Posted on August 31, 2008
John and I looked at a map and came to a stunning realization. New Jersey is a pretty small state, and it really doesn’t take long to drive to the southern most tip of it. We were kind of bored, so we packed Chloe into the car, and made the two hour drive for a day trip to Cape May. There, we went to the zoo, ate the best crab cakes and fish and chips I have EVER HAD for lunch, and then walked along the board walk. We are hoping we successfully wore Chloe out and she’ll sleep in REALLY late tomorrow, especially since John has off of work. (I am not holding my breath.) Here are some highlights. View our gallery for more.
Our intrepid leader
“Awigator,” Capybara,
Giraffe being upstaged by ostrich, excellent view, “Tickle tickle”
Chloe lied, she did go on the choo choo again!
Trying to decide which of these hovels will be our summer home. (decisions, decisions)
Sun, sand, water…gorgeous!
Posted on August 30, 2008
This morning I asked Chloe to pick up some of her toys because it was time for lunch (and then a much needed nap.) She looked at me with her sternest face, and said angrily, “I am not going to ride the choo choo AGAIN!” I was a little stunned, we weren’t playing with a choo choo, we weren’t talking about choo choo’s, and were certainly had no plans to ride a choo choo. So, I was a little thrown. I thought, “I must have misunderstood.” So, I asked, “What, honey, Mommy didn’t understand.” She looked at me with the furrowed brow and angry eyes, and said as clear as day, “I AM NOT GOING TO RIDE THE CHOO CHOO AGAIN!” I just said, “Okay, honey, you don’t have to. But you do have to pick up your toys.”
Posted on August 29, 2008
Our friend Amy from Gymboree had a beach play date today in her back yard. Yeah, some people have it really rough! I felt it was a Smilebox worthy event. (This one is a scrap book format, so you have to hit the arrow in the corner on the right hand side to turn the page.)
Posted on August 28, 2008
I always assumed that gender roles were defined by society and that as children we are slowly indoctrinated in what it means to be a girl or boy. In order to avoid stereotypical gender differences, I provide all manner of toys for Chloe, from strollers to tool boxes. CNN published an article describing studies that show as early as 18 months, babies are already showing a natural inclination for gender specific developmental stages which is evident from the toys they choose to play with. And, I have to admit, from my limited experience I have to agree.
Yes, Chloe plays with dinosaurs. But, she has a “mommy” dinosaur and a “baby” dinosaur, and they give each other hugs and kisses. Yes, she plays with cars, but she drives them slowly around the entertainment center, or she makes me converse with them. “Hi, car! How are you today?” She does indeed play with balls, but she has a weak and aimless throw. She runs with her arms flailing.
She loves to have her toes painted, she wants me to fix her hair, she loves to play dress up, and she snuggles her baby dolls. And let’s face it, the girl can TALK! Chloe is already showing a strong personality and displays a surprising amount of social confidence. . She knows what she wants and she knows how to get it. And, she is not above a “pretty pout” in order to get her agenda accomplished.
All of this makes me a little nervous. I am sort of an antigirl’s girl. When I was a teacher, I hated teaching girls. They were so unpredictable and frustrating, only caring about boys and stabbing each other in the back. I was kind of hoping Chloe would be more like me. I avoided most girls in school, I didn’t trust them, and I couldn’t get a long with them. A majority of my friends were male. Even now, I feel pretty socially awkward in a group of women (although, it got easier after having Chloe, I always have something to talk about.) Sometimes, I worry that we will get to a point where I just can’t relate to her.
In the end, no matter what kind of girl she is, I just hope that Chloe has a clear sense of identity. I hope she feels confident to be who she is without judgement by me or anyone else, even if that means she’s a cheerleader and not a theater geek (my worst case scenario). I hope that she can make decisions based on what’s best for her and her family, and not based on what her “friends” might think. I hope that I am woman enough to guide her effectively into womanhood, without trapping her in a feminine (or anti feminine) ideal. I just have absolutely no idea how to do that. Any suggestions?
Posted on August 27, 2008
Monday, I told Chloe that I was going to have soup for lunch. She said, “Me too, Chloe have soup, too!” I have to admit, I was more than a little surprised, to say her diet is limited would be an understatement. I decided to celebrate her decision to broaden her horizons by letting her choose the soup. I held out two cans of soup and asked her which one she wanted. MELTDOWN. COMPLETE MELTDOWN. Which sounded a bit like this, “NO SOUP MOMMY, NO SOUP! NO SOUP MOMMY NO SOUP!” I told her over and over, “You don’t have to have soup, Chloe! Mommy can still eat soup, but you don’t have to have soup!” She grabbed the can out of my hand, and when she couldn’t turn the lazy susan to put it back in the cupboard, she ran off with it. I found it sitting on her potty chair in the bathroom. Luckily, the lid on the seat was down.
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Driving to gymboree today, I heard this from the back seat:
“You want it? get it….you have it…sank you. You want it? Sank you. I drop it, you get it? Sank you.” When we stopped at the traffic light, I tilted the rear view mirror to see what on earth she was doing. She was passing a toy from one hand to the other. Apparently, her hands were talking to each other, and using their manners I might add.
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Chloe was jumping on the bed this evening (yes, I let her jump on the bed. Its a king sized bed, I put pillows on one side and I sit on the other. She is completely safe. I refuse to take this childhood joy away from her!) She could see her shadow on our headboard. She kept yelling at her shadow, “You sit down! You! You sit down. Chloe jump, you sit down.” Complete with finger pointed and exasperated tone. Is that what I sound like to her?
Posted on August 24, 2008
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