I do not watch the show, "Toddler and Tiaras", for many reasons. However, yesterday I suspect my child could have been a contestant. Not because she or I were behaving badly.
We had gone to a very large grocery store in our area with my husband. When we got out of the car, the Babe insisted on wearing her sunglasses into the store. No, not Jackie O glasses, but lavender with rhinestones. She took them off once inside the store, just up until we finished paying for our groceries. My husband walked ahead of me while holding the Babe's hand as I pushed the cart. Imagine a little girl wearing those purple sunglasses, a bright pink top, rainbow pants, and a very bright purple and pink bear backpack, doing a pageant wave throughout the long walk out of the store. It wasn't so much a pageant wave, but she just kept waving. Even when there weren't any people nearby. I was very happy it was my husband walking with her. I was just a tad embarrassed, although laughing at the same time. People did wave back, so she must have something going on there. However, I'm not signing her up with an agent any time soon. The only crown in my Little Miss' future will be the one we bought for $2 at Target!
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Riding in Cars
If you can't see something, its very easy to forget its there. In my case, child safety locks on cars. Our older car has had them engaged for a while, and ever since we got the new car the backseat safety locks are on. Yesterday we went to Barnes and Noble. I got into the backseat to unbuckle the Babe and get her coat on. [She refuses to wear her coat while in the car.] There was an empty parking space next to me, and it was cold. I thought I was doing the smart, responsible thing by closing the door while I assisted her. Oops. I completely forgot and I locked us in.
I had three options. First, looks like the idiot that I felt I was and wave someone down to open the door for me. Second, climb over the seats and risk ruining the leather with my shoes, so I could exit out of the front. Or, option three, reach over the front seat, turn on the car, roll down the window, and be thankful that the back seat windows go all the way down so I could reach out and open the car door from outside. I chose option three. Good thing I can problem solve, or else I might have resorted to phoning my husband to come get us out, and I can live without what he might have said in response to our predicament (or the ensuing laughter).
I had three options. First, looks like the idiot that I felt I was and wave someone down to open the door for me. Second, climb over the seats and risk ruining the leather with my shoes, so I could exit out of the front. Or, option three, reach over the front seat, turn on the car, roll down the window, and be thankful that the back seat windows go all the way down so I could reach out and open the car door from outside. I chose option three. Good thing I can problem solve, or else I might have resorted to phoning my husband to come get us out, and I can live without what he might have said in response to our predicament (or the ensuing laughter).
Routine
This is my 201st post on this blog. I had no idea that I would continue writing about life with my food-allergic child. This has become a journal, baby book, recipe log, and place for my general commentary. Obviously I don't reveal all about our lives or my thought process, but its fun for me to scroll back and remind myself of various moments we've experienced (good and bad).
This morning I'm up before the Babe, so figured I have a few moments to post. Once upon a time, I woke much earlier to get to a job outside the home. That was also before the Babe came along. I would get up at 5:30 a.m., shower, dress, catch a train, so I could be in downtown Chicago before 8:00 a.m. Many days it was dark before I left my home. Most of my clothes went to the dry cleaner and I never went to work without some makeup on. Somehow I did that for several years. And those days I never went to bed before 10 pm unless I was sick, most times not till 11 or 12. Now, if I'm up in the dark its either because I never fell asleep or the Babe woke me in the middle of the night. Getting up before 8am without requiring fifteen minutes to open my eyes first is an extreme challenge. Then again, I am regularly up for at least a half hour around 2:30 a.m., sometime several hours more. Forget make-up, forget dry-clean only. Jeans are the uniform, and why bother with make-up because the Babe loves me just the way I am (I hope).
These days my routine revolves around making sure the Babe is fed and our kitchen is stocked. My days are more interesting when we have some sort of schedule, but our day starts off with a juice box and PBS. There is no rush to get dressed (although my goal is before 10) except on days we go to the gym. Eventually this will change. For now, I have remind myself to live in the moment because time really does go so fast. And now, time to wake up the Babe.
This morning I'm up before the Babe, so figured I have a few moments to post. Once upon a time, I woke much earlier to get to a job outside the home. That was also before the Babe came along. I would get up at 5:30 a.m., shower, dress, catch a train, so I could be in downtown Chicago before 8:00 a.m. Many days it was dark before I left my home. Most of my clothes went to the dry cleaner and I never went to work without some makeup on. Somehow I did that for several years. And those days I never went to bed before 10 pm unless I was sick, most times not till 11 or 12. Now, if I'm up in the dark its either because I never fell asleep or the Babe woke me in the middle of the night. Getting up before 8am without requiring fifteen minutes to open my eyes first is an extreme challenge. Then again, I am regularly up for at least a half hour around 2:30 a.m., sometime several hours more. Forget make-up, forget dry-clean only. Jeans are the uniform, and why bother with make-up because the Babe loves me just the way I am (I hope).
These days my routine revolves around making sure the Babe is fed and our kitchen is stocked. My days are more interesting when we have some sort of schedule, but our day starts off with a juice box and PBS. There is no rush to get dressed (although my goal is before 10) except on days we go to the gym. Eventually this will change. For now, I have remind myself to live in the moment because time really does go so fast. And now, time to wake up the Babe.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Breakfast
Yes, you're getting two posts in one night. This one is more about food. We had a lovely visit with my in-laws, who for some reason after ten days at our house actually wanted to go home. Could it be the exhaustion caused by a demanding three-year-old, or the lack of eggs and bread? Nah, they just wanted to get back to some things at home.
When they come to visit, I try to plan out meals and/or snacks since there are many staples in their diets they can't have in our house due to the Babe's allergies, and the fact that I keep kosher. Granted, they do get out on their own when they visit, and can eat out as often as they want. However, they spend most of the time with us. We arranged two nights to have our sitter come so the four of us could enjoy a meal out, and they got out for a lunch or two. Otherwise, they ate at home.
Mornings are probably the biggest challenge. My in-laws aren't the biggest of breakfast eaters, and when they do have breakfast at home, its usually eggs. When they're here, I try to make pancakes at least a few of the mornings. Before the Babe outgrew her rice allergy, I made GF pancakes from scratch. Now, I usually make it using GF Bisquick mix. I personally like the mix flavor over the other recipe I used. However, this morning I was running short on Bisquick, and a new recipe was born. I think I have a good substitute for the GF Bisquick now.
Gluten-Free Pancakes
1 1/2 C Brown Rice Flour
1/2 C Potato Starch
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 stick Earth Balance Buttery Spread
1 Tbsp ground flax seed meal
1 1/2 C Enriched Vanilla Soymilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Additional margarine for cooking.
1. Combine rice flour, potato starch, baking powder, xanthan gum, salt, and sugar.
2. Blend in the margarine with a fork (crumbling the dry ingredients).
3. In a separate bowl, combine 1 tbsp flax seed meal with 3 tbsp water. Let sit for 3-5 minutes.
4. To the dry ingredient mix, add the soymilk, flax seed, and vanilla. Mix well. It may have small lumps from the margarine.
5. Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat, melt some margarine. Make the pancakes by the tablespoon full (or however you like to cook your pancakes). Enjoy!
When they come to visit, I try to plan out meals and/or snacks since there are many staples in their diets they can't have in our house due to the Babe's allergies, and the fact that I keep kosher. Granted, they do get out on their own when they visit, and can eat out as often as they want. However, they spend most of the time with us. We arranged two nights to have our sitter come so the four of us could enjoy a meal out, and they got out for a lunch or two. Otherwise, they ate at home.
Mornings are probably the biggest challenge. My in-laws aren't the biggest of breakfast eaters, and when they do have breakfast at home, its usually eggs. When they're here, I try to make pancakes at least a few of the mornings. Before the Babe outgrew her rice allergy, I made GF pancakes from scratch. Now, I usually make it using GF Bisquick mix. I personally like the mix flavor over the other recipe I used. However, this morning I was running short on Bisquick, and a new recipe was born. I think I have a good substitute for the GF Bisquick now.
Gluten-Free Pancakes
1 1/2 C Brown Rice Flour
1/2 C Potato Starch
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 stick Earth Balance Buttery Spread
1 Tbsp ground flax seed meal
1 1/2 C Enriched Vanilla Soymilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Additional margarine for cooking.
1. Combine rice flour, potato starch, baking powder, xanthan gum, salt, and sugar.
2. Blend in the margarine with a fork (crumbling the dry ingredients).
3. In a separate bowl, combine 1 tbsp flax seed meal with 3 tbsp water. Let sit for 3-5 minutes.
4. To the dry ingredient mix, add the soymilk, flax seed, and vanilla. Mix well. It may have small lumps from the margarine.
5. Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat, melt some margarine. Make the pancakes by the tablespoon full (or however you like to cook your pancakes). Enjoy!
Agenda
This month has flown by. A lot has actually happened in a short time. My in-laws came for a visit last week Tuesday, and just left today. They came with an agenda. Well, they came to spend quality time with the Babe and us. But they also came with a plan. Their goal was to fix a few things, such as the remaining hurdle for potty training, as well as the fact that the Babe was sleeping most nights in bed with me, forcing my husband out of our bed. Well, the potty training issue actually solved itself. As I previously mentioned, all it took was a little quiet time with our sitter, and voila! That issue seems to be taken care of.
The other issue really just took some consistency and a schedule. Bedtime prior to my in-laws visits involved her watching t.v. in our room, falling asleep way too late, then either sleeping the rest of the night in our bed, or being moved to hers, then her somehow finding her way into our room in the middle of the night.
Two things curbed the bedtime problem. First was getting the Babe to actually stay in her bed all night long. My child who doesn't seem to bend to bribing has suddenly found an interest in coins and her piggy bank. I told her one night that if she stayed in her bed all night while Papa and Gram were here, she'd get a quarter in the morning. That first morning she woke up, and barely awake announced that she'd slept in her bed all night and wanted money for her piggy bank. Well, she's getting rich, but its worth it. The second element of improving bedtime involved getting her to bed at a more reasonable time. My in-laws offered to watch the Babe while we got away for two nights. During that time, they got the Babe to bed at the same time each night. We are continuing what they started. Its great that she's staying in her bed all night long. The only negative is when she wakes in the middle of the night she wants to snuggle in her bed with me. It was easier when I didn't have to get out of bed, but eventually this to shall pass.
The other issue really just took some consistency and a schedule. Bedtime prior to my in-laws visits involved her watching t.v. in our room, falling asleep way too late, then either sleeping the rest of the night in our bed, or being moved to hers, then her somehow finding her way into our room in the middle of the night.
Two things curbed the bedtime problem. First was getting the Babe to actually stay in her bed all night long. My child who doesn't seem to bend to bribing has suddenly found an interest in coins and her piggy bank. I told her one night that if she stayed in her bed all night while Papa and Gram were here, she'd get a quarter in the morning. That first morning she woke up, and barely awake announced that she'd slept in her bed all night and wanted money for her piggy bank. Well, she's getting rich, but its worth it. The second element of improving bedtime involved getting her to bed at a more reasonable time. My in-laws offered to watch the Babe while we got away for two nights. During that time, they got the Babe to bed at the same time each night. We are continuing what they started. Its great that she's staying in her bed all night long. The only negative is when she wakes in the middle of the night she wants to snuggle in her bed with me. It was easier when I didn't have to get out of bed, but eventually this to shall pass.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Success
My little one is advanced in many areas. Somehow though she refuses to poop on the potty. As previously mentioned, there have been numerous attempts at bribes, but she hasn't taken the bait. I don't want to cause irreparable harm or emotional distress, so I haven't tried to force her. When asked why she won't try, she says she'll do it when she's older, when she's 5. Ahem- NO! However, she's only three so for now I'm not yet doing anything other then repeatedly offering the option to her (asking, begging, not quite yet pleading). However, with my in-laws coming to visit, she was repeatedly told that when Papa came she'd have to do it.
Well, they arrived Tuesday and there was no need to go, so no problem. However, yesterday the need arose and she refused. Papa let her know she broke her promise, but she still wanted a diaper. Later the four adults went out to dinner while our regular sitter watched the Babe. The Babe had fallen asleep just before we left, so I let the sitter know to give her an hour and then wake her. When we arrived home there was big news. The Babe did it! It didn't take bribes or any other manipulation other than all the adults to leave the house. Ok, the sitter is an adult, but she's also a playmate in the Babe's perspective. I'm guessing the Babe felt less threatened when her sitter gently pushed her to use the potty (with diaper in hand).
So, we'll see how the next few days go. She's already received a reward for what she did. She knows another promised reward is coming. Hopefully, the only thing left to do is cut out liquids before bedtime and then we're done with diapers.
Well, they arrived Tuesday and there was no need to go, so no problem. However, yesterday the need arose and she refused. Papa let her know she broke her promise, but she still wanted a diaper. Later the four adults went out to dinner while our regular sitter watched the Babe. The Babe had fallen asleep just before we left, so I let the sitter know to give her an hour and then wake her. When we arrived home there was big news. The Babe did it! It didn't take bribes or any other manipulation other than all the adults to leave the house. Ok, the sitter is an adult, but she's also a playmate in the Babe's perspective. I'm guessing the Babe felt less threatened when her sitter gently pushed her to use the potty (with diaper in hand).
So, we'll see how the next few days go. She's already received a reward for what she did. She knows another promised reward is coming. Hopefully, the only thing left to do is cut out liquids before bedtime and then we're done with diapers.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Really Demanding
I'm often amazed by the things the Babe says. Sometimes just because of how she might repeat a very grown up phrase in (or out of) context, other times just by her analytical skills. Here are two examples.
The other day I took her to the grocery store. I have been riding the fence as to whether to take her into one anymore. Its very stressful lately, and she doesn't follow directions all the time. So, we went to the store, I tried to stay calm, and she did really well. She stayed with me, didn't touch the conveyor belt checking out, and overall cooperated. So when we got to the car, I told her how she was such a good girl. Her response? "Mommy, you're really demanding!" No idea why she said it or where she heard that phrase. I laughed and asked where she got that from. "Auntie Melissa!" Hmmm...no, my sister did not tell her that. Considering any phone call the Babe has is on speaker phone, I think I would have remembered that too. Anyhow, she repeated it at least six more times during our five minute ride home, laughing each time.
Her other comment that impressed me for a different reason arose out of her desire to play outside. It was a bright, sunny day with frigid temperatures and biting wind. After earlier telling her it was too cold to play outside, she casually asked what games we were going to play outside now (as if we were about to wander out). I told her again why we couldn't, but she really wanted to. So I told her if the temperature was under 32 degrees, it would be too cold to play outside. I pulled out my Ipod, looked up the current temperature on the Weather Station, and told her it was 30 degrees out so we couldn't go outside. Her response? "Its 36 degrees, so we can go outside". Why did this impress me? Because she understood the concept of greater or less than= if the temperature was less than 32 she couldn't have something, but if it was greater than 32 she could. She also has been counting up to 30, so the fact that she figured out the numbers for this little math challenge was also impressive to me.
The other day I took her to the grocery store. I have been riding the fence as to whether to take her into one anymore. Its very stressful lately, and she doesn't follow directions all the time. So, we went to the store, I tried to stay calm, and she did really well. She stayed with me, didn't touch the conveyor belt checking out, and overall cooperated. So when we got to the car, I told her how she was such a good girl. Her response? "Mommy, you're really demanding!" No idea why she said it or where she heard that phrase. I laughed and asked where she got that from. "Auntie Melissa!" Hmmm...no, my sister did not tell her that. Considering any phone call the Babe has is on speaker phone, I think I would have remembered that too. Anyhow, she repeated it at least six more times during our five minute ride home, laughing each time.
Her other comment that impressed me for a different reason arose out of her desire to play outside. It was a bright, sunny day with frigid temperatures and biting wind. After earlier telling her it was too cold to play outside, she casually asked what games we were going to play outside now (as if we were about to wander out). I told her again why we couldn't, but she really wanted to. So I told her if the temperature was under 32 degrees, it would be too cold to play outside. I pulled out my Ipod, looked up the current temperature on the Weather Station, and told her it was 30 degrees out so we couldn't go outside. Her response? "Its 36 degrees, so we can go outside". Why did this impress me? Because she understood the concept of greater or less than= if the temperature was less than 32 she couldn't have something, but if it was greater than 32 she could. She also has been counting up to 30, so the fact that she figured out the numbers for this little math challenge was also impressive to me.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)