• About Mama B

MamaBendia

~ Mommin' and Bloggin' from Bend, Ore!

MamaBendia

Category Archives: General Musings

Babies vs. WaitStaff : Protecting baby at a Restaurant

17 Wednesday Dec 2014

Posted by elanbuendia in Baby Friendly Restaurants, General Musings

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

bend baby friendly restaurants, child safety at restaurants, restaurant baby safety, sushi for baby

I’m sharing a post that I wrote when Bean was 1 year old!
I still get a knot in my stomach when I spend too much time thinking about this…however, now that he is a bit over 2 years old, this diligence is even more important, as he sits with us and can reach out at any random moment and connect with sharp utensils and hot liquids.

By this point, we’ve gained enough confidence to share our concern with waitstaff (which we’ve only had to do a few times). Yeah sure, sometimes they are defensive in the moment, but when they take a few seconds and think about it, they are very understanding.
Typically, though when we order anything we have concerns about and/or see questionable utensils coming to our table, we simply cut the server off at the pass and take the item before it even breaches the table’s edge!

Happily, since we typically dine at family-friendly restaurants, most of the staff are aware of ‘child safety’…and our favorite sushi place in Bend, so far, always keeps Miso, etc. away from Bean when they place it on the table. They even deliver such with a little bowl of ice, so that Bean can enjoy himself.
After all, he does like a nice cooled spoonful of soup!

*
Here’s the post I wrote for my www.SFONewb.com blog :
*

Not surprisingly, I was stunned when the burning hot water from the tea mug drip-dripped onto my leg. As I moved back I was more concerned with hot liquid so close to my baby… my fear was realized as I saw the waiter put the same mug at the corner of the table within easy reach of my baby’s fast hands!

Unfortunately or not, my fear turned to anger quickly… I moved the tea as I looked up at the waiter, who had just finished apologizing and asking if I was OK. I couldn’t contain myself, “I’m fine, but you have really got to be more aware of hot liquids when you have babies at a table! Do not place hot liquids in front of a baby!!”
Our own server was at the ready for our order… I looked at her and reiterated my concern. Having children, herself, she assured me she understood! I took a breathe, looked at my hubs holding our baby and picked up the menu… but I still couldn’t concentrate and instead asked for a minute.

Just when I thought I was “OK” I realized that emotionally my nerves were frayed… my eyes teared up and when I looked at my sweet boy’s face, my eyes welled. I asked my hubs how he felt and he agreed with my actions.

You see, we were at a favorite breakfast place on the Peninsula of the Bay Area… we’d sat at this corner table before and I didn’t like that it was so close to the coffee/tea/hot water station. This morning I figured it was alright, since baby would be in a highchair at the other side of the table. Then we had this occurrence…

In other area restaurants I’ve had to address this concern, I was just helping the waitstaff become aware of serving/delivering hot dishes to a table with a baby sitting at it. After this occurrence, I will, indeed, continue to educate waitstaff on this particular safety issue!
We love going out to eat and we like to be respectful diners. We take it upon ourselves to ‘pick up’ after our baby when we are done eating, we strive to keep baby happy and if he’s fussy will take him for walk… we, also, move utensils and other items out of baby’s reach… there is, now, just one more aspect of eating out that we will be diligent with!

I write and share this blog post in the hopes of providing a bit of awareness to this topic for other parents and for the waitstaff that do not know how quickly kids can move and pull things off a table!

Take Care!

Thankfully, the waitstaff and management were not surprised at my reaction… they were understanding and generous in their offer to pay for our complete breakfast.

Kai First Sushi January 24 2014

The haunting of Daylight Savings…on a Toddler Family…boo!

08 Saturday Nov 2014

Posted by elanbuendia in General Musings

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

2 year molars, attachment parenting, attachment parenting toddler sleep, Daylight Savings Toddler Sleep, Omega DHA Toddler Sleep, Orange is the New Black, Toddler Sleep Schedule, Two Year old Development, Wendy Wisner Toddler Nursing

My husband and I are night owls!
We are night owls…in our 40s…with a two year old toddler!

This year’s Fall Back time change happened the weekend of an admittedly late night holiday…Halloween! 🙂 Thus, the title of this post!

Though our bedtime routine might be a bit later than other families…we’ve always had a good little sleeper, who will put in many hours sleep at night, as well, as a nice nap at day. (Especially since we’ve added DHA gels to his diet.)

Even though we’re attachment parents, with a practice of putting babe to sleep by nursing, I’ve felt I’ve been able to eek out a bit of ‘free’ time for myself after he fell asleep at night…usually!
I mean I do greatly enjoy nursing Bean to sleep…and, at the same time…I slightly resent it! My feelings on this particular topic have been wonderfully captured by Wendy Wisner in a post on her NurseMeMama blog!

In the two years since we’ve had Bean, neither the Spring nor Fall Time Changes have affected us. Though, I had feared our first Fall Back would hurt, it didn’t.
Bean seems to roll with it…in fact, he doesn’t really even change his timing…sort of to my chagrin, as I kind of hoped he’d go to sleep an hour, or at least 45mins earlier, after the time change last weekend. But, nope, we are on the same time and routine as ever, without much negative effect on Bean…expect that one night when he woke up at 4:30am for about 20-30mins!

So, then, why is this time change hurting me (and hubs) so much!?

~ Could it be that, even though Hubs does not have a 9-5er and gets home later, this week is a tight deadline (otherwise known as ‘crunch’) for him and he’s getting home much later!? Even though Bean is still being put to bed at the same time.

~ Could it be that little Bean turned TWO (!) right around Halloween!? And by turning two, a little switch was flipped that upped his development by what seems like 100 fold! He is talking so much now, so active in movement, and thinking so abstractly! It’s completely wonderful! His brain is likely trying to process all this development every night!

~ Could it be that this time last year we were in a totally different climate and geography!? California, then; Oregon, now…the sun is in a different place in the sky, it becomes dusk earlier and faster, and it’s cooler here! (read : cold…which equals hunkering down in a cozy blankey with tea and dreaming of sleep. Ha!)

~ Could it be, as I was reminded by a friend in my mama’s group…that my toddler is still pushing through two of those four hard-core molars!? eek!

~ Could it be that, regardless, Fall Back does seem a little more difficult than Spring Forward?

Bean Sleeping
~ -OR- could it just be that, ummm…ahem, this mama is spending a wee later night trying to catch up on Season 2 of “Orange is the New Black“!?

HA! Have I pinpointed the issue -or- just let out my secret!
Surely, it’s a combo of many things…there are so many variables to add to this year’s Daylight Savings Fall time change! I’m simply so surprised at how it affected us this go around! But, alas, we’ll forge ahead!

So…mamas…how does Daylight Savings affect your family? Do you do anything in preparation of the time change? And…what’s your favorite TV Show Guilty Pleasure!? 🙂

(on a side note : since Halloween, Bean’s favorite word has been “boo!” and he’s been using it in so many smart and funny ways! 🙂 )

Happy 52nd ~ blessed with wonderful In-laws!

14 Wednesday May 2014

Posted by elanbuendia in General Musings, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

babymoon road trip, Golden Anniversary, Portand to San Francisco, Wonderful In-Laws

Today would have been my in-laws 52nd Wedding Anniversary!!
Only, my father-in-law passed last November… just days before Thanksgiving and a month after my son’s 1st Birthday.

Over the course of nearly 14 years I’ve come to really know and love my in-laws, I’m truly blessed with some good ones! My sweet mother-in-law fights her sadness every day since his passing and my heart aches in response.

I look back over the time I had with Sonny and know how lucky I am to have had him as a funny, witty (seriously always joking) and strong man to have been my father-in-law.
What he has left is a legacy of fatherhood that I know my husband is proud to step into and I’m happy to let him!
(Wellll… all, expect for that damn annoying “SssshhtttT” that Filipinos seem so proud to accomplish and exact, which instills jitters in any remotely Filipino human who happens to be nearby!)
What my husband has is a sense of over-protectiveness that I don’t have (just a product of my upbringing) which does equal out my somewhat caviler attitude with our son… ‘let him explore’! 🙂
My husband, also, has a very beautiful sense of love and emotion that he pours on Bean every chance he gets… I know my boy will grow up knowing his father loved him, just as I know Dano grew up knowing such from his own father!

That is something I am grateful for!

Oh! Sure-sure… there were times I rolled my eyes at some of the thoughts he choose to verbalize… so we’d have a chat and he’d listen with an open-mind and apologetic heart.

Regardless, he was such an upstanding guy and I am…
~ Grateful for those fourteen years that I had him in my life!
~ Grateful that Dano and I choose to take a ‘babymoon’ road trip, while I was 7mth pregnant, up to Oregon (and down the Coast) for my in-laws 50th Wedding Anniversary!
~ Very Grateful that we choose to fly to Portland multiple times, from the Bay Area, with our little baby, so that he could be doted on by his loving Lolo (and all family!)
~ Grateful and so happy that Bean’s 1st Year Birthday Party took place in Portland… this allowed Sonny an opportunity to rejoice in the life of the new little Buendia in our lives… Bean and Lolo had so much fun that day playing and stomping canes! Ha! That was a sight… and Sonny was overjoyed with smiles!

Thank goodness for the times we did have… Thank goodness for the opportunity we had to help Sonny make hard decisions regarding his health and time at home!

It seems he passed way too soon… but 83 years is, truly, a lifetime… and Sonny, Sweet Sonny lived them well… and kindly!

With fond memories I share this post… thinking of all my in-laws and Sonny’s spirit with us! Blessings!

Anniversary7

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 568 other subscribers

Recent Posts

  • Winner Winner (Lemony) Chicken Dinner! We Tried Three Different Meals Services! Part 4 of 4!
  • Organize your New Year with Lawn Bags! What?
  • HelloFresh Review! Tried Three Different Services! Part 3 of 4!
  • Plated Review! Tried Three Different Services! Part 2 of 4!
  • Blue Apron Review! Tried Three Different Services! Part 1 of 4!

Categories

  • Around the House
  • Baby Friendly Restaurants
  • Bend
  • Citrus Lane Reviews
  • Cooking
  • Cooking for Family and Babe
  • General Musings
  • Kid Friendly Bend
  • Meal Delivery Reviews
  • Mommin'
  • Reviews
  • Uncategorized
February 2023
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728  
« Jan    

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • MamaBendia
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • MamaBendia
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...