Posted on January 31, 2008
“Okay, Chloe, time to go bye-bye” (Start time)
Run upstairs to get Chloe’s shoes. (We have to keep them hidden or she will want to wear them, if she is wearing them, she assumes we are going bye-bye.) Back downstairs.
Chase down toddler, wrestle her into shoes. Convince her it is, indeed, time to clean up Mr. Potato Head’s body parts. After three rounds of the “clean up” song, Mr. Potato Head and his parts are in their bucket.
Mommy puts on socks, realizes the “black” socks she grabbed were actually “royal blue.” Run back upstairs to get correct color socks. Make mental note to buy another lamp for the bedroom so I can actually see my socks. Back downstairs.
Take 2, Mommy puts on socks and shoes, realizes she forgot ring and watch in bathroom. Runs to back of house to put on ring and watch, decides to use the restroom. While mommy is in the restroom, Chloe decides to play with her balls. Convince Toddler that it is, indeed, time to put away balls and we can’t go to Gymboree if the balls aren’t put away. After three rounds of “clean up” balls are back in their hamper.
Check diaper bag to make sure there are enough diapers and snacks. There is only one diaper. Run upstairs to get diapers. Back downstairs. Realize while putting diapers in changer that there is only one wipe. Run upstairs to get more wipes. Back downstairs.
Meanwhile, Chloe has completely destroyed the muffin I set next to my Pepsi for ME to eat on the drive to Gymboree. Run downstairs into the basement to get dust buster. Back upstairs, vacuum up muffin parts. Run into kitchen to grab another muffin for mommy.
Wrestle toddler into coat. Wrestle mommy into coat. Grab, purse, back pack, snack bag, milk for Chloe, Pepsi for mommy, muffin for mommy, oh, and Chloe. Dig keys out, realize I left both the kitchen light and the dining room light on. Put down Chloe, run to turn of lights, pick Chloe back up. Get out door, put down Chloe to have hand free for locking door, help Chloe down the stairs, then into the car. Wrestle toddler into car seat. Wrestle mommy into car seat.
Finally, we leave. (Stop time)
Posted on January 29, 2008
Mommy built a European village out of blocks, Chloezilla knocked it down, with the help of her small plastic dinosaur friends.
Click above to see the action footage!
Posted on January 29, 2008
It’s my fault, I know it’s my fault. Chloe continues to fight me on the food thing. She will only eat snack food, and it’s making me crazy. She eats all day long, so she is definitely not starving. I try really hard to make the food she eats moderately healthy, I mean, there’s only so much you can do with a picky eater, but in the end, its still snack food. Yogurt, applesauce, cereal bars, boxes of raisins, crackers with peanut butter, rice cakes, and pretzels. If I offer her anything else, she acts like I am trying to poison her. The last time I went to the doctor, he said, “Don’t worry, toddlers snack, that’s what they do.” He basically gave me permission to keep offering her food all day long. The problem now is she is starting to reject some of the things that were actually worthwhile. Like cheese, for example. Chloe will no longer eat cheese. I have tried cheese in slices, cheese in cubes, cheese in sticks, and cheese in sandwiches. She won’t have anything to do with it. She used to eat bagels, now she won’t. The only meat we were ever able to get her to eat was chicken in the nugget form. Lately, she’s been refusing them. I have even tried the “novelty” approach to serving her food. I have made her food into all different shapes, sizes and colors. It works for a little while, then she starts refusing those, too. My only solace at this point is she really likes breakfast, so I try to get as much healthy stuff into her breakfast as I possibly can.
I blame myself because I think I gave her too many options at every meal. “You don’t want this, how about this, or this.” I just kept telling myself that she needed the nutrition and it was better for her to eat something, than nothing at all. Now, that’s what she expects (and rightly so).
Last night, she threw a huge fit because I wouldn’t let her snack before dinner. Then we offered her what we were eating (falafel, which she has eaten before) she threw the mother of all fits. She acted like we were trying to poison her!
Today, she ate a bowl of oatmeal, a handful of cheerios and a cereal bar before lunch. Ellen and I took the kids to the mall to play, and when it was time to eat lunch, I offered her chicken nuggets. She didn’t want them. Okay, whatever, she’s not hungry, she had a lot to eat already, I really didn’t expect her to be hungry. The annoying thing is she started crying for her snack bag. She wanted to eat, she just wanted to eat her snack food, not the chicken. Standing firm, I told her that her option was chicken or french fries. (I know, real healthy, but it was the principle of the thing.) She cried, she whined, she reached for her snack bag, she cried and whined some more and she refused to eat anything. (I think she was also ready for her nap, so that played into it.) I tried to cram my food in my mouth so we could quickly leave, go home and both take a nap and poor Ellen desperately tried to mediate.
I understand why Chloe was upset, and I know its my fault, and I think that’s why its so hard on me. But, she has developed a really bad habit, and as the responsible (as if) parent, I need to help her break it. Even if that means that she goes hungry a couple of meals and I slowly lose what’s left of my sanity.
Posted on January 27, 2008
Due to technical difficulties and illness, I have a backlog of funny pictures I want to share, so I will do them all in one post so I can catch up!
Our Fearless Hunter (Legolas was sure the prehistoric squirrel from Ice Age was going to be his dinner)
Dinosaur Skin Shoes? Sure to be all the rage next season!
Either: “More Efficient Eating” or “Toddler Chopsticks,” I couldn’t decide.
In order to save refrigerator space and to keep with my new anit-clutter regime, we will keep Chloe’s art work on an online gallery. If you should see any pieces you would like, we would be glad to ship them to you but you have a window of a week to decide (her art class is on Mondays, and new work is being created daily!)
Click on the picture above to link to Chloe’s Online Gallery
Posted on January 25, 2008
A couple of months ago, I took Chloe in for her check up and they gave her a flu shot. At that time, the doctor recommended that I also get a shot because even though Chloe may not have any symptoms, she can still be a carrier and can give me the flu. I said, “sure, I’ll get right on that.” With absolutely no intention of getting a shot. Boy am I an idiot! I haven’t felt this bad for four years! I just spent all of yesterday in bed, afraid to move, with fierce muscle aches reminiscent of growing pains. Luckily, John was smart enough to get a flu shot, and was able to come home yesterday to take care of Chloe. I feel much better today, but I just gotta say, “THAT SUCKED!”
Posted on January 23, 2008
Chloe has got my number. I know this shouldn’t come as a surprise, but sometimes it shocks me how good she is at making me jump. I’ve been better about not going into her room when she wakes up with the hope that she will settle herself down and go back to sleep. The last two mornings she woke up saying, “Mommy, diaper, mommy diaper!” I am so sick of her getting diaper rashes, that if there is even a hint that she might be poopy, then I will change her diaper. Plus, we’re starting the potty training process. If she tells me she wants a new diaper, I feel I need to act on that. Which means she has found a sure fire way to get to pick her up in the wee hours of the morning. What really sucks, is both times she’s done this, she wasn’t even poopy! I genuflect before the master!
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