.
Yellow? Check! As of yesterday: Yallow. Booots?

We only now struggle with the colour orange. Because we usually have a bowl of oranges and apples in a bowl, he insists on calling the colour orange "apple". Which is cute to me, because I know the origin of this particular piece of toddler logic. But I did get a strange look of parental sympathy today at T-gym as he shouted out red, blue, APPLE!! No really, he's a genius. Your kid is eating her sock, so let's not judge.

Head Injuries 101

2007-07-23T13:48:00.000-07:00

If you've got a toddler...you need to know about head injuries. Today I placed Benson down beside me in Mother Goose to stop his wiggling. He objected by executing a full body reverse head-butt to the windowsill behind him.

Not exactly a new move to us, he often backhead-butts me right in the chin. Fun with mummy's teeth! This time seemed to really sting though, he had the silent screams which he rarely ever has. I am grateful for some sign of pain reflex!

I didn't notice until 10 minutes later that the cut was bleeding (why does this always happen in PUBLIC)...so we had our snacks and I took him down to Clover Care. Dr. Wong-Ting (sp?) declared him okay and left me with the following, which I'm planning to tattoo down my arm:

" While no evidence of serious injury is found at this time, here are the SIGNS TO WATCH FOR within the next 48 hours:
1. Increased drowsiness
2. Difficulty in rousing the patient (patient should be awakened every 2 hours during the first night.)
3. Persistent vomiting.
4. Slowing of pulse rate.
5. Continued headache.
6. Stiffness of neck.
7. Bleeding or clear fluid dripping from ears or nose. {this gonna be a tough one.}
8. Weakness of facial muscles or either leg or either arm.
9. Development of convulsions (fits).
10. No Aspirin, ASA.
11. Plain Tylenol ONLY.
12. Change in pupil size, one compared to the other.

She did mention that # 12 was one of the most important and his eyes were the most beautiful she had ever seen. (well, she said they were "fine". the rest was written all over her face.)

No stitches required because his hair will cover the scar. "And I bet he won't be doing that again..." sigh. How many times have we heard THAT?!!

Two

2007-07-11T13:58:00.000-07:00

Last night it was so very hot. Benson woke up crying, matted with sweat. Bill broke his "no babies in the bed" rule to calm our heated babe by laying him on his chest. It's a favourite position for them...for Bill, the classic excuse to nap (for the LOVE OF GOD, don't wake up the baby!). Benson is decreasingly cuddly these days, so we love to take full advantage. Every time they lay this way, it brings to mind how much he has grown. It really is unbelievable.

Benson used to span from Bill's collarbone to the bottom of his ribcage. Then, to the belly button. Slowly but oh-so-quickly, he's grown nearly to the top of Bill's knees. (And Bill is a giant.) I watch videos from the first few days and it's incredible that that wobbly, skinny little creature has become this incredibly communicative strudy, skinny little toddler who learns in leaps and bounds and surprises and delights me every single day.

I remember in the beginning...I wanted to know him so badly! What parts of us would we pass along...who would he look like...would he love to dance or would he be introverted (no chance of that, though). I would watch him for hours to spot clues into the future.

Now that I know him, I struggle between wanting to know him even more, looking forward to his first non-parrotted "I love you" (not to mention pooping on the potty!) ... and wanting to stop time to just indulge in his sweet babyness before it slips away, since he stretches into childhood so quickly with every passing second.

Happy Birthday, baby.

Mommy Block

2007-07-09T14:00:00.000-07:00

I can't wait until brain-to-blog is invented. I was kept up all night by a certain someone who had to punctuate each allergy-induced sneeze with a loud curse word and sometimes a smack on the bed. We really are the family that suffers together!

But I was laying there thinking of all the things I wanted to get ready for Benson's birthday partay along with all of my random thoughts I need to get out of my head and onto paper (er, screen?), ie: blog.

Buuuuuuuut when I get 30 seconds to do so I seem to surf around aimlessly and okay, let's be honest, spend way too much time on Facebook!

And now we're going to go outside and enjoy.

So when Benson is stressing me out in 15 years, I am not going to be able to look back on his teeny tiny years and all the feelings and dreams I had, and it's all Facebook / random July sun's fault. Darn it.

Family

2007-06-17T14:15:00.000-07:00

After doing more reading of blogs and blogging of blogs than actual blogging, I'm getting a little itchy to blog. I'm beginning to feel more positive about the future, and living content in the moment, as opposed to uber-planning the next 40 years. Every so often during the car hunt we would hit that bump of what car we'll need when the first lease runs out (Bill says mini-van, I say, who knows?). But other than that I am not really thinking beyond my next weekend.

Of course me being...ME, I have to explore all these alternate futures. So I have imagined several different futures, and the one I am forcing myself to consider the most is having an only child in Benson. We're so lucky to have this little chunk of perfection, so it's not exactly a consolation prize. And he's such a social butterfly, he'll never be lonely.

But trying to imagine parenting a single-child family is like trying to put on my most favourite pre-baby outfit: It just doesn't fit...and it's just not me...or us.

It really came to light at Liam's 1st birthday party. Last time I held a babe, Benson was not too keen with the situation. So I was giving Devon (7 mo) some cuddles. Benson immediately came over and said "Hi baby! shaliru bush flagyl baby!" while pointing and grinning at the baby. He told me a story about the baby and shared his opinion on the "niii (nice) baby". All the while keeping a possessive hand on my shoulder, but still.

He was so sweet with Devon, that I allowed myself to go back and revisit my old plans for our life: Benson playing big brother to a few siblings...screaming and wrestling...but ultimately bonding with a niii baby, and growing up with a strong sense of family (and chaos).

So here's to great test results, good genes, and healthy futures. I'm pretty sure it will be terrifying, but in the end, so worth it. And watch out for the Robbins boys.

Night nights...plus

2007-06-17T14:13:00.000-07:00

Benson's schedule is all askew, so we had a hard time going down for night-nights. He kept crawling out of the crib and landing with a thunk. So I lowered the side of the crib, at least if he climbs out he is less prone to injuring himself.

Finally he's all cried out, so I went in to check on him and put him back in his crib. Well he totally climbed back in his crib with Elmo and Dog, sleeping in his usual position. Too funny. I guess the side of the crib is staying down, it's easy enough for him to crawl in and out, and he won't roll out of bed.

It was just so funny, I gingerly opened the door, trying to make sure not to hit him (he usually crawls up and curls up behind the door when he climbs out of the crib), and there he was, right where I left him...

Turn it off BC

2007-05-18T14:20:00.000-07:00

VANCOUVER/CKNW - The results from BC's "Turn It Off" day are in. BC Hydro says during peak hours between 7 and 9 p.m. yesterday, it recorded a savings of approximately 70 megawatts or 1.2 million incandescent light bulbs being turned off for the entire evening.

BC Hydro says if British Columbians continued to turn off unnecessary lights and appliances during those hours, the savings would provide enough electricity to power 8000 homes for an entire year.

I turned off everything all day. I even got out my coffee press to use instead of the coffee machine, but I realized that I had no idea how to use it...and it probably would defeat the purpose if I turned on the computer to Google instructions for it.

In exchange for my awesome unpluggedness, I allowed myself to watch Lost...after all, it was the second-to-last episode of the season and after being unplugged all day, my eyes needed to return to their regular box shape.

Oh, I also had the radio on in the morning. Benson and I have a dance partay every morning, and he's starting to develop an opinion. His opinion on my singing was expressed through a very Jen-like look of disgust and confusion. Now I know why Bill hates that face when I make it.

If changing names is so wonderful, why don't our husbands do it too?

2007-05-13T14:19:00.000-07:00

Christy Clark » If changing names is so wonderful, why don’t our husbands do it too?

Christy was dead on in her column today. I always thought I'd keep my name when I got married, just like most of the marrieds I knew who were 5-10 years older. After all, being a Jennifer, I was basically defined by my last name, which is way less common than the 70s favourite that is my first.

When our parents generation got married, most of them only carried their maiden name for about 20 years, so they didn't get all that attached to it, I guess. Somehow those extra 5 years really made me reluctant to give it up.

But in getting married I dreamed of becoming a cohesive unit....the Robbins family...Mrs. Robbins...Mrs. William Robbins...etc...etc. And in the end it just seemed more harmonious to be The Robbins(es? I have never quite figured it out...). Since we planned to fill up the house with kids, I didn't want to be left out with a different name.

All in all, it just felt right...and more romantic...to become Team Robbins. As for him taking my name, well he just has the better name...and I wanted it. (Anyone who knows my ultra-conservative husband would probably guess how that would go down, anyway...)

BTW, I was so happy to have a more "common" name. Raywood is not all that common and is always somehow butchered (usually becomes Raymond.) Of course everyone's names get screwed up anyway...who would have thought Robbins would be so difficult. I'm back to simply spelling my name whenever I have to give it out. ("It's Robbins R-O-B-B-I-N-S")

My celebrity best friend - Jen Garner

2007-05-10T14:22:00.000-07:00

PEOPLE's Most Beautiful in '07 - Jennifer Garner - Jennifer Garner : People.com

Here's the Jennifer Garner blurb. She looks so gorgeous in this picture too. It's like we're twins! (For those who don't understand my online humour, I am joking....)

The 35-year-old actress says 16-month-old Violet, her daughter with husband Ben Affleck, has changed the way the couple looks at themselves. "Ben and I like more things in ourselves that we now see reflected in Violet. To see my dimples in her makes me like my dimples because I share them with her."

Escape Artist

2007-03-21T14:29:00.000-07:00

Why do I get so cocky?!

"I'm keeping Benson in his crib until he's 3!" says I. Well since the time change he hasn't been quite the happy sleeper he used to be. He cries when we put him down and he's waking in the night. It's bizarre, compared to what we're used to.

Last night...Bill and I were working on the computer and right after we put him down, Benson was crying in his crib and banging on the door.

Wait. Banging on the door. Um. Sure enough, we went in there and he was out of the crib. Figuring it was a one-off we put him back. Closed the door. There it was. The thump, followed by banging on the door.

He's quite the little athlete, performing a perfect dismount out the crib. Then to fall asleep on the floor.

I feel so bad for the little guy, I'm not sure what's so terrible about the bed. But it looks like we'll be cancelling our trip to the aquarium and headed to Ikea instead this weekend for a big boy bed...and I'll be completely child proofing his room (ie, removing EVERYTHING).

Wal-Mart (and why I can't shop there)

2007-03-19T14:29:00.000-07:00

So we took Benson for his photos on Saturday. Yes, Saturday at the Langley Wal-Mart. Brave souls, indeed!

It took a while getting in, as the family before us had 3 little kids. I can't even imagine trying to organize that photo. We sat in the lobby watching the interesting procession of shoppers. I swear, every 4th person was on an oxygen tank. What is up with that?!

The pictures were flawless, it was a 5 minute process. Benson finds everything hilarious, so we had no trouble getting the shots. (I love playing Tyra ... "More neck! More neck!")

Then I told Bill we'd need to pop in "for just a few things". Basically I avoid the great big American evil companies, but every so often I can't resist. And I really need a new swim diaper for Benson or we are going to have an accident that's going to get us kicked out of the Y!

Bill immediately headed to the fishing section, and I couldn't find him...who knew that fishing was a "sport"?! I decided to see how much their leggings were, if I could find a cheap pair maybe I could try out the look? At least in the comfort of my own bathroom...I'd probably never have the cojones to try to wear them in public.

I found a pair strewn over a rack, my size, but they had that horrid lace at the bottom. I couldn't find any hanging on a rack. So I asked an employee. She said, "They should be in the women's section". Yeah okay, the women's section in Langley is about 3000 square feet. And I was on a timer, once Bill decided it was time to leave Wal-Mart, I would have to leave Wal-Mart. Immediately. I timidly asked, "any idea where, specifically?" since she was putting away clothes, I assumed she may have an idea. She simply glared at me and made a sweeping arm gesture somewhere toward the front of the store.

Well, I could always cut the lace off, I suppose.

Once I'd collected Bill and hidden my 80s treasure in the cart, we headed to the very back baby section. I found that they only carried Medium swim diapers and my little wee baby is by now clearly a large. Well, I think. The sizes are listed by pounds, and Benson's a little overdue for his 18-month checkup...

Anyhoo, I picked up a booster seat so that Benson can sit at the table like the civilized young babe that he is. Yay! No more picking old food out of that stupid high chair seat. From now on I'll get to pick it up directly off the floor! What a time-saver...since I'm picking up food directly from the floor, anyway.

While I was getting yet some MORE of the stupid sippy cups (and I wish The First Years would just sell packs of lids, or just cups, because I always have tons of one and none of the other)...I noticed the cutest little mini-tumblers, like the coffee cups mom & dad carry around. I thought it would be so great for B because he could use a l'il straw or use them to learn to sip from a big boy cup. AND they were on clearance, only $2.

Bill started making the face so we got into a bearable line-up. The cashier was about 16, well I think she worked there, she had no name tag or apron on, but she did share the same "I don't give a F" look on her face as the other employees as she scanned in the items.

Then the following conversation took place:

She: You can't buy this cup. It has no UPC code.

Me: Um, there's a price-tag, and it was on the shelf.

She (with great hardship): Do you want me to call someone to look it up?

Me (glancing at the man behind me, who was glaring at me with what can only be described as stifled murderous rage): If it's not too much trouble.

She: Well do you want to pay for all this stuff, or wait until I get a code for the cup.

Me: I'd sort of like to pay for it all together. How long will it take?

She: It's SATURDAY. I HAVE NO IDEA.

Me: Sure, I'll pay for this stuff.

Bill: Just leave the cups.

She: calls something on the phone.

Me: Those were the last 2 on the shelf.

She: What? SIGHHHHHHHHHHHHH. (on the phone): Yes, they're mini-thermoses.

Me: Actually, they were in the baby section. And they were the last 2.

She: What? SIGHHHHHHHHHHHHH. (on the phone, in an incredulous manner): She said they were in the BABY section. Yeah the sticker SAYS they are on clearance. (laughs) YES totally.

Me: And they were the last 2 on the shelf.

Benson: WAhhhhhhhhhh

Bill: I think we can live without the cups.

She: Well look, I am going to have to call a manager now. And it is a SATURDAY. So this could take a while.

Me: Fine. I'll leave the cups. (loudly, with much passive agression to Bill) They shouldn't be ON the shelf, with a PRICE TAG, if a customer can't BUY them.

She: (to someone picking up the returns): yes they go in the baby section with the cups.

So basically someone is going to do the same thing, all over again! Argh.

One thing is clear: Wal-Mart should definitely sell alcohol in bulk containers. And Xanax.

My Favourite Thing Today

2007-01-11T14:32:00.000-08:00

Today was another snow day... I don't mind the extra long commute, but I can't take my sensitive-skinned little bean out in this. Not to mention the fact that he is just like mum - a cold blast of air and he shrieks in terror.

So with the predicted -18 windchill, I stayed in...did some work and trolled around MySpace (or as I call it - TimeSuck!!)...early on I convinced Nancy to come over with Caleb so that Benson didn't go completely bonkers.

My basement looks like a tornado hit it - yay, well that's the point. Because it's down there and I don't have to look at it! Woo hoo!

So my favourite thing today was hearing all Caleb's words! It is so adorable...he and Nancy are so in tune. Mostly, I was delighted to hear Caleb say "Benson" so clearly. It really is amazing how fast they become real live human beings!

I guess my least favourite thing was Benson throwing a golf ball at Caleb's head.

Time Goooooes by....

2006-06-09T14:39:00.000-07:00

Can you believe this is my little man? And he is so close to walking. Well not really, but he can pull himself up.

Ever since I was 2 weeks pregnant, I was hooked on iVillage, Babycenter, etc, etc. What is my little bean doing now? Does he have ears? I remember I was shocked, watching an episode of CSI when they mentioned what week the baby would have fingerprints. I rushed off to the trusty internet to see if it were so and when would my bean have his own set.

It's not enough to read just one site, either, you have to subscribe to every single one of them, and of course all the baby brands: Gerber, Pampers, Earth's Best, etc, have them too. You have to to read them all so you know when your babe is growing nose hair!

I was still hooked right up until about month 6. Then I wanted the process to sloooow down. Because I don't want to know how close he is to walking! Because that's just the start of him walking...away from me. Oh my gaw, I am a fool, but it's true. I just delete those damned emails now.

I don't want any more milestones, I just want it to be June or July 2006 forever, me and my baby Beanson, singing Kelly Clarkson and Zoom Zoom Zooming to the Moon!

He moves

2006-02-26T14:41:00.000-08:00

I'm still sniffling but the doc assures us that we are JUST FINE...and he's the expert, right! Well Benson is now officially crawling. I left him in the front room and was cleaning up in the kitchen, and I turned around to find him in there.

He's not doing the typical crawl, but then I hear that's pretty rare for the beginning crawler. He does the shimmy, shimmy, shimmy. He no longer wants to sit still on momma's lap (although momma still needs to be around 24/7/365) !

This was evidenced at Kim's shower when I let him crawl around the dirty floor, since he needed to be ON THE MOVE.

Here's a pic of him with Rayan, he's just dying for him to get out of the chair and into the world of FSU!

the Ben Hardie

2006-02-15T14:43:00.000-08:00

So he doesn't have much hair, but he gets a wicked case of bedhead!