Wedding Fever.

We were invited to a wedding. It was the girls' first.
The excitement level was off the meter - especially for the seven year old.

I did something I have never done before and bought them matching dresses.
It was a cuteness fiesta.
We were staying overnight in the hotel where the wedding was so we went in our civilian clothes.
The dresses were packed reverently.

The seven year old needed the day's schedule repeated every twenty minutes or so just to make sure we hadn't forgotten to go to the wedding.
The two year old just simply said "Dress?" at regular intervals.

As I laid out the dresses, tights and matching cardigans they stood wide eyed and reverent.
When it was, eventually, time to get dressed the reverence continued.
The husband and I tried not to cry with the sweetness of it all.

I have never paid less attention to getting myself ready in my life. I could have just gone in jeans and a t-shirt and not noticed - such was my focus on my girls.

The walked off down the hotel corridor holding hands and feeling so pleased with themselves it was a heart bursting moment.
On seeing the bride and groom, the cake, the stunning venue with panoramic views of San Francisco they simply stood in awe.

Admittedly, I have somewhat shielded them from the whole 'I've been dreaming of my wedding since I was two' scenario.
We do not play brides and I had in the run up to this wedding talked about the couple and their friendship and adventures together - rather than focus on the fantasy of the dress and flowers etc.

We had a fantastic hour of father daughter dances, many photographs and general loveliness. Then the seven year old sidled up to the bride's nieces and they took off for the dance floor, where they stayed stealing the spotlight, for the rest of the evening.
The two year old seemed overwhelmed. Then hot. Then floopy.

We had a parent dilemma.

It's a wedding - a once in a lifetime event.
The seven year old is having the time of her life - especially since the dessert is a candy bar.
(I am also a fan of this new trend in dessert especially since there is an enormous bowl of peanut m&m's.)
The husband and I are having a great time - weddings don't come up for us so much anymore.
The two year old is sick.
Sigh.

So we did what any over worked, under assisted parents would do.
We retrieved her stroller from the room and set it in a corner of the venue - where she curled up and slept.

Don't judge me.

My Life in a Nutshell.

Kid: Me do it! I'm gonna do it. I do it by myself!

Me: OK

Kid: I want to do it.

Me: OK you do it.

Kid: I WANT TO DO IT!

Me: OK

Kid: I do it mama. I do it by myself.

Me: OK you can do it.

Kid: I WANT TO DO IT BY MYSELF!

Me; Ok you do it by yourself.

Kid: NO! NO! NO! I DO IT!

Me: Yes, you do it.

Kid: I WANT TO DO IT!

Me: Yes, you want to do it. Go ahead.

Kid: NO! I DO IT!!

Me: OK!

Kid: Will you help me?


Another moment of insanity brought to you by The Parenting Myth.

(Sh) It Happened Again.

Remember this?

Well it happened again.

I am delighted to say that is is not a personal attack on the Principal.
How do I know?

We have a new Principal.
Everything else was the same.
We are deep in conversation when I see the two year old go behind a chair.
It can only mean one thing.

I have noticed that certain places move the two year old.
One is our local toy shop. Guaranteed 'processing' within five minutes of entering.
Another is my friend's home. Doesn't matter what time of day we visit - she will 'go' while we are there.

I like to think that means that these are comfortable relaxing places for her to be.
It's a compliment really.

I'm wondering if it's a forecast of the future that she is so at home in the Principal's office...?

No Wonder....

Overheard at a play date in my house:

Kid one: "Remember that time that you were sitting on the stool and Jane came in."

Kid two: "Yeah."

Kid one: "No wait - you weren't sitting on the stool, you were sitting on the chair."

Kid two: "Oh that's right. It was the chair not the stool."

Kid one: "Why were you sitting on the stool?"

Kid two: "I wasn't sitting on the stool, I was sitting on the chair."

Kid one: "Oh that's right. (Pause) Why were you sitting on the chair?"

Kid two: "I dunno."

Kid one: "Remember that Jane came in?"

Kid two: "Yeah."

Kid one: "That was sooooo funny."

Kid two: "Yeah. That was soooo funny." (Lots of laughter.)

Kid one: "Remember that you had a ponytail and so did I."

Kid two: "Yeah, you had a ponytail with a purple hair tie and mine was pink."

Kid one "Yeah. Wait! Yours wasn't pink. Remember you had a blue one."

Kid two: "Oh yeah."

Kid one: "And Jane came in."

Kid two: "Yeah."

Kid one: "When was that?"

Kid two: "I dunno."


Is it any wonder, we moms sometimes find it hard to retain our sanity?

Room To Grow.

I remember when the seven year old was brand new. I would walk around just brimming with delight.
I felt so lucky to have a baby. The fact that she was clearly the worlds most beautiful baby was just the icing on the cake.
I would swell with pride as I walked around and people would comment on her beauty or cuteness.

I also remember my smugness.
I would look at Moms with toddlers, big kids and teens and I felt sorry for them.
No nuzzling into the silkiest skin for them.
No breathing in baby shampoo from the fuzziest of heads.

From my view - all those moms had was tantrums, gangliness and attitude.
They had nothing but gap toothed complainers.

It's amazing how in those moments I forgot the desperation of sleep deprivation.
I imagined that they looked at me with regret that they no longer had the bliss of a newborn.
I imagined that they wished for the baby years.

Ah naivety!

Now I look at Moms with newborns and I feel a little bit sorry for them.
I know how hard the first year is.
Sure - I no longer have a delicious newborn but I also no longer walk around in a haze of fatigue.
I no longer spend hours fretting because I don't know what that particular cry means.

What I know now is that each year gets better.
I now have a seven year old that loves to learn about the world and I get to share it's wonders with her.
I now have a two year old who loves to smother me with kisses and snuggle up to read a book.

They can both tell me what they need. Why they are sad. How they feel.
They don't need me to do every single thing.
When they are sick, it's not terrifying.

I am able to finish a cup of tea while it is still hot. I have resumed having an adult life - separate from being mom.
Simple things that are huge.

Now I think that those moms were not looking at me with envy.
Sure we all love a newborn but now I can be satisfied with looking or holding and returning!

I live and learn.

Night Fever.

The two year old has been dressing herself. Not particularly significant for a two year old.
It's a change for me as a parent. The seven year old has no volition about clothes.
I can still pick and lay out her clothes for the next day.
She would be quite happy if I put her in them too.

Not so, with the two year old. She is very clear about her outfit choice and very assertive of her desire to do it herself.
It's great, I like it (mostly.)

Here's the catch - you knew I had a catch.
She's been doing it at night.
Much more impressive.

She selects her PJ's and puts them on. She selects which of her three blankets will get the honor of being on her and not on the crib rail.
We 'discuss' the sleep sack - which I say is "not a choice" and she says it should be.
She wears the sleep sack.

Lately, when I check on her the sack has been discarded.
I am willing to allow this little defiance. However, I know she'll get cold later so I pop her back in it and she usually doesn't wake up to protest.


A few nights ago when I checked on her I noticed something.
I thought I had put her in her snowman pj's and there she was, sleeping angelically, in her monkey pj's.
At the time, I remember thinking I must have been mistaken.

A few nights later I found her in a purple sleep suit. I know for sure I didn't put that on her.
I open the drawer and sure enough my neatly folded piles are now a carnage of clothes.
Hmmmmm.

To get to the drawer she has to reach through the crib bars and get to a handle about 3 feet away. Her arms are not three feet long. Devious.
She also, I thought cleverly, had closed the drawer having inserted the discarded jammies inside.
Covering her tracks. Not usual two year old behavior. Two year olds usually leave a blazing trail of their actions.

I am secretly delighted by her genius. She does all of this without me hearing a thing. I say nothing - allowing her the glee of feeling she is succeeding in her subterfuge.

Last night she took it to a whole new level.
I found her in a completely different sleep outfit but back in her sleep sack.
There was no sign of disturbance in her drawers.

When she got up this morning and the sleep suit was removed she had a whole outfit on underneath.
A gold sparkly top, red velvet skirt (with sequin detail), jeans AND socks.

Her delight was delicious.
'I am ready for the day!" she exclaims.
I'm thinking she's ready for an 80's nightclub but hey - pick your battles.