Baby Talks About Mommy's MBAs

Mommy received her second MBA, which stands for Mommy’s Beautiful Angel, late last year. What an honor that she considers me the more valuable of the two. Though her capital investment in me, think college tuition, new car, wedding, first house deposit, business startup, did I miss anything? far exceeds that of her other MBA, the ROI--that’s return on investment. I’m also quite literate in business jargon--she stands to gain--think grandchildren, grandchildren, did I mention grandchildren?-- is unquantifiable.

I am also more engaging than her diploma. Her diploma doesn’t giggle when she sings the “Eensy Wensy Spider” or the “ABC” song. Nor does it pull her hair to convey how much she was missed during the day. It never knocks over her morning drink just before she heads out the door in an attempt to spend just five more minutes together.

Mommy’s other MBA has afforded her an affinity of career options and a great network of friends (Aunties T, Bonnie, Denyse and Michelle and Uncle Bill). And, I guess, it will make possible the many great things that a baby dreams. read: exceptional daycare, Mandarin lessons, trips to grandma’s.

Gotta crawl, carrot and oatmeal time! My high chair’s calling! Anybody seen my bib?

This book belongs to....

Just ask me how many books Tinka has in her personal library? Twenty and counting. (That's twice as many as mommy.) Regrettably, I was not an avid reader as a child or for much of my adult life. I, on the other hand, preferred to tackle a complicated math or physics problem instead. There was always something “more interesting” to do than to engage myself in literature. (What those things were escape me). In hindsight, I wish I’d embraced the wonderful world of books as a child. I am, admittedly, a self-described techie and number-cruncher. As an adult and new parent, there’s often the nagging desire to improve upon the life that your parents provided or the experiences that molded you into who’ve you become.

I began reading to Tinka when she was in the womb. Her favorite titles (read: my favorites) were “Peter’s Chair” and “What Does Baby Say?”. I am committed to reading to her regularly. My husband is an avid reader, with hundreds of titles to his collection. I believe that children often imitate their parents. So, I am also committed to reading for leisure. No pain, no gain, right?!

Selected Barnes and Nobles stores offer storytelling throughout the week for toddlers and children. We’ve attended several times and I have been quite impressed with how well the storyteller is able to engage her young audience. Tinka REALLY enjoyed (read: we both enjoyed) the two books read about time-telling. The storyteller did a lot of question and answer, which really got Tinka’s legs moving. Usually, a group activity, also sharing the book’s theme, accompanies the reading. We (read: I) made a clock out of paper plates, magazine clippings and straw piping.

Fortunately for us, most of her collection was received as gifts. As I am not an advocate of frivolous spending, especially in light of our not-so-great economic state, I strongly suggest borrowing your favorite titles from your public library especially before your little one begins teething or wants to put things in his mouth. (Always want to cut down on germs). Your local library will have plenty of good titles to choose from and at no cost to you. One word of advice, if you’re buying new books, I highly recommend the plastic versions, they hold up better against teething.

Each week, as part of my “This book belongs to” book series, I’ll share one of Tinka’s favorites. Stay tuned….. Happy Reading!

Bianca's Born

The start of 2008 has been like no other! Seven months ago my status changed from a boutique-shopping fashionista, once-a-week-salon-goer and regular-mani-pedi-enjoyer to a “professional” nursery song writer (I use this term very loosely having only three-songs to my credit), twice-a-day-milk-expresser and human burp cloth. Motherhood has definitely turned my life on its head. However, it’s been the most rewarding experience to date. And, to prove what a glutton for pain I am, my husband and I hope the stork will deliver our second bundle of joy next year. Yeah, I know, I know! I’ve heard the tales of raising ‘two under two.’ However, I must say that if our next child is anything like our first, who we’ve affectionately nicknamed Tinka, then our next can’t arrive soon enough.

I suspect the name for this blog raises a few eyebrows. If you must know, I labored over it for days, weeks, months (yeah, right?!). OK, I admit to spending all of 5 minutes coming up with it! If you’re a colleague or family member, you’d dispute the accuracy of that assertion and insist that minutes was a typo and instead I INTENDED to write seconds.

“Bianca the Bug” is my daughter’s best friend. Sing with me now…Bianca the bug, Bianca the buggggggg ,Bianca the buggggguggggg she’s my best friend. My husband came across this amazing find at a local retailer for $10 when our daughter was two months old. It’s a changing table attachment in the shape of a colorful bug with rotating wings. As the wings rotate, a nice melody plays. The patterned wings excited my daughter like no amount of swinging, cuddling or baby-talking ever could. “Bianca the bug” was an instant hit! The wings stimulated Tinka so much that she began to coo and quickly move her arms and limbs.

I absolutely LOVE the name Bianca, to the dismay of many of my loved ones. Thus, I was FORBIDDEN to use it. Thus, ‘Bianca the bug’ was born. Bianca is very-well traveled bug might I add. She’s already flown cross-country to the midwest and accompanies us on most road trips (attached to the car seat). The relationship between the two BFFs has recently reached an all-time low when Tinka began teething a month ago. Now that she’s able to reach for and remove the wings, Bianca often travelled with three out of four of her wings. To Bianca’s displeasure, Tinka also uses the wings to soothe her aching gums. Then again, what are friends for?..........