tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84863313647483143542024-03-12T23:30:31.973-04:00Deep (and not-so-deep) ThoughtsRandom thoughts about life, parenthood, and the world around usklalawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17865026320342270947noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486331364748314354.post-18103912719646790402011-01-17T09:10:00.004-05:002011-01-17T09:37:44.878-05:00Dear Monkey:I think I need to clarify something...<br /><br />When I told you that Candy Land was my "favorite" game, I didn't mean out of all the things I could be doing in the whole wide world.<br /><br />What I actually meant is that I find it more tolerable than Chutes and Ladders, a game that currently aggravates me to no end. I'm not sure if it's just the poorly-designed Toy Story version, where the little characters clutter up the board, making it almost impossible to count spaces, or the fact that you do not yet recognize your numbers beyond ten, making the idea of having you move your own piece back and forth a 100-space board a bit challenging for a child of your mere 3 1/2 years, but when I basically end up playing the game by myself, a tiny bit of the fun trickles out of the experience. So yes, Candy Land, where you can actually make your own moves, and correctly, is much more fun. That does not mean, however, than when faced with you being home sick today, I had quite the reaction you were hoping for when you eagerly told me: "That means we can play your favorite game!!" <br /><br />Although I have to say, it is somewhat sweet that you already had it all set up for me, and also amusing that, after playing with Daddy yesterday, you have now incorporated things like "We have to cut the deck" and "You're on my tail!" into our game play... Bring it on!klalawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17865026320342270947noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486331364748314354.post-68756921194494375412011-01-17T09:06:00.004-05:002011-01-17T09:15:14.480-05:00Dear Disney Channel:There's something about your target audience I think you're overlooking...<br /><br />Their need for <strong></strong>routine<em></em>.<br /><br />Why else would I need to explain 15 minutes explaining why Mickey Mouse Clubhouse was not on today at it's usual time? Apparently my 3 1/2 year old knows your schedule better than you do. Which is impressive, considering just as we figure out the latest schedule, you decide to change it.<br /><br />And while I'm at it, while I understand that a large percentage of the under-5 crowd consists of early risers, my child is miraculously not one of them. Which means I would appreciate it if Playhouse Disney wouldn't end less than an hour after my child gets up, leaving us with nothing but Phineas & Ferb (which is hysterical, but my child is not yet sophisticated enough to appreciate the humor) and the various non-cartoon shows which I can not yet tell apart but are clearly geared more towards the Tween set. Which, I might at, should be AT SCHOOL.<br /><br />Seriously, a consistent schedule for the preschool set - look into it.klalawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17865026320342270947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486331364748314354.post-46415815415080570032010-10-01T09:57:00.005-04:002010-10-01T10:07:53.515-04:00Bribery FAILBribery is such a useful tool with toddlers...<br /><br />Although I'm not particularly fond of the negative implications of the word "bribery" - I prefer to consider our discussions "negotiations." As in, "If you take three more bites of chicken and two more bites of corn, you can have dessert." Or, as is so much more often the case these days, "If you keep you big boy pants clean and dry ALL day, I will give you a present."<br /><br />Yes, the potty training war drags on, and I have a tough opponent, one who continues to insist, for reasons I just can't understand, in running behind or crawling under the nearest piece of furniture to poop in his pants rather than the potty. One who has become resistant to my ever-increasing attempts at bribery.<br /><br />Take yesterday. Driving home from preschool, Monkey expressed dismay at the fact that his Fireman Sam DVD case, which he had brought to school for Show & Share day, was now empty. I told him that surely it was somewhere in his classroom, and we'd look for it in the morning:<br /><br />Monkey: (Sadly) But I wanted to watch Fireman Sam tonight after dinner...<br />Me: I'm sorry, but we can't get your DVD back until tomorrow. Unlesss.... Now that I think about it, I think I have ANOTHER Fireman Sam video at home, and if you poop on the potty tonight, you can have it!<br />Monkey: Hmmm..... I think I'll just watch Curious George instead.<br /><br />So much for what I thought was some great leverage and a prime opportunity - the kid simply refuses to be bribed on this subject. And without bribery, I am simply at a loss. I need to re-group, re-strategize ... the battle wages on.klalawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17865026320342270947noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486331364748314354.post-2579984835520504132010-09-22T08:40:00.002-04:002010-10-01T10:04:30.177-04:00Things I Wish I Didn't Have to Google...* Toddler Constipation<br /><br />* Toddler Hiding to Poop<br /><br />* Smoke Alarm Chirping<br /><br />On the plus side, what would we do without the Internet??klalawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17865026320342270947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486331364748314354.post-73238686614654957742010-09-07T14:21:00.006-04:002010-10-01T10:08:14.466-04:00Potty PurgutoryI was so naive...<br /><br />I had no idea that potty training was going to be such a loooooooooooong process!<br /><br />I mean, I get that it wasn't going to happen instantaneously (well, unless I was extremely lucky, which would have been OK too). I realized it was going to involve time, accidents, and patience, and I promised myself I would do my best possible job of faking the patience part.<br /><br />But man, it seems like this has been going on FOREVER. And the thing that kills me is that Monkey basically GETS IT. He just chooses not to do it. There's nothing like asking your kid "why didn't you tell me you had to go?" only to hear him say "because I wanted to go in my pants." Even though he will immediately complain that his pants are dirty and he wants you to change him.<br /><br />At least we finally got over the "ewwww" hump. Once I resorted to putting Monkey in Big Boy Pants, he realized that going #2 was not conducive to continuing to play, walk around, etc., so now if he goes in his pants, he walks arouund like some kind of animal, trying to avoid continued contact with the offending deposit. But he still hasn't made the connection that he can just avoid this whole unpleasant scenario by just taking one minute out of his busy schedule to sit on the potty!<br /><br />We have glimpses of success... The first time he pooped on the potty, I threw a freaking party. I danced, I sang, I cheered, I showered him with M&Ms! Monkey probably thought I was a maniac, but deep down I know he was proud and appreciated the theatrics. But apparently it was a one-hit wonder kind of thing - it took weeks (or was it months? I've seriously lost track of time!) before we could get a repeat performance. And still, today, if he's going to have an accident, odds are it's gonna be a poopy one. Because that's SO much more fun to clean out of Big Boy Pants. Sigh...<br /><br />Last week was a low point. We had a string of accidents, and it seemed like we were going nowhere but backwards. But then, on Sunday, we went on a short road trip, and as we got out of the car at our somewhat remote, outdoor destination, I discovered that I hadn't restocked the diaper bag. That's right - we had NO diapers, NO pull-ups, and NO extra clothes. Although, for what it's worth, we DID have a big baggie to put dirty clothes in. Guess Monkey would just have to go naked when the inevitable accident occurred...<br /><br />But, miracle of miracles, we made it through the entire day without an accident! Monkey successfully used a port-a-potty (although not without totally grossing me out by touching WAY too many things while inside) and a restaurant bathroom until Mommy could get to a Walgreens and buy some Pull-Ups. We were covered by naptime, which took place in the car on the ride home, but ironically, even once adequately protected, Monkey stayed dry! <br /><br />As we neared home, Monkey started calling out that he had to go potty. We were five minutes from our own, clean bathroom, so I asked him if he could hold it, and he said yes. So why exactly was I surprised when I turned around a moment later to see him with his hand between his legs, "holding it"? I forget how literal toddlers can be!<br /><br />So yes, we made it through a challenging day, and then we made it through yesterday as well. Yesterday, however, was one of those days that Monkey didn't end up pooping, and those are generally more successful. But, much to my surprise, he jumped up not once, but THREE different times from playing with his race cars and bolted for the bathroom, telling me that he had to go. Two of these were actually false alarms - I think the poor guy was actually constipated. But the idea of him taking the initiative to go? That's a definite milestone for us. Oh please, please, let us finally be over the last hurdle... I like to get my money's worth out of my purchases, but I REALLY wouldn't mind having to find someone to donate these last few diapers and Pull-Ups to!klalawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17865026320342270947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486331364748314354.post-36497444024038046672010-08-06T13:57:00.005-04:002010-10-01T10:16:11.214-04:00In a perfect world......car rental agencies would provide CURRENT, CLEAN, UNDAMAGED car seats INSTALLED AND/OR INSPECTED BY A CERTIFIED SAFETY INSPECTOR.<br /><br />But I guess that's a lot to ask. Really, though, should it be?<br /><br />Parent are constantly urged to have their car seats checked out by a certified inspector, given the shockingly high percentage of car seats that have been found to be incorrectly installed. Yet, when traveling, we are expected to either: (i) haul our own, bulky, awkward car seat with us through the airport, then re-install it at our destination, without any assurance as to whether we've done it properly; or, even worse, (ii) rent a seat from our car rental agency, who may or not install it for us (but probably won't), may or may not provide a manual helping us to install it, and, in the worst case, may provide us with a car seat that is malfunctioning in some regard.<br /><br />I learned this lesson the hard way this past weekend. Trying to travel "light" for a quick trip to Atlanta for a family event, we opted to leave the car seat in our car and rent one from Hertz. Which, I should note, wasn't exactly cheap. Upon arriving in the roughly 100-degree heat, hubby and I had to take turns trying to entertain Monkey while the other worked up an immediate and unpleasant sweat trying to get the car seat installed and secured. That, as it turns out, was the easy part.<br /><br />Our return flight was canceled, forcing us to fly to another city, about two hours away from home, and rent ANOTHER car to complete our trip. Setting aside the fact that the airline wouldn't cover the rental (in lieu of a hotel), we arrived, again sweating like there's no tomorrow, only to get to our car and find no car seat. So we tracked down someone, and about five minutes later, an employee drove by and uncermoniously dumped a car seat in front of our rental. Upon trying to install it, however, I quickly discovered that it was completely missing the lower LATCH hooks. Now, I <em><strong>know</strong></em> that you can also install car seats using the lap belt, but the thing is, I have always used the LATCH system, as it is fairly simple, I'm familiar with it, and I figure there's probably a reason that LATCH is mandatory in all new cars. So, in my mind, a seat without LATCH hooks is defective. Upon again tracking down an employee (I suspect they were all hiding out in the AC somewhere), we explained the problem. Another 5-10 minutes trying to entertain Monkey, who, I have to say, was really being a <strong>champ </strong>through all of this ordeal, and a new seat was delivered. This one had a LATCH hook... well, one of them. The other one apparently was chewed off by an angry toddler (probably his way of venting about customer service), given the appearance of the threads where the hook was <strong>supposed</strong> to be. Again, I demonstrated to the employee the flaw in this particular car seat, at which point I was advised that he'd look, but he wasn't sure if they had any more car seats!<br /><br />Ultimately, the third time was the charm, we got a bare-bones, but functional, car seat, and were on our way, 2000% more exhausted and frustrated, but with Monkey safe enough to complete our trip.<br /><br />Upon arriving home, I wanted to immediately provide Hertz with some constructive "feedback," but for some reason I held back... Was it unreasonble of me to expect that the LATCH system be in place on the seats, when I could in fact have installed the seat using the car's lap belt? Did I, as a parent, have some unknown "duty" to be fully proficient in ALL manner of car seat installations, in any car, with any seat, with or without instructions, and was it somehow my fault that I couldn't make do with the seats they offered me? Upon reflection, I think not. And, after some brief Goggling, I found many similar vents, including car rental agencies that promise to install seats, but don't follow through, some that install seats, but perhaps not properly, and a host of other complaints, most of which have led parents to the conclusion that the best choice is either to drive your own car or haul your own seat. I find this very sad. I understand that things like quality car seats come at a cost, an that safety training and inspections can come at a cost, but itsn't it worth it to protect our children??klalawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17865026320342270947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486331364748314354.post-56207621215681711642010-06-22T13:09:00.003-04:002010-10-01T10:06:51.492-04:00{Crickets Chirping}Once again, I have sorely neglected this blog. If anyone is out there actually checking for updates, I apologize. If I'm just talking to myself, well, then I guess I apologize to myself. :-)<br /><br />I've been reading a lot of new blogs lately focused on healthy lifestyles and the like, and have toyed with the idea of doing the same, if for no other reason than to force myself to eat better. In theory, I won't get pizza and breadsticks for lunch if I have to post about it, right? But then I think, "what if I start a whole blog about food and then fail miserably?" Hmmm... <br /><br />Where am I now? Well, Monkey has started day care on a full-time basis, in anticipation of his transition to preschool next month. Now excuse me while I take a moment to freak out over the fact that my baby is about to turn 3....<br /><br />Wow. I really don't know where three years have gone! Monkey has turned into such a smart, funny little guy. He still has a temper, and is mischievous beyond what I expected at this age, but I just LOVE talking to him and hearing the funny, wise, or silly things that alternatively come out of his mouth. Just last night he tried to convince me that we need to paint his room yellow. When I pointed out that it already IS yellow, he pointed out the flaw - apparently he wants it to be WIGGLES yellow, as in the color of Greg's (or Sam's, depending on what DVD you watch) shirt. This pale yellow nonsense just isn't cutting it for him. He also chastized me last night when I tried to put him back to bed after a middle-of-the-night tornado warning, reminding me that "YOU got me up, Mommy." So observant, these kids...<br /><br />Anyway, job-wise, Monkey's transition to full-time mirrors an effort to put in more hours on my part as well. In the first week, however, I'm finding that my best intentions are being frustrated by more compelling home projects, namely, trying to get rid of all of Monkey's old stuff that I tried, but failed, to sell in last weekend's big neighborhood garage sale, and painting the master bedroom, in anticipation of finally, after five years of begging, getting a new furniture set. You know, one where the pieces actually match? So, yeah, the real work has, if anything, suffered MORE than usual this week. Oops. It would have helped, however, if Once Upon a Child had given me the courtesy of a personal phone call to let me know they were moving their store, saving me a needless 40-minute round trip this morning, that will have to be repeated tomorrow now that I have successfully tracked them down.<br /><br />Health-wise, it seems like every Monday is supposed to mark the start of a healthier lifestyle, both in terms of eating and exercise. I find that a work-at-home setup, while great in theory, leads to more snacking out of boredom and less exercising than one might think. And I confess that my willpower is weak, leaving me susceptible to many "it's too hot to exercise today - maybe I'll just start fresh tomorrow" moments. And man has it been hot!<br /><br />I <strong>have</strong> taken some positive steps. I've started buying more organic fruits and vegetables, and try to keep the house stocked with a decent assortment of them so that I have good foods to choose from. I have tried to eliminate the "bad" snacks from the house, but confess that they still find their way in from time to time, only to disappear far too quickly for the wrong reasons. I'm not much of a "plan the week's menu" in advance kind of girl - I'm not sure why that is. As a result, I'm often a victim of what there is to eat in the house, and it's hard to both keep a variety, and keep from having food go to waste. Still working on that balance. It would be easier, of course, if Monkey and his Daddy liked the same foods that I did, but all too often I find myself preparing 2-3 separate meals, struggling to get them all to the table at the same time. One of my goals is to find more common meals that we can share, and wean Monkey off of his "peanut butter quesidilla" (i.e., PB on a flour tortilla) and "fishie crackers (i.e., Goldfish) addiction. Do you have any healthy meals that your toddlers really love? I really need to work on expanding his horizons, food-wise!<br /><br />In the spirit of honesty, but not BRUTAL honesty, I'll confess that today has not been a good day so far, diet-wise, so I will refrain from posting about what I've eaten, with the goal of having something to be proud to share tomorrow! And on that note, I'm off to try to get some work done before the day gets away from me!klalawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17865026320342270947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486331364748314354.post-39323680067412473732010-06-09T13:37:00.003-04:002010-10-01T10:07:40.705-04:00The Return of Mommy GuiltAs Monkey approaches age 3 (what? already? not possible...), talk has turned to preschool vs. day care, and what changes we need to make to our routine to make sure we don't inadvertently ruin Monkey's chances at getting into college before he even starts Kindergarten. (Just kidding. I think. I hope...)<br /><br />And so, we've gone round and round on things like part-time vs. full-time, new school vs. old school, and multi-age classroom vs. 3-year olds only classroom. Seriously, I never realized there would be so many decisions to make, and so soon.<br /><br />I'll spare you all the debate, and let you know that we've decided on full-time, old school, and multi-age classroom. Fingers are crossed. And yet, with those decisions made, we still had to deal with the final issue of timing. Should we let Monkey enjoy his last couple months as a care-free not-really-going-to-"school"-school toddler, basking in a part-time schedule, spending extra quality time with Mommy, and then switching to part-time in the fall, on a "traditional" school schedule, after the switch to the new classroom happens this summer? Or should we just get all the transitions over at once, possibly traumatizing Monkey in the process? And then, to complicate matters, our school offered us a third possibility - take advantage of a full-time opening now, then switch to the new room next month, and bam, transition complete, perhaps before Mommy was mentally prepared for it all.<br /><br />And that, for better or for worse, is what we've decided to do. I tell myself it's not because I'm a crappy SAHM, who is running out of ways to amuse Monkey on "our" days together, and is going broke taking him to the zoo and out for pizza and breadsticks (which, in Monkey-ese, means about 3 breadsticks and half a slice of cheese pizza - thanks for the carbo-loading, Mommy...) I also tell myself that this might be the "best" way to ease his transition, increasing his days while he's still in a room that he knows and loves, and hopefully fast-tracking the transition to the new room by having it occur over the course of a solid week, as opposed to broken up over two weeks of part-time attendance. And who knows? Maybe Monkey will surprise me this year and will be EXCITED about moving to the "big kids' room" (yep, I'm trying to play it up already). Maybe he won't cry every day for three weeks when I drop him off in the new room. Maybe he'll immediately bond with his new teachers, and won't look at me like I'm taking him to the "wrong" place, away from his beloved Miss Amber and Miss Laura. A mommy can hope, right? <br /><br />And of course the biggest question of all remains unanswered - what will this part-time work-from-home Mommy do when suddenly she has the "opportunity" to contemplate returning to a full-time work atmosphere? Hmmm, perhaps we should let this just be about Monkey for now...klalawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17865026320342270947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486331364748314354.post-45291700505621863102010-02-17T12:00:00.007-05:002010-10-01T10:09:00.686-04:00Contemplating an investment in Depends...<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/eqUDuZlpUd8&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/eqUDuZlpUd8&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Every child eventually learns to use the potty, RIGHT? <br /><br />I mean, I <strong>get</strong> the convenience of diapers. Hunting down a restroom when you're out and about can be difficult, time-consuming, and, well, inconvenient. But there has to come a time when our little ones get grossed out by the fact of what they're sitting in, RIGHT?<br /><br />Monkey has reached a stage where he totally knows <strong>how</strong> to use the potty - I think what's missing for him is the "when." He can remove his shoes, his pants, and, yes, even his diaper. He has already rejected the little potty that sings when he makes a deposit, preferring to use the step stool to climb up onto the big potty, scoot his little butt back on the seat, and do his business. But if you don't ask him if he wants to go, I honestly don't think the idea will ever cross his mind. And if you notice a certain unpleasant odor beginning to permeate the room and ask him if, perhaps, just maybe, he has soiled his diapers, he will look you straight in the eye and either tell you "No, I not poopy!" or, if he's feeling a little more clever, "I'm not sure..." And then he will run away when you tell him he needs to be changed! <br /><br />So now I'm worried that Monkey enjoys being filthy and stinky, and that this may be something he never outgrows. How exactly do you teach a kid that having a dirty diaper is <strong>not</strong> something to be savored? I've tried bribery, and believe me, Monkey will demand his M&M after peeing in the potty, but it doesn't seem to be enough to make him want to go on his own. We've shopped for and put on super-exciting Thomas the Train big boy underpants, only to have him pee in them within mere minutes of me asking him if he's <strong>sure</strong> he doesn't have to go potty. We've watched Elmo's Potty Time video ad nauseum, which appears to have done nothing but teach him various entertaining ways to describe what comes out of his body. (And, for what it's worth, he likes to explain what comes from where, and has recently advised me that "we don't eat poop," which I didn't realize was something that even needed clarification). And he even has his pre-school teacher tricked into thinking he's ready, staying dry all day at pre-school, based on what I can only assume is fortuitous timing with their potty schedule, as I have been hopelessly unable to replicate their results at hom.<br /><br />He WILL want to stay clean at some point, right???klalawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17865026320342270947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486331364748314354.post-63144651476962193872009-12-29T11:18:00.004-05:002010-10-01T10:09:21.815-04:00Christmas Highs and LowsWow, Christmas with a two (almost 2 1/2) year old is a FAR different experience than Christmas with an infant!<br /><br />There was lots of good stuff about it. Monkey had so much more of an understanding of Christmas (well, at least the commercial aspects of it). For at least a month beforehand, we've been talking about Santa, elves, snowmen, Christmas trees, presents, and Christmas lights, and he has delighted in seeing all the decorations when we've bee out. We got to do some fun and easy craft projects, like painting some "glass" (i.e. plastic) ornaments to give to our teachers and family members, and making Santa door hangers that Monkey decided really belonged on the tree. We practiced looking at, but trying not to touch all of the pretty ornaments and presents. We had a daily Christmas countdown, complete with a small piece of chocolate each day. And we looked every morning for Sophie, our Elf on the Shelf, who somehow managed to find new places to watch Monkey every day from Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve (although I think she MIGHT make her appearance a tad later next year - I'm just sayin'...). We saw Santa at the mall and at a farm, and Monkey worked up increasing amounts of courage to talk to him and ask him for presents, although he never did get comfortable with sitting on the old guy's lap (and really, can you blame him?). And we watched Curious George and Elmo Christmas DVDs more times that I care to remember at the moment...<br /><br />But, alas, now that it's over, we've got the inevitable letdown. Monkey still asks where Sophie is every morning, and still wants to do his Christmas countdown. When we moved his new kitchen set down to his playroom one night while he was sleeping, he asked Daddy the next day if Santa took it back! (that one still breaks my heart). And when he got to school yesterday, after four days off with Mommy, Daddy, Grandma, and Auntie, he cried when it was time for me to leave. :-( Poor guy - as fun as it was to ramp up the excitement, I guess I never really considered the after-shock. The good news is that we still have one more family exchange this Friday, after a semi-normal school/work week and no more visitors at the house, so hopefully that will help with the transition somewhat. But next week Daddy is back on the road for work, and we're gonna have to figure out how to entertain ourselves for the rest of what is looking like a long, cold winter! I'm thinking some trips to the Children's Museum need to get planned, pronto!klalawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17865026320342270947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486331364748314354.post-29550174893004282222009-11-04T14:39:00.010-05:002010-10-01T10:10:09.492-04:00The Day Care Double StandardFirst off, I realize I didn't post yesterday - Way to stick to my renewed blogging commitment for two whole days, huh?<br /><br />But, in my defense, I sort of have an excuse, and it's sort of tied to the subject of this post.<br /><br />Monkey wasn't feeling 100% yesterday, and to top it off, his Daddy was reduced to a whimpering pile of mucous, becoming more of a hindrance than a help. Just one of those days, and I was exhausted by the time the boys got to bed.<br /><br />But here's the question: Was Monkey "sick"? As in, could I still send him to day care today? (Monkey goes every other day, so we didn't have this dilemma yesterday...) Well, I asked myself this question, and decided to tally up Monkey's symptoms.<br /> <br />For starters, there was a very runny nose, which started over the weekend, and has caused us to run through our share of Kleenex and "I do it" moments (Yes, Monkey prefers to wipe his own nose, which often results in the snot being smeared all over his face - gotta love toddler independence). But a runny nose is practically a REQUIREMENT in day care, particularly at this time of year. I can't tell you the number of times I have dropped Monkey off, only to glance about the room and see just about every single kid with matching snot lines running from their noses to their mouths - apparently it's quite the fashion statement among the toddler day care crowd? <br /><br />Next, a cough, again picked up in the past couple of days. Just your basic cough, which he seems to get and lose every few weeks or so this time of year, and not a particular reason for concern. Although he did have a bit of a spell Monday night, which woke him up crying and struggling a bit. But once he got some water and relaxed again, he was fine. And both runny noses and coughs are expressly listed in the day care manual as "OK to send to school," which we've done more than once.<br /><br />But, as evening came, he started to feel a bit warm. In an effort to avoid the discomfort of the rectal thermometer, I tried one of those strips you hold up to their forehead. Those things basically suck, but I have had them work when Monkey's been burning up, so while I don't trust it to give me anything near a precise reading, I do expect it to give me a quick read as to whether we're in fever territory. Last night, however, I couldn't even get it all the way UP to normal. Yeah, I'm thinking that's wrong. So on to the digital thermometer under the arm. Squirming toddler + arm measurement = false "normal." So with apologies to Monkey, we went for the accurate reading, which was about 100.5 before I finally concluded we were "close enough" and took it out to soothe his complaints. Not a particularly high temp, and within the range that, even if he couldn't be in the classroom, he could be in the "sick bay." Hmmm...<br /><br />Miscellaneous symptoms included first-time ever complaint that "my tummy hurts," followed by "tummy OK now" after some follow-up questions over the next hour. (And, can I just say, this is one of the great things about him becoming more communicative? I'm still not 100% sure if he had a tummy ache or not, but I look forward to the day when he can REALLY tell me what's bothering him). And one not-so-pleasant diaper change - I'll spare the details, but it wasn't a clear-cut problem either. <br /><br />So herein lies the double standard: As an already tired Mommy who is supposed to be using day care days to do actual work to bring money into the house, all signs point to sending Monkey to day care. He really seems to just have a cold, not the dreaded flu, and the day care checklist suggests he's OK to go. But as the Mommy of a toddler who wants MY son to stay as healthy as possible, and is really hoping we can avoid the flu this year, I can't help but put myself in the shoes of the other mommies in the class, who would probably prefer that Monkey stay home. So who wins, Tired Mommy or PC Mommy?<br /><br />And does the answer depend on the fact that this is day care, where parents usually have no choice but to send their kids, but also understand that they're going to be exposed to various germs, and just hope that this will give them loads of antibodies to make them super-healthy kindergartners? What if Monkey were scheduled not to be in day care, but a paid class of some kind - sports, music, what have you? Does the fact that these kids are more likely of the stay-at-home variety mean that they haven't "signed on" to the same risks of catching colds? But what about the fact that we're all paying for those classes? Does that mean we're entitled to try to get our money's worth, as long as the situation isn't more serious? And what about free activities - certainly those seem the easiest case for the "keep your kid away" approach - you don't HAVE to engage in that activity on that day, and no one there invited Typhoon Toddler or is benefiting from his presence...<br /><br />Bottom line? It's tough being able to see both sides, yet being the one who has to make the decision.klalawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17865026320342270947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486331364748314354.post-16202306644806534272009-11-02T11:54:00.003-05:002010-10-01T10:10:33.396-04:00Talking ShopWell, it's no secret that I've neglected this blog horribly... But, in an effort to try to remedy the situation, I've decided to jump on the NaBloWriMo bandwagon (thanks for the heads-up, Kristen), Yes, it's National Blog Writing Month, and the goal is to blog every day during the month of November. I don't make any promises about my ability to actually pull this off, and I may bail if I feel like I'm totally stretching for things to write about, or if I have to give up precious sleep to get an entry done, but for now, I'm optimistic. I'm also trying to do the same for Monkey's personal blog, so we'll see how that goes.<br /><br />On the subject of blogging, I was perusing a magazine in a doctor's office about a week ago, and I saw mention of a site that might be of interest to my fellow bloggers: <a href="www.blurb.com"></a>. It was cited as a good way to print off and save your blog entries in book form. I've often wondered whether I should be doing something more to preserve my blog, and if I might be more likely to look back at it years from now in hard form rather than online. Despite all the amazing changes in technology, I still enjoy curling up on the couch with a good book, and I'd like to think that Monkey will some day as well. So, something to look into. Although I'd also be interested in hearing what others are doing to save their deep thoughts - please share!klalawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17865026320342270947noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486331364748314354.post-7596008715466938692009-11-01T20:35:00.003-05:002010-10-01T10:11:09.821-04:00I Want My Extra HourDear Daylight Savings Administrator:<br /><br />I'm a big fan of the concept of "falling back," so you can imagine my disappointment when this morning I was awakened an hour ahead of our long-standing schedule by my 2-year-old son, who apparently did not get the memo on the significance of last night's time change. This, I should note, is despite my best efforts to tire him out through strenuous trick-or-treating and a later-than normal bedtime. It occurred to me that perhaps you need to do a better job of spreading the word to the toddler crowd, perhaps through a series of educational presentations at day care centers across the nation, or cleverly worked into timely episodes of "Sesame Street," "Curious George," or "Sid the Science Kid." Since it is, however, too late to implement such proactive members in time for this year, I would like to know how you plan to go about offering me a raincheck. Might I humbly suggest an all-expenses paid trip to a spa/resort of my choice, complete with all necessary babysitting services back at home? It's really only fair...<br /><br />Sincerely,<br /><br />Still Tired in Toddlervilleklalawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17865026320342270947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486331364748314354.post-89865487619815068322009-09-11T09:47:00.004-04:002010-10-01T10:11:24.458-04:00We interrupt this blog...... for a brief bit of promotion.<br /><br />No, I'm not selling out to advertisers. For starters, I don't think I have quite the readership they'd be looking for. :-) But I do have a friend with something to share, and I wanted to do what little I can to help give her an audience.<br /><br />Diane is a breast cancer survivor, and an amazing, creative woman. She has designed a ring as a symbol of many things, including her journey, and it is now available for sale. Perhaps you or someone you know might be inspired by her journey or her vision, and so, without further ado, I present to you the PINKie Promise Ring (TM):<br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinkiepromisering.com/">http://www.pinkiepromisering.com/</a>klalawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17865026320342270947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486331364748314354.post-87472679630380822482009-09-10T20:33:00.004-04:002010-10-01T10:11:53.450-04:00Acciental LearningAs a follow-up to my last post, I thought I'd share a story of some further evidence that Monkey is in fact learning something, somehow, somewhere...<br /><br />I have this old wooden ring toss set that I was thinking of throwing away. It's just two intersecting pieces of wood that holds five pegs, with heavy yarn rings. The pegs have gotten kind of mildewy, and the rings are just kind of gnarled and gross ,for lack of a better description. Of course, once I got it out of the box to inspect it, Monkey was all over it, so I wiped it down as best I could and let it stay in the outdoor toy box for a while.<br /><br />I should mention that the pegs, holes, and rings are different colors. Not something that really caught my attention, but it definitely caught Monkey's - I've discovered that he loves to put it "together," and gets almost agitated if I happen to, say, put all the pegs and rings on the "wrong" spots, which I have an annoying tendency to do, just to mess with him. So I guess we can check color sorting off the list - now I just have to wonder about his obsessive need to keep it in order...klalawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17865026320342270947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486331364748314354.post-86489718691366993382009-09-02T20:34:00.006-04:002010-10-01T10:12:29.442-04:00Tales of the Uninspired (or "Why Paid Professionals Will Be Educating My Child")I've been chatting with some fellow Mommies lately about "Mommy Guilt" for failure to come up with sufficiently creative and educational activities for our toddlers, and the consensus seems to be that while some people have an amazing skill for this task, others of us, not so much, and, thankfully, our children don't seem to be any worse of as a result. Accordingly, I am hereby abandoning future educational efforts and turning my child's educational and creative future over to those who have a clue as to what they're doing.<br /><br />I should probably mention that, yes, I have TRIED to be "Fun, Clever Teaching Mom," but the record suggests it is not just not in my genetic code. You be the judge:<br /><br />1. Flashcards. I bought flashcards for Monkey with colors, shapes, and various objects. Monkey, in turn, has perfected the game of "[insert number of cards here]-Card Pickup."<br /><br />2 Educational Videos. "The Letter Factory" has been met with "eh" reviews, but at least the entire video has been allowed to play once or twice. Monkey's response to "Meet the Numbers" was somewhat less enthusiastic: "Wiggles! Wiggles! I want Wiggles!! PLAY WIGGLES NOW!!"<br /><br />3. Crafts. Despite Monkey's willingness to wear a smock for almost all crafting activities, Mommy's "mess" factor isn't quite ready for much yet. Play-Doh is a good way to kill about 15 minutes, until Monkey starts to eat the dough. I know it's non-toxic, but I'm not ready to encourage snacking on it. Crayons are OK. Unfortunately, however, Monkey doesn't like to share, so it's not a good joint activity, because Mommy's desire to use the red crayon is inevitably followed by Monkey's NEED to have "MY crayon." But at least most of the crayon stays on the page. And the table. And very rarely has it ended up on the walls. Or the, um, TV. Yeah, rarely. And those Dot Markers? Monkey likes to take the caps on and off, and put the markers in his mouth. I just don't feel like we have a future artist on our hands...<br /><br />4. Magnets. Mommy bought a fun bucket of letters and a magnetic board to put the letters on to spell different words. Monkey's version of this game is to (a) dump all of the magnets on the floor, or (b) grab the magnets from Mommy and insist on putting them away. At almost no time are they actually on the board. <br /><br />5. Cooking. Mommy has tried to make mealtime more interesting by letting Monkey "help" cook. Sometimes this is successful. Other times, not so much. Case in point: While making spaghetti, Mommy thought Monkey might be able to participate by breaking up the spaghetti noodles. Since it wouldn't be safe to have him put them into the boiling water, Mommy got out a big tupperware container, put in a handful of dried noodles, and showed Monkey how to break them in half. What followed was a shower of broken noodle fragments that I am sure we will be finding the remains of for days to come.<br /><br />I'm sure there are a few others, but I appear to have (perhaps thankfully) repressed my memories of them.<br /><br />On the plus side, everyday life seems to be teaching Monkey a ton whether I mean for it to or not. For example:<br /><br />1. After a couple of trips to the zoo, Monkey is very interested in animals right now, and particularly in learning how to make their various sounds. His favorite is the lion, but he also enjoys monkey, cow, rooster, duck, and dog. We're still working on bird, cat, frog, and a few others, but he's a fast learner. He also loves to tell me about "dolphins jumping out of water" after seeing the dolphin show twice now, and also still talks about the "elephant getting a bath." Awesome.<br /><br />2. Colors. We've pretty much got the basics down: Yellow, red, blue, green, purple, yellow (a/k/a orange), yellow (a/k/a brown), and yellow (a/k/a white). Can you guess what Monkey's favorite color is??<br /><br />3. Name that Tune. If they ever bring this show back with a special Wiggles edition, Monkey will no doubt be crowned champion. He has an uncanny ability to tell me what song is coming up about two seconds into the song or video. But perhaps this isn't brag-worthy?klalawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17865026320342270947noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486331364748314354.post-51296465268749287062009-07-29T15:52:00.003-04:002010-10-01T10:12:56.956-04:00Call me immature, but...I just bought Monkey an Elmo video about using the potty, figuring the more he hears about this whole potty idea, the more he'll take an interest in actually using it properly (versus sitting on it for five seconds, ripping up toilet paper, hopping off, pulling out the protective shield, flushing the toilet - you get the idea). Anyway, we decided to debut the video yesterday, and there was an entire segment devoted to different words for #1 and #2, perhaps the highlight of which was a bunch of kids screaming in unison "I really need to urinate!" Really?? Of course, Monkey WAS fascinated by all the talk about pee-pee and poo-poo, so perhaps they're on to something. Just ignore me while I snicker like a 12-year old...klalawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17865026320342270947noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486331364748314354.post-14610864404983317532009-07-29T14:13:00.003-04:002010-10-01T10:13:28.196-04:00It's Official - The Terrible Twos Are HereSilly me... I thought Monkey started acting like a terrible two-year-old somewhere around 18 months. Little did I know what he had in store for me...<br /><br />Since his birthday a week and a half ago, it's like someone flipped a switch, and he started having MORE tantrums with LESS reason behind them. Like this morning, I THINK he was upset that he didn't get the sippy cup that he wanted. Not that it's easy to tell, because when you ask him if he wants Pooh or Elmo, he responds with "Pooh Elmo." Um, yeah, they haven't made that cup yet, kiddo, I'm asking you to make a choice. And does receiving the "wrong" cup REALLY justify a five-minute screaming tantrum? Apparently it does...<br /><br />I'm learning, though. I'm learning that if I ignore the tantrum, and go about my business (after assuring that Monkey is in a safe place where he's not likely to get injured if he decided to flail around a bit), the screaming AT me turns into screaming FOR me, and when I go back in, his arms are outstretched, wanting his Mommy, and he quickly calms down, telling me that he was "crying," in case I hadn't noticed. So, it's a start, but I haven't quite figured out how I'm going to tweak the technique when he inevitably throws a fit in public.<br /><br />It's so disheartening to me when he throws a fit within like half an hour of getting up - it just seems to set the tone for the day for me, and I need to get past that kind of thinking, or we're gonna have a LOT of bad days over the next year or so. And I keep telling myself that I have to stand my ground and not just give in to what he wants, so he doesn't become spoiled. It's hard, though, particularly when Monkey is one of those kids who tends to hyperventilate when he gets really upset, and sometimes passes out. I've talked to his doctor, and read up on the subject, and I know in my head that the temporary passing out is just his body's way of protecting itself, and forcing him to take a breath, but that doesn't make it any easier to watch the handful of times that he's done it. So far, knock on wood, he has only done it once as a result of being purely upset, as opposed to injured, and I just pray that he never tries to use it as leverage.<br /><br />Anyway, so as not to end on a totally down note, what are some of the good things that the Twos have brought? I think the highlight is that Monkey's communication continues to improve by leaps and bounds, and he is repeating and seemingly understanding SO much! When I was dropping him off at day care the other day (where he's in a new room), one of the teachers said to me, "He has older siblings, right?" Somewhat confused, I told him no, and asked why he thought that. He responded that Monkey is very bright, and has great communication skills for his age. That's so nice to hear, especially when I think back to the days I thought he would never say "Mommy." I still think he's probably in the middle of the pack as far as kids his age, and he is still difficult to understand at times, but it's always reassuring to have someone give that kind of a compliment.klalawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17865026320342270947noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486331364748314354.post-31162256697214420112009-07-13T21:20:00.005-04:002010-10-01T10:13:48.025-04:00Separation Anxiety RevisitedToday was Monkey's first day in the Two's room at day care. And, alas, it involved many tears, his AND mine... :-(<br /><br />He'd been transitioning for the past week, and it went well. Each day, I would drop him off in his old room, and his teacher would take him over to the new room to visit for increasing periods of time - By Friday, he spent pretty much the whole day in his new room. So, in the one sense, I was expecting today to go pretty smoothly - after all, if he didn't mind his teacher leaving him with new people, why would he mind it when I did it?<br /><br />That said, he fussed during drop-offs for 1-2 weeks when we made this transition last year. At one year old, still not walking, and very dependent on familiar caregivers, he was a bit traumatized by all the new faces and all the kids up on two legs moving about the room. One year later, he is NOT happy to be leaving behind the teachers that he was at first so wary of. This year, it's still a bit of separation anxiety, the need to be around trusted adults, but I also feel like he's saying "hey, Mommy, THIS isn't my room!" Made more difficult by the fact that his old room is RIGHT across the hall. And it figures, as we walked into the building today, we were right behind one of his friends from the Ones room, and the two kids were smiling and waving at each other, making it that much more difficult for me to explain why were going to the OTHER room today, and not into HIS room with his friend. His "former" teacher was in the doorway as we came up the hall, and when she saw the fuss that was already setting in, she gave me a sad, sympathetic smile, and ducked behind the door so as not to make things any more difficult for Monkey.<br /><br />So, in typical "how not to handle this" fashion, I started tearing up as soon as Monkey started crying and telling me he didn't want to go in the new room - nice job, hormones or whatever. I then spent 20 minutes trying to get him comfortable and entertained in his room, only to have him crying pitifully when I left anyway. His teacher tells me he only cried for 2-3 minutes, and I know I should just drop him off and make a quick exit.... sigh. So, we'll see how things go Wednesday. I hope it will be better, but I suspect it won't. History suggests that he'll be happily waving goodbye to me by sometime next week, but my heart will be breaking a little bit until then.klalawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17865026320342270947noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486331364748314354.post-46602504195264207082009-06-05T09:46:00.005-04:002010-10-01T10:14:18.671-04:00People vs. The WigglesI can't believe it's come to this, but it's time for me to put on my attorney's hat and step up with my defense of The Wiggles...<br /><br />You see, I've noticed lately that when I mention Monkey's extreme love of (or, dare I say, obsession with?) The Wiggles, I get reactions ranging from sympathy to almost disgust. "Oh, you poor thing..." "The Wiggles? They're awful!" "Thank goodness our kids don't like them" "We won't allow them in our house"<br /><br />Really?<br /><br />I can understand the sympathy. Any parent who's had a child obsessed with a particular TV show, movie, or character knows how mind-numbing it can get to watch the same things over and over and over again - the endless fascination gene must spontaneously combust somewhere between the ages of 5 and 10.<br /><br />But what I don't get is the hate. When I've pushed a little farther, here's some of the comments I get, followed by my rebuttals:<br /><br />1. "They're gay." Really? THAT's your argument? I hope you don't mind if I don't even dignify this one with a response, because it's clearly an argument crafted by a 12-year old, and it's not fair to pick fights with children.<br /><br />2. "They're grown men - it's just creepy." Yes, they are grown men - does that automatically make them pedophiles or something?? In fact, a little quick research will reveal that The Wiggles were formed when several of its members met in school, where they were studying to be elementary teachers - The Wiggles act in its earliest stages was a school project, attempting to integrate learning with song and dance. How dare they!! And speaking of creepy, I am extremely thankful that Monkey has never seen, and thus never developed any kind of attachment to the Teletubbies or the Doodlebops - if you ask me, those are the kinds of characters that nightmares are made of!<br /><br />3. "Their songs are so annoying - fruit salad, yummy, yummy." Setting aside my original point that anything can becmoe annoying in high doses, is their music really that bad? I don't think so. In fact, I'm amazed at the sheer volume of songs these guys have managed to put out, with the not unexpected outcome that some stuff is better than others. But the variety is sure nice - I'd rather listed to an entire Wiggles CD than have to fast-forward through our Sesame Street to find the three Elmo songs that Monkey is currently interested in, and then repeat those same three songs when Monkey insists on "more Elmo" and refuses to listen to more than three notes of a song by Big Bird, Grover, or Kermit the Frog. Sigh... And really, what alternatives are you advocating? Barney, with his annoying "I love you" song? I'll pass, thanks.<br /><br />4. "There's nothing educational about them." Well, I'll give you that it's not Sesame Street, with it's emphasis on counting and the alphabet, but Monkey has learned a TON from watching The Wiggles, if you ask me. For starters, colors - Monkey could identify The Wiggles by their shirt color long before he knew their individual name (and frankly, yellow is still providing a small amount of confusion, given the Greg/Sam switch, which is unfortunate). But let's also not under-estimate the value of the dances - MOnkey has gone from merely watching the DVDs, to standing up and kind of bouncing and swaying along, to actively copying the dance moves. He jumps, waves his hands in the air, turns in circles, makes animal sounds, pretends to rock his bear to sleep, says "shhhh"... all relatively on cue with the songs and dances that he's watching - it's so much fun to watch, and he's learning to follow directions, develop his fine and gross motor skills, and I bet eventually he'll even sing! (Although the latter part does scare me a wee bit, if you've ever heard his father sing...) He may not be speaking another language, but he is very involved in the videos, identifying objects and characters and participating as if he were right there - pretty cool, IMO.<br /><br />Ironically, Monkey's unwavering devotion to The Wiggles appears to be, well, wavering just a bit in the past couple of weeks, with Elmo providing some strong competition of late. Of course this would happen just weeks after I bought Monkey tickets to a live Wiggles show, right? Let's hope that he doesn't lose interest in them altogether any time too soon - the concert's not until the end of August, and Daddy and I certainly don't want to be the only ones in our family singing along! :-)klalawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17865026320342270947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486331364748314354.post-13029107839415732182009-06-01T13:32:00.003-04:002010-10-01T10:15:52.972-04:00Random ThoughtsI think that part of my lack of blogging lately is a lack of light bulbs going off in my head with big ideas of what to write about. Monkey is making lots of strides in his development, but we're kind of past the "big" milestones for now, and some of the smaller stuff doesn't seem to generate the same level of excitement to justify posting. But, since I hope to have Monkey someday look back on this blog to read about his early years, I think I'll attempt to play catch-up a bit and just share some random thoughts. Here's what's been going on at the Monkey House: <br /><br />1. Food, Glorious Food -- The good news is that Monkey's menu of acceptable foods seems to be expanding ever so slightly! Vegetables are STILL, and I suspect will always be, a challenge, but Monkey has discovered corn on the cob, and he eats it with gusto! So much fun to watch! And, with the arrival of spring/summer, Monkey has become a bigger fruit fan, so instead of applesauce day in and day out, he has been feasting on yummy blueberries and strawberries. I thought I had him on pineapple as well, but that lasted all of about a day. Oh, and grapes, which already has me looking forward to the day when I don't have to cut them up for him to avoid a possible choking hazard...<br /><br />2. All Choked Up -- Speaking of choking, please tell me I don't have the only toddler who insists on shoveling multiple fistfuls of whatever he's eating into his mouth?? It's not so much a manners thing, although, geez, slowing down a tad would sure be nice, but I swear he swallows half of his food whole, despite a mouthful of teeth. He's gagged more than once, giving my husband and I quite a scare, but I actually think he may just be one of those kids with a relatively sensitive gag reflex, as it's been triggered by things as little as a small, possibly sharp piece of potato chip. I struggle with being the mom who cuts and breaks up her kid's food until he's ten, and trying to teach him to take bites, at the risk that he just won't do it, or will take twenty small "bites" in rapid succession, defeating the purpose. :-(<br /><br />3. Chug, Chug -- And also on the subject of food, I was told by Monkey's day care teacher a couple of weeks ago that one of the changes that will take place when he moves to the two-year-old's room (in less than two months - gasp!) is that they will start drinking from open cups instead of sippies. Am I the only one that thinks this sounds a bit soon, and, um, messy? Again, I don't want Monkey to be drinking from a sippy when he goes to the prom, but man am I not looking forward to the idea of him drinking from an open cup on a regular basis yet either! I've let him sip from my cup from time to time, and although he gets the basic idea, he's a bit too eager, and inevitably ends up with water down the front of his shirt. I know that it takes practice, and toddler-hood isn't always neat, but I'm just not sure I'm ready for this one. Maybe I'll let day care take the lead on this one, and I can just benefit from their tried-and-true teaching methods?<br /><br />4. Potty Time -- Speaking of new challenges, I feel like full-on potty training will be upon us soon, and I am approaching it somewhat tentatively. Don't get me wrong - I can not WAIT to be done with smelly diapers. But something about them IS awfully convenient, you know?? It's not the idea of Monkey being potty trained that I dread (although it will sort of mean he's officially a big boy - sniff!), it's the process... Having to be constantly attuned to his signals, racing to the potty for numerous false alarms, devising and consistently following some kind of reward program, etc. Monkey has handled so many of his other transitions (sleeping through the night, dropping bottles, limiting paci use, etc) so well - I hope this isn't the one that we struggle with!<br /><br />5. Story Time -- I LOVE that Monkey is finally showing more interest in books. He's still hard pressed to sit still for a story, and I'm sorry to say that we still haven't been able to incorporate a "traditional" bedtime story into our nightly routine, but he seems to be going for books as often as toys these days, and not always the same three or four books, either. Character books are still one of the biggest hits (Wiggles and Elmo, specifically), but he's starting to pay more attention to some of the Dr. Suess books, and I've once again renewed my hopes that someday he will enjoy reading as much as I do, for content rather than pictures! And yes, he actually says "read a book?" now, which I love. :-)<br /><br />6. Outdoor Adventures -- I can't remember if I posted earlier about our severe cabin fever over the winter months, but needless to say, the arrival of Spring (FINALLY!) has opened new doors to things to do with Monkey. Unfortunately, it has also opened the door to new battles with Monkey's independent streak, and his desire to walk freely without holding hands. As you can imagine, this presents a problem pretty much anywhere other than in our fenced-in backyard. It's been a little hit or miss -- sometimes Monkey not only willingly holds MY hand, but wants to hold Daddy's hand as well, making it difficult for us to walk in and out of stores, etc. I think Monkey secretly hopes when we do this that we'll start randomly swinging him, a trick taught to him by my mother and aunt (thanks, guys!), but I think my husband is afraid of dislocating his shoulder, so we don't often play along. Plus, let's face it, it kind of slow things down a bit when ever five seconds you have to stop and go "one, two, three -- whee!" :-) But other times, Monkey does NOT want to hold hands, and left to his own devices, would appear to be on the verge of running off into a parking lot. Clearly this is non-negotiable, so Monkey has been getting a choice - hold Mommy's hand, or let Mommy carry you. You may not like either choice, but you've gotta pick one. I yearn for the day when he will walk calmly by my side - will it ever happen? I keep contemplating the monkey backpack with the leash, but it seems like more trouble than it's worth, especially when we're just making a quick trip from car to store. But lately, the desire to be "down" doesn't end at the store door, as riding in a shopping cart is apparently no longer the thrill it once used to be (unless said cart is shaped like a car, in which case the difficulty is getting Monkey OUT of it!). Monkey threw a royal fit in Gymboree a few weeks ago when, in a moment of kindness, I let him out of his stroller to sit in the little chairs and watch cartoons at the back of the store. All was well until it was time to leave, and I think I earned a few new bruises, as well as several sympathetic and/or questioning looks, as I struggled to get Monkey back in his stroller. Our evening walks around the neighborhood are also beginning to change, as Monkey is no longer content for up to an hour in his stroller as we walk around, visiting with neighbors, getting some exercise. Monkey wants to be "out" or "down" before long, adding a new level of parental anxiety to the whole process. And don't get me started on his "car rides" - Monkey has a cool radio flyer car that he used to love being pushed around the neighborhood in. These days, however, it's about two minutes before he wants to get out, walk, push the car himself. Nothing like pushing an empty car back to your house while carrying a struggling toddler, let me tell you...<br /><br />Well, I think that's the end of my train of thought for now. Hopefully I'll be able to return to more regular, less rambling posting soon!klalawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17865026320342270947noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486331364748314354.post-43561264181592125202009-05-27T10:41:00.003-04:002010-10-01T10:16:47.538-04:00Mommy CheckIs it just me, or do you ever miss the days of being in school, when everything was for the most part black or white - pass or fail, A or C, doing great or needs improvement? I miss some of that clear feedback now that I'm a mom, and wonder just how good of a job I am (or am not) doing with Monkey...<br /><br />On the "pass" side, Monkey is healthy, happy* (yeah, we'll get to the tantrums in a moment), and showing us every day that he is learning new things and understanding so much. On the "see me" side, we have frequent tantrums involving pretty much every aspect of daily life - eating, changing diapers and clothes, and pretty much anything that challenges Monkey's growing sense of independence. "I do it" is an oh-so-common phrase around our house, and it's hard to teach Monkey that sometimes, no, he actually CAN'T do it yet. He CAN'T walk around cars without holding Mommy's hands. He CAN'T roam freely around the garage. And, as much as he tries, he cannot screw the lid on his sippy cup, and please, can't we avoid the mess of allowing you to engage in more futile attempts?? The good news, I suppose, is that I don't think we have any "fails," although I do worry that some of our problem areas, if not nipped in the bud, could prove more troublesome down the road. <br /><br />I struggle to find the right method of discipline, both for me and for Monkey. And then there's the issue of getting Daddy on board, which is probably the subject of another post. I read the magazines and books, and I know what I'm SUPPOSED to do, yet the well-reasoned approach often eludes me in the heat of the moment. For example, when Monkey is rocking in his booster chair and giving me a heart attack with the possibility that he is going to topple over any moment and crack his head open, the calm "Monkey, we don't rock in our chair" approach is NOT my first instinct. To the contrary, last week it was a scream that almost gave Daddy a heart attack, BUT, it got Monkey's attention, long enough to stop what he was doing and allow me to run over from behind the sink, where I had been preparing part of his dinner. And, for what it's worth, I HAVE tried the calmer approach, and Monkey just smiles at me and continues what he's doing - why do they not mention this in those not-quite-so-helpful magazine articles, hmmm?? And yet, as much as the smart aleck in Monkey drives me absolutely insane, I know that he got part of it from me, so who exactly should I blame?<br /><br />So, where exactly am I going with this? I guess I'd like a report card to tell me that, despite all the daily challenges, I'm still doing OK as a Mommy, that this is all normal and I'm actually averaging a B or higher at this parenting thing. I don't need a gold star or anything, but I do miss the days of feedback and the good feeling that comes with recognition of a job well done!klalawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17865026320342270947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486331364748314354.post-2867494930349689782009-04-07T09:53:00.004-04:002010-10-01T10:17:09.797-04:00My Kid, the Bully?I really wasn't expecting it to start this soon (or necessarily at all, for that matter). But it happened - I got my first note from Monkey's day care teacher about a behavior issue... Monkey has apparently started being more "aggressive" towards his classmates - pushing them down, taking toys away from them, and sometimes pulling hair. Where is this coming from? Is it just part of the Terrible Twos - a child who is gaining independence and wants to do what they want to do, when they want to do it, the heck with what anyone else wants? Or is it Only Child Syndrome - signs of a child who doesn't have to share toys and time at home? I want to blame one or both of these things, as opposed to worrying that somehow I'm doing something wrong and raising a brat and/or a bully, but the real question is, how do we fix it?<br /><br />You know, it's ironic... Monkey has a July birthday, which means that once "real" school begins, with kindergarten, he is going to go through life being probably the youngest kid in his class (unless we hold him back a year, but we haven't really considered that at this point). So in my mind, I've always worried that Monkey is going to be the small kid, picked on by the other boys. Perhaps he's trying to nip that in the bud by showing his "toughness" from the get-go?? Interestingly, right now he is actually one of the oldest, if not the oldest, in his one-year olds' class, so I wonder if that dynamic isn't playing into this a bit too - he's just showing that he's the big kid in charge because he can?<br /><br />I'm not sure yet what our plan is to tackle this. Do I start randomly taking toys away from Monkey to teach him that he can't always have what he wants? Or does that just frustrate him more and increase the acting out at school? I hate to be always saying "no," but I also don't want him thinking he can always have whatever he wants. This is such a tough stage - they have the power of the tantrum, while we struggle with letting them have the tantrums vs. giving in just to keep the peace. Yikes - it's gonna be a long year....klalawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17865026320342270947noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486331364748314354.post-39980288339325082332009-03-17T20:35:00.003-04:002010-10-01T10:17:35.639-04:00Mommy ConfessionHere's the deal: I don't enjoy blowing bubbles with Monkey.<br /><br />Of course, he LOVES it. And I really thought it would be fun, watching him chase after bubbles, etc. But here's the thing: Monkey's way of "blowing bubbles" is to dip the wand in the bubble solution, then just kind of FLING it, so that all the solution splashes to the ground (and on my pants, and on Monkey, etc.). Not a single bubble comes out of this motion - it's really just glorified splashing. And it is soooo not fun. But Monkey laughs hysterically.<br /><br />At first, I was able to enjoy his enjoyment, because who doesn't love watching a toddler's face light up with laughter. But then.... sigh... I just got bored, and impatient, and wondered how I could talk him into doing something else.<br /><br />And, in case you're wondering: No, he won't give up the want to Mommy so that I can blow the bubbles and he can gaze at them in wonderment and chase after them. Simply not an option. As Monkey is fond of saying: "I do!"<br /><br />Bad Mommy. :-(klalawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17865026320342270947noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486331364748314354.post-8706785556698630912009-03-12T18:36:00.004-04:002010-10-01T10:18:10.939-04:00And speaking of Elmo...Let's all have a brief moment of silence, shall we?<br /><br />In memory of the times, not so long ago, but not then appreciated, when Monkey and I could go to a toy store, Babies 'R Us, or anywhere we wanted in Target or Walmart, and Monkey would be happy just to be in the cart, looking at all the people and "stuff." <br /><br />Before he recognized things like... Elmo. Mickey Mouse. The Wiggles. Pooh. <br /><br />And before he screamed out that he must have these things, because they are "mine!"<br /><br />I made the mistake of taking Monkey to Toys 'R Us today, looking for a step stool for his bathroom. My search took me through the bath and bedding sections, where there were Elmo couches, Elmo blankets, Elmo Sheets, Elmo towels, you name it. And Monkey saw it all.<br /><br />And, being the sucker that I am, I picked up the cute Elmo hooded bath towel, and asked Monkey if he wanted it. <br /><br />He happily grabbed it, and enjoyed checking it out for about - thirty seconds? Before it landed unceremoniously on the floor.<br /><br />I can't tell you how many things I picked up to keep him from having a tantrum, and yet, ultimately we left the store empty handed. Sigh...klalawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17865026320342270947noreply@blogger.com0