He Peed! And Other Dirty Topics

It's official, we are now on the path to potty training. This morning he said poopoo, we walked to the bathroom, he sat on mini me potty and peed. Do I care that there wasn't any poop? Nope. Not one bit. Previously, the mini me potty caused a wee bit of trepidation, not this morning. He had on his game face, and was ready to let loose. I realize that it could be a year before I post another similar success, but I will take what I can get.

On to other dirty topics. I can't believe I made it through life as long as I did without knowing about the miracles of OxyClean, but we used it on our beautiful white couch (it has removable covers) that we had to cut apart (the couch, not the covers) yesterday in order to finally move it from the LGs room where it had been sitting since we moved into the basement where it belonged and wouldn't fit. That was fun. But thanks to OC, it is clean, good smelling, and ready to get dirty again from us molesting it with our dirty feet, food, sweaty bodies, baby bodily fluids. Eeeww.

Finally, I can't believe I haven't posted about this yet, but a month or so ago, I received a box from Sabon in the mail. For those of you who are just now joining the P Pod, or have forgotten, this is the company that makes the most luxurious and divine smelling salt scrub that I absolutely covet. Who was it from? I almost didn't care about that, only that miraculously, here it was on my doorstep! My mother-in-law, ohhhhhhhhh I will love her FOREVER! I didn't even think that Sabon shipped it in the mail so I had been saving the remaining amounts of my only jar on a high shelf where I would only look and worship from afar. It would be too much to bear if I was left entirely without any. This whole scenario is bringing to mind thoughts of a Seinfeld episode where Elaine begins to hoard a particular type of birth control that will no longer be available. Anyway, with a fresh jar of Apple Lavender Salt Scrub now available, I happily used the remainder to my heart's delight. Oh, to be clean, smooth and good smelling all at the same time.

Sweet Ride

We have become suddenly envious of all the bikers in Portland who tote their toddlers around in little pods behind their bikes. The BK got so excited he overlooked the fact that a pod should probably be a precursor to a helmet. Not in this family! By golly, we must have helmets, and helmets we now have!!! We also now have a bike for the LG which I picked up from the garage of a good friend for $10 (still no pod - or a bike for me incidentally). We don't do baby things in our family - we jump straight from sit-on-my-back-and-honk-me Mater to a bicycle. Brilliant. Aside from finding him standing with both feet on the seat and his fanny way up high in the air, I have done a pretty good job of closely supervising to prevent imminent disaster. I had to remind the BK that the LG isn't even 2.

First, please don't notice the pile of bushery sitting on our deck. We are excusing ourselves for the next year from any culpability with regard to the state of affairs in the jungle. Secondly, don't notice the fact that I am wearing smurf blue socks with gold shoes because what I really wanted to highlight are a few interesting tidbits regarding the helmet so I am providing a closer head shot below.

TIDBITS:
1- The LG has a HUGE head - inherited from his mother I am afraid. The toddler size was too small. I like to think it is because he has a big boy brain.
2- Adding to the already enormous circumference of big head can have severe effects on equilibrium such as running your mushroom into the refrigerator, couch, chairs, piano, etc. Luckily the helmet actually works.
3- Helmets can really mess with your yoga routine. Getting that noggin out of a downward dog position with a helmet on, particularly for a toddler, is practically impossible.
4- The new look of this somewhat permanent attachment (he would probably sleep with it on if I let him although I can't think it would be very comfy) constantly brings to mind quotes from So I Married an Ax Murderer.
5- "Head. Move. Now."

Faded Paper Figures

I don't profess to be any type of music critic, or into anything hip or artsy that qualifies this next recommendation, but I just really like this music. The band is Faded Paper Figures and you can check them out on their website. As a side note as to how I found them, a long lost highschool friend, who has a great blog which is hip and artsy, is married to one of the band members. I just love it when people do what they want and love to do. I really admire all of the work it must take to put all of your creativity into such a HUGE project like an album. I'm also VERY envious of that level of creativity. It seems I am surrounded by super creative folk, and yet not much has rubbed off yet.... don't worry, I plan to keep trying to get dirty.

Mistaken Identity

This morning I was doing a bit of blog admin - mostly checking out who checks out my blog - when I discovered that the P Pod has an interesting medical reference which led at least one lucky reader to my site. Not sure I would have changed my mind on naming my blog the Mega P Pod, but I certainly would have been making fun of myself long before now.

PPOD
Pelvic pain and organic dysfunction (PPOD), is the phrase given to a disorder characterized by various combinations of symptoms of pelvic pain and disorders of bladder, bowel, gynecologic and sexual function. Mechanically Induced PPOD Syndrome is a commonly overlooked cause of these disorders. For more information, click here www.ppodsyndrome.com

Apologies to any of you who were hoping to relieve your pain when you checked out the site, and shame on those of you who were aware of this comical mishap who left me in the dark all this time. Hopefully, this doesn't become a symptom experienced by loyal readers.

Peectures and Bonk-a-Bonks

The LG is growing like a weed - a good smelling (mostly), good looking, and good-natured (mostly) weed. He has done a couple of silly things the past couple of weeks that I think are worth a mention.Since we are still living in chaos, a lot of random things are lying around, like my cowboy hat I bought on impulse and have worn only once, and a soup can. The LG LOVES hats of any sort (as well as my shoes, handbags and makeup - which the BK is very disapproving of and counteracts by letting the LG stand dangerously on the toilet while watching him shave and do other "manly" things). The other day the LG disappears into my bedroom only to reappear wearing the hat. He grabs me by the hand and leads me to the fireplace, points with his very firm pointer finger, and starts demanding a "peecture" from the camera that is sitting on the mantle. Here you go LG, this one's for you.

Additionally, he has started re-enacting accidents. Apparently, as an only child, he feels he is still starved for attention and needs that extra little bit of assurance that we still live, breathe, and suffer under his tyrannical reign as supreme dictator. The most recent performance occurred after he tripped over the fireplace seen in the picture above and gently bonked his head on the rug. The BK, not yet having experienced a dramatic episode was in for a treat. After coddling him from the accident that didn't produce a single real tear, I told the BK to pay close attention for the next act. The LG then started loudly dictating (in a language that I still haven't figured out) the scene. More pointing at the fireplace (apparently the villain in this story), walks over to the spot where he bonked his head, assumes the downward dog position, and turns his head with big pouty eyes to make sure we are watching as he sadly says, "a bonk a bonk". He then stands up and giggles. At least he isn't taking himself too seriously.

Happy 4th of July

Maybe it is because it is an election year, or my recent jaunt back to DC, but I am feeling a particular love of country this year. I know most people love their countries, like I will always love and be loyal on some level to the Utah State Aggies (unless they are playing the Utes), but to me there is something different about loving America. It isn't just where I was born, or live, or the people I identify with, but to me America is about ideas, really really good ideas, established by brilliant men who were willling to defend those ideas even above their own lives. I like to think that many, if not most, of the soldiers who have died for this country died in defence of those ideas, not a piece of land or a particular border. The very fact that we can make fun of our President, or protest on his front lawn without being shot is really something if you look at the rest of the world. I am grateful to live in a country where things take time, and while many of us complain that things don't happen quickly enough, we aren't upset enough to overthrow our government, or stage military coups. I LOVE AMERICA, and am grateful to all the men and women who defend our country, as well as the ideas that it was founded on.

To celebrate we went out to the coast with two other families who have all boys. There were 8 young men (including the LG), 3 grown men, and plenty of testosterone to help build fires, build mud huts, splash in the water, and light off a few of our own explosions before watching the local yocal fireworks on the beach in Manzanita on the Oregon Coast. Beautiful, and pleasantly cool with our raging bonfire.