Being Sara » Toddler Times http://beingsara.com Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:58:49 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 Where to begin? http://beingsara.com/story/where-to-begin/ http://beingsara.com/story/where-to-begin/#comments Thu, 05 Jan 2012 03:32:18 +0000 Sara http://beingsara.com/story/where-to-begin/ I can’t even remember the last time I posted something here. There are plenty of reasons – the same as many stale blogs, lack of inspiration, time and eventually guilt from being silent for so long. I’d like to get back into the swing of regular posts and the start of a new year seems like as good a time as any to make that attempt.

So, to recap, it was a busy year. Xander started kindergarten. Parker moved into the purple room at day care. We attempted potty training for about three months (the dryer was broken for two of those months. The word hellish comes to mind when I think back on it) but eventually decided to take a break when we reached a stalemate – he was fine with peeing in his pants as long as we changed him after. I was not fine with that arrangement. Parker turned three last week (the fact that my baby is now three could be an entirely separate post). Xander is learning to read which is super exciting for us. I’ve been at my current job for over a year now. I continue to love the day to day work and the interaction with college students but regularly the higher level politics provides new challenges and headaches that I long to ignore.

Parker has gotten into the habit of being my cheerleader. If I kill a bug for him or do well in a game we are playing he’ll tell me ‘good job mom!’ he also calls us mom and dad more than mommy and daddy lately. It sounds cute with his little voice but is slightly disconcerting.

We had a wonderful Christmas filled with friends and family and lots of time to play with the boys. On our last day of vacation we were lounging in our pajamas and watching Toy Story 3. In the beginning of the movie there are several flashbacks to the boy, Andy playing with his toys. Shortly into the montage, Xander pipes up and says ‘hey, he has all of the toy story toys’ after Zach and I stopped giggling we reminded him that we were actually watching toy story the movie… Kids… ;-)

So, we’re good. Looking forward to all that 2012 has in store, and hopefully finding time to blog again.

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]]> http://beingsara.com/story/where-to-begin/feed/ 0 Happy 2.5 Birthday Peanut! http://beingsara.com/story/happy-2-5-birthday-peanut/ http://beingsara.com/story/happy-2-5-birthday-peanut/#comments Tue, 09 Aug 2011 20:18:03 +0000 Sara http://beingsara.com/?p=866 Just in case anyone reading this isn’t already aware, we celebrate Parker’s half birthdays.  He was born at the end of December, and it’s not a great time for anyone to get together to celebrate a birthday when we’re all busy celebrating Christmas and New Year’s.  We decided before his first birthday that we would acknowledge the day with a brunch for family, but not celebrate with a party or presents until the summer.  It’s worked out well.  Parker gets his special day, and he isn’t sad about it being in the summer instead of winter.  We kind of like kicking off the summer with Parker’s party and then ending it with Xander’s party.  This year Parker’s wasn’t really at the start of the summer, but we’ll get back into the swing of things next year.

So, we celebrated.  Lots of people came and it was a great afternoon.  Pretty hot, but not bad in the shade.  Parker got his cake (which was really his primary focus for the day) and wound up with some really fun toys.  He is finally getting to an age where he has friends that he likes to play with, and a few of them came – it was great to see him playing so well with them.  Making this little boy happy was totally worth the 7+ hours of cleaning I did along with the 4-ish hours we drove to have a free day to clean, plus all of the hours in the hot sun Zach spent working in the yard.  We always say parties are a good excuse to make sure your house is really clean…

He is a stereotypical two year old, fiercely independent one minute, and desperate to cling to my leg the next.  His speech is getting better and better by the day, and the things he says are so freaking cute, most people can’t help but mimic everything he says – we’re guilty of it too, but if I were him, I’d be sick of people copying me by now…  Just recently he’s been in to ‘singing’ his A,B,C’s but can only do it if he’s watching someone and mimicking them (oh, the irony).  He can count to 16, but won’t do it anytime we want to show off his new skill of course.  He tries his hardest to keep up with his older brother and manages to succeed most of the time.  His imagination is phenomenal and he can play make believe with his brother for lengthy periods of time.  I am still the favorite, but sometimes Dad can kiss a boo-boo.  And he melts my heart every day when he calls out ‘I love you Mommy’ as I’m walking out the door.  He doesn’t always make it easy, but I’m still head over heels in love with this little guy.

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]]> http://beingsara.com/story/happy-2-5-birthday-peanut/feed/ 1 What Do You Do With Your Mom’s Chap stick? http://beingsara.com/story/what-do-you-do-with-your-moms-chap-stick/ http://beingsara.com/story/what-do-you-do-with-your-moms-chap-stick/#comments Wed, 20 Jul 2011 12:00:34 +0000 Sara http://beingsara.com/?p=856

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]]> http://beingsara.com/story/what-do-you-do-with-your-moms-chap-stick/feed/ 1 I’m Hungry http://beingsara.com/story/im-hungry/ http://beingsara.com/story/im-hungry/#comments Tue, 19 Jul 2011 10:46:25 +0000 Sara http://beingsara.com/?p=852 So, I was prepared for the invasion of locusts disguised as my children when they become teenagers.  I know that my cupboards will be bare and I’ll spend hundreds of dollars in food each week only to see it devoured in days.  I was not however prepared for this to happen when they are 2 and 4.  The most common refrain I hear in my house these days is ‘I’m hungry’.  I hear it every afternoon without fail when I pick the boys up from day care.  I give them a snack when we get home, and then they have dinner, and often another snack after dinner.

Last night was a perfect example.  We got home, the boys ate applesauce.  I gave them a bath and then made dinner.  While making dinner they ate cheese sticks and two helpings of yogurt.  They ate sandwiches for dinner (I didn’t have the energy to convince them that homemade pesto really is yummy) followed up by a popsicle and more cheese sticks.  They ate constantly from about 5:30-7:30.  And since I hadn’t really planned that much snacking into the weekly shopping list, it sort of depleted their breakfast options for the next few days.

Please tell me this is just a growth spurt and eventually we’ll get back to normal.  I’m not sure my wallet can handle this level of eating for the next 16 years.  I’m certainly not filling them up with junk food, and we always have plenty of leftovers for them to have seconds or even thirds of dinner and sometimes they do.  Apparently the locusts are making an early stop at my house…

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]]> http://beingsara.com/story/im-hungry/feed/ 0 “I Do It Self!!!” http://beingsara.com/story/i-do-it-self/ http://beingsara.com/story/i-do-it-self/#comments Tue, 10 May 2011 14:32:15 +0000 Sara http://beingsara.com/?p=833 006“I do it self!” is a phrase that we hear in our house many times a day now.  Parker, right on schedule, has decided to exert some independence on his life.  Sometimes, it’s fine.  When he woke up yesterday morning and wanted to walk down the stairs by himself, I watched from the bottom, complimenting him and telling him how big he’s gotten.  His smile when he reached the bottom was worth the extra three minutes it took to wait for him.  On the other hand, sometimes those exclamations are not really useful, like when he wants to take off his clothes.  Thankfully, I got to stay downstairs working on dinner while Parker exclaimed no less than 12 times last night that he would put his diaper on himself.  Luckily for Zach, Parker could not hear me chuckling in the kitchen or I’m sure he really would have hammed it up ;-)

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]]> http://beingsara.com/story/i-do-it-self/feed/ 1 The Leash Debate http://beingsara.com/story/the-leash-debate/ http://beingsara.com/story/the-leash-debate/#comments Wed, 06 Apr 2011 14:46:00 +0000 Sara http://beingsara.com/?p=824 Apparently the current hot mommy topic is whether or not to leash your child. The ridiculously judgmental Erin Behan at Strollerderby doesn’t think you are a bad parent, but she does think you are lazy.  Before I had children, I agreed with Erin, and probably thought worse.  Then I had Xander, and after some work, he understood that we hold hands when in parking lots, etc.  It took some time, but we got through to him.  I didn’t really think much about leashes when Xander was a toddler.  We didn’t need one, but I didn’t scoff at people who used them.

Then we had Parker.  He has rocked our world.  In parking lots we have two choices: Hold a screaming, writhing mess of a Tasmanian Devil in our arms for the length of the walk, or let Parker walk on his own.  I dreaded picking Parker up from day care for about 4 months until I decided it was a battle I didn’t want to fight every afternoon.  I am not lazy Erin Behan.  I read books to my kid about holding your parent’s hand.  I talked with him, tried to reason with him, tried to bribe him, tried to encourage him.  I fought with him EVERY DAY for FOUR MONTHS.  That’s EIGHTY DAYS of attempting to teach my kid.  And I failed.  I failed miserably.  I’m certainly not going to put my kid in a stroller to walk the 20 feet from the day care door to my car every afternoon (and that would elicit some pretty painful screams as well).  I continue this battle in bigger parking lots, and gather stares from everyone within a 100 yard radius for the blood curdling screams coming from my child.  I’m out of ideas.  Encouraging doesn’t work.  Threats and punishment don’t work.  Reading books about good boys hasn’t worked.  Bribery hasn’t worked.  He’s two and the most stubborn child I have ever met.  If any child has ever been leash worthy, it’s Parker.

We don’t own a leash for Parker.  But, there have certainly been times where I wished for one.  These days, I get it.  I could be holding Xander’s hand, and walking with him when Parker bolts for the nearest puddle.  Xander can’t run as fast as me, so what do I do?  Do I drop my 4 year old’s hand in the middle of the parking lot and chase my 2 year old down?  Do I let my 2 year old run and continue on with the 4 year old?  There is no good solution.

I have a friend who took her two children on a plane by herself last year.  Her kids are the same age as mine, and her youngest has a very similar attitude as Parker.  She had leash backpacks on both of them at the airport, and if I had been in her position I would have done the same thing.  With everything you have to manage just for yourself at an airport, worrying about your kids darting off  is just unnecessary stress.

So, I’ll take this post back to where every mommy blog will end up eventually on this debate.  We’re all moms and we all make decisions that we think are best for our kids.  Lets stop judging each other and get back to supporting each other.  Erin Behan doesn’t have to use a leash on her kid, but she also doesn’t need to sneer at the parents who do.

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]]> http://beingsara.com/story/the-leash-debate/feed/ 1 Busy, busy times… http://beingsara.com/story/busy-busy-times/ http://beingsara.com/story/busy-busy-times/#comments Sun, 12 Dec 2010 16:45:59 +0000 Sara http://beingsara.com/?p=783 Oh man have we been busy lately.  So here are a few Reader’s Digest Highlights:

Parker and Xander are both sleeping in their own beds in their own rooms through the night.  We get an occasional visit from Xander and Parker is usually up before the sun asking me what I’m doing, but I can’t really complain.

kitchen island

This is what the wine storage rack looks like on my kitchen island.  What does yours look like?

Xander and I had an entertaining conversation the other day:

X: I’m going to get married when I’m 18

Me: 18 huh?  Don’t you think you might want to wait a few years? You never know who you might meet.

X: (very matter-of-factly) But I’ve already picked!

Me: Oh really, who did you pick?

X: Katie.

Me: And did Katie pick you?

X: Yep.

Me: Well, what if you meet someone else in Kindergarten?

X: I won’t meet anyone in Kindergarten.

Me: What if you meet someone in 1st grade?

X: I won’t meet anyone in 1st grade.

Me: What if you meet someone in high school?

X: I won’t meet anyone in high school Mama.

Me: What if you meet someone in college?  I met Daddy in college.

Long pause

X: Ok, I’ll wait until college and then pick.

Me: What if that person doesn’t pick you?

X: Then I’ll marry Katie.

So that’s my 4 year old with his life all figured out.  Here is his Christmas list:

  • A Christmas tree for Parker’s room
  • A small (miniature) tree for his room
  • A house for his trains (no, not a train station – a house where he can take the trains apart and put them.  It’s a picture he has in his head…)

We’ve gotten the tree for Parker’s room taken care of, so I’ll be spending the next week or so trying to figure out how to creatively find a house for trains.

Oh, and try not to leave your step ladder up when hanging Christmas decorations or this might happen:

boys on ladder

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]]> http://beingsara.com/story/busy-busy-times/feed/ 0 North Carolina and Parker http://beingsara.com/story/north-carolina-and-parker/ http://beingsara.com/story/north-carolina-and-parker/#comments Thu, 28 Oct 2010 20:14:09 +0000 Sara http://beingsara.com/?p=764 IMG_3003This was Parker’s first big trip anywhere.  In fact, I’m not sure he had ever left the state before this trip.  He did pretty well, and his mood was mostly fabulous.  However, North Carolina was rough on Parker.  Parker’s skin has always been a little extra sensitive to things like bug bites.  He tends to swell up fast, and the swelling lasts for days.  In the summer time we keep him on a daily allergy medication (which we’ve stopped, since most of the bugs are gone at home).  Of course, what happened moments after we arrived in NC?  A mosquito bit Parker on the eye lid.  And naturally his eye swelled shut almost immediately.  The poor kid ran around looking out of one eye for 3 days before the swelling subsided.  Along with the normal bumps and bruises he also managed to get an impressive sliver in the bottom of his foot.  It’s really not fun holding down your screaming child while your spouse pulls out a sliver.  We both felt so badly for the little guy.  Despite all of his physical injuries, Parker seemed to have an excellent time playing with his friends and family.  He loved smashing sand castles on the beach, although after the 4th day of beach time he was ready for a new adventure, I think that for a year-and-a-half-old he did fabulously well on our first family vacation.

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]]> http://beingsara.com/story/north-carolina-and-parker/feed/ 0 This Boy… http://beingsara.com/story/this-boy-2/ http://beingsara.com/story/this-boy-2/#comments Wed, 04 Aug 2010 18:05:25 +0000 Sara http://beingsara.com/?p=749 Cheese!

Cheese!

This boy challenges me in ways I never could have expected.  I am his favorite at the moment and any other adult is just not acceptable.  During one-on-one time he is the most fabulous child.  He laughs and plays, he is helpful and happy and cooperative.  And then life returns to normal with additional family members and my little guy gets so upset.  He is obstinate and uncooperative and just plain grumpy.  He is our high and low child.  When he is good he is oh so good but when he is mad, oh boy watch out.  Regardless of the highs and lows I am so totally in love with him – even when he hits me and calls me “bad mommy”.  Apparently I can just give him a chocolate cupcake and all is forgiven…

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]]> http://beingsara.com/story/this-boy-2/feed/ 3 Friends http://beingsara.com/story/friends/ http://beingsara.com/story/friends/#comments Mon, 28 Jun 2010 18:11:52 +0000 Sara http://beingsara.com/?p=729 Parker still refuses to pose for pictures - this was the only non blurry one I managed of the two of them...

Parker still refuses to pose for pictures - this was the only non blurry one I managed of the two of them...

If you read my last post you already know that we’ve been pretty busy lately.  This means that Zach and I sometimes are running in different directions (usually him out in the yard trying to pick up or mow or plant things while I’m busy cleaning or cooking inside) and when it works out, the boys are left playing on their own.  This doesn’t mean they are locked away in some room by themselves, but they are in the living room or the play room while I bee-bop around them.  On both Saturday and Sunday this weekend they amazed me with their ability to play so well together.  On Saturday they played together for over an hour without a single tear or screech and no interaction with me.  I watched from the kitchen while they played (mostly with a big cardboard box) for an entire hour.  It reinforced my belief that kids really do love their siblings, and although they fight like cats and dogs some days, there are other days when they are the best of friends and at least in our house, at least for now, they play more than they fight and I love it!

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