Maybe my child is multi-cultural. Maybe she just watches too much TV!
Ella wants a pinata. Out of the blue. And, she's upset that we don't have one in the closet or lying around the house somewhere for her to play with. What were we thinking? Forget Candy Land, or the AquaDoodle, we've got to have a paper mache sombrero and a baseball bat!
I think it comes from a Dora episode. She and Boots win a pinata as their prize for collecting tickets at the carnival. Well if Dora has one, Ella thinks she needs it too. I've tried to explain that pinatas are not something you'll find everday. They're for special occassions, parties or holidays and festivals. Sounds reasonable, but my child is not buying this lame excuse. If you need an occasion for a pinata, Ella will find one. "Let's have a party." Again, I try to explain that parties don't just happen everyday. they're for special occassions, birthdays, holidays and such.
"Chinese New Year Party, get a pinata!" HUH?!?! How does she even know about Chinese New Year you ask? My Ella is also looking forward to a new cartoon which looks a lot like Hello Kitty, but it's a little Asian child and her pets. (Something like "Knee-How Ki-Lan" no clue how you spell that.) This much anticipated show premieres on Chinese New Year. Leave it to those crazy folks at Nickelodeon to solve Ella's dilemma.
Pretty amazing though that she's figured this all out and now expects us to come through. So I guess we'll order take-out with chopsticks next week and pick up a pinata at Party City. Happy Chinese New Year everyone! (2008 is the year of the rat... I checked.)
Thursday, January 31, 2008
What happened to my grocery list?!
What can I say, except that I guess Alex needed a little fiber in his diet.
We made a Target run this morning, and the boy was ready to get out of his carrier and have some lunch. All it takes to occupy him is a simple piece of paper, my shopping list. He holds it crinkles it and pretty much destroys it by the time we're done, but that's okay. I'm throwing it away at that point. Except that I forgot!
It wasn't until I opened the door to take Alex inside that I noticed something on his cheek. I immediately recognized this shard of paper and began searching his seat for the rest. A few confetti size pieces, and I found a similar shred in his mouth. But that's it. The rest of the list is gone, and Alex isn't starving anymore.
I panicked and called Laura. "Is he choking?" she asked. "No, he's smiling at me." She assures me he's fine, and this too shall pass.
We made a Target run this morning, and the boy was ready to get out of his carrier and have some lunch. All it takes to occupy him is a simple piece of paper, my shopping list. He holds it crinkles it and pretty much destroys it by the time we're done, but that's okay. I'm throwing it away at that point. Except that I forgot!
It wasn't until I opened the door to take Alex inside that I noticed something on his cheek. I immediately recognized this shard of paper and began searching his seat for the rest. A few confetti size pieces, and I found a similar shred in his mouth. But that's it. The rest of the list is gone, and Alex isn't starving anymore.
I panicked and called Laura. "Is he choking?" she asked. "No, he's smiling at me." She assures me he's fine, and this too shall pass.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
The Mommy Mafia
I just love hanging with other Mommies! I stopped by my office today to pick up some supplies and planned a lunch date with several other moms.
I love that we can share things with one another to make the cost of raising kids a little less painful. (I brought in some maternity clothes for Merritt, brough some baby boy hand-me-downs for Heidi and picked up some boy hand-me-downs from Tara. )
I love even more than we can share experiences, and learn from one another. Who knew I could freeze yogurt tubes and they'd be less messy for Ella! She loves them, now I have a way to make it happen! Who knew maxi pads in my son's diaper at nap time would keep him from leaking all over his bed since she insists upon sleeping on his tummy. Plus they cost less than the expensive boy specific diapers! (Who knew that Merritt would have an extra convertible carseat just sitting in her garage that we can use for now, so we don't have to buy 2 new car seats for Alex!)
I fed my kids and other moms helped me juggle them both, juggle my food, refill my drink, grab a utensil when Ella dropped hers, helped feed Ella the messy yogurt in a tube, talked to me, talked to my kids, and we all enjoyed lunch together! It was like a spa date with my kids along! I was able to relax, converse, laugh and yes, shovel in a few bites in between.
It's great getting together with women who understand the trials and triumphs of being a mom! I'm so glad we did this and I can't wait to do it again!
I love that we can share things with one another to make the cost of raising kids a little less painful. (I brought in some maternity clothes for Merritt, brough some baby boy hand-me-downs for Heidi and picked up some boy hand-me-downs from Tara. )
I love even more than we can share experiences, and learn from one another. Who knew I could freeze yogurt tubes and they'd be less messy for Ella! She loves them, now I have a way to make it happen! Who knew maxi pads in my son's diaper at nap time would keep him from leaking all over his bed since she insists upon sleeping on his tummy. Plus they cost less than the expensive boy specific diapers! (Who knew that Merritt would have an extra convertible carseat just sitting in her garage that we can use for now, so we don't have to buy 2 new car seats for Alex!)
I fed my kids and other moms helped me juggle them both, juggle my food, refill my drink, grab a utensil when Ella dropped hers, helped feed Ella the messy yogurt in a tube, talked to me, talked to my kids, and we all enjoyed lunch together! It was like a spa date with my kids along! I was able to relax, converse, laugh and yes, shovel in a few bites in between.
It's great getting together with women who understand the trials and triumphs of being a mom! I'm so glad we did this and I can't wait to do it again!
Friday, January 25, 2008
Make room for Baby (time for a refresher course)
This should be a big weekend for our boy. Alex is too tall for his baby carrier, so he's getting moved into a convertible car seat, he's starting to pull up on things, so we're dropping his crib mattress down from the newborn position, and since he's really trying hard to crawl, it's time to get down on all fours again and search for the stuff you never realized could be potential food.
We have two, big dogs, so he's gonna find fur on the floor and taste it. He'll probably find a dog food crumb or two as well. His sister drops craisins and cereal and everything else all over the place, so regardless of how many times Callie cleans and vacuums, there will be food remnants to pick up and taste.
There are cords to move and outlets to cover, and shelves to clear. Just as we've gotten Ella to the stage where she'll actually listen, and leave a few things alone, along comes Alex. We'll see what survives this round.
Blame it on the Grandparents
What a rough night it's been! (read previous post on bedtime threats) But oh how happy Ella is to have Papa and Gramma here!
Since we told her yesterday that they were coming, she's been asking about them non-stop. She cried and whined this morning because they weren't here when she woke up. She called Papa several times to see where he was, was he on the way and to "hurry up Papa, come see me!"
They finally rolled into town around 6 and she's been non-stop since. Off to get pizzas with Papa, reading "Fancy Nancy" over and over and over again with Gramma. She was just so excited, she couldn't wind down and bedtime was even worse than usual.
We love that she loves them so much. And we love having them here, because they're playmates, and it gives us a break. But we also love when they go home, and we can return to the daily routine we know and love.
Do threats work? or are we clueless?!?
I'm trying to be the modern mommy, patient, kind, loving, never verbally or physically abusive. But do threats count? When I can't get Ella to do what I need her to do, am I holding her emotions hostage by threatening something of value to her? GOD that sounds HORRIBLE!!!
Why won't she just go to bed at night? We have a routine, we follow it every night. But it's long and drawn out, and never easy! We have to put on jammies, and a diaper. We have to have a drink of water (or 4) and read a story (or 3) we have to put "pretty stick" on her face and my face and some night's, Daddy's face too. (Don't embarrass Troy with this. It takes a real man to put on J&J moisture stick just because it makes your little girl happy ) We have kisses and "neck breakers," and 3 or 4 different blankets. And just now, that we've moved into the big girl bed, mommy has to just lay down with her for a few minutes, then a few minutes more, and a few minutes more. When I finally pry myself out of the room, she screams. She needs to potty, or she needs a "last sip," or she needs a cracker or something. Then I leave and she screams louder, and Troy goes back in to try calming her down, then I go back in and try again, and sometimes it works at this point.
But other nights, like tonight, I have to threaten her. "Okay, I"m taking the books. You can't have books in your bed if you're going to scream." Then she gives in, I leave the books and tell her "if I have to come back, the books are gone." (Books are not always the threat of choice, my parents are here tonight and brought 3 new books, so they top her list. Last night, it was the new baby doll bed, some nights it's her babies... whatever is a favorite will work.)
How awful am I as a parent?! Is there a better way, or is this just part of getting kids to go to sleep? She's really a great sleeper. She's down from around 8:30 p.m. until 8:00 the following morning. She rarely wakes up overnight and only comes into our room if she's had a nightmare or is sick. That's usually less than once a month, and she's usually only there for an hour or so, before she moves back to her own bed. So we're lucky. But are we doing something wrong in how we try to get her to sleep? Should we just walk away for awhile and let her cry herself out? I hate that, and the threats seem to work. But is it better to let her scream and change the pattern?
It's never a problem at nap time. We put on a diaper, crawl into bed, have a sip of water and mommy goes back downstairs to work. All I have to say is "big girl rules, you can play or read but you have to go to sleep. Happy Nappy!" and I"m out of there. 2-3 hours later, my happy napper wakes up.
It's not the time that's a problem. She's tired and ready for sleep at 8:30. She's not overly tired either. Have we missed something? or is this just one of those parental joys that makes you feel like crap, but actually helps your child to grow up? If, not, please don't report me to child protective services!!! We're doing our best, but admittedly, sometimes, we're clueless!!!
Why won't she just go to bed at night? We have a routine, we follow it every night. But it's long and drawn out, and never easy! We have to put on jammies, and a diaper. We have to have a drink of water (or 4) and read a story (or 3) we have to put "pretty stick" on her face and my face and some night's, Daddy's face too. (Don't embarrass Troy with this. It takes a real man to put on J&J moisture stick just because it makes your little girl happy ) We have kisses and "neck breakers," and 3 or 4 different blankets. And just now, that we've moved into the big girl bed, mommy has to just lay down with her for a few minutes, then a few minutes more, and a few minutes more. When I finally pry myself out of the room, she screams. She needs to potty, or she needs a "last sip," or she needs a cracker or something. Then I leave and she screams louder, and Troy goes back in to try calming her down, then I go back in and try again, and sometimes it works at this point.
But other nights, like tonight, I have to threaten her. "Okay, I"m taking the books. You can't have books in your bed if you're going to scream." Then she gives in, I leave the books and tell her "if I have to come back, the books are gone." (Books are not always the threat of choice, my parents are here tonight and brought 3 new books, so they top her list. Last night, it was the new baby doll bed, some nights it's her babies... whatever is a favorite will work.)
How awful am I as a parent?! Is there a better way, or is this just part of getting kids to go to sleep? She's really a great sleeper. She's down from around 8:30 p.m. until 8:00 the following morning. She rarely wakes up overnight and only comes into our room if she's had a nightmare or is sick. That's usually less than once a month, and she's usually only there for an hour or so, before she moves back to her own bed. So we're lucky. But are we doing something wrong in how we try to get her to sleep? Should we just walk away for awhile and let her cry herself out? I hate that, and the threats seem to work. But is it better to let her scream and change the pattern?
It's never a problem at nap time. We put on a diaper, crawl into bed, have a sip of water and mommy goes back downstairs to work. All I have to say is "big girl rules, you can play or read but you have to go to sleep. Happy Nappy!" and I"m out of there. 2-3 hours later, my happy napper wakes up.
It's not the time that's a problem. She's tired and ready for sleep at 8:30. She's not overly tired either. Have we missed something? or is this just one of those parental joys that makes you feel like crap, but actually helps your child to grow up? If, not, please don't report me to child protective services!!! We're doing our best, but admittedly, sometimes, we're clueless!!!
Sunday, January 6, 2008
You're not having a heart attack...
Was it a day full of kids and taking down the Christmas decorations and Troy being home that gave me the migraine? Maybe. Regardless, I gave up on Ibuprofen yesterday evening and had to take something stronger for my migraine.
I've used this medication a few times before and I've never really liked it. It makes me feel weird and I prefer the stuff I used to take but that drug is no longer on the market. (I'm not sure I want to know why) This stuff does get rid of the migraine and that' the goal.
My migraines usually only come about once a month or less and I can usually treat them with a massage to the back of my head and my neck. This particular medication makes my neck and shoulders ache. It feels like someone is squeezing too hard and it hurts. But it does get rid of the migraine.
So about 4pm, I took a pill. I laid down for a few minutes in the dark and the shoulder tightening begins. Great! We're on our way to feeling better, let's go to Costco. We'd no sooner pulled out of the driveway when my left arm started to ache, my left jaw got tight. A few miles down the road, the fingers on my left hand were tingling and heavy, even my left leg was starting to ache. Now my back and chest started to hurt. FREAK OUT!!! I didn't want to tell Troy or say anything in front of the kids but I was getting a little worried. Should we drive to the emergency room? Call 9-1-1?
I wait until Troy's pumping gas and call Walgreen's. The "pharmacy intern" assured me this was not a listed side effect of my medication and couldn't be from what I'd taken for my migraine. Great. What does that mean? So we get inside Costco and Troy finally asks if I'm okay. "Yes, I think so. I feel like I'm having a heart attack, but I feel okay, so it must be the medicine." "What do you mean? you feel like you're having a heart attack? Who did you call? Call the nurse line! Call you doctor!" We grab the 4 items we need, buy Ella a hot dog for the road, skip the potty with echoes, (see earlier post on potty training) endure her crying over this and head home.
I call the nurse line and explain my symptoms. She reads something and tells me to hang up and call this number. "Tell them they must page the doctor on call. Tell them the nurse line told you to call and it's urgent." Great, this is making me feel much better.
Finally, I get a call from the doctor. Again, I explain what I took, what I feel like, etc... "You're not having a heart attack..." Thank GOD! The words I've been waiting almost an hour to hear!!! I won't leave Troy as a widower with these two kids still in diapers! (yes, these were the thoughts running through my head)
Turns out, it was the medication. I can't take it anymore, or take anything from the same drug family. But it did go away after several hours and I did get rid of the migraine. At least that worked out okay.
I've used this medication a few times before and I've never really liked it. It makes me feel weird and I prefer the stuff I used to take but that drug is no longer on the market. (I'm not sure I want to know why) This stuff does get rid of the migraine and that' the goal.
My migraines usually only come about once a month or less and I can usually treat them with a massage to the back of my head and my neck. This particular medication makes my neck and shoulders ache. It feels like someone is squeezing too hard and it hurts. But it does get rid of the migraine.
So about 4pm, I took a pill. I laid down for a few minutes in the dark and the shoulder tightening begins. Great! We're on our way to feeling better, let's go to Costco. We'd no sooner pulled out of the driveway when my left arm started to ache, my left jaw got tight. A few miles down the road, the fingers on my left hand were tingling and heavy, even my left leg was starting to ache. Now my back and chest started to hurt. FREAK OUT!!! I didn't want to tell Troy or say anything in front of the kids but I was getting a little worried. Should we drive to the emergency room? Call 9-1-1?
I wait until Troy's pumping gas and call Walgreen's. The "pharmacy intern" assured me this was not a listed side effect of my medication and couldn't be from what I'd taken for my migraine. Great. What does that mean? So we get inside Costco and Troy finally asks if I'm okay. "Yes, I think so. I feel like I'm having a heart attack, but I feel okay, so it must be the medicine." "What do you mean? you feel like you're having a heart attack? Who did you call? Call the nurse line! Call you doctor!" We grab the 4 items we need, buy Ella a hot dog for the road, skip the potty with echoes, (see earlier post on potty training) endure her crying over this and head home.
I call the nurse line and explain my symptoms. She reads something and tells me to hang up and call this number. "Tell them they must page the doctor on call. Tell them the nurse line told you to call and it's urgent." Great, this is making me feel much better.
Finally, I get a call from the doctor. Again, I explain what I took, what I feel like, etc... "You're not having a heart attack..." Thank GOD! The words I've been waiting almost an hour to hear!!! I won't leave Troy as a widower with these two kids still in diapers! (yes, these were the thoughts running through my head)
Turns out, it was the medication. I can't take it anymore, or take anything from the same drug family. But it did go away after several hours and I did get rid of the migraine. At least that worked out okay.
#$*&@^$ Potty Training!!!!
I have to preface this by saying I'm a mommy and like all other mommies, I'm about to talk about my child's bathroom habits. It's gross and boring if you're not a parent or grandparent. But since we brought home baby #1, pee and poop are what makes the world go 'round. So you can read on and accept this fact of our lives, or just skip this entry.
Ella's shown signs of wanting to be potty trained since she was 18 months old. But we had a baby on the way and all the experts say that's a bad time to start anything new. So we waited. Alex was born in May... Ella turned 2 in August... and we started trying to sit on the potty. It was actually fun for her. She was a big girl!
She took to it like a champ. We bought a little potty chair, but she wasn't a fan. Instead, she found an ELMO potty seat insert for the toilet. It was love at first sit. (We bought two, upstairs and downstairs) She peed from the very first time she sat on the potty and pooped soon after. She goes every day before her nap, at bedtime, she begs to go at Target, Costco, any public bathrooms are a huge hit. (she likes the echo and loves to yell that she's "making pee pee in the big girl potty" so anyone 3 aisles away can hear.) She even keeps her diaper dry during her naps most days. But she still pees and poops in her diaper. At least 2-3 times every day.
I'm trying to be patient and let her do this in her own time. But I also think we have to schedule this to make it work, and anything that's scheduled seems to become something she wants to resist. Mainly because she's a busy girl with her own agenda. Whether she's coloring, watching a movie, playing in her kitchen or chasing the dogs, she just doesn't want to stop what she's doing and go potty!
We've decided maybe the diapers and Pull-ups are just too much of a crutch for her.(and for us) So tonight, we put on the big girl panties and went to the potty every 30 minutes. She peed every time and never got the panties wet. Maybe we'll stick with this for a few days, spend a lot of time at home going potty, and see if we can make "cold turkey" potty training work as it has for everything else in her life.
She did it when we got rid of the "binky." She did it when we gave up bottles for sippee cups. She did it when we switched to the big girl bed and she's never looked back. Maybe this is what we should have tried months ago!?
All I know is she turns three in August, and we're enrolling for preschool. I've gotta get her potty trained before then!
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