POST CATEGORY : Parenting

Flying with Kids

   Before having kids, planning a trip was as easy as having a plan, then making sure you had the money to pay for it. After kids, it became a bit more complicated. There are a lot more things to consider. Is the destination kid friendly? What kind of restaurants are there? And the big one…can we drive or do we have to take a flight?

   I know a lot of people who have taken flights with their little ones with no problems. In fact, they swear by it.  I have not yet been that adventurous. So far, we’ve only tried our luck with road tripsand it hasn’t been so bad. I’m a little apprehensive to fly because of all the baggage and extra stuff that comes along with packing for kids. Car seats and strollers don’t exactly fit in the overhead storage bins! But, a lot of parents say they’re easy to check and retrieve. They also say the kids are so fascinated with flying that they actually behave pretty well. There’s also no stopping every five miles to go potty. That must be nice! One of these days we’ll take to the friendly skies with our kids. I’m sure they will be super excited!
–Kristina
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She Bit Her Sister…Now What?

   I’ll admit, being an only child, I’m new to this sibling rivalry game. Sure I saw it play out on “The Brady Bunch” with Marcia and Jan, but I never had a “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia” of my own. So, now that I have two little girls, I’m beginning to see what having a sibling is all about. Although they are only three and one, they are already fighting. It’s not only a battle of babble and words, it’s also getting physical.Gone are the days when the little one is strapped in, contently bouncing in her chair. She’s ready to rumble for toys and no one is getting in her way. Forget about pushing and shoving, my little one has a new weapon of choice…her teeth.

   There may only be four of those little suckers, but they are sure sharp and they mean business. Her sister learned that one the hard way. Big Sis was playing with a toy that Little Sis desperately needed to have at that very second in time. There was some yelling and some pushing. Instead of playing referee, I decided to sit on the sidelines. I can only blow the whistle so many times in one day! After a few minutes, little sister decided there was only one thing left to do. Yep, the teeth came out and we had our first bite. But, the funny thing (if you want to call it that) is that that  there were no real teeth marks, just lots of tears and screaming. “She bit me, she bit me”. That’s all that could be heard in my house. Great, just great.

   At first my little one thought they were still playing, but when I started to roar, she knew play time was over. I told her she couldn’t do that anymore. Cue the water works. Great, two crying children, every mother’s dream! After taking the toy away so no one could play with it, some calm was restored, but not for long. It was soon time to move on to the next toy and the next battle.

   I know this is only the beginning, but I am quickly learning sibling rivalry can be fierce, and sometimes dangerous. I can only imagine what’s going to happen once the rest of the little one’s teeth comes in. Until then, it’s game on.

      

We Have a Super Cling-On

   I have walked out of range and I hear it. That little voice is calling…mama…mama. Oh yes, it is my little 10 month-old daughter having a bit of a fit because she is in someone else’s arms and I am not around. Oh yes folks, we have a Super Cling-On. What exactly is that? That’s what I like to call a little baby (often my own) who will cling to you better than white on rice. 

   So, how did she get this way? Well, I did something horrible…I decided to stay home with her and not send her to Grandma’s house or daycare. In case you didn’t catch it, that was sarcasm. But honestly, some people make me feel as though I am doing something wrong because I chose to stay home for awhile and raise my kids. I absolutely love some of the comments I get. “Oh, she’s really stuck to your hip”. “Oh, is she always like that?” Don’t forget my absolute favorite,  “Oh, you really need to leave her with people more often.” Wait, while I sort through the people lining up at my doorstep.

   Don’t get me wrong, I do leave her with people. But, then when I call to check up, I hear the wailing in the background. I feel bad for my baby and the poor person who has to put up with it all! I think I need to stop calling to check up!

   So, what’s the answer here folks? I don’t have one…if I did, I wouldn’t have a Super Cling-On on my hands!

Can You Survive Without Your Phone?

   I love my cell phone. There, I admit it. There are days when I wonder what I ever did without one. With that said, there are also days when I wish I didn’t have one and I wish other people didn’t have one either. I’m talking about times like in church when people’s phones go off and you wonder why they just didn’t turn them off. It must be God calling them. I mean there’s no other explanation, right?

   How about when you’re at the library for story time with your little one and another Mommy’s phone goes off. That’s always special. In this case, the librarian hit the pause button as everyone looked to see who forgot to put their phone on vibrate. You would think she would have turned it off and let the nice librarian finish her little story. Nope. After fishing for it at the bottom of her diaper bag, she told her child (and everyone else) she had to take the call. The poor little girl just sat there while Mom moved away to talk on the phone. Who knows what the call was about, maybe it was important. But, I couldn’t help but feel bad for that kid.

   The same thing happened when I took my daughter to her little play gym. We were having our circle time filled with songs and games when yet another phone went off. This momma took the phone out of her pocket and walked away to take the call, leaving her child alone in the circle. Again, I have no idea what the call was about. It could have been important as well. It just got me thinking. Have we become so connected that we are becoming disconnected with what’s going on in the present moment? Our Moms didn’t have phones attached to their hips when they took us places and they somehow survived. So, why can’t we?

  

It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s Daddy!

   I don’t know what it is, but you can’t put a price on a child’s love for their father. Sure we carry them around for nine months, possibly breastfeed them until our breasts look like something out of National Geographic, and maybe we even clean up more poop than the zookeeper in the elephant cage, but it really doesn’t matter. Not to say kids don’t love their Mommas, but they can’t get enough of their Dads. At least that’s the way it is in my house.

  Maybe I notice it more because I have two girls. They don’t call them “Daddy’s Girls” for nothing. Although my youngest daughter clings to me for dear life,  she still said “Dada” first  (so did my first child). When Dad walks in the room, she kicks her legs like a maniac and her eyes light up like a Christmas tree. All is right in her little world.

   As for my oldest, she would carry her Dad around in her little butterfly purse if she could. Daddy is the first person she looks for in the morning and the first person she cries to if she gets in trouble. Of course, Daddy never yells at her. Mommy always has to be the mean one. She loves to lay on the couch with him where they watch their special show she simply calls, “Daddy’s Show.” I actually have one too, called “Mommy’s Show”, of course.

    Daddy is also the fun one. Not to say I’m a stick in the mud, but I’ll be the first to admit I’m the more serious one. Someone has to keep everyone in check! Daddy flips them around. Daddy does crazy dances. Daddy sings really loud songs. As much as it may get annoying, they love every second of it. Truthfully, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

   Just like you can’t put a price on a child’s love for their father, the same can be said for a father’s love. Like Moms, Dads would give up everything to make sure their children are happy. They would do anything in their power to protect them from all the evils of this world. That’s just what a Dad does. It just goes along with the territory. It goes along with being a superhero that so many men are to their children. Happy Father’s Day!

  

  

Memory Book Bust

   Before I had kids I remember thinking I would be one of those Moms who would put Martha Stewart to shame when it came to pictures and scrapbooks. I would have the best little memory book for baby, documenting every breath, every moment, every word. Two kids and one big reality check later, I have not lived up to my expectations.
  
   With child number one, I kept up with the memory book for the first year or so. Despite being a picture whore, there are hardly any photos in the book where it says, “insert photo here.” Where are those precious pictures? On the computer or on my phone, of course. For those that know me, you’d think I’d have those pictures printed out and date stamped. Wrong. The majority still need to be printed. I made a mental note for that to be my winter project this year. Well, it’s almost summer and I’ve gotten nowhere.

   Here’s the big epic fail. With child two, I think I only have the first two months of that damn memory book done. Every time I think I’m going to catch up, something comes up. What you ask? I have no clue. Maybe a dirty toilet, a load of laundry, writing this blog, perhaps just life in general. I just know it’s not getting done and it’s starting to get me mad.

   I don’t want my kids to look at their books when they get older and have them be crappy. I’ll have plenty of memories to tell them, but it would be nice if they could see and read about their little lives. I don’t want them to think I didn’t care enough to get it done.  But, it’s kinda hard when you have one who wants to eat the pictures and another who wants to use them as a canvas.

   So what’s a mom to do?  It would be great if good old Martha would come over and help me. I have some other projects she could get crackin’ at while she’s here! Since that’s not going to happen, it looks like it’s just me,  my pictures, my printer , and my memory that have a lot of work to do. Does anyone really keep up with these things?

The Good, The Bad, and The Potty

   A few months back I wrote about the trials of potty training my oldest daughter. A few accidents and several loads of laundry later, I am happy to say ciao ciao to the diapers and hello to our new BFF Mrs. Potty. That’s the good part, along with saving a few bucks each month. But, before I toilet paper the bathroom in celebration, I have to admit sometimes it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. I know, I know, I’m never happy.

   Here’s the bad part. I can now say I’ve been to just about every bathroom just about everywhere you can think of. Stores, restaurants, even hospitals. If I’m having a really good day, I get to see them a few times during each visit. I know, don’t be jealous. One time while we were eating out, I heard “mommy, pee pee”, a total of four times. I spent more time in the bathroom than at the table! Two of those times were false alarms though. Nevertheless, you can never be so sure. Another time we were at a place where the bathrooms were up a narrow hallway. After our third trip, I told her to just go in her pull-up. I know, I know, bad mommy. But, she wouldn’t. Good girl, I guess. Needless to say that was my workout for the day.

   Our new thing though is to go into a public bathroom, check out the toilet, and then shake our head in disgust and walk out. I can’t really tell if she had to go in the first place or is writing a book about the best and worst toilets. I hope she’s not on a path of becoming one of those people who can only go to the bathroom at home. Boy will we be in trouble!

   It really is a love-hate relationship with the good old potty. She loves it and sometimes I hate to take her. But, there’s no turning back now.

Dear Sleep,

Dear Sleep,
   You and I have had a rocky relationship these past few weeks. Was it something I said or did? We used to be BFFs. I know, I know, the two little ones are really cramping our style these days. Whah, whah, whah…Mommy, Mommy, Mommy. It’s the “Sleepless Symphony No. 5” that keeps playing in this house. I know. If it’s not one, it’s the other these days. But that doesn’t mean it has to be the end of us.
   Can you help me get them to bed and stay there? The little one is just a baby, so maybe we can give her a pass. But still, up every hour and a half? Give Momma a break! The only ones who are making out in this are Dunkin’ and Starbucks. Momma tired! Hopefully the babe will find a new love for her cereal and then she can sleep for a few more hours. The tot is pretty consistent with her 3 a.m. cries for Mommy or Daddy. God help us if we don’t answer them! She takes matters into her own hands. She runs down the hallway and comes right into our room. She usually gets an escort back to her bed, but sometimes we just can’t take it! We’re so tired, she just ends up with us. Pipe down anti co-sleepers. I’m one of you too, but sometimes you have to pick your battles, ya know what I mean?
   I can’t remember when you and I bonded for eight straight hours, can you? It would be nice to cozy up and dream of Jon Bon Jovi just like the old days without anyone crying and interrupting just before I get to go on stage and get serenaded with “Bed of Roses”. Ahhhh…
   From what I hear, we are not going to really be able to hang out like the old days for another 18 years! OMG! In the meantime, can you promise me one thing? Can we hang out as much as we can and really cherish whatever time together we have? I miss u lots!
    Love,
   A Very Sleep Deprived Kristina

Here We Grow Again

   Capri pants in winter? No, it’s just what it looks like these days since my two-and-a-half-year-old had some kind of growth spurt. Some of her shirts also look like she has the 3/4 length sleeve thing going on too, but she doesn’t. Mom just hasn’t been able to keep up. As for the nearly four month old, she’s also starting to bust out of her clothes. I know when it’s time to retire a onesie when I can’t get her head to squeeze through the hole and when she gives me that look like “mom, you ‘re seriously going to try to pour me into this outfit?” Yeah, I know, they’re growing.

  It’s not just the clothes. It just seems like lately there is so much more “growing on” in my house. The baby just started to roll over. She was on the verge for days last week. She was trying and pushing but always got stuck on the last hurdle. Then one day my mom came over and that’s when the baby decided to roll over during the two minutes I went to the bathroom. Seriously? Yep, just can’t make this stuff up. I know kids have the worst timing, but come on, give a momma a break! Then there’s the issue of her bassinet and her one-way ticket to her new room.Okay, who are we kidding, we all know it’s round trip! I knew the transition to her crib was coming. It was pretty obvious when one morning I woke up and she turned herself horizontally and had her legs rested up on the side like she was lounging at Club Med. So, this week (or maybe next), the big move down the hall begins. It’s just another sign she’s growing up.

   My little spunky now two-and-a-half year old surprises me everyday. She’s busting out new words all the time. I wonder if she’s reading the encyclopedia before bedtime. Wait, we don’t have any encyclopedias! I’ve also noticed she’s much more of a sponge than she was before. She remembers every little thing. Nothing is getting past her. Now, we’re also at the point where we have to watch our mouths. I’m afraid one day she’s just going to start singing a litany of profanities she’s heard throughout her little life. Oops! Mommy and Daddy can have a potty mouth at times!

   There’s also the issue of pre-school. I’m excited for her to go and explore new things and meet new friends, but that just means she’s growing up. A letter came the other day for an open house for the pre-school we’re thinking of sending her to in the fall. As I was opening it, I got a little sad to think that we are inching towards that point. Don’t even come talk to me when she goes to Kindergarten. Although by that point with the two of them, I may be ready for it too!

   I know it’s cliche, but kids really do grow up so fast, which means we are also getting older. Ugh. I looked in the mirror the other day and thought to myself, wow, I’m “X” years old and I have two kids, and all the responsibilities that go along with my mortgage coupon book. When did that happen? What happened to that girl who could go out every night of the week and still get up for her 8 a.m. class? She’s still here. She’s just taken on some new hobbies like watching her children grow.

Dealing with a Momaholic

   Her first word was Daddy. But now my two and a half year old sounds more like Stewie from that “Family Guy” commercial. You know the one, “mom, mommy, momma, mom, mom, mom…hi.” Kids love their moms, simply put. It’s a great thing because there really is nothing like the love of a child. But, is there ever too much of a good thing? Don’t kill me for saying this, but I am learning that yes, there can be. Every since my two and a half year old was born she never really had a hard time separating from me. That is, until now. I left for work way early in the morning, so she never saw me when she woke up. At night, her Daddy usually put her to bed because I would go to sleep so early. When I would leave her to go out, she would wave to me and say bye…kinda like don’t let the door hit your you know what on your way out. She was always happy to see me when I returned, but we never had that separation anxiety I’ve also dreaded. You know the kind…the kind when kids are stuck on you like a piece of paper you accidentally gorilla glued to your finger. Well, I am afraid to say we are on that path. She is becoming a momaholic. We made need an intervention.

   I think there are a few things that have factored into what I hope is just a temporary condition. There is now a new little one in town. She’s taken her space, taken her old clothes, and more importantly is stealing her mommy time. In fact, she will now point to me and say “you’re mine.” No joke. She has also become used to me being home with her now. As soon as I put on my coat and shoes and don’t grab hers, she knows something is up. The lip becomes pouty, the eyes droop, and then come the water works. This is usually the part when I feel like the worst mother on the planet. But, I can’t be with her every second of everyday!

   I started noticing the early signs of momaholicism when we were at her play gym class. The last five minutes is “separation time.” The kids are supposed to play with each other while the parents sit on the sidelines. That is what is supposed to happen. For me, and one other mom there, that is not what happens. My daughter will play for about 30 seconds and then run over to get me to play with her. The other moms stare like this has never happened to them, all of them except for the one whose son is glued to her too. We exchange sympathetic eyes. I try to get my daughter to go back and play, but she ain’t buying it. I just don’t get it. She is a social kid. Really, she is. Most times when she is with kids she knows, she forgets she knows me. I keep telling myself the “stranger” element is at play. I hope.

   So what’s a mom to do? Well, I’m trying to set up more play dates and more importantly trying to detach a bit, even if it is just to do some errands or go to the gym when she is actually awake so she deals with me leaving. Does this make me a bad mom? Some may say yes. But I say no. I don’t want her to become one of those kids who can’t be without their mommy, especially when she heads to preschool in the fall. I know the day will come when she will forget who I am and not want anything to do with me. I’ll probably cry and wish for these days again. But, for now I need to find ways to cope with my little momaholic.