Favorite-Things-Phone-Dump Friday

Happy Friday!  Happy March!

I made a concerted effort to take more pictures this week, and I think I succeeded in getting some pretty cute ones.

Favorite Thing #1: Goofy faces!

Favorite Thing #2: Tuesdays with Daddy at the museum

Favorite Thing #3: An organized play area

Favorite Thing #4: Pruny toddler feet

Favorite Thing #5: Snuggling with my girls

Favorite Thing #6: Kona the lean-er

Favorite Thing #7: Daddies and their girls hanging out

I came across this article from the Huffington Post this week that made me feel better about the crazy business of toddlerhood. 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/27/tantrums-toddlers_n_2774399.html?utm_hp_ref=parents&ir=Parents

Have a great weekend!

I Have No Idea How She Knew That

Callie has a bunch of things that she sleeps with:

Tiny Bear
Hello Kitty
Beau Bear
New Puppy
Kona Dos
Llama Llama
15 little blankies (okay that may be an exaggeration, but you get the idea)

Her bed is full of snuggly things.  And she is picky about the things that get to sleep with her.

Some are not invited- like Heena, Rico, Tutti, and Molly.  They can only hang out in her room- not in her bed.

We didn't check which things were in her bed tonight, because the six major players are usually all there.  The lights were turned off, kisses were given, the door was shut.

Then, after watching my toddler on the monitor messing around and NOT sleeping for 45 minutes, I talked to her through the intercom thingy and told her to go to sleepies.  She replied with, "But Mommy, Tiny Bear is missing!"

I sighed, sure that Tiny Bear was in her bed somewhere, but went upstairs to check the living room just in case.

Tiny Bear was in fact in the living room, and I was flabbergasted at how she knew that he wasn't a part of the mountain of lovey things in bed.

Apparently we can't underestimate the importance of having 6 animals instead of 5 in bed with a toddler who is clearly detail oriented.  I texted Chris about it, and he responded "Yeah she knows all her animals by feel and has some weird sixth sense about it."

So I brought up Tiny Bear.  She's still not sleeping.

For real, child, your gang's all there...GO TO SLEEP!!

Punkin Pie

As I blogged yesterday, the toddler into our house turned into a screeching howler monkey most of the weekend.

Thankfully, today our toddler was back to her sweet Punkin Pie self. 

Loveable.

Adorable.

Smart.

Wonderful.

Hilarious.

Generous.

My baby girl.

Weekend Wrap-Up

Um...I just don't have much nice to say about this weekend, so I won't say much at all.

The 3s are happening and we're muddling through them. 

Yesterday we had some fun in the morning at the Children's Museum...and then didn't have much fun the rest of the day.  Then today was more not having fun this morning before Sunday School, and then later Callie had fun with Auntie Cat at Children's Theater while we had a much needed afternoon "off" and got some nesting cleaning done.

Here are some pictures.

Just hanging with Dora and Boots



Callie the turtle

The "before" view of our basement...embarassing

Three hours later and it is fully organized and put back together

Showing Lami the program of the play they saw at Children's Theater

As for Hamsie: he/she is 19 weeks along and is roughly the size of a large heirloom tomato.  My baby center app says that the baby may be able to hear voices now, "so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to him or her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you."  After this weekend, he/she may be thinking that we live with a screeching howler monkey.  Don't worry, Hamsie, it is just your big sister.  We'll try and have the 3s figured out by the time you get here.

Favorite-Things-Phone-Dump Friday: 38-Months-Old!

Happy Friday!  It is once again the 22nd and our toddler is 38-months old.  Crazy. 

Whew...made it through another week.  I'm happy to say my energy level has picked up dramatically and I'm feeling so much better than the first trimester.  It is amazing what a difference actually feeling okay makes on life in general. 

Now for the phone dump...

Favorite Thing #1: Watching this crazy girl fall asleep.  Creepy raccoon eyes and all.

Favorite Thing #2: Toddler's request at dinner: "I want to sit by my aunties!"

And lastly, remember our potty training regression issue?  I'm happy to say that we've made it through to the other side and are back down to 1 pair of undies a day.  Today she was very proud to earn her last sticker, and therefore a new movie!

Favorite Thing #3: Using teacher strategies works for parenting too!

We went to Target and she chose a Minnie Mouse movie, which we are currently watching on this low-key Friday night.  Now on to another sticker chart.  Our next battle to fight and use unabashed bribery for: pooping on the potty.  Yep, she always saves her poops for sleepy time pull-ups and we gotta break the habit.  Wish us luck.

Have a great weekend!

Sun QOTD

A week or so ago I overheard a conversation between Chris and Callie about day and night and the sun (yes, I was spying on bed time through the new video monitor...it was adorable).  Chris explained how the earth rotated around the sun and that different parts of the earth were light and dark at different times of the day.

Since then, pretty much daily (if not multiple times a day), she identifies whether or not it is day or night and what that means for the rest of the world.

Noticing that it is dark out.
Callie: Mom!  It is dark out!  The sun is at the other world!
Me: Yes, you're right!  The sun is now in the southern hemisphere!  That's the other part of the world.

The same type of conversation happens when it is light out.  I'm still waiting for her to bust out the "hemisphere" word, but it shouldn't be too long.

Three-year-old brains are awesome sponges. 

Moods

If you're a parent to a toddler, you may be familiar with this book:

Sandra Boynton books are all adorable, but this one is my favorite.  Maybe it is because, as a mother of a toddler, I can completely relate.  Because our toddler can go from "Happy Hippo" to "Angry Duck" in approximately 1.3 seconds.  More like 1.3 milliseconds.

We read this book tonight because it was a rough afternoon/evening.  So here is a reading of the story (the author's words in bold text) with me inserting any comment that seems fitting for today (my words in red italicized text).

A-hem.  A-hem.

"Happy Hippo, Angry Duck.  A book of moods.  By Sandra Boynton."

"Hello, Little Person!  How ARE you today?  Is your mood quite terrific or only okay?"
Every time I read this Callie answers "Only okay."  EVERY TIME.

"Are you HAPPY AS A HIPPO?"
Um, that was the case for bath time, snack time and dinner time.
"Or ANGRY AS A DUCK?"
The ENTIRE REST of the afternoon/evening.
"Maybe SAD AS A CHICKEN? (Can you sadly say 'CLUCK CLUCK'?)"
She relishes in saying a VERY sad "CLUCK CLUCK."

"Are you...GRUMPY AS A MOOSE?
Or EXCITED AS A DOG?
WORRIED AS A RABBIT?
CONTENTED AS A FROG?"
No comment.  I say grumpy, she says excited.  Someone may need to learn how to be more self-aware.  That may, however, not be a developmentally appropriate 3-year-old skill.  I really REALLY wish it was.

"Perhaps, like a pig, you are SWEETLY AMUSED.  Or perhaps, like a cow, you're COMPLETELY CONFUSED."
Giggle giggle giggle.  The animals are funny!

"You might feel that, somehow, you've lost all your fizz.
Or you're FRAZZLED LIKE A...um...FRAZZLED THING.  (I'm not sure what that is)."
I'm not sure either, but I feel like it might be me.  Okay...I KNOW it is me.

"Well, I hope you are happy.  But if you are not, you have friends who will help you.  We like you a lot."
We are both thankful we have lots of friends.  She's thankful because she loves to play with them.  I'm thankful because they keep me sane. :)

"And a difficult mood is not here to stay.  Everyone's moods will change day to day."
Thank GOODNESS.  But in the case of 3-year-olds...it is minute to minute.

"Unless you're that duck.  He's always this way."
A good reminder to be thankful for the "Happy Hippo" times, no matter how few and far between they seem to be some days.  At least they are there.

So there you have it.  I hope you have enjoyed this bedtime story.  And I hope tomorrow we have more "Happy Hippo" moments than "Angry Duck" moments.