Allow me to indulge myself for a moment...

Sorry in advance, this isn't my "typical" post. But we recently had a rather momentous moment in toddlerhood, and I want to document it.

The first haircut.

I've been through this with my boys twice before. The first time, with "Leader of the Fab Five", I went equipped with video camera, picture camera, and munchkins from Dunkin Donuts. The munchkins didn't last nearly long enough, and "Leader of the Fab Five" cared less about the munchkins and more about the sharp instrument dangerously close to his ear. The final moments of his haircut were spent with me holding his head still and him screaming. Not exactly what I'd envisioned.

With "Mr. Trouble" I went equipped with lollipops. However, he fell asleep on the way to his first haircut, and miraculously slept through the entire thing. I didn't get any pictures since I was the one holding him, but at least it went down without any screaming.

Considering the activity level of CamCam, and his zero tolerance to anything he doesn't want to do, I have been dreading taking him for his first haircut. The time had come though- my sister's wedding was coming up and I didn't want CamCam in all the pictures with his girly locks.

Then my cousin told me about this "kids only" salon called Snip-its. I figured it was worth a shot. I walked into the place with my three little boys, planning to get "Mr. Trouble" a haircut, since he was going to be the ring-bearer, and planning to see how it went with CamCam. Maybe we'd get one, maybe we'd leave with the start of one.

I was blown away when I walked in. This place was definitely created with kids in mind. I let "Mr. Trouble" go first, figuring CamCam could watch and see that it wasn't a big deal, but instead CamCam walked all over the place playing with their toys.

Then it was his turn. He jumped right up into the kid-sized seat. He allowed the hairdresser to put the apron around him. He watched a cartoon on the t.v. placed in front of him.

He held still.

I couldn't believe it! When he lost interest in the cartoon, the hairdresser handed him a jar of bubbles to play with. When he lost interest in the bubbles, she handed him animal crackers one at a time. When he decided that he wanted to comb his own hair instead of having her do it, she handed him an extra comb and encouraged him to brush the front of his hair. She let him play with her spray bottle and didn't care when he sprayed it. And she wisely took it away when he started to suck on it to get the water out.

He stayed in place and was still for the entire haircut. No screaming. No fits.

And what about the fact that he was having so much fun in the chair, he probably wouldn't want to get down when it was over? No problem, they had that covered too. He was handed a special ticket to wear around his wrist when he entered, and when the haircut was over he got a lollipop, and then the hairdresser told him to go over to the machine at the front of the store to put his ticket in and he would get a prize.

This is the best place ever.

Bubbles and cartoons, it doesn't get much better then this.

They grow up in an instant when they get their first haircut.

I wanted a shot of him and his brother together, but they both thought I wanted the stickers.

Miscommunication

In amongst all the craziness having a toddler brings into your home, there are those moments that make it all worthwhile.

Having those tiny little arms thrown around your neck.

"I wuv you" being whispered in your ear at night.

Slobbery kisses.

All the touching moments mixed within the crazy ones. The other day CamCam was sitting at the kitchen table, "The Baby" was in his highchair next to him, and when I came over to them CamCam said: "Uh like-it baby". It was enough to make my mommy heart melt. I told CamCam that was so nice, and walked away smiling thinking about how sweet it was that CamCam liked his baby brother so much.

Then the baby started coughing.

Then choking.

I ran over and realized that in his mixed up wording CamCam wasn't saying "I like the baby," he was saying "The baby likes it." Meaning, the eight pieces of popcorn CamCam had shoved into "The Baby's" mouth.

Sometimes is hard for even a mommy to understand what her two year old is trying to tell her.

Earplugs anyone?

CamCam is going through a screaming phase. I guess he didn't get the lesson in the "Boy Who Cried Wolf" story, because he screams at every little thing. He screams if someone takes his toy. He screams if someone even gets near to his toy. He screams if he doesn't get what he wants. He screams if something doesn't go his way. At first I ran to check on him, usually a child screaming at the top of their lungs means something bad is happening to them. But now I know it's probably nothing and so I go about my business.

However, to all you people that just so happened to be grocery shopping Monday afternoon at the same store as me and are not used to CamCam screaming at the top of his lungs, I apologize.

When I pulled into the parking spot at the grocery store, I sat for a minute in the van and tried to figure out the best way to get in there with my three, all while "Mr. Trouble" is saying "Let's go mom! Let's go mom! Come on, let's get outta here!"

It is freezing, and I forgot to put my moby wrap on before I left the house and I really didn't want to stand out in zero degree weather trying to wrap that thing around me. However, if I put the baby in the cart, where would CamCam go? Yes, these are the things I spend my day thinking about.

I decided I would let CamCam ride in with the food, I figured I'd be able to get about halfway through the store before food would overtake the cart and he would have to walk.

I made it to the deli.

Which is at the end of aisle one.

There technically still was room for CamCam, but he had decided he wanted to lay down and was smooshing all my produce with his big snow boots. I think he was kicking it on purpose. It's probably my fault, I did tell him to stop kicking the food after all.

Anyways, here we are aisle two and I have 2 roaming munchkins. CamCam actually did pretty well staying with me. As well as a two year old can be expected to do. He was kept busy by throwing items in the cart. Some items I wanted, some I didn't know I wanted but apparently CamCam is smarter then me. So we made it to about the halfway point before CamCam decided it would be funny to run off. Here I am in the meat department with my two year old running down the back of the store, running faster and faster as my protests grow louder and louder. However, I also have "The Baby" strapped into the cart and I know if he decided to reach over he could tip out of the cart so I couldn't leave him. CamCam was laughing so hard at me, I'm surprised he was still able to keep his balance, I thought for sure he would fall.

I had 2 options available to me:
1- Ask for help from one of the numerous strangers staring at me and the scenario unfolding, or
2- Send my four year old after CamCam.

I chose the second option. "Mr. Trouble" ran as fast as his legs could carry him, and caught up to CamCam. He reached out and grabbed CamCam's hood. This was like a roadblock, and CamCam fell on his butt to the ground. "Mr. Trouble" then decided the best way to get CamCam back to me was to start dragging.

And so that's why CamCam was screaming at the top of his lungs somewhere between the meat department and the eggs. I think half the store got to witness this scenario developing, but to the other half, now you know that a child wasn't having their arms pulled off or something equally horrendous.

He was just being dragged by his hood back to his mom by his four year old brother.

How A Two Year Old Helps

I've had lots of talks with the kids lately about being more helpful around the house. Ironically, the one who seems to be listening to me the best is CamCam. However, his is the kind of help I do not necessarily need.


He LOVES to help unload the dishwasher. Sometimes he'll pick up a dish, like a big plate. It's very heavy for him, so he stands at the dishwasher and says: "Here you go ma, here you go ma" over and over and meanwhile the plate is ever so slowly tipping forward and slipping from his hand. Sometimes he walks the dishes over to me. We've had a few accidents and a few broken dishes. At least he's trying to help.


He likes to help with the laundry. When I'm loading a machine, he likes to help load it as well. He also likes to reach inside and turn the machine around and around. When I'm putting clothes away, he's very helpful because he will pick up piles of clothing and bring them to me to put away. Generally, whatever he's brought I have to refold because he drops piece after piece along the way. Knowing this makes me put laundry away at lightening speed, so in a way, he does help. He also likes to be around for the folding. Anytime he sees me sitting on the floor folding laundry, he comes over and sits on my lap. It is very difficult to try and fold clothes around another person, but somehow I manage.


He helps with this blog. Obviously he helps by being as mischievous as possible and giving mom lots and lots of things to write about. But he also helps by sitting on my lap while I'm typing and every time I stop to think a bit, he says: "GO! GO!" Very encouraging.


He helps with "The Baby." For example, if the baby gets past the barricades I've put up to try and keep him away from the stairs, and starts to go up the stairs, CamCam runs up to him and attempts to pick him up and away from the stairs.

By his legs.


Or, CamCam helps the baby learn how to crawl up the stairs by pushing aside the chairs I'm using as barricades and going up one step at a time saying, "Come on baby, come on," all while I am running over to them yelling "no, stop, don't let "The Baby" go up the stairs!"


Or, CamCam helps with diaper changes. No, he doesn't go and get a diaper for me. I try to ask him to but he just looks at me like I have 2 heads. Sometimes he'll go off and bring me a book or something instead. And he won't get me the wipes. One day I was changing "The Baby" and realized after I pulled off the diaper that I needed wipes, and they were on the counter behind me. I reached and stretched, but they were just out of my reach. CamCam was right next to them, and I asked him to get them for me. It went like this:

"CamCam, get mommy the wipes." He walks past the wipes and into the kitchen.

"No CamCam, the wipes, right here," I say, pointing at the box of wipes, which my finger is practically touching. CamCam comes over, looks around confused, and grabs me an envelope off the counter.

"No, the wipes, these," I repeat, pointing and stretching a bit so that I actually move the container a bit. CamCam turns around in a circle trying to figure out what on earth I want him to get for me.


The way he helps is, when I'm changing the baby, he grabs a wipe out of the container and tries to wipe the baby for me. Which doesn't really seem like that big of a deal, except that the first time he did it I wasn't ready.

So he wiped his brother's poopy butt.

And then shoved the wipe back into the container.


Definitely not the kind of help I'm looking for.

HAHA, I Told You!

I think our house may just be a little bit too small. I really like my house, but it's becoming a bit tight. The biggest issue is that we all are sharing one bathroom. It wasn't such a big deal when we first built our home. The "Leader of the FabFive" and "Little Miss" were just little kids at the time. Preschoolers. It was convenient to have us all right next to each other and sharing the same bathroom.

But now they are older and need privacy. And then there's also the fact that there are a lot more kids. The Dada and I are now outnumbered. The drawers are being taken over by kids toothbrushes. "Little Miss" has an entire drawer devoted to her hair stuff. All the adult stuff is being pushed aside to make room.

And of course there's also THIS problem. The problem where I will walk into the bathroom and find this:

You know what the funny thing is?

I called it.

Right here, I said it would happen. I just knew it. But where was I to put it all? There is nowhere in our home that is safe from our little Tornado. CamCam has access to it all. And he has curiosity on his side.

So yes, that's my new liquid eyeliner all over CamCam.

Looks like he had fun, doesn't it?

I wasn't even mad. Or upset. I knew it was only a matter of time. At least it was only one thing. It could have been all the new makeup.

Makeup is deceptively difficult to remove! I tried to wash his hands first, but the stuff wouldn't budge. I thought the Desitin incident from a few days earlier would help with this process, but apparently it had all rubbed off. Finally I put him in the tub and The Dada spent quite a bit of time washing up CamCam with a combination of baby wipes, soap and shampoo. It turned my tub brown. I had to soak it in bleach. CamCam also rubbed it throughout my makeup drawer. I had to throw out hair clips because I couldn't get the makeup off. There was a baby proofing cabinet lock in the drawer that is still tinged brown because I couldn't get it all off.

All of which, obviously, made me wonder.

What on earth am I putting on my face?!?!?!?

This Isn't Right

A Side Effect of Potty Training I Never Saw Coming

Recently my facebook status read something like: "I am equipped with stickers, charts, rewards big to small and am declaring today the End of Pull-Ups Day." A friend of mine commented that this should make for some interesting blog entries. But I pointed out that I was actually referring to "Mr. Trouble", my 4 year old who has been a NIGHTMARE to train, so no blog entries.

She was right, I was wrong.

I thought it would be better for "Mr. Trouble" if the rewards he earned were wrapped. Who doesn't like opening a wrapped gift? So I dumped out all the presents on my bed, brought up the tape and wrapping paper and got to work.

CamCam came in from the bathroom and sat on the floor at the end of my bed. He was so good. He was just sitting there, doing his little toddler chatter. Laughing from time to time. I was smiling, it was so cute to listen to.

But then I thought I smelt something funny. Not a yucky kind of funny, more of a I-know-what-that-smell-is-but-I-can't-put-my-finger-on-it kind. I went over to CamCam, who was back to me, and this is what he looked like:

What is this?

And why is there such a big glob of it right next to his mouth?

Yes, he had been brushing his teeth with Desitin. I don't understand why I heard joyful giggling, I should have heard gagging. Do you have any idea how impossible it is to clean up Desitin?!?! They say it protects skin from moisture, and boy are they not kidding! I could not wash that stuff off CamCam for the life of me! The more I scrubbed him with soap, the further and further the Desitin spread on his body and created a nice greasy coating all up his arms and all over his face. Finally I rubbed some powder Tide in there and that got most of it off. I figured the remaining bit would rub off on my furniture and walls. I never could get it up from my carpet, it just spread. Now we own an off-white carpet with greasy white spots throughout.

And CamCam's skin is very well protected from moisture.