Words From A Toddler Mom

  On the way home today, as I was talking to Madi, I realized something. There are some things that I say to her, on a daily basis, that I probably wouldn't have thought I would ever have to say prior to becoming a parent. Some of them are hilarious, if you take yourself out of the moment and just think about it. Having a toddler is a wild ride, but usually, it's downright funny.   Here are a few things that I find myself telling Madi...   Don't take your pants off in public. You shouldn't eat things off of the ground. (!!) You have to eat REAL food before you can have a treat. I want you to water the plants, not your clothes. No, you can't have a cookie for breakfast.
Don't punch the dog in the face. Be nice. Please don't throw things at Mommy while she's driving. Quit picking your nose. YOU HAVE TO HOLD MY HAND WHEN CROSSING THE STREET! Use your spoon, not your fingers. Please keep your clothes on. Don't stick that in the Blu-Ray player. I want the bath water to stay in the bathtub. Don't spray me with the water hose! -- too late. You need to say it nicely. Please don't throw my phone. It will break. You need to watch where you're walking. You're a big girl. You can do it by yourself. Brush your teeth. Sucking on the toothbrush doesn't do the job. Don't pour your food out on the floor. Are you sure you want to watch Dora? :( How about something else? Help me clean up your room. You can't lay on top of Brody. Don't take toys from Brody. You have to be nice to Brody. Don't lick Brody! If you chug that chocolate milk, it'll  make your belly hurt. I really don't want to hold your hand after you pick your nose. Eat your food. Please, eat? Why do you try to eat the bubbles in your bath? Yuck. If you take a good nap, we'll go play afterwards. Lay down. You have to hold on when you're swinging! I can't understand you when you have your fingers in your mouth. You shouldn't throw sand. No one wants to see your naked butt. EVERYONE sleeps. I promise I'm not making you do this every night to be mean. Please stay away from the pool. Puppies don't eat sticks and rocks. No candy for breakfast! (literally say this every morning)   Sometimes these situations can be stressful and repeating these things can feel futile. But hey, I remember my Mom complaining that I was like talking to a brick wall. So, I guess it's just payback. But really, reading through this makes me laugh, even though I've said several of these just today. While working in the garden, she turned the hose toward the wind and got me soaking wet. The water was freezing so I had no breath to tell her to turn it off. Needless to say, she thought it was hilarious when the wind died down and she saw me dripping. ;) Toddlers are work, but they sure keep you on your toes!   (Madi and Me is now featured on TopMommyBlogs.com! If you like reading this blog, vote for us. Just click the link, or the icon on the right side bar.)

She's 2, Going On 16

  Sometimes Madi says certain things to me that make me feel like if I look over at her, I'll see an adult. They literally leave me speechless because I just do NOT expect them to be coming from a 2.5 year old.   She's kind of obsessed with her boo-boo's lately. If she has one on her leg, she'll talk about it all day, and show it to everyone. It's pretty serious business. Anyway, we were eating and she says, "OH MY GOODNESS I HAVE A BOOBOO ON MY HAND!!" and responding to her tone alone, I asked to see it. She showed me her red-tinged palm and when I made an "OMG" face, she giggled and said, "It's just ketchup, Mommy." I seriously didn't even have a response. My 2 year old just pranked me... and she did it WELL.   Then today while we were driving home from school, she asked me, "Mommy, are those new 'rings?" (earrings). She said, "I LOVE your new 'rings, they're so pretty." I told her thank you and she said "welcome." She just doesn't seem like she's 2.   She's pretty manipulative though. She skinned her knees the other day while we were outside walking. By her reaction, you'd think she would have bled out. It was a BIG thing. So when we got home, she made my Dad and Mom carry her everywhere. She said, "My knees are boken, carry me!" She absolutely refused to straighten her legs out because it would pull on that skin and make it hurt. The skin that she hurt really wasn't bad at all, but she absolutely took advantage of it and got carried everywhere for 2 days. She would excitedly tell the story of how it happened with a big smile on her face, "I was HOP-HOP-HOPPING like a bunny and I fell down!" then she'd make a sad face and ask to be carried... ;)   We met Izzy and Holly for a playdate at the Lego Store today and there was a Star Wars display in the window of that little green dude with the pointy ears (I don't know his name, those shows aren't my thing...) Anyway, she picked him up and held it up to her face and started dancing. It was hilarious. Everyone was looking because it really looked like this green dude was dancing. Well, in the process of this, she knocked some stuff over. When she realized it, she dropped everything and RAN. Even though she was being a pain, and not listening to my suggestions to get out of the window display, it really was funny.   Tonight we got locked out of the house. I told her that we would have to wait a little bit until Nonna got home with the house key. She said, "Let's just drive around and listen to Kenny until she gets here." (Kenny Chesney) This doesn't surprise me, you know, because she is my child. I was just really really proud. Needless to say, we opened the sunroof and sang along with Kenny, breathing in the cold night air. Just me and my girl.   Everyday she says something that surprises me. She's hilarious and has a sense of humor even if she doesn't realize it. She's 2 going on 16, that's for sure.   (Madi and Me is now featured on TopMommyBlogs.com! If you like reading this blog, vote for us. Just click the link, or the icon on the right side bar.)

Little Garden for Little Hands

We had a bit of a "powering down" period last week. With school nearing it's end things have been hectic. I kind of felt like blogger/mommy/student needed a breather. I still feel a bit that way but I think it will be like that until finals week is over. Anyway, the weather was beautiful today! It couldn't have been any more perfect. Windy, sunny, and warm.   Last week Clayton and I took Madi to Lowe's to get some stuff to set up a little herb garden for her. I've been having trouble with her dumping out my flower pots. Which I understand... if I saw a pot full of dirt, my first instinct would be to dump it out! So I thought that maybe letting her put the seeds in the dirt herself would teach her that there IS in fact something in there and we shouldn't dump it out. Or at least that's my thought...  

So this morning we did just that. I set up her pots with dirt/mulch/plant food and put them on the table outside. I taught her how to poke a hole in the dirt and sprinkle a pinch of seeds into the hole, then cover it up. She was SO giddy the whole time. She kept saying, "This is MADI'S garden. I love this. I can do it, Mommy!!"  

 

  We labled them with wooden clothespins that had writing on them. We planted Cilantro, Dill, Parsley, and Basil. She also loved that her pots were pink and blue :)  

  I also tilled up some dirt and planted Tomatoes and Cucumbers. It was my first time planting in the actual ground (instead of a raised garden) so I'm not sure how it's going to turn out. If it doesn't turn out right, or the weeds are too much, I'm just going to extend the raised bed out another 4 or 5 feet. We shall see. But for now, we've got lots growing!  

  Other pictures from today:

 

 

Wild hair and a blurry picture but she was giggling so hard!

 

Here's a video. Just a lot of squealing and giggling.

 

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Shopping With A Toddler

 

I've had the shopping itch the past few days. So today we went and did a little shopping in The Woodlands for some Spring stuff. There were a whole lot of sales going on, so we ventured out.   By the time we get out of the door and get started, it's usually nearing up on Madi's nap time. When she's tired (like every other 2 year old... and human) she gets cranky. So I was happy when she dozed off in the car on the way there. She slept for about 20 minutes before we had to get out of the car. I think that helped a little to keep her happy while I was browsing. She snacked on Goldfish and talked as we made our way through 2 different stores. Then, she started getting restless.
We went into the third store and she kept asking to get "DOWN AND WALK!" I knew that she spotted these two little boys kicking this ball all around the store so I denied her request. That didn't make her happy. By the time we were checking out, she was standing up in her stroller and yelling random things while throwing other random things out of her stroller. She had had enough of this shopping-and-being-good thing.   Just as I was getting a little frazzled, the lady behind the checkout counter asked, "How old is she?" I told her she was "2 1/2 and acting every bit of it." I grinned at her and she responded by laughing and saying "It passes far too quickly. Enjoy it."   Here I am, trying to keep my toddler from destroying everything and this kind lady is telling me to appreciate it all. She looked about 40 and had probably been through this exact situation before. She was absolutely right. One day, she won't go with me to shop, she'll be out with her friends doing her own thing. She won't want to hold my hand and walk through the store, or tell me which shirts she likes. That's probably the most depressing thing I can think of at the moment. My little (sometimes rambunctious) baby girl all grown up and not giving me those little chaotic moments. I'll shop quietly and peacefully soon enough. For now, I'm going to smile and try to enjoy those little 2 year old moments.  

 

 

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Library Book Love

One of Madi's absolute favorite things right now is the Library. We've been going for a few months now to get books for her and she gets so excited about it. Every time we go, we find at least two books that she adores and wants to read constantly. Our local library has the entire first floor dedicated to kids (of all ages) and has this huge colorful mural on the wall in the kids reading area. I love it, and she does too.   So every two weeks, we take our books back and spend about 30 minutes exploring and finding new books that interest her. She will grab a few and sit at the table and look through the pages. Then she'll tell me, "I want this one, Mommy. I don't like this one, let's look some more." We usually check out about 4 at a time.   Through the last few months, she's found some books that she didn't care for, and some that she had a hard time parting with. Since this is such a big interest of hers right now, I figured I would share some that she absolutely loved.  

  Right now, her two favorites from the ones we've checked out this week are Wiley and Jasper, and Ferryboat Ride. {pictured above} Wiley and Jasper is a book about a little boy and a dog who are afraid of each other at first but slowly get over their fear and become best friends. Ferryboat ride is about a family who rides a ferry to an island that they vacation on every summer. It talks about all the sounds and smells that you experience on a ferry, but also the weather, and some animals you can see too. Madi always wants to read this one first, and talks about the time we rode the Paddlewheel Boat at Moody Gardens.   The last round of books had a couple favorites too. She loved a book called I Want My Light On! which was about a little girl who was afraid that there were ghosts in the dark. It was a really cute book, and definitely not scary. Then another one she loved was called Mother, Mother, I Want Another which was my personal favorite. Its all about a little mouse who cries at bedtime because he wants another bedtime kiss from his Mommy, but she misinterprets what he's asking for.   I'm going to start sharing her favorites here, just as a way to keep up with them. Maybe you have a little one who loves to read too. All of the book titles I listed have links behind them, so just click on the title to see more about that book. :)   (Madi and Me is now featured on TopMommyBlogs.com! If you like reading this blog, vote for us. Just click the link, or the icon on the right side bar.)

How I Keep My Picky Eater Healthy

 

I am constantly struggling with Madi and her eating habits. She won't touch anything green, and has just now started to eat meat. She loves chips, crackers, and candy. The only decent things she'll eat are fruit, cheese, nuts, and yogurt. But, that group of food lacks a lot of things that I need her to eat. So, I have started getting creative with how I get the good stuff into her diet without her knowing it.   This girl does not like to slow down to eat. She is always focused on something else and doesn't have time to sit and eat a meal. So, I make smoothies a lot. I blend up ice, yogurt, almond/coconut milk, fruit, and a crushed up (high quality) multivitamin and give it to her in a cup with a straw. Usually, she drinks it with no problem and can carry it around and drink it as she wants to.   She will always drink milk. So a lot of times I give her almond or coconut milk in lieu of cow's milk. I truly believe in variety. So switching it up allows her to get different vitamins/minerals/fats than she would normally. She doesn't mind the taste either. She thinks it's a smoothie. I, personally, can't stand the taste of almond milk. But hey, if she likes it, that's awesome.   I NEVER give her low fat/light/reduced fat anything. Kids with growing brains NEED fat to grow, in every way. Good fat, I mean. Not fatty fast food, but real food that naturally contains fat (yogurt, milk, nuts, etc). Giving them food pumped with fillers and lacking the essential fat is only hindering them. I buy Greek Gods Yogurt. It's full fat greek yogurt with no added sugar or ingredients. She loves it and I love giving it to her. All of those pesky fake carb-loaded foods are what I worry about giving to her, like nutrigrain bars, poptarts, cookies/crackers, etc. If you want to read my opinion on the importance of real food, you can read that HERE. But those brains need that fat to grow, so give it to them!   I also set up her food a certain way on her plate. I usually try to give her one thing she loves, one thing she likes, and one thing that she hasn't tried yet. I also try to give her the "main course" or the meat/protein portion first. If I give her it all first, she usually fills up on the stuff she loves and then just picks at the stuff I need her to eat. If she's hungry and I give her the meat portion, she'll eat it right up. Usually.   I crush up a multivitamin and a vitamin d3 tablet and put it in yogurt or a smoothie. Not all supplements are created the same. I use this brand, click HERE. That eases my mind a lot. Some days, she just isn't as interested in eating, but she always gets those two supplements.Or at least is offered them. She doesn't always finish the yogurt, but any little bit helps.   I try to give her a lot of tea (un/lightly sweetened), water, and milk. I don't usually give her juice unless it's in small amounts and 100% juice not from concentrate. That's just a quirk of mine though ;)   This girl loves trail mix. Raisins, nuts, yogurt covered raspberries, dried fruit, etc. I never pass up the chance to give it to her. Her diet doesn't include a whole lot of protein, and trail mix is mostly fats but the protein in it definitely helps some.   We play outside and are active and moving constantly. This little girl never lacks activity or sunshine on her skin. And when I get discouraged about the food part of her health, I remember her pediatrician telling me, "If she's hungry or lacking in something, she'll eat, I promise." So, these are the steps I use to help ease my mind, what do you do to make sure your little one is getting the things he/she needs?  

26 Rainy Day Activities for Toddlers

I have the hardest time with finding things to do on rainy days. And boy is it raining here! On pretty days, we always spend our time around town or at parks. But, when its raining, I have to somehow find a way to entertain Madi, who hates being cooped up inside (can't say I blame her...) So I've searched all around and I've compiled a list of my favorite indoor activities for little ones. I hope it helps. If you have an idea that isn't listed below- share it!

 

1. Make-overs! Lipstick, blush, nail polish, the works! Works for girls of all ages.
2. Flashlight tag. Turn all of the lights off and use flashlights to look for each other.
3. Bath time. My never-fails-to-calm-down-a-toddler activity.
4. Sensory projects or tubs. Use rice, pipe cleaners, marshmallows, etc.
5. Build a fort or tent. Use the kitchen or dining room table and a king size sheet!
6. Dance party to music on the stereo.
7. Art time. Use crayons, stencils, paint, glue, and if you're brave enough... Glitter. For an easier clean-up, put them in the center of a sheet and then when their done just gather it up and empty the glitter out over a bathtub. Wash it right down the drain. (Put the kids in there too ;)) The messy stuff will keep them entertained forever!
8. Play clean-up. Sing the song "clean up, clean up, everybody clean up. Clean up, clean up, everybody do your share..." Singing the song together makes it even more fun for them. Madi loves to sing with me.
9. Stack Tupperware and cups of various sizes and colors. Talk about and go over the different colors and how some fit into each other and some don't. Some are tall/short, big/small, etc.
10. Make music. Use wooden spoons and various kinds of bowls. Do quiet noises and LOUD noises.
11. Make your kitchen and pantry a toddler friendly grocery store. Give them a basket and allow them to collect produce and boxed goods from a section of food you've set out. Give them a few coins and be the register lady.
12. PlayDoh. Make animals and shapes. Mix colors and see how they look. Mash it together between your hands, make a ball, etc.
13. Play with shaving cream. It will blow their mind! Let little boys shave like Daddy. Bathtub is best...
14. Throw a party! Draw pictures to hang on the wall, hang streamers, turn on party music, dress up, blow up balloons, bake a cake, etc. This is awesome if you know of a rainy day in advance. It takes some preparation but they'll be entertained for hours with it.
15. Bake together. Let them lay out cookie dough on a baking sheet, or stir up brownie batter.
16. Play dress up in Mommy's clothes, heels, and scarves and model it for you. Take their picture like you're paparazzi.
17. Scavenger hunt. Hide items around the house like balls, cups, the remote, etc. Have them venture through the house to find each item. Works well for older toddlers.
18. Play with bubbles. Doing this in the bathtub is best. Wet hands can catch the bubbles and they float on top of the water.
19. Let your toddler match the bottle/cup to its lid.
20. Create various shaker bottles. Fill some with rice, beads, beans, and also things like liquid soap, paint, etc.
21. Create an "indoor sandbox." Fill a long and shallow bin with rice and throw in sand toys like shovels, buckets, and strainers. Hide toys like toy dinosaurs and soldiers, wooden blocks, etc in the "sand" for them to find.
22. Create a library. This takes a little preparation too. Go to your local kids bookstore and get some books out of the bargain bin. They don't have to be books you know your little one will love. Half of the fun of this is playing library. Use those books and some books your kiddo loves from home and place them on a shelf. Create a library card and let them "check out" the books they want. Set up a little table for them to read at. For bigger kids, make them sign the books out on a sheet of paper and give them a due date to bring them back.
23. Let them make their own lunch. Give them a platter of different things like fruit, sandwich stuff (deli meat, cheese, pickles, lettuce), block cheese, chips. Let them build their lunch to their liking.
24. Have some quiet time. In a world where days are full of social networking, iPhones, errands, and completely hectic days, sometimes what you need to do is power down. Sit in your childs room for an hour or two and do whatever he/she wants to do. Uninterrupted. Read a book, put together a puzzle together, play daycare with her stuffed animals, throw a ball with him. Anything. If you give them that undivided attention, they will probably entertain themselves while you do a few loads of laundry and cook dinner later. It's worth a shot.
25. Make ice-cream sundaes. Let them choose what to put on it, fruit, chocolate syrup, chocolate chips, nuts, etc.
26. If all else fails, go outside (in calmer weather) and run in the rain with them. A memory that will always stick with me no matter how old I am is getting to go outside and stomp in puddles and play in the rain with my cousins when I was young. Just remember... a little dirt and water never hurt anyone ;)

Pumpkin Patch

This morning we woke up and took a trip to a nearby pumpkin patch with Clayton's Mom, Grandma, his brother, girlfriend, and my nephew. I knew Madi would have fun because she had a blast last year. Now that she's older, she can get into it and understand it more. We went to the Old Time Christmas Tree Farm in Spring, Tx. They have so much for the kids and families to do like hay rides, animals, bouncy houses, and a million cute props and places set up to take cute pictures. AND, it's only $3 to get in :)     She was so excited to see all of the pumpkins!

We ended up buying two big pumpkins and taking them home, and we stayed for a couple of hours even though it was burning up. I asked Madi if she was ready to go and she would say, "no, I want to play!" But after awhile, we all needed some A/C, and food. So we went and had lunch then headed home.

I bought some kids washable paint at Target the other day and decided that I would let Madi paint her pumpkins with that when we got home. I haaate carving pumpkins, like with a passion. So I am not going to do that unless her Daddy is around to help me (or do it for me). So since he was resting for work, we went out on the balcony, laid an old pillowcase under the pumpkins, and I let her paint away.

 

I thought that she would be hesitant to get the paint all over her hands, but boy was I wrong. She slapped her hand down in the paint and started rubbing it all over the pumpkins. So now we have a purple pumpkin and a pink pumpkin. Our balcony (and us) are a little colorful now. Madi went straight to the bath afterwards and I'm headed there soon. She had a lot of fun though. :) it was a lot funner than carving the huge things too, which in my opinion is just a chore (party pooper, I know).

 

We're both really tired, and headed to bed. It has been a very long day. But I do plan on posting soon about her success with going from cosleeping, to sleeping all by herself in her big girl bed in her room! Also, more about how we're settling in. Stay tuned :)

 

 

       

Life, as of now

I like to write posts sometimes just to document the NOW, and not necessarily have any main focus. After all, one reason I do this is to journal our life. So, these pictures document our life, well, as of now :)

Clayton and I bought Madi a train set for her birthday and she LOVES it. She wakes up in the morning saying, "I pay wiff tains!"

This has been constant in her life, but I had to include the picture. She loves her Papaw :)

This girl is sneaky. I find little surprises all the time like this. 

Brody is Madi's new baby cousin and we are both in awe over him! He's almost 2 months old and is so sweet! She always says "I kiss bow-dee!"

We pretty much spend all of our free time at parks. We have a few favorites but every time we get in the car, she says "go pahk?"

This is Clayton's best friend AJ who lives in Virginia. He met her for the first time when she was about 9 months old. The other day, we were looking through old pictures together to admire "baby Madi" and we came across this picture. Madi said "who's dat?" and I told her is was Daddy's friend AJ. She said, "AJ cuuute!" and giggled. I just thought it was the cutest thing.

Daddy bought her a Texans jersey to match his t-shirt. It swallows her but they look so cute together :)

Always mommy's co-pilot!

She had her 2 year check-up at the doctor the other day, which included a couple of shots. To cheer her up, I took her to play with a 7 week old yorkie. (it worked) Also, she was in the 99% for height and 50% for weight!

While getting ready for bed, I asked Madi, "are you mommy's girl or daddy's girl?" To which she replied, "daddy's girl!" I made a fake sad face and she said, "AND mommy's girl!"

Another "baby bow-dee" picture ;) (look at those rolls!)

I love bedtime with this girl. We sit in bed and talk about our day, read books, and snuggle. (we also take a few pictures) ;)

Also to note, right now, Madi has boycotted all food, except waffles. (lol)

Birthday Party Wrap-up

I just want to thank everyone that came to Madi's 2nd birthday party. She had a lot of fun (once she warmed up) and got a lot of presents. She loves them all so much she can't pick which one to play with next. (hard life, huh?)

I asked her on the way home if she had fun, and she said "had fun! Played with balls and babies!" Then she picked up her new lion stuffed animal that her Aunt Holly got her and smiled big. I'd say she approves. :)

So once again, thank you to all of the family and friends that showed up to celebrate Madi's birthday with us. Thank you to my mom and my niece for making the cake, which turned out wonderfully! Also, thank you for the wishes I received on Facebook and instagram. We appreciate it :)

(and with all that was going on, I only managed to snap one semi-decent picture. Oh well.)