Baby Loves Disco - A Great Place for ... Adults!

It is hard to be a parent, or a kid, in an adult's world. Remember when you used to hang out and mingle at the restaurant's bar, or get your groove on at a club? If your baby is with you, many bars won't even serve you alcohol - and really, you probably shouldn't have your kid at a regular bar anyway. Going dancing at clubs is also out. The blaring music with questionable lyrics, lots of drunk people hanging around creating drama, and the crush of hundreds of bodies isn't conducive to a fun family night out.

Don't you wish there was a place where a kid can be a kid, and an adult can be an adult? Believe it or not, it exists! You may have read my previous post about Baby Loves Disco. I really can't say enough about it. In a nutshell: a real nightclub deep cleans and baby proofs its interior for an afternoon. Parents (and grandparents, too!) can bring kids ages 7 years and under to mingle. Older siblings and other children are also welcome, but everyone must realize that this event is planned with the 7 years and under crowd in mind. Parents mingling with other parents, kids mingling with other kids. It's the all important socialization that we need as human beings!

Kids
Look, bubbles! Wanna see how many you can catch? How about playing catch with a scarf, or playing with egg shakers? I know! Let's run around and see how many balloons there are! There are hoops and toys, pillows and stuffed animals, and I bet you'll meet lots of new friends in the play tents. How about a juice box and some crackers? I saw lots of healthy snacks at the bar. Wanna sit on the tall barstools like a big kid? You can munch away while mom or dad reads you a book. I saw rubber duckies on the tables, and aren't these kazoos funny? Or lets dance and dance and dance all afternoon!

Parents
This is your night out - during the day! No need to sacrifice important quality time with your baby-love. Are you worried about having to dress to impress? You're with other parents with their kids and it's a very casual setting. Many moms and dads arrive in shorts, sneakers, and Crocs. There are also the parents in dresses, dress shirts, heels and slacks. Wear what's comfortable for you, but remember that you're in a confined area with kids. Kids bring mess with them wherever they go. Are you worried about poopy pants? There are diaper changing stations in the restrooms as well as in the hall, and wet wipes and sanitizing liquid are provided.

Are your babies bouncing off the walls? Bring your kids and let them get their wiggles out on the dance floor. Are you missing your gym time? Get your booty out there, too, and shake and shimmy the calories off! The DJ is out there spinning and mixing for everybody. And while we all appreciate Skip to My Lou and The Wheels on the Bus, you won't find any kiddie songs here. Music selections are generally a mix of 70's, 80's, and some 90's hits.

And what's a dance club without your favorite drink in hand? There's a full bar available for the parents. Kick back with a cocktail while the little ones play with toys or in tents. Have some wine while your baby has cheese and crackers. And make sure you keep that security band tab in a safe place! When you enter the club, kids are given a numbered security band to wear on their ankle or their wrist. You keep the tab with matching numbers. Security checks everyone on the way out to make sure you've got the ticket to claim your baby. You know your baby is the greatest in the world. This way, other people looking to upgrade their kid won't be able to walk off with your little angel. It seems like the good people at Baby Loves Disco have thought of pretty much everything!

We were able to check out the Baby Loves Disco Valentine's Day Super Dance Party in San Diego. My little 17 month old boy had such a blast at Aubergine on 4th in the Gaslamp Quarter downtown. He danced and danced, and I have to say, I'm pretty proud of his groovy moves! But his favorite distractions were the bubble machine raining bubbles on the dance floor, and the play tents in the Chill Out Area. He doesn't have any siblings, so I was happy that he got to be around other kids. And my husband and I had a good time being out of the house. We had a couple of drinks each, and we were able to chat and mingle with others, and we had some great quality family time with our boy.

The great and innovative people at Baby Loves Disco really hit on something special here. Check out their website for more information and to check for a location near you. I have to say, given the great time we had, we'll definitely be attending more of these. It's parent friendly, kid friendly, entertaining, safe and easily accessible. I have to give Baby Loves Disco my highest rating. On a scale of 1 to 5, this is definitely a 5 Happy Babies event!


Get your tickets early! These events sell out!
Upcoming Baby Loves Disco events in SoCal:
Los Angeles: Saturday, April 5th at Social Hollywood
Orange County: Saturday, April 12th at Shark Club
San Diego: Sunday, April 13th at Aubergine on 4th

My Friends are Supposed to Protect Me from Myself!!

Ok, I thought I had great friends. I thought we had a very real "friendship bond" kind of thing with each other. They're my friends. They're supposed to protect me from my own innate stupidity!! Why weren't they there???

Problem #1 - They deluded me.
So, I thought, "Hmmm... There is this 8K race coming up. It's for a good cause, and maybe this will be the kick I need to lose the last 10 lbs. Sure, I can do an 8K. How hard can it be?" And my friends were supportive of me, and they said, "Absolutely, you can do it! I believe in you! You signed up, hooray for you!" Maybe it's my mistake. I didn't pick up on any sarcasm, and I didn't hear them laughing their heads off.

Problem #2 - They encouraged me in my madness.
I started training for the 8K, and I thought, "Yes, I will train and prepare. I am reasonably fit, and training will be good for me. How hard can it be?" And my friends were supportive of me, and they said, "You will feel so much better for doing this. You are healthy, and you will feel empowered. This is such a great thing that you are doing for yourself. You can train, no problem! I believe in you!" Again, I didn't hear sarcasm, but perhaps it's because my muscles were screaming too loudly.

Problem #3 - They didn't stop me when my stupidity gained ambition and momentum.
So, I'm out walking and jogging my little heart out (no, literally, I think my heart is coming out of my chest), and I stop at the Convention Center steps. Grandiose visions of a super fit and athletic me, running to the top of the steps, and just like Rocky, doing a very triumphant jogging dance filled my head. However, I can't leave Mr. Baby in the stroller because I am afraid of being arrested by some police officer, so what did I do? I put him on my shoulders and I ran up and down the first two flights of steps at the Convention Center - all seven sections. That's four times going up, and four times going down. I felt like my legs and butt were about to implode. And the first flight of stairs was fine, but with each flight after that, I became less and less like Rocky, and more and more like a beached whale trying to heft itself up the stairs. It was so sad.

I think I may need leg and butt transplants. Something has definitely gone terribly wrong with mine. Where were my friends???? Why didn't they stop me and say, "You know, this is not such a great idea." (And yes, I would like some cheese with my whine. As long as my cheese is cheesecake and my whine is a huge glass of Merlot with morphine!)

So I complained to my friends, and I told them that they let me down. These are a few of their responses:

"Are you trying to be Rocky?"
"Are you training for the Marines?"
"Well, quite frankly, you're crazy!"
"I would've chanced being arrested for child abandonment."

I was so upset! And then they got all supportive on me, and I lost my righteous indignation.

"I am so impressed!"
"You rock! I wish I was there to cheer you on!"
"You go, girl!"
"I still believe in you! And you will be so ready for the race."
"I know you can do it."
"I'll bring you some aspirin."

~And the one that broke me:
"Let's go walking, and I'll do the steps with you!"

Not only did my friends rally around me, comfort and sympathize with me, one of my friends actually came out and ran steps with me! How can you argue with friends who support you in your decisions, cheer you on through the pain and discouraging moments, and even volunteer to torture themselves right alongside with you?


............I have such awesome friends!

Shopping with a baby can save you money

I know I am not the only parent who finds it difficult to go shopping with a child. I know this because I see other parents in stores, and they're huffing, puffing, and some of them are yelling and losing it, too. Maybe it's wrong, but that makes me feel so much better because I know it's not just me.

I remember when shopping was a fun pastime. Shopping for clothes, for towels, for gifts, and even regular grocery shopping was an enjoyable activity. Even after the baby was born, it was fun to take him to a store and watch him look around with wonder.

.....Then he grew. And he developed curiosity ..... and manual dexterity. He hasn't developed any finesse or concinnity, but he's got speed and a long reach. This makes shopping much less fun, and much more of a timed-scavenger-hunt-obstacle-course chore. Please allow me to elucidate.

Clothes Shopping
Child in the stroller: Mr. Baby reaches out and grabs clothes hanging near the stroller. He puts the fancy, expensive blouse into his sticky mouth and proceeds to chew on it. Within 5 minutes, he is bored beyond tears, and he starts crying and flailing, and tries to climb out of the stroller. I haven't even made it to the fitting rooms, but the evil looks are coming from customers and staff, so I put the two tops back on the rack and leave the store.
Child out of the stroller: Mr. Baby runs around the store, almost cracks his head open on the corner of the glass display case, wipes his mouth on some hanging clothes, grabs some sweaters from a table and drags them behind him on the way to chew on shoes or jewelry. I pick him up, apologize profusely while Mr. Baby starts crying because I have prematurely halted his fun, and leave the store. Never even got to check out the merchandise.
Grocery Shopping
Child in shopping cart: Trying to buckle in Mr. Baby with the attached shopping cart safety belt results in a panicked, shrieking child, so we just pass over that. Mr. Baby sits in the shopping cart, while I steer the cart down the very middle of the aisle, which earns me a few glares and mutters about how I'm being rude. When in a crowded aisle, I am forced to pull to one side, which enables Mr. Baby to grab random things from the shelf, some ending up in the cart, while other items send me diving to the floor to prevent broken glass. At this point, Mr. Baby has usually started sucking on the shopping cart safety belt, or the shopping cart handle, or he begins climbing out of the shopping cart because he's tired of sitting. Either way, this is my cue that my time is running out. I grab the next two items on the list, and save the rest of the groceries for later.
Child in stroller: I plop a shopping basket on top of the stroller, and hope I can keep it balanced while shopping. As we go around the store, Mr. Baby reaches out and grabs whatever he can reach, dropping and spilling some things, while other things end up in the stroller with him. I always have to do a double check to make sure I haven't inadvertently become a shoplifter. By the time I have quickly wheeled him past two or three things he can't grab, his patience shreds, the tantrum starts, and our shopping trip is cut short.
Child out of stroller/shopping cart: Are you kidding me? Mr. Baby took off the moment we entered the store, I had to chase him down, and I just managed to catch him before he started eating avocados in the produce section. I didn't manage to get a cart, and holding Mr. Baby and a basket is out of the question. Grocery shopping aborted.

To my credit, I have never lost it and started screaming at my boy. I have, however, left without buying anything. On one hand, I didn't get my shopping done, and we're out of milk, bread, and cheese, and I will remain sockless for the next month. On the other hand, hey! I didn't spend a dime. It's almost like saving money! .....Or so I tell myself.

I've seen other parents in stores going nuts because their kids are climbing the carts and shelves. I'm ok with that. .....It makes me feel better knowing it's not just me.

My Baby Loves ... His TV Friends!

I'll be completely honest, I have a love/hate relationship with "Children's Television Edu-tainment." I love that these programs teach numbers, the alphabet, and socialization skills like sharing and saying please and thank you. I love that my son gets so happy and excited when Blue's Clues or Elmo show up on the screen. And I REALLY love that I can sneak away for a few minutes to grab a bite to eat, clean up the kitchen, or start another load of laundry.

However, after the fifth straight day of Sesame Street and The Backyardigans, I'm ready to watch an action movie like The Bourne Identity or a few episodes of Bones or House. Pretty much anything that has a mildly complex plot line, and isn't full of primary colors makes me feel more like a person again.

Anyway, Mr. Baby is learning and singing along with his TV friends. He's talking more, and copying dance moves, and these are all good things. So here are Mr. Baby's Top Five Favorite TV Shows of the moment.

1) Elmo's World
This comes on in the second half of almost every Sesame Street episode. We also bought The Best of Elmo's World DVDs.

2) Blue's Clues
It's all reruns now, but whenever Steve or Joe starts singing the "Here's the mail" song, Mr. Baby's face lights up and he runs to the tv to copy the whole dance and sing along. We even bought him a Blue and Sprinkles hide and seek toy.

3) The Backyardigans
I have more tolerance for this show than any others, mostly because the music and choreography are so great. Mr. Baby copies the dance moves, and sometimes tries to sing along.

4) Sesame Street
The gold standard of quality edu-tainment, Mr. Baby loves the muppets and the animations. Elmo is still his favorite, but he focuses whenever any of the muppets are talking.

5) Choo Choo Soul
Could I be any happier about my little guy's love for music? Choo Choo Soul comes on, and he dances around the whole living room. Currently, it's on the Disney Channel weekday mornings after Handy Manny.

The Importance of Friendships ... With Other Parents

Before I was married, I had a free and fun social life. I took off for concerts, went out for dinners, hung out at clubs and bars, and visited friends at all times - even around 2am on a week night. There were no restrictions. Then I met my wonderful husband, and "we" had a fun and varied social life. We went to movies and concerts, explored restaurants, hit happy hours and dinner parties, and visited friends. It was just on a slightly more scheduled basis.

Then we had our baby, and he became the center of our universe. I left my job in order to be a full time mom, we cut back to one income for the family, and we moved to a new city to be close to relatives. We left our social network, our favorite hangouts, and most aspects of our former life. I must say that in the first year of parenthood, our social life dwindled to practically nothing.

This is not to say that we completely lost contact with our friends. We weren't close enough to visit, but we chatted on the phone and emailed frequently. However, when your friends are still single, and you are married with a child, there are some big differences in your lives. You no longer talk about the same things, and you don't have the same things in common anymore.

Once you become a parent, and especially if you don't have friends or relatives with children, you either talk endlessly to your own parents, or you start up random conversations with people you meet at playgrounds or the supermarket. These are your new peers, after all!

I have found myself comparing developmental milestones with parents, while standing in line at the store. It becomes socially acceptable for men to discuss their wives' bizarre pregnancy cravings and (alleged) moodiness. While on vacation (without our baby), we somehow met other parents on vacation (without their babies), and sat and talked for hours about how much we miss our kids!

I LOVE my single and DINK (double-income-no-kids) friends. However, as much as they love and support me, and much as they listen and sympathize with me, they cannot relate to the reality of parenting. Only parents can truly commiserate with the sleeplessness during a newborn's first few months. Only parents will understand deeply the frustration of the fourth leaky/poopy diaper of the day, and how that equates to a child, who is only a fifth your size, ending up with the majority of the household laundry. And only parents, who are sleep deprived and haven't showered in two days, can sit and watch the children of other unshowered, sleep deprived parents eat grass and playground woodchips, while their parents look on with mild concern, and instinctively understand that, unless the kids are choking on the woodchips, there's really no reason to get up off the park bench.

With other parents, there's a sort of instant camaraderie, as though you've fought alongside each other in the same war. It's as if they were with you in the jungles of "Teething Troubles," or diving to the floor with you during the "Climbing Phase."

I love all of my friends, whether they have children or not. A note to my single friends, I can't wait to hang out with you again. .....And I can't wait to recruit you for babysitting. Heehee! To all my parent-friends, thank you for your support, your insight, and your confessions. I'm glad to have found someone who can relate to my new reality! Also, to my single and DINK friends, don't think for a second that you aren't getting married and having kids. And don't think for a second that I won't be there for you when you are ready to celebrate your child's first tooth, or are seeking relief during your baby's second week of teething.