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?

A Recipe for Success

My sister recently shared a recipe for preparing organic baby food. It’s really quite simple! Thus far, Tinka has enjoyed home-made pears and carrots which I must say have been um-um good (Tinka concurs).

To start, plop the desired fruit (let’s start with 4 pears) or veggie into a huge pot of water set to boil. After periodically checking for mushiness by poking with a knife tip, they’re done! Do replenish the water supply ensuring that the pears are 75% covered by water. This process takes roughly 75 minutes. Boy, that’s a long time, I know. Next, cool the pears under cold running water and begin to peel. Easier said than done. Be sure to avoid cutting the “meat” as you’ll wind up with too little fruit to serve. Next, slice pear in to small chunks. Be advised, the finer your cuts, the less work your blender has to do. Remove all seeds and stem. Finally, scoop diced pears in to blender and select grind. You may also consider selecting a setting that creates a finer sauce. BE SURE TO CHECK SAUCE FOR CHUNKS!

I use the containers from the store-bought organic baby food. After transferring the pear sauce to the itty-bitty containers, I normally store the containers in the freezer. Defrost in your refrigerator for an hour and serve. Tinka, amazingly, prefers her veggies mixed with oatmeal cereal. Must’ve gotten her love for veggies from Daddy.

Originally, I tried several brands of organic baby food to my dismay. I discovered that a single organic pear costs around $.90 and can produce two small servings versus a single store bought jar costing the same amount. Though the home-made sauce has a much shorter shelf life (Tinka usually eats hers the same day that they’re defrosted), it tastes better and I assume has far less preservatives. Happy dining. Bon Appetit!

Baby Talks About Malia Obama

Hello virtual world! Waving sorta. I’m Tinka, the world’s youngest blogger. You’ve heard my mommy share her perspective. Big word for an infant, I know. Trust me, my vocabulary is growing exponentially. Please allow me to issue a disclaimer: my day is very compact with naps, tummy time, diaper changes and feedings. So, pardon me if my posts aren’t as long as Mommy’s. Tank you. Yes, I intended to write thank you that way.

Pababababa. I am beyond excited about my first entry. So, without further adieu. “Girl Power” is alive and well thanks to 10-year-old Malia Obama, daughter of the Democratic Party Presidential Nominee Barak Obama. My mommy shared the video of her recent family interview. When I become a tween, I’d love to possess the confidence and maturity that she does. What impressed me the most about Malia was her willingness to share her convictions on topics that matter most to her (i.e. how her dad should greet kids, what it means to see her mommy Michelle featured in a popular magazine.)

Not to be outdone, my mommy also appeared in a popular magazine, Glamour, several years ago featuring Wharton women. She's not just a pretty face. She's a pretty face with an MBA (Mommy's Beautiful Angel). When she recently shared the results of her beautiful makeover, I was so proud of her accomplishment that I instantly gave the article my sign of approval— a nice wet kiss.

Though I completely understand Mr. Obama’s desire to limit the amount and kind of exposure that his daughters receive, I certainly wish I’d get to hear more from them. While it’s great to hear the perspective of adults, I find the perspective of my peers to be as intriguing and valuable. My saucer is calling, “gotta crawl”!

Isn't She a Doll!

My recent trip to BN really caused a stir and thus, has inspired a number of my upcoming posts.

In addition to my formal introduction to “Fancy Nancy” (in my best British accent, nose pointing upward), there were two little princesses that remained on my mind long after the storytelling ended. The first one that I noticed was around six years of age and had beautiful olive skin. I can’t say for certain what her ethnicity was but I am almost positive that she wasn’t of African American, Caucasion, or Hispanic descent. OK, so what was so special about her? I’m getting to that. She held a beautiful chocolate baby doll in her arms. Wow, I thought. Perhaps she picked up someone else’s doll by mistake.

But, upon closer examination, she and her doll wore matching dresses. I, immediately, scanned the room for her parents, to see if my hypotheses on her ethnicity was correct. Though I was correct, I was a bit perplexed. I certainly don’t credit myself with knowing what motivated the selection of this doll of a darker hue but I’m sure this adorable girl picked and pointed to the doll and outfit she preferred best. It was probably as simple as that. What conclusions can we draw from this doll selection? Unsure. Does the selection have any roots in self-hate? Doubt it. Is this princess suffering from low self-esteem? Probably not.

This brings me to the next princess I noticed carrying a doll. She was a gorgeous chocolate complexion and was attending with an older woman possibly her grandmother. Her doll was Caucasion. Now what was I to make of this? I was forced to use the logic as I did with the princess with the chocolate doll. Perhaps, the gorgeous brown girl merely chose the doll she preferred. Today, kids have a lot of say in purchases.

But, I was instantly reminded of the social experiment conducted over fifty years by psychologist Kenneth Clark called the “doll test”. This experiment was used to help make the case for desegregation in the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education. Clark’s experiment included probing questions that exposed some disturbing complexities about race and self-esteem.

My singular yet random observation at a book store yields only a few “hopeful” hypotheses. So, I must give both little princesses credit for choosing the doll that they preferred and assume that their decisions stemmed from places of wholeness and innocence.

Fit For a Princess

As I turned the corner, I was overwhelmed by a mix of bright pink and yellow party decorations streaming from shelf to shelf and the swarm of miniature “princesses” donning sparkly tiaras, oversized cosmetic jewelry and even elaborate princess costumes. Did I miss the memo? It's 2pm on Saturday, no one told me Barnes and Noble was hosting a girls-only birthday party. The crowd was abuzz, chatting anxiously until the guest of honor arrived. Who might that be you ask? “Fancy Nancy”. Again, you ask, Who might that be? She's the fictional character for whom a book series is based.

I consider myself to be “in the know” with all things girly. But, this, I admit, never once registered on my “girly girl” radar. Where have I been? How did I miss the book phenom that is known by an adjective describing her fashion sense and her first name? Thankfully, Tinka donned her pink and white striped outfit with matching pretty-in-pink shades or she would've really been underdressed. Anywho, I consider this my formal introduction into the land of “all things pretty”.

I was so taken aback by the festivities, I admit to not catching the storyline of the books that were read. However, I did learn that “Fancy Nancy's” creator is taking in a pretty penny from her huge following. Apparently, the tiaras, jewels and costumes are all a part of the “Fancy Nancy” brand which can be purchased at, none other than, destination affordable fashion, Tar-je' (That's Target for all my English speakers). In-te-res-ting.

I will reserve my opinion until I read several titles from the series. While I am all for “girl power”, I need to see better ethnic diversity and representation in children's literature, toys, programming, and movies. Anybody know where the Disney film “The Princess and the Frog” is in production? Until my next post, Au revoir!

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!

Peak-a-boo, I See You

Wellness baby exams have become a regular part of my life. These checkups help mothers monitor the healthy growth and development of their infant. In my too-numerous-to-count Internet searches on infant health care, I came across a nifty program that all new moms should know about. Though most wellness baby exams are performed by pediatricians, The InfantSEE program, which was started in 2005, specifically promotes the healthy development of your little one’s eyes. Infants are eligible for a free eye assessment with an approved InfantSEE optometrist. Former President Jimmy Carter serves as its honorary spokesperson. According to the site, eye exams performed by pediatricians are less extensive than those conducted by optometrist. Therefore, parents are encouraged to schedule an infant eye exam as early as six months of age.

Tinka’s recent visit went very well. Her optometrist spent nearly an hour performing various tests on her baby browns. Our physician, a parent of two under three, was very skilled at maintaining Tinka’s attention while performing her assessment. She shared that many of today’s vision impairments can be prevented or mitigated with early detection. That was good to know!

Some other interesting statistics according to the website include:

• 10% of children are at risk from undiagnosed eye and vision problems
• only 13% of mothers with children younger than 2 years of age have taken their infants to see an eye care professional for a well-care visit
• Approximately 4 million children were born in 2004, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In approximately 4%, strabismus will develop, and amblyopia will develop in 3% of the infants born each year who are at risk for serious eye and vision problems.

So if you suspect any issues (or if you don’t) with your little one's vision, I suggest you consider scheduling a visit. To learn more about the program and to check for an optometrist in your area, visit: http://www.infantsee.org/.