Apple season is here

Unfortunately the apple season isn't the best this year since the weather really did a number on their trees, however we did pick some and then we had a lot of fun with the Raspberries!

This weekend is just another weekend in a long line where it's been great.  I'm loving the 2 year old age!

What we are up to lately in this household.

After my last 2 posts, thought I'd come in with something light and fun.  These days our household is filled with

• Blues Clues
• Baking
• Reading lots of books for bedtime
• Doing homework for preschool (really? she's 2!)  This week it was working on identifying the square shape around the house and becoming aware of the colors red and yellow.  And on the Yellow Square Tigger had to tell me what pictures to put on there from magazines of stuff she likes.  The warning came for us to do it with our child so they could talk about it to the best of their abilities in the language center.  Well alrighty then....did I mention she's 2?  
• Big girl started taking showers instead of daily Baths....now there are some baths, but showers are happening.
• I have a glimpse of what teenage years will be like (if it's true that the 2 year old year are a foreshadow of things to come).  For approximately 20 min. after picking up from school, I must not touch her legs (reach back and pat her legs while she's in her car seat), talk to her, or be overly happy.....apparently this time is one where she says "no" or "uh uh" angrily and wants downtime or to be left alone without attention....I guess it's her way of regrouping.  I tried to get her out of this and was met with an attitude AND a look.  Ok then, I get it.....it's the regrouping time for you....mami now understands.  
• Funny things.....e.g. now bedtime prayers has Tigger putting her baby and big bird kneeling beside her and she makes them fold their hands while we pray.  She is a great imitator of everything I do....so I have to watch it because I have an intense sponge
• Did I mention Blues Clues?  Oh I did?  well add some more Blues Clues to that.  

And that is what life is like right now.  

The fair!

It's that time of year again.  Yep that's right, the all encompassing county fair that one attends to every year.  I really don't know why, after all one spends atrocious money on things you don't need but are so sure it's the best deal ever,  (I always laugh when I think of going to the fair because I have a few Bill Engvall cds, and he has some jokes about county fairs) you end up getting sucked into eating like a glutton, and in case you haven't noticed, everything can be deep fried ha!

BUT, the fair is fun, and if one has a child, it's even more fun because they have the animal exhibit, the pony rides that cost ten million dollars for two laps, but you do it because it brings smiles to both parent and child, you see and get highly involved in pig races, you see the smelly farm animal, ride the carnival rides, spend more money, see cool exhibits, go to the shops and spend more money...see some ice cream from the farms where they milk the cows and yet spend more money while your pants are getting tighter around your waist....well you get the drift!

We went to the fair today.  We packed my parents in there, made it at opening time so we only had to pay the $1 entrance fee since it's opening weekend available for the first 3 hours, waited until 1pm where then they were selling fountain drinks for $1 in celebration of opening weekend....it was quite the experience.  Of course Tigger did NOT take a nap so the inevitable meltdown happened at 6pm until I finally had her in bed by 7:20pm, however, honestly the great day was worth the evening meltdown...oh it was worth it.  Have I told you that Tigger is a dream child when it comes to going out?  I wish I could say it's because I'm a kick butt mom, but I just think it's her personality....at least when we go out, she eats everything so I can take her to a restaurant after an event and it will go great, she loves outings and will hold it together until back in the car or the house.  Dream child....great times we had.

We had fun in the dinosaur exhibit.  It was way cool

First pony ride by herself

This is her 'proud' face

We found Peter Rabbit

Daisy the Cow

more Daisy....a live Daisy the cow

A little confused about feeding goats

Personal space issues

This is my favorite exhibit of the whole day....hmmm trains....love it!

Yes can you say "ca-ching" but every child needs a blow up animal toy that they whine and beg you for

Every child needs grandpa's shoulders and to look ghetto by putting her princess crown on backwards

If you live near an area where they do county/state fairs, I wholly approve anyone's desire to go.  It's quite the experience.

Last Day of Summer

We went to the beach....and had fun.  Enough said!

Sandy Water Shoes

Digging and playing with water

Love the mess

MMMMM time to eat

Grandma and Tigger

All excited to have a chair for herself

Karma is definitely a female dog!!!!!!

My apologies for the cheesy title.  I do maintain this blog as a G-rated, sometimes PG-rated so I do not use profanity even if for a fleeting moment I think about it in my head.  I've learned that sometimes what I think and what I actually say may need to be different or at least more refined.

Anyhow, it never ceases to amaze me how life just circles around.  As a Speech Therapist working in the public schools, my assignments can change yearly and so I've had the opportunity to work from preschool up to high school in the past ten years.  During my years working in the special education preschool program, every time a new kid would start, we would encourage the parent(s) to leave their child and not linger....even if the child was having a screaming, crying, hissy fit.  We would always explain that it is good for the kids to know that mommy loves them and will return.  I know sometimes mothers wouldn't want to do that, and I would just eye-roll when they would hear their child cry and then just go back to hug them and prolong the agony of both of them.

Well it's now my turn.  The first day Tigger went to her new preschool (on Tuesday.....this week and next I have her there Tues/Thurs in the morning so the shock of going on the 22nd when I start work won't be as severe) she was excited and stayed well and even waved bye to me.  Great!  Well today was a different matter.  Today she knew that when I said 'bye' and gave her a kiss and a hug, that I was leaving and the tantrum and screams began.  Oh Lord, I didn't want to leave her like that.  Every inch of my core didn't want to smile turn around and wave 'bye' in a chipper manner while she was screaming and flailing like that, however, the rational part of me knows that if Tigger sees me calm and knows that this is the routine, the agony of the morning will not last long.  So fighting every urge, I smile, say "I love you baby, mommy will come back after lunch" and leave her with the head teacher...flailing arms and feet and everything.  I could still hear her in the parking lot....ugh.  Karma you witch!

I felt way better when I called after I came home and found out that about five minutes after I left, the sad screaming Tigger had transformed and was playing with another girl and happy.  I also felt better when I picked her up and she was happily playing, but did see me and flew into my arms telling everyone "bye"....grabbing me by the hand and carrying her lunch box.

So this is just a reminder that in about two weeks I'm sure she will know her routine again, and that she will be happy to come in the morning and play with new toys and she will be more than happy to come home again in the afternoon.  I also received jargon speech along with words and some two word phrases in an animated way all.the.way.home.  I think we'll be ok.

A mom's life.  The change in the background is a tribute to the fact that my girl is now a big girl attending a true blue licensed preschool!

My Child Has Talent!

Ok this blurb of a post may be too much information (TMI) for some of you so just warning you now ok? Right!

First Talent:  Tape-removing!
So this afternoon I was doing laundry and Tigger loves to be right next to me and well take clean laundry and put it on her head or do dress up or something, so since I was annoyed that the packages of new underwear that I bought for myself (yes it's been a while ha ha) had tape around each set....ugh....since I needed to occupy my child, I just out of a whim said, here Tigger, mommy can't get the tape out, can you do that for me?

She gave me that serious brow furrowed face of hers and took all 12 of the ones I needed to wash and went into my room....didn't think much of it, I continued to load the washer, then went to find out how my child was doing.

Well....lo and behold, my child had un-taped six of the twelve already and was working quite rapidly at getting the rest done...with a "here mami"....I was blown away.  Good job Tigger, you are totally my tape undoer expert!  This is not my area of expertise but I'm thinking this is great fine motor skills for a new 2 year old right? ha!

Second Talent:  Knowing my specific needs
So it never fails, even though I discretely try to go to the bathroom by myself while Tigger is entertained elsewhere, she has a bionic ear and zoom, zoom, comes into the bathroom with me and doesn't leave.  I usually don't care, but it happens all the time....even during that lovely time of the month.  Do not need an audience for that.  Well I just finished that lovely time of the month...and this month Tigger has been, well I guess astute because when she saw me head into the bathroom she ran to my bathroom drawer, got into a specific one and runs over to me and hands me....yup you guess it, a tampon....(told you TMI)

uh Thanks Tigger, way to figure out that these things are used once in a while!  What will happen next?!

Kids are just Funny

Kids are funny as evidenced by:
Today was my mom's birthday!  Tigger and I took her out for lunch....and spent the afternoon with her.  Tigger was great.....I had prepped her for her grandma's birthday and all morning she was going on and on about "Ta" (her name for my mom) and birthdays and cake.  (I think my daughter really loves cake)

So we went to a place my mom wanted to go....one of those buffet style places where you can eat as much as you want plus desserts....lots of desserts!  So while we were out and about eating, Tigger sings "Happy Birthday to you, to you, to you Ta.....to you Ta" over and over again.  It was kinda cute.  Mom had a great time eating and by the time we were finished, Tigger had her cake as well (luckily I spotted some carrot cake so I figured that was the best of the worst dessert had to offer) so everyone was happy.

Kids are funny as evidenced by:
This evening we were playing upstairs....ok, I was doing laundry and Tigger was playing with my clothes as always....when she started to play dress up.  She then goes to a mirror and starts posing.  I mean posing with intent like she's a model or something.  Then I see her smile into the mirror and BLINK like she's flirting with herself and the mirror.

Ummmmmmmm I have no idea where that came from.  I'm not awful, but I don't spend gobs of time in front of the mirror and I don't spend lots of time getting ready to go out, so this posing and "beauty pageant faces" going on is really making me laugh.  Nobody can teach that stuff....you either got it or you don't!

Here's to life with a kid, they are funny!

What 2 years old looks like!

Good morning sunshine....Happy Birthday

Dressed for Birthday Breakfast

hmmmm eating or presents?

oooooh  cake...or rather bite size cupcakes

I know what to do

I love eating frosting too!

opening first gift

Oh yay, I feel chalk taking over  the cement on the porch

Big present

BABIES!!!!!!!

Hugs

Happy Birthday Tigger.  Mami loves you and had fun this morning

The Poop-Up

So Tigger was telling me all day that she wants a poopup....I'm like what???? I don't understand what you are trying to say to me.  Of course my child is easily frustrated when she is not understood (which is why I dedicate at least 20 min a day to vocab building/repetition) and keeps wailing 'poopup, poopup'.  Finally I asked her to show me what she wants.....Ladies and Gents....I bring you Poopups

yes my friends....apparently the word of the day for pull-ups is poop-ups.  My house is never boring!