Never turn your back...

...on a 1 year old and oreo's. Need I say more? I'd expand on the morning but the kids are still in their pj's while I'm in yesterday's clothes because I haven't eaten my spaghettio's and coffee!

A Mom's Lunch

I know, look away. Spaghettio's and coffee?? My head hangs down in shame. Who eats this stuff anyway? That would be ME.

If you watch any daytime tv at all I'm sure you've seen the talk shows that talk about "Mom" time. You know the discussions I'm talking about. The one where Oprah says how important it is to take a little time for yourself. Where Rachel Rae says to nourish your body with goodness. Where the ladies on The View talk about pampering yourself. WHAT WORLD DO THEY LIVE IN?

All that in theory sounds fantastic but the reality is Spaghettio's and coffee. We all know what the coffee is for,....pure survival. Without it the kids would still be in their PJ's and running the house. The place where the dog peed on the floor would still be there. I'd still be wearing yesterday's clothes and my "parenting" would all be done from the sofa.

So why the spaghettio's? Because it comes from a can and was on sale for a buck at the grocery store! The can is a lovely substitution for a bowl. Yes, I'm that gross that I ate straight from the can. But what one might think of as "gross" is what I think of as terribly resourceful and crafty. Have you ever tried to wash dried spaghettio's off a bowl? Do it once and you'll understand why I ate it straight from the can. Besides, the bowl is a luxury when you are walking over some unamed stickiness that the kids have managed to spread all over the floor. By eating from a bowl, that implies that I sit down to eat! Any Mom of small children knows,....that only happens once in a blue moon!

So here's to you and whatever you're having for lunch. I figure, if we're able to feed ourselves we must be doing ok!

50% off Squeaky Shoes!

We are so excited that our squeaky shoes have arrived! I have been wanting to give my blog readers special discounts on merchandise and I'm excited to start here. Here's what you do:

Visit our website to shop our selection. Click here for boys and here for girls.

Next, either comment here on which pair you would like or email me at:
info@waddlersandtoddlers.com

You will then be sent a revised invoice for only $10.00 for the shoes and $2.00 shipping. That's only $12.00 for adorable shoes shipped right to your front door!

We are still busy trying to load all the shoes so if you don't see a style or size available, send us an email to see if we do!

How much time do you have? You have until August 3rd!

Secrets

Have you ever known a secret that you weren't sure if you should share or not? Say it's a secret about your friend's husband that she doesn't know. What if you knew it was something that you're friend would not approve of. Would you tell her?

What factors would motivate your decision? How about a cheating husband? Would that warrant a reason for telling your friend? What if it were drugs? Would you then tell your friend?

Typically I'm of the mind set that it's none of my business and to stay out of it. How do you really know what is going on in someones marriage. Maybe the wife already knows? Maybe she's choosing to live with it? Maybe she's not ready to deal with it and maybe she's in denial. However, as of late I have found myself confronted with a situation that makes me re-think my once strong opinion. I have chosen not to share the juicy gossip here but I think back on a situation that happened to a friend of mine.

I have a very close friend that did find out her best friend's husband was cheating on her. So she told her best friend that her husband was having an affair. Well, the result was something bad. The best friend denied the possibility that this "secret" could even be true. For added salt to the wound, the best friend was pregnant. It got much worse before it got better. The girls had been best friends since birth and their families were very close. Eventually the two got back to normal but the best friend never believed her husband was having an affair and the cheating husband adamantly denied any such affair. Now the cheating husband and the friend are never around one another. It's awkward and the relationship in that aspect has changed. Is this a case of shooting the messenger? Is it always a case of shooting the messenger? Will a woman always choose to overlook the obvious truth of a trusted best friend and believe the man?

Are you a hero or villain for telling the truth?

London Bridges Falling Down

I desperately needed a shower this morning which is a luxury in my home. So I did what all Mother's of small children do, locked them in my bedroom with me and turned on "The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse." As I was getting ready for my shower while being tackled by my own waddler and toddler that wanted to "shower" too, my daughter looked up at me and said,

"Mommy, your boobies are falling down." I replied, "Yes dear, they sure are." Both the kids then proceeded to sing "London Bridges Falling Down" while walking in a circle around me.

Oh the joys of Motherhood!

A glance into a life of a stay at home Dad

Let me warn you first. This post will contain foul language and dreadful grammer. I'm posting a blog from a fellow blogger who is a stay at home Dad and in my opinion, halirious. I read this blog daily and I have to tell you, it's hysterical to see the world of raising children through a Dad's view. He definately has a dry sense of humor and once you catch on, it's quite entertaining.

Most of my readers are fellow Moms like myself so I thought you gals might find this entertaining as well. Are you ready for a story, let's begin.

A Toddlers Translation

It was epic man, freaking epic. I'm talking good enough to make dogs howl. They write Greek tragedies about this level of shit. It was a meltdown to put all meltdowns to shame.And it was Bubba Hoss. My almost 2 year old. Who would have figured that? He's a good kid, an easy kid. He's usually the kind of kid that other parents look at and hate me for having it so easy with him. He doesn't piss and moan, he hardly ever screams. Since he was 4 months old he has slept through the night. I can count on one hand the number of times he's given me a problem with naps. The one knock on him is that he loves my pants leg like it's a life preserver. But other than that, an easy kid. Until now. If you gave his sister, Little Hoss, a screwdriver she would take apart your car and put it piece by piece in your room. But not Bubba Hoss. He would hold on to your screwdriver and give it back to you cleaner than it was. We were out for a walk, the whole family. It was a regular Little House on the Prairie type of thing. We headed back to the house and that is when Bubba Hoss decided that he wasn't going to have any of that. He was pushing his own stroller, which he loves more than my pants leg and wasn't letting go of it.We told him that it was time to go inside and then he lost it. He ran away as fast as his little legs could go. Him and his stroller. Now I realize that there are a lot of people out there that don't speak munchkin. But I do, so allow me to translate for you.I said it's time to go in Bubba Hoss.

"Fuck You old man" although it came out more in a scream like fashion.

Seriously little dude, turn your butt around and let's go inside for a bath.

"I'm blowing this Popsicle stand pops, suck it."

At this point I realize that I have to go after him. Surprising how fast he was.I told him to give me the stroller and let's turn it around.

"You can have it when you pry it from my cold dead hands."

We have a little hiking path by our house. It's paved and he heads off to a little stream. It's where the teenagers go to have unprotected sex while using dirty needles to do thier drugs. Vagabonds! "Boy, you better turn around right now." I call my son "boy" when he's in trouble. I have no idea why. I suppose it's because it's what my dad used to do to me. However we also used to raise pigs. Only for a short while though. My wife won't let me have pigs.

He still ignored me. They also ignored Hossmom. But no real surprise there, they always ignore her with the discipline. Yup, I'm gonna get in trouble for that. But I write the truth. Mom is for curing a bo-bos and loving you when you are sick. Dad is for whipping ass and getting respect out of you. You're damn right yes sir no sir. I called him boy again and still he ignored me. "Suck it grandpa, I'm going for a joy ride to hang with some teenagers. I'm cool, unlike you. You listen to NPR!"Hossmom went after him and he should thank her for that. Sometimes she's that buffer and takes a little more mercy on the children than I do. I can sense a lifelong pattern here. Not that I'm an monster, but Hossmom can certainly tell when I'm about to lose it. Generally I'm a pretty fun dad to hang out with and the kids are really well behaved most times. But I attribute that to the countless hours that we have worked on that behavior in the seclusion of a corner at the local grocery store because when they lose it, that's the place they are going to do it in. Hossmom tracks him down, he gives her the finger and she turns him around. Now he starts hopping. Swear to god, the kid was actually hopping. He was hopping mad. I have never ever seen someone actually be hopping mad. I thought it was just a figure of speech. Apparently not. She lets him push the stroller but in the right direction. He keeps trying to turn it around. They go on like this for a little bit and I remain in our front yard. It's very hard for me not to run over there and quell this little rebellion. I'm so used to it and do it more often than not. But I also know that Hossmom is a parent too and I shouldn't try to interfere with the way she handles things. I'm home with them all day so I feel we have an understanding between us. The understanding is that I will end the world you live in if you give me any trouble. They understand that I am really a big wimp and they will get there way no matter what anyway. Fine, let's watch snow white for the 100th time. I hope she doesn't wake up this time. They shoot bambi's mom. Just letting you know kids. Now let's watch old yeller.My first instinct is to go over there .....


To read the rest, click A Toddler's Translation


OK, guys what do you think?

Craigslist Crazies

Being the thrifty shopper that I am I'm always on Craigslist. So today I thought it'd be fun to share some of the bizarre postings on there.

Here we go:

need someone to hide easter eggs in my apt when im not home !

need someone to hide easter eggs in my apt when i am not there ! they are small and filled with candy ! i would like to find them myself on sunday ! i am willing to pay ! serious inquiries only !


I need someone to dry my placenta

I know this is the weirdest Craigslist ad ever... I am due in June. I have read a lot about how great for your health it is to eat your placenta (after all, most mammals, even vegetarians, do this). Unfortunately I don't have a strong enough stomach to just eat it, so it was recommended to me that I dry it out in a food dehydrator, put it in a coffee grinder, and put it in capsules to take daily. Again, I just don't have the stomach (and may not have the energy after birth to do this.) What I need is someone who is reliable...someone who has given birth or watched a birth, knows what a placenta looks/smells like/etc, who is 100% comfortable handling something like this. I have read that it can take up to 10 hours of work. Please e-mail me why you would be willing to do this and how much you would charge. Please no stupid e-mails.


Nitpicker wanted

The Hair Whisperers Lice Removal service is looking for someone based in San Fransisco to remove lice and eggs from people infected with lice. Qualified candidates should have valid driver's license, great close up eyesight, feel comfortable going into people's homes, be personable, good with children, and extremely detailed oriented. Squeamish people need not apply. A good sense of humor a plus! A background check is required, and references will be checked as well. To be considered, all applicants must include where they live, and what times and days they are available. Travel is not paid for. No Weekend Only please. Driving is a large part of this job, and the longer you are willing to drive, the more you will work. Driving is unpaid. You can set your own hours, and choose when you work, but should be available at least a few hours every day. No 9-5-ers looking to start work at 6 pm, as children often go to sleep at 8. We will train qualified applicants. This is an independent contractor position. Training is in Los Angeles. Training and travel to Los Angeles is unpaid and can take anywhere from five to ten hours. This job would be for supplemental income. Great job for stay at home moms looking to make extra money.

For the love of Baby Gap Madras

Gap is quickly taking over the world of children's clothing. Once where Gymboree ruled now sits BABY GAP. Gymboree still has it's place and truley has some adorable collections, but Baby Gap seems to be where it's all at right now. It's no wonder, Baby Gap has produced some adorable lines as of late. It's not just the look of the collections but also the feel. The jeans fit better than most and are extremely soft with an adjustable waist. The tops seem to pill less in the laundry but above all else, they're embroidery is to die for. One of my favorite collections from Bab Gap is "Madras." A patchwork collection filled with deep hues of pink, blues and greens. Madras is one of Baby Gap's top selling collections. Here's what the fuss is all about:



This photo comes directly from our eBay store and was recently listed. Click here to view the listing. The collection is no longer available in their retail stores but they have brought a few of the pieces over to the outlet. The pieces at the outlet aren't quite the same coloring and such but still pieces worth getting if you really like the "Madras" Collection!

Click here to view this top.

Here's a look at the boy's collection with my son modeling it on the 4th of July!

Behind The Scenes

Who am I? Where do I even begin to answer that question. Have you ever tried to describe yourself and a million different descriptions come to mind? I suppose it's better than drawing a blank, right? My name is Michelle and I'm the owner of Waddlers and Toddlers,...and the store. My first waddler/toddler is Ava and is 4. She's sensitive and flirty but above else, she is a princess. She's methodical and bright. My youngest waddler/toddler is Julian and is 18 mths old. He is complete trouble. The mischievous kind of trouble. The sort of trouble that wears a charming grin so is allowed to get away with absolute murder! I'm sure you've met us. We're the ones' at Target making all the noise while you're thinking, "Can't that Mom control her children?" Both have the curliest brown hair and dimples, the perfect combination.

My husband Juan and I have been married for 6 years now. We are absolute dreamers in every sense of the word. Always thinking of the next "big" idea and how to achieve it. We thrive on change. We like to inspire but even more to be inspired. My husband proposed while we were riding on a ski lift in Colorado and by the next week we had eloped! Romantic doesn't even begin to describe it.

Everyone has a story and this is probably where I am most passionate. I love to connect with people and hear their individual stories and what makes them who they are. I find it so interesting and the best way to learn. Since opening my store in April 2008, I have gotten the opportunity to meet so many of my customers and share parts of their lives. I adore other Mother's and feel a real sense of obligation to help my fellow Momma's out.

The store began as a creative outlet I so needed since deciding to stay home with my kids. I needed to be good at something besides Motherhood. Of course Motherhood is rewarding, that goes without saying. But I needed to identify myself in other ways. So I dug deep, tried to believe in myself and thus was born "Waddlers and Toddlers."

Enjoy your stay here and thanks for dropping by!

Fall Preview

We will soon be adding Bella Nova Boutique squeaky shoes to our store!! We couldn't be more excited about these shoes. You will instantly fall in love as we did. They are available in many colors and sizes 3-12.

Here's a note from the designer herself:

"My daughter Sarah was barely over a year old when someone left our front door open. As most parents know, this can cause unthinkable tragedy! Fortunately, Sarah was wearing her squeaky shoes. As I was preparing breakfast in the kitchen I suddenly noticed that her "squeaks" were growing faint. It immediately alerted me. I follow the sound to discover my daughter was about to hit the side walk of our busy corner street. Her "squeaks" that day may have saved her life.A few months later Bella was born. Bella required physical therapy due to "low tone" from the time she was 4 months old until she was almost 2. When Bella began to pull up she was already almost 18 months old. Squeaky shoes gave her that reward and encouragement to take those first few steps and keep trying. The sound of the "squeak" urged her to get back up after falling repeatedly. In just a month she was able to build up enough strength to begin to walk on her own. Shortly after, she was released from physical therapy."