Sacramento Parent Magazine

Thursday:
Car pool will arrive at 8:20am and I yell, “Syd, its 8:15, go time baby, you ready?”
 
She replays, “Almost Dad just got to get my shoes on.” 

I gather up the kid’s lunches, toss one to Sydney’s little brother, Sam and head to check on the girl. She is in her room putting on some really cool new Nike sneakers and I notice they have laces that tie up.  I think, ‘hey, laces, this is new.’  I say, “Do you need any help tying those cool new shoes?”  “Nah, I can do it dad,” she says nonchalantly. 
 
What?  No help needed to tie the shoes?  When did this happen?  Wasn’t it just yesterday that she had on those cute little baby booties, then the Velcro ones, and this Christmas the faux Ug boots?
 
Later, on the way to work, I sense a bit of sadness as I realize my kids are growing up and I’m needed less on these little tasks of the day.  I’m not sure if I like this feeling.

Friday:
Car pool will arrive at 8:20am and I yell, “Syd, its 8:15, go time baby, you ready?” 
 
She replays, “Almost Dad just got to get my shoes on.”

Grab the lunches, toss one to the boy, etc…then I hear this voice, “Dad, can you help me with my shoes?”  What??  What happened to that grown up, do-it-my-self, little girl?

“Sure I can sweetie, how come today, but not yesterday?” I inquire.
“You do it better dad.”
DARN RIGHT I DO!
“Baby, I’ll tie your shoes any time, even if you are in college, just ask.”
“Don’t be silly dad!”  
 
On my way to work, I sense that I have a goofy grin on my face and a real warm feeling inside.  I have a hunch today is gonna be one of those really good days.

Perhaps you’ve seen their big red truck around town. Maybe you’ve even hired them to remove a problem. Ramirez Rattlesnake Removal, a local husband-wife team, specializes in rattlesnake removal and relocation. Thankfully we haven’t required their services, but thanks to Hulu we’ve been able to see them in action. For your viewing pleasure, follow this link to an episode of National Geographic Channel’s Animal Extractors. Enjoy!

Hello, fellow moms and dads!

I am new to writing but old to parenting (my girl is nine and my boy is seven years old)… and excited to be joining the wonderful ranks of Sacramento Parent’s bloggers!

I am told that I am the first dad to contribute here on the site, but like most moms, my days are filled with what I call the “kiddy rodeo.” You know the drill… wake ‘em, feed ‘em, load ‘em up and move ‘em out for car pool, rush to work, rush to pick ‘em up, feed ‘em, hose ‘em off, squeeze ‘em till the stuffing comes out, and bed ‘em down for the night on something that resembles fresh straw.

But there are plenty of moments, in the midst of this stampede-like the way they take my breath away every time they smile at me.  I like to write about all of it, and I hope you’ll enjoy reading it.

By the way, I’m not a cowboy, far from it. My wife and I live in Roseville and work at a local high-tech firm.

For those of you who read my blog last February know that the gods have cursed this atrocious month upon us and we can’t seem to change it.

This past Monday, I was working when my cell phone rang and there was the number lighting up the screen I have been waiting for since he started the preschool a year and half ago. As I quickly answered hello, catching my breath, I heard, “ Jeni, I think Riley had a seizure.” I was so distraught that all the carefully played out conversations I have had in my head on how I would react if this happened at school were gone. As I choked back sobs, I told her she has to get him cool immediately, to keep his fever down and I will be right there, grateful I wasn’t traveling that day.

When I arrived she told me why she only thought he had a seizure. Apparently she had came upon him earlier in the day just lying on his back, disoriented and thought maybe he tripped and put him back on his mat for nap time. A few hours later while he was playing, out of the corner of her eye she saw him fall over again. This time she knew something was wrong and when she picked him up he was trembling and warm.

Since he didn’t have a grand mal like normal my husband and I thought maybe this is it, he is finally growing out of it. With bated breath we waited for the pediatrician to tell us that the next morning, but he didn’t. He said it was still considered seizure activity due to a fever so now we can hope for age 6. It wasn’t what we wanted to hear but deep down in our hearts we knew it wasn’t over.

The next day I went back to work and on my way home hit a flash snowstorm heading up to Grass Valley. As soon as I turned into our neighborhood I hit ice and skidded landing over a curb which thankfully stopped me. The highway patrol had closed our road. Because I was frantic to get home to my sick 3 year old I decided to hike a mile and half home in what felt like a blizzard in my bank heels, no gloves or hat. I made it a mile before someone picked me up in 4 wheel drive. I hopped into the stranger’s truck so fast, he could have had hatchet and some rope and I wouldn’t have cared.

After my husband dug my car out the next day, I tried to go back to work and I didn’t make it more than a few miles before he called frantic that Riley had a nosebleed and it wouldn’t stop. We did get it to stop but I stayed home because Riley wouldn’t let me go.

After a night of sheer hell consisting of coughing and crying I stayed home again. When his temperature rose we did the race to keep it down. It was especially terrifying because we would have had to chain up to leave if we needed to. I sat vigil by his bed drawing pictures with a shaky hand to keep me calm while I waited for the excruciatingly slow Motrin to kick in.

It’s Valentine’s Day and all are previous plans had to be postponed to get Riley well. We had a whole day planned involving something for all of us, I was running a race, then we were taking Riley to the Train Museum (his favorite pastime) and my husband wanted to go to a fishing store.

I hear we are in for some hurricane winds tomorrow probably resulting in a power outage like last year that rotted all of our food and we had to cook on a propane stove for 5 days while going through TV withdrawals. Which PG&E thought was worthy of a $25 check. Can’t wait to do that again.

So yeah suck it- February-suck it.

Our family is not immune to the failing economy. I work for a bank and my husband is a contractor. So yes, we are being hit pretty hard but we have tried to take it all in stride- my company reducing everyone’s hours and pay and my husband’s phone not ringing like it used to. I was saddened when I heard Cost Plus was closing stores, but the last straw with this whole debacle is when the news announced Chili’s was closing restaurants. All right, this is enough already! I have lain silent as I watched our country spiral out of control in unemployment, firings, store closing and bailouts. BUT CHILI’S STRUGGLING?! Something must be done and if I have to go up to Capital Hill to give them a few pointers were I see some serious deficiencies- ahem.. think ridiculously large paychecks- I am willing to do so to stop the madness.

I mean, I haven’t been to Chili’s in quite sometime because I can’t afford it just like most of America but I would still like the option.

I might be crazy, but I swear this bunch of broccoli rabe actually spoke to me the other morning at the farmer’s market. It said, “Buy me. Take me home. Saute me with some olive oil and garlic. Eat me.”

Now I’m not one to argue with vegetables, so I obeyed the broccoli rabe. And the bok choy. They were both delicious.

If you haven’t been to the farmer’s market in Auburn lately, make sure to go this weekend. You’ll be surprised by the bounty of fruits and vegetables growing in our region this time of year. The mandarins are still delicious, the kiwi is just right, and may I suggest a few pounds of Pink Lady apples, a new favorite in our house. See you at the market!

Don’t ever jokingly tell your prince that he better watch out or you will spank his behind. Being he is a child of the new millennium living in California, he has never had a spanking and giggles when you say this while tickling him. Unlike the era of the 70’s in the South were most of the children thought the wooden spoon with the hole in the middle was built for better aerodynamics to enhance momentum toward the back of the legs.

The reason why you should never do this? When you least expect it, that same prince will yell loudly in the middle of the produce section of the grocery store during super bowl weekend, “YOU BETTER WATCH OUT OR I’M GOING TO SPANK YOUR BUTT!”

Which you will then have to sheepishly say (loudly), “Oh you kidder you, you don’t even know what that means, silly.” Meanwhile, you know some of those people don’t believe you and now you look like Joan Crawford.