Why I need to carry a tape recorder at all times

It's because the things that come out of 3 year old SchmoopyBoy's mouth are priceless.

Example 1.
We were listing colors. I have no recollection why we were listing colors, but nonetheless we were.

SchmoopyBoy: Clear.
Me: (mostly to myself) Is clear really a color?
SchmoopyBoy: Clear is a shiny color that lives in the circus!

Well, there you have it.

Example 2.
I am sitting on the floor with SchmoopyBoy and Lil' Schmoo.

Me: Are you my SchmoopyBoy?
SchmoopyBoy: I am a Schmoopy Boy. He is a Slobber Boy. And you are a Mom-er Boy.

I am one of the club, apparently. How flattering. And yes, as a matter of fact, Lil' Schmoo is indeed a slobber boy these days.

Example 3:
A bit of background information - We have been talking a bit about meat and vegetarianism because he has become interested in the show Dinosaur Train, which talks about carnivores and herbivores. He knows that our family doesn't eat meat, but doesn't fully understand it all yet.

Also, one of the imaginative games SchmoopyBoy likes to play is to pretend that he is Abby Cadaby and I am Mommy Cookie Monster and he is "poofing" me a cookie of my choice. After poofing me an imaginary chocolate chip cookie, peanut butter cookie, and oatmeal raisin cookie, he makes an announcement about the next cookie.

SchmoopyBoy: This one has people meat!
Me: (surprised, disturbed, beside myself, almost afriad to ask) What is people meat?
SchmoopyBoy: People meat is a special kind of food that is in this cookie!

Okay, then. I guess I'll just dig in to that cookie now. Mmm, people meat.

Proof we are unfit company for the Queen

Exhibit 1.

How do get my 3 year old to eat black beans?

By calling them rabbit poo-poos.

Because, you know, there's nothing quite so hilarious as poo-poo. And what is better than talking about poo-poo than eating poo-poo?

I wonder how the Queen gets young children to eat beans. hmmmm....


Exhibit 2.

A recent conversation at my house.

It helps to know that (a) SchmoopyBoy is in the habit of adding the word poo-poo to everyday sentences, totally deadpan, (b) the husband recently got a new iphone, which is a great new toy for him, and (c) we watch all our tv through the computer.

SchmoopyBoy: I want to watch something.

Me: I think you've had enough screen time. How about if you play now, you can watch more tomorrow.

SchmoopyBoy: I want to watch poo-poo.

Me: Well, you're in luck. I'm on my way to the bathroom. You want to come with me? You can watch. (What? Half the time he follows me uninvited anyway, I might as well invite him.)

SchmoopyBoy: No. I want to watch poo-poo on the TV.

Husband: I can video tape mommy if you'd like. The iphone plugs into the computer really easily.

Me: ?!?!?!?!!!! (sighs and shakes head)

Fun Facts

Five facts about Lil' Schmoo - age 1 month:

1. Hates being swaddled, must have his legs free to stretch out and hands by his head.

2. Having hands by his head means he sometimes wakes himself up when inadvertently sticking a finger in his mouth.

3. Refuses to stay asleep for more than 10 minutes when put down on a flat surface.

4. Still hates being vertical and loves being cradled, so still living in the ring sling.

5. Highly unimpressed with Gripe Water.


Five facts about SchmoopyBpy - age 3 years, 5 months:

1. Thomas the Train is the Greatest.Thing.Ever. Cannot get enough Thomas.

2. Toby the Tram is his favorite character.

3. Prefers soccer to t-ball.

4. Wants his baby brother's attention so badly, and gets upset that babies can't give attention yet.

5. Wants mommy-SchmoopyBoy-only time so badly, and gets upset that the baby is almost always attached to my body.

Sing-along, Brush-along Songs

Welcome to the September Carnival of Natural Parenting: Parenting Through Play

This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have shared how challenging discipline situations can be met with play. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.

***

SchmoopyBoy does not like getting his teeth brushed at bedtime (or any other time, really). Tooth brushing has been a struggle pretty much since we first started brushing his teeth. He is the king of holding his hand over his mouth with his lips tightly fused together. I’ve tried reasoning with him about the dangers of cavities. I’m pretty sure all he hears is “wah wah wah.” Have I been tempted to just pry his hand away and use my physical strength to overpower him and force my way into his mouth on a particularly tiring and frustrating day? I’d be lying if I denied it. Yet using my superior physical strength to impose my will over his body feels very wrong. I think it teaches him a dangerous and destructive lesson that using violence and physical force over a smaller, weaker person and forcing them to do what you want is ok. Not to mention how NOT conducive to a peaceful, relaxing bedtime it is to engage in a physical struggle with a screaming, flailing, 30 pound octopus of a three year old.

So how do I get him to willingly open his mouth? One major tool I don’t hesitate to bring out is music and song. I am all about making up alternative lyrics to popular (or not so popular) songs, and singing them in funny voices with lots of melodrama and silly vibrato. If you think this idea might work for you and your child, here are a couple ideas for a variety of musical preferences.

For the classic rock lover, sung to tune of Queen’s We are the Champions:

I’ve got a toothbrush, my schmoo-oooo
And I’ll keep on brushing every tooth
I’ve got a toothbrush, I’ve got a toothbrush,
No time for cavities, so I’ll keep on brushing…
‘till they’re clean!

For the pop music fan, sung to tune of Madonna’s Music, Hey Mr. DJ:

Hey Mr. Toothbrush
How are you today?
Come on and brush my teeth now.
‘Cause when the toothpaste’s on,
I never want to stop
You know it is so yummy.
Hey there! Mr. Toothbrush!
Brush my tee-eeth! Yeah!
Hey there! Mr. Toothbrush!
Brush my tee-eeth! Yeah!

For the Star Wars fan, sung to the tune of the Imperial March (aka Darth Vadar’s theme):

Brush brush brush
Brush your teeth, brush your teeth
Brush brush brush
Brush your teeth, brush your teeth
Brushie-brush, brush, brush, yeah
Brushie-brush, brush, brush.
Brush brush brush
Brush your teeth, brush your teeth

The lyrics of this are simple and boring enough that silly voices/faces and gratuitous over-the-top vibrato (think of an Ethel Merman caricature or Goofy from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse) are a good mix for this choice.

Really, the possibilities are endless. Any tune I get stuck in my head is fair game for being turned into a tooth brushing song. If I can’t think of any appropriate lyrics on the fly, I just substitute the word “brush” or “toothbrush” or “brushie” for the usual “la la” or “doo doo doo” that most people hum to themselves.

The benefits of a playful approach to brushing teeth are numerous. First, the obvious – teeth are successfully and adequately cleaned. Second, the child is either smiling and giggling at the end, or at the very least isn’t having a melt-down and no one is hurt in the process. Third, on those rough “I’m so done you could stick a fork in me” days, you might even find yourself in a better head space – such is the power of play and laughter.

Happy brushing!

***

Visit Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!

Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:

• On being a more playful parent — Isil at Smiling like Sunshine shares how the Playful Parenting book impacted her.


• Parenting a toddler through play — Alicia at I Found My Feet lists some examples of how she uses play to parent through everyday tasks and challenges.


• Splashing in Puddles — Abbie at Farmer's Daughter shares how she learned to get dirty and have fun with her little boy.


• Say Please — Cassie at There's a Pickle in My Life explains how they taught their son manners by "play," showing that actions speak louder than words.


• No Nanny Needed — Laura at Our Messy Messy Life wishes parenting through play was her only responsibility during the day.


• I'll Run Away With Gypsies — Nikalee at Spotted Pandemonium maneuvers physical and emotional obstacles while spinning playful tales, jumping through hoops, and inspiring the kids to clean the living room.


• A Promise To My Daughter — Lindsey at An Unschooling Adventure writes a poem for her daughter promising to use play instead of anger when facing difficult situations.


• Parenting Through Play — Not Always Easy But Always Rewarding — Amy at Peace4Parents discusses how play hasn't always come easily to her, the power of appreciative observation, and how her family learns together through play.


• Imagination Plays a Role in Our Parenting — Tree at Mom Grooves shares how parents can use play to set the foundation for communication and understanding.


• A Box of Crayons — Jenn at Monkey Butt Junction talks about how a simple box of crayons has become a wonderful parenting and teaching tool.


• The Essential Art of Play — Ana at Pandamoly shares some of her favorite lessons available for young ones through play.


• The Art of Distraction — Amanda at Let's Take the Metro shares a list of distracting alternatives to harsh punishments in tough parenting situations.


• Grace and Courtesy Games at Home or School — Deb Chitwood at Living Montessori Now has ideas for grace and courtesy games that help you encourage courteous behavior without reprimanding your child.


• I am woman, hear me roar! — Mrs Green from Little Green Blog shares how one simple sound can diffuse an argument in an instant.


• Getting Cooperation Through Play — Amyables at Toddler In Tow talks about respecting the worldview of a preschooler by using play to encourage connection and cooperation.


• Playful Parenting = Extra Energy?? — Momma Jorje didn't think she had the energy for playful parenting. See what she was surprised to learn…


• Dance Party Parenting — Laura from A Pug in the Kitchen learned how to be the parent her children need through play.


• Wrestling Saved My Life — Wrestling is as vital to her son's well-being as babywearing once was, finds Hannah at Wild Parenting.


• Parenting through play — By playing with her children, Tara from MUMmedia is given amazing opportunites to teach, train and equip her children for life.


• Parenting Through Play Starts in Infancy — In a guest post at Natural Parents Network, Issa from LoveLiveGrow shares that though she only has a 3-month-old, playful parenting has already started.


• Play Before Sleep — Adrienne at Mommying My Way writes about how playing and singing with her son before he falls asleep helps calm her frustrations that tend to arise at night.

• Playful Parenting — Or 5 Lessons My Son Has Taught Me About Parenting Through Play — Charise at I Thought I Knew Mama has learned to be a better parent by following her toddler's lead in play.


• Hurry up! Hurry up! I mean it! Quack, quack, quack! — Kellie at Our Mindful Life leads a trail of ducklings


• On the Road: Learning to Play — Seonaid at The Practical Dilettante discovers her inner adult through a summer of playing with her children.


• Preventing Tantrums Through Play — Gaby at Tmuffin explains how she keeps her household happy by not taking things too seriously.


• Carnival of Natural Parenting: Parenting Through Play — Lily, aka Witch Mom, redirects unwanted behavior in a toddler using games and play.


• Exaggerating for effect — Lauren at Hobo Mama has learned how to ham it up.


• Handling Big Emotions with Role Playing — Zoie at TouchstoneZ plays at tempering her parental frustrations while helping her children handle some big emotions


• How To Herd Toddlers by Talking Pictorially — Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama demonstrates how talking in pictures is a playful way to engage your young child in transitioning from one activity to the next.


• Getting a Toddler to Go Where You Want…Playfully — Sylvia at MaMammalia describes how a game of hide-and-seek can be used to steer a wandering toddler in the direction of her choosing.


• Playful Parenting: Chores That Do Themselves — Remember chores when you were a kid? If chores were this fun for Chante at My Natural Motherhood Journey, she wouldn't have needed any reminders!


• Clown School Express: Playing away Fears — MudpieMama describes how she helped her boys confront their fears about starting kindergarten by playing with trains.


• Practicing Playful Parenting — Terri at Child of the Nature Isle realizes that playfulness is the best way through the day and seeks more ways to practice it.


• Today, Tomorrow and Every Day — Starr at Taking Time addresses her children in a letter sharing with them how improtant it is that they spend their childhood playing.


• Learning Through Immersion — Luschka at Diary of a First Child shares how she helps her daughter develop naturally without focusing on teaching, but rather by immersing her in their family's way of life and making her an active part of her environment.


• Play Here Now — Jessica at Instead of Institutions learns and relearns and tries to remember the value of play.


• Play: A Wonderful Parenting Tool — Mamapoekie from Authentic Parenting offers a list of examples on how to use play in real-life parenting situations.


• Playful Parenting — a Book Review — Erica at ChildOrganics shares simple yet sage advice from Dr. Cohen on how play can change your child's life.


• Mock Threats: Turning Real Frustration into Playful Parenting — Threatening is not an effective discipline strategy, but Dionna at Code Name: Mama explains how parents can turn their frustration into playful moments by making "mock threats."


• I'm Sick of Yelling — I Want to Play — Alicia at McCrenshaw's Newest Thoughts realizes she needs to change the way she's parenting and is forming a new plan.


• Sing-along, Brush-along Songs — Shana at Tales of Minor Interest shares a few songs to make brushing her three-year-old's teeth more fun.


• Monster Voice — Ever have those frustrating moments with your kid(s) when you just want to scream? Amy at Anktangle shares a silly strategy for getting through those difficult times.

Three-year old + nail polish = Halloween toes

This is what happens when I let my three-year old paint my toenails. The final product looks like something from a Halloween movie.


Lest you miss the fine details from my oh-so-stellar photo skills:


In case you are wondering, I did manage to remove all polish before I left the house.

3 Year Old Need - Not Less, Just Different

My 3-year old just graduated from the parent-toddler swimming class to the just plain toddler swimming class. Not because he can swim safely independently now - he can't quite yet - but because he no longer needs the security of a parent with him in the water. This last Tuesday was his first day trying out the new class. He loved it. He mouthed through the glass behind which parents sit and wait, "I'm swimming by myself!" He didn't want to leave when the class was over. He wanted more fun swimming in the pool with his new teacher.

It is somewhat bittersweet for me. I love seeing him grow more independent. He is so proud that he can do things by himself now, and I delight in his new and growing repertoire of accomplishments. At the same time... my baby doesn't need me anymore! sniff.

But then when we finally left and he dashed along the sidewalk towards the car, he tripped and went sliding face down, scraping his knees and elbows, and giving himself a round red bump on his forehead. He spent the next 10 minutes curled up in my lap crying, his hand up my shirt holding the mole on my side (his go-to-comfort place on my body since he weaned) and drinking a sippy of milk.

So maybe he still does need me for something.

It's not just the physical hurts that require 'mama love'. Bad dreams, hurt feelings at playschool, his upset if he wakes up late after I have left for work in the morning - such experiences all expose his need for physical and emotional connection with me.

It is one of my unexpected observations of parenting - that my child's need for me does not, in fact, grow less as he grows older and more physically independent. I had assumed that it would, but SchmoopyBoy's need for me still appears so great. While it is not less per se, it is qualitatively different. Whereas he needed me to do more for him in the past, he now seems to need me to be emotionally available for him more than ever. I have spoken with other mothers of toddlers and older children who have confirmed this experience with their own children.

Learning to parent at each new stage of development continues to surprise and challenge me. My every expectation gets turned upside down on its head. My independently swimming, self-dressing big boy who demands privacy when using the bathroom is still in many ways my schmoopybaby.

Hilarious, and Not so Hilarious

Hilarious:
I was being naughty at work on Monday and went to check out Hobo Mama’s Sunday Surf where I found what might be the most hilarious post ever, for anyone who appreciates a good (and illustrated!) poopy story, which we all know I do. So there I was trying not to laugh out loud, for fear of bothering my office mate, which of course just made my laugh more shrill and obnoxious. My poor office mate has to put up with so much, between phone calls from my husband whenever SchmoopyBoy has a meltdown, and random evidence of my wasting valuable work time by laughing hysterically at random poopy stories on the web. But seriously, this one is goood. And, if you stop by sometime in the next year, this is going to be my life. Check out the rest of the blog too - funny, funny stuff.

Not quite so hilarious:
SchmoopyBoy’s language skills and sense of humor have been developing more and more. Somewhere along the line, he picked up an idea that toilet functions are funny. Don’t ask me where he learned that, I just live here… what? So, we’re now at the stage where every other word out of his mouth is “pee-pee” or “poo-poo”. I’m ashamed to confess I did crack up the first time or two it happened, more because I was surprised than anything, but of course that just encouraged him. So now, a typical conversation in my home goes something like this:

Me: Do you want butter toast or jelly toast?

SB: Poo-poo toast!

or

SB: Come play with me!

Me: OK. Would you like to play with your trains, or would you like to read some books?

SB: Pee-pee!

Me: I don’t think I want to play with pee-pee. How about trains or books? Or would you prefer to cook something for me in your kitchen?

SB: I cook POO-POO for you!

Me: I don’t think I’d like to eat poo-poo. How about a book? Do you want me to read you this book? (holding up popular book)

SB: Pee-pee book!

Me: sigh.


Even less hilarious:
Even less hilarious is when he yells “pee-pee” as loud as he can, completely randomly and unprovoked, at a restaurant. The looks from concerned and appalled customers, fearful that there’s about to be a stream of yellow heading their direction as they’re trying to enjoy their hard-earned weekend dining experience, are something to truly savor.

I may or may not have mentioned this in an earlier post. Parenting a 3-year old is awesome.

Gratitude Post - 6/27/11

I discovered the weekly gratitude post by Amanda at Let’s Take the Metro through Zoie at TouchstoneZ, who also posted about five things she is grateful for. What great inspiration! How could I not participate?! So, without further delay, here is my list of 5 things for which I am grateful this week.

1. Communication with SchmoopyBoy – I’ve been struggling a bit with some of SchmoopyBoy’s behavior lately. He knows how to press my buttons to get my attention. I’ve been trying to work with him on this, explaining how, when he wants more attention from me, I want him to use words and tell me “Mommy, I want more attention now.” Sometimes, I have felt like talking with my 3 year old is like talking to a brick wall. This last Saturday morning we were playing amidst a sea of giant foam letters and numbers. He wanted to find some toy or another and I suggested that we put away the letters in case the toy was under them, it would be easier to find it. I started collecting the letters to put them in their proper bag, and soon got distracted with clean-up work. SchmoopyBoy was much more interested in continuing playtime than getting involved in clean-up, and lo and behold, he exclaimed “Mommy, I need attention now!” No throwing. No hitting. Just an exclamation of his needs at that moment. I felt so gratified, of course I immediately dropped what I was doing and tackled my schmoopyboy into a fit of giggling glee. The entire day did not go quite as smoothly as that morning went, but I made a point that night at bedtime to focus on the positive and told him how much I liked it when he communicated his need for attention to me that morning using words, because it makes it so much easier for me to meet his needs when I he tells me clearly what he wants.

2. Our local CSA Farm – I know I gush about it periodically, but really it is making a difference in how we eat. The diversity of fresh vegetables forces me to be more creative in the kitchen (I keep meaning to share some of my recipe experiment successes). The quality can’t be beat, and I love being more connected with my food – knowing who grows it and how it is grown. On a related note…

3. Home-grown tomatoes – So cliché, I almost couldn’t stand to write it, but Oh good heavens the difference in flavor! Seriously, I never want to eat another store-bought tomato again. Between the little tomato plant that we are raising at home and the tomatoes from the farm, I’m hoping I won’t need to subject myself to those flavorless store-tomatoes for quite some time. nom nom nom.

4. The blogging community! – I get so much inspiration from the blogosphere. As I mentioned in my opening, this very post is inspired by bloggers Amanda and Zoie! It is uncanny how frequently I discover a series of posts that is exactly what I need to read during a particular time. (Sneak preview, I have another post in progress that is inspired by the posts these ladies wrote for the Mindful Mama Carnival. I have been conscious that I’ve been struggling with mindfulness for quite some time. Several of the posts I read during the carnival have inspired me to be more proactive in my journey. I’m hoping to have my thoughts put into place by the end of this week!)

5. Parent-toddler swimming lessons – At 27 weeks pregnant, my lower back and hips are giving me all kinds of ouchie reminders that I’ll be birthing a baby soon. I take SchmoopyBoy to a parent-toddler swim class every Sunday morning. Classes are a half hour of fun time for SchmoopyBoy, in which he is learning critical life-saving water skills, and a half hour of water pressure induced physical relief for me. I SO need to get into a pool more often!

Three Open Letters - One of them is to YOU!

Dear Ankles,

Farewell. I hope to see you again before September. If not, have a great summer resting under that layer of poof. I’ll miss you and look forward to seeing you again this fall.

Cheers,
Shana

************

Dear Monsters,

It was bad enough when you first started visiting my son’s room at bedtime. Now, however, you are plaguing him all night and all day. At first you were willing to read his sign and stay out of his room. I appreciated your cooperation at that time. Now it appears that you are unwilling to negotiate, and you threaten him with your presence anywhere upstairs, as well as going so far as to haunt his dreams and following him to school. Surely you must understand that the current situation is unsustainable and unacceptable. I simply cannot allow you to continue to terrorize my child in this manner. Please vacate the premises. If we cannot come to an agreement on your departure, I will have no choice but to take evasive measures.

Thank you for cooperation in this urgent matter,
Shana

*******************

Dear Readers,

I am currently soliciting suggestions on how to exorcize monsters from my household. Please leave any and all suggestions in the comments. Help!

Thanks!
Shana

Wordless Wednesday - Attention All Monsters

Per his request, SchmoopyBoy's room is a monster-free zone... especially at bedtime.

Letter to Schmoopy - And now you are three

Dear SchmoopyBoy,

Last night you went to sleep a 2 year old for the last time. Tonight when you go to sleep you will be three. Three! You’ve been my SchmoopyBaby for three whole years! I managed to only cry once today before 7am. It is now not yet 10:30 as I am writing this, and I have cried a good deal more since then (thank goodness my officemate is on travel today).

This morning you woke up early at 5:45am and climbed into my bed. I was already up and getting ready for work downstairs when I heard the pitter-pat of your feet. You wanted to sleep next to me for a while, so I climbed back into bed with you. You are still so deliciously small, and you are so affectionate. Although weaned, you still crave the closeness of my body and are comforted by the feeling of my skin. You placed one hand on the mole on my side, and with the other hand pulled my face towards yours and draped your arm across my body, resting your hand on my arm. Then you drifted back to sleep, breathing deeply into my face. I so wanted to luxuriate in our closeness, while simultaneously feeling the pull of duty… the morning chores – making lunches and taking out the trash… the little kickypants in my belly reminding me “Hey Mom, when you are hungry I am hungry. Get up and eat!” As frequently happens, even in your sleep you read my mind. Something in body language changed and you knew I was considering moving away from you. Your little leg slid on top of mine, your foot resting on my thigh, holding me in place. So I rested next to you a little longer before quietly dragging myself away.

About a half hour after I went downstairs you woke again, this time for the day. You greeted me cheerily when you saw me tidying the play area, and then you spotted the first of the birthday presents I bought for you – a small play kitchen, which your father and I stayed up last night to assemble. You were quite excited and began to play with it immediately. It didn’t make any difference to you that it is a small, inexpensive, flimsy plastic kitchen rather than one of those beautiful, big, wooden kitchens that I drool over. You delighted in opening and closing the oven doors, you took the lids off and on the little pots, and inspected all the utensils. You didn’t mind that there was no actual play food either, and continued to cook and serve blocks and crayons, as you have been doing for as long as you’ve been play cooking and serving.

Tonight when I get home from work we will go to your grandparents’ house, where we will eat pizza and cake with your cousins. You have been asking for birthday cake for a couple of weeks now, so I hope you get your fill tonight.

Happy Birthday, my sweet boy. I love you more and more with every passing day and every passing year.

Love,
Mom

Picture Thursday - I have a tail!

OK, this may be the most ridiculous thing you'll see all day, but I couldn't resist sharing. He'll hate me for this when he's a teenager, I'm sure. He immediately pulled this gem out of the latest bag of hand-me-downs from my sister-in-law and hasn't gotten sick of it yet.




BTW, in case you're interested, the little cow face on the tummy of the costume - it "moo"s when you press it. For real, people.

Date night with Schmoopy

On Monday nights, the JMan takes a photography class at the local community college. So I have the evening alone with SchmoopyBoy. Usually I scramble to make a quick and easy dinner and just play at home with him. Last night, the moment I came home he wanted to just sit and watch fishies on the computer. (Thanks, YouTube). Given that he skipped his afternoon nap, I was pretty sure he had plenty of screen time already during the day. So, thinking quickly, I suggested we go to see real live fishies. He found that idea agreeable so I took SchmoopyBoy out for a date night with Mommy.

Destination, PetSmart. Just a few miles away and free admission. Perfect. We started in the fish section. Rows upon rows of real live fishies. Then he spotted one of the employees working with a bin and had to find out what she was doing. In the bin were crickets. Hundreds, if not thousands of crickets. OMG! Bugs! More bugs in one place than he had ever seen before! We ventured around the store and saw some birds and mice. Then he wanted to see more bugs. So, we returned to our kindly bug lady and asked if she had any more bugs to see. Sadly, she did not. She did, however, have worms. OMG! Worms! Live worms! She took one out and placed it in her hand so SchmoopyBoy could watch its squirm around.

We walked around a little more. SchmoopyBoy enjoyed the lizards and snakes. He to to see some cats up for adoption that were sleeping in their crates. Then back around the birds and mice before returning for more worms.

Oh, how I wish I had a camera with me. I had no idea the smile a slithering worm could bring to his face.

We then thanked the kind bug lady and departed for dinner. Good heavens, where to go for dinner with no plan, little time, and a 2.75 year old who had skipped his nap. Across the parking lot was some fast food Chinese. Not great, but it would do. We loaded up our tray with noodles and veggies, and as we paid the cashier placed a couple of fortune cookies on the tray. Oh dear. Oh course SchmoopyBoy fastened his eyes on those cookies and wanted nothing else.

I must say, I've never seen him gobble up broccoli so quickly as when I told him he could have a cookie if he first ate 4 pieces of vegetable. In nothing flat, 2 pieces of broccoli and 2 slices of carrot were gone, as were a few noodles. Having his cookie craving satisfied, he then settled down to slowly consume the rest of his noodles as he watched the other people come and go.

We got home a few minutes later than I had hoped. So I just gave him a few minutes to play before heading upstairs for his bath. At bedtime, he uncharacteristically wanted to go straight to bed and turn the lights off, without any bedtime stories or lullabies. Of course, as soon as the lights were off and he was tucked in, he then asked for a story. So, I made a story up. I told him a story about a little boy that made friends with a frog at the park. It was quite a success, which amazed me since I had absolutely no idea where the story was going from start to finish. Nonetheless, he liked it so much he request it again. So, I tried to remember what I had just pulled from the air and repeated the story. After a few minutes of rolling around, he settled down to sleep.

I think he had a great time last night. Honestly, despite the creepy crawlies and greasy food, I had a great time with him too. I have to highly recommend an occasional date night with your toddler. It might surprise you.

A not-so-delightful happening

The 3 of us spent 2 hours at the ER yesterday evening.

During the preparation of dinner, SchmoopyBoy got a bit of boiling water splattered on his jeans, which of course immediately soaked through and burned his skin. We got the jeans off and immediately applied an ice pack. SchmoopyBoy didn't care for the ice pack almost as much as he didn't care for the burn, so we took him upstairs and put him in the tub and I got some cold running water on it. Meanwhile Hubby called the pediatrician's office, who advised that we take him to the ER if blisters started to form. They formed. When we got SchmoopyBoy out of the tub he calmed down considerably and asked to go downstairs to watch television. We told him we were going to see the doctor and he was quite excited and ready to go. Screaming hysterically to happy and playful in under 2 minutes. Hmmm.

By the time we got to the hospital, you couldn't even tell that the child had been injured. He was bright eyed and curious about everything and everyone he saw. They got us checked into a room and saw that he seemed perfectly fine. So then we waited. And waited. And waited. SchmopoyBoy got restless and started running around the room and climbing on chairs. At one point he tripped over his own feet and fell flat on his face.

He started screaming, and when I picked him up I saw that he was already developing a huge lump smack in the middle of his forehead. We asked the nurse for an ice pack. At this point we were both getting pretty irritated and Hubby said to the nurse "Can we please get a doctor in here before he hurts himself again?!"

Within a couple of minutes the doctor came in and dressed the burn. He explained what we were to do and said he would be back with our discharge papers. Then we waited. And waited. My father in law had come by the hospital, so I took SchmoopyBoy home while Hubby and his dad waited for the papers and checked out.

SchmoopyBoy is fine. Quite a little trooper, he is. Or just a very high tolerance for pain. He hasn't complained about pain even once since we took him out of the shower before we went to the hospital. Plus he gets to wear a huge bandaid on his leg, and we all know how much this kid loves him some bandaid.

Wordless Wednesday: Quintessential SchmoopyBoy

His future's so bright, he's got to wear shades...



and mom's shoes... and a couple of puppets...

The many faces of Schmoopy

What a ham! He requested that I get the camera out and take pictures while we were eating.

A scrunchie-nose only a mama could kiss.


This is what I get when I ask him for a "happy face". Kind of scary.


"Hey Baby, you know it's hard to look this cool while eating carrots."


This is his rendition of "confused face", otherwise known as "Hmmmm..."


Showing me five

Bad Poetry Friday - A Haiku (or 7) about Sleep

SchmoopyBoy and Sleep:

Why do you fight sleep?
Don't you know how great sleep is?
You'll miss it one day.

When you skip your nap
Your behavior becomes…. hmmm...
and we all are sad.

SchmoopyBoy at rest
My sweet angel, so serene
wakes up cranky. Why?

Dozing in my arms,
Baby and I are like one.
My heart is so full.

Me and Sleep:

Oh, Insomnia!
Why are you trying so hard
to make my nights suck?

Ah! How I love Sleep,
so dreamy yet elusive.
One day, you’ll be mine.

Coffee – so yummy!
Although you’re second to Sleep,
I’ll get through the day.

Two Year Olds Are Perfect

Perfectly small and kissable. Perfectly adorable and affectionate.

And perfectly maddening, perfectly capable of driving you from perfectly content to perfectly furious in less than 10 seconds.

Don't let the angel eyes fool you. This spunky little character has mischief in mind.

Mini-Man

As much as I dislike gender stereotypes and try to resist them to extent possible, I had to laugh and grab my phone to take pictures when I walked in on this scene.

My son, sans pants, leaves his toys all over the floor and decides its time to recline in his favorite chair with a book.


Whoops! He leaned too far back and fell over. That was fun, he spent the next 10 minutes repeating that performance.

How to keep a toddler in one place long enough for a breathing treatment

Alternate between short stroller rides around the couch as far as the tube will allow, and take goofy portraits with your bad quality phone camera, showing said toddler each picture you take.



Seeing him with a nebulizer is actually really disturbing for me. It reminds me entirely too much of my father's last few months.

These pictures were taken late last week. He is doing much better now. Nasty cough is almost completely gone. Plus he got a cute haircut on Monday - bonus.

Edit 10/14 - I originally loaded a what I thought was a silly self portrait, but my husband told me it looked more creepy than funny, so I deleted it.