What to do..?

I think is a question that as parents we will ask ourselves almost everyday.

What to do with a kid having tantrums?

What to do with a kid that is too smart for their own good?

What to do for dinner?

What to do for fun?

These are questions I ask everyday, and have rarely found the correct answer.
I find myself asking more and more and ofter the later part of the sentence is almost amusing.

What to do with a child that doesn't want to take off his Pajamas?
What to to do with a two year old that will only wear Green rain boots?
What to do with a toddler that is now correcting my grammar?

I dare you to write down on a sheet of a paper each time you ask a "What to do " question and see what you can come up with. I bet it would be interesting.

Holy Indecisive

Having a two year old is really quite challenging but when they can't decide what it is they want it the most difficult, and stressful time ever. Braxton has been going through this phase where no matter what he has, what he is doing or what he is watching it is not right.

Monday he had a Dr. Appointment and it was during nap time (oops) and he didn't want to be weighed or measured, He also didn't NOT want to be weighed or measured. The nurse told him she wanted to see how big he has gotten and he told her "I No want to get big" so she said we'll see how SMALL you've gotten. "I No want to get small". Next she tried Lets see if you have stayed the same...Well I think you get the idea.

So this morning it was all about watching a movie. !st it was his Thomas Movie but it had to be on the TV from the truck,(aka Itty TV) so I have to go out in the freezing rain to get the TV. Fine, He watched it for about 5 min started to cry for a different movie. So up next was Bob the Builder Ok I picked the wrong Bob the builder so that required another fit. Finally I find the right one for him to watch and he did...for about 5 min. Then we went to Elmo, ok, which Elmo( I'm getting smarter) he tells me the pee pee one Ok fine. I put it in the dvd player only to be informed that it needs to be shown on the Big TV not the Itty TV, Duh what was I thinking? I get it in he sits down I think to my self Ahh finally a moment of quiet. Nope then he jumps up yells "No more Melmo" and shuts everything off, only to cry and complain that Thomas wasn't on the Itty TV. I love these days...when they end :)

garden fresh veggies.

One thing I have been very consistent on is feeding my son fresh or frozen vegetables, never canned (at least not at home). Well it is garden time here in Wisconsin and Braxton has been loving every minute of it.

He not only gets to eat all these wonderfully fresh foods but this year he actually go to plant pumpkins and watch them grow and is very proud of his "Punts" He has 6 big orange ones that are almost ready for Halloween.

He has been helping so much this year too and is so proud of himself, I love being able to include him helping with picking and processing. Although When he is helping pick tomatoes i need to learn not to look when he says "Momma Look, Kwish" because that ends in him covering me in tomato gunk and he squishes them between his fingers. I guess I won't let it bother me too bad
it's still better than hearing "momma i fall big mud" as he jumps into the mud puddle in the driveway.

2 yr old language

Learning to communicate effectively is just as exciting for your kids as it is for you. Every day Braxton comes up with some new phrase or word, and he know exactly what he is saying, I on the other hand usually do not.

I remember the first time he said Momma so I could clearly tell that was what he is saying I wanted to cry.
Now it words like Giraffe and phrases like Happy Birthday to you. He always insists that I repeat anything he says so he knows that I understand him, and gets so excited when I actually get it right. Which is a great learning tool for both of us. The only time we have a problem is when I have no idea what he is saying and No matter how many words I say hoping to find the one that he is saying I don't get it right. He then starts to get upset at me for not knowing that "Peg" means Penguin and that "Pot" means Spider.

I also find it very interesting that he can understand what other 2 yr olds are saying and the other parents and I have No clue what each others child is saying, It's like each child has their own language that only their parents and other 2 yr olds can decipher.

I just keep working with him and he is getting so much better every day that it is amazing to me that a little person who could barely say Momma less than year ago can now look at me and say "Momma I need juice Please" well.. "Momma I nee Joo Peeze" but I know what he meant, even if No one else does.

I just keep myself focused and hope hat sometime before he is 20 I ave a clear grasp on his vocabulary...Wish me luck!!

Rainy day blues

It has been raining for 2 days straight and that has made life very difficult with a 2 yr old that doesn't like staying in the house. Today has been very tough since the little Guy I babysit is sick and since it is so wet outside yet taking him outside probably isn't in his best interest right now. I hope it warms up and dries out this afternoon so we can go out for a while. Having 2 little ones stuck inside can become very challenging so I have learned that building forts and watching movies is sometimes the only way to avoid a major meltdown that ends with baby face shaped smudges on the windows, or ripped screens on the doors. Wish me luck it could be a long day as it looks like it could start raining again at any time.

I think it's time to dig out the construction paper and stencils!

Poison Ivy

So summer is in full force, Braxton is Full bore and the Poison ivy is on full attack. I grew up on a farm, spent a lot of time in the pastures and woods and have never (knock on wood) had a reaction to poison ivy. Well i don't think my son carries my immunity.

Yesterday my husband was mowing some weed on some private property and he called me to bring him a drink of water so I my dad and Braxton and we went for a little drive, once we got there Braxton decided to stand in the bucket of the Bobcat while we talked. Unknown to all of us was the fact the Brett had apparently mowed over some poison ivy when he was using that bobcat and mower earlier.

So last night before bed I saw a small irritated looking spot on Braxton's leg and I really thought nothing of it as he was outside all day i figured it was just a scratch from the gravel or weeds by the garden. When I went to change him this morning I noticed that his whole leg was full of little red bumps. The only thought going through my head was Great an itchy 2 yr old, this will be fun. I could picture my trying to fight him to not itch, it was a similar picture to trying to wrestling a giant squid, only with a lot more screaming and crying (from me).

Well i called his Dr she said hydrocortisone cream and see what happens, so at least I didn't have to haul him to the Dr. The other round of good news is that it doesn't seem to inch him. either because he really isn't as affected by it or because I have kept him complete smothered in cream either way I'm fine with it and lets just hope it stays that way.

Silly things

So lately we have had just so much going on that it has been a little hectic. I feel like Braxton is just being dragged along for the ride. Although we had a great Family reunion a few weeks ago and another on coming up this weekend there hasn't been much that is fun for him. However no matter what happens every now and then he comes up with some silly thing that makes me laugh and remember that he is #1.

2 nights ago as we were getting ready for bed he looked out the window at the moon and said "Momma I sleep on the moon tonight" I thought that was a great idea because I figured it would take longer to get back in the morning so I would get to sleep in.

Yesterday afternoon I was in the kitchen and he came up to me and pressed his finger to his lips and said HMM? The silly little thing that make them unique.

Potty training Nightmare day 1

And it begins. I had to break down and just decide that we were going to do this and I am hating myself at this moment. This was the least crazy of weeks and weekends coming up so I just had to. well needless to say it isn't going to be easy. Braxton has always been good about going Pee on the potty if you ask him too, he has been going a few times a week for a few months so I didn't think that was going to be a big issue. Well then today happened he was doing great for about 4 hours and then he peed in his undies, OK no big deal lets go sit on the potty, well cue the meltdowns, he yelled and screamed and this ended up being an all day thing every time I asked him if he had to pee he would freak out. he has peed in 3 pair of shorts one in his room and twice on the carpet.. Bring on the fun.

when schedules get messed up

It is bound to happen more often than you like, but things will often interrupt their schedules. It could be not feeling well, a storm that wakes them up, or a family picnic that goes right during the middle of nap time. So when this happens the first thing to remember is that you have to show patients and understanding to try help them cope with the change.

Today the Little guy I do daycare for had to come at 6am which is 2 hours earlier than normal, well it up set his schedule so he very upset when his Dad dropped him off which led to screaming that woke up Braxton. I tried to get them both to lay back down but it didn't work at all. So I will now have to adjust the entire day. Of course it rained all night so it is too we to go outside and because they didn't sleep long enough they are not in the mood to do anything creative, they just want to play alone and be cranky.

I will have to give them early naps before lunch, and keep my fingers crossed that Braxton will take another one in the afternoon. I am afraid today is going to be a cartoon and movie day which isn't usually how I do things but I don't think they have the frame of mind for much more than that, at least not til after a nap.

I think the worst is that a change of schedule usually leads to a change of attitude, and it can turn a perfect little angel into a screaming crying maniac. If there is anyway you can escape and get them to take a short nap it may be worth it. If they are sick maybe just lay with them. If you are away from home and you can put them in the car and go for a short ride that may help too.

I know that when Braxtons schedule is out of whack so is mine so it can create a very tense day so I have to take a Deep Breath and remember that he feels just as bad as I do.

4th of July

I know it's been a while but we have been busy, busy, busy. It's summer and things get crazy but this weekend was by far the worst as it was 4th of July. My cousin came home from CO on Wed and Braxton my Dad and I had to drive and hour and half to pick him up at 7:00 at night and didn't get home until after 11. On the 4th I had to walk in the parade (I'm and EMT) then go back and sit with the family and finish watching it. Then we went to the park and Braxton wanted to play on all of the bounce house rides but they were so expensive that we let him go play on the playground instead. Well he started to get tired so we went home to my husband finish getting ready for the cookout. After Lunch my aunt got Braxton to fall asleep and he slept through almost the whole cookout. Well everyone decided to leave and get to the park so we could watch fireworks. Once we go there and got settled Braxton decided he wanted Popcorn and didn't care who he stole it from. So I had to stand in line for 20 min for a bag. Then the fireworks started. He LOVED them. He leaned up against me with his feet up on Brett just staring into the sky. I love to see him enjoying himself like that. The look on little kids faces is always priceless. Well we came home he went to sleep pretty well. The best was the next day when he asked me if we could go see the firetruck works again. guess we will have to wait until next year.

First trip to the Zoo

My husband had Friday off work and so we decided to Braxton to the zoo. There is a small free zoo about 60 miles from us so we headed there about 10 am stopped at my husbands place of employment to enjoy a company thrown picnic, where Braxton decided that a cookie with M&M's was a perfectly sufficient lunch. So we left there and off to the Zoo. We just walked around enjoying each animal. He knew almost every animal as we came up to it. He enjoyed watching the penguins swim, and the seals splashing around. He loved looking at the monkeys and Lemurs, he even picked out a stuffed lemur to bring home which he has named Zaboomies Cousin. I think the best part was when got to the Kangaroos and Brett says Look at the Kangaroo Braxton and he says "No Dadda, RED Kangaroo" Well excuse us!! He was also calling the Bison 'Steaks' because Brett told him the Buffalo make great steaks. He was so tired when we left that he made it to Target and Farm and Fleet(whole different post) but only about 5 minuets after that and slept the whole hour home. It was worth every second to see the look on his face when he realized the giraffe was real not on TV. I recommend every child get a chance to go to a zoo.

Crazy of the day

Well now I am really thinking that Braxton watches too much Zaboomafoo. If you are not familiar with the show it is a very cute show about animals and weird Lemur puppet. Any way at the end of the show they always leave with back packs and say say good bye to Zaboomafoo often times saying See Ya Later. Well any way a couple of nights ago Braxton walked over and picked up is diaper bag (back pack style) and grabbed his Lightning McQueen hat threw it on backward, walked past Brett and I saying See Ya Later Momma See Ya Later Dadda. I am not sure when I have laughed so hard. I asked where he was going and he just said "I see Ya Later" Like don;t worry about I'm good! Oh what a kid, What a kid!!

taking them to Church

I am not really a church goer but on occasion I will go and for special occasions I always go. So Sunday my cousin had his son Baptised and I decided to take Braxton with me. My husband didn't want to and forcing him isn't worth the fight, so I went with my Mom, Dad and Sister (who was the babies sponsor). I made sure I had snacks and toys and a Juice box as well as a pen and paper.

Well as soon as we get there he starts yelling that he doesn't want to sit down but in about 2 minuets he had calmed down. so he was pretty good until my sister went up front and he wanted to go stand by her so he was like a snake on his belly trying to wiggle out of the pew. I did manage to keep him contained with a few screaming outburst. Of course he ate all his snacks and drank his juice( the portion that didn't end up on my pants) before we were 1/2 way done. So then I decided that while we singing if I rocked him he was OK so I did that for a while until he started to yell "momma spin me" so then I stopped that.

Well by the end of service he could see the door to the elevator and kept saying "I no go dark Momma, No take me in the Dark" so that lasted about the last 15 minuets of service. I did get a little help from the nice ladies sitting in front of us that kept playing with him.

All in all he was pretty good and I just have to remember that I have to breathe when he acts up. I was just glad that he stayed in for the whole service and I didn't cave and take him out. We are both starting this whole thing down.

shoe shopping

So today was a super crazy day for us, we had a lot to do and a little time to do it. It started with me trying to get a bank deposit ready for an organization I'm treasurer for, that was a task with a 2 yr old trying to help Momma count. then it was off to the bank, go get my Mom so she could ride with us while we went shopping, got a hair cut, and bought new shoes. So I have a choice of 3 stores that sell children's shoes, and none of them have sandals in Braxtons side. The hair cut went really well, then shopping at Wal-mart, then Lunch. By lunch he was getting very sleepy and decided that only way to stay awake was to run laps around Pizza Hut. So as I follow him around the tables like a mouse in a maze he decides to throw him self on floor and yell, "No Momma I No GO Home." that was really nice. So I get him up and he his filthy so we go to the bathroom and he turns and says I go Pee Pee. GREAT I quick whip off his diaper, set him on the toilet and he Pees all over my hand, the toilet, and his pants, But hey he told me so that is wonderful. So there is a glimmer of hope in the potty training nightmare.

shopping

I have decided that from the age 18 months until 18yrs children should not be allowed to come shopping with their parents. Because I do daycare part time i decided now was a good time to get a membership to Sams Club. There are many things that buying in bulk will be easier for me. especially meats and snacks. So Saturday morning my parents were busy and I didn't have time to call a sitter so Brett and I decided we were going to get a membership and take Braxton with. That was a HORRIBLE idea, a 2 yr old in a giant store with toys, chairs, TV's and so many other things to play with. Well needless to say we weren't there very long still managed to spend enough money, and didn't get half of what we wanted. There is nothing more relaxing than a Saturday of chasing a kid around a warehouse while you husband screams at him for not listening. Can't wait for our next trip!

Crazy of the day

Just too cute not to share. Braxton was sitting on floor next to our dog playing with his paws and saying something about the puppy's toes. So I say "Braxton can you tell Momma how many toes Puppy has?" "Lets count them." He looks at the dogs toes and says "A, B, C, D." I just laughed and said "Not quite buddy we'll work on it."

This weekends Parade

So Sunday my husband had to drive a truck in a Parade for his boss. We decided it would be a fun family event, and it was, although a little tricky. We started out getting to the office at about 10:00am (it's an hours drive) then we had to help his boss and his wife get stuff ready, and moved from their vehicle to the one they were driving in the parade. Then we get to where we have to line up and it is 1 hour before the parade starts, so we have to occupy Braxton for that long without letting him get run over by floats full of Packer fans or walking Cell phones. It was all going OK as some of the other guys had their kids and wives their so he had someone to play with. When he finally got restless we just put him Brett's work truck and he was fine.

So now the Parade finally Starts and one of the girls from the office wants to ride in the back end of the truck Brett is driving and she wants Braxton and I to ride with OK fine so we hop up in the dump Box (Brett does Landscaping so not a standard truck) so we can throw candy I even had Braxtons Car seat sitting back there so he could sit down, Well before we got too far he wanted to ride with Daddy so Brett had to stop and get him and let him ride up front with him.

As we are going along I hear people in the crowd saying "Oh my Goodness how cute is that" and "Oh he's so adorable" so I look over the side and into the side Mirror and I see Braxton on Brett's lap leaning against the door just like Daddy waving at the crowd. It was so adorable. Well about 3/4 of the way through the Parade he started to yell for me so Brett Stops Jumps out throws him up to me and he got to throw candy out the back for the rest of Parade. It was so much fun and he was so well behaved I can't wait to do it again next year.

TV

Another hot topic in the parenting world is TV. Should you let your kids watch or not, what should you let them watch, how much should they be allowed to watch?
Here are my answers
1. I think they should be allowed to watch TV
a. they will learn TV isn't real
b. they get a chance to see a world beyond their own front yard
2. I let my son watch anything I watch.
a. No Porn
b. No War/gun violence
3. My TV is on from the time I wake up until I go to bed
a. Creates background noise
b. Occasionally he will sit and watch 20 min of TV so I can get something done

I grew up in a house where TV wasn't a forbidden thing. So we watched it quite a bit, however we owned a farm so we spent a majority of our time outside working. Braxton and I go outside for no less than 3 hours a day and if possible we go to my parents to work in the garden so we don't watch TV at all. My parents allowed us to watch pretty much anything. In fact I saw Children of the Corn when I was 5 or 6. I think it is just important as they get older that they learn TV isn't real (news being the exception) and they will be fine.

I don't believe behavior is learned from TV I don't think kids shoot people because they watched Toy soldiers. I don't think someone is going to become a serial killer because they watched silence of the lambs. I actually hope shows like CSI open his eyes to future job opportunities and that THS investigates gives him some historical in sites to unsolved crimes.

I believe TV can be beneficial in the fact that now we have the History channel, and Learning channel as well as Discovery to allow our children to "go" to places in the world that we only saw in books.

Right now he mostly pays attention to Zaboomafoo, and Sesame Street, but when the time comes and he really pays attention to the other I won't limit him too much on what he is allowed to watch.

What am I going to do with you kid?

At some point there will be a day when you ask this question over and over again. For me yesterday was that day. So there will be No, Crazy for the Day as the whole day was crazy. It all started pretty normal, B-man waking me up at 7am, asking to go outside and play before he had eaten or changed. Sq we sit down, eat breakfast, clean up the mess created by breakfast, change out of our Jammies, finish up our milk, and watch a little Zaboomafoo.

Well then one of my friends called and wanted to go for a walk so I said sure. I got outside and wanted to clean out the wagon so the boys could ride in that. Any way B-man has a very small pool to splash in that had some water in from the rain, and he spotted it, he looked at me and says "Abwa" (water) and look straight at him and say "NO, Stay out of the water we are going for a walk" As I sprint toward him he does a 5 star Frog Splash into the pool, clothes and all. So needless to say I am very displeased and tell him we have to go back in the house, call my friend tell her we aren't going, and strip him naked on the porch.

Nothing makes him angrier than being outside and having to go back in, so it works great as punishment for not behaving when he is out there. Well it was a total meltdown when we got back in the house, there was yelling, screaming, bawling and dome over the edge dramatics, which he has flair for. Well during the fit he wanted Juice and I told him No he needed to calm down first, as I wasn't in the mood to clean juice stains off my carpet when he spit out like a water fountain in protest of his captivity. Well he decided he was going to go get it himself even if that meant crashing through a baby gate into the kitchen, so he screams, lowers his shoulder and took out that gate like Reggie White used to take out quarter backs, needless to say he made through but fell, and pinched his arm under the gate so the Screaming continues.

I decide at this point to call my husband at work and see if he can calm him down before the dog or cat became the next victim of his "I can't believe you made me come in the house" rage, because they shed enough without the help of a 2 yr old pulling their hair out one handful at a time while he sits on them. So Brett talks to him for a min and seemed to help for about 2 min, then back to the fit. Well after about 30-40 min he finally wore himself out, or just realized I wasn't paying attention, and quit.

So know I decide we are going to go see my Mom for a while,s o it's off to the grocery store to buy some Muffins for her for breakfast ( she works a weird shift and wakes up about 11am) and some Juice boxes for Braxton to take with him up there. Well the store has a cart just for little kids that is shaped like a car so they can drive while you shop, I love it when I have a lot of shopping but it is very clumsy, so I figured right in and right out, but NOOO we have to get the stupid "school bus cart" for a juice box and a 4 pack of Muffins.

Well needless to say it didn't get any better once we got to my Moms, the dogs water dish is now a place to swim and he tried to wash his clothes while he was still wearing them. I think I will let you use your imagination on that one, as it can't be far from what actually happened, If you decide you really need to know, Just ask.

Crazy of the day

I think one of my most memorable moments from infancy will be my Crazy today. When B-man was about 1 month old I had him laying in the floor one day while I was cleaning. Well he would always try to stretch to reach the dog (even at that age he was after the dog), and he was on his tummy when I went into the kitchen and on his back when I came out. So not only did my son roll over for the 1st time at 1 month old but the dog was the only one who witnessed it. Needless to say he did roll again a few days later so I could see it. Although if I put him on his back then he looked like a turtle on it shell trying to get up, that was entertaining, and i often used it for my own amusement, I know bad Mommy.

Diaper rash

Some where along the line diaper rash is going to be a big issue. The first time we had issues with it I found out that was plums that caused it. Now i wouldn't call it a food allergy as he had no problem eating them and he didn't break out, swell up or anything like that but it casue irritation in his diaper. That one was an easy fix....Stop feeding him plums. Not all cases of diaper rash are this easy to fix unfortunatly. There were instances where I had used diapers that were the problem only I didn't realize it until i finished that pack of diapers. Diarrhea is the number one cause and also makes it the most difficult to get over. There a few tips I learned along the way.
1. Try to use a wash cloth instead of wipes
2. Make sure he was completely dry before putting the diaper back on
3. if it is bad to make sure you are giving a bath every night to help keep it extra clean.

There was one instance where it was so severe I thought nothing would help, and the poor baby couldn't sit lay down, sleep or anything and then someone recommended using asadophalis (sp) or a pill called Florijen. It can be used at any age, just break it open and mix it in food. You have to go to the pharmacy to get it but is not a prescription. If this is not an option because you can't get to a pharmacy or they don't have it and you need something ASAP then buy some athletes foot cream, I know it sounds gross but it works so well. I do still keep the regular stuff on hand for minor irritations but when it gets bad these are the things that worked for us. I hope it is never an issue!

Diapers

I think that diapering is a topic that often comes up when you are expecting your first child. Will you use cloth diapers, or disposable, if you choose disposable what brand will you use. So there are some questions to ask to help you decide.
First is what diaper is the most appealing to you. I personally never even considered cloth diapers, I think it is a toss up between the amount of energy used to clean them and the amount of garbage you create by using disposable. If you have a diaper service available then it might be different.
Second would be, are your kids going to be in daycare, and will they allow you to use the cloth diapers? Some will require that children are in disposable ones when they are at daycare.
Third of course is cost, I am sure that disposable will cost you more in the long run but if you figure in time, laundry soap, water, electricity, a diaper service,and the possibility of still needing the disposables you may be surprised how close the costs are.

That being said the money issue also comes down to the type of disposable diaper you choose to use. I ended up using Targets store brand diaper, they were by far the best value and work great for us. I think the best thing is that most people will receive many different brands of diapers as gifts so try them all out, if you are registering for gifts register for different brands of diapers. It took me until B-man was 8 months old before I found the ones I loved but, each child is different, and you may even run into irritation issues so it is a trial and error processes.

Weight gain

A conversation I was having with a friend today got me on this topic. Trying to lose the baby weight, and as a stay at home Mom trying to not to gain more. That is the exact problem I had. For me it got worse when my son started to eat the solid foods, like hot dogs, nuggets and fish sticks. Of coarse children are supposed to have higher fat foods, however my problem was eating with him. I wish I could say there was a simple answer to the problem but for me it was very hard. I have finally started to lose some but still have a long way to go. I say just try to stay focused on yourself without taking away from the kids.

Crazy of the day

So today wasn't something wild or crazy just adorable and I felt like sharing. My husband was getting ready for bed and he cam over to the couch and gave B and I our good night Kisses as usual. Well as soon as he got in the bedroom B says " I kiss Daddy night night more, Pleeeeeze Daddy" Needless to say my husband had to come back out and give another round of hugs and kisses.

Games to Play

I know as a stay at home it actually becomes a task to decide what kinds of activities to do with my son. You sometimes just can't figure out what you haven't done in the last 3 days. A few things that I've always had problems with is that mine likes to eat the crayons more than actually use them the way they are intended. He doesn't like to play with toys by himself, he much prefers someone playing with him which can be daunting if you have house work to do.

So a few things that I have found that seem to help are his V-tech learning computer, even though he is a bit young to fully understand it's functions, he does love to play on the computer "like Daddy". Another thing that work, although for a short time, is to let him pic out a picture he wants to color. I go to Sprout Online. com and they have ALL the TV characters from PBS and he gets to sit on my lap at the computer and pick out what picture he wants then he gets to color it. As he started to show interest in Stacking things I bought wooden blocks then for his 2nd birthday I bought him Mega Blacks and he now will let me clean for 10-15 min without interrupting.

Bragging rights

I think all parents have the right to brag about the accomplishment of milestones that children reach. I also think that Aunts, Uncles and Grandparents have those same rights. I do not however think that constantly comparing two children is healthy. If you and your friend or relative have children close in age I think it is great to share stories and discuss how you handle situations but I despise when I'm talking to someone and all I hear is Oh Yeah my child did that at 6 months old not 8, or My child can count to 10 your can only count to 5?

I also despise when people talk about my child's development or temperament to other friends and family. Don't make child raising a competition. Everyone will raise their kids how they choose and each child will progress at their own rate. Just enjoy parenthood!

Crazy of the day

Well, spring is here and with it comes my Moms obsession with Hummingbirds. 8 feeders and 30-40 birds swooping around the house. My son is absolutely fascinated by these fast flying, death darts with wings, and thinks he can play with them. Picture 30 hummingbirds swooping around a feeder and a rambunctious 2 yr old running around screaming," I tatch Gams hummbur" It's is really quite entertaining but you know what they say, It's all fun and games until someone looses an eye.

Being sick

I eventually will get to how I handle the illness that come with the children, but I haven't been feeling well so I thought I'd talk about how to deal with the Little ones when you are the one that is sick. There are a few things that I tend to do, the first is I will sleep when he sleeps. I forget about the dishes and laundry and rest as much as possible, this is hard when that is usually the only time for those projects but on or 2 days won't be the end of the world. The other thing that happens in our house is I let our son sleep with me in the mornings, because he tends to sleep longer if he snuggled in the big bed next to me. The last you have to be willing to do is ask for help. In my case I'm home all day with no back up so I will go to my parents house, my mom will watch him so I can take a nap. When my husband gets home from work I will kinda switch off the mommy switch and let him deal with our son for a while. It is impossible to just rest for 2 days but every little bit helps, and if you use a daycare I certainly would not hesitate about taking the kids even if you are home sick. In any case try not to be to grumpy and remember that kids don't know we are sick so deep breaths and play just a little less hard than you would otherwise.

crazy for the day

Since my son is at the age where he learns a new word everyday he always amazes me with what he does with that knowledge. His word last week was upside down which was great when he started to use it. We were at the park and he climbed up the ladder to the monkey bars, slid between the top two steps leaned forward until his head hit the sand and yelled, "Momma look i updide dow." I had to brush away the tears I was laughing so hard.

how active is your child

I often find myself comparing the activity level of my son compared to that of other children. It seems to me that all of my friends that have children have the unreasonably calm quiet children that will play nicely by themselves and sit through church. I on the other hand have a child who will run up down the aisle during a wedding just to see what kind of reaction he can get out of me. He also thrives for the attention that he gets when he refuses to sit down at a restaurant. In most cases he is not really being bothersome in my opinion, he doesn't run up to other peoples tables and cause scenes he just RUNS. I do find that having a very active child does have it's advantages, such as, I am in much better shape from chasing him around all the time. I can take him to large parties and he will gladly go play instead of hanging on me all day, but there are times I swear I'm never taking him out in public again. Every child has a different activity level and every parent needs to adapt to them, because they aren't changing for us.

Crazy for the day

Well toddlers are very active and mine being an Aries is even more so than others so the lack of fear is something I have had to learn to deal with it. At the park near our home we have have a great play area and it has a "rock" climbing wall, well I have told my son over and over not to go Down the wall only up it, so today as he is getting ready to JUMP off of it I walk over to him and tell him to get down before he falls. Well good thing I was half paying attention because all of the sudden he yells "momma got me" and jumps into my arms. Crazy kids.

Dirty Kids

As your child gets older they will will also become more curious of their surroundings, which is great. However with curiosity comes dirt, mud, grass, and who knows what else. If it is around then they will get into it. Mud puddles are great for splashing and for washing their hair and hands....At least in their opinions. A parent must learn that this is going to happen no matter how hard you try to avoid it. I personally enjoy it myself, I figure if they are messy then they were having fun doing what they wanted to do. Yes, I do know that there are times where they cannot get messy and I understand that they need to learn the boundaries but on a day to day, out in the yard or at the park, I say let them be kids and enjoy what kids enjoy, be it eating sand or rolling in the grass. Remember that they only get to be kids once and they shouldn't be taught to fear a mess.

Crazy for the day

I was trying to get my son to lay down and go to sleep one night and he was being very difficult. I had him snuggled in next to me on the recliner and decided to try to sing him a lullaby, which may be more of a form of torture than a soothing song. So anyway I decide Rock a bye Baby as it was always one of his favorites as an infant. well apparently his hearing has improved drastically since infancy and as I got to the part of In the Tree Top, he turns and looks at me and says No Tree Tops Momma, Momma no sing Tree tops. Hmmm, I guess he told me, next time I just turn the radio back on I guess.

how to deal with shots

One of my friends asked a question about her little guy running a fever after shots so I decided, hey why not be the topic of the day.

I have come to realize that the shots hurt you more than they hurt them. Yes most kids will cry and so will most most Moms the first time. About the only thing I can say is hold on tight, they will wiggle, squirm, crawl and move in ways you never thought possible. The first set of shots my son got he actually started to scream so hard he wasn't even making a sound and looked as though he would pass out. I was holding my breath and probably looked like I was going to pass out too.

A few things that I found that help are giving them Tylenol about 1/2 hour before the appointment so the pain isn't as bad afterwards, and hope you have a great Dr. Mine always has her nurse assist and if he needs more than one shot they do it at the same exact time so he doesn't have the chance to wise up to what is going on. After the shots are over I try to keep his little legs moving too, he is old enough now to walk but when he was little I would just play with him and play with his legs so the muscles didn't tighten up.

After shots there is a very good chance they will run a small fever around 100 degrees, ant that is absolutely nothing to worry about. Also not uncommon is for the area around the shot to turn into a red bump for a day or 2. Now if that bump starts to get warm to the touch, turn weird colors or looking like a rash then by all means call your Dr. they may be having a reaction to the vaccine or getting an infection.

I always say there is no reason to over react but you also don't want to under react either, just trust your gut, for some reason it seems to know.

food

As I had said earlier I decided to make all of my own baby food. It really wasn't as much work as a person might think it was. I bought a Magic Bullet and ground everything. I had read many things that said to freeze the food in ice cube trays but I soon realized that my son ate way more than that so I used freezer containers. I also think that it gave him a much wider variety of food than whats available in stores.

One thing I did was started by mixing fruits in with his oatmeal, a little mashed up banana, applesauce, or peaches. then I started with Veggies, which were either ones from my garden or frozen ones that I had cooked up. He loved squash and sweat potatoes, which are super easy because ones they are cooked they are so easy to mash up and freeze. his Dr had recommended feeding him things for a few days in a row to check for allergies so with the freezer containers it would be just about enough for 3 days.

After a month or two of fruits and veggies I simply began to grind up what ever we ate for dinner that night and all leftovers. So he was eating potroast and pork loin by 6 months. I would also make small things of homemade soup just for him and keep them frozen.

I found that this was so much less expensive and with the containers made it very easy for me to take his food anywhere that we went. there were times that I would have to ask a restaurant if they could heat it for me but that was never a problem.

I truly believe that he is a healthier, and less picky eater by having so many options at such a young age. Again I don't think that store bought foods are bad in any way, this was just a personal choice for me.

Crazy for the day

So my wonderful husband was doing yard work yesterday morning so the B-man and myself were outside playing while we watched him work. About the time everything was done it was very close to lunch time, so I decided we all needed to go in. Needless to say the little guy was having NONE OF IT! Once I picked him up kicking and screaming he decided to continue with a full blown tantrum.

Anyway I walked back outside and left him in the house with my husband well after about 30 seconds my husband is screaming for me to come back in the house NOW B-man had a bloody nose. So I run as fast as I can back to the house to find blood streaming out of his nose. I asked what happened and he had hit the door when I walked out and slipped and smashed his face into the door. So then I have to wrestle him down to get it to stop bleeding, which was similar to trying to wrestle a well oiled pig while you are blindfolded. I'm trying to pinch his nose and wipe it while he screams and tries to crawl up the wall in Spider-man fashion. I finally had it mostly stopped so I let him go and he was fine! He had a runny nose already so everytime I wiped snot I got the rest of the dry blood. 10 min after it happened you never would have known if you hadn't been here.

waking up

No matter what time we want them to wake kids will get up when they are ready, which is usually either way too early or way too late.

If you go to bed late they will wake up an hour before you want to, and they will make you late on a pretty regular basis. It is just something you need to learn to deal with. My son for instance has an internal clock of about 7 am, he rarely sleeps later unless he is snuggled in bed by me then maybe I can get 7:30 or an occasional 8. And of course there are the middle of the night screams and wet beds but those are so random that you can't really have a plan of attack for those moments.

What I started doing is to make sure I try to go to sleep very shortly after he does at night if I don't have a ton of stuff to clean up, at least this way I know I can get 8 hours of sleep. As far as getting up late, well I try to be prepared for that. If I know we are going somewhere the next morning, I get all of his clothes ready, and diaper bag packed the night before. Thanks to the internet i can usually have a pretty good idea on the weather so I can plan ahead for changes.

No matter what you do you need to expect the unexpected as much as possible, early up, late up, middle of the night up, you will probably experience them all.

Crazy of the day

Due to the topic for the day I'm going to go back to when B-man was about 16 months old. My Mom and I were out for lunch and he was with us. He was sitting nicely in his high chair and then got "that look" so we sat there for a while so he could finish what he was doing. So when I took him in the restroom to change him I realize that he was SOAKED clear down to his socks. So after I changed him and cleaned him up I go back out to get my mom and look down on floor and see a HUGE wet spot of poo on the floor under his high chair. Well I was so embarrassed by it that I actually told the waitress that he had spit up. It taught me two things that day, One was to pay closer attention to them during those moments and 2 was to never pick anything up off the floor of a restaurant. Gross

messes

So today I was busy with an event for our local rescue squad so my parents had to watch B-man for me, however he did manage to make a huge mess in his pants so I decided that was a great topic for the day.

They are inevitable and will happen at the wort times possible, they will come in many forms, from Poo, to puke, to food and dirt. The trick is to not make the mess any worse while trying to clean it up....Good Luck! One thing id for sure, you are lucky if it happens at home so you can clean it with a bath. However if you are not that lucky here a few tips. Always keep either a washcloth in the diaper bag or buy the disposable wash clothes that already have the soap you just need to wet them. Those are what I prefer just because if you don't have access to a bathroom you hopefully will have a bottle of water so you can still use it.

The 2nd thing to always have is a plastic bag or a diaper bag that comes with a wet clothes bag so you don't have to smell it all the way home. any plastic bag tied tight will work, I don't recommend putting them in the trunk because it will be 10 times worse if you forget them in there.

Lastly NEVER EVER leave the house without at least 1 change of clothing just for these moments. That being said My son has ridden home in a diaper.

Crazy of the day

So I have decided to add a Crazy of the Day, this will be one (at least) crazy moment that my son had for the day. It could be a meltdown something cute he said or did or any other random moment that I deem worth sharing. so Todays Crazy of the day actually happend at 8 O'clock this morning. I needed to get the garbage out before the trash man came so I was taking stuff out of the house and B-man wanted to help as usual, well before I could get a hand on him he had grabbed an empty soda box and headed out the door. Ok honey, set it down and go back in the house. Nope. Throw it at Momma and run as fast as I can across the yard in nothing but my PJ's to my slide sounds like way more fun. So I hurry up and move the garbage can, run accross the yard in nothing but my PJ's wondering what the neighbors are thinking. So yep my morning started out with a barefoot 2yr old running through the wet grass at 8 am. while I chase him around the yard in my PJ's what a sight for all to see. Always something new with a toddler.

The myth

So I have very recently learned that the terrible two's are not a myth that parents use to try to scare us from having sex too young. Since about 18 months my son has had a major attitude but nothing I couldn't control then it was like a light switch at 2. This kid seriously is like the Hulk. He is just a nice calm little gentleman then all of the sudden something sets him off and he turns colors and I'm sure he could tear off his clothes if I let him. So what do I do? Well that depends on each situation.

My son really prefers to be outdoors so sometimes his fits are simply because he would rather not go into the store or restaurant, in which case I have to let him scream it out inside. I know that many people would rather I take him out where he is not bothering them, but I have to teach him that sometimes we have to stay inside. I try to apologize but most people are pretty understanding even you think they are not. Now, in some instances he does have to be taken out to calm down. I have found that in my case he needs to go directly to the car and in his car seat, at least for a few minutes.

I know that I often overreact to the tantrums and fits, and feel people are looking at me like I'm bad parent, I think most parents probably feel this way at some point. I think for me the biggest issue is that people my parents age still look at you with the "that kid needs a good swat on the butt" look, and they don't understand that is not an option. So I just have to remind myself to take a deep breath, give my son a hug, try not to cry in Wal-mart, and finish what I'm doing and go about my day.

The begining

So this is going to be a little bit like LOST for a while until I get caught up there will be some back and forth so now a little back story.

While I was pregnant I decided that I was going to try to be a conventional parent, not get to out of control with worries about what is the right and wrong way to do things but to just do what I felt was right for ME and MY CHILD.
One thing I decided before he was born was not to Breastfeed. I choose to tell people this because it is such a hot topic and feel that women need to know that they have the right to decide for themselves. For me the choice was simple, I worked in a very small office with busy phones and little free time and it was going to make pumping very difficult after my short 6 week leave. I do not have anything against it, and feel women should be able to feed when they need to and not be looked down upon for it.

The second thing I was very insistant on was not using store bought baby foods. Now let me just say this was not a choice I made because I feel those foods are not healthy, I believe they are perfectly fine, I just felt for me it was a better fit. I have access to, and grow a large vegetable garden, as well as feeling it would help free up money and that would come to be a real issue for us later.

The last thing I did before he was born was start reading blogs and became very active on WebMd and their pregnancy boards, there was a great deal of support and ideas available 24 hours a day there, and it actually has become a website I still visit everyday, and a have made some Great friends there.

Step one of being a parent

SO here I am 2 yrs after giving birth and I have now decided it's time to figure out how to be a parent. I have step one down, I had a child. I survived the BABY!!

Now the real fun begins as does a whole different chapter of Parenting. TODDLER YEARS. As I begin this Blog i will go back to the 1st two years and try to explain, or rationalize how I got through them, as I am still in a bit of disbelief myself that I have made it this far.