Judge Mommy

I think we're all judges in municipal courts.  We walk around with our critical eyes and find something that we feel, is seeking a verdict.  When you're a mother, it's like that right has tripled.  You now have even more of a reason to cast stones and proclaim decrees.  While, that's not really the case, it doesn't stop anyone.

I try my hardest not to be a judgmental mother, not to be Mother Perfect, the one who thinks she is so much better than everyone, that she can tell each and every mother what they're doing wrong, or at least think it (and you probably have known a Mother Perfect too).  I've never really been a laid back person before, and even though I thought motherhood would make be even more high-strung than I was already, it's actually made me the opposite, at least a little.  And trust me, I needed it.  (I'm sure someone out there disagrees against the idea that I'm more laid back, but bite me.)

This does have a point though. 

At times, I do find myself mentally scolding mothers who let their children pick out whatever and how much candy they want, just to witness the mouths of cavities these poor children have, or the excessive amount of silver fillings.   I give myself a mental smack as I think about them, because while my stomach can churn as much as it wants, cavities can happen to anyone.  Aside from that, I really rarely ever think about what other mothers are doing in a judgmental manner because in all my naivete (which my husband continuously makes fun of me for) I really have myself convinced that we're all trying our hardest. 

But Mother Perfect started becoming me last night as I witnessed this mother last night at our local shopping center.  She had quite a few children, all running in different places, and the youngest one, a baby around 14 months, she let him roam about, assuming at least one of the other children were watching him.  Meanwhile, he was running (yes, running) with an ink pen he took from a shelf and the mother saying she had no intention to pay for it.  His diaper was so full that it was half off in his little shorts (yes, shorts) and I mean, REALLY full, his face dirty (although, when is Bailey's face not dirty?), his feet were barefoot, and the other children were bickering about what they were buying.  And as hard as I tried, I couldn't get past the fact that this toddler was roaming around by himself freely with an ink pen and an incredibly soiled diaper and nobody said a word.  The mother was more concerned to make sure that no one's stuff was being bought with HER gift cards, yet with their own.  And this may be a concern, but it was an over twenty minute concern of hers while the youngster continued to run around.  Did I mention that this was around midnight?

It's not my place to judge because actions have consequences, but I had myself wondering how long it took for his diaper to be changed, and if the ink pen ever found its rightful place.  I wondered how many places he made it to while the rest of his family argued about who was buying what.  He probably had enough time to drink tea in China and walk across the Golden Gate Bridge, if he could find it.

Just so you know, I really don't think I'm Mother Perfect.  I just try really hard to be as good as I am for Bailey and while I spend some hours agonizing over how I feel certain people criticize me at times, I try to get over it best I can because I know I'm not totally screwing up.  No one is Mother Perfect, and there's no point in trying, but toddlers probably shouldn't run unattended with an ink pen and I probably shouldn't think anymore about it.  Case dismissed.

Open Captioning

November's folder of pictures on Bailey's site finally has captions.  It took me long enough, eh?

The Fainting Goat

We have recently acquired one of those fainting goats within the past month.  You've heard of them right?  Those funny little critters that just fall over due to excitement or from being startled, or just because maybe they want a drink, who knows.  Nature's mystery has become our own marvel.  So, anyway, we have this fainting goat and her name is Bailey.  She has this fascinating ability to just fall over at any moment, forwards, backwards, sideways, it doesn't matter.  Our fainting goat makes it look easy too.  One smooth plop, and there, the goat's fallen over onto the floor, the ground, linoleum, carpet, dirt; it's all the same.

Those fainting goats sure are entertaining.  You should get one too.

Busy Christmas, but still merry

Christmas has come in long episodes for us, but it's been truly merry and bright the entire time.  I think Bailey's finally completely unraveled every package under our tree, and maybe even a couple not intended for her.  Santa brought her the best of things, but what has her most curious, how did he get them here?

I haven't even loaded photos from the holiday onto the computer, so it may be  a while.  But to apease you, I do finally have those snowman pictures for your viewing pleasure (even though no one requested them).

 

Oh, and you're welcome.

Dinotopia Discovered and Finally Shared

On December 7, we took a much-needed family day together.  We've been trying to take these periodically. The one before that we took B to a movie, Flushed Away.  This time, we were much more creative.  First, we took B to the North Pole, to which she was only amused once she left Santa's sight and climbed a tree instead.  Then, in that same day, we found Dinotopia. 

Dinotopia is actually a restaurant named, T-Rex, but I think Dinotopia is quite fitting too.  As you can see by the photos, it was definitely awesome and Bailey enjoyed it tremendously.

A Christmas List?

I know a few of you may have had funny glances when looking at Bailey's wish list on her website.  I had fun creating it.  As for an actual Christmas list article, I still never made it to that, obviously.  I'll try to write up something today, mostly for fun, since the shopping season is almost over.  It never really mattered anyway, because that child loves anything, and I do mean anything.

The one thing I can tel you she really loves-- shoes.  She's definitely a female.  She loves shoes, shoes, shoes.  She's in a size 6 or 6.5, so size 7s are what we're buying.

Please continue to be patient with me as I finally update B's site for the holidays.  It's been a long time coming, but I've faked it well.  I also have lots more pictures to share, as well as here.

Knock, Knock

Sometime last week--

Bailey:  Knock Knock

Mommy: Who's there?

Bailey: Knock Knock

 

Wednesday--

Bailey: Knock Knock

Mommy: Who's there?

Bailey: Boo

Mommy: Boo who?

Bailey: Knock Knock

Mommy: Who's there?

Bailey: Skeletor

Mommy: Skeletor who?

Bailey: Knock Knock

Mommy: Who's there?

Bailey: Pumpkin

Mommy: Pumpkin who?

Bailey: Knock Knock

and repeat...

 

Bailey has started telling knock knock jokes, although we think she's forgotten the "joke" part.  She is quite good at the rest of it, but lacking a punch line, as if you couldn't tell.  Perhaps the punchline is Mommy expecting there to be one.  Could be.

A fortunate nap, without the fortune

Bailey convinced Mommy that she wanted to take a nap on Wednesday afternoon.  Mommy was eternally grateful for this notion because she too was extremely tired, especially with her sinus troubles.  A nap sounded absolutely wonderful.  Bailey suggested Mommy's bed, so they went to lie down together.  Mommy awoke less than thirty minutes later to Bailey nudging her from the bedside mentioning something about a cookie.

Out of the corner of her eyes, Mommy could see that there was something different about Bailey.  She seemed much more colorful than usual, which was odd, considering the lack of clothing.  Mommy scooped Bailey up and put her in the bathroom and shut the door knowing something had gone terribly wrong.  Mommy had been tricked into a nap, and Bailey had not napped at all.  No, Bailey instead had put a chair to the kitchen counter and found something absolutely dreadful.  She had found food coloring and the food coloring had found Bailey's skin.  This wasn't just any food coloring either, this was neon colored food coloring and Bailey was now brighter than a neon sign.  Apparently she can also open the bathroom door quite easily, and came to find Mommy while Mommy searched the premises, evaluating the damage, which was mostly just Bailey's skin.  Her nose may be fuchsia forever but I've never seen bath water so beautiful.

Daddy put the blame on Bailey's favorite book, I Ain't Gonna Paint No More.

How appropriate that tomorrow she is scheduled to visit Ol' St. Nick.  Do blue hands go on the naughty list or the nice list?  I've long since forgotten.

The day that almost wasn't, and then wasn't anyway...

Mommy awoke on Tuesday morning to a vibrant Bailey who knew that today was now tomorrow and that meant Wonderscope, the Children's Museum, was indeed on the agenda.  Little did they know, Daddy took Mommy's keys because he could not find his own.

Bailey did not understand that they needed a particular set of keys to drive to Wonderscope, she thought any keys would do.  After enough times searching, and Bailey asking just enough, and thinking there were no other places to look, Daddy called Mommy and together they retraced Daddy's awkward steps and discovered the keys to be in their outside trash can, safely on top of a garbage sack.  Mommy had definitely not looked there, but good thing she had.

Wonderscope was back on the agenda and the two of them ate a very late lunch with Daddy and headed out and Mommy remembered she left the camera in Daddy's car and they had to go back to get it.  Bailey was okay with that as they continued to discuss all of the wonderful things they would do once they finally made it to Wonderscope.  And finally, they really did end up there, anxiously getting out of the car only to discover a sign on the door stating Wonderscope had closed by 1:30 due to a lack of water in the building.  Bailey had no idea what to think.  mommy had no idea what to think.  This had not been on the agenda.

Mommy's first idea was to go to the Pet Stop off Neiman Road, and Bailey liked that idea, but still thinking Wonderscope was part of the plan as well.  She refused to let a locked set of doors and a sign ruin her plans for the day.  A call to Daddy provided an outlet, and Bailey told Daddy about the locked doors and how they couldn't get in, and Daddy asked Bailey about the pet store and the kangaroo that lives there, and finally, Bailey was intrigued enough to leave.  "Let's go, Mommy, let's go see the kangaroo."  That was enough incentive for the Mommy.

Now what do you do when a kangaroo no longer lives in the little pet store on Neiman Road?  Well, luckily, you see a monkey instead, and quite fortunately, Bailey loves monkeys even more.  Did you know a Bailey could watch a monkey play in his habitat for almost an hour?  That also didn't count the time she walked around and admired the other creatures, especially her other favorites, the scorpions and the tarantulas.  Mommy thought Bailey would never want to leave, but the idea of building a snowman sounded just too good to be true.

Together, the Mommy and the Bailey made a snowman with a sombrero, at Bailey's request.  He also had eyeballs, lips, and green buttons, all Bailey's ideas.  He's a happy snowman with his leafy hair and acorn pupils and long, long stick arms.  And of course the Mommy took pictures she'll share someday.

 

So when a day doesn't always go the way it's planned, and then continues to not go according to plan, it doesn't mean it's ruined, it just means it has to reinvent itself, especially if snow and monkeys are involved.

A hard knock life...is worth waiting for.

You probably want to check out the latest photos in Bailey's November album on her website.  Trust me.

Thankful.

'Tis Thanksgiving Day, officially, and I have never been more thankful in my life than I am right now.  Then again, how could I not be?  I have the smartest redhead in all of the galaxy as my daughter...and she has dimples too!

 

Now if only she would nap...but hey....who am I to be greedy?

The Fearless Child Finally Finds Fear

She has tackled monsters of all sorts, skeletons, ghosts, any breed of dogs, dinosaurs, and a balance beam, and finally, we have found something our fearless child fears....

 

The Teletubbies and the Boobahs.

 

Yeah, I can understand that too.

The Youngest Voter

My Bailey went with me today to vote (okay, so I guess yesterday).  As I explained to her at least five times today (or yesterday), there are few things more important than voting.  Breathing, drinking water, voting.  That about sums it up.  Everything else just comes second.

 

She wasn't really happy about this experience, and how quickly she forgets it all from 2004 (okay, so she wasn't even four months then...).  She liked playing with the curtain and surprisingly, she was concentrating more on her claustrophia-causing surroundings than the fact I had a pen in my hands with paper (whew!).  Normally she tries to pull ink pens from my hands and scribble all over my paper, especially when I can't dodge her swift moves and relentless grasps.

 

I will tell you, to anyone who uses the excuse, "I couldn't vote, I'm home with my child," I laugh at you, okay?  I really laugh at you.  And what kid doesn't want to get a "I Voted" sticker after it's all over with?  It's like getting a nifty Band-Aid after an injection.  ALL BETTER!  Bailey certainly sported hers proudly.  Okay, so that was after she told the woman quite hatefully, "NO," and then put it on in the car.  And then later, she dumped water all over it...but hey, it was all worth it.  Just look at the voting results!

Friendly Advice...Rarely Friendly

I think it's quite common while on this adventure of Motherhood to encounter (or be attacked by) advice.  Okay, so at least for me it's been incredibly common.  This "friendly" advice is rarely indeed friendly and it almost always feels like torture, the slow, death-defying kind.  It's so inhumane, it should've been outlawed ages ago but because it usually comes from those of the older, wiser (cough) mindset, it's supposed to be welcomed with open arms, instead of daggers.  And you're not even allowed to defend yourself either, thus the inhumane torture...

If you know what I mean, keep reading.  If you're one of these helpful people who give me "needed" advice constantly, you can stop at any point now because you're probably going to get offended, which means later, I'm going to hear about it from you.  To avoid you having an anxiety attack and me grinding my teeth during a lecture, let's just stop now, okay?

(Honestly, I highly doubt those people even know this blog exists, but it was fun to mention it anyway.)

On Monday, I was speaking to a woman and somewhere in the conversation entered Bailey and then my mistake of saying, "No, she'll be our only child."  I think also in there was a slight insult at the fact I stay at home with my child, but she can seriously just....(okay...friendly blog, right).  She decided it was up to her superhero powers to challenge my statement that Bailey would be my only child.  That's fine, do what you want.  But in there, she made the mistake of saying, "have you ever considered what you're doing to that poor child?"  Yeah, I think I hemorrhaged at "poor child," too.

 

Now this person barely knows me, obviously.  Also, please note, this wasn't online, via e-mail, or even on the phone.  There was no ability to make hand gestures or nasty facial expressions without creating a scene.  I couldn't hold in my laughter without her seeing me do so.  I couldn't pretend to stab the phone.  I couldn't be discrete with my objections and hold tact.  I didn't even allow myself to roll my eyes.  My options were definitely limited.

She went further when telling me how cruel it is, because when both her parents died, at least she had her seven siblings, and especially the elder ones to look after her.  "Who would your child have?  Have you considered that?  And I'm not meaning other relatives."  I gave her my answer, to which she didn't like, and she made the mistake in asking me, "Are you even listening to yourself?"

Yes, this was an undeniably brave woman and had we not been in public, I'm not sure how I would've controlled what came out of my mouth.  Luckily, we were interrupted, and later, once she realized I was not the age I appeared to be, somehow, her mission to change my mind was not as high a priority.  Being older does have its advantages, even if I am just six or so more years older than she had made the mistake in assuming.

 

She did tell me though that I was ensuring "she is going to be a very bratty child."  Going to be? HA!!  I told her though when she said, "I'm not trying to change your mind," that she couldn't if she wanted to and that it is our right as human beings to make our decisions as long as we're willing to live with them and accept the consequences.  This wasn't something we went into blindly nor decided on a whim.  She acted as though I'd smacked her, and I thought to myself how she was fortunate I didn't speak out earlier.  Her proof was her ability to mention her "clinical psychologist" niece and how her niece thinks it's bad for children to be an only child, as though her niece's opinion should have startled me into changing my life completely.  (Feel free to laugh.)  She also shut up entirely and stopped questioning me when she found out Rob's age.  Suddenly, when you find out a man is 37 and he feels like he does on the topic...suddenly that opinion is strong enough? 

Believe it or not, this woman is typically quite pleasant; a gem even.  And if I could live with being berated by an aunt excessively on my decision to start weaning breastfeeding at a year (she thought I should do it until Bailey no longer wanted it, even if she's five or older), my decision to NOT cosleep, and give me hell over having a Cesarean (um...the doctor made the decision?) then I guess I can look at this woman again without considering strangling her.  As for the Aunt, I highly doubt she reads this, and if she does...she knows she did it and if she's offended, well...darn.

I had a professor at Emporia (I had him twice actually) and in both classes, he told us of a study that stated that childrne who were only children were actually more well-adjusted than children with siblings.  This goes against what most people believe, but it has a lot to do with children sharing attention, competition among siblings, and of course, most importantly, time.  Our decision wasn't based on this study, but this study did help confirm to us that maybe something was on our side, not that we needed the confirmation.  (It was mostly so we could say, "SEE!!!!!")  Of course, this woman didn't trust the study, because her niece is a CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST (and I'm laughing as I type this, okay?) and she thinks more children in a family the better.  To each their own.  You can believe what you want.  I don't find anything wrong with either setting.  I wanted one child, I have one child, my one child is pretty awesome.  I honestly couldn't handle more than one of her because that's just how awesome she is.  If you've met her, you probably understand my statement.  She has the energy of six children and the precocity of nine. Yeah, she's THAT awesome.

 

And as you laugh with me or identify with me, or just shake your head wondering what was wrong with the advice that lovely woman gave me and why I didn't change my mind...just note:  Advice...it's hardly free...and it's rarely useful, but I'm sure there's more to come.

Gross Admissions

I failed to share this while it was going on, but for a while we were going through a terrible phase where poop was becoming fingerpainting, and you can imagine, I'm sure, just how gross that was to find, let alone clean up.

A couple months ago, I overheard Bailey playing with her dollhouse and it became abundantly clear that our life was living inside that dollhouse, along with anything we said or did.  Now, while your imagination is getting the best of you, and you're making assumptions, cursing wasn't inside the dollhouse.  No, instead, the parent dolls were saying "Where does the poop go?!"  And the baby doll would say, "In the potty."  "The poop doesn't go [insert wherever the poop was instead], it goes in the potty!"  Teeth brushing has also been featured in Dollhouse episodes.  Nothing really bad, just our daily lives, and unfortunately, "where does the poop go" was part of our daily lives, because anytime the poop was being smeared, those questioning words would come from our mouths.

Getting this horrible chapter behind me has been my goal and until today, I thought perhaps it had been done so.  Well, after spending fifteen minutes scrubbing my carpet, I assure you, it's not over yet.  But my darling genius did make sure to point out later, after she scrubbed her hands completely clean that it was poop on the carpet.  She then asked, "what color is the poop?" to which she immediately answered, "GREEN! That's GREEN poop!"  I really wasn't feeling quite proud at the moment, but obviously, she knows her poop.

If only she could put her poop in the potty and not on my carpet.

 

And next time you're in our house, I just know you're trying to figure out where it was.  But whatever you will find, that's not it.  I got the stain out completely.

Choo-Choo.

 

 

Considering we decorated this cake in less than ten minutes, I thought we did pretty good.  As for the writing, it looked better in person.  Honest.

Daddy's Birthday

Well, today was (still is) Daddy's birthday.  Daddy had a not-so-fun engagement this evening, so Bailey and I decided to find a way to make his day be a little better.  We spent this morning in the kitchen preparing our version of "better."  "Better" tastes a lot like manicotti and a train cake, both which Bailey was a huge help with.

 

If I haven't shared this before, you'll now know, my Bailey loves helping in the kitchen.  It's not uncommon for me to awake and discover that she had pushed a kitchen chair to the countertops where she has reached a cake mix, pudding, or chocolate chips and was patiently awaiting a recipe.  It's also not uncommon for her to ask to bake something.  Wearing her apron is more important to her than even wearing a crown, and for Mommy to bring up the idea of baking?  Now, that's a dream come true and this morning, was exactly the case.  We woke up and I asked her if she wanted to bake a cake and off to the kitchen she ran, pushing a chair to the counters, closely thereafter.  I really don't know what I'd do without her inspiration though.  The colors in the cake we made?  She picked them all out.  She helped me design the cake.  See, I'd be lost without her.

 

The manicotti managed to stay HOT even after the long drive and a stop to get warm, fresh bread to go with it.  Daddy was quite surprised and pleased and Bailey was then even more excited because she knew afterwards, we were going to Wonderscope.

 

I haven't been sharing lately how fabulous our trips to the Wonderscope Children's Museum have been, but they've been AWESOME.  We have such a fantastic time together.  Most of the time, we're pretty much the only people there, and it's such a blast.  We were there until about 4:30 today and she knows every room by heart as she leads me around.  The "doctor room" and "art room" are her two latest favorites.  The "golf ball room" is less of a priority.  The toddler room is fun for a while. The "lizard room" is still a must-see and a lot of our time is spent in the "grocery room" as she makes pizza.  She makes the best pizza ever.  If only I could keep her from putting any part of her mouth on it when she pretends to eat it...

 

We're pretty sure Daddy enjoyed our surprise today and we enjoyed putting it together for him. 

 

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

A Tale of Two Kitties

Bailey's favorite pair of shoes are a pair of pink Hello Kitty rubber clogs (Crocs-style if you're familiar with it) we found at Payless.  Bailey had longed for them a longtime, but finding her size was hard until the same day as Tandy and Alec's wedding when Bailey and I went out searching for white shoes to match her dress  (we had no white dress shoes at the time, a tragedy since remedied).  She was so smug when we discovered those "pink cat shoes" at the top shelf in the BOYS' section, well hidden.  Luckily they had caught my eye, as it is odd to spot hot pink in the boys' section.  I'm sure some mommy out there was quite upset to discover her well hidden shoes had been found by someone else before she could buy them.  Oh woe is her, and not me.

So, Bailey loves these shoes.  A couple weeks ago, we were at gymnastics class and she started getting upset as we were ready to go and it had nothing to do with leaving.  I suddenly hear the words, "shoes," and I see that the other Bailey (yes, there are two) has an exact pair of "pink cat shoes," and our Bailey thought she had her shoes on, since we hadn't worn hers that day.  She mourned the loss of her shoes the whole drive home (a whole 2 minutes) and at home searching endlessly for her shoes.  The search was so long, I too started to wonder (ha), but alas, they were just well-hidden, and even better than their location at Payless.

 

Last Friday, Bailey and I were in Lawrence in their new, shiny Walmart and while in the clearance aisle I hear my little girl say, "those are mine."  She was sort of pointing so I'm scouring around trying to see what on earth she's talking about, and she says, "she has Bailey's shoes on.  Those are Bailey's pink cat shoes."  Sure enough, the little girl beside us also had on the same pair of shoes, but hers were much larger (at least a size 12 if not bigger).  Bailey and I then discussed how they both had the same pair and Bailey counted all four cat shoes successfully and everything was happy in the world because the world is better for all the more cat shoes.

 

A costume fit for a....

I wish I could answer this.

A while back, Daddy and Mommy decided that this year, Miss Bailey would get to pick out her costume.  We told her she could pick anything she wanted, as long as it wasn't a Dubbya costume.  Well, we're now rethinking this...

 

No, she didn't find a Dubbya costume her size (thank goodness) but Bailey indeed likes the scary costumes.  Her thoughts: Bloody?  Fabulous.  Frankstein?  Even better.  The mask from Scream or Freddy Kruger? AWESOME.  A skeleton?  "I want that one."

(And I know we agreed to let her be anything she wanted...but to cover up her beautiful face? I don't know if we can do that.  And blood?  She's far too cute for that, right?)

In fact, Bailey is bored by all of the "girl" costumes.  She only looks at the "boy" costumes and the most appropriate she's liked so far are Yoda and Superman. 

 

Yeah, this Halloween shall prove to be interesting.  Stay tuned to know what she'll be....

2 years old, 2 months late

Today, we finally had Bailey's two-year "well" visit to her doctor.  Okay, so she's been two for almost two and a half months, but, really, it's not our fault.  Getting into her office was almost as difficult as getting a straight answer out of Condi Rice.

 

Politics aside, obviously, it was hard to get an appointment.  Granted, we had no problem getting in two weeks ago by muttering the word "strep" (which she indeed had) but an actual check up?  Oh no.  We couldn't get that on time.  Next time, I'm going to mention more serious words...or not.  (But it is tempting.)

 

So, she's still in the fifth percentile on weight.  She's up in height as we'd guessed, thirty-four inches to be exact.  Her genius brain is as perfect as always.  Dr. Flint asked if Bailey spoke at least twenty words and I laughed.  Then Bailey pointed out all the fruit in the drawing that was on the door (and the colors) for the good doctor and she commented on Bailey's fabulous vocabulary.  I always do love the questions they ask.  "How does she do with stairs?"  HAHAHAHAHAHA.  Yeah...moving on.

 

She had a Hep A shot and she did MARVELOUS.  She's so awesome.  her favorite part was the "rabbit" Band-aid.  And if you call it a bunny, she'll correct you, unless you say "bunny rabbit."  She's as particular about words as I am.  (Shocking from my child, yeah?)

 

The best part?  We don't have to go back until she's THREE!

 

...Unless of course she gets sick again...let's avoid that, okay?

 

Things overheard from my mouth on Friday...

"Hey!  I know you may not like shopping for clothes now, but in a couple years...yeah, I'm going to remind you of this experience."

 

"Next time, I am so having your father do this."

 

"It's amazing just how quickly the tears dry the moment shoes are mentioned."

 

(This was while we were shopping for some fall outfits if you couldn't tell.  I at least managed to get some laughs from witnesses.)

Day 4: Trip Pics

 

 

 

Yes, this takes forever.

A Tisket, A Tasket

I thought I better take the moment right this second to share what Bailey was just doing, otherwise, I may never share it (since I have a long list of unshared Bailey data).

Bailey was holding a basket from the entry room and skipping throughout the living room, the basket swinging both ways, and from Bailey's sweet voice the sing-song, "a basket, a basket."  I also need to note that Bailey had stuffed the basket full of three little decorative pillows that say, "Live," "Laugh," and "Love." 

It's fabulous to see she's doing just that.

Day 3: Trip Pics

 

 

I'm getting there.  Only two more days to go!

Day 2: Trip Pics

 

 

 

Again, enjoy.

Day 1: Trip Pics

 

 

I still have to write an actual article about our trip for her page, and I'm in the process of adding photos onto her site.  However, these are the ones that didn't quite make the cut.  Enjoy.  I know I did.

The Word Nazi

Sometimes I wonder if I did this whole "first words" thing wrong.  I see and hear so many people that count sounds as first words, and well, I didn't do that.  I didn't count a word until it had perfect pronunciation, or at least as close as it could possibly be.  Sure, she said things where I knew what she meant...but I didn't count those things onto her word list.

The reason I bring this up, is because I think I've given myself a complex as I hear people go on about "well, my kid says this..." when of course it sounds like "mu-moo" or something else utterly ridiculous and it's supposed to be "chair" or something.  Okay, so not quite that bad, but close.  I didn't even count words until she hit it just right.  Yeah, I have high expectations, but HEY, at least she manages to get away with "wion."  See, I can be reasonable...

I can.

Labor Day, Belated.

On Labor Day, Bailey and I made the trek from Ottawa, Ks to Lexington, Mo.  Bailey hadn't seen her Grandma Doni since Christmastime, so it was due time, past due even.  Grandma Doni though does not live in Lexington, but luckily she lives closeby.  We met up at Great Aunt Teri's house which had many breakables, none interesting Bailey, but she did have cats, which highly interested Miss B.  In fact, that's how I talked her into going.  Yeah, I had to break out the cat bribe.  If you want Bailey to do something for you, mention animals.  If you're a predator though, choke on that information.

All joking aside, we made it there and Bailey instantly asked about the cats, not forgetting a step.  She found her first feline victim, who actually didn't mind Bailey.  Not all the cats shared this opinion though.  Smart kitties. :)

Grandma Doni brought Bailey lots and lots of presents.  Out of all of the spectacular things she received, her favorite was a bouncy ball.  Go figure.

 

 

We're Back...

Okay, so if you didn't know, for the past several days, we've been in Denver, Colorado.  We drove back yesterday.  If you're wanting pictures, be patient, I'm working on providing them for you.  However, while you wait, I finally added captions to the last half of the August photos on Bailey's website.  I still have loads of anecdotes I never shared from last month, nor the first portion of this month, and then many more from our trip.  Again, be patient.  I'll get there.

Someday.

Quick...

I updated pictures last night in the August folder.  Hopefully I'll create a September one tonight.  I can't make any promises since I'm also incredibly busy. 

 

Not this past Sunday, but the Sunday before, we finally made it to the Depot Museum in town along with Bailey's grandparents.  It was a marvelous time. 

 

I've missed so many updates...and I may never get to them, but please note, they're safely stored away in my brain.  Thank goodness for that.

Sleepwalking...but not today

Lately, Bailey has been insisting upon taking a walk to the park.  On Wednesday, we went to the park, but she did not want to play.  She just wanted me to keep taking the path around the park, while she relaxed nicely in her stroller.  This proved profitable, since she fell asleep and I made it home in time for her to still sleep while I mowed the back yard (and partially a side).  Thursday proved the same results, only this time, I mowed the front and the other side.  Three laps around, and out.  She was asleep.

Today, I was hoping for the same results but learned that the third time is not always a charm.  By the fourth lap, Bailey wanted out to play.  We were at the park for about an hour and twenty minutes.  There was no actual napping involved.  There was no nap at all today.  I guess Bailey knew that luckily, Mommy had no more yard to mow.

A Hamster on the Brink of Death

We went to Wonderscope today, as we often do on Tuesdays.  We haven't been for two Tuesdays in a row though, so we were definitely due.  Bailey was ecstatic when we pulled into the 'Scope parking lot.  It was a very exciting moment in her life.

We went in the front doors and I was signing in, Bailey walked up to the hamsters (that are by the front desk) and everything was just like normal.  The lady at the front desk (a woman neither of us have met throughout our many visits) asked Bailey if she wanted to watch her feed the rodents apples and decided it'd be wise to get out one of the hamsters, Sam, from his cage for Bailey to pet.    I already didn't like this, not at all (but Bailey sure did).  Not because they're vermin, but because until this point, Bailey never knew they could come out of their cages.  She just thought they lived there and were stuck in there.  Forever.  It was a nice place for them to be.  They should remain there always.  (And really, I don't mind hamsters, but she DID NOT need to experience this.)

So, the hamsters can come out of their glass and plastic homes.  Duly noted.  Another mother came in with her daughter and a stroller (in it, I'm guessing a baby) and the little girl chose to stand next to Bailey in front of the hamster cages.  One hamster cage resides on a table, the other on the floor.  Bailey was knelt on the floor examining Max's cage.  The new child was between us, the desk lady was on the either side of Bailey, speaking to the mother.  Then I realize a hand is creeping underneath the cage lid and some words escaped me (I can't recall what) and by the time my hand grabbed Bailey's I noticed her hand was heavy.  She had already managed to get her grubby little paws on the furry little beast.  This is where it's really scary.  I could not get the heathen to LET GO.  She just kept squeezing, and I kept prying her arm and hand and exclaiming some sort of words.  The lady at the desk just existed, the child beside me was in shock, and Bailey?  She was quite determined.

I really feel sorry for that poorhamster.  I think his short life must have flashed before his very eyes and I hope he manages to see another day.  Part of me wonders if she damaged any internal organs, but I'm trying to get rid of the guilt eating away at my stomach lining.  If we go back next Tuesday, and his cage is missing, I'm so going to hide my head in shame.

So, yes, she did manage to finally let him go, but not without putting up a good fight.  She was just as happy as could be too.  After she finally let go, I slammed down the lid, took her hands and turned her to completely face me and as we began to discuss this horrible almost-Shakespearean-tragedy, she lunged away from me and hit her face (right under her left eye) on the table corner.  Then she cried and lecture time was over (conveniently) and I had to instead soothe her. 

So there you have it folks: cruelty to animals.  Luckily, it wasn't intentional, but it happened nonetheless.  This is SO going in the baby book.

Absent, but not as in absent-minded, although that too

I typed up a fabulous entry on Tuesday, but my "blog" must not have liked it, since it spit it back up and it vanished forever.  Being stubborn, I chose that as a time to step away from the computer.  It was better than beating it.

Bailey and I have been having more structured lessons.  She also hasn't been napping, so instead uses what free time I could have had, in order to demolish every square inch of house we have (which feels like more than it is, when I'm cleaning up mess AFTER mess) while I am cleaning up her prior mess.  It's good exercise though, so I should thank her.

She's becoming more and more of a character (just when I didn't think that was possible).  She does little flips throughout the house, dances jigs constantly, and skips.  She's all about the skipping.  I have so many things to share about her, and maybe, just maybe, I'll eventually get to that, but tonight is not that moment, at least not yet.

Until that moment comes...

The Bad Mother

No mother wants to be classified as a "bad mother."  I'm not sure about anyone else, but sometimes that fear resides towards the back of my brain, or at least the inspiration to NOT be a bad mother.  I spent a great part of today believing I was a bad mother, and then trying to convince myself otherwise.

How do you get your two-year-old to brush their teeth well?  We brush her teeth each day, trying to aim for after each meal (not always successfully), and I tried to follow all the rules about sugar and bottles and everything we're warned against and when she drinks apple juice, sometimes I give myself a guilt trip.  Well, today while changing Bailey's diaper, I saw a cavity in a top molar.  It was one of those vain little fears, those things that I thought only children of "bad" parents had.  It was a horrible experience and I hope no one else ever has to go through that.

So, today I went throughout the day, partially sulking, and the other part trying to convince myself it could happen to anyone, as well as trying to take other preventive measures as I constructed a plan.  If you know me well, you know I analyze everything to death and retrace my steps to learn exactly how I screwed up whatever it is that I thought to be chaos.  Towards the end of the day, I still had that pit in my stomach, but I lost the judgmental edge that I used to have.  And as I was putting my daughter to bed, I discovered after we brushed, brushed, brushed our teeth and changed her diaper, there was no cavity after all.  What I must have seen was the remains of one Junior Mint that she stole from my stash in the computer room.  And as I sigh of relief and no longer beat myself up over this "cavity" I know that not necessarily bad parents go through this, and that I want to try even harder to avoid this ever truly happening.  Throughout my adventures in mothering and this mission I am on, I am still on high alert, and probably will be for a while.  I'm humbled.  I'm also ready for the dentist.

So as you either laugh at me or sigh with me too, or think scolding thoughts about the Junior Mint, please share in my newfound epiphany and if you do have children who have cavities, note that I don't think you're a bad parent.  I just wish teeth were easier to brush.

More Tree Photos and a few extra words

Okay, so, we have more photos of our tree.  That's the most excitement in our lives right now.  Bailey hung out with Grandma and Grandpa during Saturday.  That thrilled her.  (She hadn't seen them since she was ONE!)  She likes picking out her own clothes to wear, specifically dresses.  And the most joy in her life is the ability to jump in the air and deliberately land on her bottom.  That's a grand time!

Well, that's one way to tear a tree down

We've had this tree we knew we needed to take care of, and we've been working on it.  Nature decided it could rid of it much cheaper than what we'd been quoted.  So, even though it was growing at an angle towards our neighbor's house and the highway is also right there, it decided to make its own course.  It somehow fell more so into our front yard, stopping right before the road.  Nature has its own professional tree business and luckily, we're all safe. (And this happened just last hour.)

 

Need any firewood?

 

Oh, and better pictures will be taken later, once it's no longer raining.

A Long Day

Yesterday, Bailey was up by 7am and thus we started our day.  The goal was to have everything accomplished and/or ready so there would be less stress for later.  This of course was not the case.  All it did instead was wear me out completely so when it was time to get out of the house, I had very little fight left in me, and she had more energy than eight litters of Energizer Bunnies.

Tuesday.  It was Tuesday yesterday which meant we were to have lunch with Daddy.  We finally managed to get there, had our lunch, talked about going to Wonderscope afterwards.  Then, after we parted ways, the little miss and I indeed headed to Wonderscope.

She has such a fabulous time there, she really does.  She really knows all of the rooms by heart now and while she explores her room of choice, I go about  cleaning them up.  It's a win-win.

There's one thing they ask you at Wonderscope, and that's to clean up after yourselves.  I guess a lot of families think that if they have to pay the $6 each for admission (keep in mind that we have a membership thanks to an awesome Christmas present) that they don't need to pick up anything.  So, most of these rooms then look like tornadoes had been present.  Luckily, I'm there to pick up everyone else's messes so I'm not annoying my own child.  I like to talk with her about the things we see, and we do that interaction, but it's nice to give her some of that time to herself too or to play with other children. 

She was well-behaved at the 'Scope and then we did some shopping, which never means that we buy anything, it just means we look.  I must have worn her out and she wanted to go to sleep in the car.  (She had briefly napped previously on the way to Daddy's office.)  We met up with Brooke towards late afternoon and she slept for two seconds until she realized she was in the presence of Brooke.  The idea of swimming was enough to keep her awake and she had a lot of fun in the water and decided herself when we were done.  We had dinner with Brooke and then went to Brooke's briefly so Bailey could visit with Brooke's dog, Scout.  (Correction: Torture Brooke's dog, Scout.)  Bailey enjoyed taking his toys and rawhide chew and unlike Kaitlin, he has no problem retrieving it right back from her, even if she gets knocked over (which she LOVED immensely).   After some time of rough play, we escaped before Bailey had the chance to break anything.  And trust me, she didn't want to leave.

We arrived home (around 8:30) and she decided she needed to play with our own dog.  I included some photos just for fun.

Adorable Anecdotes, Must reads

Okay, first off, I can't forget what Bailey said today, because it's hilarious.  We were at Target and they had this new line out of clothing with fairies on the pieces.  I asked Bailey if she knew what they were.  She then called it a "ladyfly."  For the rest of the time spent there, if she saw another fairy (like in the toy section) it too was deemed a "ladyfly."

And yesterday, Bailey was on her bed listening to music (like she's been doing a lot lately) and picked up her stuffed Cookie Monster and had him moving and told me, "Look.  Cookie's dancing.  Dance, Cookie."  Then, she picked up Elmo and he was dancing too. She had to talk about it too, so I knew exactly what was going on.  Bailey throws the best parties, obviously.

Quick to Judge

Earlier, I didn't have time to properly finish this anecdote, so I now will: 

 

I was showering and I heard the toilet lid open and I immediately scolded my daughter and then looked to see exactly what she was up to.  We have a yellow bucket she keeps her bath toys in and she was lifting it to the toilet.  Well, she was dumping the water out (since the toys aren't always dry when they go in)!  I wasn't sure what she was up to before that point, and then she turns around and here's all this water in it and I'm thinking "OH NO, this can't be good for the carpet," so I allow her to turn back around.   So I told her that was okay and she finished.

I guess not everything she does is bad.  :)

A swimming we will go...

So, we had plans to go swimming tonight.  It was a good evening for it, yeah?  We got Bailey and ourselves ready to go, sunscreen on, and off to the public pool we went.

Once there, we discovered something that disturbed us, foiled our plans even.  The pool was CLOSED.  No sign nothing, but no one was there.  We have yet to understand why.

Needless to explain, we had a very upset water baby with us.  She was not pleased to watch us drive away and head back to our driveway.

Then suddenly, an alternative idea struck us.  There was Pomona Lake nearby and off we went (and honestly, I don't really like swimming in lake water). 

Bailey had yet to nap today (and so it was a very long day as they usually are) so we fought to keep her awake as we made the 17 minutes drive.  She did not want to stay awake until she suddenly saw the beach, and then it surprisingly wasn't an issue any longer.

We didn't play in the water for long, which angered the shivering little duckie.  She cried and cried for a bit, and what was meant to be a saving grace almost turned into more trouble than it was worth, but we had a good time, and made it back home with plenty of time to hang out with the dog.

...The pool better be open next time though.

(And yeah, we'll call first.)

Open for business again

Bailey's site is no longer locked.  I did some minor updating finally.  I'd been waiting for a few people to see it, and then started a little on Tuesday, but finally tonight (this morning) I am somewhat satisfied. 

 

 As for those who think I have the world of time on my hands...it's 2:11am. 

 

Good night, good morning, and good luck with your endeavors.

She always knows what to say...

Bailey can be the sweetest child sometimes.  I wasn't in the best of moods today, so Bailey did her best to keep my chin up by reminding me, "You're okay, Mommy.  You're alright." 

 

The ultra-fabulous words of consoling?  When she told me I'm smart.  "You're smart, Mommy; Mommy's smart."

 

(As for anyone not being able to currently access her webpage, it should be open again tomorrow; maybe.)

The Joys of Teething

Tonight, Bailey stuck her toothbrush down the sink drain.  With the aid of a butter knife, it was retrieved, but then immediately disposed of in the trash.  Thank goodness I keep a spare.

I guess it's time to buy another spare...

The Fireplace Fiasco and other adventures

Following our trend of bangs and bruises, Bailey and Daddy were playing during some evening last week, possibly Wednesday, and Bailey ended up crashing into the fireplace corner, the one we also dread being an issue, but had so far avoided severe collisions.  The aftermath looks awful and some tears were shed, mostly ours.

Last Tuesday, Bailey had her very first ice cream cone.  She's an expert multitasker because while eating it, she was also trying to destroy McDonalds property.  If it had been a hotel, I would wonder if she had a career as a rockstar in her future.

 

The other night at Walmart, I won Bailey her first stuffed animal out of one of those machines.  I wasn't expecting it, but was thrilled.  My child?  She wanted another one, but settled with just the one bear.

 

We have new neighbors.  Bailey and Daddy met them last night.  We're pretty excited about that.  Two of the kids were playing in our back yard with Bailey.  New neighbors with kids is VERY awesome news.

I'm not sure what else I have to report...I'll think about it, but probably won't get back to it.

 

The Fall of The Shoe Goddess

Last Tuesday was one of those hectic days I probably should've avoided.  Sometimes, I fit way too much into a day, but in the end, it worked out okay.

We started out Tuesday's life at gymnastics class.  This was Bailey's first time.  Coincidentally, she is not the only Bailey in the class.  With a total of three kids, two are named Bailey. Bailey wasn't sure she wanted to participate.  She tried a couple times to follow directions, but this was a completely new environment and with all the fun things surrounding her, she didn't think she needed to be limited.  Of course, I disagreed.  During one of these disagreements (while she could've been waiting her turn to jump on the trampoline) she tried to bite my face!  She had this evil look in her eyes too and that's when we were ready to depart.  She was determined to bite me and she's never acted like that before...so vicious.  She never bit me, but we did get her shoes back on and head for the door.  At the same time, Mister Tony, the class instructor, asked if she wanted to get a ribbon and stand on the podium.  Finally, a photo opportunity for our first class, so naturally I took it.  The lighting was off though, but Bailey was proud of her ribbon.

We were actually very late to gymnastics that morning.  I called him to let him know we were late and that didn't mean we weren't going to do the class, just perhaps another week.  Apparently, they hadn't started yet, so he told us to come on in since we're only two minutes away.  Starting late meant finishing late meant instead of getting out by 11, so B and I could drive to meet Daddy for lunch, we were leaving closer to 11:20.

Surprisingly, we got there almost in time and had a picnic.  It was too hot for a picnic which made me question why I stressed myself getting the picnic together (which was Daddy's suggestion) before gymnastics.  This is possibly the death of the Tuesday picnics, but Bailey liked playing at the park. 

We were there only briefly, something about the heat, and we then went to Target and then to Wonderscope.  Bailey always has such a fabulous time at Wonderscope and she's really learning her way around the building.  She knows which rooms are which and we played in quite a few of them, some longer than others.  We were there for a while and then left to do more shopping.  We didn't buy much, but I still like to look and so does the little miss. 

During our last shopping expedition of the day, Bailey fell in love with the shoe section at another Target, and I do mean in love.  She insisted upon trying some of the shoes on and running around in them, even if the shoes were still tied together.  That was mildly humorous.  Bailey's favorite pair of shoes were some ladybug rain boots.  She really want those ladybug shoes!  She kept testing them out in the form of running around the shoe department.  Finally, after a really long time playing in the shoes, we needed to wrap it up.  Bailey had one final lap and in the process, ran right into the edge of shelving at the end of the aisle.  It was awful.  She cried so hard she made little to no sound and I knew it had to hurt.  by this time, I'd already grabbed her, started my initial lecture on how this is why we're not supposed to run, then assessed the damage.  I felt so bad for her.  That mean, nasty shelf corner left an imprint on her forehead.  I felt the need for revenge, but I controlled my bitter urges.

While you're saying "Poor Bailey," please note that this was a day of constant bumps and bruises, mostly falls, that all could have been avoided, had she been careful.  We've been discussing this very seriously lately.  She refused to hold onto the stair railing on the way to gymnastics and fell down a step face first.  Ouch.  Where was I?  Hands full of picnic supplies, camera and diaper bag and trying to reach for a hand she wouldn't continue to let me hold on to.  She scraped her finger in a Target cart being rough.  Ouch.  She's still picking at that one.  She fell off her play structure as I was getting after her for how and where she was climbing.  Oh, and something about her shoving her ankle in the chair backing and getting it stuck...then screaming at me because we couldn't get it out.  Luckily I avoided the panic time and found a way to get out, all the while saying, "and we're not going to do this again...right?"

At least she has my grace, eh?

Pictures I have yet to share...

...Captions to come.

So much to update, maybe later

I'm exhausted this week.  Don't ask why because I don't know, but with a busy two-year-old, I think I'm entitled to be tired just occasionally.

 

I'll try to update more later; luckily I've been keeping notes.

Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

Yesterday was a busy day for us.  We went to the Kansas City Zoo and the Royals game both in the same day.  The changes to the zoo's barn were phenomenal and as for the game, we had Mike's seats and if you know where those are, you'd be jealous.  (They're actually worth going to a game just to sit there, plus, it was a Build-a-Bear game.)

 

Bailey loved the zoo.  She says the word, "animals" with perfect pronunciation that it amazes me.  She also liked climbing the things inside the Discovery Barn.  She walked along side the foam logs, climbed an ant hill, and walked through a rope obstacle course with ease.  She also liked the huge tree outside that had a slide.  As for her favorite animals at the zoo, it's a toss up between any monkey and the birds.  It is not unusual to hear her say, "tweet tweet" while in the presence of feathered vermin.

She fell asleep instantly once we left the zoo and she woke up to sitting up close at the Royals game with a brand new white and blue bear staring at her.  She embraced him instantaneously and then checked out the environment.  The largest highlight was being grabbed by Sluggerrr and swung around.  You should've seen her glowing afterwards.  I've never seen that child smile that large before, and well, she smiles largely anyway.

 

Hmm...what else?  Tonight we went swimming.  She loved that, of course.  She really does think she can swim. 

 

Oh, and tomorrow morning?  We have our very first gymnastics class!

A thought

So many people have told me they'd love to keep having babies and one of their largest reasons is because of that feeling when the baby kicks you from the inside.  Based on that alone, so many women could be pregnant forever and would do it if they could.

 

For me, I don't know about all of that.  It was surreal, sure.  There was a magic about it, but you know what?  Something even more magical?  It's that feeling of your kid grasping just ONE of your fingers with absolute trust and walking beside you. 

 

Now that's awesome.

Beautiful Conditions

After what feels like ages of awful humidity and over 100 degrees, we've been experiencing fantastic weather here in Kansas.  And since it won't last, we've been taking advantage of it.

Friday evening, we spent some time at the park nearby, and then we returned this evening as well after we came back from visiting the fair.  At the fair, we just walked around, smelled the livestock (which was impossible to not do, eww), and gazed at the carnival rides.  We didn't do much, but Bailey did enjoy the cows.

We also did a little bit of shopping today.  We allowed Bailey to spend some of her birthday money.  So far, she's loving spending time with her farm animals we found at Toys 'R Us.  And our little animal lover also found a veterinarian kit.  Doctor Bailey has a nice ring to it, even if she is operating on critters.

 

...Tomorrow will be a fabulous day too.

Pictures are in!

The online version of Bailey's second year photos are in! 

 

I'm still updating her page and putting in birthday party pictures, so please be patient with me.  We don't even have them dated or any captions.  It takes a while.

 

The last thing, make sure you take the time to watch the video on the front of Bailey's page.  Hopefully, it works for you.  If you have dialup, be patient.

 

Oh happy day

Okay, okay.  I'll share.

 

...editing to come later...

The Birthday Princess' Day

Well, some of you have already asked me where birthday party pictures are and why I haven't updated.  Considering her birthday was Thursday, her party was Saturday, and today is Monday, I think I'm doing okay. Yesterday was my day of rest and I think I needed it!  (I think too many of you abuse my typical efficiency. :))

Late Thursday night, I updated Bailey's site with pictures from her big entry into the world of everything that is two.  That day included her waking up and looking out the living room windows to spot her brand new car.  Sixteen, two, eighteen, it's all the same, right?  But low and behold, Bailey had her very own pink car topped with a bright pink bow.  And the day had barely begun...

We had an appointment to have her pictures taken and we weren't thrilled with the time we had (11:50) but we went anyway to discover a long line, a completely full waiting room, and the girls claiming the wait to be 20-30 minutes when we knew that was laughable.  We opted to skip that and go ahead to our intended destination, which was Chuck E. Cheese where our two year could be a kid, since she's officially no longer a baby.

First, before we could do so, we took Bailey across the street to a Walmart to purchase a cake.  I detest store-bought cakes, but we thought Bailey would enjoy picking out her very own cake.  She spent a long time debating this task, and possibly questioning our motives since we've never allowed her to do this before, and finally chose a "rabbit cake" with the proudest of expressions.

With cake in hands, and properly titled with her name on it, we went to The Cheese.  Bailey was adorned with a crown and birthday balloon and we found a table quite close to the dancing, singing, robotic mouse.  Bailey was in awe of this critter on stage and she would constantly wave at him, and run to the stage and just look up at him like a crazed little fan.  She was definitely a groupie, but it was very adorable.

While waiting for our pizza, Bailey warmed up to her stimulating surroundings:  rowdy rugrats and noisy gadgets.  Bailey was far too overwhelmed to enjoy much of her pizza once it did arrive, but never too much to visit her mouse.  When he would sing, she'd dance a little jig right up front for anyone to see.

Bailey was very excited when it came time for her cake.  She immediately knew what to do once the candles were lit.  We sang to our little ti and savored her impatience as we went to cut the cake.  She devoured every last shred of the frosting and was ready to visit her rodent hero once more.  It was marvelously sweet.

She opened the present we brought and played with it for a little bit.  It was a magnetic puzzle.  There was a net with a magnet on it that you used to "catch" the buggy puzzle pieces.  Like so many other tasks we've witnessed, Bailey knew exactly what to do without any instructions.

Daddy went and asked if Chuck E. Cheese himself would be making any appearances, and immediately following, there he was!  Bailey saw him , but had to glance back at the stage version before running to him with haste and determination.  She followed him around intently, proclaiming, "WAIT, MOUSE!"  He patted her head several times and I could've sworn she reconsidered ever letting her hair be washed again.

After spending several hours at the Mouse Headquarters, Bailey was worn out (with good reason).  We cashed in our tickets, picked out some prizes and the second we pulled out of the parking lot, she was off to slumberland. 

Since she was napping, we decided that perhaps we could make our rescheduled photography appointment after all (we were never certain whether we would bail or not) and we let her continue her nap.  She woke up just in time to go inside and wait a little longer, while she gathered her energy together again (and that really didn't take long).  Our photographer was a bit pushy, pushier than we ever liked (she expected our two-year-old to pose exactly how she wanted, and all of her bright ideas cost herself more time and several adorable chances at fabulous sales.  I let her be until she had Bailey upset, and then we said we were done, went through what she had taken, picked out a couple and called it finished.

We had Bailey's favorite breadsticks for dinner (Fazoli's) and came home to play some more.  It was truly a memorable day for us and I think she had a little bit of fun herself.

Oops.

For Bailey's birth date, there is no blog entry, and that's an oversight of mine.  I was too caught up in the day to think about working on the computer...darn.  (And that was a sarcastic "darn" in case you missed it.)

 

It was a wonderful day though.  Maybe I'll share details someday...

Maybe.

An Education in Disappointment

Some lessons cannot be avoided, no matter how hard you try.  There are certain inalienable truths.  Disappointment will eventually arise, no matter how much avoidance you attempt.

 

On Sunday, we went to the Royals game.  They were giving away baseball bats and playing Toronto, the only two reasons to be at the ballpark.  Bailey had a third reason: to see Sluggerrr.  She's obsessed with that plushy/furry.  She wants him for her very own.  Heck, she even has her own miniature version, but alas, that's not the same.

We kept our eyes out for Sluggerrr the whole time we were at the stadium, we even saw him a few times, but we never actually made it to him and Bailey was crushed.  You could see the look in her eyes.  Disappointment was lingering and it was almost heartbreaking.  She never had the chance to visit with him during that visit to the ballpark.

Today, she once again tasted disappointment.  (She somehow avoided it during most of her life.)  I asked her if she wanted a snack (and she's become accustomed to "snacks," meaning "fruit snacks") and was given a rude awakening when she discovered Spongebob animal crackers in the foil bag instead.  You should ha seen the growl in her eyes.  She wasn't growling, but the thought was there, so was disappointment.

As for other news, we had lunch with Daddy, per usual Tuesday fashion, and then we headed ot the 'Scope.  We weren't planning on staying long, but Bailey decided to have a poopy diaper which sped up events.  She was angry about the poopy diaper.  She's going through this phase where she denies having a dirty diaper and tries to stay away from me.  We would've changed then returned into the 'Scope (and no, I do not take diapers in with me because the Bailey and the camera bag keep my hands full enough the way it is) but Bailey decided to scratch and pull, kick and yell.  There was no way we were going back in after that performance.

We did however stop by a Target.  Good clearance sales!  I love fabulous clearance prices.  There was absolutely no disappointment there.

Tomorrow

Tomorrow, I'll love you tomorrow.

 

Tomorrow is the last day my Bailey will be one.  That's big.  HUGE, even.  Mind boggling.

Mother, Mother

Now I suddenly remembered what I felt I had to share!

 

This evening, Bailey repeatedly started calling me, "Mother," and ever since, I've had that Tracy Bonham song in my head.  I'm not sure I wish that on even my worst enemy, not that it's that terrible of a song, but it's almost like singing, "It's a small world," or "It is the song that never ends." It just doesn't go away.

 

Oh, and you're welcome for the songs you're now singing in YOUR heads.

Random...

Bailey has chosen the beginning of hot July to decide that snowmen are very cool.  On Friday, she took the two ends from the blinds' strings and stacked them and told me it was a snowman.

Also, ever since the second spider incident, Bailey has been torturing me by asking, "where did that spider go?"  I'm waiting for the day that I discover she has actually found a new spider and isn't still going on about the flushed one.  Notice, I didn't type that I was looking forward to it...

 

At approximately the same time each evening, Bailey goes into the entry way and perches herself onto the back of the blue chair and stares out the window longingly, then will get down and ask me where Daddy is.  On Friday, I asked her if she wanted to go see Daddy and to the door she went.  (We met up with Daddy in Gardner and I went do some shopping and visit Brooke.)

This morning, we asked her if she wanted to go see Grandpa and she ran to get her shoes and socks (in the blink of an eye, and that never happens), returned to us with socks in one hand, both shoes in the other and told us, "Here they are!"  We couldn't have gotten out the door fast enough.  (And trust me, she wasn't happy when we realized ten minutes out that we'd forgotten to do something important and had to return briefly.)

She spent the afternoon with her Grandparents before they journey to New Jersey tomorrow.  She had a splendid time and Daddy and Mommy escaped to spy on pirates.  Then we had dinner with them at the very high-class (and yummy) Hi-Boy and Bailey was the proudest sitting next to her Grandpa in the booth.  (Maybe it was because she could easily steal his fries.)

 

I'll try to make another update tomorrow...

Where are the pictures?

I figured that at least one person has been wondering this for a few days:  Where are the pictures from the Fourth of July?

 

Here they are!

 

We spent the day in Independence, Mo., Bailey festive in her "Miss Independence" shirt.  We watched the Sugar Creek parade (where Bailey captured way too much candy) and then went over to Grandma and Grandpa Hudson's for lunch and playtime.  Bailey then opened her birthday presents from G&G H and Uncle Jeff, Aunt Christy, and Cousins Kona and Trevor since they will all be in New Jersey and unable to attend her birthday party.  Her Grandparents gave her a dollhouse she's quite fond of.  She received a Cowgirl Dora doll and a ladybug dress from the other set of Hs.  Thanks guys and have a safe trip!

 

Enjoy the photos, Bailey definitely enjoyed the day.

The girly girl

I'm used to my daughter liking cars, mud, trains, balls and blocks.  I'm okay with that, I really am.  But at some point this afternoon, Bailey decided she wanted to wear one particular super-frilly pink dress, its matching hair band, and a pair of white shoes.  She then deemed herself "a princess."  She was quite impressed, admiring herself in the mirror.  She then said, "a PINK princess," and suddenly I felt like I had the frilly little girly girl that almost every woman on this planet yearns for.

 

...And she's all mine.

A Second Chance

I had a chance to redeem myself today.  We don't always get those chances in life, but I had my very own opportunity to take a "do-over" and I did it.

Bailey was taking another bath, then started giggling really loudly and to my shock yet again, it was indeed a spider.  She says this word now and was very excited.  I scooped her out of the bath and we watched as the spider crawled on top of her bath toys with determination.  Just as I wished I had done last time, instead of crushing his very life away along with every hope and dream he's ever had, I took her cup and scooped him up and she was beyond enthused.  With this cup full of a very true fear I have, I dumped its contents into our toilet and flushed her latest bath buddy.  We both waved goodbye and I told her about all the friends he would find during his journey.

Hey, it could happen.

Happy 4th.

I'll type up a more proper entry at a later date, maybe.  We'll see.

 

As for anything else:  I'm not sure there will be a holiday e-mail as I am not in a holiday e-mail sort of mood right now.  Cards?  Cards were mailed out on Monday.  I actually was going to hand out three cards today but they're still in the car, so the next time any of you are in Ottawa, well, I have your cards.

Oh, and Happy Independence Day.

God Bless America, God Bless Family

We're really fortunate people.  Not only do we have a Bailey, but we are blessed with having family relatively close.  One idea of close may be five minutes away, but two hours away is pretty close too if you want it to be.  After all, it could be over 1,500 miles away instead, like it is for some of our relatives.

On Sunday, we went out to my Uncle Daniel's new house.  Uncle Daniel and Aunt Patsy spent a year of their lives working on their beautiful place and you can tell.  We were really excited to go and we weren't left feeling disappointed by any means.  And since they have cats, a dog, horses, cows and a duck, YOU KNOW Bailey had a good time!  (She also had a fabulous time with their straw?)

Per usual, I took a lot of pictures, but they're well worth skimming (in my opinion) and I hope the rest of my loyal readers have opportunities to visit with family too this holiday weekend.  It could be well worth the drive.

Something Cuddly

Not all children need teddy bears.  Not all children beg for toys in Walmart stores.  Some children actually find other things to hold onto and cherish and hug with all their might.  My child happens to be one of those children, and today, she found solace in a roll of Scott's Disney paper towels.  She squeezed it tight and carried it around the store, fought to keep it away from the cashier, and then squeezed her roll harder.  She rode with it in the car, holding it safely in her car seat.  She was protective of her new baby.

Scott's should be paying my child for her advertising campaign.

Belated Entries

I've been busy, but I owe any potential readers these following anecdotes:

 

On Wednesday, my little creature was playing outside in the water and then started pouring water from her bucket onto the ground and then stomping in it.  Of course, by this time it was quite muddy.  She had her fingers in it having a fabulous time, then suddenly, without warning, she went into hysterics about mud being on her fingers telling me the mud was sticky.  We had to immediately wash it off and I told her as nicely as possible, but still being blunt that it was indeed HER fault.

 

On Thursday, she kept talking about Grandpa.  She talks about Grandpa constantly and she saw the screensaver on the computer that just randomly shows pictures and one of them happened to be of her Grandpa.  She asked "where did the Grandpa go?" and really was upset that his picture did not return.  So, I had this bright idea of printing a picture of Grandpa and giving it to her.  She carried this piece of paper around for a long time and during part of this experience, I caught her with her paper, dropping it then  saying, "where did that Grandpa go?," picking it up, and saying, "there he is!"

 

On Saturday night, we were making cupcakes and Bailey saw the muffin tins and without any instructions, took each muffin cup and put them in the pan in their designated spot. 

 

I feel like I've missed some important entries.  I'll think about them and get back to you.  Hopefully.

Nix the Megabloks

If you have already bought Bailey Megabloks for her birthday, do not read any further.  If you haven't, but you've thought about it, don't.  An extremely generous person from our local Freecycle Network was giving away a large container (and I do mean large) of these and ended up giving them to Bailey.  So, Bailey now has in her possession enough Megabloks for at least four kids, and then some.  She also has an ample supply of Duplos.

I figured I better mention it just in case!

Back to the 'Scope

We had a picnic with Daddy today at a park.  Bailey was too excited to eat, but used the park's slanted tunnel as a slide.  After over half an hour of playing, she was definitely thirsty.  We brought along thirst quenchers aplenty.

Wonderscope was next on our list.  I must admit, I'm warming up to the 'Scope, I really am.  Of course, I still get a little nauseated each time she walks down that little padded staircase, reliving that horrible afternoon.  Maybe it'll go away eventually, after enough therapy.

At the 'Scope, she found a baby.  She likes babies.  They're fascinating little creatures with noses and hands and they're just little.  The baby had something even more intriguing: a bottle of his very own.  Bailey was talking with the Baby's mother about this bottle and the sneaky rascal that she is touched the nipple twice before either of us could stop her grubby little paws, then put her finger to her mouth and said, "That's good!"  I'm still slightly grossed out, and in my head I just KNOW it was breast milk.  Ha.  The baby's mother laughed, but I'm thinking that deep inside she was thinking, "that brat just contaminated his bottle," and tried her best to sterilize it. (Or, since he's her second child she was like, "eh, worse has happened," but I'll go back to thinking negative thoughts.  Heh.

Not all children like to share.  A little girl today wanted Bailey to go away.  Later she tried to warm up to her, but Bailey was hesitant.  Yeah, I don't blame her either.  Then in the grocery store room, two boys were being mean to a room full of children, while their teenage babysitter sat on her rear in a chair playing with her cell phone.  These little boys took over half a room of toys and were quite rude in telling other children they couldn't play there.  There was also another little girl who said, "but Mommy, I don't want that girl near me."  (Bailey was trying to help her "shop," and the little girl must be used to nuisances since she has a 12 month old sister, so I could see why she wanted a break.)

We were ready to go, so I thought, and Bailey threw herself on the tile and then ran into another room.  We hadn't been in that room yet today and she just did a quick walk-through and then went back to the front.  I guess she just wanted to feel accomplished.  She slept shortly thereafter and I did some party-shopping in Party City and she awoke as we were checking out. 

It wasn't a long nap, but we ran another errand, shared some ice cream, came home, played with the dog, and we even went swimming this evening!  Bailey didn't want to leave the pool, but we made her anyway since she was shivering.  We didn't take the camera to the pool this time and Bailey was trying her best to swim.  She looks so adorable in her pink life jacket.

And luckily, there weren't any children there telling her they didn't want to play with her.  And for now on, we'll avoid other people's breast milk.

Cowtown

Well, it's no secret that we live in the Midwest, small town Midwest, no less.  And to be more specific, we're in Kansas: close enough to travel easily to suburbia, but too far for anyone else to visit us.  Funny how that works...

It certainly feels like a small town, especially today, since our town had a parade, and what sort of parade?  A cattle drive parade.  How small-town-defining is that?  Does your town have cattle drives classified as parades?

Bailey had a blast (not surprising). Those cows and horses?  Exciting animals.  And riding a horse?  Even better.

Feline Tendencies

Sometimes, it's difficult to tell the difference between Bailey and the cat.  They share so many similarities.  They both throw fits, they both can be destructive, and they both think we should feed them when they're hungry.  Imagine that.

On Monday, the toilet paper mysteriously became unraveled and someone added a new window into the shower curtain liner.  Since the cat has done this many times, she would naturally be the usual suspect (that is, if we didn't also have a Bailey). 

We fixed the shower curtain issues with having toenails ripped out.  Of course, social services would probably frown on us doing that in this situation.  As for the toilet paper, well, it's happened before, it'll happen again. 

 

Toddlers: They're the new kitten.

A very Egg-citing start to Summer!

Bailey has a fascination with eggs.  I'm not sure why this is, but she loves those darn things.  Lately, she's been playing in the kitchen drawer where her sippy cup lids are kept.  What do lids have to do with eggs?  Well, I'll tell you.

Inside this same drawer are these little plastic collapsible cups that came with an egg kit we used the night before Easter.  Bailey remembers this, and after finding one, she asked to paint eggs. 

Luckily for Miss Bailey, I stocked up on egg kits after Easter since she'd enjoyed this activity so much.  That part was easy to provide.  However, in order to dye eggs, you need boiled eggs (although we did prove that wrong during Easter). She wasn't too fond of the concept of boiling.  We threw a couple fits first, but finally, we had the eggs going.  This is a much more tedious process than I ever remembered it being, because then you have to cool them down. 

Even though I stalled as long as possible throughout each step, Bailey never wavered her desire to dye eggs today.  Because of this, with a smock around her neck and news print covering the kitchen table, Bailey indeed had the chance to dye her four boiled eggs multiple colors until every egg was cracked and I'd had all the dye-splattering that I could handle.  After this, a bath was required (yeah, she was bummed...HA) and my kitchen table was in serious need of a makeover (or just a good scrubbing, which I gave it).

 

Eggs aren't just for Easter anymore.