Customer in Training

Harris Teeter is very smart. The store is mom-friendly and I appreciate that very much. My family patronizes a lot of grocery stores (the one closest to our house, the one with the special Asian sprinkles, the one with the special teas we like, etc.), but if I'm with CJ and need to go grocery shopping, Harris Teeter is almost always my destination. Here's why:

1) They have parking spots close to the entrance for moms with kids. This means I don't have to walk with my meandering 3-year old across a busy parking lot. Which makes me less nervous and probably avoids a lot of accidents.

2) They have kid-sized shopping carts. These are the cutest things. They are just right for a child of CJ's age, and they have cute flags that say "Customer in Training." CJ goes straight for his cart when we go to the store, he points out or takes the things he wants, and insists on putting his favorite items in his cart. Things like blueberries, milk, strawberries, sushi, cereal. The carts keep him busy because he has to push his cart to keep up with me.

3) They have wipes at the entrance to the store. I know, I can't keep germs away from my family and some germs are good, but wiping the handles of the grocery carts makes me feel like I am keeping the worst of the cold germs (and God knows what other things) away from me and CJ.

4) They have convenient, clean bathrooms. Unlike some stores I've visited, the bathrooms are not in the dungeons of the store, they are easy to get to, well marked, clean, and kid-friendly.

5) There is always someone around to help me. This is key when I am in a hurry, have a child who is about to have a meltdown, or just plain can't find something and need help.

6) They give away balloons. At the end of each shopping trip, CJ gets a free balloon, which makes the entire excursion worthwhile, as far as he's concerned. Harris Teeter also gives away cookies, but we just ignore them, balloons are enough.

It seems not all grocery stores are made alike!

He says the funniest things

CJ is now 3 1/2 years old, nearly 4 actually and he is saying the funniest, cutest things. My friend Sue said a while ago that I would be amazed by how much CJ will mimic me and Maki, especially our expressions and tone of voice. CJ's recent sayings:

"Oopsies" - when he drops something, something falls off the table.

"Sure!" - when I ask him if he wants to do something, like go out to dinner, or go to the supermarket. He's always very enthusiastic about life.

"Mama, I want to send you an e-mail" - he goes up to my laptop and pretends to type. I guess he's heard me say a thousand times that I just need to send one more e-mail.

"Maki!" - in a tone of voice that sounds just like me!

"I'm not talking to you" - when CJ asked Maki a question, but I answered. Yeah, he's already giving me attitude, but in a good way at least.

"Mama, I sent you a text message" - when I left the house early to attend a meeting, CJ got really upset, so Maki offered to send me a text message. Later that day, I called him and he let me know about my text message. He even wanted to see the text message on my phone when I got home that night.

He now uses "not yet," "actually," and "I'm not yet ready" all the time, as in "Let's brush your teeth - net yet, mama."

CJ is also clearly enjoying language. He makes up rhyming words or he gets really excited when he realized that words rhyme. He'll say "pat, cat, hat - it rhymes, mama!" He'll also make up words that rhyme.

Steven Pinker says that 3-year old are language experts and now I know why.

Joe Dillon comes to Matrix

I was so inspired by Joe Dillon when he came to speak at my Vistage group meeting in January that I invited him to come to Matrix to present to my staff.

About half of the staff attended -- not bad for a Friday morning when a bunch of people were out. Besides, not everyone wants to be lectured about diet and exercise.

Joe did exactly what I expected him to. He was informative, motivating, outrageous and pedantic. His presentation about diet really makes you sit up and think about all the junk that we put into our mouths each day. It makes me feel bad about all the chocolate around the office, and the birthday parties when we serve nothing but pure sugar and more sugar.

But Joe makes an amazing case for healthy living. He is in his 60s and he looks amazing. I guess the bottom line for me is that I want to grow old and live a good life. When I retired, I want to be in good health so that I can travel and keep doing the active things that I do now.

I had skipped my power walking for a week because of a cold, but I'll be back on the treadmill this week. Even Maki wants to get in on the program. At Harris Teeter yesterday, we got a bunch of raw nuts, egg beaters, and lots of chicken. So far, I have lost about 5 pounds and I feel great. The walking with weights really makes a difference and I can feel myself getting toned and strong. Stay tuned for more progress reports.

I finally got a fu dog!

A dog, you say, Joanna got a dog?  Is she nuts?  She doesn't have time for a dog!

Well, I'm talking about a stone dog, an ornamental dog, to guard our house.  A fu dog, sometimes called a fu lion, is a mythic creature that guarded palaces, temples, government offices and the homes of the wealthy in ancient China.  Today, fu dogs are mass produced, so anyone can have a fu dog.  Wikipedia (of course) has more information on fu dogs.  

I bought my fu dog from my favorite furniture store, Abaca Imports, in Alexandria, VA.  I love this place!  Anyway, the store started fu dogs a few years ago and I finally caved.  My fu dog isn't as fierce looking as others I have seen.  This one charmed my heart when I saw him, so I had to have him.  I will take a picture and upload to the blog this weekend.

CJ was excited about getting a dog, albeit a stone one.  He earnestly asked if he could name the dog, and I, of course, said yes.  CJ named him "fu dog."  CJ says hello and good-bye to fu dog whenever we come home or leave the house, it's very cute.

Fu dog really makes a statement now when you come up the steps to our house.  At first, I worried about people stealing fu dog, but he weighs a ton, so I think I'm fine.  Love my fu dog!