Posting has been light around here. I’m still in shock that I’m no longer in my 20s.
I’m sure I’ll get over it sooner or later. I did get a good meal out for the special occasion with my two favorite ladies. (Hint: one of the them is pictured with me above and the other one took the picture.)
Considering the people I get to hang out with, maybe the 30s won’t be so bad.
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.
Again, from the “Better late than never department”: Week 30.
It’s crazy to think that we are under 10 weeks until the due date, and as Rhiannon pointed out, there is no guarantee she will go that long. I look at the list of things still outstanding before we are officially ready for a new baby. Add to that fact that we have to do it all while working around the fact we have a kid and I have one reaction.
Crap1.
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.
Recent Photos
© 2005 - 2012 :: Chris and Rhiannon . com ::