Parenting tales

The Land of Naps

2009-07-26T16:02:00.003-04:00

I remember the days when I had at least two naps a day...ok, I didn't actually take two naps...but I think it was sort of a "mind nap" where I could just zone for an hour or two. Ahh, yes.

(Oh wait, this isn't about me...it is about my daughter's naps...which equals - rest for mommy!)

Ok, so then two became one. But a nice chunk of the afternoon left to sleep, veg, catch-up on a good book or magazine.

Now my big girl doesn't believe in naps. At four she says, "I don't need to sleep mommy." Famous words at nap-time and bed-time. But mommy needs a break...so

What do you do with a determined toddler who refuses to nap?

I usually say it is quiet time, you may lay in your bed and read a book for an hour, or sleep - your choice. But the rules are, you must stay in bed, and be quiet.

Works like a charm. I get my hour of "me-time" and she gets an hour of "rest-time."

Blue Poo!

2009-07-19T15:58:00.003-04:00

Jelly bean and I had a "girls night out" on Friday night. We stopped and had dinner and then made our way to get ice cream. I usually get something with peanut butter and chocolate, but decided to mix it up a bit...I ordered a "whoopie pie" flavor. Jelly got "cotton candy" mainly because it was blue...and well, she likes blue.

The next day she was on the potty and she started yelling, "Mommy come quick!" and as I ran in and about fell over (just from the potent smell - seriously how can a 4 year old put that out?)...she said "My poo is blue!"

Sure enough it was!

And I am pretty sure it was the cause of her belly ache for the next day and a half. Because that is how long it took for the blue poo to disappear.

She said, "I don't think I want to eat blue ice cream anymore."
Mommy agreed.

Long Time No Seek

2009-07-17T20:48:00.002-04:00

I know it has been a while...I am not sure if anyone even comes back to read this anymore. It has been tough trying to find the time to write. And after my long days at work, I just feel creatively spent. But I do miss blogging and meeting other parents...I guess I just have to find the time and energy to do it again. So here is the latest update:

My little Jelly Bean is growing so big lately. She turned 4 years old last month, we finally gave up the "night-time" pull-ups, and we officially took the gate down that used to limit her freedom to wonder the house. (the side story to the gate) The gate thing really made me nervous...I think mostly because we used it to keep the cat out...now the cat is able to nibble on toes as he so famously loves to do when the unsuspecting prey is laying there asleep.

I guess we have officially graduated to "Big Girl" status. This fall, she will be entering preschool 2...and a year from now preparing for the big K.

I just can't believe it. I often wonder where the time goes? From the tiny seed into a sassy little girl! Life is truly amazing.

Happy Easter Peeps!

2009-04-12T13:26:00.001-04:00

Happy Easter!

Famous Last words...

2009-03-15T22:13:00.003-04:00

Yes, I have been MIA.

Stuck in a whirlwind of playing catch-up of all my household duties and working 60+ hours a week. I am pooped!

I am hoping to continue blogging, because this has been a blast for me. But I can't even seem to keep up with my dishes...

Anyways, here is a little Jelly bean fix:

"Mommy, who made all this stuff?" she asked.

I said, "Well, I guess God did."

She asked, "Why?"

I said, "Honey?" looking at her daddy.

You see, he loves these questions...me, I would rather stick to the basics like - "Mommy, milk comes out of cow's butts." "No sweetie, milk comes from a cow's utters." "What are utters?"

On second thought...maybe not!

Recall Slacker!

2009-02-22T16:00:00.001-05:00

Yup that is me...slacker! I haven't been keeping up to well with all the child recalls...and since this blog started the recalls seem to have multiplied 100x's!

What's a busy girl to do? Well I have been informed that Parents.com is now listing all the recalls on their site...did somebody say, Genius!

Be sure to check it out, you can search and keep up to date on all recalls in the news.

Click here to check it out. I have also added it to the sidebar, click on the picture for the Parents Magazine link and below it is the CPSC's link too!

Be Mine - Toddler style

2009-02-13T22:55:00.002-05:00

The teachers at Jelly bean's day care ask a question of the week...this week's question was "Who will be your Valentine?" and her answer - "My mommy."

I love this age!

Happy Valentines Day!

My Toddler Loves Going to the Doctor

2009-02-07T12:00:00.000-05:00

I know I have written about this before, but Jelly bean loves going to the doctor. Yes, most kids kick and scream as you drag them, trying to bribe them with a lollipop, striking up your anxiety 3 days prior to actually going, OH the dread!

Not my Jelly bean. She asks to go to the doctor. She will fake a cough and turn to me and say, "Momma, I have a cough, I need to go to the doctor."

Yesterday, as I turned into the parking lot Jelly says, "Is that the doctor?" I replied, "Yes." She yells in pure excitement, "YEAH!!!!!" I say, "Could you at least act a little more sick than that?"

The waiting room isn't really that exciting...she walks in and sits down while I go to the nurse's station to sign us in. And next thing I know, Jelly is singing at the top of her lungs. The nurses begin to laugh. I say, "Yes, you would never know anything was ever wrong with her...she loves to visit the doctor."

Our visit was actually legit, a cough that has lasted 4 weeks...a stomach bug in the middle...wanted to make sure there wasn't anything underlying.

As we visited with the doctor, he asked her, "Does anything hurt?" She replied, "Yes." He said, "Can you tell me what hurts?" She replied, "My belly." The Doctor asked, "Does anything else hurt?" She only offered a blank stare. He asked, "Does your head hurt?" She shook her head yes. I knew where this was going...I asked, "Does your foot hurt?" and she shook her head yes. At that point it was determined that she was going to say everything hurt. So the line of questioning was over.

The Doctor checked her out and gave her the all clear. 12-18 colds a year is normal for kids, unfortunately for my girl...she has had several this past month with a stomach virus in the mix.

And then it was sticker time...Jelly picked her "Sleeping Beauty" sticker and walked out of there proud and satisfied.

I asked Jelly, "What makes going to the doctor so much fun?" She replied, "I get a sticker!"

Even though she has millions of stickers at home -- there is apparently nothing like a sticker from the Doctor!

Game Day

2009-02-01T17:27:00.004-05:00

We were watching pre-game and Jelly Bean comes over, "That's scary, I don't want to watch that!" It just brings memories of the movie Waterboy, "Foosball is the work of the devil!" You know and that is why it is scary.

Super Bowl may be a challenge to watch this year...Or Jelly maybe going beddy-bye early...but anyhow ---

GO STEEELERS GO!

Your Peanut Butter hit my Chocolate!

2009-01-19T17:59:00.000-05:00

No, your Chocolate hit my Peanut Butter! Remember that commercial...yes, mmm...I think that was the time I feel in love with Chocolate and Peanut Butter.

And when I was pregnant with Jelly, hubby would walk into this local ice cream shop and order me a sundae with a double hit of the peanut butter sauce with hot fudge...mmmm.

I do love peanut butter!

Thankfully, I haven't eaten any peanut butter under the latest food recall. But many have and have gotten very sick.

So, here is a news story on WebMd for you reading pleasure and for now, just eat your chocolate!

*I also wanted to note: I haven't had a chance to update the latest recalls from the CPSC, please follow this link to read the latest.

An introduction...

2009-01-10T19:33:00.009-05:00

I really am behind the gun on this one...

I would like to introduce Indy Anna, our newest edition to the family. Indy is a weimaraner, she little over 16 weeks now and as rambunctious as she was when we first took her home...only she is bigger, much bigger.

We decided to venture into the puppy world...after many long discussions and disagreements on what type of breed to go with...and weimaraner it was. The breed is a very active breed, but very loyal. They are highly intelligent and can bore easily. So you ask, why did we chose a weim. Well, first of all, we are crazy...kidding...we fell in love with the breed years ago from just their looks, but then we did our research. We wanted a breed that was intelligent and active. I was ready to invest in a treadmill this year, but the dog does exactly what I need. She is also extremely loyal!

The only problem...she is a puppy, a BIG puppy. And a strong puppy. And big, strong puppies can do a lot of damage if not properly trained...which we are looking to get her enrolled into class.

She is also afraid of other dogs...which is another trait that can be corrected with proper socialization (we are working on it too.). We have many neighbors who have dogs, big and small. So taking walks is a great way to introduce them. When on a leash. But you see my next door neighbor lets his two little Yorkies out without a leash and supervision...Do you know where I am going with this?

I decided to take Indy on a walk, a long walk the other day...and the Yorkies were out. They came ~~barreling~~ prancing at us ~~barking~~ yipping and what did my big puppy do? Ran the other way. I lost the leash and she took off towards our house. I started yelling "Stop!" "Heal!" "Freeze!" (Hey I am a mom.) She did stop. I stepped on the leash and bent down to get it...

And SMACK! Indy headbutted me. Yes my friends, my cute puppy...

gave me this...

Shiner, torn furniture, shredded leather jackets...how can you look at this face and be mad?

My feet are broken

2009-01-08T17:07:00.000-05:00

When you become a senior citizen your begin to lose mobility, heck, I think at 30 it starts to go! But, at the fine age of 3?

Temper tantrums is what I am used to...but when my little Jelly Bean doesn't want to do something, she doesn't always throw a temper tantrum. Oh No. "I can't walk." "My feet are broken." and one that her friend has used, "My feet are broken they need batteries." Which you really have to love the creativity they come up with.

Some days I wish I could say, "I am sorry, but my feet are broken, they need new batteries." Just to catch a break!

Resolutions - Shmesolutions

2009-01-02T14:41:00.003-05:00

I am not one for New Years Resolutions...Losing weight, swearing less, eating more healthy, saving money...whatever it is, for me, it is bound to fail.

So as I take down the Christmas decorations and relish in all the fun we had this past holiday, I look forward to a new year with new beginnings, filled with more joy and laughter. Not a resolution but my hope for a better year.

And Jelly Bean finally slept through the night (New Years Eve) which is only a promise of a better year ahead!

Happy New Year!

3 more days until Christmas...checklist

2008-12-21T19:28:00.005-05:00

The tree is up and decorated - check

The stockings are hung by the chimney - check

The cookies are baked - check

The presents all bought and wrapped - check

The child all snug in their beds - check, uncheck, check, uncheck - *note to self, scratch this one for next year.

The ham is ordered - check

The animals have been tormented - check

Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! Happy Kwanzaa! Happy Holidays Y'all! See you next week!

The 12 toddler ills of Christmas

2008-12-14T20:38:00.003-05:00

On the first day of Christmas my toddler brought to me...
One stuffy nose, and a 101 fever.

On the second day of Christmas my toddler brought to me...
Two ear aches, one stuffy nose, and a 101 fever.

On the third day of Christmas my toddler brought to me...
Three itchy rashes, two ear aches, one stuffy nose, and a 101 fever.

On the fourth day of Christmas my toddler brought to me...
Four sneezes and coughs, three itchy rashes, two ear aches, one stuffy nose, and a 101 fever.

On the fifth day of Christmas my toddler brought to me...
Five....times vomiting.
Four sneezes and coughs, three itchy rashes, two ear aches, one stuffy nose, and a 101 fever.

On the sixth day of Christmas my toddler brought to me...
Six days of pink eye.
Five....times vomiting.
Four sneezes and coughs, three itchy rashes, two ear aches, one stuffy nose, and a 101 fever.

On the seventh day of Christmas my toddler brought to me...
Seven hours of diarrhea, six days of pink eye.
Five....times vomiting. Four sneezes and coughs, three itchy rashes, two ear aches, one stuffy nose, and a 101 fever.

On the eighth day of Christmas my toddler brought to me...
Eight times to the doctor, seven hours of diarrhea, six days of pink eye.
Five....times vomiting. Four sneezes and coughs, three itchy rashes, two ear aches, one stuffy nose, and a 101 fever.

On the ninth day of Christmas my toddler brought to me...
Nine days of unpaid sick leave...Eight times to the doctor, seven hours of diarrhea, six days of pink eye.
Five....times vomiting. Four sneezes and coughs, three itchy rashes, two ear aches, one stuffy nose, and a 101 fever.

On the tenth day of Christmas my toddler brought to me...
Ten hours lack of sleep, nine days of unpaid sick leave...Eight times to the doctor, seven hours of diarrhea, six days of pink eye.
Five....times vomiting. Four sneezes and coughs, three itchy rashes, two ear aches, one stuffy nose, and a 101 fever.

On the 11th day of Christmas my toddler brought to me...
11 hours of sore throat, ten hours lack of sleep, nine days of unpaid sick leave...Eight times to the doctor, seven hours of diarrhea, six days of pink eye.Five....times vomiting. Four sneezes and coughs, three itchy rashes, two ear aches, one stuffy nose, and a 101 fever.

On the 12th day of Christmas my toddler brought to me...
12 more sick kids in day care, 11 hours of sore throat, ten hours lack of sleep, nine days of unpaid sick leave...Eight times to the doctor, seven hours of diarrhea, six days of pink eye.Five....times vomiting. Four sneezes and coughs, three itchy rashes, two ear aches, one stuffy nose, and a 101 fever.

Can you tell I love this time of year? Jelly bean has been sticken with pink eye...Gotta love it.

All I want for Christmas...is sleep!

2008-12-11T21:07:00.003-05:00

As new parents, you expect to be sleep deprived. Baby needs fed, baby needs changed...You walk around like a zombie for the first few months until a routine is established or the baby starts sleeping in 4-5 hour increments.

When babies grow into toddlers you begin to experience new sleep-related issues. Night terrors, sleep walking, separation anxiety...Monsters.

Yes, monsters. I have been dealing with the monster-situation now for over 6 months. It seems that monsters are a 3-year-old thing. According to "experts" on the web, this is the time when toddlers begin to realize that the world isn't so nice. It is a phase and if handled correctly, then your toddler's monsters are short-lived. (Apparently, when you handle these things incorrectly, the monsters stick around for-eva! Or, ehem, more than 6 months.)

Here is what they say NOT to do:
Don't brush-off the monsters or say "there are no monsters here."
Don't get angry or yell at your toddler.
Don't punish your toddler for being scared.
Don't avoid talking about monsters with your toddler.

Here is what they say to try:
Try monster spray (fill spray bottle with water and spray around the room or let your toddler spray it).
Lay down with your toddler and look at all the shadows and tell them what is making the shadows.
Get a nightlight.
Make a "No monsters Allowed" sign.
Read them a book about monsters and show them how to overcome the fear. (Where the Wild Things Are.)
Have them draw their monsters and then send them back to the "Monster Factory."
Give them a special stuffed animal to protect them.
When they get up, quietly walk them back to their room, put them in bed, pat their back for a minute and then leave quietly.
Buy them special sheets or a blanket to make their room more inviting.
Praise them when they sleep well through the night.

And if you can do this successfully, you will once again cherish that long-wished for sleep...Of course if you have done all of the above, like us, then think about bribery...'cause some are just too smart for these tricks...

Jelly bean on the phone with her Great-Grandmother..
GG "Did you sit on Santa's lap yet?"
JB "No, I stood by him. I will sit on his lap when he comes to my house. Down the chimney."
GG "Well, you better be asleep on Christmas Eve or he won't be able to leave any presents."
JB "We are working on that."

Yes, my 3-year-old said, "We are working on that."

Bribery my friends...stickers, candy, bracelet, a trip to the museum, library...whatever it takes. I think this is a sign that I am in trouble!

Thanks for Thanksgiving...better late than never!

2008-12-06T20:41:00.006-05:00

I have been doing some job searching and well, some soul searching too.

I think I really needed some time to think about my next step. And, well, I am still not quite sure if I have everything figured out, or if I ever will really know where my path will lead me...but what I am realizing is that I have a lot to be thankful for.

My husband, through thick and thin...he still helps me laugh and reminds me of all that we do have in our lives that make everything ok.

My daughter, who else can make me smile and forget all about the cruel world outside?

I am very thankful for having them both beside me, every step of the way.

And of course my fat cat Tobee (who has lost 2 lbs - and that is a good thing), and our newest edition Indy (the puppy with ADHD) (more on her later!). They do say that animals help keep our blood pressure down and relieve stress...well, most of the time anyway!

And let me not forget my friends...through it all, you still put up with me!

Thanks.

I am going to attempt to be back to my old writing self again soon...real soon.

Thanks

2008-11-23T21:50:00.004-05:00

Being at your lowest can really bring out the worst in someone...but so many of you have reached out and sent me some really thoughtful and kind words of encouragement.

I am truly blessed to have a circle of friends like you.

Thank you!

I am taking a little more time off to get my head together. And my resume. Be back soon.

Broken

2008-11-16T20:52:00.003-05:00

My world has been turned upside-down. I wish I could be more up-beat, but the fact is, I am depressed. I just don't have much in me to sit here and pretend that everything is hunky-dory. I wish I did.

The miscarriages were bad enough, people don't want to talk about it...it is like a Medusa conversation. Bring it up and it turns to stone. Then the lay-off situation, we are in bad times...its nothing new to people.

I realize there are people out there who are suffering like me, maybe worse. But, right now I just can't get past my own heartache. Right now, I feel so alone.

Maybe that is because I am really good at pushing everyone I love away? Maybe it is because I am unapproachable...I don't know.

I keep searching for the light at the end of the tunnel...and it just isn't there.

So, to all those who do still read, thanks for still stopping by...

It's My Pity Party and I Will Cry If I Want To!

2008-11-07T16:11:00.001-05:00

Nothing like ending my week on a high note...

Laid-off again in 4 months.

Can't I catch a break?

Empty Arms

2008-11-06T08:13:00.002-05:00

Today was your birth day
but here I am with empty arms
darkness not light
Its hard to find the words to say.

were you eyes blue like mine
maybe dimples or freckles
your sister's contagious laugh
I wish I had more time.

you were taken before I met you
leaving me broken, empty
alone in this world
but I'm holding on

holding on to my empty arms
holding on to my dreams
wishing I had time
to know you

Happy Birth day my dear angel.

Wait, don't vote...yet!

2008-11-02T09:09:00.002-05:00

Election day is almost here...

And before you vote, I encourage you to take this quiz. First, it walks you through which issues you feel most passionately about, next a series of questions follow - whether you support or oppose a statement. If you are unsure of a word, they have highlighted and underlined the word for you to click-on and find the definition or explanation.

I am not here to sway your vote. But I do believe, as a parent, it is our responsibility to not only vote - but to understand what we are voting for.

This quiz includes all the candidates running, not just our Republican and Democrat candidates (that the media focuses much of their time on).

Try it, and you may be surprised...I was!

And I don't forget to take your little beans into the polls with you!

2008-10-31T16:15:00.001-04:00

more animals

Tainted Candy - Trick or Treat

2008-10-29T16:32:00.002-04:00

Information about several tainted brands of candy have been announced recently.

Initially it was reported that the Pirate's Gold Milk Chocolate Coins was not distributed to the U.S. but now they're saying that it may have been - so I'm passing this along just in case any of these candies show up in your child's Trick-or-Treat bag.

We want to give you a heads up about some Halloween candy that could be bad for kids: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers not to consume White Rabbit Creamy Candy or Koala's March Crème filled Cookies because they may contain melamine. (1)

And, the Canadian government is warning the public not to consume Sherwood Brands Pirate's Gold Milk Chocolate Coins, which may also have reached the U.S. (2)

What's wrong with these candies? You've likely heard about the dangerous chemical, melamine, which was recently found in the Chinese milk supply and sickened thousands of children in China. We've now seen reports that melamine tainted milk has been used in some Chinese candy products that have been shipped to the United States. (3)

The good news is that Chinese candy makes up only 0.7% of the candy sold in the U.S. (4) and the risk of serious harm from minor exposure to melamine is considered low by the World Health Organization (5).

That said, we wanted to send this out to you because we don't want our kids eating candy with any toxic ingredients.

1. http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/melamine.html

2. Here's the Canadian government's warning: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/recarapp/2008/20081008e.shtml The Vancouver Globe and Mail: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081028.wlhalloween28/BNStory/lifeFamily/home And an article in the Chicago Tribune: http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/features_julieshealthclub/2008/10/chocolate-coins.html

3. From Consumer Reports: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2008/10/chinese_formula07.html, and Candy problem verified on Snopes: http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/coins.asp

4. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-09-24-melamine-china_N.htm

5. "Consumers exposed to tiny amounts of melamine shouldn't worry, says Angelika Tritscher of the World Health Organization. 'Melamine at low doses is actually not considered to be very toxic.'" Quote from: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-09-24-melamine-china_N.htm

And some recent press coverage: http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/story.html?id=868904 http://www.sltrib.com/sports/ci_10626959

Don't forget to spray the monsters out!

2008-10-28T21:18:00.004-04:00

Probably about six months ago, Bean started talking about the "M-word" you know, monsters.

She would run through the house screaming that the monsters were going to get her. She wouldn't go into another room alone (even with the lights on) because monsters were in the room. "Stay with me mommy, I can't sleep by myself, the monsters are in my room." she would plead.

Snuggled with 3 baby dolls, one kitty cat, 3 puppy dogs, 3 princess dolls, a night light turtle and a box of tissues with soft music playing in the background...I thought she might feel somewhat secure. And then it dawned on me...another blogger had tried "Monster spray." (Or a spray bottle of febreeze!)

So, that night I said, "Do you want me to go get the monster spray? It keeps the monsters away." She thought for a moment and said, "Ok."

Six months later..."Momma, I have something to tell you." "Yes." "Don't forget to spray the monsters out!"

Happy Halloween!