We All Should Be This Confident In Who We Are

It’s fabulous when toddlers start doing some things for themselves.  I’ve probably buckled up a car seat six thousand times, put on eight thousand pairs of pants, washed ten thousand pairs of little hands… you get the idea.  So anytime one of these mundane tasks are taken over by one of my little munchkins, I’m all for it. 

Recently I bought CamCam and “Mr. Trouble” some sandals.  Now, I’m not sure why, but my boys get VERY attached to their shoes.  They both have always thrown fits whenever I try to buy them new shoes.  “NO!”  they’ll say, “Not those shoes,  THESE (pointing down at  their feet) are my shoes!”  I’ve even had to go so far as to buy them the same sneakers they currently own in the next size up and make the switch while they’re sleeping. 

So needless to say, these sandals were met with some resistance.  “Mr. Trouble” finally caved when he realized these sandals were his ticket to the beach.  And CamCam relented when he realized he could put these shoes on by himself.  The ONLY thing keeping him from running out the door to play was the fact that he needed to ask mom to put shoes on him, and now that he didn’t need mom for that anymore, well, he was free to play outside whenever he wanted! 

Plus, being able to put your own shoes on makes you an instant member of “The Big Boy” club.  He was very excited and very proud.

Until today.

Today I was running late.  I needed to pick up their big brother from school at 3:30 sharp.  Yes, the teacher actually used the word “sharp".  And, naturally, as I’m packing up the boys to go, “The Baby” had a last-minute poopy diaper that needed changing.  So I was running late.  I asked CamCam to put his own shoes on.  It would have been a HUGE help to me, saved me a few seconds.  So, naturally, he didn’t do it.  I asked him to “Please, please, please put your own shoes on.  Mommy’s in a hurry and I need you to put them on.  I’m going out to buckle up the baby and you can put them on for me while I’m doing that.” 

But, of course, I rushed back inside to find him sitting in the entry.  Shoeless.

“CamCam, why didn’t you do your sandals?  Aren’t you a big boy?”

“Nope!”

“You’re not?  Are you a little boy?”

“Nope!”

“Are you a baby?”

“Nope!”

“Well, what are you then?”

“I’m a CamCam.”

Yeah, I think that about sums it up.  He’s one of a kind, my CamCam.

Hard Lessons

Why, why, oh why do my kids not listen to me?  I know they think I’m just being a big meanie when I say no to things or tell them to stop doing things, but really I’m not.  Seriously kids, my mission in life is NOT to ruin all your fun.  If I tell you to stop doing something, there’s a good reason for it.  Most likely what your doing will or could cause harm to you or someone around you or something around you.

Take this:

Totally   unsafe, right?  How many times CamCam, did I tell you to stop climbing up on the windows?  And every time you asked me “why” and every time I told you that it was dangerous.

And take this:

How many times have I told you “Mr. Trouble” and you CamCam to pick up your toys when you were done playing with them?  Sure, my main reason is because I want a neater home, but I also tell you that because toys laying around can be dangerous. 

And when this:

…and tons of these lying around…

combine, well then we have a rather big accident in which our little toddler head gets stabbed in the head twice with little play swords.  Didn’t know those things could actually stab, did you?  Big bruise on the side of your head, and two holes, I hope you start listening to me from now on.

But I’m not counting on it.

How Uncomfortable Must This Be?

Yesterday CamCam was angry at me for saying no to him for, ummm…… gosh, I don’t even remember what it was but I’m sure it was him wanting animal crackers since that’s what it usually is.  So he hit “The Baby”. 

Because that’s what the kids in my family do. 

Feeling anger?  Hit the person younger then you.

So I sent him to his room.  Ten minutes later I went up to check on him and this is what I found:

I SWEAR I do NOT make my kids live in a box!

Is There Anyone Who Falls For This?

What on earth is at the start of my kids TV shows? 

 

 

“Wow Wow Wubbzy encourages toddlers to share and care by nurturing emotional development”

Say what?  Does anyone actually fall for this and believe they’re doing their child some good by letting them watch a cartoon? 

I think these cartoons should just be honest.

“Wow Wow Wubbzy will get your toddler to sit there like a mindless drone for a half hour.  We’ll seamlessly merge into the next cartoon show without you or him knowing, so he could be sitting there for a couple hours.  Sure, you’ll pay for it later when he comes out of his TV-enhanced fog like a crazy man, running around, making messes, picking on his siblings and whines and cries at everything.  But the “Future You” will have to deal with all that.  The “Now You” will get 2 hours of peace and quiet to do as you please.  And doesn’t the “Now You” really need that?”

At least that would be the truth.

The Day We All Acted Like Brats. Yes, Me Too

For the past week or so, every time I drove down the main street in my town I noticed a banner for the: First Ever Annual All Species Parade May 14th at 4:30.  I wondered what the heck an “All Species Parade” was, but never looked into it.  Then the night before the parade, I got an email from a mom explaining it.  Apparently some local art group was organizing it, everyone was to show up either dressed up as an animal, or with a puppet.  Then we were marching in a parade down Main St, and around the town.

This sounded perfect for my little boys.  What child doesn't like to get dressed up?  My kids are always playing dress up, I have an entire drawer of stuff devoted to this type of play.  So the morning of the event, I asked CamCam and “Mr. Trouble” if they’d like to get dressed up as animals and be in a parade.  I got a very enthusiastic cheer of “YAY”, and “Mr. Trouble” said he’d like to be an elephant.  CamCam said he wanted to be a monkey.  “Mr. Trouble” said: “Are you sure CamCam?  I’m being a elephant, don’t you want to be a elephant with me?”

“No, I monkey.”

They were really getting into this, lots of discussion took place over what “The Baby” should be while I drove us to Jo-Ann’s for the necessary supplies. 

Once I got back home, I worked nonstop on their costumes.  CamCam and “Mr. Trouble” kept checking in to see how it was coming.  “I so excited,” was uttered more then once. 

Finally, less then an hour before the parade was to start, I finished. 

And that’s when everything fell apart.

I’ll admit, I let “Mr. Trouble” play the Wii a lot more then I should have that day due to all the sewing I was doing.  I told him it was time to get off so we could get dressed up and he said: “You know what mom?  I don’t want to go to the parade, I want to stay home.”  He reluctantly put on his costume, and said the ears were stupid.  I had bought face paint for them, and he did sit there and let me paint his face, and then he went upstairs and rubbed it all.  He went on and on about how it itched, so I washed it off.  CamCam refused to even put his costume on.  He screamed and screamed NO NO NO, every time I tried.  “Leader of the Fab-Five” started complaining about how this was dumb, and why did he have to go.  It’s for babies and could he just stay home.  “Little Miss” started sulking and crying because there wasn’t a costume for her to wear. 

The Dada arrived home from work early to attend with us, and we decided to drive up anyways, maybe once they saw all the kids they’d change their mind. And, there were supposed to be extra costumes available, so “Little Miss” could choose from them.

Nope.  Lots of crying and complaining still.  So I decided to take “Little Miss” and “The Baby” to it, and The Dada drove the rest of them home.  Well…..actually I threw a little sulk/fit of my own and stormed off with “my only 2 agreeable kids, the rest can go to bed for all I care.”  Not my best mommy moment.  I’m ducking my head in shame now.

“Little Miss” ended up wearing the elephant costume, it was a little short, but she enjoyed it anyways. 

And “The Baby” had a grand time.

Today, however, “Mr. Trouble” and CamCam eagerly put on their costumes and let me take oodles of pictures of them. 

Figures, right?

--------------

I ran out of grey and had to use pink for the inside of the ears, which made for a nice mouse/elephant combo.  Mouseaphant.

   

 

Flipped them around, that’s more like it.

He had brown pants but I didn’t put them on for the picture.

I Bet This is Why Cash Replaced Bartering

As I’m sure you’ve all noticed, and many of you have commented on, my blog has a whole new look.  I just love the new header at the top that I was lucky enough to have my sister make for me.  It perfectly captures what my blog is all about.  I had wanted to hire her to do this, but once all was finished she said just to make her some cookies or something. 

She said she missed my cooking.  How sweet is that?

So I made 2 batches of cookies yesterday.  I only had a chance to bake one, and I put the other in the fridge to bake today. 

This second batch of cookies said it needed to be chilled, but I know from experience if I leave the dough in the fridge too long, it becomes impossible to roll out.  There’s A LOT of butter in it, and so the dough hardens up really fast. 

Overnight was definitely too long.

After it took me like 30 minutes to get only 15 little balls, I decided to leave the dough out a bit to warm up.  I had to put “The Baby” to bed anyways.

While I was up there I decided to pick up all the dirty clothes from off the floor.

Since I’d done that, I might as well throw in a load.

Walked by my bedroom door and realized I hadn’t made my bed yet.  Decided to make it.

And pick up my room a bit.

And then I walked downstairs to see CamCam kneeling on a stool next to my bowl of dough. 

He had cookie dough running down his chin. 

I caught him mid-chew.

“Yum, it’s good mom,” he said.  I scolded him, “CamCam!  What on earth are you doing!!!  You can’t eat that"!” Images of raw egg and all the horror they could do were running through my head. 

And then, in true CamCam fashion, he did the only reasonable thing he could do in a situation like this. 

He spit the mouth full of cookie dough back into the bowl.

   

 

    And slyly slipped away.

 

 

 

 

 

Look at all the dough I had to throw away. 
(I scooped out the spit-in part for the picture so it wouldn’t gross anyone out)

And so, my dear sister, that’s why you only have 15 of these cookies to thank you for all your fabulous work.  A second batch of goodies will be coming, I promise.

I’m Being Outsmarted- Again

I recently decided that I was going to reinstate nap time with CamCam.  Everyday he starts to fall apart soon after lunch.  By 3PM I find myself wishing that I had put him in for a nap earlier, but by then it’s too late.  He’d be up all night if he went in at 3.  So I started feeding him an earlier lunch, and bringing him up to his bed a little after noon. 

The first time I did this, CamCam fell asleep very quickly.  One o’clock is when “The Baby” goes in for his nap.  Suddenly I had two hours with just one kid up.  I was amazed at the amount I was able to accomplish! 

It really was making a huge difference in the rest of CamCam’s day.  He woke up refreshed, and the number of afternoon meltdowns was greatly reduced.   

Obviously this is being met with great resistance.  And with each passing day, the resistance is growing.  CamCam kept coming out of his room and saying he didn’t want to go to bed.  I finally came up with a solution to this as well.  All morning I do laundry, and as it comes out of the dryer, I throw it into the hallway, which also happens to be right outside CamCam’s room.  Then, during his nap time, I sit there and fold laundry.  The first time I did this, he was pretty shocked to slyly open his door and peek out, only to see me sitting there already. 

However, CamCam must get the final word in.  I can put him into bed.  I can make him stay in his room.  But he says he “Don’t wanna go bed!” and he’s sticking to that.