Toast 2 Mom

Welcome to The Land of Imagination

I have been having an identity crisis lately. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be "Mommy," "a mermaid," "a princess," "a deer" or a "witch". We have entered the land of imagination big time in our household. It begins at sun-up and does not end until sun-down.

I love all of the extra time I have with my girls. It has provided me with so many opportunities to interact with them. I love to read to them. I love to color with them. I love to do puzzles with them. I love to swing, dance, chase, hide, twirl, wrestle, laugh and veg. However this new activity of constant role-playing is really, really annoying me. I don't have another word for it.

What is strange is I enjoy acting. I've taken some acting classes. I've done a bit (wee bit) of amateur acting. I have read scripts, received direction and redone scenes over and over again. But when it comes time for Mommy to turn into a deer, resting in the grass, waiting for the baby deer to bring her flowers and then wake up and say, "ohhh what pretty flowers".... I just can't get into character.

I'm not sure if it's the timing of day (or that it's all day!). I feel like I always have some other task I am trying to juggle at the moment when I am asked to put on my mermaid face by my three year old.

We have been off schedule a couple weeks with vacation and such. Syd just had her dance class yesterday, and it had been a couple weeks. It was a good thing for her. When I used to hear about moms putting their kids in this class and that class, I thought to myself, "sheesh, give the kids a break. Let them just play." Some kids, though, I think really need that class, structure, activity to look forward to in order to keep them moving.

In a little over a month my Syd is going to be starting pre-school. It's just twice a week, but I get misty at the thought of it already. However, I think she is ready! She really thrived when she was in school before. School time will allow her to use that little whipper-snapper brain of hers in a variety of ways, in a new setting.

I just hope when it's imagination time at school, that whoever is role-playing with Syd, they know she gets to hold flowers. The baby deer always gets to hold the flowers, the other deer just smells them.

Remember the Time

This is a picture of me when I was around 10. Yes, I am sporting a sequined glove, a la Michael Jackson. I made the glove from a kit. This was how I passed the time on my vacation with my family in Minnesota. I posted this picture on Facebook today, so figured I'd spread the fun on here too!

I was very happy when I stumbled upon this picture, actually. It took me awhile to locate it. This picture brings back a lot of memories for me. I, like many people from my generation, haven't really thought about Michael Jackson in years; but the event of his death has sure stirred up some fun memories that his music and entertaining style brought to my life.

This picture is also interesting because I mentioned above that I was on vacation with my family. This was not a common thing. Since my parents divorced when I was an early age, I didn't spend summer trips to the beach. And since I was an only child, I don't have those stories of fighting over the middle line in the car. I did visit northern Minnesota a couple times with my mom and grandparents or with my mom's immediate family. And I do remember the car ride up to this resort...and it was dreadful. However, I also remember how pretty the resort was and how much fun it was. The saddest news about this beautiful vacation spot is that it is now dead too.

A few years ago I was up in Minnesota and we drove by this place. It was no longer a resort but a overgrown grass and weed plot of land. The cabins were all dirty and sagging. The signs of life were all gone and the lake looked sad. This was a very strange moment in my life. It was so odd to have such vivid childhood memories of a place and see what it had become years later without any care. This was the first time I had ever experienced anything like this. It was the first time I realized really just how old I am...and truly how fast time goes by. It had only seemed like yesterday that I'd been there and the resort was full of laughs. Then in a blink, a place I knew no longer existed. I've driven by old places I had lived before and maybe the paint had changed, or the trees had gotten taller; but to see a place turn into a ghost town was very...haunting.

I find this picture also so apropos since my family and I just returned from our vacation. We spent the holiday weekend driving in our van many, many hours, through three states, over two thousand miles. We took a family vacation. My husband and I spent a great deal of time trying to point out the animals and water towers and mountains and trees and beauty of nature. The girls were kind and looked most of the time as to what we were trying to point out. They also gave us the in unison "wowww!" We were, however, dealing with the attention span of toddlers, though. Now that I think about it, I wonder if when they're teenagers it'll be better....probably not.

What I do hope though is that as our family continues to plan and go on family vacations and see new things and experience new places and take pictures of it all. I hope our girls are able to embrace it all and hopefully take with them found memories from them. Because in a flash, time zips by and you're looking back at that girl you once were, on vacation, by a beautiful lake, sporting a killer, sparkly hand accessory. Good times!

Say It Ain't So

 
Today this little munchkin of mine turned seventeen months. I know seventeen months is not the traditional month to comment on milestones. But to me it seems that it is around this age that babies start to take that turn, the turn toward no longer being babies...

I know every Mama out there loves their babies. I know that for many it is so hard to even articulate how crazy your heart can ache when you think about how blessed you are to have a child. And they way they make you feel...how it creates a feeling more than your arm hair to stand up or your heart to feel warm or your eyes to well. There just aren't enough words to describe the joy these little stinkin' boogers can bring!

As Cheekers is my second born, I thought I might be more familiar with the stages they go through. I thought I would remember how they are at nine months and at one year and at eighteen months. I do to an extent remember what they are like at what age. But I guess I thought I would be saying, 'oh, I can't wait until Natalie turns X age.' However I still just seem to be in the mindset of loving every single stage we're currently in, just as much as the last one. Contradictory to that, though, I am beginning to grow more and more weepy as I see my baby disappearing.

Many people cannot wait to interact with their child and can't wait for that communication to begin. And I love that too. I love to hear all the things that come out of my first born's mouth. I just love being a nurturer best. Which is kind of odd for me to say because I never really believed I had those instincts in me. Even with the people I love the most, I struggle a bit to display nurture. Maybe it just comes naturally with your children?

Well this couldn't be a milestone post without a "brag paragraph". At a now wee-age of seventeen months, my baby girl is already identifying her colors. Tonight in the bathtub, my little Miss Einstein handed me the red squirty piggy when I asked her to. Then she handed me the green squirty piggy when I asked for green. Then the yellow. I even mixed them back up and asked again later....and she mastered it again. I have told her the colors of these pigs once. How do they do this??! Amazed, I am.

My little turkey pants likes to walk around the house asking for "apples". She also is fond of "flowers," "ducks," "r-flys" (butterflies), "dogs," "cats," "Dora," and yes, "Ariel". Her favorite song is Old MacDonald - sung best by big sis. Her favorite things to do are sit down and look through her books, play on the Barbie computer, carry the yellow ball from room to room and try to pretend she can color just as well as her "Sissy".

The neat thing about my baby (babies) growing older is the show I get to witness daily between the two of them. I'm not quite sure what I'd title this twosome skit yet...

Happy seventeen month Cheekies! It's going fast...sigh.

***By the way, on another note, I know there are issues seeing the video from yesterday's post. I'll work on this....more fun with technology!

Can I Buy Sweetness for Life?

As a parent, most of us feel it is our job to teach our children to be kind, courteous, respectful and patient. Throughout the day, I find ways to introduce these lessons to my children.

I encourage my daughters to use their manners. "Say please if you want something." "Say thank you when you receive it."

I remind them about the importance of taking turns. "Your sister had the doll first. You need to let her play with it, then it is your turn."

I discuss the need for privacy and "quiet time". "Sometimes people need to be by themselves. Privacy is a time to be alone and think about things by yourself. If someone needs some quiet time, then you should respect that."

I demonstrate to them the way to conduct oneself around people that may not be using their manners, like while driving or out shopping or in restaurants. "Sydney and Natalie, that car seems to be in a bigger hurry than we are, so we're going to just let them pass us and that's OK."

And being that children are like sponges, it's often these lessons that I teach them that then come back to be lessons for me!

Children may show their true colors at an early age. They show anger, frustration and fear just as every other human being does. The difference with them is that their anger is short lived, not weighed down by every other memory of disappointment they've dealt with before now.  

Somewhere along the way down life's path our sweetness becomes a little sour. For instance, while driving down the road the other day, a very fast car cut over into my lane leaving me to behave angrily. My daughter responded, "it's OK Mommy. If another driver wants to get by, we should let them pass. That's OK, we're in no hurry." And we weren't in any hurry. But Mommy recalled the dozens of other incidents from the past where cars thought it was OK to cut me off.

With my girls, I want them to be angry. I want them to get sad. I want them to be frustrated and disappointed. It's all of these emotions through experience that allow us to learn. But I do have to admit, if there were a way for me to buy a bit of sweetness, a bit of pureness, to have them drink up and help them retain that innocence and kindness, I'd buy it.

See you at 3:00 a.m.

I received a gift from a friend when Sydney was born. It's a wooden painted picture that says, "Party! My crib, 3:00 a.m." Well it has been quite some time since I've had to wake up at 3:00 a.m. for a party with my baby Cheekers. She's a big girl now and has been sleeping through the night long enough to recognize. The other night, however, we had to revisit those good old days. Cheekers had a tummy ache that has resulted in a very bad tushy rash - ouch. Poor baby. I spent 3:00 a.m. to 4:15 a.m. on the floor by her crib to keep her company while she was wide-eyed and whimpery.

When the alarm woke us all up later that morning, I was reminded how those middle of the night meetings can leave Mommy feeling a big groggy during the day. I was also reminded that while my day was a bit hazy, it really wasn't so bad knowing I was able to spend time with my sweet pea during the middle of the night.

It was that same friend of mine who gave me the painted picture that I was recently talking to about how just down right horrible mothers feel during those first couple months after having a baby. You feel drugged, feverish, hazy, forgetful. Some moms (like my friend and myself) feel hopeless, lost, deeply sad and so very alone. It's a period of time that you think will never end, will always feel that way...and you wonder what was I thinking? What my friend and I also discussed was how this period of time is over like that.

POOF, sixteen months goes by, and you now have a walking, talking, independent toddler. Spending one night lying on the floor next to the crib reminds you of all those sleepless, helpless nights. But the thoughts don't seem painful at all now. It's not even a relief that they're over. It's just another reminder of how darn fast those babies grow.

A Thoughtful Interview

OK I'm no Barbara Walters, but I have been wanting to interview my three year old recently and see what are her favorites and interests. This would be WAY more interesting to have this conversation video-taped. However, Mama needs a new camcorder to make that happen. Because the thoughts of a three year old go by very, very quickly, the following is not verbatim - not a chance I could capture it all. However, here's a glimpse at the interests of my Sweet Syd...today anyway.

What is your favorite thing to eat? Ice cream - strawberry, chocolate chip and chocolate with sprinkles and marshmallows.

What's your favorite color? Pink marshmallow.

What is your favorite show? Ariel.

Who is your favorite princess? Ariel the mermaid (Duh, I know, dumb question, Mommy).

What do you want to be when you grow up? A mermaid....no, a fairy.

What is your favorite animal? A cat.

What do you like to do for fun? Work on the computer and do lots of fun stuff with Mommy like sing and work on my letters and play ball and go to the park.

What is your favorite number? Counting to 10 with my Daddy.

What is the best thing about having a sister? Loving her and watching shows with her.

What is your favorite thing to do? Swim in the pool.

What is your favorite thing to drink? Juice.

Do you like dresses or skirts? Dresses.

Do you like headbands or clippies? Clippies with hearts on them.

Do you like pizza or hot dogs? Hot dogs.

Do you like swinging or sliding? Swinging.

And then the interview abruptly ended because she was done. :)

Poor Baby

Being the baby sister can be a raw deal sometimes. Sure you get carried around. Mommy answers your cries right away. When there is a fight with big sister, it's usually big sister that gets into trouble.

But being the baby also means not being able to go outside and run freely around the backyard whenever you choose. Poor baby, your day will soon come...