» Toddler Times Being Sara

Archive for the ‘Toddler Times’ Category

Time…

June 10, 2010

I never realized how much I took time for granted until I had kids (and really, multiple children – looking back, one seems like a piece of cake!) These days I sometimes hear someone talk about their weekend, how they “puttered around in the yard” and took a nap. Or sometimes I’ll hear college students complain that they are bored. These types of comments start a subtle twitch near my eye. Words like bored and nap (unless referring to a child’s nap) left my vocabulary 4 years ago.

Now there is never enough time. Not enough time to sleep, not enough time to clean the house or put away laundry. Not enough time to cook real food or play with my children. Everything I do is done quickly and usually half-assed because there isn’t time for more. This past weekend is a perfect example of what our lives are like:

Friday night – Zach played golf with some friends from work. Sara took the boys home, fed them dinner, bathed and put them to bed. No time for playing or enjoying children, just time to get the bare necessities done. Then a little time for folding laundry.

Saturday – We are all up by 7am. We shower and get the kids dressed and fed and leave the house by 10am. We have to stop at a friend’s house because Zach forgot his laptop and keys in the car when he was dropped off after golf the previous evening. Then we rush south to the nephew’s baseball game. We are 15 minutes late (as usual). We move from the baseball game to the niece’s softball game. This one is slightly more stressful with Parker because there is a dirt road behind the dugout with a slow but steady stream of traffic, and Parker thinks that running into the road is the best game ever. After the softball game we grab some lunch with the family. Then we pop into Lowe’s for a housewarming present, and head to a housewarming party (both kids crash in the car, which is a relief). We stay at the party for several hours until Parker starts with the ear piercing screaming. Zach and I have gotten used to it (the hearing loss helps I think) but we didn’t want to subject the rest of the crowd to his noise. We got home in time for me to jump in the shower to rinse 8 hours of sweat (it was sooo very hot and humid that day) and dirt off before a friend arrived to bring me to a bachelorette party. I arrived back home at 2:30 am. My sweet husband let me sleep until 9:30 the next day, then we rushed to feed the kids brunch before heading out the door for a birthday party. We arrived home Sunday night at 8:30 pm.

The piles of laundry and dishes and general house tidiness that I ignored last weekend are shameful. The lawn is ridiculously shaggy. The litter box has been ignored for far too long. The list goes on and on. Children are a choice. Zach and I chose this lifestyle and 80% of the time I am completely satisfied with it. However, when I hear about spontaneous vacations, naps on lazy afternoons, boredom, and a thousand other things that I no longer have now, that ugly green jealousy monster rears it head. There is just never enough time…

People who looked at this item also looked at…

Busy Week

May 14, 2010

I don’t have any good excuses for my lack of blogging (plenty of bad ones, but no good ones). It’s been a busy week. Work has been very busy. Home has been pretty busy too.

Xander managed to give Parker his first black eye this week. It happened at day care. Whenever I see the day care number on the caller id I expect to hear either that someone is vomiting or that someone has broken a bone (I’ve never received the second call yet, but I’m expecting it). I love that the first thing they tell me is “this is not an emergency” (phew!). Apparently Xander and Parker were playing, and even though we *just* had the conversation about why it isn’t ok to pick up your brother the night before, Xander tried to pick Parker up. Of course, Parker is catching up to Xander, so it’s tough for Xander to actually lift his little brother off the ground. To account for this challenge, Xander tried to pick Parker up by grabbing him around the knees, which of course caused Parker to tumble forward and conveniently directly into the edge of a heat register. The shiner is impressive.

018

According to the kindergarten readiness sheet day care sent home last week Xander needs to learn how to write his name legibly and draw a person with 5 parts (head, arms, legs, etc.) and then he’s pretty much G2G and since he has over a year to learn that stuff, he’s in good shape! He’s been overly difficult in the eating department this week and we’re not sure why.

Xander has also decided he has a friend named “Vadin” (no clue how to actually spell that) who is “brown” and lives in Campton and it apparently a “big kid”. I have no idea where he gets this stuff but it’s pretty cute.

We’ll hopefully have some fun this weekend (the weather is supposed to be nice) so I’ve got a few things planned – we’ll see what pans out…

People who looked at this item also looked at…

Words…

May 6, 2010

Parker As I think some of our good friends could attest to, kids at Parker’s age are on the verge of finally talking. They want to talk. They know what they want to say, but they just can’t find the words to communicate with the world. And that is indescribably frustrating. Parker takes this frustration out on the wrong toy you hand him when he flings it to the ground, or flinging himself to the ground when you just won’t do what he wants you to do.

“If only he could talk” Zach will sometimes say. And we’ll wonder (and hope) that our son’s frustrations at the world will begin to abate as his ability to communicate improves. He’s got a few words now. He’s been able to say cat for ages. Of course Mama and Dada. He still hasn’t figured out any form of Xander or brother, but that will come. He learned “uh oh” from his best friend at school and like to use that one regularly.

This week Parker has figured out “go” and uses it all the time – usually while someone is holding him – he’ll gesture in the direction he wants and say “go”. Sometimes this works for him, and other times we tell him no (which drives him nuts).

He also can say “no” but usually when he says it, he means “yes” which can make for a rather confusing conversation if you’re not up on Parker lingo. He’s getting better at communicating, even non-verbally. These days he can walk up to you with a sippy cup and utter something entirely incomprehensible while holding up the cup and you say “oh, you’d like some more milk?” and take his cup, and now he won’t have a complete meltdown in the middle of the kitchen. He’ll just smile up at you and wait (somewhat) patiently for you to fulfill his request. Slowly but surely we’re making progress, and it’s making everyone in our house happier.

People who looked at this item also looked at…

It’s a Digital Age, like it or not

April 28, 2010

Photo taken with my iPhone this morning

I read an interesting article on Strollerderby yesterday by Ms. Judgey McJudgerton. Go ahead, check it out. I’ll wait.

I think my favorite quote is this

“Call me old-fashioned, but I’ve never liked watching children play with handheld devices in public.”

Which makes cell phone use sound like something dirty, that we should only do in the privacy of our own homes, and even then we should make sure the curtains are drawn.

Which then makes me think back on the eleven million times I’ve let both my 3-year-old and my 1-year-old sons use my iPhone. In fact, since both my husband and I have iPhones (yay family plan!) they can each have one which cuts down on the fighting over one device.

So when do I let my children use my phone? Well, Xander loves to scroll through the pictures when we’re driving in the car. This prompts conversations such as “wow, that’s Parker at Chuck E. Cheese! Hey Mama, do you remember when we went to Chuck E. Cheese? I want to show this picture to my friends! Oh, and this one! Oh and this one!” (and you can pretty much imagine how the conversation goes from there). I’d like to point out in this instance, my son is not “isolated from interacting with the people around him” but in fact, is actually using the phone as a means to engage me in conversation.

My 1-year-old likes to sit in my lap and listen to Little Red Hen or The Boy Who Cried Wolf read to him on the phone. He has also learned that when he’s done, he can press the one button on the phone to move onto a new activity, such as baby flash cards or the Wheels on the Bus song. He is a little too young to manipulate these stories or games on his own, but it provides me with some great cuddle time with my youngest who is generally much, much to busy to pause for cuddling. Again, my goal is not to isolate, but to entertain and engage. We are also big fans of using the phone while waiting in the doctor’s office. After the nurse leaves, and you’re stuck in that room that has nothing but a bed, a chair and a stool with a nervous 1-year-old, what do you do? I whip out my phone and distract him so he isn’t in tears by the time the doctor arrives, that’s what.

Ms. McJudgerton would be appalled to learn that we also own an iPad (an even larger device with which to isolate children – the horrors!) So what do the children do with the iPad? Well, Zach, Xander and I just last night finished reading all 10 chapters of Winnie the Pooh. Yep that’s right – my 3 year old son sits still to listen to a chapter of Winnie the Pooh every night before bed. He’s lucky if there is a single illustration on the page and yet he still listens and asks questions about the story which leads me to believe he actually retains at least some of the content. Yep, it’s awful the way I use technology to isolate my 3-year-old, I’m most definitely destroying his imagination.

But really, none of those examples were technically “in public” – they were in my car or in my home. The last time my child used a phone in “public” was last Friday night. Let me set the scene for you: my father-in-law’s and his brother’s birthday. The whole family is getting together at a steak house to wish them happy birthday. The restaurant is nice, so I attempt to be overly prepared with lots of snacks and entire bag full of toys the kids haven’t seen in a while. Unfortunately, due to our large party, the earliest reservation we could get (called early in the week) was 7pm. The one-year-old usually goes to sleep at 7:30, so this should be interesting. The week is filled with sleepless nights, runny noses, vomit and tears from all 4 family members. We’re all exhausted and mostly recovering from various illnesses. But, we rally and make it to the restaurant. We sit at 7pm, and order at 7:20 pm. By 7:30 pm I have been through every toy in the bag. We have exhausted Parker’s appetite for puffs and yogurt and milk. He doesn’t want to snuggle. Every adult in the room has attempted to cuddle, jiggle or walk with him. Other patrons are staring or glaring and sighing at us, and I’m not quite sure what to do with the poor guy. Finally, his cousin hands him her iPod touch with a drawing program on it. Parker and I sit and draw lines until his food arrives. I would be willing to bet that if Ms. McJudgerton had been sitting at the next table watching us, it would have been far more comfortable for her to watch my son and I draw quietly (he had already pitched the crayons and paper at my head so don’t offer me a low tech solution) than to listen to his ear-piercing screeches for another 20 minutes.

Yeah, I’m one of “those” parents. I share my technology with my children. I use it for entertainment and occasionally education and often as a chance to sit and play with my children. So Judgey McJudgerton can keep her “dumb” phone and be proud of her daughter’s ability to entertain herself (by the way, did I mention that Xander had a 15 minute imaginary conversation between two zipper pulls in the car the other day? Some days he doesn’t even need props for his imagination…) and I will continue to make use of the technology I have – and I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t judge me for it. Just because I let my kids use my phone doesn’t mean I’m a neglectful parent.

People who looked at this item also looked at…

Have you ever had one of those days….

April 23, 2010

Where you haven’t slept in what feels like a month (but really it’s closer to a week). Your husband and 1-year-old are sick with an awful head cold which has caused all three of you to miss work and school a few days. You husband takes a much needed break to visit friends, leaving you home with the boys (and no car, but that’s usually not a big deal). After a lazy dinner, (just tea for you – you’re hoping the caffeine can sustain you through bedtime) you get the boys into their pajamas. There have been no less than 12 melt downs between the two of them since their father left and have I mentioned that you are almost falling asleep on your feet? When getting the 3 year old dressed, you notice a tic on his leg. Tics are icky, gross little blood-sucking creatures and while your first instinct is to say “eewww gross!” and leave the room, that’s not really an option. So you tell your son not to panic, and you try to get it out. You try everything you can think of (short of actually touching the icky bug with your fingers) and nothing works. Your 3-year-old is freaking out at the bug on his leg that won’t come off, and your 1-year-old is crying so that he won’t be left out of the chaos.

So, you rally and call your husband. Only, your cell phone doesn’t get reception upstairs, so you close the door to the bedroom where the boys are (leaving them both screaming behind it) and go downstairs to call. Your husband isn’t certain about proper tic removal either (the first one either of you have had to deal with). He stops to look it up on the internet. While waiting you try calling a few other people to see if they know anything. After a few answering machines, you finally get a family member who tells you to get a match.

At this point, your emotional damn breaks. The exhaustion and screaming children and all aloneness out in the woods feeling and the tic and sick kids and the image of trying to a) light a match (which you have never done because you don’t like your hands that close to fire) and b) get said match anywhere near a 3-year-old who by this point has completely lost his shit and vomited on the carpet seems pretty impossible. You thank them for their suggestions and hang up. A few more failed attempts to reach your husband, and finally you get him on the phone, you’re in tears, the kids are screaming and he decides to come home and rescue the lot of you.

Finally, the tic is out. The kids are calm. Your husband heads back out after everything is under control. A few Phineas and Ferb cartoons later (because you’re really too tired to do much actual interacting or playing with the kids) the 1-year-old goes to sleep without complaint.

A little while later, you put the 3-year-old to bed. He complains that his stomach hurts, but he’s one of those sympathetic illness kids – if anyone in the vicinity is sick, so is he (according to him). You tuck him in and tell him to get some rest, and then collapse on the couch for a few minutes.

As you finally stumble to bed at 10:30, you think, “ok Universe, I’ve had 2 sick family members for almost a week now. I haven’t slept, I’ve lost my appetite, and I’m home alone with the kids tonight, the tic calamity was exhausting. I need one good night, just one good night sleep to get back on track” It’s almost as if you can hear a little evil laugh off in distance as your head hits the pillow.

Literally minutes later, your 3-year-old wakes up and asks you to rub his back. After that is done, you fall back into bed with a sigh, and then moments later, he wakes up again, asking for a paper towel to throw up in. Well, you know this isn’t the best idea ever, and you drag his sleepy butt to the bathroom where he does indeed get sick, but manages to get most of it into the toilet.

You call your husband at 11:30 and say, “Please come home now” to which he responds “should I call the hospital and find out if we need to bring him in since’s he’s vomiting after that tic bite?” Great. Now you’re worrying about a stomach flu and Lyme disease. Awesome. After a late-night call to the pediatrician, you a relieved to learn that the vomiting and tic probably aren’t related, and there isn’t any need to worry about Lyme disease. The pattern of waking up, vomiting on a towel in bed, and then making it to the bathroom to vomit some more proceeds like clockwork every few hours throughout the rest of the night. The Universe has scoffed at your desperate plea for sleep and instead given you the duty of cleaning up pile after pile of vomit. You must have really pissed off the Universe.

Three towels, three t-shirts and one pillow and pillow case later, dawn finally arrives. The 3-year-old manages not to vomit in your bed, but does manage to hit the carpet, the hard wood floor, his shirt and pants as well as your shirt just before you leave for work.

Oh yeah, can’t forget that. After this most recent night of torture, you get to get your sorry butt out of bed and into work where you need to somehow become a productive member of society for 8 hours. Good luck with that. Those days suck, don’t they?

Being Sara

Archive for the ‘Toddler Times’ Category

Time…

People who looked at this item also looked at…

Related items

Busy Week

People who looked at this item also looked at…

Related items

Words…

People who looked at this item also looked at…

Related items

It’s a Digital Age, like it or not

People who looked at this item also looked at…

Related items

Have you ever had one of those days….

People who looked at this item also looked at…

Related items

Sponsored Links:

Categories

Popular Searches

Archives