Sometime last weekend, the Pumpkin asked if I wanted to play with her. Londo had the baby, so I said sure. I put down the dishes I was cleaning and went into the living room to play. She asked me if I wanted to help her and bring the bowl from her play kitchen to her table (the toddler table). This is just the sort of thing we ask her to do when she wants to help us in the kitchen.
Of course I said sure, and I brought the bowl to the table while she pretended to cook at her play kitchen. She said to me, "Good job, Mommy! You are a good helper!" She gave me another bowl, and I did a good job with that one, too!
Friday, October 2, 2009
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Laughing Through the Nos
It was another rough night, and again everyone ended up in our bed. That includes the dog and sometimes the cat. (Thank goodness it's a king-sized bed!)
After I had been up with the baby for over an hour, the Pumpkin and Londo finally woke up. It was after 8, so we were already running late. But the Pumpkin hadn't slept well due to a cough and Londo is almost always at work by 8 instead of sleeping cuddled with his daughter, so I let them sleep until they woke on their own(ish) just after 8.
One of the first things I told the Pumpkin was that there was oatmeal for breakfast in order to help motivate her to get up and ready to go. She was excited! She loves oatmeal! But everything after that was met by a big "No." This conversation happened after yet another No.
caramama, to Londo: It sounds like she's got a case of the Nos.
Londo, to caramama: You know how to get some Yeses? Just ask her a question which should have the answer No.
caramama, to Londo: Because she's being so contrary lately?
Londo, to caramama: Yep.
Londo, to the Pumpkin: Pumpkin, do you want to go back to sleep?
Pumpkin: Noooo.
caramama, to Londo: Good try.
Londo, to the Pumpkin: Pumpkin, do you want a hippopatomaus?
Pumpkin: No, Daddy. I want oatmeal!
We got a good laugh out of that! Maybe next time she rejects whatever meat we've made for dinner I'll tell her it's hippopatomaus! Bwahahaha!
Also, a little while later, there was this conversation, apropo of nothing:
Pumpkin: Daddy, are you Super Daddy?
Londo: Yes, I am!
caramama: He most definitely is!
That's the cute story for the morning. I won't get into the big meltdown about which chair she wanted to sit in ("No, the OTHER one!") or trying to get her out to the car (I had to carry her) or the dropoff (which is actually getting better).
After I had been up with the baby for over an hour, the Pumpkin and Londo finally woke up. It was after 8, so we were already running late. But the Pumpkin hadn't slept well due to a cough and Londo is almost always at work by 8 instead of sleeping cuddled with his daughter, so I let them sleep until they woke on their own(ish) just after 8.
One of the first things I told the Pumpkin was that there was oatmeal for breakfast in order to help motivate her to get up and ready to go. She was excited! She loves oatmeal! But everything after that was met by a big "No." This conversation happened after yet another No.
caramama, to Londo: It sounds like she's got a case of the Nos.
Londo, to caramama: You know how to get some Yeses? Just ask her a question which should have the answer No.
caramama, to Londo: Because she's being so contrary lately?
Londo, to caramama: Yep.
Londo, to the Pumpkin: Pumpkin, do you want to go back to sleep?
Pumpkin: Noooo.
caramama, to Londo: Good try.
Londo, to the Pumpkin: Pumpkin, do you want a hippopatomaus?
Pumpkin: No, Daddy. I want oatmeal!
We got a good laugh out of that! Maybe next time she rejects whatever meat we've made for dinner I'll tell her it's hippopatomaus! Bwahahaha!
Also, a little while later, there was this conversation, apropo of nothing:
Pumpkin: Daddy, are you Super Daddy?
Londo: Yes, I am!
caramama: He most definitely is!
That's the cute story for the morning. I won't get into the big meltdown about which chair she wanted to sit in ("No, the OTHER one!") or trying to get her out to the car (I had to carry her) or the dropoff (which is actually getting better).
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Sleepless in caramama's House
Well, not sleepless, but pretty crappy sleep.
Some nights are great! Until a two weekends ago, the Pumpkin had been sleeping through the night in her own bed by herself probably 5 out of 7 nights. Most nights over the last month or more, the Pookie has sleep a big chunk (like 3-4 hours) at the beginning of the night and then woken every 2 hours or so. The nights when both kids are sleeping at their best, Londo and I get decent sleep. I wake up feeling better good and like I can handle the day.
Then we have nights like the last two nights, and the three nights prior to Saturday night (Saturday night was actually a good night). These are the nights when the Pookie wakes up every. freaking. hour. and kicks and squirms and nurses the rest of the time and/or (usually and) the Pumpkin comes into our bed with a book she wants Daddy to read (okay, that's kind of cute) and tosses and turns on us, between us and into us.
I so grumpy today. I'm so very very tired. I went to bed at 9:00 just hoping to get a chunk of sleep when the baby first went to bed, but he woke up at 10:15 and was not restful the whole night, including waking up every hour. The Pumpkin was in bed with us since midnight or earlier and was very grumpy herself this morning. And the Pookie was fussing just enough to keep me from being able to finish getting ready for the morning. Londo stayed home sick this morning, so he helped me out a great deal.
Did I mention we've all been sick and were finally feeling better but now not so much?
Plus, fall is now here and I haven't started doing anything to treat my Seasonal Affective Disorder. Ugh. I'm just happy to be back at work where I deal with very few people who act like babies and toddlers.
Some nights are great! Until a two weekends ago, the Pumpkin had been sleeping through the night in her own bed by herself probably 5 out of 7 nights. Most nights over the last month or more, the Pookie has sleep a big chunk (like 3-4 hours) at the beginning of the night and then woken every 2 hours or so. The nights when both kids are sleeping at their best, Londo and I get decent sleep. I wake up feeling better good and like I can handle the day.
Then we have nights like the last two nights, and the three nights prior to Saturday night (Saturday night was actually a good night). These are the nights when the Pookie wakes up every. freaking. hour. and kicks and squirms and nurses the rest of the time and/or (usually and) the Pumpkin comes into our bed with a book she wants Daddy to read (okay, that's kind of cute) and tosses and turns on us, between us and into us.
I so grumpy today. I'm so very very tired. I went to bed at 9:00 just hoping to get a chunk of sleep when the baby first went to bed, but he woke up at 10:15 and was not restful the whole night, including waking up every hour. The Pumpkin was in bed with us since midnight or earlier and was very grumpy herself this morning. And the Pookie was fussing just enough to keep me from being able to finish getting ready for the morning. Londo stayed home sick this morning, so he helped me out a great deal.
Did I mention we've all been sick and were finally feeling better but now not so much?
Plus, fall is now here and I haven't started doing anything to treat my Seasonal Affective Disorder. Ugh. I'm just happy to be back at work where I deal with very few people who act like babies and toddlers.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Question of the Week - Re-Organizing Rooms
This weekend, Londo and I worked together to really clean up and organize two rooms on our first floor. You see, we have let things go for months now, and I cannot let them go any longer because it's been driving me CRAZY! The sense of disorganization and clutter, not being able to find important papers and items, and tripping over crap that hasn't been put away or has no place to go... These things make me nuts.
I can ignore them for a while. When it's winter and I am too exhausted to notice, I don't have the energy to even get upset about it. With the tough pregnancy last year and then the newborn, I was just barely keeping up with dishes and laundry. But I have had to ask people to re-send me things for the Pumpkin's pre-school (her registration), for the animals (records for the dog's vaccinations), for the doctors and pharmacists (allergy information and EpiPen perscription), and much more. I can't live like that.
Before I went back to work from maternity leave, I had started re-organizing and re-purposing the kitchen cabinets, the kitchen hutch and the dining room hutch. At this point in my life, I do not need the crystal or the martini glasses handy. I do need a place to put Play Doh and other art supplies and places to put the chips and bread that is out of reach of my tall and intensely curious child. I've been so much happier since re-orgnizing those.
I had even cleaned up the kitchen counters where we drop our stuff when we get home. But those didn't stay clean for long. You see, we've not really had another place to put those items, and so our limited kitchen counters kept getting even more cluttered.
So this weekend, we cleaned all the junk off of the dining room table. I finished organizing the hutch in the dining room so that we can put things right in there, not on the table where it'll sit and look messy. Then, we cleaned out the coat closet. We went through coats and accessories for giveaway and storage, and then we organized it to work better (I hope). We did the same for our entryway, including the coat hooks and the cubbyholes I have by the door.
Finally, I re-arranged the front room to work for us at this time in our lives. Instead of being the "parlor" where only my antique chairs fit, and instead of being the "library" when all the books are in boxes on the floor until we can afford bookshelves, I will be calling it the "front room" because it has multiple purposes. The boxes of books line the wall where we will put the bookshelves, but only one level high so you don't really see them. The chairs are set up in front of the boxes and no longer hold random junk. I moved my beautiful antique, marble-topped washbasin desk to be against the wall by the front door, along with a little table with shelf. I have begun setting those up to hold the various items we bring into the house, from cell phones and mail to the Pumpkin's school papers and art. I need to buy a couple little items to finish off that area, such as a bulletin board and calendar for the wall above it and a rack to put labeled folders in. Finally, I found a good way to store the three strollers and the car seat in that front room without taking up a lot of space in the middle of the room or looking really messy.
My head is full of re-organizing and decorating, and I've got plans for some other rooms, too! So this week's question of the week is:
What room or rooms would you re-organize if you could?
I love to hear about how other people organize and decorate. There is a reason I watch so much HGTV! Have you got any good plans or ideas for your house? Is there a room (like my kitchen) which you would completely remodel if you could?
In some coincidental good timing, last week Ask Moxie had a few posts with many great comments about managing stuff and managing schedules and papers. Check it out if you need some good ideas.
I can ignore them for a while. When it's winter and I am too exhausted to notice, I don't have the energy to even get upset about it. With the tough pregnancy last year and then the newborn, I was just barely keeping up with dishes and laundry. But I have had to ask people to re-send me things for the Pumpkin's pre-school (her registration), for the animals (records for the dog's vaccinations), for the doctors and pharmacists (allergy information and EpiPen perscription), and much more. I can't live like that.
Before I went back to work from maternity leave, I had started re-organizing and re-purposing the kitchen cabinets, the kitchen hutch and the dining room hutch. At this point in my life, I do not need the crystal or the martini glasses handy. I do need a place to put Play Doh and other art supplies and places to put the chips and bread that is out of reach of my tall and intensely curious child. I've been so much happier since re-orgnizing those.
I had even cleaned up the kitchen counters where we drop our stuff when we get home. But those didn't stay clean for long. You see, we've not really had another place to put those items, and so our limited kitchen counters kept getting even more cluttered.
So this weekend, we cleaned all the junk off of the dining room table. I finished organizing the hutch in the dining room so that we can put things right in there, not on the table where it'll sit and look messy. Then, we cleaned out the coat closet. We went through coats and accessories for giveaway and storage, and then we organized it to work better (I hope). We did the same for our entryway, including the coat hooks and the cubbyholes I have by the door.
Finally, I re-arranged the front room to work for us at this time in our lives. Instead of being the "parlor" where only my antique chairs fit, and instead of being the "library" when all the books are in boxes on the floor until we can afford bookshelves, I will be calling it the "front room" because it has multiple purposes. The boxes of books line the wall where we will put the bookshelves, but only one level high so you don't really see them. The chairs are set up in front of the boxes and no longer hold random junk. I moved my beautiful antique, marble-topped washbasin desk to be against the wall by the front door, along with a little table with shelf. I have begun setting those up to hold the various items we bring into the house, from cell phones and mail to the Pumpkin's school papers and art. I need to buy a couple little items to finish off that area, such as a bulletin board and calendar for the wall above it and a rack to put labeled folders in. Finally, I found a good way to store the three strollers and the car seat in that front room without taking up a lot of space in the middle of the room or looking really messy.
My head is full of re-organizing and decorating, and I've got plans for some other rooms, too! So this week's question of the week is:
What room or rooms would you re-organize if you could?
I love to hear about how other people organize and decorate. There is a reason I watch so much HGTV! Have you got any good plans or ideas for your house? Is there a room (like my kitchen) which you would completely remodel if you could?
In some coincidental good timing, last week Ask Moxie had a few posts with many great comments about managing stuff and managing schedules and papers. Check it out if you need some good ideas.
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