So our co-op has a book fair coming up this Sat. I was on Amazon perusing books so I could have a list of what I am looking for at the book store. (Yes, the books are cheaper on Amazon. But that does not support our co-op nor does it support a local business. Often I ignore this fact, but not this week.)
Anyways I was looking at some ABC books and Potty books and was remembering some that Addie liked from the library. I remembered the Potty Train book and glanced at reviews. The first review had me laughing so hard I had tears coming out my eyes and snot coming out my nose. That does not happen often these days, so when it does it is memorable.
Here is the review:
I should start by saying my daughter loves this book. But it isn't helping her understand a damn thing about the potty, and in fact seems to be setting up rather bizarre expectations about what is possible and achievable on the toilet. Two main problems:
1) First of all, the text really doesn't make any sense. I don't mean to get all English-major on it, but the metaphors are wholly inconsistent. Kids are literalists. This book is a poorly-conceived metaphor. Not a good combo. Climb aboard the potty train = sit on the potty, right? So what do we make of the fact that "soon you'll be riding the potty train all night"? Given the way the metaphor has been set up, this would imply that soon, the child to whom the book is addressed will be sitting all night on the toilet. I find that a worrisome threat rather than something to look forward to. If you ride the potty train, you will be stricken with dysentery?
2) The pictures are as nonsensical as the text. When the child poops ("chugga-chugga Poo poo" --this is, apparently, the supreme goal of sitting on the potty), they are to wash hands. Great. But the picture is of the child being sprayed with water, and his companions, an elephant and a giraffe, are being sprayed with water. The giraffe is being sprayed in the face. What did the giraffe do to require a face wash? The accompanying text reads "it feels good to be clean and dry." Dry? So we soak ourselves? Other bizarre and alarming pictures include that accompanying the text "the potty train keeps chugging along", illustrated by the train on a track leading into what appears to be a giant twisty sewer pipe. The boy on the potty looks thrilled, but the giraffe looks suitably alarmed. I try to skip over this one so my child doesn't dwell on the looming dark tunnel of waste into which her potty training experience will inevitably lead her.
Today I tried to explain the metaphor to my child. "You're sitting on the potty train." To which she replied, with a wistful note in her voice, "no. I'm just sitting on the potty." Oh, the disappointment.
Seriously. Avoid this book. if your child decides to like it and think about it, it may just derail your "potty train." There are better ones out there.
Anyone else laughing?!
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Weekend Away
Last Friday Matt & I put the girls down for naps, packed up the car, and headed out of town just-the-two-of-us! We had purchased a Living Social deal for Suncadia Resort. On the way there we stopped at the outlet malls in North Bend. It is a really good thing there are not outlets closer because I went a little crazy in my purchasing of clothes for Addie. But I had taken inventory ahead of time, so knew where the gaps were and I purchased mostly size 5 & 6 for her to grow into. When I consider the fact that Etta will wear all these clothes too, I do not feel bad about getting name brands at sale prices.
I had never been to Suncadia before, but found it really relaxing. We were in a room that had its own little kitchen & living room so it seemed a huge amount of space for us. We could have easily pulled the couch into a bed & fit a pack & play. But that, obviously, was not the kind of weekend this was. So we just relaxed in the big space. Breakfast was part of the Living Social deal, so we got room service both mornings. The only other time I have had room service is when I was at the hospital after having the girls, so that was pretty special for me! Also included were some vouchers to use toward spa services. So I got to relax and be pampered with a massage and a facial.
We did not want to sit in our room all day, so we decided to take a tromp through the snow. We had packed snow shoes but decided to leave them in the car since the snow seemed pretty shallow and the paths were already visible by the lodge. That would have been a fine choice if we stayed by the lodge. But we kept going farther and farther, and the snow got deeper and the paths less obvious. I wished for the snowshoes on more than one occasion as I trudged ahead & my foot sunk through the snow until I was almost knee deep at times. I was pretty glad when we met up with a road toward the last 1/3 of our walk. The first 1/3 of the walk I had shunned the roads because I wanted to be in nature. But at that point I was ready for the bare asphalt that comes with civilization.
Suncadia was the perfect distance away. Far enough away to feel removed from home & the normal routine. But no plane ride or hours in the car (which makes me feel safer for the just-in-case emergency scenarios that pop into my head). So we decided that a weekend away will need to happen every year at least. I will keep my eye out for another Living Social or such deal - maybe the San Yuans next time?!
Meanwhile the girls had lots of fun at home without us. Grandma watched them for the weekend. Papa & GG stayed one night. Aunt May stayed one night. Myron, Lori & Coen visited. There was all sorts of family fun without Matt & I! Addie & grandma made some special desserts together. Grandma made homemade playdoh for the girls. They got cool St Patricks Day stickers to play with. They went to Carkeek park. I think they had so much fun and had so much to do they probably barely noticed we were gone.
However, Addie had pointers to make things even better next time:
-tell Grandma that Addie is not supposed to wear all her clothes during nap time because she gets over-heated (Addie knows this & could have taken off some clothes herself, but she likes it when adults know these things)
-move a few toys from our car to Grandma Karen's car when we move the carseats over
-leave sunglasses out where Grandma can see them - the sun made a rare appearance at the park!
I, for unknown reasons, did not sleep very well either night when we were away. So I was looking forward to a good nights sleep in my bed. But it was not to be. At dinner Sun night Addie threw up. After a bath to clean her up, she just wanted to lay down but be close to us. So she was on our bed & I read her some stories. She fell asleep there before Etta was even down for the night! We moved her to her bed when it was our bedtime, and although she was groggy she seemed ok - but you can never quite know. So I had that on my mind, plus my body just felt really sore I could not get comfortable or calm my mind down. Between those things and Etta waking, I got very little sleep. Addie had very little energy the next day and just wanted to lay on the couch all morning. Which was fine with me, because by that time I realized that I was not feeling well either. I had such sever body aches I could hardly walk, and I could not feel warm no matter how much I bundled up. I had a monster soar throat, food did not sound good and I just wanted to sleep. Welcome back from vacation, now it's time to get sick! Thankfully the girls behaved & amused themselves while I spent the afternoon sitting on the couch, and Matt was able to come home from work a little early. That night I slept really good and the next morning I still had a soar throat and my energy level was a little low, but I felt light years better than the day before. Addie was all better too and Etta & Matt never got sick. Another mom from the co-op was telling me about how her & her kids were all sick that week, and they were much much worse than us, so even though it did not feel good I am thankful that it was short lived & not any worse.
I had never been to Suncadia before, but found it really relaxing. We were in a room that had its own little kitchen & living room so it seemed a huge amount of space for us. We could have easily pulled the couch into a bed & fit a pack & play. But that, obviously, was not the kind of weekend this was. So we just relaxed in the big space. Breakfast was part of the Living Social deal, so we got room service both mornings. The only other time I have had room service is when I was at the hospital after having the girls, so that was pretty special for me! Also included were some vouchers to use toward spa services. So I got to relax and be pampered with a massage and a facial.
We did not want to sit in our room all day, so we decided to take a tromp through the snow. We had packed snow shoes but decided to leave them in the car since the snow seemed pretty shallow and the paths were already visible by the lodge. That would have been a fine choice if we stayed by the lodge. But we kept going farther and farther, and the snow got deeper and the paths less obvious. I wished for the snowshoes on more than one occasion as I trudged ahead & my foot sunk through the snow until I was almost knee deep at times. I was pretty glad when we met up with a road toward the last 1/3 of our walk. The first 1/3 of the walk I had shunned the roads because I wanted to be in nature. But at that point I was ready for the bare asphalt that comes with civilization.
Suncadia was the perfect distance away. Far enough away to feel removed from home & the normal routine. But no plane ride or hours in the car (which makes me feel safer for the just-in-case emergency scenarios that pop into my head). So we decided that a weekend away will need to happen every year at least. I will keep my eye out for another Living Social or such deal - maybe the San Yuans next time?!
Meanwhile the girls had lots of fun at home without us. Grandma watched them for the weekend. Papa & GG stayed one night. Aunt May stayed one night. Myron, Lori & Coen visited. There was all sorts of family fun without Matt & I! Addie & grandma made some special desserts together. Grandma made homemade playdoh for the girls. They got cool St Patricks Day stickers to play with. They went to Carkeek park. I think they had so much fun and had so much to do they probably barely noticed we were gone.
However, Addie had pointers to make things even better next time:
-tell Grandma that Addie is not supposed to wear all her clothes during nap time because she gets over-heated (Addie knows this & could have taken off some clothes herself, but she likes it when adults know these things)
-move a few toys from our car to Grandma Karen's car when we move the carseats over
-leave sunglasses out where Grandma can see them - the sun made a rare appearance at the park!
I, for unknown reasons, did not sleep very well either night when we were away. So I was looking forward to a good nights sleep in my bed. But it was not to be. At dinner Sun night Addie threw up. After a bath to clean her up, she just wanted to lay down but be close to us. So she was on our bed & I read her some stories. She fell asleep there before Etta was even down for the night! We moved her to her bed when it was our bedtime, and although she was groggy she seemed ok - but you can never quite know. So I had that on my mind, plus my body just felt really sore I could not get comfortable or calm my mind down. Between those things and Etta waking, I got very little sleep. Addie had very little energy the next day and just wanted to lay on the couch all morning. Which was fine with me, because by that time I realized that I was not feeling well either. I had such sever body aches I could hardly walk, and I could not feel warm no matter how much I bundled up. I had a monster soar throat, food did not sound good and I just wanted to sleep. Welcome back from vacation, now it's time to get sick! Thankfully the girls behaved & amused themselves while I spent the afternoon sitting on the couch, and Matt was able to come home from work a little early. That night I slept really good and the next morning I still had a soar throat and my energy level was a little low, but I felt light years better than the day before. Addie was all better too and Etta & Matt never got sick. Another mom from the co-op was telling me about how her & her kids were all sick that week, and they were much much worse than us, so even though it did not feel good I am thankful that it was short lived & not any worse.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
A sticky subject
Well, my subject is sticky labels...
I have seen the ads at the back of parenting magazines for the Stuck on You labels and have always been curious. Well, I think I am finally going to buy some. I just have to decide which and not go crazy - there are so many good choices. If you want to buy some for yourself or your kiddo, use this link so you can help earn commission towards Addie & Etta's much loved co-op.
www.stuckonyou.biz/ballardpre
I have seen the ads at the back of parenting magazines for the Stuck on You labels and have always been curious. Well, I think I am finally going to buy some. I just have to decide which and not go crazy - there are so many good choices. If you want to buy some for yourself or your kiddo, use this link so you can help earn commission towards Addie & Etta's much loved co-op.
www.stuckonyou.biz/ballardpre
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Pump it up!
On Saturday we went to Pump It Up for a birthday party for Addie's good friend Beckett.
Both girls had tons of fun (ok, Matt & I had fun too!).
There was a big inflatable throne chair for the birthday boy to sit on. Etta eyed it for quite a while until the big kids were off then she was ready for her turn. Addie wanted a turn too and was not very happy about sharing, so when she was asked to smile for the camera, this is the face she gave us!
Both girls had tons of fun (ok, Matt & I had fun too!).
There was a big inflatable throne chair for the birthday boy to sit on. Etta eyed it for quite a while until the big kids were off then she was ready for her turn. Addie wanted a turn too and was not very happy about sharing, so when she was asked to smile for the camera, this is the face she gave us!
There were lots of bouncing opportunities.
As well as climbing challenges
Addie loved it all, but her favorite was the slide. First she had to climb up, up, up.
She was a slower climber than some of the other kids, so at times there was a line behind her.
fast!
She had the most fun going down the slide with Matt,
but being in his arms when he jumped high was pretty great too.
Little Pig-tails
Etta is looking so much older these days now that she is walking (practically running);
her long pig-tails don't hurt the toddler image any either :)
her long pig-tails don't hurt the toddler image any either :)
Friday, March 11, 2011
Amusing themselves
This morning Addie decided to pack up a bag and go for a walk. The bag is actually quite heavy since it is loaded up with wood stacking toys.
Lion is in his "carseat" inside his "stroller".
Etta decide she would stay at home and catch up on her reading.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
cheap home fixes
Lately Etta has decided that she enjoys shutting herself into rooms. In the past she would occasionally shut herself in by accident. This did not usually bother her at first, even if the room was dark actually, but then she would let me know when she wanted the door opened again. She has gotten really good at going up & down stairs (on her hands & knees still) so the last few weeks when I head back upstairs after doing a load of laundry, I just let her & Addie know that I am heading up and I go without them. Addie had been coming right away, but sometimes Etta lingers on the stairs. She has learned, though, that when she gets up she needs to close the door. So I think closing doors may have generalized from this. I would not mind her closing bedroom doors if she knew how to open them and if I could be confident she was not doing dangerous things or creating a disastrous mess. But I decided that we needed a new house rule: bedroom doors stay open unless it is naptime, night time, or someone is in a time-out. My free, simple, non-permanent, non-elegant solution was to stick socks or slippers up high between the door and doorjam. The door may close part of the way, but not all the way. This is easy enough that Addie can put them in by herself if I forget. [Side note: Addie is a very good enforcer of rules. Bordering on bossy. Loves to tell her sister "no" and report back to me on what Etta is doing (example: "Etta is crying really hard" and I think sarcastically to myself "oh really? I could not hear her!")] So anyways the sock-in-the-door system is working great. At least for Addie and I. The first time Etta attempted to close a door but was thwarted, she screamed so loud I thought she had truly hurt herself. Now I am familiar enough with the scream of frustration that I can partially ignore it. But she does get really ticked at those doors. I am not convinced that I made a good parenting decision. Maybe I just reacted out of laziness because I did not want to rescue her every 5 minutes from a room she had shut herself in.
On a different note, Addie has found a new method of wearing Lion. We have tried different ways of wrapping swaddle blankets around her so she can wear Lion like I used to wear Etta. The new favorite is quite a clever invention of hers that uses a hooded blanket. We just use a chip-clip to attach the 2 sides together and viola! it's a hat! it's a baby carrier! it's an extra snuggly layer! My goal is to buy a doll sized ergo for her to use. But I am no wanting to pay full price. I know I saw them on daily deal sites once or twice but it was maybe a year ago and they were sold out before I had time to think it through. But Addie is also requesting a stroller for Lion as well as a dolly bathtub for him, so I may need to visit a local thrift store or keep an eye out once yard sale season hits.
On a different note, Addie has found a new method of wearing Lion. We have tried different ways of wrapping swaddle blankets around her so she can wear Lion like I used to wear Etta. The new favorite is quite a clever invention of hers that uses a hooded blanket. We just use a chip-clip to attach the 2 sides together and viola! it's a hat! it's a baby carrier! it's an extra snuggly layer! My goal is to buy a doll sized ergo for her to use. But I am no wanting to pay full price. I know I saw them on daily deal sites once or twice but it was maybe a year ago and they were sold out before I had time to think it through. But Addie is also requesting a stroller for Lion as well as a dolly bathtub for him, so I may need to visit a local thrift store or keep an eye out once yard sale season hits.
Sparkly clean
I could be referring to two things right now:
my fridge
or
Addie's teeth
I did spend almost 2 hours completely emptying out, wiping down, dumping old things & rearranging my fridge & freezer over the weekend. It felt really good to accomplish except for the fact that it took so long that I had neither the time nor the energy for another cleaning project.
But what I am really proud of today is Addie and Etta both. Addie had a dentist appointment this morning. I thought it would be the same as her last few appointments where they basically try to count her teeth and get her used to the dentist and that is it. But they wanted to see how she did with a cleaning this time. She did great! They did the electric toothbrush, the saliva-sucker-straw-thing, they flossed her, they gently scraped at a little plaque and they did a fluoride treatment. She opened and closed when they asked and although she held my hand part of the time because I offered, she seemed pretty unfazed by it. No biting down, no gagging, no tears or fuss. She deserved the stickers and prize they gave her. Meanwhile Etta sat on a little kid chair and watched, and watched, she hardly blinked I think. She required no toy or snack to appease or distract her. She simply looked around and observed. I did not expect this amazing behavior and I was quite impressed. She got a sticker too.
Addie is getting her last molar in. So she basically has all 20 of her primary teeth. Before I know it she will start loosing them and the tooth fairy will need to visit! I may not let her believe that Santa Clause is real, but the tooth fairy does not compete with any of my religious views :)
Addie's photo gallery
Addie loves picking up her camera during the day and taking pictures and videos. However, she has not yet mastered the technique of holding the camera (or her body) still and aiming at the face or the center of the action. So I will let you guess which of these pictures she actually took.
And a video clip or two
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Potty Talk
Earlier today I was in the bathroom wiping Addie's bum after she did a poop and she asked me the question "what the name of the hole called that my poopoo come out of?" Pause. "That is called your anus" I replied.
"What the name of daddy's poopoo hole? "Daddy has an anus too, but his pee comes out a different hole. Daddy has a penis, us girls do not." Addie's wise reply was "Lion a boy, him have a small size penis (sounds a bit like peanut when she says it), bear has a medium size penis".
And the anatomy conversations have started. Hopefully the birds & the bees can wait a bit though.
"What the name of daddy's poopoo hole? "Daddy has an anus too, but his pee comes out a different hole. Daddy has a penis, us girls do not." Addie's wise reply was "Lion a boy, him have a small size penis (sounds a bit like peanut when she says it), bear has a medium size penis".
And the anatomy conversations have started. Hopefully the birds & the bees can wait a bit though.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
A few new words
Just a sampling of some of the words Etta has been picking up lately:
"tutu"
"doctor"
"star chart"
"cracker"
Addie, on the other hand, is trying her hand at silly words lately. Or silly songs.
At the restaurant on Sunday she sang an original little diddy called "Restaurant, restaurant, how you doing?".
She has started saying "oh my gosh!", which although my language is not free of fault I am pretty sure she did not pick up from me. She makes up silly words which she calls me. Harmless right now but I am sensing the slippery slope towards her learning name calling (you know "poopy head" and the like that is popular among a certain age). Possibly more about Addie's speech on a separate post. I had typed up 6 or so hefty paragraphs about it last week and muttered something worse than "oh my gosh" when it got completely deleted (as in not even Matt could restore it!).
"tutu"
"doctor"
"star chart"
"cracker"
Addie, on the other hand, is trying her hand at silly words lately. Or silly songs.
At the restaurant on Sunday she sang an original little diddy called "Restaurant, restaurant, how you doing?".
She has started saying "oh my gosh!", which although my language is not free of fault I am pretty sure she did not pick up from me. She makes up silly words which she calls me. Harmless right now but I am sensing the slippery slope towards her learning name calling (you know "poopy head" and the like that is popular among a certain age). Possibly more about Addie's speech on a separate post. I had typed up 6 or so hefty paragraphs about it last week and muttered something worse than "oh my gosh" when it got completely deleted (as in not even Matt could restore it!).
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