Recall Woes

We've been mostly lucky with all the recalls this year. None of Emmett's favorites have been among the millions of toys recalled. Until now, that is. Monday night, blissfully unaware, I walked by the recall board at Emmett's daycare. The fact that they have an entire huge classroom sized bulletin board dedicated to the latest recalls is sad enough. Anyway - as I walked by, there was Monkey, staring right at me. Emmett has always called Curious George 'Monkey'. I think it's because he has a hard time saying 'curious' (sounds like serious) - which is really quite funny when speaking of Curious George. Imagine a little boy calling him Serious George - not exactly the theme of the cartoon, huh?

So last night, I asked Emmett if I could take Monkey for the night. Then I looked up the Marvel recall list and found that yes, Emmett's beloved Monkey was on the list. We've had it a year - even washed it. And it has always been one of Emmett's top three stuffed animals. Right up there with little Moby and Pooh Bear. Generally, I'm not that anxious about recalls - but this sweet looking monkey has slept under Emmett's arm for over a year - almost every night. Monkey even flew in our suitcase on vacation. I knew we couldn't keep it, and putting it up on the shelf would never work.

Tonight as we prepared for bedtime, Emmett asked if he could have Monkey back. I'd been dreading this moment since finding Monkey on the recall list. How do you explain that a group of adults who should really know better, used chemicals proven to cause health effects, on a child's toy. So, I told him the truth - "Monkey had some chemicals on him that might make you sick. So we have to send Monkey away so he doesn't make you sick." Emmett's little eyes welled up and he fought back tears. I said it would be ok to miss Monkey, that sometimes we have to say goodbye to things even when we don't want to. I even said we'd look for a new Monkey for Christmas (already on that mission!). But in his little heart, I know his first Monkey will be the most important one for him. And I really wish I could feel like a good mom and still leave Monkey to sleep under Emmett's arm, but I can't. And Craig tells me I think too much about it. So maybe I do!

Part of me wonders if we're all over reacting. I'm sure my toys as a kid probably contained high levels of something bad. Wasn't there an M&M food additive which ended up being dangerous? I'd never let Emmett chew on paint chips - but at which point does it become a major overreaction? I mean this toy had been tested by an independent firm 3 times since it's release to retail. All three tests passed for lead levels. On the four test they tested surface coatings (not sure what those would be) and found that it failed.

At any rate, I now have the joy of finding a solitary moment to box Monkey up and ship him back to his manufacture to meet a fiery demise. Goodbye Monkey - and good luck.

Post Thanksgiving Review

Ah! I've mostly recovered from the fully-belly overeating binge I indulged in this weekend. A good holiday with family. I've learned everything from the fact that I have a very low foot arch to which presidential holds more of my values on the 'issues'.

To react to the low foot arch problem - I plan to follow my cousin-in-law's husband's advice and go buy a pair of New Balance running shoes before I start training for the triathlon that I say I want to do in August '08. I've always wanted to do a Tri, and this seems like a likely one to do since it's basically on my back door step. But slight problem... I hate running. I suppose I'll have to cross that bridge (literally) when I get to it.

I normally stay far far away from politics with family, but there is this pretty cool website which asks you a series of questions and then gives you the top 3 candidates which hold those same views. Here is the one I did: Candidate Match
What is also fun about this survey is watching the candidates' heads as they rise and fall according to your answers. Anyway - the whole family took the survey (correction... the whole family of voting age!), and we had a nice discussion afterwards.

At any rate - take a look - see who you match up with. Doesn't mean you have to vote for them! At any rate - Happy Thanksgiving!

Creating the iPod generation

I'm not sure if we encouraged Emmett's love of music or if he came home with that. But he loves music. And thanks to my awesome bro & sil, we got some really great music for him before he came home. But as any parent knows - eventually you just can't listen to Ladybug Picnic anymore. Now consider our hour and a half commute to and from daycare (thank you construction!) - and you can understand that if I have to get Reduce,Reuse,Recycle in my head, I'd prefer to not have it there close to bedtime.

So in order keep Emmett's music in his daily life, and still keep my sanity (which is light to begin with), I relinquished my iPod shuffle to kids music. I loaded all his favorites like "The Land of Nod" vol1 & 2, Yellow Bus, "Bacbyardigans" CDs into the shuffle and taught him how to use it. It's a great little distraction (way better than an in-car DVD). Except for one small thing...

You know how when you ask someone a question and they have headphones on - they shout? Well, try that with a 4yr old - but switch it around to be he's asking you questions and at full scream - in the confinements of a moving vehicle! And the existance of the shuffle commute has created this conversation.

Emmett: "Oh Omma, I've been waiting for this song"
Me: "Oh, yeah?"
Emmett: "uh-huh, cause it's my fahhvorrrite"
Me: "Oh, is it Yellow Bus?"
Emmett: "no it's this song"
ME: "Which song"
Emmett: "The song on this thing" (pointing to the shuffle)
Me:"I know it's the song on the suffle - but which song?"
Emmett: "This one, it's my favorite"
Me: "But I thought your favorite was Yellow Bus, what does this song sound like?"
Emmett: "I don't know"
Me: "OoooKay then"

Still haven't a clue which song he was referring to, but I'm glad it's his new favorite!

I know, I know I promised Tow Mater Halloween pictures. But wouldn't you know it - I took the camera and didn't take one picture of Emmett? Not one! So I've asked Halimony (Grandma) to send me the pics she took. But I can't seem to copy them into the blog. Oh bother!

Plus! We've been a house of sickies this past week. Emmett got a nice cough/head cold thingy which meant he didn't sleep at all on Monday night. Tuesday we attacked said cough with cough medicine (Delsym rocks!) and a vaporizor. (Or course there was a slight overdosing of cough medicine, but we won't go into which parent...) So Tuesday night Emmett slept great (no wonder). Only then did Craig and I begin to show signs of our own illnesses. Oh the joys of fall! Hot Apple Cider, Fallen Leaves, Pumpkins and head colds!

So I promise once my computer cooperates with the pictures - I'll post them. But here are a few of Emmett and Moby at the beach.

"I coulda been a show dog, see?"

Yes, that's snot running down his nose. Priority of motherhood 1.take picture 2. wipe nose! (got to work on switching those around!)

The finishline judge was unable to determine the winner of this race because the dog took him out. =)