Today was filled with headaches and crabbies. Both Rob and I are not feeling too great with some crazy headaches going on. Brandon has also not totally been himself today either. I think some new teeth are coming in and he is officially a toddler complete with the tantrums.
He is now able to climb onto the rocker/recliner and the couch. Once he is up there he likes to walk on the couch (we have an L shaped couch) and the coffee table is in front of the table. We push it all the way up to the couch because Brandon likes to crawl under it and behind it and get stuck. Now he likes to crawl on the couch and then on top of the table and dance on it.
Today Brandon cut his pointer finger on his left hand. We don't know how he cut it but while sitting on the couch after dinner dad realized his finger was bleeding. We sat for almost an hour trying to get it to stop with putting pressure on it. Brandon got a bit upset about this because he wanted to get down and play. He didn't realize what was going on. I am thinking it didn't hurt him because he was pulling it away and didn't want us to take care of it. We went through half a box of band aids before the bleeding stopped.
As mean as this might sound, the cutest thing was how he held his finger after the band aid changes. He did try and get the band aids off which is why we wrapped it with 2 or 3 at a time. After we were done and he realized he couldn't get the band aid off he would walk around holding his one pointer finger in the air. As of right now the finger is wrapped and he is doing well (sound asleep).
My favorite part of the day today was when we were all watching America's Funniest Home Videos (AFV). Brandon would sit and watch any parts with animals in it. He would laugh hysterically at any puppy/dog ones. We would rewind the show (we love our dvr) and play it over and over so he would keep laughing. He had a fun time with AFV and we know what makes him laugh! Good Show!
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Friday, July 17, 2009
Are You One Finger?
We all do it. Ask our young ones "How old are you?" During that question we are sticking our fingers in the air waiting for them to become instant geniuses and answer us the first time we ask.
The most popular time we ask is when they just turn one. They are official a 'finger' a whole 'one finger' years old.
Today I was practicing this with Brandon. I would ask him the question and then hold up my one finger and wait for a reaction from him. Right away he repeated my actions which is what all of us moms want. Thinking, "My he is SO smart" I applauded his answer. The key to kids learning anything is repeating yourself over and over. A few minutes later I asked again, "How old are you?" and held up my one finger. Again, he knew exactly what to do. However, this time he stood starring at me waiting for my next action. I thought he was looking for praise from me but I was wrong. After a few brief moments later he ran over to me and grabbed my 'one' finger. With his other hand he dug for my other 'one' finger and then put them together.
I scared him with my laughing response.
You see, he doesn't think of just the 'Are you one finger' but thinks the 2 fingers that go together. He thinks this because I have been busy teaching him 'Cut the Pickle'. He kept putting my fingers together and apart. He could care less about the 'Are You One Finger' but rather the 'Cut the Pickle' finger because he knows it gets him a good laugh.
Not only does Brandon get his laugh with a 'tickle, tickle' to his belly mom gets a good laugh because he learned 'cut the pickle' before 'are you one' and his reaction to it is just perfect for a 'tickle, tickle' for mom.
The most popular time we ask is when they just turn one. They are official a 'finger' a whole 'one finger' years old.
Today I was practicing this with Brandon. I would ask him the question and then hold up my one finger and wait for a reaction from him. Right away he repeated my actions which is what all of us moms want. Thinking, "My he is SO smart" I applauded his answer. The key to kids learning anything is repeating yourself over and over. A few minutes later I asked again, "How old are you?" and held up my one finger. Again, he knew exactly what to do. However, this time he stood starring at me waiting for my next action. I thought he was looking for praise from me but I was wrong. After a few brief moments later he ran over to me and grabbed my 'one' finger. With his other hand he dug for my other 'one' finger and then put them together.
I scared him with my laughing response.
You see, he doesn't think of just the 'Are you one finger' but thinks the 2 fingers that go together. He thinks this because I have been busy teaching him 'Cut the Pickle'. He kept putting my fingers together and apart. He could care less about the 'Are You One Finger' but rather the 'Cut the Pickle' finger because he knows it gets him a good laugh.
Not only does Brandon get his laugh with a 'tickle, tickle' to his belly mom gets a good laugh because he learned 'cut the pickle' before 'are you one' and his reaction to it is just perfect for a 'tickle, tickle' for mom.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
The Praise vs. Scold dilemma (TMI Warning)
About 24 hours ago I had one of my worst nightmares come true. I can't say the worst since I consider that to be a childhood illness, death in the family, child abduction...all that sad stuff. But in the 'normal realm of motherhood' it was one of my worst nightmares that jumped outside my overactive mind and came true to ruin my morning which in turn wrecked my day.
At 8:49am on Wednesday morning Brandon woke up chatting like usual. After I secured the living room (aka closed the baby gate) I excitedly ventured down the hallway to get my happy little boy. Obviously he was going to be happy because I could smell the hard work he did in his diaper from the hallway. Thinking, "Boy, that must have been a hard one for him. I bet he feels better." I turned the knob in slow motion like you see in a horror movie. I walked in and screamed (and gagged).
My perfect little boy had learned how to take off his diaper. Not only did he learn how to take it off he also learned how to use his entire crib and himself and a bathroom for his diaper #2 duties. Why is it that toddlers think because it is brown it must be a fingerpaint? I wanted to laugh but I cried! I didn't know where to start. Sadly, I called my sister and my mom to get some moral support.
The praise vs. scold dilemma came when I noticed how proud Brandon was that he took his diaper off himself. He thought he was doing mommy a huge favor and that he was such a big boy because he took his own diaper off. Do you become a proud momma that your little bear learned a new thing and he applied himself or do you scold him for the disaster of a mess he created?
This is not the first time I have pondered the problem. He has had this reaction more than once.
When he tips his entire cup upside down and is so proud he got all the milk out of the cup.
When he knows how to use the remote to turn the television to another division of the world (we have 4 remotes and many different steps need to be taken to just watch tv). He thinks he is so smart he got the screen to change but you have no idea what planet the television is portraying.
When he learns things can go into the toilet and when you push the flush button they disappear. This only happened with a little fuzzy toy once but Brandon thought he was Houdini the Magician.
When he realized the bed skirt on his crib is just for decoration. He realized he could fit under there and get stuck. He knows a good hide and go seek spot now.
When he noticed rocks look just as good in the rock area of the yard as they do the grass area. He was so proud of himself for just starting his own landscaping company and made life easier for dad who doesn't have to mow the yard anymore if you just fill it all with rock.
When he learned Grandma and Grandpa react when they are splashed with water. He was so proud he saved them from the heat and used the water to keep them cool.
Obviously, Brandon is proud of himself for finding new and exciting things to learn and ways to contribute to the world. As his mom, I want to be really proud of him as well and praise him when he learns new things but as a 'MOM' I also want to scold him, discipline when necessary and redirect! So as the BEST MOM you come to a middle ground.
So, you solve the dilemma? What would YOU do? Leave a comment! I want to hear from YOU!
At 8:49am on Wednesday morning Brandon woke up chatting like usual. After I secured the living room (aka closed the baby gate) I excitedly ventured down the hallway to get my happy little boy. Obviously he was going to be happy because I could smell the hard work he did in his diaper from the hallway. Thinking, "Boy, that must have been a hard one for him. I bet he feels better." I turned the knob in slow motion like you see in a horror movie. I walked in and screamed (and gagged).
My perfect little boy had learned how to take off his diaper. Not only did he learn how to take it off he also learned how to use his entire crib and himself and a bathroom for his diaper #2 duties. Why is it that toddlers think because it is brown it must be a fingerpaint? I wanted to laugh but I cried! I didn't know where to start. Sadly, I called my sister and my mom to get some moral support.
The praise vs. scold dilemma came when I noticed how proud Brandon was that he took his diaper off himself. He thought he was doing mommy a huge favor and that he was such a big boy because he took his own diaper off. Do you become a proud momma that your little bear learned a new thing and he applied himself or do you scold him for the disaster of a mess he created?
This is not the first time I have pondered the problem. He has had this reaction more than once.
When he tips his entire cup upside down and is so proud he got all the milk out of the cup.
When he knows how to use the remote to turn the television to another division of the world (we have 4 remotes and many different steps need to be taken to just watch tv). He thinks he is so smart he got the screen to change but you have no idea what planet the television is portraying.
When he learns things can go into the toilet and when you push the flush button they disappear. This only happened with a little fuzzy toy once but Brandon thought he was Houdini the Magician.
When he realized the bed skirt on his crib is just for decoration. He realized he could fit under there and get stuck. He knows a good hide and go seek spot now.
When he noticed rocks look just as good in the rock area of the yard as they do the grass area. He was so proud of himself for just starting his own landscaping company and made life easier for dad who doesn't have to mow the yard anymore if you just fill it all with rock.
When he learned Grandma and Grandpa react when they are splashed with water. He was so proud he saved them from the heat and used the water to keep them cool.
Obviously, Brandon is proud of himself for finding new and exciting things to learn and ways to contribute to the world. As his mom, I want to be really proud of him as well and praise him when he learns new things but as a 'MOM' I also want to scold him, discipline when necessary and redirect! So as the BEST MOM you come to a middle ground.
So, you solve the dilemma? What would YOU do? Leave a comment! I want to hear from YOU!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
What they never tell you!
There are actually many new mom books (some I have glanced through, some not) that are all about 'What you really need to know but no one tells you: Pregnancy, Labor, Delivery and life with your newborn'. To be honest, I am the FARTHEST thing from a 'by the book' mom. I don't own them, I don't read the, I have no interest in them. I don't think kids are 'by the book' or should be placed between two book covers. This includes pregnancy, labor, delivery, and raising kids.
While 8 months pregnant Rob and I spent some time at our local bookstore where I ventured over to the Mom and Baby section. I found one of these 'What they never tell you books' that I normally are written by a celebrity (Jenny McCartney, Tori Spelling). After skimming through the book I realized 'they' (whomever 'they' are) have really done a good job at telling me what I need to know.
For instance (warning: gore ahead) and this isn't necessarily true for me but for examples,
1. Labor and Delivery hurts. It feels like you are taking the largest poo in your life and then multiple that by 100. Yes, I knew it hurts and would feel like I expected it to feel. You are trying to push a watermelon through something the size of a grape.
2. Some women, while pushing during delivery have their own BM...that actually made total sense to me.
3. While pushing that watermelon through something the size of a grape, some women can tear. Not just a bit but a whole tear from one hole to another.
4. The last month of your pregnancy it feels like a 50 pound bowling ball is not only sitting on your bladder but on your pelvic bone and you swear there has to be a fracture in that bone.
5. The last weeks of your pregnancy it will feel like that bowling ball will fall out as you walk down the hallway.
So for me- these things were not really new. I wasn't totally surprised at all
However there are a few things someone never told me: AFTER THE FIRST YEAR!
1. You will be bent over at the waste, nearly touching your toes, at a minimum of 8 hours a day.
2. Your older infant/toddler can screech louder and longer than a group of tween age girls at a Jonas Brothers Concert.
3. You will say "NO" or "Don't touch that." about 2.25 times a second.
4. You will pee your pants when you are downstairs getting the laundry while your husband and child are upstairs when you hear a thud and a blood-hurdling scream. You know your husband is with your child but your heart will skip a beat.
5. You will sweep your kitchen floor 3 times and mop it 3 times and when it is done you will do it all over again. When you go to bed at night you will worry about the dirty/clean kitchen floor. When it is clean and you wonder how long it is going to last...you look over at your child in the high chair and see him flip his food all over the floor. That was a record- 8 seconds of cleanliness for a floor.
6. You will get sick of picking up your kid over and over and over and over...well, you get the picture. This is how my son learned to do stairs. I was sick of hauling him up and down. I decided to open the gate and tell him to figure it out (with our help of course). It took him 2 stairs and he figured out how to do it. He never once fell and now he climbs them up and down all on his own.
7. Newborn babies sleep all the time. That whole 'sleep when the baby sleeps' is bogus. Your newborn will be asleep more than you can imagine so there is plenty of time to sleep and catch up. Now in the toddler years- you do want to nap when the toddler naps. The main reason is your kid has more energy than a 12 pack of Red Bull waiting to be chugged. You will get tired quickly.
8. You can't always count on nursing to help burn the calories and pre-baby weight. If you can wait until the toddler years you shouldn't have to worry. Your toddler will be your personal trainer...now if you can only figure out a way for them to get paid for it.
9. If you have ever seen a house demolished by a tornado then you have seen a toddlers play area...(only better).
10. When table foods have started and you are planning on going to dinner there is a total plan. First, you have to go to certain places that will serve some kind of food your child can have. Chinese isn't the best. Next you have to have an appetizer for the kid (not you). It is best to bring these from home. When you sit down be prepared to order your meal immediately when giving your drink order. When you get your food- shovel fast because your kid will be crabby and itching to go in a matter of 3 minutes. You must keep all this in mind while pushing all your food and everything to one side of the table so your toddler in their high chair/booster seat can have access to 3/4 of the table.
11. You have to be very prepared for keeping a straight, firm face while sitting with your child in time out. He/She will make funny faces at you, smile, laugh, poke you in the face, try to make you laugh....but you have to stay tough and not give in.
AND most importantly, they never tell you that your kid is kind of picking his nose while posing for the family July 4th photo (hence the photo above).
I am sure there will be plenty of more 'learning' along the way. Learning things that people have never told me before about being a momma/parent. Maybe I need to become a celebrity and write my own book.
While 8 months pregnant Rob and I spent some time at our local bookstore where I ventured over to the Mom and Baby section. I found one of these 'What they never tell you books' that I normally are written by a celebrity (Jenny McCartney, Tori Spelling). After skimming through the book I realized 'they' (whomever 'they' are) have really done a good job at telling me what I need to know.
For instance (warning: gore ahead) and this isn't necessarily true for me but for examples,
1. Labor and Delivery hurts. It feels like you are taking the largest poo in your life and then multiple that by 100. Yes, I knew it hurts and would feel like I expected it to feel. You are trying to push a watermelon through something the size of a grape.
2. Some women, while pushing during delivery have their own BM...that actually made total sense to me.
3. While pushing that watermelon through something the size of a grape, some women can tear. Not just a bit but a whole tear from one hole to another.
4. The last month of your pregnancy it feels like a 50 pound bowling ball is not only sitting on your bladder but on your pelvic bone and you swear there has to be a fracture in that bone.
5. The last weeks of your pregnancy it will feel like that bowling ball will fall out as you walk down the hallway.
So for me- these things were not really new. I wasn't totally surprised at all
However there are a few things someone never told me: AFTER THE FIRST YEAR!
1. You will be bent over at the waste, nearly touching your toes, at a minimum of 8 hours a day.
2. Your older infant/toddler can screech louder and longer than a group of tween age girls at a Jonas Brothers Concert.
3. You will say "NO" or "Don't touch that." about 2.25 times a second.
4. You will pee your pants when you are downstairs getting the laundry while your husband and child are upstairs when you hear a thud and a blood-hurdling scream. You know your husband is with your child but your heart will skip a beat.
5. You will sweep your kitchen floor 3 times and mop it 3 times and when it is done you will do it all over again. When you go to bed at night you will worry about the dirty/clean kitchen floor. When it is clean and you wonder how long it is going to last...you look over at your child in the high chair and see him flip his food all over the floor. That was a record- 8 seconds of cleanliness for a floor.
6. You will get sick of picking up your kid over and over and over and over...well, you get the picture. This is how my son learned to do stairs. I was sick of hauling him up and down. I decided to open the gate and tell him to figure it out (with our help of course). It took him 2 stairs and he figured out how to do it. He never once fell and now he climbs them up and down all on his own.
7. Newborn babies sleep all the time. That whole 'sleep when the baby sleeps' is bogus. Your newborn will be asleep more than you can imagine so there is plenty of time to sleep and catch up. Now in the toddler years- you do want to nap when the toddler naps. The main reason is your kid has more energy than a 12 pack of Red Bull waiting to be chugged. You will get tired quickly.
8. You can't always count on nursing to help burn the calories and pre-baby weight. If you can wait until the toddler years you shouldn't have to worry. Your toddler will be your personal trainer...now if you can only figure out a way for them to get paid for it.
9. If you have ever seen a house demolished by a tornado then you have seen a toddlers play area...(only better).
10. When table foods have started and you are planning on going to dinner there is a total plan. First, you have to go to certain places that will serve some kind of food your child can have. Chinese isn't the best. Next you have to have an appetizer for the kid (not you). It is best to bring these from home. When you sit down be prepared to order your meal immediately when giving your drink order. When you get your food- shovel fast because your kid will be crabby and itching to go in a matter of 3 minutes. You must keep all this in mind while pushing all your food and everything to one side of the table so your toddler in their high chair/booster seat can have access to 3/4 of the table.
11. You have to be very prepared for keeping a straight, firm face while sitting with your child in time out. He/She will make funny faces at you, smile, laugh, poke you in the face, try to make you laugh....but you have to stay tough and not give in.
AND most importantly, they never tell you that your kid is kind of picking his nose while posing for the family July 4th photo (hence the photo above).
I am sure there will be plenty of more 'learning' along the way. Learning things that people have never told me before about being a momma/parent. Maybe I need to become a celebrity and write my own book.
Blog Hop...3 things you didn't know about me.
***3 Things You Didn't Know About Me...
Because I write so much about Bear and not too much about momma (plus I share lots about him) I am going to do my 3 things about Momma!
1. I had surgery at 17 weeks pregnant. They had to take out my Gal Bladder. It was supposed to be an in/out surgery and the pain was horrible and I was in the hospital for 3 days.
2. I was born Michelle but my parents couldn't agree how to spell the name so they switched it to Melissa.
3. My nickname on my moms side of the family is Minnie Pearl. As a kid I dressed up in my grandmothers clothes, make up, and fake jewels. The name took pretty quickly and stuck. Now they still call me Minnie. If I called one of them and said, "Hi It's Melissa." They wouldn't know who I am.
***
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Mom Confessions
I have this underlying feeling that moms criticize other moms often. However, I think moms criticize themselves even more! I admit I am one of those moms that criticize myself too much. I know I get it from my mom who has always been hard on herself and has passed that talent to me. How do I know I have that trait? On many of my employee reviews my boss, Maria, who is also a dear friend and someone I have worked under for many years has continuously had my “Areas to improve” be “Melissa is too hard on herself. She criticizes herself for her weaknesses and downfalls. She needs to cut herself some slack and at times doesn’t know when or how to do that.” (It is fun reading old personal reviews).
So, I am confessing today some of the things I beat myself up about. Maybe if I can overcome these things I might solve the sleep issue I have.
1. I have done 6 loads of laundry in one day only to go to bed angry at myself I didn’t do an even 10 loads-even if there weren’t 10 loads to do.
2. I have left the sprinkler on for over 4 hours because every time I walk up and down the stairs I have a load of laundry in my arms.
3. I have spent an extra 20 minutes washing and drying dishes by hand because I HATE to load and unload the dishwasher.
4. I have pushed all of Brandon’s toys to the side of the room instead of actually putting them in his toy box. This still makes the living room look somewhat picked up and tidy.
5. There have been nights when I am too tired to put the clean sheets on the bed so I lay a sheet over the top of the bed and sleep on that.
6. I have thrown one too many kitties across the room because they easily annoy me. Ok- a small exaggeration here.
7. I have, one more than one occasion, had a ‘picnic’ with Brandon in the living room. I do this a lot for breakfast because I have this thing about watching the morning news.
8. I have had my days when I am SO SICK of sweeping the kitchen floor that I sweep it all into a pile and leave it there. It will stay just fine until the next sweep or sometimes until Rob gets home to pick it up for me. This is another chore I HATE doing (hurts my back). Rob is nice enough to do it for me.
9. Those 6 loads of laundry I mentioned- I did them all with a few coins in the bottom of the washer because I just don’t want to bed over to pick up 20 coins that my husband didn’t take out of his pocket.
10. I have made Brandon go on a ‘car ride’ with me just to get a Starbucks. Only to go on another car ride 3 hours later for another Starbucks.
11. Do Brandon’s clothes really always need to be put away? Can’t the clean clothes sit in the ‘clean hamper’ and we pull them from there?
12. Only twice have I ‘fibbed’ to my husband about my back pain so he will offer to sleep on the couch and I can have the whole bed to myself. This actually does help my back pain and allows me to get a good nights sleep- something that is hard for me.
13. I have told my husband I have a ‘work meeting’ that will last a couple hours just so I can get out of the house and spend a couple hours on my own. If I were to tell Rob I need a couple hours out alone he would totally give them for me but for some reason my guilt won’t give them to me.
14. While visiting family, I have had them say to me, “I think he needs a diaper change before you head home.” I reply, “No- he is good” only because he will get changed when we get home anyway before bed.
15. I have hit the ‘reverse’ button on our Kirby Vacuum cleaner which then makes it act like a blower only to use it to ‘dust’ the furniture in our living room.
16. I have given Brandon a bottle when he shouldn’t have had one (too old for them now) just because he has figured out how to tip his sippy cups upside down and squeeze them to get the liquid out but when he drinks from a bottle he doesn’t get liquid all over.
17. I have used the Nuk as a mute button.
18. I have searched for ear plugs in our house (seeing Rob does construction we have them around) when Brandon is throwing a tantrum- just to take the edge off his screeches.
19. I have used a walk to the mailbox as a mommy time out.
20. I have left Brandon in time out 10 seconds too long just because I am angry and I think he will realize how angry I am if he has an extra 10 seconds- he really doesn’t know or care- he still just sits and waits for his time out to be over.
21. And something every mom does…uses the bathroom often just because we all know that is the ONE place where we can have some extra peace and quiet. When Rob asks, “You okay” I reply, “Yeah, my tummy just hurts” when really I am just sitting on the edge of the tub checking my facebook!
So, I am confessing today some of the things I beat myself up about. Maybe if I can overcome these things I might solve the sleep issue I have.
1. I have done 6 loads of laundry in one day only to go to bed angry at myself I didn’t do an even 10 loads-even if there weren’t 10 loads to do.
2. I have left the sprinkler on for over 4 hours because every time I walk up and down the stairs I have a load of laundry in my arms.
3. I have spent an extra 20 minutes washing and drying dishes by hand because I HATE to load and unload the dishwasher.
4. I have pushed all of Brandon’s toys to the side of the room instead of actually putting them in his toy box. This still makes the living room look somewhat picked up and tidy.
5. There have been nights when I am too tired to put the clean sheets on the bed so I lay a sheet over the top of the bed and sleep on that.
6. I have thrown one too many kitties across the room because they easily annoy me. Ok- a small exaggeration here.
7. I have, one more than one occasion, had a ‘picnic’ with Brandon in the living room. I do this a lot for breakfast because I have this thing about watching the morning news.
8. I have had my days when I am SO SICK of sweeping the kitchen floor that I sweep it all into a pile and leave it there. It will stay just fine until the next sweep or sometimes until Rob gets home to pick it up for me. This is another chore I HATE doing (hurts my back). Rob is nice enough to do it for me.
9. Those 6 loads of laundry I mentioned- I did them all with a few coins in the bottom of the washer because I just don’t want to bed over to pick up 20 coins that my husband didn’t take out of his pocket.
10. I have made Brandon go on a ‘car ride’ with me just to get a Starbucks. Only to go on another car ride 3 hours later for another Starbucks.
11. Do Brandon’s clothes really always need to be put away? Can’t the clean clothes sit in the ‘clean hamper’ and we pull them from there?
12. Only twice have I ‘fibbed’ to my husband about my back pain so he will offer to sleep on the couch and I can have the whole bed to myself. This actually does help my back pain and allows me to get a good nights sleep- something that is hard for me.
13. I have told my husband I have a ‘work meeting’ that will last a couple hours just so I can get out of the house and spend a couple hours on my own. If I were to tell Rob I need a couple hours out alone he would totally give them for me but for some reason my guilt won’t give them to me.
14. While visiting family, I have had them say to me, “I think he needs a diaper change before you head home.” I reply, “No- he is good” only because he will get changed when we get home anyway before bed.
15. I have hit the ‘reverse’ button on our Kirby Vacuum cleaner which then makes it act like a blower only to use it to ‘dust’ the furniture in our living room.
16. I have given Brandon a bottle when he shouldn’t have had one (too old for them now) just because he has figured out how to tip his sippy cups upside down and squeeze them to get the liquid out but when he drinks from a bottle he doesn’t get liquid all over.
17. I have used the Nuk as a mute button.
18. I have searched for ear plugs in our house (seeing Rob does construction we have them around) when Brandon is throwing a tantrum- just to take the edge off his screeches.
19. I have used a walk to the mailbox as a mommy time out.
20. I have left Brandon in time out 10 seconds too long just because I am angry and I think he will realize how angry I am if he has an extra 10 seconds- he really doesn’t know or care- he still just sits and waits for his time out to be over.
21. And something every mom does…uses the bathroom often just because we all know that is the ONE place where we can have some extra peace and quiet. When Rob asks, “You okay” I reply, “Yeah, my tummy just hurts” when really I am just sitting on the edge of the tub checking my facebook!
Princess Movies
A bit of a true momma confession....this weekend we have been working, playing and resting. We played at the Maple Grove Days at the community center. We enjoyed lots of games, batting cages, pitching mound (for dad), watching bike and skateboard shows, business expo, listening to a ragtime band and eating lots of corn from the corn on the cob feed. It was a perfect playing kind of day.
We also got plenty of yard work done, cleaning and laundry!
As for resting (which Rob really needs to do lately after working 14 hour days last week in the heat) we have rented 6 movies and have been plugging away at them one at a time. We rent our movies at Redbox at our local McDonalds. Which brings us to the story....
While picking out a few movies for us to watch today I glanced over to see which 'new releases' are soon to be hitting our local Redbox soon. One was something about a Princess Protection Program which looked like another Princess Diaries with Anne Hathaway. Knowing my husband would not want to watch some movies about princesses that was suited for a 10 year old girl my immediate thought was, "Someday I will have my girl and on Friday nights when dad and Brandon are at the local Twins game I will be at home watching princess movies with my little girl while eating ice cream and cookies."
Don't get me wrong...I am TOTALLY IN LOVE with this funny little boy who makes new faces, attempts new words and has a different laugh every day. I LOVE every little bit of him....good days and bad days! I LOVE our mom/son relationship that we have that nothing can come between. I LOVE his boyhood and love for boy things. I will always LOVE those things.
I just have no problem fast forwarding my brain a few years (or many years) when my 10 year old daughter and I are watching princess movies while eating nummy food and polishing our nails. That is just something boys really can't understand...even if my husband did agree on watching Bride Wars with me!!! (Shhh...don't tell him I told you)
We also got plenty of yard work done, cleaning and laundry!
As for resting (which Rob really needs to do lately after working 14 hour days last week in the heat) we have rented 6 movies and have been plugging away at them one at a time. We rent our movies at Redbox at our local McDonalds. Which brings us to the story....
While picking out a few movies for us to watch today I glanced over to see which 'new releases' are soon to be hitting our local Redbox soon. One was something about a Princess Protection Program which looked like another Princess Diaries with Anne Hathaway. Knowing my husband would not want to watch some movies about princesses that was suited for a 10 year old girl my immediate thought was, "Someday I will have my girl and on Friday nights when dad and Brandon are at the local Twins game I will be at home watching princess movies with my little girl while eating ice cream and cookies."
Don't get me wrong...I am TOTALLY IN LOVE with this funny little boy who makes new faces, attempts new words and has a different laugh every day. I LOVE every little bit of him....good days and bad days! I LOVE our mom/son relationship that we have that nothing can come between. I LOVE his boyhood and love for boy things. I will always LOVE those things.
I just have no problem fast forwarding my brain a few years (or many years) when my 10 year old daughter and I are watching princess movies while eating nummy food and polishing our nails. That is just something boys really can't understand...even if my husband did agree on watching Bride Wars with me!!! (Shhh...don't tell him I told you)
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Friday, July 10, 2009
Some New Things
It is 5am and I haven't slept yet. To be honest, my heart is going out to Michael Jackson right now because all I want to do is SLEEP and I just can't. I have 5 meds to help me sleep and I still don't sleep. I don't get it.
So...here I am going to update a few things Bear has been doing lately.
He is understanding more and more but it also makes him more and more frustrated. He cracks me up!
1. He HATES his toys. Has no interest in them at all right now unless he is sitting on our lap using them and we are encouraging him the entire time. This is fine...we do sit and play with him a lot...but sometimes mommy's need to shower, cook lunch, go to the bathroom and he doesn't want to play on his own for those few minutes.
2. If it is NOT a toy- he love it. He wants cell phones, keys (not toy ones- they don't make the alarm go off on the minivan), cameras, controllers, buttons of any kind to push, brooms, mops, kitties water dish, plunger, water faucet in the tub he can reach, laptops, dvds and cases. His newest favorite thing is a wooden paint stir stick from Home Depot. He found it somewhere from when I painted his room. I let him play with it for a few minutes really thinking it is not that big of a deal....it won't change a channel, turn a volume, set off a car alarm. But he still finds a way to get into trouble with it. He thinks the paint stick is a fun thing to use to hit kitties with. One swap of that thing and the run...which makes him laugh....which makes me not a happy mama and takes the paint stick away. That was a fun toy for a few moments.
3. Kitties...oh the kitty saga. He really likes the kitties but doesn't grasp the concept of them right now. Oliver and him are buds. They like to get into trouble together. Two little boys, who would have thought? Today Brandon was on the floor reading a book and Oliver put his two front paws on Brandon's back and started licking his head. This makes Brandon laugh. He loves that attention from Oliver. The unfortunate thing is that Brandon doesn't understand that love/attention giving thing back. So he 'pets' the kitties in his own way which is a nice firm pinch and pull of hair. There is great controversy in my world about this issue. Many family/friends think I should really not let the kitties and Brandon interact. I do get invovled many times and interven when I need to. However, Brandon needs to learn to respect animals in his own way as well. They don't bite him but they will nip at him when he is being too rough. This does scare Brandon a bit and that is a good thing. He is learning he is not their master and all powerful over them and can beat them up how he sees fit.
4. Food. Some days we battle this and some days there is no need. It amazes me how a toddlers likes/dislikes change so much. One day he loves bananas the next he hates them. That is very typical for him. He is learning to like new foods- rasperries, blueberries, strawberries, hamburger, chicken (in specific ways), pizza, cucumbers.
5. He has been learning a lot in the past month. His sign language 'vocabulary' has grown. Besides his typical 'more' (which he knows will get him more) he signs eat, milk, drink, bye-bye, he did 'sleep' once. We are working on 'help'. Many times he wants help with something like getting something out of the toy box or going down a step but just sticks his hand out and says, "EH". We know that means help but we are trying to get him to use his word or sign it.
6. He is also doing more and more on his own. I am very ready to get rid of the gate at the top of the stairs. Right now it is being used as a barrier for the most part to keep him in one location. When it is time for us to go bye-bye I will leave the gate open and say "Follow Me" and he slides right down on his belly to the entry way to get his shoes on. He does like to hold my hand and go down each step of the way on his own like big people. I do let him do that every now and then because he loves it so much but to get him down the steps safe and sound I like him to scoot on his belly. He will walk out of the house on his own (down two steps) and over to the van and once I open the door he tried to put his leg up to get in the van. It is still too big for him but he tries. He likes to walk on his own too which is great but it is mostly when we are out and about and then he wants to run through parking lots. We have a rule that you either hold moms/dads hand or you go in the stroller or get carried. He normally ends up being carried or in the stroller.
Ok- so a few updates for now and some time passed. Wonder if I can sleep for an hour before he wakes up???
So...here I am going to update a few things Bear has been doing lately.
He is understanding more and more but it also makes him more and more frustrated. He cracks me up!
1. He HATES his toys. Has no interest in them at all right now unless he is sitting on our lap using them and we are encouraging him the entire time. This is fine...we do sit and play with him a lot...but sometimes mommy's need to shower, cook lunch, go to the bathroom and he doesn't want to play on his own for those few minutes.
2. If it is NOT a toy- he love it. He wants cell phones, keys (not toy ones- they don't make the alarm go off on the minivan), cameras, controllers, buttons of any kind to push, brooms, mops, kitties water dish, plunger, water faucet in the tub he can reach, laptops, dvds and cases. His newest favorite thing is a wooden paint stir stick from Home Depot. He found it somewhere from when I painted his room. I let him play with it for a few minutes really thinking it is not that big of a deal....it won't change a channel, turn a volume, set off a car alarm. But he still finds a way to get into trouble with it. He thinks the paint stick is a fun thing to use to hit kitties with. One swap of that thing and the run...which makes him laugh....which makes me not a happy mama and takes the paint stick away. That was a fun toy for a few moments.
3. Kitties...oh the kitty saga. He really likes the kitties but doesn't grasp the concept of them right now. Oliver and him are buds. They like to get into trouble together. Two little boys, who would have thought? Today Brandon was on the floor reading a book and Oliver put his two front paws on Brandon's back and started licking his head. This makes Brandon laugh. He loves that attention from Oliver. The unfortunate thing is that Brandon doesn't understand that love/attention giving thing back. So he 'pets' the kitties in his own way which is a nice firm pinch and pull of hair. There is great controversy in my world about this issue. Many family/friends think I should really not let the kitties and Brandon interact. I do get invovled many times and interven when I need to. However, Brandon needs to learn to respect animals in his own way as well. They don't bite him but they will nip at him when he is being too rough. This does scare Brandon a bit and that is a good thing. He is learning he is not their master and all powerful over them and can beat them up how he sees fit.
4. Food. Some days we battle this and some days there is no need. It amazes me how a toddlers likes/dislikes change so much. One day he loves bananas the next he hates them. That is very typical for him. He is learning to like new foods- rasperries, blueberries, strawberries, hamburger, chicken (in specific ways), pizza, cucumbers.
5. He has been learning a lot in the past month. His sign language 'vocabulary' has grown. Besides his typical 'more' (which he knows will get him more) he signs eat, milk, drink, bye-bye, he did 'sleep' once. We are working on 'help'. Many times he wants help with something like getting something out of the toy box or going down a step but just sticks his hand out and says, "EH". We know that means help but we are trying to get him to use his word or sign it.
6. He is also doing more and more on his own. I am very ready to get rid of the gate at the top of the stairs. Right now it is being used as a barrier for the most part to keep him in one location. When it is time for us to go bye-bye I will leave the gate open and say "Follow Me" and he slides right down on his belly to the entry way to get his shoes on. He does like to hold my hand and go down each step of the way on his own like big people. I do let him do that every now and then because he loves it so much but to get him down the steps safe and sound I like him to scoot on his belly. He will walk out of the house on his own (down two steps) and over to the van and once I open the door he tried to put his leg up to get in the van. It is still too big for him but he tries. He likes to walk on his own too which is great but it is mostly when we are out and about and then he wants to run through parking lots. We have a rule that you either hold moms/dads hand or you go in the stroller or get carried. He normally ends up being carried or in the stroller.
Ok- so a few updates for now and some time passed. Wonder if I can sleep for an hour before he wakes up???
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Brandon is trying out his 2 new front teeth.Sunday, July 5, 2009
Learned Time Out
Brandon learned time out today (yes, I know it is after July 4th and I need to post some photos- they are on my facebook page).
We have been teaching Brandon time out lately and we are being very careful as to what we do time out for. We know he is still learning so we don't want to put him in time out for everything but as he is entering the toddler years we are noticing he is starting to throw tantrums if he doesn't get his way. This means we need to guide him and teach him that he can't always have his way and how to control that anger and frustration.
We use time out if he is doing something drastic. Mostly- hitting our big screen tv or the cats. We also use it when he is tipping his sippy cup upside down and squeezes it to let it squirt all over. We always give him a warning first at eye level with a firm voice. We correct the behavior and redirect him. Sometimes that doesn't work. Our time out spot is at the end of the hallway facing the wall (usually he turns around which is ok).
Today he hit the tv and we redirected him. When I was at his eye level with him I told him that next time he hits the tv he will go in time out. He immediately ran down the hall and sat facing the wall. The hall light was off so I went and turned it on and got him out of time out. I told him he wasn't in time out and made a fun/giggle out of it so he didn't think he was in time out. He popped up and went to play. He realized he wasn't in time out.
However, hours later he didn't listen to mommy about not spilling his sippy cup upside down. After the warning he did it again and I took the sippy away and said "Time out". He ran to the end of the hall and sat down facing the wall. He knew he was in time out and knew the drill. I follow him and sit behind him to make sure he sits for a minute. I only had to correct him once and make sure he sits for a minute. After the minute is up I face him and talk to him like an adult and tell him why he was in time out. Sometimes he just wants to go and play but he needs to listen that he didn't listen to mommy and why he was in time out. Then we do hugs and kisses so he know I still love him and then he goes and plays.
It is intersteing how the last few days he is really making a connection to things. When we are eating and ask what he wants he has been signing 'more'. He really knows what that sign means. When we ask him something specific (like "Bring this to daddy") he will do it. His mind is working like crazy these last few days and it is fun to see how things come together. He is also trying hard to talk more and more- the sounds are there but not the actual word.
This is a fun time period right now. I love seeing him learn and grow and make these connections. I love this kid!
We have been teaching Brandon time out lately and we are being very careful as to what we do time out for. We know he is still learning so we don't want to put him in time out for everything but as he is entering the toddler years we are noticing he is starting to throw tantrums if he doesn't get his way. This means we need to guide him and teach him that he can't always have his way and how to control that anger and frustration.
We use time out if he is doing something drastic. Mostly- hitting our big screen tv or the cats. We also use it when he is tipping his sippy cup upside down and squeezes it to let it squirt all over. We always give him a warning first at eye level with a firm voice. We correct the behavior and redirect him. Sometimes that doesn't work. Our time out spot is at the end of the hallway facing the wall (usually he turns around which is ok).
Today he hit the tv and we redirected him. When I was at his eye level with him I told him that next time he hits the tv he will go in time out. He immediately ran down the hall and sat facing the wall. The hall light was off so I went and turned it on and got him out of time out. I told him he wasn't in time out and made a fun/giggle out of it so he didn't think he was in time out. He popped up and went to play. He realized he wasn't in time out.
However, hours later he didn't listen to mommy about not spilling his sippy cup upside down. After the warning he did it again and I took the sippy away and said "Time out". He ran to the end of the hall and sat down facing the wall. He knew he was in time out and knew the drill. I follow him and sit behind him to make sure he sits for a minute. I only had to correct him once and make sure he sits for a minute. After the minute is up I face him and talk to him like an adult and tell him why he was in time out. Sometimes he just wants to go and play but he needs to listen that he didn't listen to mommy and why he was in time out. Then we do hugs and kisses so he know I still love him and then he goes and plays.
It is intersteing how the last few days he is really making a connection to things. When we are eating and ask what he wants he has been signing 'more'. He really knows what that sign means. When we ask him something specific (like "Bring this to daddy") he will do it. His mind is working like crazy these last few days and it is fun to see how things come together. He is also trying hard to talk more and more- the sounds are there but not the actual word.
This is a fun time period right now. I love seeing him learn and grow and make these connections. I love this kid!
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