Recession Proof Parenting Isn't Just About the Economy

With the sour economy still hovering over our nation's consciousness, I can't help but wonder how our kids would be affected if we were to really hit hard times. One thing I know for sure is its affect on me as a child, and how it continues to affect me as a parent today.

My story doesn't begin with, "Although we didn't have very much, we were rich in laughter and our days were carefree."

No, as a single parent carrying the burden of being the bread winner, my mother constantly worried and was rarely at rest in her heart.

I was the oldest in the family and saw up close how being restless affected her moods. Looking back, I think she tried to distract herself from worry by being busy or controlling. While some children resort to apathy (as to not rock the boat), I compensated by putting her worries on my own shoulders. I would be my mom's hero.

Our family checkbook was open for me to see, so I was often concerned whether we'd have enough for clothes, food, school supplies and the bills. One of my biggest worries came when one of us got sick, since we couldn't afford to see the doctor. I still remember how anxious I felt, hearing my little sister cough at night, unsure if it's simply a cold or something more.

With mom too worried and busy coping with her own problems, I grew up too quickly without the perspective from one who is at rest with herself and with the world.

So I told myself when I was young and thinking about life -- if I ever get to be a mom, even if I hit hard times -- I want to be the mom who doesn't pass worry onto my kids.

It's true that growing up early in life has made me stronger and more resourceful than if I hadn't gone through it. And out of my need for someone to guide and care for me, my faith in God grew deep and real.

But like a drop of water on the dessert ground, my childhood disappeared, with too much knowledge on a heart that was too young.

I'd rather pass on joy and laughter to my children. I want them to remember mommy smiling more than worrying.

After all, my kids will have their own share of headaches and heartache. With or without money, that's just the honest truth.

How I can best parent through the recession? Be at rest with myself.

I won't be able to do it perfectly. But, no matter how bad the economy gets, I hope to shield them from the real negative effects of a recession: not just the dollar sign, but from discouragement and worry.

I hope that when my kids look back at the hard times one day, they'll see a smiling mommy and remember that along with the tears, there is always laughter.

Fave Foods: A Summer Smile With Berries & Cream

Summertime signals splashes in the pool, running around with my hair up in a ponytail, and heat all around me. After a long day with the sun out, evening rolls around and I'm itching for something sweet and cool. Fruit alone in the winter is comfort and calming. But, for whatever reason, summer can't be complete without ice cream and berries.

No longer in my twenties, though, I can't gobble up three scoops of ice cream like I used to. I mean, I can technically. I have no problem putting it away if I'm on vacation somewhere, feeling carefree and dangerous.

Back at home, I have enough sense to know I can't buy pints of Ben & Jerry's without paying the piper (Although I do mourn my old fix of New York Super Fudge Chunk). So, I make up for the fat by throwing in a ton of my favorite summer treat: strawberries and blueberries.

Just seeing the strawberries lined up pretty and berry pink make me happy. And blueberries are now in season, so I don't have to eat them for nutritional purposes. They're more sweet than tart now.

I put a small scoop of ice cream in my glass bowl, just so it'll melt ever so softly in the warm afterglow of a hot day. The windows are open and the breeze is just starting to come in.

I'll open the freezer door, just as I have countless times as a little girl and take out my ice cream. But, now instead of full fat indulgence, I reach for a slightly sane alternative. I'm so happy I've found Dreyers Light Ice Cream Slow Churned with 1/2 the Fat (Vanilla Bean is my favorite). I can't go for non-fat, so this is a great compromise. Still creamy, with only 100 calories/30 fat calories/11g of sugar.

So, when the warm evenings are still at a slow bake for the day, I unwind with a spoon full of berries and ice cream. And smile a summer smile.

Does Balance in Life Exist?

Before I had children, I would've definitely answered yes to this question about life balance. I had my life pretty well compartmentalized: Fitness, Family, Career, Romance, Finances, Friendship and Personal Growth. My sense of well being hung in the balance of how well I was traversing these different areas of my life. If one area seemed to be neglected, well then, I'd just take a weekend or so to tweak my schedule a bit. Call up a friend, take a trip to Borders for a book, or hit the gym. Voila, all was well.

Now, on the other side of motherhood, things are looking mighty different. I started thinking about this recently, having had my second child. It's dawning on me, as I move past the survival months of newborn life.

With a clearer head, I look at my life now as a mom of two. I simply don't have that many hours in a day or work week to be "balanced". There are trade offs I'm having to make on a day to day basis. If balance is what I'm after, that would be pretty depressing, chasing after something that's more of an ideal than a reality.

So no, my answer now is more a shade of gray. Even inching over to "no" if I was feeling a bit rebellious on a given day.

After all, two kids plus a household. What do I get? A life that continually loves to move towards chaos. Just check out my laundry basket, my recycling and garbage cans, my shopping list, my emails, and my calendar.

You see, I'm finding out that "balance" is a bit misleading goal at this point in my life. Balance conveys some sort of steady state, where everything has equal weight.

Time is precious and I don't want to be running around trying to be all and do all. It might look like I can on paper. But, I know where I'll end up. Feeling unfulfilled, I would have given a little of myself to everything, but not fully invested in anything.

Now is the time to embrace what is important to me and pick my priorities. I'm not so concerned about balance any longer. A better fitting word is alignment.

Yes, alignment resonates with me. If I can look back on my day or week and see a series of moments and activities that align with my heart's desires, then it's been time well spent.

A Happy Father's Day Letter, Rediscovered

Dear Honey,

When I first fell in love with you, I imagined a life lived out happily ever after. I often tell others, I married for love and not for a family. I didn't know if we would have children, but I knew that I had waited a lifetime to find someone I could call lover, best friend, and soul mate.

It turns out that you are truly all those things to me, but I never anticipated what a gift you would be, as I've watched you grow into the loving father you are today.

As we brought two beautiful babies into this world, we never imagined how much work it was going to be to take to care of them. We've been battling our way through temper tantrums, taking turns wiping up poop, and voluntarily signing up for "guard duty" at night to watch over our waking children.

I sometimes catch myself longing for the carefree days we enjoyed before the treadmill of our everyday mommy-and-daddy schedule entered our lives. But I realize this Father's Day, in recounting all these tough memories, that it is all worth it, Honey.

For every difficulty we have encountered, I see a Daddy who has been a faithful watchman, loyal to his post. I see a loving father who will never leave his children, no matter how tough it gets. And for that, I am blessed forever. Not only are you shaping the course of the lives of two boys into manhood, but you see, you have also been changing mine.

With every moment of fatherhood I witness, you are filling my life with pictures of the father that I never had:

... With every kiss you plant on our boys' cheeks every day, after a long hard day's work.

... With the strength of your forgiveness, even when the milk was spilt and they wore your patience thin.

... With the safety of your hugs, even on days you were weary with tiredness in your body and caffeinated to the tilt.

... With your smile that welcomes them into your arms, shielding them from a world of troubles and grown up woes.

I count myself among the lucky, to have a husband who can walk beside me as a loving and faithful father. Although I never had the memory of a father to grace the bedroom doorway of my childhood, I now have a future of loving memories of a father who makes our children and my life happily ever after.

With Love Forever,
Bonnie

Last Minute (Proven) Father Day Gifts

Some weeks go by fast and some go by slow. Murphy's Law dictates that when it's the week before Father's Day, time flies fast forward and the To Do list grows exponentially long. At least it has for me in these early preschool years, where I'm trying to just keep everything afloat.

Father's Day is not a day to be missed, for all the hard work daddies do nowadays. So, here are some of last minute gift ideas that have been a hit with Hubby. These were gifts I could make myself after Hubby hit the pillow the night before, run out to the mall on Saturday, or buy from Amazon with 1 day shipping:

1. Moleskin Notebook - Picasso, Matisse and Hemingway used it and Hubby liked it's simple design and signature elastic bookmark. I like the print inspired covers for notebooks, but this one hit home for Hubby. A quick run into a nearby stationery store or click online, and I'm good to go.

2. Baseball Cap and a cool T-Shirt - This is a fun one to get, 'cuz usually a year has rolled by and the cap I got him last year has been trampled by the stoller in the back trunk. To avoid having Hubby grab his geeky t-shirts with company logos (please only at work, honey!), I like to pick up a fresh T. An extra important side note: Hubby appreciates it, too. An hour at Macy's, and I'm done.

3. Sony's Shower Radio and Fogless Shaving Mirror - This was definitely a crowd pleaser gift set. I bought cheaper shower radios before, but it would just break easily with bad suction cups on the walls, not to mention poor reception. The Sony one has been great. And those fogless shaving mirrors don't stay fogless forever, so it's great to get a new one.

4. Heart Rate Monitor Watch - Okay, Sssshhh! This is my Father's Day gift to Hubby this year (I told him do NOT read today's post!). Hubby wants to start running, so I think this will be a good motivator, to help him hit his peak heartrate and lose those pregnancy empathy pounds. I bought Timex as a good middle of the road watch before going hard core with too much features with a Polar.

5. Cool shoes - This one is easy because of Zappos.com. Hubby can return them easily if it's not the perfect fit, but at least I've got the style picked out for him.

6. Photo Travel Mug - This is easy to pick up at Target, Starbucks, or the local camera store. I print out the pictures off the computer and spend a few hours with TJ's stick of glue, insert, and voila! Lots of adorable family photos to hold Hubby's java.

7. Photo Framed for the Office - Hubby loved having a ready made picture frame with him as Daddy to take to the office. It's fun to finally buy those adorable picture frames they sell at the Hallmark store around Father's Day.

8. Daddy Slideshow - This is a lot of work, but worth the smile I saw on Hubby's face. I sat around into the night and picked out all the photos with him as Daddy and put them in a Picasa folder. Then, I clicked "slideshow" on Father's Day and Hubby got to enjoy seeing the journey of fatherhood, a picture at a time. I sent the link out to familly and it was props to Hubby for being a great dad.

9. Homemade Cinnamon Maple French Toast - This recipe is DA BOMB! I found it on epicurious.com, made it for the first time a few months ago, before I had baby #2 (since I wasn't sure when I'd get to do it again). Two Bonnie changes: I use Brioche bread and sprinkle a dash of cinnamon in the custard. Guarantee: a heavenly smelling house while baking. Hubby has been requesting it since! I will surprise him with it this weekend (if I can squeeze it in!)

Happy, Happy Father's Day everyone ..!

I've Been Cast: Three Boys and a Mommy

Okay now. I don't regret having ever prayed for two boys. I would still definitely choose having boys over girls 'cuz I grew up with all women. My mom, my sis and me. I feel like I've been there, done that.

But, the truth is dawning. I'm starting to realize my life has become a sitcom of some sorts. I'm reminded of the movie Three Men and a Baby, except the movie I've been cast in is "Three Boys and a Mommy". I'm the Mommy. My sons TJ, CJ, and Hubby are the Three Boys.

Now, I'm no stranger to chillin' with guys. I've played kickball with the best of the little squirts, speed dissected a frog in junior high science lab in ten seconds flat, and debated 'til the cows came home no matter what encyclopedic Urkel they'd throw my way.

Not even my days as an engineering major with the geekiest guys in college, though, could prepare me for life as a female in the minority.

I knew cars and trucks were gonna be staples in the toy purchasing department. But, I never could've anticipated how annoying it would be to hear them crashing into each other hour after hour. I still cringe every night I go through the house with the Swiffer to sweep away the debris of paint chips, after a day of car crunching destruction.

And hello! Is there anything else we can talk about other than answering questions like, "Why does Peter Pan have a sword?" or "What does a gun do?" Not just once, but repeated ad nauseum.

I don't find the idea of playing with dolls particularly appealing, but having played "the bad guy" whose legs and arms get chopped off everyday by TJ who's always "the good guy", pink and girly is sounding mighty calm and soothing.

The other day, as we were listening to classical music, I drilled TJ with questions to identify which instruments were playing.

"Okay, TJ, what instrument is playing now?" TJ answers cello, which is correct. "Awesome!"

After ID'ing the instruments correctly, I decide to take it to the next level and teach some lessons in music appreciation.

"Each of the instruments is telling a story," I explain. "Try to listen and imagine what is happening. For example, I hear the violins and it sounds like birds are flying and happy. Now, what do think of when the cello is playing?"

I hold my breath, anticipating a pretty good answer, since TJ is quiet, deep in thought.

Careful not to break his reverie, I softly ask again,"So, what do you imagine? Anything?"

Looking quite reflective, TJ slowly proclaims, "Yes, Mommy! I think of .... CHEESE!"

"Cheese?!!? Did you say cheese?!" Are you serious, TJ?

"Uh-huh! It's lots and lots of cheese ... on a big cheeseburger!"

Need I say more?

Well, at least I've got great material for a future movie script!

What's For Dinner? Pan Seared Halibut Pasta with Asparagus

Friends often ask me what I make for dinner, now that I have two kids.

My answer is that it varies. Sometimes, it'll be something I'll warm up in the microwave from the freezer. But, on a good day, if I have the energy, I'll make a nice big batch of something. That way, I'll have leftovers. That means the "making dinner" check box on tomorrow's To Do list will be marked off!

I only have time to make meals that can be done in 30 minutes (worth one tv show that's been Tivo'd for TJ), so I'm usually working very hard in that half hour.

I am not a chef, so you'll have to excuse my lack of correct culinary terminology.

Okay, onto the recipe!

At least once a week, I try to cook fish because it's a a heart healthy protein (God knows we need it for all the stress we go through in a week as parents). Fish is great because it cooks FAST (10 minutes only) and you don't have to touch it while it's cooking. I choose fish that chews on the meaty side, since it sorta tastes like chicken (according to TJ, that is). Plus, it's easy for the toddler to pick up with his fingers or stab with a fork.

Asparagus is also a healthy vegetable (again, great for the heart) that is good to match with pasta, because all alone, it's hard to get TJ to chow down on it. He actually doesn't like it. But, cut up in slices, along with bites of pasta? It's a lot less fibrous and he'll tolerate it. Especially if he's hungry!


Pan Seared Halibut Pasta with Asparagus


Ingredients

Bunch of Asparagus
2-3 Roma Tomatoes ~ or whatever kinda tomatoes are in the fridge
1 Can of Olives
1 lb of Halibut ~ or Salmon. Can be frozen. I buy mine at Trader Joe's. Just thaw it out in the morning or night before.
1/4 jar of creamy Afredo sauce ~ or just enough to do a glaze

Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

Pasta of choice ~ Linguini or Spaghetti if I feel like being messy eater, Penne or Rigatoni if I want to be neater. Depends on mood.

Optional: onions, garlic. I only add these if I feel I have time to spare. If it's a fast dinner I'm aiming for, I skip it.

Servings: 2 dinner meals for 2 adults, two toddlers

Directions

1. Start boiling water for the pasta. As I prepare the veges, I throw in the pasta and start the timer. After 9-10 minutes, drain the pasta & add a little olive oil in the pot to keep it from sticking. Keep it in the pot until I'm ready to combine everything at the end.

2. Prepare the asaparagus. Break off the ends by snapping them off at the bottom. Wash. Cut slanted into little pieces.
3. Prepare the tomatoes. Wash, cut into quarters. I like bigger chucks so they don't disappear into the sauce.

4. Prepare the fish. Rinse with water, pat dry with paper towels.

5. Open your can of olives, ready to throw in later.

6. Pour some olive oil into a prep bowl. Brush the olive oil on the fish, sprinkle with salt & pepper. Turn the fish over and do the same on the other side.

7. Warm up the pan on medium high. Put 2 T of olive oil.

8. Stir fry the asparagus for 5 min. Toss over every other minute. Sprinkle in some salt. Should be crisp, not soggy & flat. Spatula them out onto a separate dish.

9. Warm up pan again on medium high. Put 2-3T of olive oil. Place the fish onto the pan and cook on each side for 5 minutes. Don't move the fish as it's cooking during the 5 minutes, so it'll get a seared effect and the fish will be crispy outside & tender inside.

10. How to tell the fish is done. The fish fillet flakes off if you poke it with a fork. If you look at the fish, it's almost done it's no longer opaque. If you're lucky, just as you see the white appear and the opaque color leaving, it's perfectly done. Not overdone and not underdone.

Transfer the fish onto aluminum foil and wrap, to keep hot.

11. By now, the pasta timer had already gone off and you've drained the pasta.

12. Stir fry the tomatoes & olives with some olive oil. Stir it around a little until tomato looks softened. 13. Then, throw in all the ingredients except the fish. Pour in the creamy white sauce, just enough to glaze over the pasta, and stir fry.

If I put the right amount of sauce, you can't even hardly see the white creamy sauce. It just has a hint of flavor. I don't add anymore salt at this point. But, flavor to your licking.

Then, scoop up onto the plates and put the fish on top of the pasta.

Voila, done! Bon appetit!

When the Kids are Sick, Mommy Is Held Hostage

You know the ol' saying "When Mamma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy"? It's often used as a proverbial club that hangs over the husbands, to encourage granting of favors. My darling Hubby granted such a favor after he spent a whole morning painting our family room with "cappuccino", painstakingly blue taping the crown molding to avoid ruining the white trim. I was preggie at the time with baby #1, so I was out of the house to avoid the fumes when the first coat was being applied.

After poking my head into the room and a quick peek, the color on the wall bugged me more like a coffee stain than a coffee drink. I knew I was not going to be happy unless it was redone.

Hubby looked at me with a silent stare. My father-in-law, experienced with years in merry matrimony, jumped in and encouraged his son, "No problem. We can do it. After all, if Mama's happy, everyone's happy.." And off Hubby went, driving off to the paint store, with good ol' Dad by his son. (Hubby has never truly recovered from the trauma and continues to retell the story in hopes of being healed.)

I was happy and relieved the room was gona be repainted. But man, I felt so g-u-i-l-t-y.

Not anymore. You see, I've basically spent the week in this room, held hostage by a three year old sick kid and a 3 month old newborn. Summer has arrived, which means no preschool for TJ. As for CJ, his circuit training workout equipment of baby swing, Tiny Love activity gym, and bouncy seat are all in the family room.

Throw in a fever, runny nose, sore throat and a nasty cough (picture a screaming toddler pulling at his throat everytime he coughs, yelling, "IT HURTS!! I DON'T WANT IT TO HURT!! FIX IT MOMMY! MAKE IT GO AWAY!"), and what do you get?

A sick-crazed Mommy! Not the kind with the sniffles. No, I'm talkin' 'bout going bonkers when the kids are sick. These four walls of "mocha frost" have been borders around my jungle of chaos. Everyday, TJ carefully crafts a new minefield of exploding cars, trucks, and legos for me to walk through. Here, among the wounded vehicles and missing car parts, I've wiped noses, changed diapers, fed countless bottles, played puppets, and read ad nauseum. Imagine me begging, "Can we please pick another book besides the one about Cars, dude?"

It's liberating to no longer feel guilty about the paint on the wall. What was I thinking?

In fact, with all this time on my hands while tending to my kids this week, I started thinking, "Wouldn't this room look a lot nicer with a warmer color of khaki?"

Honey! ... Can you do me a favor? ..

A Book Review: The Hope of Siblings Without Rivalry

The title of the book caught my attention right away. My second child hadn't arrived yet. In fact, I had just found out I was pregnant. I was ecstatic and crazy happy when I went in for my twelfth week ultrasound. It was confirmed I was having a baby.. a sibling for TJ.

Along with the excitement of giving TJ a sibling, however, I was very sobered by the fact that sibling rivalry is a very real threat to the brotherly bond I was hoping for the two of them. I know from personal experience in my own family that having a difficult sibling in your life can mar your childhood and nightmares can happen during the daytime.

My sister is happily married and all grown up now. Although we are cordial when we visit with each other, I've always felt an ache for the loving sisterly friendship that some women have with their sisters. Some friends say, "My sister is my best friend and the first person I turn to." (I think of Nicole Kidman, who upon finding herself divorced, found comfort in the safety and support of her parents and her sister, Antonia.)

So along with sending out the "I'm pregnant!" emails to friends and family, I searched Amazon for a book on dealing with Sibling Rivalry. And ordered "Siblings Without Rivalry: How to Help Your Children Live Together So You can Live Too" by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish.

I was really drawn to the part of the title that said, ".. So You can Live Too". After all, I didn't want spend my motherhood years being overshadowed by the conflicts between my two kids. But, like sleep training and potty training, I knew that learning to keep peace among two brothers was going to be hard work, challenging beyond advice any book would give.

I didn't have a good role model on how to parent siblings successfully from my own mom, so I was hoping the book could give me a good reference point. And go from there.

And the book did not disappoint. Even though CJ is three months old, I have already benefited from the insight this book has offered to promote harmony between the two brothers.

Here are my top three:

1. Sibling rivalry is serious. It can affect children into their adulthood. The book's introduction chapter talks about how grown ups who are responsible citizens can still feel the negative impacts of how their siblings treated them or how their parents treated them as a result of their sibling.

It impressed how significant my role (and my husband's role) is in shaping and influencing their development. It's been said "boys will be boys" or "all kids fight". Although both statements are true, there is a fine line between letting it go too far. I hope I can learn to be aware of times where that line is being crossed to avoid having a bad dynamic develop.

2. Instead of Dismissing Negative Feelings About a Sibling, Acknowledge the Feelings. This was helpful because whenever TJ would say things like, "Oh, gosh! CJ cries too much!"

Without the book, I would have responded by saying: "No, CJ doesn't really cry that much. He's only hungry. That's all."

The authors are saying that by invalidating or not acknowledging CJ's feelings, there would be a subtle message I was conveying: your brother is more important than you. Which is the crux of sibling rivalry: importance.

Instead, the book taught me to respond: "I know. CJ cries so much, doesn't he!? It's so noisy, huh? .. You know, that's the only way he knows how to talk... ." Sure enough, it worked. The next time baby would cry, TJ would say, "CJ is talking again! What is he saying?"

3. Don't Give Your Attention to the Aggressor. Attend to the Injured Party Instead.

Ooooo, this one is a good one! Without this little tip, I know I'd naturally jump on whoever is doing the harassment. Meanwhile, the child who is hurting would be put to the side. And the aggressor would think, "A-ha! I'm getting the attention."

The simple act of going directly to the injured person ("Come on, let me give you a hug. Let's go get a yummy snack" and walk away from the other person temporarily) would put the aggressor on the sidelines. It would teach him that it actually doesn't work in his favor to be difficult, 'cuz his sibling would get all the goodies!

I haven't used #3 yet, but I like it already because I cannot tell you how many countless times as a child, a moment has been ruined for me because my sister was acting out. Instead, she got all the time and attention from my mom. And I was often left to be by myself whenever my mom was off trying to calm the hurricane.

There are a ton more practical techniques and strategies the book outlines. I have used them several times throughout my week. The brothers are getting along well so far, so I think the little tidbits I've applied have helped lay the ground work to a peaceful and loving relationship between the two -- and in our home.

Of course, I am just at the very beginning of this long journey. And much is still theory until it's practiced. I know that there are gonna be hell on earth days when my boys fight. We are all human, which means pain is a part of the human experience. And there is nothing that's perfect really.

But an amazing healing thing about becoming a parent is that it replenishes hope for all that is wonderful and beautiful in life. Even if past experiences have been less than ideal, there is something about parenthood and the innocence of children that gives me hope for a better future. One filled with friendship between brothers.

How My Weekend Was Spent with a Cleaning Product in a Tech Museum with Bill Nye the Science Guy

I didn't think I'd be very much interested in attending a product presentation about a cleaning product on a precious Saturday (hello, I know I'm a mom, but puh-leeeze -- cleaning is the last thing on my mind come Saturday morning!).

But since the folks at Activeion treated Silicon Valley Mom Bloggers and their families to a free day at the San Jose Tech Museum and also a chance to see Bill Nye the Science Guy explain how the thing works, I was there.

TJ LOVES science. Even though he's only three, if you were to ask him, "What is science?", he'd answer,"It's how things work." He got that from watching Sid the Science Kid.

TJ's not old enough yet to get into watching Bill Nye on TV, but Bill Nye live? .. The thought of anyone doing a live experiment was enough to motivate the little guy to get buckled into his carseat (trust me, getting into the car can take forever).

The product spiel itself was pretty quick. And that was good because with a third of the room filled with little kids, it kept my anxiety level low. The fun part was seeing Bill Nye in his element making a smoke machine out of a plastic garbage can that shot out cannonballs made of smoke (you just had to be there to hear all the gasps and squeals of delight erupting in the room). TJ confirmed the experiment was a hit when he proclaimed, "I liked it when he did all those tricks!"

As for the product Activeion Pro itself? .. All I can say is that it would be a dream come true if it really does work as advertised! It claims to work like a general household cleaner that can clean glass, hard surfaces and carpet -- and kill >99.9% of bacteria -- WITH ONLY TAP WATER! Yes, I'm totally serious. No chemicals. Totally safe for people (esp. the moms who clean and kids who are around 'em) and the environment.

The marketing pamphlet explains that when I press and hold the trigger of the pump, the water gets "infused with charged, super-oxygenated nano-bubbles.. the water is activated to attack dirt."

Does it actually work, you ask? .. Well, Activeion put the power in our hands by actually sending us home with a complimentary Activeion Pro to put it to the test ourselves.

What happened when I went home to conduct my own experiment and started spraying stuff to see if it actually worked? Stay tuned.. Hubby and I actually went at it and the results? .. That'll be another post. ;)

As for the San Jose Tech Museum?! Wow! It was so much fun. Not so much because I was into staring and pressing buttons at all the different monitors that were placed throughout various exhibits -- But because my son was into it! .. Which meant an easy afternoon of entertainment! YEAH!

Isn't it interesting what constitutes as entertainment as a mom now? .. When I was single, strolling through a tech museum probably would've landed at the bottom of my list of Things to Do on Saturday. An art museum? Yes. But, after a work week in the technology industry, no thanks. I want to get away from computers as far as possible on Saturdays and be outside.

Actually, I was really pleasantly surprised.

I actually had a favorite at the Tech Museum: I got to ride a Segway! On the roof the the Tech Museum, overseeing the high rises of San Jose Downtown. That was TOTALLY AWESOME! (Don't I look like a nerd?.. The guy behind me is watching to make sure I don't steer the thing off the path and injure anyone..)



TJ's favorite? He loved the music "machine". Really, it was digital DJ station. And we couldn't tear him away from it. Kids just love music. It's a natural attraction that all children respond to.


Hubby's favorite? He loved the thingmajig that takes thermo-photos, that shows the the different temperature readings on your body - hottest is red. Here's our thermo-family photo! (CJ is snoozing in his car seat)..


And how about 2.5 month old CJ's favorite? Riding in the Baby Bjorn, soaking in all the new lights and sounds. And of course, dozing off to the nice background buzz in the museum.


Some stuff could definitely be more appreciated by older kids.. like the hologram making demonstration, which TJ couldn't entirely sit still for, while the camera took pictures revolving around him. But, everything is so new and cool, it didn't matter. TJ had a BLAST!

We'll have to go back to catch the IMAX movies on the big dome picture experience. We didn't want to push our luck and just "walk away" while we were ahead :).

The Tech Museum itself is in downtown San Jose, so it was a fun experience for TJ during our walk to the museum from the parking lot. He saw a lightrail up close passing by, as we waited at a stop light, and walked through a sculputre of fountain. He had fun soaking in the downtown atmosphere.

Overall, I would say it's definitely worth spending a morning or afternoon for family fun!