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    Monterey Bay Aquarium

    March 31st, 2011

    This is a small photo dump from my trip down to Monterey with G a last month (or was it the month prior?). It was a loooong drive. I hadn’t been there in years, and let me tell you, 2 hours with a toddler in the car makes a car journey seem longer than it would be otherwise. He did pretty well, but still, spending your day sitting in a vehicle for 4 hours is not his idea of a good time.

    He dug all the fish though and really got a kick of watching all the scuba divers doing feedings. His favorite was watching the sharks be hand-fed (well wand-fed, really). I was just happy I was on the other side of the shark-infested glass 🙂

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    Guess who’s been writing his name?

    March 31st, 2011

    G. Or at least he’s been trying to.

    Ms. S asked to speak to me at pick-up on Monday. I thought to myself “Uh-oh! What did he do?”, but she was super happy and impressed that G was writing his name. While she hand-holds the other kids, he didn’t want any help doing it.

    Check it out. If you squint hard enough, it does look like his name.

    The big squiggle in the front does have a G in it. There are the loops for the f’s, an i, and even a block at the end to be n.

    I’m a proud mama. My kid is either a genius or I’ve been staring at this for too long 🙂


    Teething hellions

    March 30th, 2011

    We’ve been alerted that S2 is showing signs of teething. Kid is not even 5m old. WTF? Ensue my panic. I’m not ready for him to teethe! My nipples aren’t ready for him to teethe!!!

    It would explain a lot of his recent behavior though: the constant first in mouth, the drooling, the stuffy nose… the frequent night wake-ups.

    What’s the rush kid? You couldn’t wait to run for the exit, you’re staring at my food with those devouring eyes, and now this? Why couldn’t you take after me and wait to sprout chompers AFTER you turned one?

    Clearly there will be no break between teething children in our home. Just as G is finishing up his last molar we’ll be starting over again with S2. I can only hope, at least, that S2 will take it easy on us for those first few.

    Sigh!


    Full service daycare

    March 30th, 2011

    I’ve mentioned this before, but daycare tracks diaper changes, bottles and naps for the kids in the infant/toddler room. I LOVE this! Being a data junkie aside, it’s actually really helpful for me as a working parent. It helps me plan for my evening better. Last bottle at 3, and it’s now 5:30? Well, then, baby’s dinner comes first. If it was after 5, then I have the possibility of eating with the S and G. Short naps throughout the day? Then get ready for a loooong night with lots of wake-ups.

    I look at this sheet every afternoon, so imagine my surprise last week when I saw this:

    7:20 Breastfed.

    Breastfed? Cool! This is a special treat for me since I left by 7:15 that day. So I jokingly asked Ms. J “So who breastfed by child this morning?” Poor Ms. J gave me the most horrified look. She doesn’t come in to open in the mornings, so, sadly, she had no idea what had happened that day. I assured her that I wasn’t upset in any way, just that I found it humorous.

    I will admit though, that I am just a wee-bit disappointed. How sweet would it be to have this option, huh? Talk about full service daycare!


    Tiggy

    March 26th, 2011

    G got a new friend via post last week, courtesy of Grammie. His name is Tiggy. Tiggy Brachiasaurus. G picked out the name himself. Tiggy is now a permanent fixture in G’s bed.

    Interestingly enough, though, every other friend amongst hist toy collection he is also naming Tiggy.

    Someone needs to teach G the concept of unique identification. Meanwhile, meet Tiggy.


    Toddler drool: the secret to good hair

    March 24th, 2011

    I think I’ve discovered the secret to amazing hair: have your toddler drool on it all night long.

    I’m actually not kidding.

    G right now has a bit of a head cold. (Cross my fingers) he’s not sick, sick, but he has a stuffy nose. Since he refuses to BLOW his nose, it means that he wakes up at night stuffed up and doesn’t know what to do about it. He went to bed the other night super whiny and wanted me to go to bed with him (which I did). It was a rough night. He woke up often, stuffed up and coughed. We finally tackled him and used the Nosefreida on him (which by the way, on a kicking toddler is no fun), and then he was able to sleep. Sleep on my head.

    I woke up with his face in my hair, mouth agape, “styling” my locks through the early hours of the morning.

    Of course, since it was 6, we needed to be out of the house at 7, and I had myself to get ready, and infant to nurse/change/dress, and bags to get in the car, there was no room for a shower. Yes, hold your disgust please. This is called being a parent, Okay?

    BUT, my hair looked awesome!!!! If this is what bed-head looks like post a night of toddler drool, I’d almost sign up for that daily. It had lift, the ends were curled up at the bottom, and it fell “just right” in a way I could only replicate if I spent a good long time with gel, blow-drier and a curling brush. Things I’m not doing in the morning these days, to be sure.

    I really should’ve taken a picture.


    C’mere you paci, you!

    March 21st, 2011

    S2 loves his paci. He’s also trying reeeeeeeeallllly hard to get it back in his mouth when it falls out.

    Sometimes I feel he’ll make himself crosseyed looking for it:


    Why, oh why?

    March 21st, 2011

    2 years, 6 months and 3 days = the grace period I got before the “But whyyyyyy?” stage began. Aaah, March 3rd. The day that will go down in infamy as the day Mommy started loosing her marbles. We went on for days and days of repeated “Why?” questions. I thought we had gotten a bit of break there, but alas, S confirmed that he’s just transitioned his questions to him.

    Before I was a parent (ah, those idealistic days!) I had thought “No, I really WILL tell them why the sky is blue!” Now that I’m here, and the Why’s have began, it’s not as romantic as I had envisioned. Oh sure, the Why conversation begins innocently enough:

    G: Momma, what they doin’?
    Me: They’re pulling the wooden planks off the truck?
    G: Why?
    Me: So that they get on the driveway.
    G: Why?
    Me: So that those guys can build the deck?
    G: But why?
    Me: So you can play in the back yard.

    The thing  is, you don’t realize you’re in a why-loop until about the 3rd (or so) question in. I’ve tried the “Well, what did I say last time you asked why?” and “What do you think?”, but he’s 2, so really I only immediately get asked “Why?” again with no pause for him to answer himself.

    My friend R reminded me that it only gets worse over time, and that she asked a lot of “Why?” when she was a teen. Come to think of it, as did I… so I guess I’m in this for the long haul. I better start rehearsing that ever-favorite parent response “Because I said so!”


    Foto Friday

    March 18th, 2011

    Yeah, I’ve kind of slacked on the photos thing, so I’ll be catching up over the next few days. Here’s a bunch to get ya’ started. S2’s 3m photos w/ Kelly M Photography.

    I can’t say that G was being particulatly cooperative that day. You see, while we were calmly trying to sit for photos, we had a flash of toddler behind us at all times. While I’m glad to know that he’s not discriminating solely against MY lens, I now fear that we’re cursed with a period of few good family shots together. Arg!


    We’ve got names!!!

    March 17th, 2011

    S2’s friends are finally all named. It took us awhile to agree on a name for the cow. Interestingly enough the cow is getting the name I orginally wanted to call G’s giraffe. So…. presenting:

    Rory. From Roary… ‘cuz he’s a tiger
    Mo. As in Mohawk… ‘cuz the zebra looks like he’s got one, AND
    Spot. Spot the cow.