I have done my best as a dutiful mother to fill out each line of the boys’ baby books. I watched intently to record the first step and the first laugh but think that there are a few very important milestones missing from your average baby book:
1. First burp
2. First time grandpa has to change a poopy diaper
3. First time someone says or does something to your first born that you don’t approve of and that “Mother Bear” instinct comes to you and you literally feel like ripping that person to shreds
4. First time they are big enough that you can give them a real proper two-arm hug and they hug you back
5. First time they pee in a public toilet
6. First time they pee on your neighbour’s tree
7. First time they pee off your deck (onto your parents’ car)
8. First time baby sleeps soundly in the arms of bachelor friend
9. First time you put the TP roll back on the actual toilet paper roll instead of hidden up in the cupboard so the children don’t roll it down the hallway
10. First time you wash their bed sheets because, well, it’s probably time, not because they spit up, or puked, or peed on them
11. First time they say, yeah broccoli!!!
12. First time they wear the same pair of pants 2 days in a row – not because it’s laundry day and there is nothing else to wear, but because they are still clean!
13. First time you realize they are going to do okay as a Canadian when they apologize for something they really didn’t do wrong
14. First time you leave the house with an absolutely clean shirt, even on the left-hand shoulder
15. First time they get your martini just right!
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Saturday, February 12, 2011
HOSPITALS ARE SO COOL!!!
How do you bring your children through a tragic and scary situation? A friend of mine had to explain to her three year old daughter that her grandmother died very suddenly and her daughter accepted the fact and when they go visit the grave, looks up, waves goodbye to heaven and says, “bye Grandma, I love you”. It is amazing to me how honest and practical children are with sickness and death.
Recently my husband needed to be hospitalized and I had to find a way to explain to the boys what happened. I am pleased that when the ambulance came the 4 year old was still sleeping so he doesn’t remember the experience and my 3 year old is still young enough to be totally excited to see an ambulance and paramedics – gotta love the simple joys of the young. My husband is fine but when I asked my 4 year old to pray with me to help Daddy get better he said he wouldn’t. That completely shocked me, but knowing my son, I asked him why. He said because sometimes he wanted to go to visit the hospital to visit daddy and say goodnight. What a lesson in seeing the treasure in the trial. There was no concern how everything would work out or stress about the situation, all they saw were the dazzling flashing lights of the rescue vehicles and the fun buttons and equipment of the hospital. I am listening my sweet young children, teach me, oh teach me.
Recently my husband needed to be hospitalized and I had to find a way to explain to the boys what happened. I am pleased that when the ambulance came the 4 year old was still sleeping so he doesn’t remember the experience and my 3 year old is still young enough to be totally excited to see an ambulance and paramedics – gotta love the simple joys of the young. My husband is fine but when I asked my 4 year old to pray with me to help Daddy get better he said he wouldn’t. That completely shocked me, but knowing my son, I asked him why. He said because sometimes he wanted to go to visit the hospital to visit daddy and say goodnight. What a lesson in seeing the treasure in the trial. There was no concern how everything would work out or stress about the situation, all they saw were the dazzling flashing lights of the rescue vehicles and the fun buttons and equipment of the hospital. I am listening my sweet young children, teach me, oh teach me.
TOAST
Did you know you can cut a piece of toast the wrong way? I cut the toast into triangles when they were supposed to be in squares. That was my mistake last night with my 2 year old (who is just turning 3 this month!). A couple of years ago, for child #1 (when HE was 2 years old) I cut his piece of toast in half instead of leaving it whole. Oops. The world ended that day, sorry about that. You would think that after 4 years I would be getting better at cutting toast. I tried the “let’s glue the piece back together with jam” angle. Nope, that didn’t work. The only thing I didn’t do was make a whole new piece of toast. It might sound cruel, but all I could see was a future of making things over and over again because of a tired little tenacious child.
I feel like I am a bundle of blunders and mistakes, trying to keep up with the latest wish of the gods! You know, doing something for them when they can “DO IT MYSELF!!!”, or serving them cheese strings instead of cheese slices. Maybe my children are ubber-picky but I’m trying to find a balance between serving them and being their servant. I even built the train track wrong – it was supposed to be BIGGER, or was it supposed to be longer…sigh. Good thing my self-confidence doesn’t rest on the whims of little boys.
So, as I endeavor to improve on my toast cutting and train-track building and wish my new little 3 year old a Happy Birthday– I’m going to try my best not to tick you off this year and pray you do the same for me -- Love, your (longsuffering) mother.
I feel like I am a bundle of blunders and mistakes, trying to keep up with the latest wish of the gods! You know, doing something for them when they can “DO IT MYSELF!!!”, or serving them cheese strings instead of cheese slices. Maybe my children are ubber-picky but I’m trying to find a balance between serving them and being their servant. I even built the train track wrong – it was supposed to be BIGGER, or was it supposed to be longer…sigh. Good thing my self-confidence doesn’t rest on the whims of little boys.
So, as I endeavor to improve on my toast cutting and train-track building and wish my new little 3 year old a Happy Birthday– I’m going to try my best not to tick you off this year and pray you do the same for me -- Love, your (longsuffering) mother.
POTTY TRAINING
So, I’m talking to my girlfriend on the phone and all of the sudden I smell something very poopy and the 2 year old is nowhere to be found. Normally this is just yucky, but we have begun potty training, so this is verging on disaster. I hang up, obviously, and start the search for the little guy. I find him. He is sitting on the toilet. All by himself. Alone. “So” I ask him “how’s it going?” He replies “good. I’m pooping”. Awesome! Overjoyed is a mild statement. Now, he’s not completely there yet, but what a great start!
Now, with the other one, I didn’t even start until he was, like, 3 ¾. Honestly, I wasn’t ready. All I ever heard were horror stories from people (like they were trying to trump their birthing stories or something) about how this was the worst part of bringing up children, or it took them a year of constant battles. No way. So I waited. We did the “train your kid in a day” program and it worked pretty good – but I’m glad I waited with him – he is unbribable. Seriously. How do you potty train a child that cannot be bribed? The second one – well, he’d do almost anything for a jelly bean so that has totally helped the potty training I think. The first one, if you tell him that if he gets out of bed again I’ll have to take his teddy away, and he has decided to get out of bed again he’ll come to me and hand me the teddy. Sigh. I’m glad I waited with the first one and didn’t create a horror story of potty training and I’m proud of my 2.5 year old for starting the process and making little victories every day.
I’m also proud of myself (and we parents need to say that to ourselves more) that I’m learning how to teach my children in their different ways. Ironically, although I don’t have to carry diapers, I do carry an extra change of clothing, just in case, and my purse just got bigger…
Now, with the other one, I didn’t even start until he was, like, 3 ¾. Honestly, I wasn’t ready. All I ever heard were horror stories from people (like they were trying to trump their birthing stories or something) about how this was the worst part of bringing up children, or it took them a year of constant battles. No way. So I waited. We did the “train your kid in a day” program and it worked pretty good – but I’m glad I waited with him – he is unbribable. Seriously. How do you potty train a child that cannot be bribed? The second one – well, he’d do almost anything for a jelly bean so that has totally helped the potty training I think. The first one, if you tell him that if he gets out of bed again I’ll have to take his teddy away, and he has decided to get out of bed again he’ll come to me and hand me the teddy. Sigh. I’m glad I waited with the first one and didn’t create a horror story of potty training and I’m proud of my 2.5 year old for starting the process and making little victories every day.
I’m also proud of myself (and we parents need to say that to ourselves more) that I’m learning how to teach my children in their different ways. Ironically, although I don’t have to carry diapers, I do carry an extra change of clothing, just in case, and my purse just got bigger…
Monday, August 30, 2010
MY HEART STOPS
My boys continually amaze me as they grow and change, which I love. However, it is the constantness of change that is sometimes exhausting. On the one hand, it’s great because it keeps me on my toes, but on the other hand just when I think I have one of them figured out, he stuns me by doing something completely unexpected. Just the other day my four year old, for the first time in a long time, actually didn’t stop before a cross walk, he just kept running straight across – I almost fainted. On another day not too long after that, my two year old, who rarely strays more than a few feet from my side, ran straight away from me as fast as could be. This time not across a busy road but straight to a garbage can to put his cracker package away (one point for cleanliness, minus 500 points for the shock to my system). I actually stopped the nearest mother at the water park to tell her what just happened, just to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.
So when do I take them aside to go over the rules (again) and when do I let them run and hope they stay safe on their own? I wish there was a book that told me all the answers, but in the end probably following my instincts will prove best. That, and secretly watch what other mothers are doing – so if I’m watching you, I’m not judging you. Oh no, I’m learning from you – so thanks.
Now with all that said, what the heck is it with them having to stand right ON my feet?!
So when do I take them aside to go over the rules (again) and when do I let them run and hope they stay safe on their own? I wish there was a book that told me all the answers, but in the end probably following my instincts will prove best. That, and secretly watch what other mothers are doing – so if I’m watching you, I’m not judging you. Oh no, I’m learning from you – so thanks.
Now with all that said, what the heck is it with them having to stand right ON my feet?!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
NUTRITION 101
Nutrition 101
Nutrition will, I believe, always be a challenge for anyone who feeds a family. My little family has a number of strikes against us.
(1) I am the primary food provider and I don’t like to cook. Bake yes. Cook no. What this means is that my kids eat a great breakfast and a wonderful muffin for snack and the rest is a bit sketchy.
(2) I am a vegetarian. The rest are not. Meat, even when cooked yucks me out. I’m working on this.
(3) The 4 year old is in the very picky stage and the only fruit he will eat is raspberries – not MIXED berries, no no no, only raspberries. Oh ya, and pasta – with ketchup only. The 2 year old will eat most of anything. Mostly. But rarely will all three (son #1, son #2, dad) eat the same thing on the same night. Sigh.
(4) Did I mention that cooking does nothing for my joy of life?
So, I took some steps and endeavor to plan my menu every week now – try to get at least yogurt and raspberries and brown rice down their throats every week and try not to count the number of cinnamon toast sandwiches we’ve had in one day! (Is Mr. Christy a food group???) I’ve done all the tricks – added veggies to pasta sauce, cut up healthy stuff using fun shaped cookie cutters – bribed them with, well, unhealthy food (oops – that one back fired). Anyways, we are not doing too badly and I think I’m just encouraging one of them to pursue a career as a chef, even if it’s just for the survival of family.
Sigh, well, they’ll always love my French toast…
Nutrition will, I believe, always be a challenge for anyone who feeds a family. My little family has a number of strikes against us.
(1) I am the primary food provider and I don’t like to cook. Bake yes. Cook no. What this means is that my kids eat a great breakfast and a wonderful muffin for snack and the rest is a bit sketchy.
(2) I am a vegetarian. The rest are not. Meat, even when cooked yucks me out. I’m working on this.
(3) The 4 year old is in the very picky stage and the only fruit he will eat is raspberries – not MIXED berries, no no no, only raspberries. Oh ya, and pasta – with ketchup only. The 2 year old will eat most of anything. Mostly. But rarely will all three (son #1, son #2, dad) eat the same thing on the same night. Sigh.
(4) Did I mention that cooking does nothing for my joy of life?
So, I took some steps and endeavor to plan my menu every week now – try to get at least yogurt and raspberries and brown rice down their throats every week and try not to count the number of cinnamon toast sandwiches we’ve had in one day! (Is Mr. Christy a food group???) I’ve done all the tricks – added veggies to pasta sauce, cut up healthy stuff using fun shaped cookie cutters – bribed them with, well, unhealthy food (oops – that one back fired). Anyways, we are not doing too badly and I think I’m just encouraging one of them to pursue a career as a chef, even if it’s just for the survival of family.
Sigh, well, they’ll always love my French toast…
MY PEEPS
I find between work and kids, and more work and more kids that I seem to get “out” about once a month. You know – with adults (only) at establishments that don’t sell Kool-Aid. And I’m okay with that. I have a new business and 2 little boys, so this season of my life is filled with these wonderful blessings. But I cherish oh so deeply when I do get a night out.
First of all, the night out requires a special arrangement of babysitters, coverage from work activities and of course, keeping things even. You know, with the husband. If I get a few hours “out” so does he – so really, I’m trying to coordinate 6 hours of freedom. When the stars align, the coordinating is done, I find myself out driving alone to tunes that don’t rhyme with silly or noodle, ordering food that is actually still hot when I get to eat it and buying a drink that I don’t have to share with anyone or that someone hasn’t tested by putting their little fingers in. At this time, I sometimes find that I am speechless and just sit back to enjoy the company - and then I realize that I am so unprepared for the night’s conversation. Someone mentioned there was a new movie out – I’m still trying to remember which Backyardigan is Tasha and which one is Tyrone! People are using big words and sentences that don’t start with “mommy” or “I gotta tell you something” or “I need you” and the jokes are terribly inappropriate and everything is funny to me and lovely because it’s not about me or someone wanting me or needing me to do anything for them – it’s just a night “out”. So thanks to all my peeps for making this month’s night out worth every effort.
First of all, the night out requires a special arrangement of babysitters, coverage from work activities and of course, keeping things even. You know, with the husband. If I get a few hours “out” so does he – so really, I’m trying to coordinate 6 hours of freedom. When the stars align, the coordinating is done, I find myself out driving alone to tunes that don’t rhyme with silly or noodle, ordering food that is actually still hot when I get to eat it and buying a drink that I don’t have to share with anyone or that someone hasn’t tested by putting their little fingers in. At this time, I sometimes find that I am speechless and just sit back to enjoy the company - and then I realize that I am so unprepared for the night’s conversation. Someone mentioned there was a new movie out – I’m still trying to remember which Backyardigan is Tasha and which one is Tyrone! People are using big words and sentences that don’t start with “mommy” or “I gotta tell you something” or “I need you” and the jokes are terribly inappropriate and everything is funny to me and lovely because it’s not about me or someone wanting me or needing me to do anything for them – it’s just a night “out”. So thanks to all my peeps for making this month’s night out worth every effort.
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