At first, I told myself I would not post anything about potty training for the public to read on Facebook or here on my blog. For some reason I just didn't think the world needed to know about Aria's pee and poop. The world probably doesn't need to know about her pee and poop, but I needed a place to get some encouragement through this long, difficult, frustrating, interesting process. Back in October I broke my own bond by seeking help from my fellow Facebook friends. We went through an intense-only-focus-on-potty-training-three-day-nightmare in our house and I needed some help. Aria was scared to go on the potty. It had nothing to do with keeping her undies dry. It had nothing to do with sitting on the potty, she just was scared of letting it come out anywhere but her diaper. Rewards didn't help. She was scared and I wasn't changing that.
Now that I am almost a month removed from that lovely three day nightmare, I realized I did it all wrong. The nightmare really had not much to do with Aria. I was bound and determined we were going to get her potty trained. I was intense, lacked patience, and was way too in her face about it all.
Aria is the reserved, sensitive type. She has always taken everything in from a distance before jumping in herself. And by jumping in I actually mean dipping in one toe. She is cautious. She needs time to decide when she is ready to do something. I'm not sure why I didn't apply that to potty training. In my somersault post the other day I talked about letting kids learn and do for themselves instead of forcing things upon them. I realized I needed to do that with potty training.
I am probably contradicting a lot of potty advice out there, but this is what worked for us: I put the ball in her court. I let Aria decide when she wanted to wear undies, which happened to be today. I reminded her that she needed to use the potty when she felt like she had to go. The one thing we did learn in our three day nightmare was that she could hold it. Like 5 hours hold it. Anyway, I was on the phone briefly this morning and Aria disappeared down the hall. About a minute later she came back and said, "Mommy, I'm just gonna go pee pee on the potty." I said okay and just let her go back and do it on her own. Pretty soon I heard, "Mommy I did it!" Sure enough she had went! I hadn't forced her. I hadn't even encouraged her. She decided to do it. I praised her with contained excitement because I didn't want a sudden outburst of joy to startle her. We continued about our morning and a little while later I found her in on the potty again. She had went again all on her own. It was fantastic!
The story gets even better. I have totally been expecting to do the pee pee first and worry about the poop later. She has been hiding behind the couch or in her room with the door shut for months when she goes poop. She can definitely control that. But, just before lunch time, Aria asked me to put a diaper on her. I said, "You've been doing such a good job going on the potty this morning, if you have to go, just go on the potty." Off she went down the hall. A few minutes later, she came running out to tell me she went poop. In. the. potty!!!!! Again, I used contained excitement, but she was awfully proud of herself, too. I cannot believe she did it, especially when I didn't have to do much to encourage her. It really worked for Aria to decide she was ready herself and to be willing to try it herself.
Aria is currently napping with a diaper on. I'm sure she's not 100% potty trained. I know there will be accidents, but today is a total break through for both of us. I wasn't planning to work on potty training today. Actually, I didn't really "work" on potty training today. Aria did it herself. Apparently today was the perfect day for her. I have learned a lot about my daughter's personality and my own short comings through this whole process. When it comes to skills like learning to use the potty, riding a bike, or playing basketball, I plan to let Aria decide when she is ready. I am here to encourage her and provide any help she requests, but I know she will be better off if I let her do it herself. I can't get in her face and I won't pressure her to do something she is not ready for.
It has been a long process, but today something clicked for Aria. I'm thankful for the patience God has given me to make it through it all.
Showing posts with label Toddler. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Toddler. Show all posts
11.19.2012
10.04.2012
Photographing My Child
Can anyone with a young child relate?
It sounds simple, really.
"Aria, do you see that pretty red bush outside the window?"
"Yeah! It's so pretty!"
"Should we go outside and take your picture by it?"
"Yeah!"
Enthusiasm. Excitement. Agreement.
Then this...
Apparently her idea of taking a picture and mine are quite different. I would prefer she stand in my designated spot, hold still, and smile a nice pretty smile. We even had Daddy make funny faces. Her idea was to wiggle around where she wanted and say cheese, which rarely results in a real smile. We were out there for at least half an hour.
And then by some random, lucky chance we got this. The lighting could be better. The hair could be tamed. The smile could be bigger.
But the cuteness could never be greater!
It sounds simple, really.
"Aria, do you see that pretty red bush outside the window?"
"Yeah! It's so pretty!"
"Should we go outside and take your picture by it?"
"Yeah!"
Enthusiasm. Excitement. Agreement.
Then this...
Apparently her idea of taking a picture and mine are quite different. I would prefer she stand in my designated spot, hold still, and smile a nice pretty smile. We even had Daddy make funny faces. Her idea was to wiggle around where she wanted and say cheese, which rarely results in a real smile. We were out there for at least half an hour.
And then by some random, lucky chance we got this. The lighting could be better. The hair could be tamed. The smile could be bigger.
But the cuteness could never be greater!
9.23.2012
Tidbits
Hide and Seek
One of Aria's favorite games is hide and seek. She's getting better about hiding quietly and waiting for us to find her, but she still often pops up before we "find" her. She actually loves to count and come find us a lot more. However, she has learned to get some help from our four legged friend who can sniff us out anywhere. "Augie, where did Mommy go? Can you find her?" And the traitor-dog always trots right in to where I am. NOT FAIR!
Sports
We've been to a few volleyball games lately of middle schoolers we know and a coach we know. At one of the games I asked her if she liked volleyball. Her response, "Yeah, but I like basketball better." Score! That's my girl!
Repeating
Aria repeats everything we say. It is actually pretty cute because she usually adds more excitement to it than when we say it. Apparently, she also repeats things she hears other people say. The other day she told me, "Mommy, your hair is just like mine!" We get a lot of comments about how her hair looks just like Mommy's. She's listening.
Church Lessons
Lately the focus at church has been on the Creation story and more specifically that God made Aria. Each week she's had a color sheet focused on a different body part that God made. I assume they talk about God made your legs, what do your legs do? My favorite comment out of all these lessons randomly one day, "Jesus makes our eyes pretty." Why yes He does!
One of Aria's favorite games is hide and seek. She's getting better about hiding quietly and waiting for us to find her, but she still often pops up before we "find" her. She actually loves to count and come find us a lot more. However, she has learned to get some help from our four legged friend who can sniff us out anywhere. "Augie, where did Mommy go? Can you find her?" And the traitor-dog always trots right in to where I am. NOT FAIR!
Sports
We've been to a few volleyball games lately of middle schoolers we know and a coach we know. At one of the games I asked her if she liked volleyball. Her response, "Yeah, but I like basketball better." Score! That's my girl!
Repeating
Aria repeats everything we say. It is actually pretty cute because she usually adds more excitement to it than when we say it. Apparently, she also repeats things she hears other people say. The other day she told me, "Mommy, your hair is just like mine!" We get a lot of comments about how her hair looks just like Mommy's. She's listening.
Church Lessons
Lately the focus at church has been on the Creation story and more specifically that God made Aria. Each week she's had a color sheet focused on a different body part that God made. I assume they talk about God made your legs, what do your legs do? My favorite comment out of all these lessons randomly one day, "Jesus makes our eyes pretty." Why yes He does!
9.13.2012
Picnics
We've been having a lot of picnics lately. No, not the pack a lunch and go to the park kind of picnics...
The kind where Aria spreads out a blanket in the living room, brings in a variety of dolls and stuffed animals, and sets up quite the meal for them. Sometimes Mommy, Daddy, Grandma, or Papa are invited but other times it is just Aria and her friends. It is rather adorable and a lot of fun to listen to from the other room. She shops for groceries, cooks food in her kitchen, serves dessert, and cleans up the dishes afterwards. If the picnic isn't in the living room, the "friends" often eat at the table with us, complete with silverware, drinks, and food. And, don't you dare move any of their stuff because they won't like it at all! I love the pretending and imagining and the life lessons I hear come out of her as she emulates me in preparing food for her animals and dolls. What a fun stage of life we are in!
The kind where Aria spreads out a blanket in the living room, brings in a variety of dolls and stuffed animals, and sets up quite the meal for them. Sometimes Mommy, Daddy, Grandma, or Papa are invited but other times it is just Aria and her friends. It is rather adorable and a lot of fun to listen to from the other room. She shops for groceries, cooks food in her kitchen, serves dessert, and cleans up the dishes afterwards. If the picnic isn't in the living room, the "friends" often eat at the table with us, complete with silverware, drinks, and food. And, don't you dare move any of their stuff because they won't like it at all! I love the pretending and imagining and the life lessons I hear come out of her as she emulates me in preparing food for her animals and dolls. What a fun stage of life we are in!
9.04.2012
Patience is...
waiting for a two-year-old to:
- put on her own shoes
- put on her own shorts
- put on her own shirt
- put on her own pajamas
- take off her own shoes
- take off her own shorts
- take off her own shirt
- take off her own pajamas
- eat a meal
- pick up her own toys
- put away her own toys
- climb into the car
- climb into her car seat
- buckle her car seat
- open containers
- close containers
- get her toothbrush
- get her toothpaste
- open her toothpaste
- brush her teeth
- rinse out her own toothbrush
- get a drink
- be ready to be potty trained
- follow instructions
- say please
- say thank-you
- get out one fork at a time to set the table
- walk into a store
- walk around while shopping in the store
- walk back out to the car
8.22.2012
The Stove Incident
To show how much I haven't been blogging this summer, this incident happened in the first week of July. Aria loves to help, especially in the kitchen. One day for lunch we were making pasta. She was standing on a chair near the stove, but out of harm's way. She was helping me measure things and dump them in. When the pasta was finished, I took it off the stove and told Aria to be sure and stay far back because the stove was hot. She knows the stove is hot and usually stays away. Well, that particular day she was in full two-year-old mode. The look on her face was pure I'm going to do that because you told me not to. And, she slapped her hand down on the hot stove. I didn't see it full force because I was dumping the pasta into the strainer in the sink, but I know what happened out of the corner of my eye. Yep, the stove was hot and my little girl learned her lesson the hard way.
It was pretty much awful for the next hour. Thankfully, Justin was on his way home from lunch and I called to ask him to make a detour for some burn cream. We sat on the couch with an ice bag on her three fingers and I tried to console her. Even though I felt like it, I knew it wasn't time for "I told you so" or "That's why we don't touch the stove." She just needed me to help take the pain away and I really couldn't. We eventually put burn cream and Hello Kitty band aids on her fingers and gave her some Tylenol for the pain, but I couldn't really make it go away.
Since then, it has occurred to me often that there will be much pain in Aria's life that I can't prevent or make better. There will be more physical pain and there will be emotional pain, which I imagine will be worse. I'm sure there will be lessons learned by trial and error where I would have rather avoided the trial all together. But just like touching the stove, she will probably learn best from the pain. In no way did I want her to touch the hot stove and burn her fingers, but I do know she won't ever do it again. In fact, for the next month, Aria wouldn't have touched the stove with a 10 foot pole. I can already see that even though it is hard, sometimes it is best for kids to learn for themselves. I will do my very best to guide her, but ultimately decisions will be up to her.
When she burnt her fingers, I helped her in the only way I know how, we prayed. We prayed many times a day for many days for God to heal her fingers. When I can't heal her, I know Jesus can. I pray that as Aria encounters more pain in her life, she will pray and ask Jesus to help her just like she did for her fingers. Fortunately, as bad as it seemed in the moment, the damage was minimal. Aria's fingers healed perfectly without any sign of infection. She was a real trooper, too. After the initial incident, she rarely complained of any pain. It was an unfortunate event, but a lesson learned by all.
It was pretty much awful for the next hour. Thankfully, Justin was on his way home from lunch and I called to ask him to make a detour for some burn cream. We sat on the couch with an ice bag on her three fingers and I tried to console her. Even though I felt like it, I knew it wasn't time for "I told you so" or "That's why we don't touch the stove." She just needed me to help take the pain away and I really couldn't. We eventually put burn cream and Hello Kitty band aids on her fingers and gave her some Tylenol for the pain, but I couldn't really make it go away.
Since then, it has occurred to me often that there will be much pain in Aria's life that I can't prevent or make better. There will be more physical pain and there will be emotional pain, which I imagine will be worse. I'm sure there will be lessons learned by trial and error where I would have rather avoided the trial all together. But just like touching the stove, she will probably learn best from the pain. In no way did I want her to touch the hot stove and burn her fingers, but I do know she won't ever do it again. In fact, for the next month, Aria wouldn't have touched the stove with a 10 foot pole. I can already see that even though it is hard, sometimes it is best for kids to learn for themselves. I will do my very best to guide her, but ultimately decisions will be up to her.
When she burnt her fingers, I helped her in the only way I know how, we prayed. We prayed many times a day for many days for God to heal her fingers. When I can't heal her, I know Jesus can. I pray that as Aria encounters more pain in her life, she will pray and ask Jesus to help her just like she did for her fingers. Fortunately, as bad as it seemed in the moment, the damage was minimal. Aria's fingers healed perfectly without any sign of infection. She was a real trooper, too. After the initial incident, she rarely complained of any pain. It was an unfortunate event, but a lesson learned by all.
8.08.2012
That's What She Said
Recent quotes from the little one in our home...
"No, Mommy! You're too big for Daddy's lap. It's only for me."
After discussing how she used to only drink milk because she didn't have teeth when she was a baby, "Did I have a tongue when I was a baby?"
"Mommy, you have a headache? You need a hug or something?"
"Right now I'm eating my rice, but eventually I need to eat that." (as she points in disgust to her steak)
The real lyrics of the Iowa Fight song finish, "Til the game is won." When Aria sings it, sometimes she changes it to, "Til the game is two."
At a restaurant, Aria wanted to eat with a spoon instead of a fork. So, when the waiter came back and asked if we needed anything, she politely responded, "Can I have a spoon, please?" It was so adorable! The problem is that she doesn't say the 's' on spoon, so the waiter thought she said "poop."
After buckling herself into her booster seat, she decided she wanted to get down. "Mommy, buckle me out!"
"Somedays I'll be a cow so I can jump over the moon!"
And my personal favorite...
"Somedays Daddy will grow his hair long so he can have ponytails, too!"
"No, Mommy! You're too big for Daddy's lap. It's only for me."
After discussing how she used to only drink milk because she didn't have teeth when she was a baby, "Did I have a tongue when I was a baby?"
"Mommy, you have a headache? You need a hug or something?"
"Right now I'm eating my rice, but eventually I need to eat that." (as she points in disgust to her steak)
The real lyrics of the Iowa Fight song finish, "Til the game is won." When Aria sings it, sometimes she changes it to, "Til the game is two."
At a restaurant, Aria wanted to eat with a spoon instead of a fork. So, when the waiter came back and asked if we needed anything, she politely responded, "Can I have a spoon, please?" It was so adorable! The problem is that she doesn't say the 's' on spoon, so the waiter thought she said "poop."
After buckling herself into her booster seat, she decided she wanted to get down. "Mommy, buckle me out!"
"Somedays I'll be a cow so I can jump over the moon!"
And my personal favorite...
"Somedays Daddy will grow his hair long so he can have ponytails, too!"
7.11.2012
Ranch
If you ask Aria her favorite food, her immediate response is mac 'n cheese. If you are talking about any food in general, Aria will say, "I like mac 'n cheese." There is no doubt, my daughter loves mac 'n cheese. But I would like to challenge her claim of favorite with what I think it should be, ranch. As in the salad dressing. I don't know if it classifies as a food, but she eats it on anything. Whenever we are eating something I know Aria will say she doesn't like, I put a little bit of ranch on her plate and she will use that to mask the taste of whatever it is she doesn't like. It is pretty common on things like chicken, steak, vegetables (even if they are cooked), and potatoes. She even has an aunt who likes to eat ranch on pizza with her. The other night it was pineapple. And I've seen her dip blueberries in it, too (even though she loves blueberries). She'll often ask, "Can I dip my ________ in ranch?" I used to hesitate when I thought it was gross, but now I say go ahead. If it goes in her mouth, she has to chew and swallow so it is her problem if it is gross. Never once has she complained. Surprisingly, I don't think we've ever combined mac 'n cheese and ranch, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was requested.
6.25.2012
I Can Do All Things
In Sunday School this month, Aria's class has been focusing on Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ." We get a sheet that tells us this focus, but we really learned how much of a focus it is when Aria started telling us the verse. Tonight, during our bedtime prayers, Aria listed off her things she was thankful for (Skip, bunnies, getting pizza with Grandma and Papa) and then said, "I can do all things through Christ." It brought tears to my eyes. Aria is already learning to trust God to help her with whatever she needs. I am blown away by the things she retains these days and I am so thankful for a church full of volunteers who encourage retention of things such as Bible verses and God's love and power.
Lord, may Aria never falter from trusting that you can help her with all things every day of her life.
Lord, may Aria never falter from trusting that you can help her with all things every day of her life.
6.17.2012
Daddy is...
Thanks to a great suggestion from a friend, Aria and I did a fun activity for Daddy for Father's Day. I asked her some questions about Daddy and here are her responses:
I put her responses in a frame with some pictures of them and it brought a big smile to Daddy's face! While some of her answers are spot on, others are obviously her choices. I think it will be fun to look back at as she gets older and do again in a few years to see how her answers change.
Happy Father's Day, Justin! We are so lucky to have you leading our family in love!
Daddy’s favorites are:
Color – Blue
Food – Mac ‘n cheese
Dessert – Strawberry Ice Cream
Animal – Horsey
Team – Duke
Sport – Football
Song – Jesus Loves Me
TV Show – Elmo
Book – Goodnight Moon
Daddy is...
Food – Mac ‘n cheese
Dessert – Strawberry Ice Cream
Animal – Horsey
Team – Duke
Sport – Football
Song – Jesus Loves Me
TV Show – Elmo
Book – Goodnight Moon
Daddy is...
4
years old
6 pounds
Tall
Black-haired
Green-eyed
Other random facts include:
6 pounds
Tall
Black-haired
Green-eyed
Other random facts include:
He
likes to ride in an airplane
He says, “eee eee eee”
He works with Aunt Teran
His job is to mow
He wants to visit Hy Vee
He says, “eee eee eee”
He works with Aunt Teran
His job is to mow
He wants to visit Hy Vee
Most of all, Aria would
like to go to Best Buy with Daddy and do puzzles!
I put her responses in a frame with some pictures of them and it brought a big smile to Daddy's face! While some of her answers are spot on, others are obviously her choices. I think it will be fun to look back at as she gets older and do again in a few years to see how her answers change.
Happy Father's Day, Justin! We are so lucky to have you leading our family in love!
6.10.2012
Puzzles
Recently Aria has taken a new liking to puzzles. Several months ago she loved doing the large piece puzzles with knobs and a specific spot for the piece to go. But those got too easy, yet she was still frustrated with the interlocking puzzles. All of a sudden something clicked and she understands how to put the interlocking ones together. She is so thrilled with herself when she gets a piece in the right spot and cheers when the whole puzzle is done. Then, she wants to go it all over again. It doesn't matter to her if she does the same puzzle several times in a row. Lucky for her, Daddy absolutely loves doing puzzles, too. I see this as a frequent Daddy/Daughter activity for many years to come. I love seeing that switch go on and a new skill learned. I've said it before and I will continue to say it over and over again. Watching my daughter's development is quite possibly the coolest thing on the planet!
Can't beat that proud smile! And, in a rare occasion, she actually wanted to pose for a picture!
5.21.2012
Singing
5.02.2012
What's he's name?
Aria's question of the month is, "What's he's name?" (We're still working on learning pronouns.) She literally asks me that question about every person she sees...in person, on tv, in the newspaper, in a book, etc. She truly wants to know. We met Connie, Liz, and Kerri at HyVee yesterday and Tyrese at Wal Mart today. It is really fun when people respond to her and tell her their name. She is always delighted, but a bit shy in telling them her name. It usually comes out, but just a bit quiet.
So today in Wal Mart, we are in the check out line and of course she points to the man in front of us and says, "What's he's name?" I told her I didn't know what his name was and he didn't turn around to respond. Then Aria said, "It's probably Jim."
It was all I could do to control my laughter to a small giggle. I have absolutely no idea how she decided his name was Jim. We know a couple Jims, but I don't think she knows them very well, if at all. Holy cow--the things that come out of the mouths of babes! My day is never dull!
And just while we are on the topic of funny phrases..
Last night we went for a family walk. Augie was having a little trouble with her poop and had to squat about 4 times before she finally got it all out. As we were waiting for her to finish, Aria says, "Whoa, Augie, that's a lot of poop!"
Justin and I both laughed out loud at that one!
So today in Wal Mart, we are in the check out line and of course she points to the man in front of us and says, "What's he's name?" I told her I didn't know what his name was and he didn't turn around to respond. Then Aria said, "It's probably Jim."
It was all I could do to control my laughter to a small giggle. I have absolutely no idea how she decided his name was Jim. We know a couple Jims, but I don't think she knows them very well, if at all. Holy cow--the things that come out of the mouths of babes! My day is never dull!
And just while we are on the topic of funny phrases..
Last night we went for a family walk. Augie was having a little trouble with her poop and had to squat about 4 times before she finally got it all out. As we were waiting for her to finish, Aria says, "Whoa, Augie, that's a lot of poop!"
Justin and I both laughed out loud at that one!
4.12.2012
Special Job
Aria is a helper. I think it is part nature, part stage of life. She can be distracted from the depths of over-exaggerated whining by the suggestion of helping me with something. It was at a point much like that when I had her put away the socks as I was folding laundry. It was such a joy for her it turned into Aria's special job. Calling it a 'chore' sounds so much more negative. Ultimately, a chore is what it is. I'd like to refer to it more as a lesson in responsibility. Our church focuses on a different characteristic each month in it's children's programming. Last month the characteristic was responsibility. Even though the email I read was suggestions beyond Aria's age, it got me thinking that she was ready for some responsibility. Because she is so pleased to help and because we all must work together as a family to keep or house and lives in working order, I decided it was time for a special job. At first, I had to very consciously remember to not put away the socks so Aria could do it. A few times I got them back out. It was more work to create less work for me in the future. Eventually, I hope Aria can launder, fold, and put away all of her clothes, but that might be too much to ask at age 2. Although, I think putting away socks is the first step in that direction. It only took one explanation of her special job to get Aria on board with it. Now, I just leave the socks on our bed, where I fold clothes, and she is excited to do her special job as soon as she sees them. I don't have to ask her to do it and she does a great job! In the last couple days, a second special job has been added to her list; getting out the silverware and putting it on the table for meals. Again, it started as a distraction from whining and turned into her doing it without me asking. I'm so thankful for a helpful daughter and life lessons in all the small things along the way!
3.29.2012
This Kid is Resourceful....and Funny!
This morning I had a little trouble getting out of bed so I only got my workout in before I got Aria up. She wasn't begging for breakfast, so I told her I was going to take a quick shower. She was happy to watch PBS Kids for 15 minutes. Part way through my shower I hear a loud bang. I asked Aria what she was doing and she came in the bathroom and said, "I just got some pretzels." Sure enough, she had a cup of pretzels and was munching away. I was a little leery of what I would find in the kitchen, but the bag of pretzels was on the table and nothing else seemed to be out of order. Man do I love self-sufficiency! I'm also glad it wasn't the Rice Krispies that she went after because those definitely would have been all over the floor!
In a totally unrelated story, other than it happened today, here is a conversation I had with Aria after lunch.
Me: "Aria, did you go poopy in your diaper?"
Aria: "NOooooo"
Me: "So, what is so stinky?"
Aria: "Augie"
She is already blaming things on the dog---how hilarious! And, she really didn't go poop! Maybe it was Augie!
In a totally unrelated story, other than it happened today, here is a conversation I had with Aria after lunch.
Me: "Aria, did you go poopy in your diaper?"
Aria: "NOooooo"
Me: "So, what is so stinky?"
Aria: "Augie"
She is already blaming things on the dog---how hilarious! And, she really didn't go poop! Maybe it was Augie!
3.22.2012
Conversations with a Toddler
Aria is saying some cute things lately. Some of it comes from her unique way of trying to form sentences and not understanding all the rules of English. Some of it comes from copying mommy and daddy. Some of it, I have no idea where she gets it! Here are a few examples:
This morning we read about Hannah in Aria's new Bible (which I love). Hannah was sad because she wanted to have a baby. She prayed to God and asked him to give her a son. God answered her prayer and she had a baby boy and named him Samuel. There was more to the story, but that's enough to get my point. I explained to Aria that I used to be like Hannah. I was very sad because I wanted to have a baby and I prayed to God and asked him to give me a baby. Then God gave me Aria and she makes me so happy. Aria was really listening to my story and said, "yeah" a few times as I was telling it. When I was done she just looked at me for a minute and then said, "go to park." Yep, that's the attention span of a toddler.
Recently we've had a couple of strangers in our house. We had a guy come to tune the piano and we had a plumber over for a free inspection. The whole time both of them were here, Aria repeated, "man come over tune piano" over and over and over. Yes, even while the plumber was here, she thought we were still tuning the piano.
Tonight we were playing "catch" with several balloons and balls. I put catch in quotes because Aria isn't able to catch very well yet. One time the ball trickled away and Aria said, "how bout mommy get it." I knew instantly where she got that because whenever Aria wants me to get something she can do herself, I say, "how about Aria get it."
Then, when Justin was playing catch with her, he threw it not very close to her one time and said, "bad throw." From that point on, whenever Aria didn't catch the ball (which was just about every time) she said, "bad throw." Hilarious!
She is also starting to work her stall tactics at bedtime. As I tucked her into bed and kissed her good night, she said, "mommy sit here just a few minutes." I loved her ability to use such a complex sentence so I did sit there for a minute and sang her a song!
I wish I could remember all the sayings or have a constant recorder, but I'll have to settle for writing the ones I do remember and loving the ones I don't in the moment!
This morning we read about Hannah in Aria's new Bible (which I love). Hannah was sad because she wanted to have a baby. She prayed to God and asked him to give her a son. God answered her prayer and she had a baby boy and named him Samuel. There was more to the story, but that's enough to get my point. I explained to Aria that I used to be like Hannah. I was very sad because I wanted to have a baby and I prayed to God and asked him to give me a baby. Then God gave me Aria and she makes me so happy. Aria was really listening to my story and said, "yeah" a few times as I was telling it. When I was done she just looked at me for a minute and then said, "go to park." Yep, that's the attention span of a toddler.
Recently we've had a couple of strangers in our house. We had a guy come to tune the piano and we had a plumber over for a free inspection. The whole time both of them were here, Aria repeated, "man come over tune piano" over and over and over. Yes, even while the plumber was here, she thought we were still tuning the piano.
Tonight we were playing "catch" with several balloons and balls. I put catch in quotes because Aria isn't able to catch very well yet. One time the ball trickled away and Aria said, "how bout mommy get it." I knew instantly where she got that because whenever Aria wants me to get something she can do herself, I say, "how about Aria get it."
Then, when Justin was playing catch with her, he threw it not very close to her one time and said, "bad throw." From that point on, whenever Aria didn't catch the ball (which was just about every time) she said, "bad throw." Hilarious!
She is also starting to work her stall tactics at bedtime. As I tucked her into bed and kissed her good night, she said, "mommy sit here just a few minutes." I loved her ability to use such a complex sentence so I did sit there for a minute and sang her a song!
I wish I could remember all the sayings or have a constant recorder, but I'll have to settle for writing the ones I do remember and loving the ones I don't in the moment!
2.17.2012
Style
Hat (put on all by herself): Wal-Mart special
Cat shirt (chosen specifically for 'C' week): Wal-Mart special
Coat (put on all by herself): Present from Grandma
Belt (had to have one like Mommy): Mommy's closet
Pants (got the legs in herself): Hand-me-down from Grandma's friend
Orange Hello Kitty socks (not pictured; and 2 matching socks found): Present from Aunt Teran
Frog boots (put on all by herself): Present from Grandma
All ready to go grocery shopping 'all by herself:' Priceless!
2.10.2012
Fruity Friends
We have three hilarious new friends at our house. They are...
Anna Banana
Sherry Blueberry
Helen Watermelon
And Aria thinks they are just hilarious. It started one day when Aria was on one of her "no" kicks and she said her name was not Aria. I asked if it was Anna Banana and she giggled hysterically. Apparently it was a good joke because she told the man checking out our groceries the other day that her name was Anna Banana.
That's it. That's all I've got. Just another moment in the life of a two-year-old that I never want to forget.
Oh, and horses no longer say 'neigh.' They say, "hello Aria!"
Anna Banana
Sherry Blueberry
Helen Watermelon
And Aria thinks they are just hilarious. It started one day when Aria was on one of her "no" kicks and she said her name was not Aria. I asked if it was Anna Banana and she giggled hysterically. Apparently it was a good joke because she told the man checking out our groceries the other day that her name was Anna Banana.
That's it. That's all I've got. Just another moment in the life of a two-year-old that I never want to forget.
Oh, and horses no longer say 'neigh.' They say, "hello Aria!"
2.09.2012
The Case of the Missing Sock
...Another adventure of a recovering perfectionist
My little two-year-old is flashing signs of wanting great independence. Okay, so everything is "Arie do it." I like to give her choices to make her feel independent, but aren't that big in the whole scheme of things. For example, I pick out two different shirts each morning and she gets to choose which one she wants to wear. I complete the outfit with pants and socks. Recently, Aria has wanted to pick out her socks, too. It was quite hard for me to let her do this because (gasp) you can't possibly wear purple socks with a green shirt. That doesn't match!
I am a perfectionist. Or, as my pastor says, a recovering perfectionist. I am learning to let things go slowly, but surely. Matching socks is something I still hold on to. My socks have to match some part of my outfit. Therefore, it was only natural that Aria's socks should match her outfit.
She's not into matching.
In fact, when she first wanted to pick out her socks (gasp) she wanted to wear two different socks. Are you nuts, child? That is ridiculous! Actually, non-matching socks is quite popular with the middle school crowd I work with and another unnamed recently turned 21-year-old we know. Anyway, I think Aria just couldn't choose between the two and wanted to wear both.
Back to this morning. I actually have totally let go of making Aria's socks match her outfit. It is quite nice to have her go get her own socks out of the drawer and bring them to me to help her get them on. (She can almost do it herself, but can't quite get them over her heel.) Some of this independence stuff actually saves me time! This morning Aria brought me one orange Hello Kitty sock (totally not matching her yellow Hawkeye shirt). She had a perplexed look on her face and said, "two socks." Well, when the laundry came upstairs the other day, that particular orange sock didn't have it's match. I figured it just got mixed in elsewhere and I would find it later. I threw the lone orange sock in her drawer and didn't think much of it. I tried to explain that the other orange sock was still dirty and she should pick some different socks.
"No. Orange sock. Mommy find it!" This was important.
I picked out a pair of pink Hello Kitty socks and said we should just wear those today because there were two clean pink socks.
"No. Orange sock. Mommy find it!"
So, being the awesome mom that I am, I went downstairs and looked all through the laundry baskets, the washer and the dryer. Did I find that orange sock? Nope.
Waiting at the top of the stairs was a barefooted two-year old with a big smile...."Mommy find it! Orange sock!"
"No, sweetie. I don't know where it is." No more smile. "Let's just wear the pink socks."
"No, orange ones."
I can't believe I am about to type this....(gasp) "Why don't we wear the one orange sock and one pink one, then." (Gulp)
"Okay." We put on the different socks. Perplexed look..."Different socks."
"That's okay. At least you have on the orange one."
"Yeah! Go eat."
Problem solved. I guess one orange sock is better than none.
The moral of the story is, when you are a parent, you have to pick your battles. Was it really worth my toddler throwing a big fit about not wearing orange socks just because I have this OCD behavior of needing socks to match? Not at all. For crying out loud her socks are hidden inside her shoes! It doesn't matter what they look like!
I did say I am a recovering perfectionist. I am not there yet.
And, Aria may not match today, but at least she would be cool in a middle school crowd!
My little two-year-old is flashing signs of wanting great independence. Okay, so everything is "Arie do it." I like to give her choices to make her feel independent, but aren't that big in the whole scheme of things. For example, I pick out two different shirts each morning and she gets to choose which one she wants to wear. I complete the outfit with pants and socks. Recently, Aria has wanted to pick out her socks, too. It was quite hard for me to let her do this because (gasp) you can't possibly wear purple socks with a green shirt. That doesn't match!
I am a perfectionist. Or, as my pastor says, a recovering perfectionist. I am learning to let things go slowly, but surely. Matching socks is something I still hold on to. My socks have to match some part of my outfit. Therefore, it was only natural that Aria's socks should match her outfit.
She's not into matching.
In fact, when she first wanted to pick out her socks (gasp) she wanted to wear two different socks. Are you nuts, child? That is ridiculous! Actually, non-matching socks is quite popular with the middle school crowd I work with and another unnamed recently turned 21-year-old we know. Anyway, I think Aria just couldn't choose between the two and wanted to wear both.
Back to this morning. I actually have totally let go of making Aria's socks match her outfit. It is quite nice to have her go get her own socks out of the drawer and bring them to me to help her get them on. (She can almost do it herself, but can't quite get them over her heel.) Some of this independence stuff actually saves me time! This morning Aria brought me one orange Hello Kitty sock (totally not matching her yellow Hawkeye shirt). She had a perplexed look on her face and said, "two socks." Well, when the laundry came upstairs the other day, that particular orange sock didn't have it's match. I figured it just got mixed in elsewhere and I would find it later. I threw the lone orange sock in her drawer and didn't think much of it. I tried to explain that the other orange sock was still dirty and she should pick some different socks.
"No. Orange sock. Mommy find it!" This was important.
I picked out a pair of pink Hello Kitty socks and said we should just wear those today because there were two clean pink socks.
"No. Orange sock. Mommy find it!"
So, being the awesome mom that I am, I went downstairs and looked all through the laundry baskets, the washer and the dryer. Did I find that orange sock? Nope.
Waiting at the top of the stairs was a barefooted two-year old with a big smile...."Mommy find it! Orange sock!"
"No, sweetie. I don't know where it is." No more smile. "Let's just wear the pink socks."
"No, orange ones."
I can't believe I am about to type this....(gasp) "Why don't we wear the one orange sock and one pink one, then." (Gulp)
"Okay." We put on the different socks. Perplexed look..."Different socks."
"That's okay. At least you have on the orange one."
"Yeah! Go eat."
Problem solved. I guess one orange sock is better than none.
The moral of the story is, when you are a parent, you have to pick your battles. Was it really worth my toddler throwing a big fit about not wearing orange socks just because I have this OCD behavior of needing socks to match? Not at all. For crying out loud her socks are hidden inside her shoes! It doesn't matter what they look like!
I did say I am a recovering perfectionist. I am not there yet.
And, Aria may not match today, but at least she would be cool in a middle school crowd!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)