An Afternoon Adventure

After what I put A through with story time, I thought a little afternoon fun was in order...so we grabbed her ball and headed out into our yard to explore! We found a beautiful, and completely captivating butterfly, mommy's old lacrosse stick that we use to throw balls for the dog, and tested out the hammock for the first time!

Enjoying the sunshine!

Learning grass can tickle toes

pure concentration

investigating different surfaces

Pausing....as something flew by...

and learning it was a butterfly

getting so close she could feel the wind flap off it's wings

and completely loving it

Then heading out back to explore a new space

testing out the lacrosse stick...

and swinging on a hammock

joy

concern

worry

and complete awe

Have a great weekend!

xoxo

Daily Mom

No, No, We Won't Go!

Today, instead of doing a million different posts, I thought I would just wrap it all into one...so try to stay with me as my brain shifts a few times :)

First of all...yesterday, we saw something that we haven't seen in so long it was a little bit terrifying and a lot exciting...the SUN! So when A woke up from her nap, we grabbed the dog and the stroller and took off. Now, picture us strolling along...I am just minding my business pulling snacks, toy, and sippy cups out of every pocket possible in the stroller to keep A happy, when I look up and see this...

Yes, that is one nasty, disgusting, and terrifying praying mantis. Let's go back a second...I cannot stand these insects (?) and I promise you if it was not illegal to kill them, I would have squashed about 6 in my life. I think they know I don't like them, so they prey on me. Ugh, I have probably seen on the plus side of 6 at our house (thank goodness all outside) over the past 4 years. I mean if they are really endangered should they be all over the place...I don't think so. But, what is creepier than a regular, nasty praying mantis? Well let me tell you...this horrid, vomit in your mouth albino one I ran into yesterday. I swear it gives me goose bumps just thinking about it...blah!

So then, as I was relaying my horror story about this praying mantis to my hubby when he got home last night, while making dinner..chicken enchiladas that were amazing...and I glanced down to the kitchen floor where A had been playing with her cards and toys quietly. A little too quietly, if you know what I mean...and I find this...

I mean, break my little heart! My little peanut wants to be just like mommy!

Okay, so let's move on to today. This morning, being Thursday, was our standard playdate, and this week we decided to try another new event and headed down to an old library in the city for story time. We were all excited, almost breaking down the gate with E begging to be let inside for some fun.

Then we got inside...and heard the story time rules...and panicked.

Here were the rules from today:

1. Your child must not run around,

2. Your child must not get near the teacher

3. Your child must not distract other children

4. Your child must not be more than arms reach from mommy

5. Your child must not have any fun.

Okay, so maybe I made the last one up, but not the others. As soon as the chubby librarian recited the rules, A was off and running.

Crap!

So as I wrestled a wiggling, screaming, child into my lap, while I smiled, sang, and poured nervous sweat it clicked...I was that mom. The mom with the unruly toddler who wanted to run around the giant circle and log roll across the rug. And each minute as I sat there and restrained A, I felt sorrier, and sorrier for putting her through this. She is a toddler, and I am pretty sure by definition they don't ever sit still. So here's to all the mom's that spent all morning wearing their kids out or slipped a valium in their kid's sippy cup at breakfast to keep them happily singing nursery rhymes in mommy's lap...I have better things (and less prescriptions) to do!  

So as I said thank you to the teacher 58 grueling minutes later, and she smiled at me, I smiled back without even a hint of an apology on my lips! Then I got in the car, apologized to A for putting her through that, and promised to have some serious running-around, crazy fun this afternoon!

Although I am sad A is not the story time kind of kid, who really wants to be in a small room with lots of mom's singing off key? Not us...we will be on the playground!

xoxo

Daily Mom

The Terrible Ones?

I am not sure what stage this is that A is going through, you know the "I will challenge you to the death" stage, but good gosh do I want it to be over. Not that I want my little girl to grow up any faster than necessary, but she is being a little more than just trying these days.

I really don't even know where to start to explain, so I will just go through our morning thus far...

It started with me going in to get A this morning from her crib, which went reasonably well until I tried to actually pick her up. Apparently she wanted to dictate when she would come out, so I got a whining, wiggling child screaming "NO" as I hauled her onto her changing pad. Then it was no longer about getting out of her crib, because now she was screaming she didn't want her diaper changed...really, after a full night, not a chance I was going to give in to this one! So I battled through a diaper change and we headed downstairs. Once we arrived in the kitchen, she asked for her milk, which daddy promptly handed over...only to have her hurl her sippy cup across the room as she whined, "noooo". Guess she didn't want her milk anymore.

Then it was on to wanting the baby doll in her chair, then wanting breakfast, then throwing a fit when I put her in her chair, then throwing a fit and whining when it was time to get out, get dressed, get in the car....do you see where I am going here?

Every situation has becomes a challenge between mommy and A, and although I am getting beaten down minute by minute, I am winning! However, I feel a little bit like Charlie Sheen, because even though I am "winning" I think I might be losing too....at least my sanity and potentially some years of my life.

I thought I would include some pictures of my little terror sweetheart in action. These are from lunch today and I can honestly say I have no idea what got her in a tizzy this time.

"Mommmmmyyy"

"Don't you tell me NO."

So to all you moms, godmothers, aunts, dads, and grandparents...please help me out here and give me some advice.

xoxo

Daily Mom

A Sign of Relief

So today was one of those days...I went to the grocery store with A this morning, who decided it wasn't cool to sit in the cart anymore...so that was a battle. Try shopping with a kid who is screaming and only wants to be held, let's just say it is a little hard to grab the groceries you need. But we made it, with only a little rain getting us on our way out of the store.

Then, I ran home to unload the groceries before heading off to gym. So, I hauled A in the house and put the baby gate up in the family room. I haven't done this in a while so I hoped for the best as I headed out to grab the groceries that were slowly defrosting in the car. As I come back in the house and peeked into the family room I see A jumping in the couch, dangerously close to the coffee table. I tell her sternly to sit and as she freezes and almost loses her balance I panic, then rethink scaring her and tell her to grab her baby-doll for mommy. Naturally she hopes down and throws her baby over the gate. Phew, crisis averted.

Next, we head for gym where I am hoping she gets all her beans out only to discover at Wegmans that her and E still have plenty of engery and are tearing around the store like rabid animals. I contemplate ignoring her, then decide again it when I think of all the people out there who think she is too cute to be harmful....hah! Good luck with this little pistol :)

After lunch I head home to plan a lesson for my grad school class, since I am behind and have about 2 hours to catch up before I start teaching. A little while later I slam my book shut, download my power point, pack up the pasta I am using to demonstrate Piaget and Vygotsky and look at the clock. Crap, 15 minutes till I have to leave for class and I am still sweaty and un-showered. I race into the shower, throw on clothes and get A from her nap before a quick pass off to my hubby as I head out the door to work.

Still a bit frazzled from earlier in the day, and not very happy about leaving A a little upset I rush home after class. But then I come home to this as I am walking around the corner, and see a big pair of shoes and a little pair of shoes, both kicked off in the throes of some great adventure and I know that even with a hectic day, these are the little things that make all the difference.

xoxo

Daily Mom  

Here We Go Ravens!

Yesterday we went over to our friend's house, and one set of A's godparents) for a Ravens Party! It was so much fun to catch up and see everyone while watching the game. A took a serious liking to the purple flamingos in the yard, and when she wasn't riding it, carried it around with her all afternoon! Thanks for a super fun party Aunt Sarah and Uncle Jamie!

A doing a grab and dash with the flamingo!

Then calling it a horsie and trying to ride it

Pretty successfully, actually!

Mommy and a very tired little girl after the party

Two Flacco fans excited for the season!

xoxo

Daily Mom

A First For Everything

Yesterday, my wonderful hubby let me have an afternoon to myself! So at 2pm I headed off to meet my sister at Starbucks, followed by pedicures  and hair appointments. It was so much fun to relax and catch up.

However, because I am not great at leaving A, I was super excited to play with her when I got home. When I pulled up and started walking towards the house I spotted her waving to me through the upstairs window, so I ran through the door and straight up to the playroom. After a quick hug from A, and her baby doll, who does not leave her side in the house, she tore off in the other direction. About four steps into her run she came to a dead stop, turned around slowly and ran back to me.

Assuming she missed me, I bent down to give her another hug, and that is when she pushed my arms out of her way and said, "what, this?!?" as she stared at my newly painted toenails. She just couldn't get over the fact that I had color on my toes and she didn't. All afternoon she kept comparing our toes and rubbing my polish, so I knew it was finally time for her first pedicure!

So when daddy went upstairs to shower, leaving A and I alone making dinner, I dashed up, grabbed the bottle of hot pink nail polish and went to town! I told her she couldn't touch them till they dried and, unlike her usual impatient self, she didn't budge for about 20 minutes.

And now her hot pink toes are as bright as her smile every time she looks down at her feet!

xoxo

Daily Mom

North Run Farm

Happy Daderday, everyone!

When we woke up this morning and didn't hear the constant pinging of rain off the windows we knew we wanted to do something outside. And since it is fall and A is completely obsessed with pumpkins, we thought there would be no better place than to head over to North Run Farms, to see the animals, run through the maze, and pick out some pumpkins. Since it has rained pretty much non-stop for the past few days we knew it would be pretty muddy and gross, but on the plus side we also knew there would not be swarms of people there this morning, which is such a rare occurrence we jumped on the chance. Here are some pictures from this morning!

Our little flower!

A stand off with a very large, and friendly, cow.

The goats,

and pigs,

and turkeys.

A very tired girl getting ready to explore the rest of the farm

"Mom, look, a maze!"

Mommy and A (not a big fan of standing still)

Getting good and dirty!

Loving the hay maze!

 Then it was time for our pumpkin hunt, so we grabbed A and headed over to the pumpkin field!

To the first pumpkin she saw...."This is the one!"

"Mom, are you listening...put down the camera and get my pumpkin."

"Really, you are still snapping away?"

Then she saw this...

"Hum, Daddy, I think you found a good one!"

"Hold it! This one, yep, this is really the one."

And so it was!

"Come one, maybe just one more?"

We did let A pick a pumkin out of the big pile, and of course she went with the white one...since pumpkins are typically white :)

Our Pumpkins!

And because I wanted her to have the whole experience, I snuck in a little orange pumpkin too.

xoxo

Daily Mom