Happy Leap Day

Just reminding everyone to enjoy the extra day we have today (go do something super fun)!

Bagels

MLO is a morning person (unlike me) and wakes up when the sun comes up around 6:30. Well daycare doesn't start until 8 and so we end up playing, getting ready together and eating breakfast.

MLO's current favorite food for breakfast is a bagel with cream cheese.

Today she hadn't finished it when it was time to drive to daycare so she took what was left with us in the car.

When we got to the daycare and I went to free unbuckle her from her seat I saw that her pants had cream cheese on them.

I said: "Oh no, the bagel got your pants."

She answered, "No, I got pants on my bagel."

:)

Favorite excuses still around

Revisiting MLO's favorite reason for anything last night.

MLO: "Time to watch a movie..."

Me: "Not right now, mommy cooking dinner."

MLO: "No, now."

Me: "Why now?"

MLO: "Because it is dark outside."

While we do stay inside when it is dark outside, movie watching has never been the norm because of darkness.

My shy little girl

I have found that MLO does appear to be more shy than other kids. I think at this point we are okay, because I definitely don't have to worry about her wondering and talking to strangers. There will be immediately yelling and mommy crying!

However it is a little funny when she does know the people, but still refuses to warm up for awhile.

We went to a party for one of her daycare friends. She plays with this friend everyday of the week. Almost all the kids that were at the party were from the daycare (except two). She could name whose mommy each one was and so on.

Except she wouldn't leave my side and play with her friends.

However, it is fun to play like a little kid at a party though. We did all the kid activities together, while all the other parents just watched.

Song in Head

Going on a trip in our favorite rocket-ship. Zooming through the skies...

5 bonus points for any parent (or non-parent) who could finish the above line - it is on a loop in my head :)

Daycare

MLO generally does love her daycare. I have recently discovered though the fact that she actually loves the lady who runs the daycare.

This lady, unfortunately, had to run out of town because her father is dieing. She did a very good job of taking care of making sure the daycare will be open. Her usual helper is running things with other hands coming in to be the "helper". It is going to be a short trip (less than a week).

Well MLO totally refuses to let me peacefully leave her at daycare. She won't let go, just cries and hugs. Smiles at her friends playing, but won't go play.

She admitted to me today that she wanted her friend the daycare lady. She kept asking where she was. I explained to her that her daddy was sick and she had to go take care of him, but that was who she wanted.

I feel bad for the regular helper, who is a sweet lady and loves kids, but MLO and her never connected.

Just going to slug this one out too I guess, don't know what else to do.

Update

We seem to have hit a quiet time in the molar drama. She won't let me look or feel recently so I am not sure what happened and am dreading it coming back (please just one night of good sleep before it starts again).

Meanwhile she is TOTALLY spoiled by all the mommy time and thinks she can have me all to herself. Believe me girl, wish I could do it, just need to get daddy bringing in millions of bucks all on his own and I am all over it. Meanwhile, mommy got to work to pay the bills.

MLO keeps telling me how much she loves me or how happy she is around me, just melts my heart. In the car:

MLO: "Mommy, I am happy now!"

"That is great."

MLO: "Is mommy happy too?"

"Yep!"

MLO: "Because you are with me?"

"That is right, because we are together mommy is very happy."

MLO: "Me too," big grin.

Yep, melted heart, right there...

2 year molars

MLO has been sick off and on for a little bit now and I have been getting worried. Then a friend (who had four kids, the youngest now 14) said it sounded like her 2 year molars are coming in.

Based on Internet research and advice from a doctor friend, it does appear to be what is happening.

Makes me feel better (she isn't coming down with something that is going to be a mystery for a long time and worry me sick) but it is very tiring.

She also isn't her usual beautiful self - cranky, just wants to sit on my lap or have me carry her everywhere. Doesn't want any visitors from the usual people she loves and so on.

Hang with me while we get through this and then I am sure it will all go back to "normal".

Going back to Day Care after the weekends

Most weekends I spend all my time with MLO. Sometimes hubby and I go out Friday night but the rest of the weekend we do family stuff (or if hubby has to work - girl stuff).

This involves lots of hugs, cuddles and running around. We go shopping, to our local farmer's market, sometimes museums and parks and whatever strikes our (well mostly my) fancy.

This weekend was a quiet one. MLO and I played in our backyard (since it is really sunny here now - sorry for anywhere it isn't) for hours both days. We were there until the sun went down and MLO still didn't want to come inside.

At one point, when we were ready to chill for a few, I sat down in one of the big comfy chairs and read some of my book. MLO alternated between snuggling on my lap and laying down on "her" bench (one of those storage benches were all the toys go). Hubby was with us and he actually fell asleep in the chair next to me.

After a fair amount of resting MLO decided it was time to get up and run around again, which we did.

Well after such a fun weekend with mommy and daddy Monday comes along.

This is now the hardest day of the week, not because of work, but because MLO wants to keep hanging out with us. She doesn't want to go to daycare and play with her friends, she wants to play with mommy and daddy.

So every Monday I envy all you stay-at-home moms who work so hard and "get" (though I know this isn't always a wonderful "get") to be with your kids. I wish I had your courage to brave the storm of taking on all those responsibilities but get the side benefit of not having to tear your little one out of your arm every single Monday.

Weight

So a little before New Years (back in September) I started my diet.

I lost 30 pounds since (yeah, me) but have been hoping around that figure for about a month now (boo).

I need to lose more (at least another 20) and will be happy with how I look, but can't break through the plateau I have hit.

Argh - just needed to vent some frustration - thanks :)

Music

MLO is becoming quite the singer. She loves having music from her favorite Disney movies playing and sing along.

We have The Little Mermaid, Lion King and Beauty and the Beast as the current favorites. I am sure if I get my hands on a Jungle Book soundtrack it will quickly be added to the list.

In the car she directs me on what songs to play, what order, which one is next and when a song is just to be repeated.

I am definitely feeling the chauffeur part of the mommy assignment starting full force.

We are also playing an outing to the theatre soon (children's theatre, which I used to perform in and love dearly - so I hope MLO does to so we can go to lots of shows) and I will report on that after it happens.

Thumbs

MLO sucks her thumb. She started shortly after she stopped nursing and I probably could have found a way to prevent it then, but I didn't.

You see, it was so cute with her thumb in her mouth and her index finger hooked around her nose.

We have had interesting discussions about this fact, last night's:

"Mommy, my finger yummy" sticks thumb in mouth.

Me: "Can mommy try?"

"Sure," fans out the fingers of her hand (same one where her thumb is presently in her mouth).

Me: "Yummy" I saw as I nibble on her pinky.

She laughs and says, "but don't eat it".

Tempting, but I will let her keep it for now.

Getting out of the house

My Christmas present from hubby this year was a day at the spa with a bunch of different treatments (specifically at Burke Williams) and I went to cash it in over the weekend.

The trip was great, loved the treatments he picked out for me (Hunter's Retreat was like the most luxurious shower you have ever taken, times 100).

Getting out of the house was a trick, usually MLO and I hang out pretty much all weekend long, even if other people come over, I don't really go anywhere without her.

So when I tried to leave she came running and screaming for me and wouldn't let go of my neck. Tried to reassure her I would be back and she could play with Sevta (Hebrew for grandma - hope I spelled it right - and what we call hubby's mom to distinguish between the two of them), but she wouldn't let go and just cried, burying her face in my neck.

Finally hubby came over and told her, "mommy is going to go get all beautiful and relaxed, so you got to stay and play with me and Sevta and let mommy go."

MLO smiled and looked at me. I told her I would come back and we would have dinner together.

She nodded her head and went to daddy's arms and then pushed me out the door.

I think it is so great that my 2-year-old understand the need for mommy to get "beautiful" and get some relax time.

She is definitely growing up, she now lets me go take a shower while she eats breakfast even.

I am being tested

MLO is testing me, every day, constantly. Trying to see if my rules will soften, if I will let her get away with things she knows she shouldn't do.

She is trying to see if tears can really change mommy's mind.

I keep telling myself to be consistent, to not give in, to make sure she knows rules are rules. I am pretty good, about 95% of the time.

Then every now and then, there are times that I realize how silly a rule sounds at that moment and I cave (like she had been really good all day, wanted me to read two books before bed instead of the usual one and I caved after some pouting and a scrunched up face ready for tears).

Am I setting myself up for tantrums for life? So far I have been raising MLO by my gut, when something feels wrong I don't do it and vice versa. I get so many compliments on her that I must be doing something right.

So hopefully my gut won't start failing me and I will just stick to my 95% efficiency rate :)