The Toddler Baking Hour

Monday morning I was in the mood to do some baking. I realize Memorial Day is not traditionally a baking holiday, but when the mood to make delicious treats strikes, I go with it.

Madison loves helping me in the kitchen. She's at a cute age where she can be incredibly helpful - when she wants to be.

Sidenote: This stage is both adorable and aggravating. She's becoming very capable, and it's awesome to have that extra set of hands to grab me a diaper for Reagan or fold laundry. Sometimes even when I DON'T need help she's pushing her way right in. However, when she doesn't feel like it, rather than just say no, she pulls the "I caaaaan't" or the even better "you do it".

We made two recipes: blueberry banana bread (I had three brown bananas and 1/2 pint of blueberries that needed to be used up) and what are referred to in our house as "Rachel brownies". They're brownies topped with peanut butter and Reese's Pieces, and since Rachel introduced this particular blending of brownies and peanut butter, they will always be referred to as "Rachel brownies" in this house.

This was our most successful baking venture so far. Here are the five tips that I think made it so successful.

1) Be prepared.

I had everything measured and ready. Madison's first job was mashing the bananas, and she mashed away while I poured the other potentially messy wet ingredients - the eggs and oil - in. Once she'd mashed those bananas into a pulp, I had all the dry ingredients ready to go in big cups to be added. She felt like she was doing most of the baking, and I wasn't worrying.

2) Use the right tools.

Big plastic bowls, wooden spoons, and oversized measuring cups. I measured the correct amount, but dumped it into a bigger cup. Silly, but well worth it.

3) Set a time limit.

Madison would stir and stir and stir forever. She's very reluctant to stop. I finally started setting the timer, and she stirs for 5 minutes, and the timer tells her it's time to stop. That way, it's not me taking her job away, it's the timer saying that job is done and it's time to move on.

4) Wear a short sleeved shirt.

Yeah, we forgot this one. It was chillier than expected this weekend, so the girls had long sleeve pajamas on. We rolled up sleeves and washed hands, but by the end of this experience, Madison's shirt needed to come off. More on that next.

5) Always have something for the toddlers to do.

If I don't have anything for Madison, she'll find something. And Reagan really wanted to be involved, but she doesn't really have the motor skills yet. I know by this point that if there's downtime, there's potential for disaster.

Therefore, once Madison's jobs were done, I moved her step stool over to the sink, piled all the plastic and wooden bowls, spoons and measuring cups in, added some bubbles, and asked her to wash the dishes. I've done this many times, and usually I need to touch them up, but this time she actually had everything perfectly clean. Yeah, it took twenty minutes, but that allowed me to deal with the oven, wipe up the spills on the counter, and all that "other cleanup".

As for Reagan, she didn't really "help" this time, so I set her up on the floor with our oatmeal box. Just a plastic bin with plain rolled oats, measuring cups and measuring spoons. I sit Reagan on a tablecloth with that box and just let her scoop and dump. If she tastes anything, it's no big deal, and if she spills, it's a quick cleanup. Once she got bored with that, Madison had moved on to the sink, so I gave Reagan a towel, a bowl and a spoon, and after she "dried" her dishes, she was happy to play and bang away!

Overall, fun and successful. The brownies were a big hit as usual and we've been loving the bread at breakfast time!

In case anyone is wondering....

Banana Bread

(adapted from My Catholic Kitchen - the first recipe I found on pinterest that seemed "normal")

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/8 t. nutmeg
2 beaten eggs
1 1/2 c. mashed bananas
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. oil or melted butter
Optional: Your choice of "mix in" (we used blueberries)

Directions:

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
In medium bowl combine eggs, bananas, sugar and oil.
Add egg mixture to flour mixture all at once.
Mix until just moistened. (This is where we mixed in the blueberries)
Spoon into greased bread pan.
Bake in a 350 oven for 55-60 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean.

"Rachel" Brownies

Your favorite brownie recipe
peanut butter
Reese's Pieces

Bake your favorite brownies. We use a mix. I like to slightly underbake them.
As soon as the brownies come out of the oven, put six big spoonfuls of peanut butter on top.

Cover the pan with a dish towel.

After 15 minutes or so, the peanut butter will be very melty. Spread the peanut butter to completely cover the brownies.

Sprinkle on the Reese's Pieces. Toddlers LOVE this part. I had to do some major supervision to make sure that the candy made it ON to the brownies and not IN Madison's mouth, so the process isn't documented.

Allow the peanut butter to "set" and the brownies to cool.

Or, you know, just eat them all warm and gooey. No judgment.

What is your favorite way to cook with your kids and keep them happy and the chaos under control?

What Not To Wear would have a FIELD day with me

Confession time: I watch a lot of TLC.

I finally caught up on shows that I'd recorded over...ummm...the past year. (Seriously, I finished last season of Mad Men yesterday.  In my defense, when that season was airing I had a newborn who was waking up overnight and a toddler who only napped when the baby was awake.  Then I got busy. And that's a show you actually have to pay attention to. Shut up. I'm caught up now).

Now that this massive project is behind me, I can spend naptime watching mindless "reality" television while I read maganzines mess around on Facebook clean, cook and do laundry.

Since TLC definitely fits the mindless mold, and there always seems to be something I can half watch while multitasking, I tend to stick with that.  And one of the shows I end up watching frequently is one of their long running ones: What Not to Wear. 

In case you're unfamiliar, they ambush some woman who has been "set up" by her family/friends/coworkers who is just a style mess.  Usually this woman either isn't dressing "age appropriate", is way too "out there"...or is dressing like a "mom".

Yeah, guess which one I identify with.

The implication is usually that once these women become moms, they lose the ability - or the desire - to really take care of themselves. Instead of wearing cute little swingy dresses or trousers with fitted jackets and cute shoes to Gymboree and the grocery store, they're wearing yoga pants and t-shirts, sometimes with a hoodie and always with sneakers. Instead of styled hair and make-up, they're rocking the ponytail. They don't even make time to shower daily!

Hmmm....something in this sounds familiar.

They have her model a few outfits in her current wardrobe, which are usually old and ill fitting. She always has a few pieces of maternity clothes still in her rotation. Then they show her some mannequins decked out with nice clothes and accessories.

Then they purge her wardrobe, poking fun as they go along, and give her $5000 to shop with. Her first day is usually a disaster, so the hosts swoop in for day 2 and put together cute outfits, talking to her about why she lets herself look like crap, providing retail therapy in the truest sense of the word.

Then they complete the makeover, and there's this big reveal and people are blown away by how amazing and thin and young she looks.

I'm not going to bash the show. If someone offered to fund a full on makeover for me, I would have no shame about it.  I mean, I don't know that I'd like the "being on a reality show" part. But I'd like the "we're going to have two stylists re-do your wardrobe" part.

But I was thinking about it more recently when I replaced Madison's wardrobe. Every day, I dress my girls in cute outfits. I make sure Madison's hair is done every morning. I braid it, do fancy piggies, and experiment with little styles. Even Reagan has some little paintbrushes now. Their socks are cute and coordinated.

Then I throw on a t-shirt, jeans or yoga pants, and sneakers. Want to guess how I do my hair?

Whenever I complain, Adam will always tell me that I can definitely update my wardrobe. I can make sure my clothes fit, I can make sure I can get my haircut. Because he works from home, he can keep an eye on the girls for fifteen minutes if I want to shower. It's not that I don't have the ability to put effort into my appearance. I know that.

But when it comes down to it, if I'm going to spend money, for some reason, I want to spend it on the girls. They tend to need more, and they look adorable. If I get time to shower, I don't want to take advantage of my situation by spending time blowing out my hair ... so I can put it back in a ponytail anyway while we're at the playground.

Thinking about it, the stylists aren't wrong when they start their therapy and gently point out that the mom has completely ignored herself so focus on her family. I'm definitely not the only mom who is totally putting her needs on the back burner. No one is making me, but it's almost instinctual. Money and effort on mom's appearance = wasteful; money on girls = worth it. I'd rather spend money on dance class, put away for college, get them what they need....and a few wants as well.

Like everything, I'm sure there's a balance, and I'm sure I'll get there eventually.

Like everything, realizing you have a problem is the first step.

And like everything, I'm pretty sure I'm not alone.

Maybe in a few years, I'll get there. But if I don't, I'll know that my family was worth it.

And don't you dare set me up for that show!

Gearing Up For Summer

Happy Memorial Day! A great time to remember those who are far braver than I will ever be, and the weekend that really marks the beginning of summer.

Saturday was a pretty depressing kick off for the "unofficial start of summer". Cold, raining, gusting wind.

We had a hard time figuring out what to do. We had multiple ideas for outdoor family fun, but when it comes to indoor (yet out of the house) family fun, we haven't quite found anything that suits us yet. The girls are too young for most things, and the things they aren't too young for tend to be packed on rainy Saturdays. So we ended up having breakfast at one of our favorite spots in town, and then shopping.  The fun part is that we went shopping for teeny tiny golf clubs! I think Adam had been waiting for that moment since Madison's birth. We found the perfect pink set, and thankfully, the rain gave us a great excuse to not use them (since we had to order them and won't get them until Wednesday).

Yesterday wasn't too bad. Adam was able to get out and golf in the morning while the girls and I played inside and took early naps, and once he was home we were able to get outside (albeit in sweatshirts) to play on the swingset. We actually called some friends for an impromptu cookout, and we had a great time playing and eating steak.

Today Mother Nature finally gave in, and we got a beautiful day for the last day of the three day weekend! Adam golfed again (hello summer!) while the girls and I had a great time baking. Madison has become a great assistant, and even better than that, she was so excited to wash the dishes when we were done! Reagan still isn't quite helpful, but she was happy with a mixing bowl and wooden spoon.

Not only did it save me a job, it completely occupied her while I dealt with the counters! Win!

The girls took early naps again, and afterward we hit the pool for the first time this summer. It's funny - only nine months have passed, but when you think about it, that's 60% of Reagan's life and almost a third of Madison's. They have changed and grown so much that there is no way it'll be the summer I remember from last year.

Here are my first three observations about how this summer will compare to last summer.

Last Summer: Madison adored the wading pool, but is very, very nervous in the big pool - even when held.

This Summer: Same (so far). But I can deal with this.

The big heated pool was 85 degrees. I was so happy in there with her. The baby pool was freezing. You're on your own kid.

Last Summer: I got both girls changed in the locker room. Reagan sat in her infant seat while I changed Madison. Madison sat on the bench while I changed Reagan. Note: I didn't bring them in their suits. Neither were potty trained, and after a few times of wet car seats, I decided it was worth the extra 5-10 minutes.

This Summer: Changing was craziness. Madison was so excited to get in the water that she wasn't waiting for all parts of her suit to be on. Once it was on, she had no interest in waiting for her sister. Reagan started climbing on the benches, the shelves, the shower stalls and flipped here, there and everywhere as I wrestled her into her suit. As for me getting changed, they decided that mommy needed NO privacy and whipped my curtain open over and over. Holy cow. We'll be coming dressed from now on. Madison's trained and I'll take my chances with Reagan. They can sit on towels on the way home. Note: We were eating dinner immediately afterward, so we needed clothes and I figured changing in the locker room wasn't that bad. I was wrong.

Last Summer: Madison played in the wading pool while Reagan napped in her infant seat or sat in the Bumbo in the shade.  I had one kid I really watched, and one who was more of a companion.

This Summer: Reagan figured out how to unlatch the gates and run out into the main pool area within the first 30 seconds. Crap. Even with four lifeguards on duty, I'm already worried about watching two quick moving kids.

Hello. I'm Trouble!

I can't wait to find out how this summer progresses! Hopefully Mother Nature is on board and those days in the 40s are gone until the fall!

I posted a poll on Facebook about doing a weekly wrap up on Sunday nights. It won't be a run down of our week - no one wants to hear that. But I'll write some entertaining highlights that weren't worthy of their own posts, share some of the best blogs I've read that week, follow up on previous posts, and do a weekly "blogkeeping" to clear the way for the next week. Pop on over and share your thoughts! I'll leave the poll open until next week and then decide if it's something I'll try!

Bedtime Rehab - Week one

Want to know what's harder than messing with one kid's sleeping habits?

Messing with two.

Especially when they don't really have the same issues.

Neither is waking in the middle of the night, or anything really crazy, but Reagan especially is showing some signs of overtired behavior. You know, where they should be rubbing their eyes and falling asleep, but instead, they take two hours to fall asleep at night, and wake up at the crack of dawn? And are super clingy? Yeah, that.

I am a huge proponent of making your kids' sleep habits a top priority. Everyone is happier when everyone is rested. One of the books I read when Madison was a baby compared developing good sleep habits it to making sure they're eating healthy foods. Sure, there are easier alternatives and you'll survive. But eventually it's going to backfire.

So from the beginning, with both girls, we had a bedtime routine, I tracked the hours of sleep they were getting, I found the patterns that worked, and we settled into good bedtimes. My girls basically set their own bedtimes - early ones. We followed their lead, and it worked. Easy bedtime, no fighting, happy kids.

Early bedtime is awesome. It's great to have some time to collect myself, get things settled, and relax before going to bed myself. In case you haven't figured it out, early bedtime is what allows me to write this blog.

But early bedtime can stink sometimes too. When I was working it was very tough. I was picking Madison up at daycare, driving 45 minutes home, and we had an hour to an hour and a half to fit in dinner prep, eating, bath and bed. Then the next morning we'd wake Madison up, dress her, and put her in the car. If you're doing math, that means that during the work week, we saw our daughter awake between 5 and 7 hours - TOTAL. That wasn't ideal. But it was quality over quantity, and our well rested kid was happy.

It also can stink in the summer. The sun is still up and shining, it feels like playtime, and you're inside doing baths and brushing teeth.  We had to schedule everything around naptime and bedtime.

That's why I messed Madison up. I figured with the longer days and no real wake up deadlines, I could push bedtime a little later. She'd been getting in her crib between 7 and 7:30 and getting up a little before 7.  I pushed it to 8:00ish. No big deal...until she started taking almost an hour to fall asleep....oh, and waking up at 6:00. I thought she'd adjust her mornings as she got used to the new routine...I was wrong. And losing those few hours started to add up and make for a very moody, dramatic toddler. Toddlers are moody enough. They don't need help.

Reagan kind of messed herself up. She's in nap transition hell right now. If she naps in the morning, she doesn't want an afternoon nap, which makes for an incredibly cranky evening. If she doesn't nap in the morning, she's either a train wreck by lunch, or falls asleep in the car, which means she doesn't nap in the afternoon either. Ideally, during this transition, she needs to nap around 11:00...and we're never home then.

So she's overtired, because she's not napping well. And because I'm pushing Madison later, we're eating dinner a little later, and that's pushing Reagan a little later. Instead of falling asleep around 6:30 and waking up twelve hours later, she's going into her crib at 7 and staying awake until 8:30 or later...and is up before 6:00.

Combine that with messy naptime...yikes. So cranky. So very cranky.

Anyway, after a few weeks of this I told Adam we were doing a bedtime rehab. I did my online research and found out that I basically took exactly what we was ideal and trashed it. Awesome. At least that made going back easier. Madison only needed a little bit of tweaking, but Reagan needed rehab very badly. And when you need it that much, it's not going to be easy.

Big breath. Will they fight me? Or will this be exactly what they need?

Week one results:

Madison has taken to this beautifully. She is completely fine with her early bedtime, and now she's waking up later. She's in her bed by 7 or 7:30 and is getting up close to 8! She's skipping the occasional nap, but she's happy to rest in her bed with some books. And in the few days we've been doing this, she's already having fewer meltdowns.

Reagan....well, not yet. The first day was awesome. Asleep within 10 minutes. Next day, a half hour of "settling" time. The next day, an hour. And napping has been nightmarish. She gets about 20 minutes in the car in the morning, then fights her afternoon nap with all her might. So by bedtime she's overtired. So she's cranky from about 4:30 on, and then she has trouble falling asleep.

This evening was exceptionally tough. She was up at 6, and I think she napped about an hour total all day. Madison also didn't nap today, and they just pushed each other's buttons from about 2:30 until I took Reagan upstairs for a bath at 6.

By the time they were in bed, I was done.

I've not been shy about sharing what we're working on, and I've got some comments from people who think I'm crazy to make anyone's bedtime 6:30. I've had people tell me that if I dump naps entirely, they'll sleep longer at night. I've had people tell me that I need to start staying home in the mornings until Reagan's naps are back under control. I've had people suggest I give them Benadryl to make sure they fall directly to sleep.

Here's the thing. You do what works for you. It's like anything else. You take the advice, you read the "experts", you listen to anecdotes, but ultimately, it's your family that you're dealing with. You need to figure out your solution.

I'm giving my mini rehab another week with the same new schedule, and then I'll reassess.

But if it gives me two happy, non cranky toddlers? It'll be worth it.

Helicopter or Free Range...Finding Where I Belong

So if you follow me on Facebook, or you read between the lines of my post a few days ago about Tinkerbell's upcoming visit, you know that Reagan took a nasty spill on the driveway recently.

Sidenote: no, Tinkerbell hasn't come yet. Madison has revealed that Tinkerbell will be leaving her a princess scooter, but she told her not to come yet. We'll see how long this goes.

We had an initial moment of panic, because she broke her fall with her face. We were worried that she'd knocked out a tooth, because there was a pretty good amount of blood, and she was burying her face into me so we couldn't get a good look. When we finally got a look at her face, we were relieved to see that it was just some scrapes. Her mouth was fine, and everything was superficial, just bleeding more, probably because she was rubbing her face into me.

Anyway, after the initial worry, it didn't look too bad by the time I got her calmed down. She wanted to go right back to running, but she was already up a little bit later than I wanted.  I figured it was probably best to get her inside and in the bathtub. I gently washed her face and it looked like nothing more than a few scrapes. She went to bed perfectly happy. I was totally calm about it. She's a daredevil, and there will be moments where it catches up with her. No need to overreact.

The next day it looked much, much worse. To the point where she looked like she'd been in a brawl. Her poor nose was raw, and I ended up slathering it in Triple Paste. Now, a few days later, it's still scraped, but much better. I think it'll heal up nicely. No lasting harm done.

She doesn't stay still enough to get a good picture these days.

Today she learned how to climb ladders. She was following Madison on the playscape, and just started up. Once she got up the first rung, she gave me a look as if to say "ohhhhh....that's all there is to it. Ok, go away, I've got this".

Don't judge the outfit. She was sweating in the cute "capri" pants she was wearing, so I asked Madison to get her a pair of shorts. She chose this little skirt. Hey, it worked.

And she did. All by herself, up to the top. She was so proud of herself. She did it over and over again. When she missed a step once, I was there to catch her, but she was fine. Just hung on with her little strong arms, while kicking her feet around to find the rung again, no panic or tears. She caught herself and held on. And then finished her climb.

Of course, now she's 8 feet up in the air, and she still doesn't quite know how to sit down to slide down a slide. She just starts walking down until either an adult grabs her or - and this has only happened one terrifying time - she slips down into a sitting position herself. So my backyard time just got a lot more interesting.

It is so hard to know how to balance her daring and impressive skills with my need to keep her safe. Everywhere we go, people freak out as she climbs onto tables, boxes, whatever, and we're so used to that we barely blink. We've got her furniture firmly secured to the wall and we don't police her around the house.

She's downright terrifying at playgrounds. We get there and she and Madison immediately zip off in different directions, and she picks the most terrifying structure to scale - and does. 

And is THRILLED once she's up there.

This seems to be her thing.  She might not be chatty - yet - but man, she can climb. And run. And generally freak me out by her crazy skills. I hate to say it, but I can't wait to enroll her into gymnastics. Which is very scary to me itself. I might joke about being a "dance mom", but I really don't love the idea of pushing kids into activities this young. I have Madison dance because she really loves it. And I think I need to get Reagan into gymnastics ASAP, because since I don't think I can stop her climbing, and I'd like her to get a good outlet where she can climb and swing and dangle from bars with people trained to supervise that sort of thing.

But for now, I'm toeing the fine line between hovering and, dare I say HELICOPTERING, around her, arms outstretched, ready for the inevitable fall so she doesn't scrape up her face again, and going free range, letting her explore and experiment, sometimes falling, but learning. I don't want to squash her, but I hated seeing her get hurt because she thought she was faster than she was and ended up with a scraped face.

I think every parent has their own spot where they feel the most comfortable. I don't know that there's a "right" place to be (well, except for the extremes. Once something is taken too far...yikes). But where's the line for me? What side do I come down on?

I don't know yet.

But with a summer of playgrounds, parks and pools ahead of us, I think I'll figure it out soon.

The Other Side of the Stage

Big change this weekend.

I was on the "mom" side of a performance.

It's a strange transition. When it comes to performances with kids, the majority of my recent experience is as the one who is "in charge". I'm directing, I'm managing, I'm performing. I'm no stranger to big productions. When I was managing the National Choir I was dealing with the performers, directors, parents, house staff, pretty much balancing everyone. When I was working with my choirs, I was selecting, teaching, rehearsing, and polishing the music. I was setting program order. I was doing the tech. I was running logistics, soliciting backstage help, designing programs, communicating with parents.

In other words, I was always really involved. Yes, it's a lot of work, but I sort of feel like I could run a production pretty much on autopilot (although now that I've had a full school year off, I could be a little rusty).

Madison had her first dance recital, and I was finally on the other side of the fence. I was the parent. Just the parent.

It is a very different experience being on that side.

I need to adjust to that role. I don't know that I'm quite there yet.

My struggles started Friday night (actually my struggles started weeks ago when I lost the handbook). Madison needed to be at dress rehearsal at 5:30. She hadn't had a dance class in almost two weeks, and I knew it was important that she be there to practice. I'd asked her to show me the dance at home, but I wasn't sure what it was supposed to look like, and information from Madison isn't always reliable.

"You jump out, and in, and out and in, and you march, and you spin around and around and around and around..."(cue Madison spinning until she falls down while I think...hmmm...what is this going to look like?)

This year Madison is in a studio about a half hour away from us, since they had a class for two year olds and none of the studios in our town started students under three. The recital was about fifteen minutes from the studio.  So basic math told me it would take us 45 minutes.  As a teacher, I knew that on time arrival was really important, so we left an hour before her arrival time. We needed to get there, find exactly where we needed to be, change into costume, do hair and makeup, and be ready to go onstage at the very beginning of rehearsal.

I failed to remember that driving during rush hour on Friday is very different from driving mid-morning on Monday. As I sat in a twenty minute line of traffic just to get on the highway, I realized we were going to be late. Uh oh. Then I started getting messages from a friend of mine, letting me know that parking was not easy because of an afternoon activity, and to be careful which driveway GoogleMaps sent me to, because it was important to go to the right entrance and it could be confusing. I couldn't believe I was already failing at the most basic "mom" task - get your kid there on time!

Relax people, I wasn't texting - or reading texts - as I was driving. I was glancing at my phone while sitting through three or four light cycles, since the road was jammed. 

When we finally pulled in - 15 minutes late - I was thrilled to realize that we weren't the only ones. Not that it makes it acceptable, but at least I wouldn't be slinking inside. This actually made things really great. Madison walked in with her friend, they got dressed right away, and were doing things almost immediately. There was almost no downtime. It was perfect for a two year old. No time for distractions, but enough time to "adjust" to something brand new.

Now I was doing pretty well in my mom role! She had all her costume pieces, she was willing to wear makeup, and have her bun hairsprayed. I took video. I took pictures. I picked up my "mom's pass" for the performance. Madison danced her little heart out and was absolutely adorable.

Afterward she had her celebratory lollipop, changed back into her dress, and watched the big girls dance. She couldn't help but stand up and twirl and dance right along with them. It was adorable. And when she got tired, we could just pack up our bag and leave. She was so excited for recital day and to wear her Minnie dress again. It was great. We got home, put the little dancer to bed, and I uploaded and shared pictures. My updates were full of little Minnie pictures.

(I hate blogger right now. This is where adorable pictures should go, but blogger once again is refusing to upload my pictures. Anyone know what blogger's problem is?)

Saturday, I started getting organized around lunchtime. The recital started at 6:30, and Madison usually goes to bed around 7, so I knew I needed to be prepared for potential meltdowns. Reagan and Adam came too, and that meant another bag for them while they waited around for an hour.

I did find all the costume pieces that had been stuffed in the bag. However, the white gloves, which she wore only for the duration of the rehearsal, were covered in lipstick and dust. Whoops. I worked on cleaning them up and re-organizing the bag, adding all sorts of quiet activities to keep a little girl occupied.

I could not find my "mom's pass" anywhere. I knew that I'd put it in my back pocket when I received it at rehearsal, but I also knew that I knew that was a bad place, and I'd moved it. To.....ummmm.....somewhere.

I spent an hour looking for that thing. I was really tempted to attempt to duplicate it myself so I didn't have to get there and admit that I couldn't even keep track of it for 24 hours. Finally, after a full hour, I found it in a very safe place, and suddenly remembered the entire logic stream that went into putting it there. Right.

I had no idea if I had packed enough, or the right stuff, but we left right on time and made it with time to spare! Win!

Then we took Madison out of her car seat....soaked. An hour is still a long time to expect her to go in the car since she's been out of Pull Ups, especially when she's excited, eating dinner on the road, and out of routine, and since I was distracted, I hadn't been "reminding" her to let me know if she needed me to stop. Whoops.

Took Madison in, found the right place, got her dressed (and ahem, dried), made up, hairsprayed. She was excited and having a great time with her friends.

Then we waited. And waited. And waited. And waited. Her group was tenth - about a quarter of the way through the performance - and we figured it would be about a half hour after the performance started. Ninety minutes after arrival time. This could be tricky.

She didn't want to sit and color, or read books, or watch videos on the iPads that were going. Once groups started getting called a little before the start time, she was done waiting. Either she went on, or she went home.

Sometimes, like in this situation, I forget that she's still two. She won't be three until late July, and since she's so verbal, so smart, and hangs out with girls who are older, I expect her to "act" older too. Then she pulls something that is VERY two-year-old-ish, and I remember.

She started pulling her "actress" routine. She goes off in a dramatic flourish of crocodile tears and collapses on the floor, saying "just leave me alone! Oh MOM. I'm SAD".

Once she started that, and we had another thirty minutes to go, I had a feeling that things were not going to end well. As her mom, I just needed to keep her excited and happy and ready to go...and I was definitely failing. I tried everything in my teacher bag of tricks to keep the performer happy, and everything in my mom bag of tricks to keep my daughter happy.

Can you guess how the story ended? Once her group got called down, they literally ran down the long hallways, went immediately onstage....and she didn't dance.

Don't get me wrong, she was adorable and her group was a total hit. She's certainly not the first tiny dancer to pull a stubborn statue move. But her poor dad, who had never seen her dance, couldn't come to the dress rehearsal, and was really looking forward to seeing her dance, still hasn't seen her dance (live, that is. She's made him watch the video countless times).

Of course, in our parent role, we told her how wonderful she was, and how proud we were, and presented her with a celebratory Ballerina Belle (instead of flowers). She already missed having dance class this morning, and she's asking when she gets to dance again. So we're pretty sure this is the first of many performances, and it will be a cute story of her very first recital, before she'd even turned three.

And I've got some time to figure out how to be on the "mom" side of things.

Anticipating Tinkerbell's Visit!

It's time...beyond time...to say goodbye to the pacifiers.

(Even the blue one).

She only gets them in her crib, but the kid is still beyond addicted.

We can't "lose" them, because they stay in her crib and she treasures them. She tucks them away safely so Reagan can't take them. When one drops out of her bed at night, she makes sure to note where it fell and retrieves it first thing in the morning. I tried clipping the tips - she doesn't care. I mentioned that she could tuck them in a stuffed animal (her Scentsy buddy has a zip up back) and she could cuddle the animal. She was not interested, and now refuses to keep her buddy in bed with her.

This is not easy.

Lately, we've been conversationally floating the idea of the "paci fairy". We mentioned that the paci fairy has visited some of her friends who are becoming big boys and girls, and she is taking the pacifiers away for the babies of Pixie Hollow (yes, we went with the obsession. She loves the Disney fairies). As a thank you she is leaving a "big girl toy". We're being pretty casual, but suggesting that this would be really amazing if the paci fairy thought Madison was a big girl.

These girls are running neck and neck with the princesses these days. Honestly, I think I prefer the fairies.

Well, we backed off because Madison started freaking out. She started hiding her pacifiers in her bed and begging us not to let any fairies in the house while she was sleeping. She kept telling us that she did not think it was a good idea if the paci fairy came and she was very afraid she would sneak in and was starting to get nervous. Since she's actually really good about going to bed, we figured that if we didn't stop, we would create a bigger issue. So we stopped. Yeah, yeah, we need to ditch the paci, but sleep is golden.

Tonight, after dinner, we were playing with the girls outside. Madison and Reagan were having a fine time chasing each other and blowing on dandelion puffs to send more fairies to Pixie Hollow.

Once Reagan faceplanted on the driveway and I took her inside, Madison and Adam were arranging some of her toys to make a fairy house.

(insert adorable photo of Madison building a fairy house inside that blogger refuses to upload for some reason. I'll keep trying).

As they were arranging the set up she was talking about who might come visit and she said to him,

"You know, Tinkerbell is coming soon. She needs my pacifier and she has a special present for me".

Adam told me he was totally shocked that she brought it up (and turned this random "pacifier fairy" into Tinkerbell, who she's really into). He was sort of afraid to push, so he just said "oh yeah?"

"Yes. She won't take them all. They're too heavy. She takes one by one and will come three times".

She actually has six pacifiers left. But this is no time for a math lesson.

Adam asked "What kind of toy will she leave?"

"I don't know. A toy for big girls. She can't tell me because she can only jingle. It's ok though Daddy, she won't come tonight".

Then they watched the planes over our house for a little while, came inside, and went to bed.

So to me, this is pretty big. The fact that she's not running screaming when we mention that big girls don't need pacifiers, the fact that she brought up Tinkerbell...she might actually get there.

Motivational posters for toddlers. Now I've seen everything.

It's good news, it's definitely good news. I was starting to get a little concerned that she would be the kid who would be graduating from high school with her pacifier.

But it's one of her last little bits of babyhood. Slowly but surely, all those baby things have been left behind, and she's growing into more of a kid.  It's all good, but it's a little sad to - literally - pack up those last few wisps of my first baby girl.

But I'm coping with a little bit of overachieving moment seizing.  I feel like I need to (subtly) run with this.  I'll pick up a Tinkerbell box she can leave her pacifiers in when she's ready, and I'll need to figure out what the heck this big girl toy is going to be and get it hidden and ready on standby. Then, because I'm crazy, I'll probably go all nuts with a thank you letter from Tinkerbell and some glittery pixie dust to leave behind.

Where on EARTH am I going to find one of these?

I'm really proud that she is coming to terms with this big step. She's taken a "scary" concept and turned it into something she can handle and relate to. She knows that she's not afraid of Tinkerbell, and that maybe it won't be so bad. This thinking really shows she's growing up.

But I will really miss the end of these baby days.

Now that I've put this milestone in writing, I've probably completely jinxed it. I'll go out and buy a box, and stress out about a toy (or three!) and get all prepared and worked up...and she'll decide that no big girl toy is worth the loss of her blue pacifier. And someday she'll walk down the aisle looking like Maggie Simpson. Still, fingers crossed!

She's Not Playing Right!

The girls got up at 8:45 on Mother's Day. They clearly knew it was a special day for Mommy. I was able to shower, drink my coffee, and relax. It was awesome. 

Actually, all of Mother's Day was awesome. Adam and the girls did a FANTASTIC job of letting me relax and spoiling me rotten. The most stressful part of the day was BRUNCH, and the worst part is that I have to wait another 364 days for another one.

Well, they were back to normal today.  Early rising. Although I love having them run into my bed to cuddle with me, it does make it difficult to drink my coffee in peace. They're pretty needy creatures at the beginning of the day, and getting everyone fed, changed, dressed and packed up for the day doesn't leave a lot of time for relaxed coffee drinking.

I am MUCH happier when I get my coffee. You'd think they'd figure that out.

Today we stayed home. We didn't have any scheduled activities, errands to run, and it was a little chilly for a lot of outdoor play. These days happen occasionally, and they're kind of nice. We can put on a movie, stay in our pjs until we feel like getting dressed, and just play.

The girls are playing together now, which is generally a good thing...until they get on each other's nerves.

Madison is getting increasingly frustrated because Reagan isn't playing "right".

"Right" is defined as "how Madison is playing in that particular moment", not any official sort of ruling. Although Madison seems to feel it's pretty official.

She wants to play with Reagan.

Reagan wants to play with her.

They both want to play the same thing.

This should be easy, right? I can drink my coffee in peace!

Nope.

Tea party?  Reagan wants to hold a cup and spoon. Madison wants to set out all the cups and spoons, get Reagan and all her toys sitting around, and pour tea. Once Reagan picks up a cup it might as well be over.

Dolls? Madison wants to be the mommy and put her "babies" in the high chair, stroller, bathtub, etc. She wants to undress and redress them. Reagan wants to pick them up and carry them around.  That leads to shrieking that Reagan woke all the babies up!

Beans. In the sensory table. No defined way to play at ALL. Still, Madison is getting frustrated that Reagan is scooping and pouring beans the wrong way.

It always starts the same way. Both girls will be playing with something. Madison will pull something out and call "Reagan, come play ______ with me". Reagan will drop what she's doing and run after Madison.

It always ends the same way. Madison screeches "Noooooooooo" like she is being attacked. Then she snatches whatever toy Reagan is holding away. Reagan starts crying and runs over to me.  Depending on the ferocity of the snatching, Madison might end up in time out.

It's one of those catch-22 situations. They want to play together. They want to play with the same thing.

And yet they are at two totally different stages of "play" right now. Playing together is going to frustrate someone. Or more likely, both.

Judging from a friend of mine who has kids with the same spacing, but who are slightly older, this situation will continue to play out for at least another year.

Think anyone would notice if I just take my coffee into the bathroom and close the door?

 

The Perfect Mother's Day Gift

Adam and I have been having the "so what do you think you want" conversation for a couple of weeks.

I have always been really bad at specific gift giving ideas.  I never know if I'm asking for too much, or not enough, or being too practical, or not being practical enough.

I know, I should be glad that my husband a) starts thinking about things ahead of time b) doesn't pull any of that "you're not my mother" garbage

and c) really wants to make sure that whatever I get is something I'll really like and enjoy.  I did decide on something and hopefully he'll be able to deliver.

This week, we've been discussing how I'd like to spend the day. Brunch was a given. I love brunch. Adam made the reservation and has promised to take the bulk of the toddler handling during the meal (but let's be honest, no matter whose "day" it is, that's a two man job right now). Now he's letting me decide how I'd like to spend the rest of the day. Do I want a "day off" where I can go out and relax? Do I want to do something as a family?

It feels weird to say "Here's a day that I get for having kids. So I want to be left alone". (I mean, I do want that. I'm not going to lie. Alone time is a beautiful thing right now. I don't know why exactly that makes me feel guilty, but it does).

You know what I really want? What I think a lot of moms want?

I want a day that's filled with only the good parts of motherhood. Just the good stuff.

I want the snuggles.

I want the cute conversation from Madison.

I want that feeling of Reagan burrowing into me as she falls asleep.

I want to watch two happy girls play.

I want a day filled with the moments where your heart swells with love, and pride, and family and you are loving your life. The moments you don't want to end and you want to freeze time.  I don't want to take a day off from that part of motherhood.

And I don't want to deal with all the parts that make me tired, make me cranky, make me short tempered.

I don't want to deal with all those little moments that get irritating.

I don't want to deal with crying, whining, or tantrums.

I don't want to change six poop diapers in one day from a little girls who doesn't like to stop moving long enough to get a change, and sit in the bathroom making conversation with Madison while she poops, then negotiating with her over wiping and washing hands.

I don't want to break up fights over cups, snacks and toys.

I don't want to have to figure out what needs to go in the bag for brunch, pack the bag for brunch, and distribute cups, toys, crayons, and snacks while trying to enjoy brunch.

I don't want to chase a 14 month old around a non-babyproofed location.

I don't want to try and get an almost three year old to end an activity without tantrumming.

I don't want an entire naptime's cleaning effort destroyed in the first five minutes after wakeup.

I don't want to wrangle two kids in and out the car.

I don't want to work to get them to sleep.

I want a day with none of that frustrating, exhausting stuff, where you feel a lot more like a servant to your offspring, cleaning up and meeting their needs, than a family member.

True story: a few days ago I was scrubbing the kitchen floor - literally hands and knees, sponge and bucket, deep clean scrubbing (that I do about once a year) - and Madison came into the kitchen after her nap and said "Mommy! You are just like Cinderella cleaning my castle!". Wow. Way to put me in my place. I mean, I know things work out great for Cinderella, but she didn't tell me I looked ready for the ball. She basically said I looked like a decent maid.
 
But the exhausting daily trials and the good parts go together. The sweet parts wouldn't feel so sweet if you weren't exhausted by upkeep of two little ones. And you could never talk anyone into dealing with all that frustration if you didn't have the sweet moments to balance it out.




I don't know that those days will ever exist.

So I guess I'll take brunch, some time to myself, and the luxury of knowing that I can pass a bigger portion of those "don't want" things onto Adam for the day.  That sounds pretty perfect to me.

OH....and one more thing.

I don't want the "mother's day hangover" either.

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms who read and follow! Having readers who are not related to me who follow, comment, and share this blog is an awesome gift that keeps giving all year long. No matter where we are, no matter what stage or phase we're in, it is comforting to know that none of us are truly alone!

Allergies? Cold? How Can You Tell?

I spent the entire day wiping noses today.

Saturday evening we spent about four consecutive hours outside. It was a perfect spring day. When the girls woke up from their naps we started playing on the playground. We took a wagon ride down to see our neighbors' horses, and visited the farm behind us to say hello to the goats and chickens.

We grilled steak and veggies and ate dinner outside. Afterward Adam and I took turns cleaning up and playing catch with Madison and teaching Reagan to throw and kick.  We picked tiny little purple flowers and blew dandelion fluff all over the yard (sending many new fairies to Pixie Hollow).

Once the girls started melting down over silly things, we took them inside, gave them a bath, and put them to bed.

By midday Sunday, both girls were congested, red eyed and drippy. And I was fighting the itchy eyes/nose/throat.

I think we're all in the midst of the allergy fog.

At least I think we're dealing with allergies.

That's the problem right now. I know that the itchiness is a good sign for me that I'm dealing with allergies, and not a cold.

But with the girls, it's tough to tell, because they aren't telling me anything.

Neither of them is acting sick. No fever, no change in appetite, no behavior change. They're rubbing their eyes, they're scratching their noses, they're producing an unbelievable amount of snot, but beyond that, they seem fine.

Change of season cold?  Or allergies?

It's spring, everything is blooming, and all three of us started the day after a long outside day.

Allergies, right?

For me, this is fairly easy. Itchy throat = allergies. And since I'm not pregnant, I'm not nursing, and I can buy medication, I can treat myself. I took a very official Facebook poll this morning before hitting the drugstore, and I popped some Zyrtec with my lunch (all my old allergy meds had expired in the three years where I've either been pregnant or nursing).

So although I hate allergies, I should be ok in a few days, and I can take some meds to clear up the worst of the symptoms in the meantime.

But what to do for the girls? They're not sick, so I don't want to drag them to the doctor and pay double the co-pay to hear that, yeah, they have runny noses. Most doctors won't diagnose allergies this early anyway. I know that people can and do give their kids the children's formulas of OTC stuff, but I don't know what dosages to give them. I did get the OK a few months ago (when we actually were dealing with colds) to give them Benadryl, but so far, not effective.  And because Reagan is so young, the chances of her being able to take anything are pretty slim.

I have to admit, I'm not wishing their baby days away, but I can't wait until OTC stuff is fine for them, when they can articulate what is going on, and when I can actually help make them feel better without a lot of guesswork, trial and error, and frustration.

As for right now, I guess I'll send Madison to school with tissues tomorrow while Reagan and I go in search of some local honey...and see if the nurse line at their pediatrician takes pity on me and suggests a foolproof way to tell, treat, and keep us playing outside without the tissues!

Buried in Paper

So I'm caught up on the laundry, my car is in decent shape, I'm keeping up with most of the housework, and I'm back to my regular writing schedule. 

However, I realized yesterday that there is a pile of random paper that is going to do me in.

And yesterday, that mystery pile did me in.

I committed a major parenting sin. I talked up an event...and then realized I had the date wrong and got my kid all excited, only to tell her that I was wrong and we were having an ordinary day at home.

I never really tell the girls about fun and out of the ordinary events until the night (or sometimes even the day) before.  Madison is only beginning to get a sense of time. So if I tell her on WEDNESDAY that we're doing something super fun on SATURDAY, she gets excited and asks me about it constantly.

Now?

No.

Now?

No.

Now?

No.

So I don't do it. She finds out what's going on for a particular day on that day. Then she's excited, and she doesn't have long to wait.  No, this won't work forever, and yes, there's something fun about anticipation, but right now, this is what works.

Anyway, Friday night, I told that Saturday was going to be a really fun day! We were going to a birthday party!  She was so excited! She woke up Saturday ready to party.

The issue was...I couldn't find the invitation. I was pretty sure it was in the early afternoon, and I knew the place, but I could not remember what time it started.  Adam had been asking me about it, since it was still up for debate as to whether or not I'd be bringing Reagan. If I didn't, he'd have to come home from golf in time. When he left, I still hadn't found the invite. I still wasn't concerned though. I just told him not to worry about it, and if it was on the earlier side, I'd just bring Reagan.

The morning went on and my search through the piles still was proving fruitless. Finally, I admitted defeat, and emailed a friend of mine who I knew was also invited.

Success! She was happy to hear we were going, and let me know the correct time.

And then she clarified that the party was on Sunday. 

Whoops.

So here I am, completely at fault, and dealing with a very disappointed almost three year old, who isn't great at delayed gratification. She was sad, she was mad, she was in denial. I reminded her that we were still going, that the birthday party was still happening, but it was just one more day of waiting.

She did settle, and we made sure to do some fun things at home, she was just as excited about the party today and had a great time, but I felt bad. Not because she had to wait, but because it truly was my fault. And it was something that could have easily been avoided if I had been on top of all the paper that seems to come into my house.

Coupons, bills, invitations, magazine clippings. Things to write the on the calendar, things to pay, things to file, things to toss.  For an increasingly paperless society, we still get a ridiculous amount of paper coming in.

I thought I had a good system. We throw away most junk mail as it comes in. Most of our bills are online and we try to keep most things electronic. Bills that we do get go into the tote bag that I carry around for when I get a moment (and yes, those get dealt with).

But I'm bad at the rest of our plan. The plan seems pretty good. I have a folder for coupons to clip, a folder for stuff to file, a folder for paperwork I need to complete, a folder for things to add on the calendar.

Then I get busy and just put it on my desk, to be put into the correct folders as soon as I get a moment.

And then I build my three year old up and let her down because I am still missing that invitation.

Tomorrow I'll tackle Mount Paperwork (hey, if I can conquer Mount Laundry, I should be able to handle this).

And I'll continue lusting after this.

The NeatDesk. I lust after it every time the infomercial airs (and yes, I know it's basically just a $400 scanner. Shut up. It looks like it would make all my piles magically disappear).

And if anyone has any other magical solutions for keeping all the paper organized, I'd love to hear them!

Hey NeatDesk, I am TOTALLY available for product reviews. I know you market yourself toward business, but I think you've got an untapped Mom market in need of your organization!

Things That Made My Toddler Angry Today

Disclaimer: Madison is typically a really happy kid. She didn't nap yesterday and woke up early this morning, making for a VERY overtired little girl. She's napping now, and I think she'll be much less moody when she wakes up. That, or we're at that beautiful time where she is showing both terrible 2 and trying 3 year old behavior. 

Madison was crabby this morning. These days don't happen often, but when they do....look out. You never know what's going to make her mad and send her to her "crying place" (not her time out spot, but the place she goes when she gets mad) saying "I'm leaving!".

In case you are ever in charge of an almost three year old, and want to push their buttons, here is what I found worked very effectively today.

She had to pee on the green potty instead of the princess potty.

We really just need a second princess seat. The green potty is upstairs and CLEARLY inferior.

Reagan sat on her chair (while Madison was sitting on Reagan's chair).

They have the SAME CHAIR. The only difference is the name.

I made waffles from scratch this morning instead of the box in the freezer.

I took out the iron and she was crying. Mind you, we have these about once a week.

The painted on door to the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse playset doesn't open (and has never opened).

She was DEMANDING I open the door and did not believe me when I demonstrated that it didn't exist.

I drank a cup of coffee.

Sorry kid, when you are this cranky, Mommy needs coffee (and I think I need this mug!)

I wouldn't put new batteries in her water bottle (yes, you read that right).

I was having about as much success with this as I was with the door on the clubhouse.

She asked for Snow White music in the car, and I played...Snow White music.

Turned out she meant Tiana. I need my mind reader re-tuned.

 I mean, come on, these are all issues deserving of massive angry crying fits, right? I'd be really annoyed if someone had the nerve to make waffles and sip their coffee while refusing to properly battery power my water cup and perform an instant remodel on my toys.

What worries me is...if she's this moody now, what on earth am I going to do with teenager Madison?

What things have YOU done to irritate your kids lately?

Condescending Mom v. Judgmental Mom...I Think We Have a Winner!

Last time we were at the mall (ahem, festival), shopping for Madison's new seasonal wardrobe (she's fancy like that) I almost picked up a new mom friend, but chickened out.

Today we went back to the mall, not to buy clothes, but because I actually realized I overbought t-shirts for Madison, and I needed to return a few "filler" pieces.

I got to chat with another mom while waiting in line at Old Navy and realized she was the kind of mom I would not want to pick up.

The Condescending Mom

I thought that on my list of "mom types to avoid", that the number one type was "Judgmental Mom".

Don't get me wrong, I'm still not putting those moms on top of my friends list, but today's condescending mom was so obnoxious, I think she may have pushed her category into a tie for first.

I had both girls in the double stroller and was chatting with them - just silly stuff - as we waited our turn. There was a surprisingly long line and only one person working up front, and every customer seemed to have an issue. Reagan was babbling away and Madison was doing her best to make her laugh.

Finally, we weren't last in line. A woman joined the line pushing a little girl.  Madison is unbelievably outgoing and friendly and gregarious, and she'll not only chat with me, but she'll chat with anyone in sight.

So naturally when she saw the woman standing there with her little girl, she immediately said

"Hi! My name is Madison. What's your name? Who's your baby?"

At first the woman was completely friendly and chatted with Madison. She introduced Madison to her baby (Anna), who was pointing at Reagan saying "Baby!"

The woman said to her child, "oh yes, but she's just a little baby! You are my big girl!"

So of course, friendly person as I like to think I am, told this seemingly friendly mom that her daughter was adorable (she was) and asked how old she was.

Turned out she and Reagan were only days apart!  The woman was visibly shocked.

First, I thought it was just that she reacted like most people do. Reagan is by no means unhealthy, but she is pretty tiny. Often people think she's younger than she is. That doesn't bother me. Nothing wrong with being petite.

Then she told me that she never would have guessed Reagan was 14 months old, because "she hasn't said a single word! Does she talk at all?"

Reagan babbles constantly. She has a lot to say, but so far, not much that anyone can understand. I really wouldn't count her as having any words. She's not an early talker like Madison was. But in a lot of ways, she's the classic second child. Crazy motor skills to keep up, later verbal skills because the first one talks for her. I'm not concerned, Adam isn't concerned, the pediatrician isn't concerned.

But this mom was very concerned. And very condescending. You'll have to imagine her tone, because I can't replicate it in writing. But picture someone trying hard to sound humble/helpful/sympathetic/simpering....I don't know. Honestly, it was like a cartoon version of condescending. I'm not doing it justice in my description. So use your imagination.

First, she apologized profusely.

I must have looked confused, because she started listing all the woes that would befall a 14 month old who wasn't saying single, understandable, words (which, again, is not something we are concerned with. According to our pediatrican, if at 18 months she has NO words, we can consider the idea of maybe needing speech).

She'd be a delayed reader!

She might develop behavior issues from being unable to communicate her needs!

She may have undiagnosed hearing disorders and was silently suffering!!!

And on and on.

(Seriously Old Navy, could this line be moving any slower?)

Then, because I was woefully unaware of how serious the situation was, she began to give me some super helpful tips. With a really concerned face and an attitude that seemed to indicate that she needed to step in and help this poor family before it was too late!

You know, I think the reason Anna is so advanced (Really? Advanced? I am sure she is sweet and smart and wonderful, but I've heard one word) is that I really make an effort to talk to her.  I talk to her all day! Maybe YOU could try that! You would be AMAZED!

Since at this point I had relegated her to blog fodder (hey, thanks for the topic!), I didn't follow my instincts and shut her down. I really wanted to see how far she'd go. So I merely raised my eyebrows.

I mean, obviously your older daughter caught up. She's SOOOOOO cute by the way! Maybe you could try the same things with your baby? If you can remember what you did to encourage her to talk?  Do you think you talked to her? I know it was a few years ago.

Huh. Wonder how old she thinks Madison is.

You can talk to her about anything! You don't need to worry about thinking of what to say! I tell Anna everything! Like, when we get dressed I tell her what she's wearing! And when she eats I tell her what she's eating! Oooh, wait, do you play with her? You can tell her what toys you are using! And did you know that babies like books??? They do! I probably read a book every day!

I had to stop her, since luckily, it was my turn and I could focus my attention elsewhere. As I did my return - which was thankfully easy - she took it upon herself to talk to my poor, neglected child.

(Ok, you're going to need to hear that voice again. Now, add "super fake wide eyes overly enunciated and slightly manic" to whatever voice you were using before).

Hiiiiiiii. Hi! Hi! Hi! Baaaaaay-beeeeee. Baaaay-beeeee.  That's you!  Yoooooooou! See Mama! Maaaa-maaaa!  Maaaa-maaaa!

Reagan is not into strangers, and this woman was being so over the top that Reagan had stopped her babbling, smiling, and playing. She wasn't crying, but she was staring warily. Madison is meanwhile watching this with fascination. She looks at the woman like she's insane (thatta girl).  The woman noticed and starts gesturing toward Madison.

Oh! Your sister is a biiiiiiiig girl! Sissssss-ter!!! Can your sissssss-ter talk to you? Maybe your biiiiiiig sister will talk to you?

Now my return is done, so I smiled and told the woman to have a nice day (again, silently thanking her for providing me with such awesome blog fodder).  It was her turn now, so I figured her parenting lesson and language tutorial was over for the day. She could go home feeling like she'd really made a difference in the world by doing such a good deed.

But nope.

Just remember! Don't wait for school to teach her! You're her mommy! You have the most important job in the WHOLE WORLD!!!! Don't think of it as hard! Love it!

Wow.


We HAVE a winner!

By the way, I'm aware I have been a HORRIBLE blogger recently. For some reason I have had a really hard time getting the time to sit down and WRITE. I really don't like writing in short spurts, and big chunks of time when I'm not exhausted have been tough to find. But now that I'm actually caught up, I HOPE I'm back on track. If you miss hearing stories here, you can always check me out on Facebook! I usually have a moment to share a funny link or two! And don't give up - I have at least two great giveaways coming up soon!