Holidays and Happy Occasions

Today is my 26th birthday. To be honest I did not even realize my birthday was approaching until my husband mentioned it. (Brownie points to him for remembering!)
Don't get me wrong, I am not a person who dreads birthdays with an "oh damn I am so old waa waa" kind of attitude. I don't crawl in the closet and sob when the 13th of June pops up on the calendar.

In the past, in my youth (ha!), I couldn't wait for this day and I would start preparations and planning around, oh say the 13th of January. That's also because I was six... there wasn't much else going on in my life besides birthday parties and snack time.

Now, the birthday has taken on a more appreciative tone. I appreciate the fact that I have an amazing family and fabulous friends in my life. I am thankful that I have made it to 26 in a healthy body and (somewhat) sound mind. I couldn't ask for anything more in my life. Don't tell my husband.... but there is no greater gift that to be blessed with another amazing year like the one I've just had. See, my darling life partner is on an endless quest to find the greatest gift ever, so why spoil his valiant efforts?! :)

Speaking of awesome family time, last weekend AG and I went to Chicago to visit my family and to celebrate my sister's graduation. Much to everyone's delight Addie was a natural performer. All smiles and sunshine (as long as I was in the room). You can't fault her for wanting me to be around though, I freakin' rock as a mom. Anyway, we were able to visit with five generations of family and it was fabulous. I am sure this is the point where my mother wishes I would insert the "I wish we lived closer" comment.

Not gonna happen.

Mwuahahaha

Getting back to my sweet angel face, she was also a delight on the plane. I was beyond worried that I would suffer a PTSD episode at the airport (remember our last 45 minute flight to Chicago turned into an 8-hour-near-death-trip trapped inside the plane). There was even a point I caught myself humming and meditating before getting onto the giant steel bird. However, both flights were spectacular and Addie was particularly enthralled with the return flight because we were able to sit in between two men. And she loves older men. Again, don't tell my husband.

As our feet once again touched Tennessee soil I already had dreams of my bed dancing through my head. We waited patiently right outside the plane for our car seat and stroller. The patience left after 30 minutes. Nearly 40 minutes went by until the attendant finally admitted they had neither the stroller OR the car seat. But I could get a loaner at the gate, and he was sure ours would turn up eventually. FML.

Addie was loving it. Walk through the airport you say? Weave in and out of other passengers as you struggle to run along side me, meekly apologizing as you cut people off and run into their legs? Squirm and wiggle like a damn trout when you attempt to carry me? Of course I will perform all of these tasks - and I'll do it with a smile! The only time she paused to let me wipe the sweat from my brow was in front of the Orchid Lounge. A wannabe Nashville-star was singing his heart out strumming his guitar. My wannabe band-aid began to spin in circles, twirl her dress and clap her hands along to the song. If she had a hat, I swear people would have started throwing in money.

Finally we made it to baggage claim, reported our luggage and received our rental car seat. I was SOL about the loaner stroller. Then the long walk back to the car carrying both toddler, car seat and carry-on baggage began. There are no words to express the amount of sweat that was coming out of me.

Thankfully the kind courier at Southwest delivered our belongings to our doorstep that evening. I was unable to thank him in person however because at that point I was passed out on the sofa, feet aching, most likely drooling and dreaming of the days when my travels only included a backpack, possibly some underwear and a magazine.

Invitation Revoked

My invitation to the Mother of the Year luncheon was recently revoked. It all happened so fast. In a few short hours I went from being a potential Parental Genius nominee, praise and adoration sure to follow, to not even being allowed to sit at the cool mom lunch table (much less show my face at all.)

To transfer blame, I am placing it squarely on the shoulders of progress and curiosity. These two culprits have catapulted my daughter from stationary, easily amused baby to constant movement, "one-touch-is-never-enough" toddler. Last weekend she was peacefully observing the world in the grocery cart, happily collecting the fruits and vegetables I would place around her.

This weekend, she just had to try and reach for something on the shelf. And she just had to accomplish this by standing up in the cart. And gravity just had to exist at that exact moment to flip her out of said cart onto the impending concrete floor below. Good thing her head broke the fall.

The worst part is that I was standing right next to her. Unfortunately Usain Bolt and I do not share the same DNA. (Yes I DID just Google "fastest man alive" for the purposes of this blog. No I do not randomly store that kind of information in my head.)

Anyway, she cried, I consoled and it was over much faster than I had expected and she seemed to not suffer any kind of permanent injury. So we went home... where she promptly climbed up onto my bed and tried to jump off. Good thing her head broke the fall.

SERIOUSLY KID?

She cried, I consoled and even the second time around it was over much faster than I had anticipated. I distracted her with a new project; she quickly set to work helping Mommy put together a small shelf. She has a fascination with stacking and piecing together different objects. She knows exactly what to do when I hand her a hammer or screwdriver. "What a great project to get her mind off of what will soon become a monster headache" I thought. Then I noticed the screw and piece of plastic she had swishing around in her mouth.

SERIOUSLY KID?

That was our Saturday. Yes, it is already Tuesday, but it has taken me this long to come out of the rock I crawled under. Now we have a long weekend coming up... who knows what kind of trouble we could get into!

Flood Relief

With all of the recent flooding in the mid-Tennessee region, I have been giving a lot of thought to natural disasters. Not in the Chicken Little "the sky is falling" sort of way, but really just to make sure that in case of an emergency, we are prepared. Natural disasters are not something I have ever planned for before. I am not really sure why, except for the excuse that life gets in the way. But, as the saying goes, you just NEVER KNOW. Why not be prepared? Now my preparedness tool kits are stashed all over the house.

There is a tornado kit tucked away under the bathroom sink in our guest bath. The last time we had immanent tornado threats I had to sit in that bathroom with Addie and the three dogs. I lasted about 20 minutes. In that time I gave serious consideration as to what would be a more gruesome way to perish - death by dog breath or getting sucked up in a funnel cloud. I took my chances and opened the door. This reminds me I need to add face mask to that kit, just in case we are all stuck in the room together again.

We have a fire bag strategically placed and ready to go. Let's just hope the fire doesn't originate in the garage... then I'd be screwed.

Of course now we have a flood kit as well. That one I have up on the second floor. Still contemplating whether or not I am going to put an inflatable raft up there too. We'll see.

I'll end with one great little anecdote regarding the flood. On the news one night, the reporter was discussing the devastation and how many people had been displaced from their homes. In the corner of the screen you see an opossum standing at the swollen riverbank. Obviously this mama saw safety on the other side of this raging water. As ugly and nasty as those little creatures are, my mama gut cried out, "Don't do it! Not safe! Think of your children!" Next thing you know, her five little critters hop on her back and she dives in the water paddling with a strength only the good Lord could give her. All her little babies were straining their necks trying to stay as upright as possible. After what seemed like an eternity, that strong mommy opossum and her little ones were safe on the other side and they head on out.

Just like a mama to dive in unknown waters, facing the upstream current, all for her little creepy critters. I love it.

Your Kind of Mommy

Addie has a great book called "Your Kind of Mommy".

In it there are all sorts of different mommies: a bee, an octopus, a wallaby, etc. that have special characteristics unique to caring for their babies. After the introduction of each new mommy the author repeats "but I'm not that kind of mommy and I know my [fill in various attributes here] will do". The book ends with "I'm your kind of mommy and that's the best that I can be".

No crying you sappy waa-waas out there.

The best that you can be. Well, what if you suck at being a parent? What new mother hasn't stared at her bulging belly or her tiny fresh from the womb infant and wondered, "What if I screw something up? What if this kid doesn't like me?" Trust me, if you are the best that you can be then that is all they need.

The point is, as a mother, no one expects perfection. Mistakes are made, things don't turn out as planned, but you persevere. Just ask your own mother if she has ever made mistakes or mishaps in her parenting career. I am sure she has a few stories. But you still think she's awesome. That's because mothers are the masters of thinking on their feet, trusting their gut instinct and making something work from nothing. They teach you about life, love and all the lessons you sometimes wish you didn't have to sit through. But we always appreciate them in the end.

So on Mother's Day, thank your mommy, because she was the best that she could be. And she did it all for you.

Diapering Debacle

This past week my life has been consumed by my daughter's butt. I am sure there are a lot of funny quips or puns I could slide right in here - but I am taking the high ground.

But seriously it stinks.
(Couldn't resist)


At the beginning of our diapering days, when my little peanut was still smushy and stationary, I tried all different styles and brands - Seventh Generation, Earth's Best, Huggies, Luvs and Pampers. There was one category in which Pampers succeeded time and again, where the others failed miserably - containment of the projectile.

I'm not going to go into detail here, use your imagination. If you are a mother, I am sure you have experienced this at least once with your infant. Addison was simply overjoyed with each bowel movement that she gave it her full and utmost effort. Naturally I needed a diaper that would contain her... enthusiasm... and I found it with Pampers.

Two weeks ago it was time for us to move up a size. Her emerging badunkadunk was no longer contained in the previous 'sposies and I imagine a diaper wedgie is not all that comfortable. About the time we were making the switch, unbeknown st to me, the company was pushing a "new and improved" version of their diapers complete with a DryMax technology. Basically an increased amount of various new chemicals injected into the gel of the diaper to make it more absorbent.

Within 48 hours of Addie wearing these diapers she experienced blisters ALL OVER the diaper coverage area. I did not make a correlation to the diapers initially, because there had never been a problem before. But I was spinning in circles trying to determine some new food, new environmental factor. I kept jamming my finger in her mouth rooting around for new teeth. Nothing - and still the blisters grew and got worse. When I hit the Internet looking for remedies for such serious booty burns I started seeing all of the articles online about P&G defending their new diapers INSISTING they do not cause diaper rash/chemical burns on children. The same exact rash that was all over my child. Okay, who wants to get their a*s kicked first?!

Now we are on a diaper quest. Sadly I am leaving my once-trusted Pampers behind. Even giving them the benefit of the doubt (regardless of the fact that all circumstantial evidence pointed directly to them) I wouldn't want someone gambling with my tooshie, so I'm won't do the same to AG's.

The more I look for alternatives, the more I come across the new style of cloth diapers. Other mothers are swearing that this is the way to go for the potty training years. Maybe because it is more like underwear? I have been leisurely browsing several sites regarding the reusable diapers and I am actually impressed. These are not the diapers I imagined. No safety pins, no touching poop, no holding a soggy piece of fabric in your hand. There are ruffles, bright colors and sequins. Obviously they're speaking to the hearts of mothers like me. These are definitely something to consider.

On top of that we are the recent owners of a big girl potty. It came complete with a sticker book so how could I say no? Plus, she already tells me when she is either a) just gone to the bathroom or b) is about to go. I mean, it's just that easy to potty train right? Just buy the potty, grab them a magazine and give them a jellybean when they're done. Right? Piece of cake - I don't know what all the fuss is about. :)

Sowing the Seeds of a Nature Lover

Five years ago I made a commitment to increase my Earth-friendliness and decrease my carbon footprint. It was a decision made by a pre-marriage, pre-motherhood, pre-career driven woman.

It was a decision made while I was a flower pickin', ideals driven, (still bra wearing) college liberal.

The commitment I made back then is still present today. Now it's fueled by an even stronger desire than "just because it is a good idea". My motivation comes from the realization that the biggest thing I am going to pass down to my child is this planet. I want it to be in the best shape possible when I turn it over. I want her to have a firm understanding that the choices she makes every day effect her spiritually and physically. That the actions we make have an impact on this Earth. There is no greater way to show this than to lead by example.

[Inject funny anecdote here] I have two large beautiful (if I do say so myself) planters overflowing with petunias in our front yard. Fascinated by the flowers, AG wandered over to inspect the pots one day while we were playing outside. "Perfect time for an 'all living things' moment" I thought excitedly as I rushed over to explain all about the little white specimens. I babbled on about how the plants were alive. I continuously repeated how the sun and the dirt feed the plants and they are growing big and strong because we take good care of them. She listened (faking interest) just staring at all of the beautiful buds flowing out of the pots. Then, she slowly lifted her head and smiled at me. "Oh my gosh she understands!" I thought elated, "How amazing!"

As quickly as a cobra snatching a poor unsuspecting mouse my tender-hearted little baby then reached out and snapped 3 petunia heads out of my pot in one foul swoop... the entire time still staring into my eyes with that sweet smile.

Uh huh.

I am not going to let this deter me from my mission. We continue to explore plants and flowers, take walks through the fields by our house inspecting all of the flora and fauna we find. I have tomato seedlings sitting near the kitchen window that are regularly inspected (now under my extra watchful eye). There are simple projects we have done as well that are getting her involved with the home "greening" efforts. She loves to throw the recycling over the railing into the bins and regularly participates in composting (mostly by tossing in additional wood chips). Basically any task that involves her throwing an object at something else.

I am always looking for new ideas, since most of the earth-friendly activities I find start with 3 or 4-year-olds. The more I think about it, though, there may be a reason for this. And I'm pretty sure my headless petunia plant would agree.

New Playground Enthusiast

As I am looking out of my window on this wet and soggy day, I am glad we played outside so much yesterday! Friday was our first big playground experience. Now that Addie is much more steady on her feet, I thought she would enjoy watching the older kids run around and maybe go down the slide once or twice.

We chose a great playground downtown by the riverfront that has a bunch of slides, things to climb on and a walking trail along the river. At first she did not know what to do with herself. There were only two older children there, maybe 4 and 7-years-old. She studied their movements, perplexed why they kept choosing to jump from the top of the jungle gym, then climb right back up and do it again. When the other children saw us, they ran over asking a million questions: 'Who is this baby?' 'How old is she?' 'Can she dress herself?' and my personal favorite, 'Can she come home with me?'. Ahh, I am so looking forward to the "20 questions" years that are right around the corner.

We managed to dodge the children a little while later. I got the little boy to go throw wood chips on the other side of the playground... he didn't need much convincing. The little girl was a bit harder to shake. She did not want me holding Addie's hand, she wanted me to hold her hand. Then she wanted me to carry her. I did not do either, all I needed was for her mother to reappear and see me carrying her daughter around. So I told her to go down by the river and see if she saw any ducks. Yep. Even as I type this I realize how terrible that sounds. Well her absentee mother should have been paying more attention to her... she was by the way jogging along the RiverWalk so easily half a mile away. Nice. I can't believe ya'll think I'm the bad one.

For awhile our entire playground experience was me following AG around the equipment, inspecting staircases, knocking on the giant pieces of plexiglass they use to keep kids from plummeting off the sides, picking up the occasional wood chip. She just wanted to walk around the jungle gym and view the world from different angles.

That's when she saw the slide. A towering green swirl of delight. I asked if she wanted to go down and her neck almost snapped she was nodding so emphatically. Then she just started walking towards the opening! I caught her right before she was about to step off the deep end. We sat down together and I muttered a quick prayer hoping I wouldn't look like the idiot mother whose butt got stuck on the children's slide.

326 times down the slide later I was looking for a new piece of playground equipment that might spark interest. We sat for awhile on one of the swinging park benches, then walked along the river and stopped to pet every single dog we saw. It was impossible not to, when they walked past she began screaming and pointing, "Dog - dog - dog!" All of the owners were obviously used to it and she met everyone from a giant Bull Mastif named Daisy, to a little 4-month-old Jack Russel, Max. By the time I had a chance to look at the clock two hours had already flown by.

The park has now been added to our growing list of "let's do this again". There were so many invaluable learning opportunities as well - colors, movement, shapes and sounds. I don't know why people buy all of those insanely expensive computerized toys just to explain what a red circle is. Take the kid outside and they'll learn about the circle and a whole slew of other useful kid knowledge. Like what a leaf tastes like.