They say it never rains in Southern California...

Well, they lied!  Nearly 3 weeks ago, we made the trek to Anaheim from our home in Northern Nevada.  After an 8 hour car ride, we were thrilled to get there and get out of the car.  Little did we know what was in store for us.

We live in the desert, so rain is a rarity.  For someone who lived in Florida for 24 years, moving somewhere where the average rainfall is 5.3 inches per year is a bit of an adjustment (by comparison, my hometown of Tampa, FL experiences an annual average rainfall of 44.7 inches).  On the day of our departure, we woke to the unmistakable sounds of rain.  Rain!  How exciting.  Until it wasn't.

Apparently, like Charlie Brown and his rain cloud, the rain decided to follow us to Southern California.  It rained the entire 3 days we were there. It rained, on and off, but mostly on, for the two days we spent at Disneyland.  It rained so much that we were forced to buy rain ponchos.  Ponchos.  I have never in my life worn a rain poncho, not under any circumstance.  As a kid, when we would visit the Florida theme parks during the summer we would make fun of the tourists in their neon yellow rain ponchos.  What - did they think they were going to melt?  Well, we became those tourists - wandering around the park in our neon yellow ponchos, trying to stay dry.

Despite the rain, the little dude was in high spirits (which kept us in high spirits), mostly because all he cared about was finding Mickey Mouse.  More on that later.  Luckily, no photographic evidence exists of the dreaded rain ponchos.  Not that it matters - the image of those ponchos is seared into my memory.  An auspicious start to an entertaining trip.

What we're watching

I'm back after a bit of a break!  Two weeks ago we traveled to Anaheim to visit, as the little dude calls it, "Mickey Mouse's Park".  It was quite a trip, filled with a few comical missteps and some big triumphs.  I had planned to blog about it last week, but I mismanaged my time and couldn't seem to find the time or inspiration to blog.  As of now, the ideas are still percolating, so check back later this week for more on our trip.


For now, I'll fill you in on what seems to be on permanent rotation in our house these days: Clifford the Big Red Dog.  I was only generally familiar with Clifford when one day I found his big movie for the little dude to watch.  Soon after I found the show on PBS Kids, and the DVR is now set to record every episode.  We both know the name of every dog and human on the show, and often discuss what the characters are up to.  I appreciate that every episode teaches a lesson - "Clifford Big Idea" teaches young viewers to do things like ask permission before playing with someone's toys.


As with anything, I am sure that his obsession with Clifford is fleeting, and before long he'll be on to something else.  But for now I'll enjoy his little voice calling to me: "Momma, I want to watch another new Clifford".  I'll also enjoy the way is captures his imagination - the other day in the car he told me that we had to go pick up Emily Elizabeth (Clifford's owner).  Like the song says, we love Clifford the Big Red Dog!

That wasn't so bad

Life with a toddler feels like a daily battle of wits.  It makes me think of the battle of wits in "The Princess Bride".  Mostly because every time he wins I feel like screaming "inconceivable"!

My mom once advised me to pick my battles.  She cautioned that if I stood my ground on every issue and never let him win it would be counterproductive.  Better to let him have a few smaller issues, thereby building his confidence (not like that's really an issue around here) and to keep him from fighting with me over everything.  Pretty sage advice, eh?  Easier said than done.

Yetserday we had a battle over taking shoes and socks off.  It was down to me and it was down to him.  He'll be 3 in December, and I figure it's past time for him to start learning how to take his shoes and socks off himself.  He was having none of it.  "No Momma you do it" was the common refrain during our exchange.  Finally, remembering my mom's advice, I decided to let him win and I took his socks and shoes off for him.  His response?  "That wasn't so bad Momma".  Out of the mouths of babes.

It's the most wonderful time of the year

I have a small confession to make...

I LOVE TV.

When I was younger, I think I probably would have chosen movies over television.  But that was back when the pickins were slim and shows hadn't achieved the feats of storytelling and effects they have recently.  I did have a few shows I watched regularly, but they did not excite in me the passion and fervor today's television shows do.  (This is not an exaggeration.  I get really into my shows.)

On the whole, we don't watch a great deal of television in our house.  This is deliberate.  When the little dude was about 4 months old, I started to notice how captivated he was by the tv.  So my immediate reaction was to turn it off.  It wasn't until he was a year and a half that he really watched anything, and that was a movie on a 6 hour car drive home from California.  The car was new, and there was a convenient DVD player in it...

These days he enjoys a Disney movie now and then, or an episode of Sesame Street or Clifford I have stored on the DVR.  But for the most part, the tv is off during the day.  When he goes to bed however, it's a different story.  I think this falls under the category of do what I say, not what I do.

I'm a bit of a couch potato at night.  Sad, but true.  I love a good tv show, and there are so many to choose from.  The bar has really been raised in recent years, and I find that most of the shows I watch are better than most of the movies we rent (going to the theater these days is a non starter, due in no small part to a certain toddler).

So tonight when the little dude's asleep and the house is quiet, I'm going to treat myself to brand new episodes of my favorites.  And a few new ones too.  Well, technically they're old, since they're remakes.  Don't even get me started on the seemingly lack of original ideas in Hollywood.  Annoying as it is, it doesn't seem to stop me from tuning in.

The iconic theme song from Hawaii Five-O has been replying in my head for the last week.  Time to see if it lives up to the hype.  Fall tv season is, for me, the most wonderful time of the year.

He never gives up

My child refuses to take no for an answer.  He's going to be a great lawyer.  Or car salesman.

As I'm sure must be the case with all little humans around his age (2 and 3/4 going on 15), he believes that he who asks the loudest and the most often gets what he wants.  Granted, this is mostly because it's often the case.  But we've decided to end the cycle and put our foot down (that's the royal foot.  My husband and I both have 2 perfectly fine feet of our own).  It's not going well.

Unfortunately, the dogged persistence not only applies to amassing the world's largest collection of cars.  It also applies to pretty much anything he thinks can be negotiated.  I'm telling you, future lawyer or car salesman in training over here.  A few weeks ago, he fairly successfully negotiated the number of times he could go down the slide before leaving the park.  Again, persistence pays.  He started at two.  I countered with one.  He held at two.  I held at one.  He increased to four.  After a time, we agreed to two.  The child doesn't even need law school (trust me - I did, and I still lost).  Unreal.

Tonight it was persistence of a different nature.  He was convinced he could fit more blocks ("suitcases") in the back of his Little People dump truck than could ever possibly fit.  I'm no genius with geometry, but it just wasn't happening.  After a lot of screaming and yelling and a few tears, he made an executive decision: "Daddy fix it when he gets home."  Of course.

I love my child.  But often times I worry that he has the worst of our annoying traits.  My husband's stubbornness and single mindedness.  My perfectionism and constant worrying.  But then I realize that refusing to take no for an answer may not be such a bad thing.  It drives me crazy, but it's a skill that will probably serve him well.  With the right help and guidance I'm hopeful he'll turn out to be a compilation of what's best of both of us.  As long as he doesn't get fed up and throw blocks at his boss's head.

In other news, I finally got my hands on some Blue Moon Harvest Moon Pumpkin Ale.  I think I'm going to need it.