The Playpen

Less than an hour ago, My hometown of Los Angeles was rocked by yet another earthquake. If experience serves me, the actual magnitude will change over the next few days as news stations, eager to be first on the scene, report the best information they have at the moment. Immediate reports said 5.8, now it is down to 5.4.

My first earthquake in LA was the 1994 Northridge Quake. I had been living here for less than six months, and had conveniently chosen an apartment about a mile from the epicenter. For those of you who have not experienced a truly damaging earthquake, the experience is something that never leaves you. At the first hint of a tremor or rumble, your body stiffens, your pulse quickens and you freeze.

This one was particularly bad. Not because of the magnitute…it was really just kind of a gentle roller…but because, for the first time, I had a family. And we were all apart.

My wife was at home, Frankie was at daycare and I was at work. Once the rumbling subsided and my hands stopped shaking I tried to call. No service. I tried the land line. No service. And guess what? We had no plan. I didn’t think that it was a bad enough quake to cause any physical damage, but you never know. Sometimes it has to do with the type of fault and plate movement, as well as the depth and other factors. Regardless, I was worried beyond belief.

I promptly drove home, where Aline was fine and phone service had been restored. Frankie was ok, but they would be napping today with their shoes on, just in case. In twenty minutes, Aline and I drafted up a plan should the big one hit when we were all apart. Thats all it took, and we kicked ourselves for not having done it sooner. Tonight we will be going out to put together the earthquake kit that we have been meaning to get together for the last fourteen years.

Being unprepared for a natural disaster while responsible for the safety and well being of loved ones is not only lazy, it is just plain stupid. Thank god I get to redeem myself.

For a listing of high-risk earthquake areas and additional resources focusing on earthquake preparedness, here are some links:

http://www.fema.gov/areyouready/earthquakes.shtm

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learning/preparedness.php

Los Angeles Fire Department Emergency Preparedness (PDF Download)

Matt
Visit our online boutique for the latest in fashion and fun for preemie, infant and toddler

OK, maybe not in its natural state. In fact, many little ones’ artwork looks a lot alike to me. But the great thing about the drawings and paintings that my daughter makes is that they are my daughter’s, and I save them all.

Recently, my husband surprised me with a gift that I would never have expected. It was original, fun, cool and unlike anything I have ever seen. Apparently, he got the idea from one on BusyDad’s posts a while ago, and was determined to get me something ever since. I was so happy when my daughter presented me with her drawing that day, I thought it was the coolest thing ever. Her first “real” resemblance of a drawing, and it was me! Miraculously the drawing disappeared the next day only to find out that Matt had taken it to hang it up at work. I was disappointed that he got to keep it, little did I know that he was cooking up something.

Jennifer, who owns and operates an amazing shop called Magic Dog Studio, has come up with a terrific way of preserving your wee one’s art. She takes the artwork and turns it into a one-of-a-kind sterling silver pendant or charm, signs it, packages it in a beautiful gift box and sends it to your front door. She is a true artist, and interprets the kid’s squiggles and zig-zags beautifully. In addition to little people (she also offers a necklace bearing members of the whole family), you can do handprints, thumbprints and wall pieces as well.

To give you an idea of how this uber-creative lady works, I thought I’d show you the before and after.

Here is the drawing that my daughter, Frankie did of me (no, I wasn’t having a bad hair day, thats creative license!).

My husband scanned the drawing and emailed it to Jennifer. After discussing how it would look and what type of chain to use (she suggested a silver cord so the figure would “walk” across it), she went to work.

Imagine my surprise when I received this necklace a few weeks later.

Pretty cool, huh? Magic Dog Studio is truly an example of a creative and talented person doing something completely unique with her gift. I encourage anyone with children, grandkids, wives or mothers to give Jennifer a call and ask her to create a piece for you. Its a perfect way to forever preserve the childhood of that special little one in your life. You can contact her at: magicdogstudio@yahoo.com.

Aline
Visit our online boutique for the latest in fashion and fun for preemie, infant and toddler

Tune in next time when we show you how to create some fun and bubbly art with your child that can actually hang on the wall and not the fridge!

Matt & Aline
Visit our online boutique for the latest in fashion and fun for preemie, infant and toddler

Whew…we’ve been doing some major site maintenance and have been gone for toooo long! We are, however, back in full force and hope that you have not given up on us. In fact we’re gearing up for a new episode of the Playpen In Motion, so look out for it coming up soon!

To start off the week, I’d like to say a special thanks to Jeremy from Discovering Dad, who not only runs an amazing site but does an interview called “Spotlight on Dads”, depicting a father’s perspective and it’s challenges from a man’s point of view. It’s such a great read and wonderful to know there are some awesome Dads out there!

Last week my husband, Matt, was honored by being selected to feature his journey through fatherhood. Funny and emotional, I of course loved the interview and want him to know what an unbelievable father he is.

Discovering Dad is a fantastic website, Jeremy is such a driven guy that has a fabulous outlook on fathering and his readers are the real deal as well! If you’re looking for a father’s perspective from a bunch of guys that put their heart and soul into their families, Discovering Dad’s “Spotlight on Dads” is worth the look. Thanks Jeremy!

Aline
Visit our online boutique for the latest in fashion and fun for preemie through toddler

We’ve received a few emails from a few concerned people who commented on our last post about potty training. Just wanted to let everyone know that we are in the process of some major site maintenance, and that unfortunately we lost some of your terrific comments and suggestions in the process. Please be patient with us, and keep the comments coming!
Matt & Aline
Visit our online boutique for the latest in fashion and fun for preemie through toddler

As many of you know, our daughter, Frankie, is three years old. And, we are proud to announce that she will be starting school in September! Thats right, our little girl is all grown up. Almost. You see, apparently preschools nowadays think its funny to bestow undo stress and ageda onto the lives of unsuspecting parents, by nonchalantly stating (after they’ve taken your check) “Oh, and she has to be potty trained”, as they walk out of the room.

We have bragged about every aspect of our daughter. Her vocabulary, her appearance, her willingness to kick butt and take names at any challenge we place in front of her…you name it. But the bottom line is, the girl ain’t perfect. For whatever reason, we simply can’t seem to convince her that the ole commode is a friend. We’ve tried everything. Nothing works. We thought it would be a great idea to tear down some of the most popular tricks and show you why they are completely useless:

1. Music. We love it. Play it all the time. Do you know how annoying it is to sit in the bathroom for an hour listening to your kid sing “Its a Small World” with no byproduct? Uh uh.

2. Offer a lot of praise. OK, great. Doesn’t your child actually have to use the potty in order to constitute praise?! “That’s awesome, baby….no poop!” Sounds more like sarcasm than praise, right?

3. Read with her. Good call….distract her with a great read. Next.

4. Use a “special potty”. We’ve gone through several, including the most recent one I made from a sterling silver, diamond crusted, 25″ Escalade rim. It has lasers and a fog machine. Also makes julienne fries. Two words: Doesn’t. Help.

5. Use a timer. Supposedly, you set the timer to help both of you remember when its time to go. Hello?! How can I know when she’s going when she does it in the diaper? Sheesh.

6. Set up target practice. Yes, its true. Put some brightly colored cereal or the like in the potty and let them go all Shock and Awe on it. Um….my child is a girl…she’s going to be shooting blind even if I put a chocolate souffle in the hopper.

7. Make them feel proud. See number two.

8. Use treats and surprises. My parents rewarded me when I went to the bathroom with Milk Duds. Now I get a gigantic sugar rush every time I pee. Moving on.

9. Give them stickers. My daughter has about 5 sticker books, and gets a new one in the mail from Grandma about once a week. You think she’s gonna go all crazy because I stick some gold foil star on her wrist? C’mon…she’s got six Smurf puffy stickers in her hand right now. That’s so played.

10. Let them help you throw out the dirty diapers. So you’re supposed to hand a three-year-old a poopy diaper and tell them to throw it in the toilet. Thats like giving Dick Cheney a loaded gun and telling him to go hang out with his friends for a while. Sooner or later, your gonna have a mess on your hands.

So please, we are asking for your help. All of you good lurkers out there need to come to the aid of the party and let us know the following:

What age do you think is realistic for a child to be fully potty trained? and:

What technique did you use that finally had your little one reading the sports section on the Great White Radio?

Let us know…we are on the clock!

Matt & Aline
Visit our online boutique for the latest in fashion and fun for preemie through toddler