Monkey Business July 22, 2009

I’m wore out.

The Red-Haired Girl is a climber. And a good one, to boot. Because of this she climbs on. every. thing. she. can.

It’s driving me bonkers.

The Blue-Eyed Boy has never been a climber. In fact it usually takes about 20 minutes of begging, barganing and pleading just to get him to climb up a kiddie slide at the playground. So, this is my first foray into the world of  climbing 14 month olds.

She is fearless, which terrifies me. She hasn’t gotten that little instict that says maybe I shouldn’t do this, just yet. And therefore has no qualms about climbing up on the dining room table, or climbing up on a stool to open the door to the top of the stairs. Where as all I see is my baby girls head split open on the floor, or a broken arm or leg.

She’s fast. I mean blink your eye and she’s gone fast. This morning I turned to hand the Blue-Eyed Boy his cup and when I turned around she was already up on a dining room chair and halfway onto the table (can we say heart-stopping?).

She’s smart too. Too smart. I’ve tried pushing the dining room chairs as far in as they can go, but she just moves them. I try distracting her with toys or games or whatever I can, but she knows her brothers treasures are up on that table (Ironically, so she can’t get to them, ha! Guess it’s time to rethink that strategy).  

I’m at my wits end. I’m not sure how to combat this monkey business. I’ve tried telling her not to, yelling, redirecting, making a big deal about it when she does listen, but nothing works really well. I mean, they all work sort of, but never with any lasting results.

She’ll grow out of it right? Just like any other thing babies and toddlers do she’ll move on to something else (I’m not sure I want to know what her something next is going to be though!) right?

Please someone tell me it’s so! Or tell me that it will tone down here soon. Or please, please just lie to me because I’m about to go insane.

The Mother Letter Project February 4, 2009

Do you all remember a while back (and I mean a while–before Christmas) when I told you all about The Mother Letter Project?

Well, I’ve finally been reading through it. And it’s lovely.

The most thrilling part was when I found my very own letter!

Have you ever had one of those moment when you read something you wrote and your immediate thought was, “I wrote that? Holy snizzle sticks! I’m good!” (please insert your own expletive, I know I talk funny).

Yep, that was my response.

So because I think I’m totally awesome (not really, but I can pretend) I’m going to share my letter with you. Hopefully it will encourage some mommy out there in cyberspace who needed a little bit of a lift today……..

Hey Momma,

I hear music. I hear music in my baby’s laughs and coos. I hear music in the chatter of my toddler. I hear music in the mundane. I hear music in the steady inhale and exhale of their sleeping breathe. I hear music in the cries and tantrums. I hear music in the “I lub yoos”. I hear the music, did you hear it too Momma?

What a blessing children are! What a gift motherhood is. I never knew it would be so wonderful and so hard. But there is music there in the hard times and the good times. I live in that music, it ebbs and flows around me, through me, in me. The music of life. Of new life. The beauty of a newborn baby or a toddler learning a new skill is all around me day in, day out. How wonderful that I get to experience that. Do you remember the music, Momma? Even when it gets hard, do you hear it? See it, feel it, taste it, hear it. It’s there, momma, you just have to find it.

Dance with me to the music, Momma. Share in this joy with me. Dance with me, Momma! Dance with me to the music of life.

love,

Did anyone else submit a letter?

(And if you haven’t yet you still can! It’s been extending through Mother’s Day.)

I think it’s time for a change December 31, 2008

Preface: I’m one of those Momma’s who do not rock their baby until they are completely asleep and then lay them down. I’ve been very deliberate ever since The Red-Haired Girl was born to put her down when she was semi awake. This has made it possible for me to nurse her and put her directly in her bed whether she is asleep or not and know she will go to sleep on her own. (I must also add that I do not let her “cry it out” either. Fussing is okay, but if she starts crying, I will go in to get her and we try again. I could never stomach letting my baby cry for hours on end just to get them to sleep.)

So today I did what I always do. I nursed her then laid her down in her bassinet and left the room. I was holding Little Dizzy and talking with The Blue-Eyed Boy when I heard this strange sort of noise. It sounded like something was in my pots and pans cupboard. My immediate thought was “Oh no! The mouse is in my cupboard!” (we still haven’t caught the last one, sneaky little devil!).

Then I heard a baby giggle.

So, with Little Dizzy in tow I tip-toed into the bedroom and this is what I found………

The pots and pan sound must have been the piggy bank.

She has never gotten to a sitting position on her own, until today! She started really crawling on Sunday. Oh boy am I in trouble. But I LOOOOOVE it! There is nothing cuter than that little baby butt sticking out as she crawls. This is our first crawling baby, so it’s all new (The Blue-Eyed Boy never crawled, he skipped right from rolling to walking)!

I think she needs to move to the crib. The only problem–there is no room anywhere in this teeny tiny house for a full-size crib. Our lease is up in February, but The Hunk doesn’t want to move in winter again. I don’t really want to either, but I do want to leave this house (REALLY BADLY to tell the truth–I don’t like it here at all. This house was great when there were only three of us, but it’s waaaay too small for four.).

I want my baby to be safe, even if that means moving in winter again (at least this time I won’t be pregnant and will be able to help!!)

Dilemma. Dilemma.

In the meantime I cleaned off the dresser so she can’t get into any of it, and put the locking clips in place so the bassinet can’t rock anymore.

Hopefully that will be enough…..until we figure something else out.

The Life and Times of the “Little Wife” December 31, 2008

Today The Blue-Eyed Boy was playing with his new Playdough set thanks to his Great Aunt Teri and Choitka Erica (Aunt in Polish for those of you who’re not lucky enough to be called a Pollock!). He was having a grand old time (making a huge mess) wallowing in the Playdough fun-ness.

The fun-ness continued on until he couldn’t find something that he wanted……

The Blue-Eyed Boy: “Momma where’s my little wife?”
Me (wondering if I heard him right): “What are you looking for Babe?”
The Blue-Eyed Boy (frustrated–but I would be too if I had to repeat myself countless times a day): “My LITTLE WIIIIIFE!!!”
Me (in my head thinking…..well probably with her family somewhere, or not born yet…but I don’t think that’s what he means): “I’m not sure what you’re talking about, and I don’t think you know what you’re saying either. Tell me again”
The Blue-Eyed Boy: “My little wife, momma. I need my little wife!”
I just stared at him in confusion while he continued searching. I couldn’t for the life of me figure out if he was making a statement far beyond his years or if he was actually looking for something that existed!
The Blue-Eyed Boy (triumphantly): “There it is!! There’s my little wife!”

He then proceeded to pick his little yellow Playdough KNIFE up off the windowsil.

and oh did I laugh!

In Case you were having a bad day…. December 21, 2008

and need a laugh………..

The other day:

The Blue Eyed Boy hit the Red-Haired Girl
Me: “We don’t hit people”
Blue-Eyed Boy: (matter-of-factually) “I’m not hitting people, I’m hitting babies”

Day before yesterday:

Blue-Eyed Boy: “Momma is Santa coming here?”
Me: “probably”
Blue-Eyed Boy: “he coming here?”
Me: “yep, I’m sure he is”
Blue-Eyed Boy: “no he not, he not coming here, he at church”

Today:
Hunk: “Do you know where your Chapstick is? “
Blue-eyed Boy: “Actually, I believe it is in the living room”

Happy Sunday!