Category Archives: Brooklynn

getting creative

01.30.12

We went out for dinner with some of Rhiannon’s coworkers on Saturday night, meaning we had an adult night out with no small-people tag-alongs¹. When we got home, our babysitter asked us if we had taken any vacations recently. We haven’t, but apparently Brooklynn told a rather elaborate story of how she and her grandpa flew on a plane to watch a basketball game.

When we left for dinner that evening, Brooklynn was drawing wavy lines and small squiggles on her white board and telling everyone it was sea turtles swimming in the ocean.

Yesterday, she decided that she was a train like Thomas the Tank-Engine. She called herself Thomas and said we should too. When asked directly where Brooklynn was, she would point to herself and say, “Right here!” while looking at us with an expression that seemed to indicate she worried about our sanity. I mean, where else would she be when she’s right in front of us? Silly mommy and daddy.

But other than that, only Thomas would respond to any sort of requests.

She also likes when her stuffed animals carry objects, talk, and dance. Yesterday, I got kicked off a stool at her table to make room for teddy. Apparently it was his seat first.

We have confirmed imagination happening in our house. I suppose it’s only a matter of time before we have full-fledged tea parties and princess sightings².

Other than the one that Rhiannon insists on bringing everywhere with her. Let go already, right? ↩
Rhiannon is very excited. ↩

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fruity dinner

01.26.12

Sometimes, at the end of the day, when everyone is a little bit sick and a little bit tired, and when some of us can’t take medicine due to parasites living inside of them¹, and the tiny person in the house requests fruit loops for dinner, well…

You just say sure.

This does not refer to me but rather to Rhiannon ↩

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no, me do it me own self

01.12.12

We’ve been struggling a little bit in the mornings as of late. We are currently blessed with a toddler who doesn’t want to get dressed, at least not for me. She doesn’t want to go to school and she doesn’t want to eat breakfast. She would like to lay in bed in her pajamas. Rhiannon tells me that she’s two. It’s a phase.

I will also admit that I have not been the most patient of people at 6am in dealing with Brooklynn’s phases. This morning, as I searched for Brooklynn’s travel mug that we apparently left at school yesterday, Rhiannon was the one to go in and get her up. I went upstairs to find Rhiannon and Brooklynn playing a game where Ruffy (the puppy) and Rabbit, her two current favorite animals, where helping to take off her pajamas and get her dressed. And it worked. No tears, no crying. Well, nothing wrong until we got to the part where her travel mug was at school and she would have to wait until then to have her chocolate shake for the morning¹

It’s also times like this when I see Rhiannon making things a game succeeding where my attempt at direct logic has failed when I realize that I really don’t understand children. I will happily play blocks and dance around to music, and, when frustrated in the morning, I will also tell Brooklynn that her recent behavior has been unacceptable² and she needs to shape up.

The hardest thing I think that Brooklynn is facing right now is the fact that she wants to do everything herself³. She puts her own food in the microwave and closes it. She takes her own clothes off and puts them on herself. She can lift and carry that 10 pound bag of flour her own self, thank you very much.

If she gets hurt doing something, well, maybe she will allow us to give her a hug and make it better. And if she spills a little when she carries her bowl of soup across the kitchen to the table, then it’s ok for us to help clean up. Every day, she does a little more on her own. She’s going to be a big sister, after all. No time to act like a baby and let Mom and Dad do everything for her. Especially no at 6am when she’s still a little tired and crabby.

So, moving forward, I’m going to make the attempt to practice patience and stay positive, even in the face of utter and completely irrational thought and actions.

Because, really, who doesn’t want a stuffed puppy to help with putting our clothes on in the morning? I think everyone one would probably be in a better mood with a little bit more of that going on.

Yes, our two year old enjoys a chocolate protein shake made with water and coconut milk. She doesn’t get chocolate milk at home, so I think this is something pretty exciting for her. ↩
If you are chuckling in disbelief that I told a two-year old her behavior was “unacceptable”, that was also Rhiannon’s reaction when she heard it. No, I don’t think I actually expected it to work, but man, it felt good to say it. ↩
“No, me do it me own self” as she likes to say ↩

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transitioning back

01.05.12

After about 20 days off from any morning schedule, it’s hard to expect a two year old to seamless transition back to a strictly scheduled routine, but that’s what we’re asking Brooklynn to do.

Three days in to this week and it’s going. I’ll leave that without a clarifier.

She’s been eating breakfast in her pajamas and taking her sleeping blankie downstairs with her, but we’ve all been getting out the door on time. She’s not at all thrilled to see me in the morning when I wake her up, but that might be a little bit our fault for letting her stay up like it was still Christmas break. I’m sure we’ll get it figured out again eventually.

Considering the picture below was taken at 6:15 am and she had already finished her oatmeal, I guess I could finish my previous though: it’s going ok.

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holiday visits

12.28.11

Over the past few weeks from Thanksgiving to Christmas, Brooklynn has visited 3 great-grandparents, 4 grandparents, three aunts, two uncles, four cousins, and a whole slew of additional extended family. And I think if it were up to her, she would do it all agin starting next week. That would be nice if it worked that way.

Of course, she’d also want us all to just play blocks and sleep in one big room, so we’re really not soliciting firm ideas from her at the moment.

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