A trick I never thought of.

The new addition to our family is fast approaching, and I'm starting to realize that I've completely forgotten what it's like to have a newborn. What I should really say is that I've completely forgotten all of the sleepless nights, bodily fluids and that time between 6 and 9 we called "the witching hour." This selective amnesia is something that has to be hard-wired into all of us, because really, why would somone who's been through it once want to go through it all over again? (And I'm not even mentioning the trauma of the actual childbirth, the memory of which keeps me eternally grateful that I'm a man.)

A friend of mine who's a brand new dad was telling me how the other day he took his inconsolable daughter from her beleaguered mother and tried to calm her down. Nothing was working, but instead of passing her back he decided to tough it out, and just to take the edge off he put in some ear plugs. Eventually she calmed down, and he avoided tinnitus.

I'm sure he's not the only dad who's done this, but he's the first one whom I've ever talked to. And I have to say I was pretty impressed with the simple practicality of the solution. So maybe as I'm getting ready this summer for our new bundle of joy, I'll splurge and get some with a cord.

I know. I KNOW SHE'S GOT A SCAB ON HER NOSE.

There's nothing like a conspicuous scab right on the tip of your kid's nose to make you feel like a bad parent. Toddlers walk, run, and occasionally fall. And even though it's normal and doesn't mean you're a bad parent, if that scab is on your kid's face it's a constant reminder that somehow you messed up.

So if you see me out and about, and you happen to notice the small scab on the end of Madame's nose that she got from running and falling the other day, DON'T MENTION IT TO ME FOR CHRISSAKES. Do you think I haven't noticed it yet? She might even say "boo boo nose" as she points to her nose, but I don't need to relive it every freaking moment of the day.

And don't ask her "What happened to your noooooose????" What do you think happened? Do you think gnomes sneaked into her room in the middle of the night and roughed her up? Or maybe she intentionally fell down and got a scrape on her nose because that's what all the cool kids are doing these days? Or maybe the goddamn Disney Princesses told her to scratch her nose?

Jesus. Just freaking smile and say hello like you're going to next week after it finally heels.

New Jack's Big Music Show shows.

For those of you visiting MDD looking for info about Jack's Big Music Show, I've got two pieces of good news. Thanks to a tip from MDD reader Tom Thumb, Spiffy Pictures has listed on their website info about the long awaited thirteenth episode of JBMS called "Silly Show" (pictured). From the website:

In a vaudevillian romp, Jack, Mary and Mel count through seven of the silliest things that could possibly happen on an otherwise boring day.

It was originally promised for April, but my Tivo hasn't recorded it yet. If I figure out exactly when it airs I'll add it to the comments.

But the thirteenth isn't the last. Thanks to a tip from Bill from TVforTots.com, Noggin has announced they've purchased an additional season (13 episodes) of JBMS. The shows will begin production in May and will air in the fall of 2006. There's no other real information from the press release, except that they call JBMS "TRL for the Preschool Set," which I think is dumb.

JBMS page at Spiffy Pictures
Second Season of Jack's Big Music Show on the Way [TVforTots.com]
NOGGIN Commences Production On Season Two of Jack's Big Music Show - TRL for the Preschool Set [Yahoo PR Newswire]

To the gate father. And step on it.

I was all set to blog about this new high-tech crib some over-zealous design students in England came up with - the IntelliCot - but typically Greg from DaddyTypes beat me to it. So go read his post - he's right on the money.

But while I was perusing Shiny Shiny I saw this new kind of luggage for kids - Trunki. I guess the idea is you let your kids pack their stuff up, and then once you get to the airport you can tow them to the gate via the tether. It's an interesting idea, but it looks like more of a distraction that might actually make things more difficult in the long-run. Am I the only one who's tried to pull one of those old-school 80's suitcases with the four wheels on the bottom through an airport only to have it topple over constantly? And that was without a wriggling kid. I'd love to see one in action sometime though.

More kid's luggage on MDD - Student designer update.

Trunki by Magmatic Design [via Shiny Shiny]
The Intellicot post at Shiny Shiny [via Sean - thanks!]

I'm still here (sort of).

I hate the "hey sorry for not posting in a while" blog posts, but it's been so long I feel like I'm supposed to start off with an explanation (hell - I did miss an entire month). Maybe I should just be echoing these sentiments.

A lot has been going on in the MDD household recently, some of it not so good, but ultimately everything will be OK. My Madame is growing up faster than I ever thought she would, exploding with new words and skills every day. And just when I really thought I didn't have any time to blog, the new baby is just around the corner (in July). Though I'm guessing that will only get me motivated to blog about a whole new slew of child-rearing issues. Until I can get the time to create a more coherent post, here are some quick things I've noticed in the last month or so that are worth sharing (at least some things that I can remember here late at night):

• Has anyone else seen this Wonder Pets show? Animated-cut-out-picture-children's-opera with a guinea pig. It's the kind of head-scratching stuff that only the dude who invented Oobi could come up with. I think it rules me, but I'm not sure yet.
• I was all set to get Madame a big-girl-bed from notNeutral. I researched it, went to LA to talk to them about it, and generally felt all hip and in-the-know, and then that goddamn DWRjax had to go and start selling it. It's hard to be hip and in-the-know about cool kid's furniture these days. Anyway, DWR is having a 10% off sale right now that might interest you.
• Where can I get one of those toy Dyson vacuums? I guess eBay is in my future. I did find a pretty sweet Mac Claren toy stroller that Madame loves.
• Speaking of, I finally started selling stuff on eBay last month, and my one bit of advice is: say no to international buyers.
• And finally, big thanks to AJ over at Thingamababy who figured out that http://moderndaydad.com (without the "www") isn't working. I'm trying to get it fixed now.

Baby number two bassinet breakdown.

I've spent (some would say ridiculous amounts of) money on baby furniture in the past, like the crib we got from the Netto Collection. Sure it was expensive, but the nursery is still my favorite room in the house, and we've got at least another three years to enjoy it. I've also in the past decided to go with the more frugal option too. For a while I was really in love with the Nest high chairs from England, but with those Ikea chairs looking good (and a full decimal place and a half cheaper) I couldn't justify it.

But now this new baby is coming and I've got to figure out a place for him or her to sleep. When Madame was a newborn we just kept her in the Bugaboo bassinet and wheeled her around the house for her many naps. But she's still using her stroller, which means I need a new bassinet solution.

There are some really beautiful ones out there (two years ago all we had was Netto...), the newest being the Ooba "Nest Collection" bassinet (pictured). Sure, it's modern and will look great in my bedroom, but $500 for a piece that will only be used for two months? Not even I,  the king of conspicuous consumption, can justify it.

But everything else that I've found are these frilly, lace-laden monstrosities. Look at the bassinet page from Target.com here. Even at $70, I just can't honestly bring myself to buy something that looks like it came out of some ten year old girl's Barbie Dream Nursery fantasy.

So what's the solution? I think what I'm going to do is borrow a frilly bassinet from a friend for a couple of months. That way the baby will have a place to sleep that's comfortable and nearby, Madame will get to keep riding in the Bugaboo and I won't have to spend money on something ugly.

And we'll keep the bedroom door closed.

Also on MDD: High (chair) decisions.

Preschool of Rock

A friend of mine sent this article to me a week or so ago, and I have to admit it hit home with me. Getting your child to like the music you like (or maybe the music you think is worth listening to, or really the music you want them to like) is no easy task. The author's scheme is a daily "music hour" with his kid to introduce him to decent kid's music, and slowly incorporate the music he likes - which sounds like a pretty good idea.

And his description of Dan Zanes is right on the money.

Preschool of Rock [NY Times Sunday Magazine re-posted at Doug Henwood Talks - thanks Brian.]

Bugaboo wheeled board.

[UPDATE: Looking for info on the Bugaboo Wheeled Board? Check out the updated post on all wheeled boards for strollers:

The Best Wheeled Boards for Bugaboo and Other Strollers | ModernDayDad.com]

Even though we've already got a ton of baby/kid gear, this new baby we're having in July does present some twists to the kid-gear needs. The first and foremost in my mind is (of course) - how will this affect my Bugaboo?

So the Bugaboo only will stroll one kid at a time (obviously), and by the time the new baby arrives Madame will be barely two years old. Short of getting a new double-wide stroller there aren't many options.

Bugaboo does offer this "wheeled board" attachment (pictured).

The idea is the kid stands on it, in front of you and facing forward; and kind of rides while holding on. I've never seen one used, and right now it's pretty hard to imagine Madame standing still on the back of a stroller while it's moving.

Has anyone used this attachment (or even seen someone who was using it)? Please leave a comment if you have. I'd be really interested to know.

Get the Bugaboo Wheeled Board for $79.95 from Amazon at the new Modern Day Dad Store.

Next on MDD - if the older kid is being strolled around in the normal non-bassinet seat, where is the new baby going to sleep?...

Mel the Dog Pez dispenser.

It seems like all I write about these days is stuff on Noggin, particularly Jack's Big Music Show. To be honest, I'm not finding a lot to blog about these days. And the older Madame gets, the busier I am and (although I hate to say it) the less interested in blogging I am.

But all that aside, this is definitely blog worthy. MDD reader Jon made a custom Mel the Dog Pez dispenser. It's up on eBay right now (bidding ends February 19th).

Mel the Dog fantasy PEZ Dispenser JACK'S BIG MUSIC SHOW [eBay]

Where the hell are Oobi's parents?

"...Grampoo loves them all. Ooobi. Oobi. Oobi. Oobi. Oobi. Ooobi..."

For those parents who aren't aware (either by choice or luck), Oobi is a TV show on Noggin where the puppets are just hands with some eyes clipped to the middle finger. At first I thought that would be the thing that really annoyed me, but it isn't really. To be honest, I kind of have to admire the makers of the show - it's not as simple as you might think. The hands not only "talk" but they pick stuff up, throw stuff, point etc., and it all kind of works in a weird way.

No, the part that has burned a hole in my head is grammar. Oobi not conjugate verbs. Ever. Oobi never met a "he," "she," or "I" Oobi liked.

And then there's the "Grampoo" (he's the one with the curled-in denture type fingers). Grampoo takes care of Oobi and his sister, but they never mention what happened to their parents. Is Grampoo's son or daughter a good-for-nothing drug addict? Or maybe they died in a horrible car accident. And where the hell is Grammoo? Has she passed away too? Are they divorced? I can't think of a single senior on television who has more responsibility since Henry stopped taking care of Punky Brewster back in the 80s.

Oh. And it's the only show Madame has ever laughed spontaneously out loud to. Such is modern day dad luck.

Set your Tivo for the King of Swing.

After months of waiting, today is the premiere of the 12th episode of Jack's Big Music Show, "The King of Swing" featuring blues legend Buddy Guy. It may not be such a big deal for most people, but for those of us who've seen Prudence the Music Genie 214 times, it's big news.

It's on today at 12:30 PM & 4:30 PM ET.

Also - Buddy Guy can't stop laughing [Chicago Tribune]

Even expectant monkey dads get fat.

Well, I guess now is as good a time as any to announce to my blog world that the modern day mom is expecting again, and we'll have another little one around the house at the end of July. We're pretty excited, even though the idea of having an infant again hasn't really set in for me. It was difficult enough the first time without a two-year-old to deal with. But I've done it all before right? So I'm hoping those two things will offset each other and it will be about as challenging as it was before. At least that's what I keep telling myself.

(Oh. And if any friends or - hopefully not - family haven't heard yet, then I'm sorry you had to read about it on my blog. But thanks for reading the blog by the way).

So anyway, it wasn't any surprise that this news story I read tonight struck a particular chord with me. I've heard about the dads get fat when the moms-to-be are pregnant thing before, but to be honest I've gained the most weight since Madame was 9 months. More weight gain isn't something I need. Actually, I've started getting back to the gym recently, but I'm thinking my days at the gym are going to take a severe dip in August. I wonder how fat two-time monkey dads get.

(And for the record, I don't believe in "sympathy weight", unless "sympathy weight" is just another way to describe the phenomena of "Oh, you're getting a double-double? Well then what the hell. Make it a double-double animal style and a fry well-done for me too.")

Like human dads, monkeys gain weight when mate is pregnant. [Scripps Howard News Service]

Also on MDD: Oh. That's why I'm turning into a fatty.

Jack's Big Music Show. The lost episodes and product info.

It's always great when the MDD army readers get to the bottom of the random questions I occasionally ask here in this blog. (Great because they end up doing my job for me.)

I posed the question back in this post that if there are supposed to be 13 episodes of Jack's Big Music Show, where are the last two? Fortunately two readers have come to the rescue and got the straight dope about what's going on in the clubhouse. First, Bill from TVforTots.com contacted some people he knows at Noggin/Nick, who told him that a new episode "King of Swing" featuring musician Buddy Guy will air on February 6th.

Then MDD reader Andrew contacted Spiffy Pictures (producers of JBMS) who told him that the 12th episode will indeed be in February, the 13th will be in April, and another 13 episodes will air in the fall. He also asked about merchandise, and was told that there will be Jack-related items in the stores before next Christmas.

So big thanks to Andrew and Bill for getting the answers (and making the phone calls I should have made). [Insert "you sure are swell" comment here.]

CES 2006: Tamper-proof wall outlets.

A lot of stuff new parents buy to make their home "child safe" ends up wasted. I've never used a lock on a toilette seat or a cushion on the side of a table and things have gone pretty smoothly in my house so far. One of the things it turns out that actually is useful are wall outlet covers. As much as you might try to convince yourself that your kid would never do something so dumb (and banal) as to play with an electrical outlet, it's pretty much a guarantee that he or she will find the one outlet in the room that isn't covered and try to put something into it.

Koncept Technologies has come up with something to eliminate the need for covers, while keeping everyone safe. Their "Tamper Resistant Child Safe Wall Outlets" (not exactly the catchiest name) block anything from getting in except a plug. One of the product guys showed me that if you even stick a screwdriver in one of the sides you can't get past the safety mechanism (the "Koncept Smart Shutter"), but a plug gets by without a problem. I guess if your kid has two flat-head screwdrivers you're in trouble, but then again, if your kid is wielding two screwdrivers around the house you were already in trouble to begin with.

CES 2006: B.O.B. Media Time Management

I'm a big fan of simple but good ideas, and "B.O.B." (I'm still not sure what the acronym means) from Hopscotch Technology is a pretty good one. Simply put, it's a lock box for a power plug. You plug whatever media device you want to restrict your child's use of (like a television or video game machine) and set a specific amount of time you want to allow your child to use the device. The kid logs into the box with their specific number, and the power to their TV turns on. You can also allow or disallow blocks of time too.

It's not just that I'm incredible thankful that such a device didn't exist when I was a kid (although I am), and it's not because I'm a parent now that I can imagine using such a device someday. It's my experience playing Halo 2 on XBOX Live that makes me wish more parents had this. If some of those kid's who I'm constantly losing to spent as much time on their homework as they do playing Halo, we'd be raising a generation of freaking super-geniuses.

When the hell did I turn into such a crotchety old man?

B.O.B. from Hopscotch Technology

CES 2006: Kid's keyboard

Why haven't I seen this product before? The Googolboard is a kid's keyboard, with colorful, over-sized keys. It's a pretty simple idea with a beautiful execution. I spoke with the inventor, who explained to me that the keys are mechanical (non-membrane) and very durable. They remind me of those IBM keyboards back in the day that clicked with every keystroke.

The problem with it is the price-point - $69 for the keyboard and another $49 if you want the numeric keypad (this was what they quoted me - their web site lists it at a whopping $99). The price is so high I can't imagine anyone actually getting one (they priced me out of getting one). At $20 or $25 I think they'd sell a lot, but I suppose the marketplace will be the one to sort this out.

Check out the Googolboard from DS International. (They also have a left-handed keyboard with the numeric keypad on the left-hand side which I thought was pretty cool.)

CES 2006: Scooba

There is nothing that screams "your floors are filthy and you are a bad parent you slob" than a crawling baby with dirt all over their pant legs. I thought we kept a reasonably clean home, but once Madame started crawling I realized that maybe everything wasn't as clean as it should be.

I've never been a big fan of the "Roomba" robotic vacuum cleaner, but this new product from iRobot is right up my alley. The Scooba is basically the Roomba, but it washes your floors instead. First it cleans up debris (including Cheerios the demo person said), then it scrubs, washes and rinses the floors. I guess the idea is you turn the thing on, go to the grocery store, and when you come home the floors are clean.

At $400 I'm not exactly running out to the store to buy one, but I'm definitely thinking about it.

MDD at CES 2006

Sorry for the lack of activity last week, but I was attending (for the third year in a row actually) the Consumer Electronics Showcase here in Las Vegas. This year - and maybe it was because I was getting used to it - was the most underwhelming of them all so far. I've got some things related to kids and parenting that I'll share in the next week, but here are some quick thoughts about it all off of the top of my head.

• Blu-Ray vs. HDDVD. The big thing this year (if you can call it that) was the battle between who will win the next home video player format wars. After hearing the long (and again, underwhelming) Microsoft spiel in Wednesday night you'd think it was all about HDDVD. But after walking the floor, it seems more people are behind the Blu-Ray. Whatever. Just tell me which one wins when it finally gets sorted out, because there's no way in hell I'm going to buy two separate $500 players.
• More kid's stuff than ever before. Maybe I was just looking for it, but this year there was a lot more products marketed towards children. Some good, some bad, and apparently I didn't even see all of them.
• The Canadian dudes who run the Harmony Remote division of Logitech rule. My universal remote - the one I love so much - the one that I've recommended to countless friends decided to die the night before the convention started. I brought it to their booth and after getting some expert technical advice (including a phone call back to the home office), the guy said he'd replace it for me. I cannot recommend these remote controls enough.
• Electronics convention attendees + Porn convention attendees = An interesting lobby. This year CES had one of it's convention spaces in the Sands convention center, right next to the Adult Entertainment Expo. And in the lobby some had pocket protectors while others had ginormous breasts. But hey, it's all business.

Q. Are we not dads?

In some sort of perfect glitch-in-the-matrix synchronization of my life, it seems that Devo is reforming and releasing a kid's album. "Devo 2.0" will be released in March, not only with revamped versions of songs like "Whip It!" but also two brand new songs. Oh, and there's a DVD too.

If Pavement re-forms and makes an appearance on Jack's Big Music Show, I'd appreciate it if someone woke me up and got me out of my pod.

Devo whips up classic tracks for kids [Reuters via Matt - thanks!]

It's a big, big world.

Now that the holidays are over, it's time for America to collectively settle in for another season of American Idol and "24". But in case bad singing and the misadventures of super-anti-terrorist-permanently-undercover-super-agent Jack Bauer isn't your pre-schooler's cup of tea, there's a new PBS Kids show to check out called "It's A Big Big World."

Last fall brought us Jack's Big Music Show, and while I'm not as hopeful for this one, with a combination of puppets and animation it does seem worth checking out. Bill over at TV for Tots got a sneak peak at the first episode and posted a positive review.

Speaking of Jack's Big Music Show, MDD reader Brian brought up a good point the other day in a comment to this post. If there are 13 episodes of the show, where are numbers 12 and 13? I'll let you know if I find out anything.

All About It's A Big Big World [TV for Tots]
It's A Big Big World [Official Site]