Ever since the first time I saw Mary Poppins, I loved it. I loved it so much that first time seeing it in the theater, that my mom offered to stay with me and watch it a second time. But it wasn't until I was a teenager babysitting and watched the movie again through adult(ish) eyes that I got half of what was going on in that movie. (Women suffragettes! A run on the money in a bank! Admiral Boom thinking the Hottentots are attacking!)
There are so many kids movies and shows that have two different levels of information. There is the level that entertains the kids, and there is the level that goes straight over their heads and entertains the adults. This is true from Mary Poppins to Toy Story to countless others. After all, we adults do not enjoy the same level of entertainment as the kids, but so often we have to watch the same things.
It's not just shows, though. At least in our house, Londo and I tend to amuse ourselves where we can, speaking above the kids' levels or referring to things they totally won't get for years. I thought I would share some of these instances with you all, as well as record them for posterity.
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Often when we get the Pumpkin or the Pookie to do something "on demand," we'll say, "Dance, monkey, dance!" It's good for a chuckle, although we do it less now that the Pumpkin repeats things.
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When the Pumpkin was going through a very contrary stage, I would say the nursery rhyme to her, "Mary, Mary, quite contrary. How does your garden grow?" She knew the rhyme (we've got a great nursery rhymes book), and would usually reply, "With silver bells and cockleshells and pretty maids all in a row."
But one time, Londo answered instead, "What garden? I don't have a garden!"
I laughed at the irony and added my own response, "My garden doesn't grow!"
(As a cute aside, the Pumpkin said to ME many times, "Mommy, Mommy, quite contrary. How does your garden grow?" I wasn't really be contrary at the time. She was just saying the cute rhyme, but saying to me.)
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A few months ago, the Pumpkin put a pair of pants around her head like a bandana. I told her to put a fist in the air and say, "Wolverines!" She totally did! And I cracked up so hard.
Who gets that reference? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
(Another aside: A few weeks ago, I read this post by The Blogess. And that typifies why I am developing a girl crush on her.)
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The Pumpkin likes to make up words and change sounds within words. While this can be cute, it can also be frustrating because she will sometimes argue with us over how to say the word. Even when she knows we are right or we didn't say what she says we did.
The other night, Londo asked her to sit in her chair the right way please. And she said, "Not clease. Please" though she did not turn around. He responded, "I said please." She said again, "Not clease. PLEASE!" He basically said whatever, then said very quietly to me as he passed me, "Not cluck either."
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I had a bunch more, but I keep forgetting to write them down, and then they are gone. I'll have to post more of these if I think of any more.
I almost made this a question of the week, because I'd love to hear any that you do. Got any?
Friday, February 26, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
But Wait, There's More
The little guy is about 8.5 months old now. He's doing things physically at a later time period than his sister. This is no problem at all, considering the Pumpkin did all physical and verbal things crazy early. However, what does seem to be frustrating for him is that he's trying to do it all at once.
Over the last month, he's been working on crawling, sitting, pushing to a seated position, feeding himself, manipulating toys, jumping in little activity centers and even trying to stand up! I am thinking that because he is trying to do all of these things at the same time, it's taking him a while to master any of them.
He still can't quite figure out how to crawl. I think it's so cute when he is on his hands and knees and rocks back and forth, and I love to watch it possibly because his sister barely did that at all. Almost every time I go to him in the middle of the night, he's on his hands and knees in his crib and crying. Poor guy. And poor me, cause this happens too much lately. He has figured out how to move his hands and his legs, but he doesn't have the timing or balance or whatever it is to actually start crawling yet.
When I sit him up, he stablizes for a little while. But when he focuses his attention on something like a toy? He loses his balance and topples over to the side. TIMBER! This is why we can't just plop him down somewhere and leave him. We have to sit him up with the Boppy around him or put him between our legs.
Though he's been actively working on pushing to a seated position in less time than the other skills, he is closer to master it than the others. I actually think he figured it out by accident. I noticed when he was trying to crawl, he would sometimes push one side more than the other. Then he noticed it helped him reach things. So he quickly put it together and now can push up to a mostly seated position, though he needs one arm propped on the floor and can't quite push off that to sit up straight.
He likes to have something to feed himself while we are feeding him. The complete baby-led feeding/weaning wasn't working for him or us, so we are spoon feeding him mostly. But we've continued to give him some finger food, and he's gotten quite good at getting it in his mouth.
He's at a really neat stage where he is able to start manipulating toys and figuring them out. I love when he jumps in his activity center while pulling and banging on toys. He's just really interested in all the things around him.
Similar to how he started figuring out how to push up to sitting, he is trying to push up to standing. There's no way he'll get there yet, but it's fun to watch him try! Also, he loves to pull himself up to standing by holding onto someone's hands. He's been doing it for a while, but we can just feel him getting stronger and more sure in his movements.
Is it no wonder his sleeping has been all over the place? Literally and figuratively. He moves all around his crib during the night. And we cannot predict his wake ups. Some nights, he wakes only once, and others he is up three times or really early or in some way tough on us all. Plus, his two front, top teeth are so close to cutting through!
There's just a lot going on in his little body. His amazing, growing, changing, developing, becoming-a-boy body! And yet he's still a very happy-go-lucky smile guy!
Over the last month, he's been working on crawling, sitting, pushing to a seated position, feeding himself, manipulating toys, jumping in little activity centers and even trying to stand up! I am thinking that because he is trying to do all of these things at the same time, it's taking him a while to master any of them.
He still can't quite figure out how to crawl. I think it's so cute when he is on his hands and knees and rocks back and forth, and I love to watch it possibly because his sister barely did that at all. Almost every time I go to him in the middle of the night, he's on his hands and knees in his crib and crying. Poor guy. And poor me, cause this happens too much lately. He has figured out how to move his hands and his legs, but he doesn't have the timing or balance or whatever it is to actually start crawling yet.
When I sit him up, he stablizes for a little while. But when he focuses his attention on something like a toy? He loses his balance and topples over to the side. TIMBER! This is why we can't just plop him down somewhere and leave him. We have to sit him up with the Boppy around him or put him between our legs.
Though he's been actively working on pushing to a seated position in less time than the other skills, he is closer to master it than the others. I actually think he figured it out by accident. I noticed when he was trying to crawl, he would sometimes push one side more than the other. Then he noticed it helped him reach things. So he quickly put it together and now can push up to a mostly seated position, though he needs one arm propped on the floor and can't quite push off that to sit up straight.
He likes to have something to feed himself while we are feeding him. The complete baby-led feeding/weaning wasn't working for him or us, so we are spoon feeding him mostly. But we've continued to give him some finger food, and he's gotten quite good at getting it in his mouth.
He's at a really neat stage where he is able to start manipulating toys and figuring them out. I love when he jumps in his activity center while pulling and banging on toys. He's just really interested in all the things around him.
Similar to how he started figuring out how to push up to sitting, he is trying to push up to standing. There's no way he'll get there yet, but it's fun to watch him try! Also, he loves to pull himself up to standing by holding onto someone's hands. He's been doing it for a while, but we can just feel him getting stronger and more sure in his movements.
Is it no wonder his sleeping has been all over the place? Literally and figuratively. He moves all around his crib during the night. And we cannot predict his wake ups. Some nights, he wakes only once, and others he is up three times or really early or in some way tough on us all. Plus, his two front, top teeth are so close to cutting through!
There's just a lot going on in his little body. His amazing, growing, changing, developing, becoming-a-boy body! And yet he's still a very happy-go-lucky smile guy!
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Slightly Off
I'm feeling off today. Last night I fell asleep putting the Pumpkin to bed because she was taking forever, and this morning the Pookie woke for the day at 5:50. And everything since has been slightly off.
When I was cleaning my pumping equipment this morning (instead of the night before like I usually do), I got some soap in my eye. I took out my contact and cleaned my eye and the contact, but it's still stinging a bit and making things look literally a bit foggy.
I had to shower this morning instead of the night before, which was a first for me alone with two kids completely awake. I put the Pookie in his crib with toys and the Pumpkin in front of a TV show with a toy. I clocked my shower at 7 minutes, not bad. But the Pookie was fussing/crying when I got out because he was bored or wondered where I was or something. The time getting into, taking and getting out of the shower set my whole morning schedule back.
I brewed coffee, but didn't seem to have time to make my cup and then forgot to fix it to go with me. I am miserable without my coffee. I had a cup when I finally got to work, but it's not the same.
I forgot the Pumpkin's shoes for school, and she was very upset that she had to wear her snow boots instead of changing into the running shoes. That is a big change to her routine, and those types of big changes are still hard for her.
I needed to finish some work last night, but I obviously didn't because when Londo did wake me up from falling asleep in the Pumpkin's room, I was out of it and went right to sleep. So now I feel behind on what I need to get done at work today.
The post I wanted to write today/last night just isn't happening. This is all I can manage with my foggy brain and twitching eye.
At least I remembered my lunch today. I just need to find time to eat it before some marathon meetings this afternoon.
It's just one of those days...
When I was cleaning my pumping equipment this morning (instead of the night before like I usually do), I got some soap in my eye. I took out my contact and cleaned my eye and the contact, but it's still stinging a bit and making things look literally a bit foggy.
I had to shower this morning instead of the night before, which was a first for me alone with two kids completely awake. I put the Pookie in his crib with toys and the Pumpkin in front of a TV show with a toy. I clocked my shower at 7 minutes, not bad. But the Pookie was fussing/crying when I got out because he was bored or wondered where I was or something. The time getting into, taking and getting out of the shower set my whole morning schedule back.
I brewed coffee, but didn't seem to have time to make my cup and then forgot to fix it to go with me. I am miserable without my coffee. I had a cup when I finally got to work, but it's not the same.
I forgot the Pumpkin's shoes for school, and she was very upset that she had to wear her snow boots instead of changing into the running shoes. That is a big change to her routine, and those types of big changes are still hard for her.
I needed to finish some work last night, but I obviously didn't because when Londo did wake me up from falling asleep in the Pumpkin's room, I was out of it and went right to sleep. So now I feel behind on what I need to get done at work today.
The post I wanted to write today/last night just isn't happening. This is all I can manage with my foggy brain and twitching eye.
At least I remembered my lunch today. I just need to find time to eat it before some marathon meetings this afternoon.
It's just one of those days...
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Question of the Week - For the Record...
Last night, I published this status on Facebook: Let the record show that on this date, my daughter said to me, "Wow. You know so many things!" I will need this record in another 10-15 years.
Children are wonderful. They are such a blessing, so sweet and fun and just amazing beings. Mine especially. Of course I'm not saying they are perfect--if you think that, then you've obviously not been reading my blog more than a nanosecond. But I really, truly enjoy being a mom, especially to my wonderful kids, through all the good and bad.
I hope to be saying the same when they are teenagers. The fact is, those preteen and teen years are difficult for every child and parent in one way or another. It's like the regression/difficult period before a developmental/cognitive leap goes on for years, rather than the weeks for babies or months for toddlers and preschoolers!
And when my kids get to that stage where they think they know more than their parents do? I'm going to need some good ammunition to shoot down their high-falutin ideas that they know more or can get away with things! Londo and I have been there and done that, then lived through having children. I'm also planning to use some good, old-fashioned guilt to ensure behavoir and respect. hehe.
So this week's Question of the Week is:
What do you want on the record so that you can pull it back out to share with your kids at a later date?
In addition to my daughter realizing my brilliance for knowing which letters begin many different words (such as M is for mommy and P is for pear), I also want on the record for my daughter the screaming car rides we put up with and all the night wakings. Every. Single. One!
For the record with my son, so far I want to put the extremely difficult pregnancy I had with him, and the many night wakings which required mommy-only-mommy-will-do nursing sessions. Oh, and that time when our power was out for two days and it was 48 degrees in our house and he simply HAD to have me get out of bed, pull down my shirt and nurse him in the freezing cold. Oh yeah, that's on the record!
How about you? What acknowledgements would you like recorded for prosperity? Any hardships you want remembered by the kiddos? What do you plan to bring up in their teen years?
Children are wonderful. They are such a blessing, so sweet and fun and just amazing beings. Mine especially. Of course I'm not saying they are perfect--if you think that, then you've obviously not been reading my blog more than a nanosecond. But I really, truly enjoy being a mom, especially to my wonderful kids, through all the good and bad.
I hope to be saying the same when they are teenagers. The fact is, those preteen and teen years are difficult for every child and parent in one way or another. It's like the regression/difficult period before a developmental/cognitive leap goes on for years, rather than the weeks for babies or months for toddlers and preschoolers!
And when my kids get to that stage where they think they know more than their parents do? I'm going to need some good ammunition to shoot down their high-falutin ideas that they know more or can get away with things! Londo and I have been there and done that, then lived through having children. I'm also planning to use some good, old-fashioned guilt to ensure behavoir and respect. hehe.
So this week's Question of the Week is:
What do you want on the record so that you can pull it back out to share with your kids at a later date?
In addition to my daughter realizing my brilliance for knowing which letters begin many different words (such as M is for mommy and P is for pear), I also want on the record for my daughter the screaming car rides we put up with and all the night wakings. Every. Single. One!
For the record with my son, so far I want to put the extremely difficult pregnancy I had with him, and the many night wakings which required mommy-only-mommy-will-do nursing sessions. Oh, and that time when our power was out for two days and it was 48 degrees in our house and he simply HAD to have me get out of bed, pull down my shirt and nurse him in the freezing cold. Oh yeah, that's on the record!
How about you? What acknowledgements would you like recorded for prosperity? Any hardships you want remembered by the kiddos? What do you plan to bring up in their teen years?
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