[It's the Little Things] Being a Boy Mom.

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

I was perusing Facebook the other day on my lunch break and came across this article on today.com that someone shared. I just love it and found it to be so true.

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Article is from today.com
Original photos were replaced with pictures of me and Mason or a collage made by me.

Boys tend to have a strong and consistent love for their moms from the get-go — and it's a feeling that lasts for the long haul.


When you have a girl, you know that you can always fall back on your own childhood memories to guide you as a parent. But unless you grew up with a brother, there's a good chance that parts of raising a boy can take you by surprise. From the sports obsession to the penis comparisons, here are 10 things I wish I'd known about bringing up boys.



1. There will be planes, trains and automobiles.



Even if you stock your nursery with mixed-gender toys like baby dolls and play kitchens, odds are matchbox cars and trucks will multiply on their own in your home, boats will line your bathtub and train track will loop around your floor. Little boys adore anything that flies, sails, drives, digs or mixes. “I could have never anticipated the amount of fun he can have with just a few cars,” said mom of two Dana McCranie. “I love watching his little fingers wrapped around two cars and imagining what he sees as he drives them around with animation and sound effects.”



2. Boys don’t stop moving.



From the moment they come bouncing into your bed at 5:30 in the morning until they pass out at bedtime, boys go. Sometimes it seems like they have only two speeds — fast and faster. This means that your toddler could be sitting on the floor shaking a rattle one minute and when you turn your head, he will have summitted the dining room table. He may not ever slow down, but you’ll learn to pick up the pace. “Give them goals,” said dad of three Randolph RoVino. “Give them the tools. Give them encouragement to use the energy that they have. And have your sneakers on!”


Watch out: Most boys are always on the go.



3. Clothes shopping will be a piece of cake.




A girl’s wardrobe can be sizable. But boys? Well, there are pants, sneakers and T-shirts. There are no outfits. Everything, essentially, goes together. “There may be fewer options in the store, but I’ll happily dress a boy over a girl any day,” said mom of one Bonnie Vengrow. “The palette is simple, the clothes are cute, and he’ll let me dress him with no fuss.”



4. His fascination with his penis starts sooner than you think.


Chalk it up to the cave man instinct, but boys play with their penises practically from birth. (And those baby erections? Whoa.) Once he figures out it’s there, it’ll be everything you can do to keep his hands from drifting down there all the time.“I remember other moms warning me when I had my first son, ‘Don't worry if he touches his thing all the time. It's normal,’” said mom of two Melissa Phipps. “I'm still not sure if my 8-year-old is in the normal range, but whenever he had a free moment, he whips it out. Ironically, the only time he doesn't have his hand on his penis is when he's using the toilet and should be holding it to aim correctly. That's when it can't be tamed.”



5. Roughhousing is innate.

Boys are physical. There's the jumping off furniture, the rolling on each other, the "hug" that turns into a full-body running tackle. It's often how they connect and express affection. “My sons constantly have to touch each other and be near each other,” said mom of two Stacy Genovese. “We recently finished our basement and it’s a huge playroom but yet they both have to play right on top of each other and then it’s the inevitable ‘He hit me!’, ‘No, he hit him first!’”



Exhausting? Yes. Normal and healthy? Absolutely. This kind of physical interaction can foster positive relationships, boost the body's feel-good chemicals and promote intelligence — even if it means stuff around the house is going to get broken.



6. You’ll probably make a trip to the emergency room.


There are boys and there are coffee tables and these two things often add up to stitches. You will learn to anticipate the most dangerous risks (and you might want to buy cushioned corners for the coffee table before your son can even pull up), but there will be a time when you're just a second too late and you land up driving to the ER. Don’t blame yourself — it's a rite of passage for all boy moms. “It's hard not to feel ashamed when it happens, but don't worry. Other parents sympathize,” Phipps said.



7. Pee will be everywhere. Everywhere.


On the floor. Behind the toilet. On the wall. All over the seat that they neglected to lift up. Apparently, it takes time and an attention span not to spray the entire bathroom while urinating. “Peeing everywhere never stops — argh!,” said mom Shirlie Sharpe. “The only thing that changes is that as they get bigger, their range increases.” Your best bet: Keep some Clorox wipes at the ready and remind yourself that unless there's poop involved, your child won't ever need to sit on a dirty public toilet seat. Oh, and it's incredibly easy for them to pee behind a tree in the park.


Boys tend to approach things differently than girls. “My girls never thought to make puzzles in the nude!” said Gina Ferrara, a mom of three.



8. You’ll learn not to compare your son to girls.


(Addison's request!)

Watch a girl the same age as your nonstop ball of energy sit quietly and use glitter glue for 45 minutes and you may want to cry. Girls often reach milestones earlier and excel at many essential school skills like reading and, er, sitting still. “The girls in my son Ian’s class and the daughters of my friends are way more advanced than my boys,” Genovese said. “They’re just more aware of the world around them. One friend with girls the same ages as my boys said, ‘For me, it’s all mental. For you, it’s all physical.‘ And that’s exactly right.”



Boys can also approach things differently, which is part of the fun. Case in point: “My girls never thought to make puzzles in the nude!” said mom of three Gina Ferrara.



9. The goofiness starts early.



There will be days when you watch your son with his friends and you just won't get it. Boy humor can be extra goofy and the potty humor starts as soon as they can talk. “Who knew the love of fart jokes was part of a boy's development?” said Phipps. “At some point after learning to talk, farts will be all your little one talks about. I am not sure when the phase ends.” So trust that you will be told that your dinner tastes like poop. You'll be called poopy head and poopy pants. If you laugh (and it's often hard not to) or scold, you just give the poop talk more value. So try to keep a straight face at least until you can vent on Facebook.



10. Boys adore their moms.



There's a strong and consistent love that comes from boys from the get-go — and stays there through the long haul. “Whenever you come home, it’s like being a rock star in your own home,” Genovese said.


Phipps agrees, “The thing I will miss most when my boys grow up is the adoring way they look at me and stroke my face and hair. They are such little romantics. I will say to my 6-year-old, ‘You're cute’ and he'll respond ‘You're cuter!’ It almost makes it worth being the only female in an all-male household.”

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And my experience?


1. There will be planes, trains and automobiles.

This has become so true, especially lately. We own more cars, trucks, planes, trains, and anything else with wheels than I can count on my fingers and toes and Seth's fingers and toes combined!


Even if you stock your nursery with mixed-gender toys like baby dolls and play kitchens, odds are matchbox cars and trucks will multiply on their own in your home, boats will line your bathtub and train track will loop around your floor. Little boys adore anything that flies, sails, drives, digs or mixes. “I could have never anticipated the amount of fun he can have with just a few cars,” said mom of two Dana McCranie. “I love watching his little fingers wrapped around two cars and imagining what he sees as he drives them around with animation and sound effects.”



2. Boys don’t stop moving.


At the end of the day, I think I am more tired than he is!



3. Clothes shopping will be a piece of cake.


Amen! Jeans, shorts, t-shirts, and sweatshirts and my boy is looking cute and ready to go!



A girl’s wardrobe can be sizable. But boys? Well, there are pants, sneakers and T-shirts. There are no outfits. Everything, essentially, goes together. “There may be fewer options in the store, but I’ll happily dress a boy over a girl any day,” said mom of one Bonnie Vengrow. “The palette is simple, the clothes are cute, and he’ll let me dress him with no fuss.”



4. His fascination with his penis starts sooner than you think.


Oh jeez. I hate to admit this, but this is so true. EVERY TIME I change his diaper, I have to swat his hand away. God forbid I reach for something and take my eyes of for a second... hands are right back where they shouldn't be!


5. Roughhousing is innate.


This is true for the most part. My boy is pretty sweet and per the usual, he doesn't really rough house unless Seth eggs him on. But, recently, get him in a room with his cousins, and it's all over for someone! Haha.


6. You’ll probably make a trip to the emergency room.


THANK GOODNESS this hasn't happened yet. But we have had our fair share of bumps, bruises, and scrapped knees.


7. Pee will be everywhere. Everywhere.

True. True. And true. While Mason is not potty trained yet, this statement is still very, very applicable. Remembered when I mentioned that he peed on the side of the bath tub and then again after his bath? Well he did it AGAIN on his birthday, in a bathroom at Downtown Disney. Thank goodness all my donut eating for breakfast had me on a sugar high with reflexes like a cat. Saved Mason from having to wear pee soaked shorts all day :) 


8. You’ll learn not to compare your son to girls.


So true. I feel like I do this too often (especially in regards to milestones and stuff), but boys are SO different than girls. There is no comparing.



9. The goofiness starts early.


Oh gosh, does it ever. Mason is the funniest kid I know!


10. Boys adore their moms.


Melt. My. Momma. Heart. LOVE this boy so much!




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Weekends are for lollipops, cake, and ice cream.

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

I mean, really? Why not.

Our weekend started off on Friday with taking Mason to his two year old well visit at the pediatrician. The only reason I say this was part of our weekend is because we both got off work early to go. Poor Mason had been sleeping when Seth picked him up, so the visit to the doctor could have gone better had we not woken him up from his happy place and took him to his most un-favorite place. But, alas, we all survived. The doctor checked him out and (with a little bit of bribing with goldfish to sit still and behave), he was good to go. The doctor gave him a lollipop and he forgot how awful the doctor was for wanting to check his ears, eyes, and all that other fun stuff.


The doctor recommended a routine blood test for him to check for anemia, iron levels, and lead so we headed upstairs to go to the lab. Mason must have forgotten what the place looked like from last time (he had another one of these a year ago - they only do them at one and two) because he was happy as a clam until we entered the room where he would get his blood drawn. Immediate meltdown. Seth had the awful duty of holding him down while I had the even more awful duty of watching the whole thing go down. There is nothing worse than being helpless while your baby is hysterically crying and saying "mama mama mama" over and over.
break. my. heart.

We finally got home after a whole lot of sniffling and Mickey watching in the car and the only thing that would make him feel better was to watch more Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

I can't even handle seeing his little tourniquet. So sad.


I posted this on Instagram on Friday night and it pretty much summed up our visit to the doctor :


Saturday was much better for all because we went to the fair. Every year I say I hate the fair and to remind me the next year when I say I want to go that I hate it, but this year I have a confession to make... I didn't hate it! 


And to be honest, I'm pretty excited about going back next year!

Saturday night we celebrated Papa's birthday with a BBQ and pineapple upside down cake.  

And a make-shift pool with a water slide! I'm not sure that my video on Instagram did it justice, but Mason was having a BLAST.



Sunday we had swim lessons, Gymboree, nap time, grocery shopping, and then Mason's two year old pictures. We met my friend Erika, our photographer, in Manhattan Beach and had the best time. The beach wasn't crowded at all, and although it was pretty hot, we got some amazing pictures. I can't wait to see a (hopeful!) sneak peak soon and to hopefully go back to the beach again to play!

(We also might have seen Usher on one of those elliptical bike things as we were walking back to our car. And let me tell you, that man is in WAY better shape than me as he powered up the hill like it was nothing and I huffed and puffed and carried Mason up what seemed like the steepest hill ever.)

We ended the night the best way we know how... with ice cream before dinner.


In the form of a Ruby's kid sized cookies n cream shake.

Hope you all had a great weekend!



[BOY MOMS] Ida from Second Chances Girl

Monday, July 28, 2014



Hi! I'm Ida and I blog over at Second Chances Girl. I'm the mom to one and step-mom to two. I blog all about our day to day lives and how we are making our blended family work.

When I was little girl, I wanted to grow up to be a ballerina. I loved pink, tutus and ballet. I knew that I would be a mother one day and that I would have little girls who loved pink, tutus and ballet. Oh how things change! When I got pregnant with Adrian, I knew I wanted a boy. Having a girl didn't even cross my mind and I was super excited when my ultrasound showed that I was having a boy. I was blessed on November 10, 2006 when I gave birth to a perfectly healthy baby boy. I was so excited for all that I thought I knew came with having a boy. I've grown a lot since then and my knowledge of male species has also. It's so not what I expected but I wouldn't change it for anything.

I now now that boys are all about: cars and trucks, LEGO's, sports, video games, eating at all times, sneakers, superheroes, space aliens, butt jokes, displaying gross bodily function and showing off their private area. At least, this is how it is in my home. Half the time, I am grossed out by whatever gross jokes they are coming up with or some nasty food combination I would've never thought of. Before children, I would have been appalled, now it's a normal day!


In my pre-mom ballerina days, I would have never gotten this close to a worm, not anymore. Now it is encouraged to look for and touch every bug possible!


Also, my superhero knowledge is incredible. I am now a Marvel and DC Comic know-it-all. Adrian and I have even created a special "date night" where we go see all the super hero movies in the theater as soon as they are released. I'm hoping to keep this tradition alive as long as possible!


I have been a boy mom now for almost 8 years. I thought I had it down pact until I was introduced to my step-son, Gian. Gian is a year younger than Adrian and his complete opposite. Gian is always singing, loves to dance, is obsessed with video games and hates sports. He is another version of boy that I had no idea what to do with. I was used to a rough and tumble, sports-loving, bug catching, superhero obsessed boy. Now, I had to start all over picking up on things I had no knowledge of, starting with videogames!



These boys are brothers, whether they are blood related or not. They play together and are each other's best friend. They are loyal to each other and even though they argue and fight, they will defend each other to the end. There is nothing like brotherly love!



The main thing I love about being a boy mom is the love. Even though they do not show it all the time, I know they love me. They give me hugs and kisses. They write me love notes. They talk to me about whatever is going on in their lives (like I don't know!). They ask me to make them special meals because according to them, I make "the best food." I am strict but I let them roam free and explore. I answer their questions honestly and they know that no matter how big they get, they can come to me with anything. 


I now leave you with one last picture, that to me, sums up what it's like to be a #boymom!!! Yes, that's me in an Ironman mask, holding up plastic golf clubs, ready to fight!!! 


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If you would like to share a post about you and your son, email me at chasinmasonblog@gmail.com .
I would love to feature you! You don't have to have a blog to participate!




[Summer Bucket List] Park Discovery

Friday, July 25, 2014

Or more accurately titled... park un-discovery. I would have titled it that, but that is improper English :) More on that in a minute.

Normally, Sunday night is family dinner night. We go over to my mother-in-law's house and have dinner with everyone. It's our one day a week to actually see each other.

But this past Sunday was my niece, Addison's, birthday and most of the family was at Disneyland (wish we could have gone but we let our Disney passes expire in April - boo!) so we decided to do our own thing.

I had read about this really awesome looking park online a few months ago and had been wanting to go check it out but we never got around to it. I was still in the "celebration mode" since it was Mason's birthday weekend still so I thought, hey, why not???

We had a gift card to a local fancy grocery store that we don't normally shop at so we thought we would head there to get some dinner since it was by the park and because... the gift card was like three years old and we should probably use it sooner rather than later. (Thankfully gift cards don't expire in California!) So we packed up our blanket and our stuff and headed to the store to buy some food. 


We stopped by the deli and got some goods and then headed down the street to the park. Upon arrival at the park, I noticed it was a lot bigger than I expected. Of course, this made me extra excited!

The park itself was a little ways away from the parking lot so we carried our stuff and explored a little. We first came up upon this really nice rose garden and I wasn't surprised to see some people just sitting there reading. What a beautiful place to come read a book.


And then it happened.

Seth : I think the park is closed.
Me : What??? Why???
Seth : Do you see those green fences around the play area?


NOOOOOOOOO!

Yes, it's true. The park was CLOSED! I was soooooo bummed. Doesn't the park look fun? And this is only part of it! It's HUGE. And has so many play areas! Even I was excited to play.

Luckily Mason didn't know the difference so he wasn't too upset, but we will definitely be going back once it's done being renovated!

Either way, we didn't let the park closure get in the way of our night! We had our glamorous picnic dinner of chicken strips with BBQ dipping sauce, broccoli salad potato salad, and fruit on our picnic blanket... on a park table.


After dinner we had cookies and Mason and Seth "played" soccer and we used our new bubble machine.









Good bye amazing park. We will be back to play soon!




Even though we didn't get to play on the playground like I had hoped, we still had an amazing night just being together, eating outside, and playing.

And when we got home... Mason sat down to blog about it :)



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Thank you to everyone who has been linking up with us each week! I've been really enjoying reading each and every one of your posts and getting some great ideas of things to do this summer! Don't forget to link up with us again next week (the final week!) , sharing the fun activities that you've been up to this summer!



Stephanie at Wife Mommy Me | Desiree with Macke Monologues | Jenny from The Chronicles of We
Becky of bybmg | Courtney from Sweet Turtle Soup | Elizabeth at Chasin' Mason




Christmas in July!

Thursday, July 24, 2014

About a month ago, Courtney and Jenny posted about this fun little "Christmas" present exchange they were hosting. When I first read about, I thought it sounded so fun! Plus, on top of the little toddler birthday exchange I set up earlier in the month and Mason's actual birthday, why not make July even more fun?! You can never have too many presents, right?

I got paired up with Jenesha from books, looks, and babies...oh my! It was so nice getting to know her and Mason was beyond excited when he saw the gift that she sent in the mail!

Jenesha had wrapped things in cute little packages. I gave Mason the first one and he immediately ripped in to it. The first package had the cutest books in it!




In the next little package was the Little People Wheelies Jet and Helicopter. Mason went crazy! I had to open it immediately and he instantly walked over to his wheelies roller coaster and sent them "down the slide". I don't know how they are different than the other ones that he has but they went SO FAST down the slide. He was laughing and having the best time.


And then the gift of all gifts : the bubble machine!
Holy smokes.
Mason can recognize a bubble machine from a mile away! Miles away!
I couldn't open the package fast enough for him. He kept handing me the bubbles and wanting me to fill the machine and turn it on. 
Unfortunately I had to break his little heart momentarily because I had plans for us to go to the park and have a picnic dinner, but don't worry. He got to play with bubbles until his little heart was content only a few hours later.



We kinda did things in the reverse way and opened the card last (oops!) but it was so cute. Mason looked at it intently and kept opening and closing it like he was reading a book.




Not pictured are cute Planes stickers and a Planes Golden Book.

Seriously, I don't know how Jenesha did it. I swear it's like she's known me and Mason forever. Her gifts were absolutely PERFECT. Thank you Jenesha, Adrienne, and Ellyn!

Mason and I were paired up with Jenny (one of the co-hosts!) and her daughter, Callie and we had the best time shopping for a girl! Head on over to Jenny's blog, The Chronicles of We and find out what we got for Callie!


Merry Christmas (in July)! And thanks for setting this up Jenny and Courtney!


DESIGNED BY ECLAIR DESIGNS