In our house, the proverbial ‘cat’ is my two-year-old son, Steel.. the mice being my husband, Steve, and myself.

Steel spent this past weekend at Steve’s dad’s house in the valley, about three hours away. I missed him before he even left. I was also already planning some “me” time before he was out the door.

His weekends away get easier and easier on me. Steel spends a lot of time with his Papa Gordon and Grandma Sandy. The first weekend he went to stay with them I wasn’t sure about it. I had no doubts about his well being, I just knew I’d miss him terribly and wasn’t quite sure how he’d do without us. Steel, on the other hand, has never had a problem leaving us behind. He does just fine waiving good-bye and being spoiled right off the bat by his grandparents. This is about his fourth or fifth time staying a weekend with them…and this time around it’s more like… a weekend off of parenting?!? Woo Hoo!

Steve works on Saturdays, so I knew I’d have the entire day to myself, but to do what? I mean, there’s so much to do I didn’t even know where to start.

So, I started off by sleeping in. Once I woke up and rubbed the sleepiness out of my eyes, I drove to my favorite, locally-owned coffee shop for a latte, went home, watched a movie and then started to do house work. That’s where I stopped myself. I refused to do it on my day off. Instead, I went for a three mile run and a nine mile bike ride. I’m training for a Triathlon…a mini-triathlon… .25 swim, 12 mile bike ride, three mile run.

By that time Steve got home from work and we started to get ready for our ‘dinner and a movie’ date. We started off with sushi at our favorite place in Grover Beach, then it was off to see “The Help.” I read the book and Steve knows how badly I want to see the movie. I didn’t want to subject him to a “chick flick,” but he insisted. Well, it was sold-out by the time we got there. The next movie showing was 30 Minutes or Less. The Help, I hear, is amazing.. 30 Minutes or Less, not so much.

Sunday, Steve had a whole day planned for us. We had breakfast followed by a lazy morning. Later in the afternoon, we packed a picnic backpack and headed to Avila Beach where we had lunch on a secluded beach that we got to via kayaks. The plan was to rent a tandem kayak, but it was rented out already. We settled for singles…on a windy day…my first time kayaking…oh, and I’m afraid of the ocean (sharks, mostly). The kind instructor must have seen the fear in my eyes because he secretly gave Steve a tow rope in case I “freaked out.” It was a little rough, paddling against the wind, but I managed and had a fantastic time! My arms are a bit sore this morning, but that just means they got a good work out! I’ll definitely be back out in the water… I want try stand-up paddle boarding next time.

All in all, it was a fun weekend off of parenting. I’m now rested and ready to have our little guy back this afternoon.

A friend of Steve’s said it best: “Funny how you look forward to time alone, but once you get it you can’t wait to get them back.”

So true.

Steel didn’t just have a birthday, he had a birth-weekend. The party started Friday with his Daybreak debut and lasted until Sunday when we went out to breakfast for a post-party celebration.

We decided not to have a big, expensive blowout party that he’d never remember. Instead, we had a family BBQ at our house where he was spoiled with love and showered in gifts from his grandparents, great-grandma, uncles, aunts and one special little cousin, Sweet Lucy, whose just 9 months old. Most came from out of town just to see the birthday boy.

His favorite toys right now are trucks! So naturally, he got trucks galore! Fire trucks, tractors, dump trucks and even a Harley Davidson Tricycle. He’s such a boy. He crashes them into everything from great-grandma’s foot to the poor dogs who scamper out of the way when they see him coming.

He also got his first set of golf clubs. When I first saw these clubs, a real set mind you, I thought they were the most adorable things I’d ever seen..that is until the golfer outfit was brought out. Complete with knee high socks, sweater vest with tie and caddy hat, he looked like he just walked off the green in Scotland. We took pictures with him pulling out the clubs and taking his best shot at the golf balls. I think these pictures are what we call blackmail for when he gets older.

As for the money shot of birthday cake all over his face, fingers and hair…it never came. Steel is a messy eater, like all kids, but he’s not one to smear it all over himself, not yet anyway. He was more interested in the Nemo and Dory cake tops. Not even during his first birthday party did he dive right in. I’m really not complaining. Makes for less to clean up. He did get ketchup all over a designer, white long-sleeved shirt he got for his birthday (just one of a ton of clothes he also got!) while out to breakfast on Sunday. My bad for dressing him in white. I know better than that!

It’s so mind blowing to me that two years have already passed since Steel blessed and changed all of our lives for the better. He’s growing so fast and turning into a little boy before our eyes. Not to mention he’s the most beautiful little guy to ever walk this planet…and I’m not just saying that because he’s mine.

While I hear the twos can be terrible, I’m still looking forward to them!

This blog is going to take on a whole other tone than my previous posts and I’d love to get a discussion started on how to go about raising our children in the world we live in today.

This topic arises from the horrific and heinous death of 8-year-old Leiby Kletzky. He was walking home from day camp in his Orthodox Jewish neighborhood in Brooklyn on July 13 when he was kidnapped by 35-year-old Levi Aron. It was the first time his mother allowed Leiby to walk home alone. He was supposed to meet her just a few blocks away, but made a wrong turn. He wandered a bit, until he asked Aron for directions. Leiby was kidnapped, drugged, smothered, and dismembered allegedly by Aron, who is charged with Leiby’s death. Two days later, Leiby’s remains were found in Aron’s refrigerator and a dumpster not far from Aron’s home.

I can’t begin to wrap my head around his parent’s agony. While they should not, how do they not blame themselves? I would. Wouldn’t you? And yet, all they did was let their little boy do something that millions of others do on a daily basis: walk home alone.

I heard Geraldo Rivera this morning on FOX News say, “You can’t let your kids walk home alone anymore, it’s not that kind of world anymore.”

Is this true?

I grew up in a San Diego suburb. In sixth grade I was allowed to walk to a friend’s house who lived nearby after school. I never had any problems, but that was also a time when we played outside until after dark, again without any problems, ever.

Some would say it depends on the neighborhood. Keep in mind, though, Leiby lived in and was abducted from his Orthodox Jewish neighborhood, where many live because they feel safe.  A rabbi said during an interview he was shocked and disappointed to find the killer was one of their own.

So how do you keep your kids safe from monsters who roam the streets? You can’t shelter them their entire growing up, or can you, should you?

I get that you have to arm your kids with the tools to keep safe, Stranger Danger and what not, but kids will be kids, can you take that chance anymore?

Steel will be two-years-old on Friday and already I lose sleep worrying about these things.

Thoughts?

Are over-protective parents on to something? Is this just the kind of world we live in?

May this little boy rest in peace and may his parents find peace within themselves.

So, the other day I sat my mother down and said, “we are going to have an addition to the family.”

Immediately her mind starts going in a hundred different directions, as I knew it would. She starts blurting out things like “oh, my gosh, you?!” and “no, your brother?” and “is someone pregnant?” My plan worked perfectly. I started to laugh and said “we’re getting another dog!” Funny? Yes! Do I hope Steel plays tricks on me? No, but as my mom keeps reminding me paybacks are, well, you know.

My mom has known for a while that my husband and I have been thinking about getting another dog, mainly as a companion for our dog, Duke. I’ve had a lot of reservations because I want to make sure the dog will be as patient and tolerable as Duke is with Steel. I also didn’t want to raise a puppy in the same house as a toddler, while potty training them both! So, I made a deal with Steve…I said if you can find a female (because Duke gets along best with females), Boxer (because they are known for being great family dogs and good with children) that is potty trained, and at least three-years-old (because I’m not going through puppy stages again) then we can get another dog. Good luck with that, I thought.

Well, what does Steven find? He comes to me last week with a Craigslist post : four-year-old, female, Boxer, potty trained, great with children, needs a good home.  How could I say no?

Her name is Roxy. And she’s everything I wanted in our new dog. She and Duke tire each other out by playing, she goes potty outside and she is so wonderful with Steel. As with most two-year-olds, Steel likes to poke and prod and hit and hug the dogs…and Roxy seems to love all the attention. Duke is good with Steel in the sense that he just walks away and for the most part ignores him unless they’re chasing each other around the lawn or living room. But Roxy sits there and licks Steel when he’s right in her face and nuzzles him when he’s laying on her or when he’s poking at her. It’s really very sweet.

And Steel seems to really enjoying having two dogs around..as you can see by this picture that I also sent out to my family and friends. My brothers responded with the cutest replies…one said “I know lil Steel will have plenty of protection” and the other said “Steel’s saying c’mon, I dare you. I double dog dare you.”

I close with a reply from one of my friends “your family is growing by the minute!” It sure is…and we’re loving every second!

Steel’s “thing” these days is to learn animal noises and then repeat them everywhere he goes!

Cats, dogs, goats, sheep, horses, monkeys, lions, ducks…you name it he mimics it.

It’s adorable, until we’re walking through the store and he’s “baaaing” like a sheep at people. Actually, that’s still adorable. And I’m just so proud and happy that he’s learning and absorbing so much!

There’s not much that gets past this kid. He’ll pick up on something, file it in his little brain for later and then use it when the time is right. And it leaves us scratching our heads thinking ‘where did he learn that?’ Duh, like we have to ask.

What floors me is his ability to navigate through my iPhone. I think he can use the thing better than I can. My husband and I used to be able to lock the phone so that he couldn’t make any calls or open any apps while he was playing with it. Now, because he’s watched us do it so many times, he takes the phone, uses his little finger to slide the lock open on the screen and voila he’s in. (It’s that “file it for later” thing I was talking about). Now he even knows right where to go to find his favorite “Barn Yard Animal” app. He touches it and he’s immediately playing with virtual sheep, goats, mice, dogs, cats and much, much more. This app has actually gotten him to start naming his favorite animals, too.

I’m so blessed to have such an active, smart, little guy and it really doesn’t surprise me that some of his first words were of his barnyard friends…he’s a little animal himself and sometimes you’d think he was being raised in a farm!

I think sometimes we don’t realize how spoiled we are here on the Central Coast.

One of the perks of working an early morning shift, 3am-noon(ish), is that I have the rest of the afternoon to spend with Steel. If I’m really exhausted, it means we just play in the yard. He loves to chase our dog, Duke, around and spray everyone in his way with the hose!

But on the days we have outings, like last Tuesday, the possibilities are endless. And that’s why I say, we’re truly spoiled here.

My husband and I took Steel and Duke to a local beach…and because it was pretty windy out we had the entire beach to ourselves! Steve and I were saying people drive hundreds of miles to play in the ocean, but we, who live near it, stay away if it’s not prime conditions. Believe me, I’m not complaining. It was terrific having the beach to ourselves. Duke was in heaven! Plus, I’m normally one of those fair-weather beach goers myself. But now I see, the prime time to take the fam to the beach is during sub-prime weather conditions.

Afterward, we took Steel to the petting zoo at Avila Valley Barn. He was able to put the animal noises he’s learned to good  use. He “mooed” with the cows and “baaaed” with the goats. He also got to touch a mini-horse and a sheep. Did I mention this was all free of charge? We then wandered over to the ice-cream shop and got Steel some strawberry ice-cream, which I think Steve and I ate most of.

I challenge you to find another place on earth where you can do all this within a stone’s throw from each other. Okay, I don’t really challenge you. I’m sure somewhere out there it exists. I’m just sayin’ we had such an amazing family outing, on a Tuesday, within miles from our home, and spent $2 (on the ice-cream, which is made fresh daily, btw).

There really is no place like home.

So a couple of weeks ago was the wonderful and fabulous fashion show at the Madonna Inn called “Phyllis’ Musical Review.”

It was the show’s 24th year. Every  year it raises thousands of dollars for the San Luis Obispo Women’s Shelter. This year it raised more than $150,000! It’s an incredible effort put forth by Mrs. Madonna and her team who spend months coordinating the show. It’s not just a stream of people in beautiful clothes who are made up by the pros to look runway ready…it’s a show full of acts and performances from so many people in the public eye, from politicians and law enforcement officers to business leaders and news anchors..and their children.

That’s where we come in. I’ve been a part of the show for the past 5 or 6 years. Two years ago I walked down the catwalk while pregnant, last year my husband and I carried our son, Steel, down the catwalk, and this year we walked him down the catwalk.

I was a little concerned about how he would do. After all, it’s not everyday the bright lights are shining on him with music blaring and people cheering. I knew it would go one of two ways: either he would get completely freaked out and reach out for one of us to gram him OR he would eat it up and waive at the crowd. The latter happened.

He loved it from the moment his little feet hit the catwalk. In fact, the more excited he got his strut turned into a little march..kicking his feet out in front of him. He loved every minute.

He was on stage a total of five times. We were in all four shows and he walked with us during the family segment.  I also took him out during one of the pre-show segments when the women in the show casually walk down the catwalk in evening gowns. Oh, he was in heaven…waiving and saying hi to the people seated at their tables. One woman even came and took a picture of him, which (by the way) he loves taking pictures!

And when he wasn’t on stage…he was wanting to be on stage. Every chance he had, he made a beeline for the steps to the stage.

So it turns out I had nothing to worry about.. or do I? He might have liked the limelight a little too much.

Ruh roh, another star is born.

I’m on a quest to lose the remaining baby fat that I still have from being pregnant and it’s proving to be harder than I thought it would be!

There are two main reasons I’m not shedding the pounds as quickly as used to: 1. I’m older and my metabolism isn’t what is used to be. I have to work harder to lose weight, which is NOT fair! 2. I don’t have the time to work harder now!

Working full time and chasing after Steel full time, doesn’t leaving much time for me to exercise when I get  home from work. So I started to go for runs during my lunch break, which is at 7:30 a.m. after I anchor the morning show. Steve and I also set out for hikes and started doing more outdoor activities during the weekends. We even reached the tippy top of Bishop’s peak in San Luis Obispo a few weeks ago. I was on a pretty good routine and feeling good, but then the rains and the bone chilling weather set in and it all kind of got put on the back burner.

As I sit hear and actually write this out, I’m realizing how lame that sounds! I can complain that I don’t have the time and that the weather is too cold, but when it comes down to it I’m just making up excuses, aren’t I? It’s up to me to find the time to put my health on the front burner and to bundle up and get back out on that trail!

So that’s what I’m going to do. I gave myself, what seemed like an impossible deadline, of March 31, to reach my goal weight. But after this pep talk, it doesn’t seem too far off!

Okay, I’m pumped. I’m glad we  had this talk!

See you out on the trail.

My baby had his 18-month check-up this week.

My, oh, my how they grow! He’s by no means a baby anymore, but a full grown toddler. It doesn’t matter, though, he’ll always be my baby boy.

This baby of mine now weighs 27 pounds and is 33.5 inches tall. He’s in the 80th percentile in both groups, which makes him a big kid compared to others in his age group.

According to the doctor, he’s developing just fine. Words new parents love to hear. They just automatically ease your mind.

She was happy to hear Steel’s starting to talk, pointing to body parts (ear, nose, eyes and toes) and running around like a mad kid…oh, and he barks like a dog on command! (Judging by this picture, he’s a bit confused about his role in our family. ha ha.)

I had to laugh when she asked me,” has a he thrown a tantrum yet?” Ha! Oh, he caught on to that one a while ago! He might not be able to say ‘mama’ yet, but he can throw a tantrum with the best of them. I tell Steve that Steel has an early onset of the terrible twos. The doctor told me, though, most kids are the worst from 18 mos to two years and then it gets better. Yipee!

Either way, he’s my sweet, little, big, angel, puppy and I love every inch of him!

We had the most wonderful day with Steel last Monday.

With temperatures in the 80s in Arroyo Grande, my husband and I spent an entire afternoon in the backyard with Steel and Duke, our dog.

One of the perks of working the morning shift (3am-noon) is that I get to spend the afternoons with Steel. And Monday was no different. I hit the gate running and got home with plans of taking Steel on a bike ride; however, he was already hard at play in our backyard. He got a sand/water play center for Christmas, which he can stand at playing for hours. So, we let him.

Steve and I grabbed some towels and let Steel play his heart out… making mud by pouring the water into the sand; chasing Duke around and trying to throw oranges that have fallen from the tree at him (at one-and-a-half years old, he’s a pretty bad aim and Duke is the champ at dodging flying oranges); and climbing all over us, giving us hugs and kisses.

We capped the day off by barbecuing hamburgers for dinner.

By the end of the day, Steel and Duke were pooped and passed out together on the couch!

It really was one of the most perfect, summer days smack in the middle of January. I love Central Coast winters!