Good lord today was just a terrible, horrible day.

To put it bluntly, toddlers are not graceful.  They’re still working out that thing called balance, and haven’t mastered how to regain one’s balance if they start to lose it.  Hell, I’m an adult and I still haven’t quite figured that one out yet.  So, take some twirling in circles,  and throw good ol’ gravity into the mix?  And a nearby, immobile, hard object? Well, that is just a recipe for disaster.

Forehead, meet the dresser handle.  Dresser handle, meet the forehead.

There was much blood, and much crying (from both the Kiddo AND me).

There was a three hour visit to the emergency room, and three or four stitches.  And then a popsicle and a small puppy finger puppet (from the doctor) for being such a trooper!  She didn’t cry during the stitches at all, and held still just like we asked her to do.  Yay for topical anesthetic, and yay for a very calm little girl!  And a super doctor and nurse, to boot.  And thanks to her grandma for sitting with us at the ER in sheer boredom waiting those long three hours, helping me keep the Kiddo entertained.

I am so spent.  I hope to never have to repeat what happened today ever again.  But I imagine that is just wishful thinking… if she inherited my clutziness, and can’t find her gracefulness, well, I fear something like this will probably happen at some point again, but hopefully in the way way distant future.  But I can still hope that distant future never comes and she turns out to be as graceful as a swan, right?  One can dream…

She’s already learning this trick, although thankfully for the most part it doesn’t work out to her advantage.  Last night I was cooking dinner, and she wanted me to open a package of Sun Chips (one of the little 100 calorie packs) – I told her no, because I was gettig dinner ready and we’d be eating soon.  She pleaded a couple more times, but I stood firm and stuck with telling her no.

View the rest of this entry…

Man last week was rough. I hope she doesn’t sprain another limb for a LONG time.  It took three days before we could remove the shirt she was wearing the day she got hurt, and another day after that to convince her a warm bath would help her arm.  Then Friday, she suddenly realized her arm did not hurt as much as she thought and she turned into a holy terror. View the rest of this entry…

If the Kiddo has any faults right now, it is her listening skills.  Or, her lack thereof, shall we say.  We’re often repeating ourselves, although we try to limit it to no more than two or three times, with the threat of time out with the second repeat if it has to be said a third time.  That is not unreasonable is it?  For a going-on-three year old?

View the rest of this entry…

Last night we had a first in our house.

Our first, “if your kid/s is/are too quiet, that can’t be good”, incident.  I have photographic proof, too.

View the rest of this entry…

She has entered a very, VERY irritating phase.

“I can’t!”, which she says if she either a) doesn’t WANT to do something, or b) doesn’t THINK she can do something (when it is obivous she CAN) – which probably can really just be included in the first item.

Yesterday evening she tossed one of her baby dolls onto our bed, and it was just out of her “normal” reach, but if she stretched and got up on her toes, reaching it would’ve been very easy.  It was *just* at the tip of her fingers if she reached with no effort.  And I had a pile of clean clothes on the bed, so I did not want her to climb onto it to get the doll.  So instead of trying to reach the doll by stretching a little bit and getting on her toes, she just stood there with her arm outstretched on the bed, just within reach of the doll, whining “I can’t!”.

Then she decided to toss a small ball onto the bed, which WAS out of reach for her.  And went back to the corner of the bed, which she uses to climb up, and tried to use it an excuse to get both items.  I told her, no, she has to reach to get her doll FIRST, then she can climb up to get the ball.  (Yeah, I know, kind of against the reason I didn’t want her on the bed in the first place, but I didn’t tell her why I didn’t want her on the bed, so that really doesn’t matter in this case).

And you know what?  Just like that, she stretched a little on her toes and got her doll. I told her, “See? I knew you could do it! Now you can climb up and get your ball.”

Anyway, I think I might just go batty with this phase.  I’d almost rather deal with a tantrum than the pathetic “I can’t!” whine.  Ugh!

Yes, this will be another potty-training related post.

So yesterday, I decided since it wasn’t that hot out when we got home, and with the sun going down I could work mostly in the shade, I decided to hit the front yard and do some weeding.  I had the Kiddo stay outside with me while I worked, since her dad decided to hunker down in front of his computer and play some Warhammer.

Maybe about 10 minutes in, View the rest of this entry…

“Jus’ a wittle bit.”

Anytime the Kiddo sees my purse, or even a glimpse of a tube of Chapstick (or any type of lip balm, for that matter), she HAS to put some on.  And she says that phrase, to let me know she is bent on doing so.

She will unzip my purse, and root around inside to find that coveted tube.  If left to her own devices, she will apply it.  And apply it.  And apply it some more.  Nope, not done yet – and more and more.  She would probably try to put half a tube of it on until she was caught and stopped.

So any time I hear that phrase, and I am not in the same room as she is, I have to RUN to find where she is to keep her from using up the entire thing.

Somehow, I think my daughter will definitely not follow in my footsteps when it comes to make-up.  I wear little to none of it except on special occassions.  Seriously – my make-up expires before I can even use 1/16th of it – and that’s being generous.

I have a feeling she’s going to be a definite glamour girl when she gets older.

Wowee was she ever beeing a drama queen tonight.  Complete with “arm over the face” with forced tears.

Maybe she should be an actress when she grows up. LOL

Or is the “PC” term now “potty learning”?  Meh.  Potty training, potty learning, it’s all the same to me.

So last night, we get home, and the Kiddo wants to wear panties after I changed her out of a very soppy pull-up.  Which was my fault, because she said she had to go potty while we were at the store, but it was muggy, I was sweaty, and had a cart with cold groceries in it, and didn’t want to put off going home any longer than necessary – bad mommy!

Anyway, I did so, and set up the hall bathroom toilet so it had her little potty situated on the big toilet seat, and the stool at the foot of the toilet so all she would have to do is run in, strip down and use it.  Which she HAS done on her own before.

She wants to watch Madagascar while we kill time until dinner, so I oblige and remind her that if she has to go potty, she can just get up and run to the bathroom and go!  She doesn’t need to ask or tell me.

She says “OK!” and sits down to watch Madagascar.  She is sitting on the foot rest of her umbrella stroller (she is weird like that, and there is a back story to why the stroller is in my home office/hobby room), watching the movie, and drinking some strawberry milk.  I am at my desk, surfing and posting on some bulletin boards, and dropping some Entrecards.

About 20 minutes after we sat down, I hear the distinct splatter of liquid onto the carpet.  Only it takes me like five seconds for my brain to register WHAT that means.  And by then, it is too late.

AGGH!!!  She peed on my carpet, practically oblivious to what she was doing. GRRRR!  When I finally realized what was happening, and said her name in that “What are you DOING?!” tone, she looked up at me, then down at the puddle, and just continued to sit there and finish.  *insert big heaving sigh here*

All I could say was, “GO.  Go into the bathroom.  NOW,” and followed her out to go get a towel to mop up the puddle.

After I got it cleaned up, I told her she was going to wear a diaper.  NOT a pull-up, and definitely NOT panties (the rest are waiting to be washed, anyway).  Sadly, she didn’t even seem to care that she was going to have to wear a diaper.  In fact, the little stinker went into her room to go GET one.  🙄

There was still some time to kill before dinner, so we went back into my office and she continued to watch the movie. Five minutes later, she decides she has to potty.  Runs to the bathroom, strips off her diaper, sits on the toilet, and goes.

Suure, kid.  Use the toilet when you’re wearing a diaper, but pee on my floor when you’re wearing panties?  I think you have things backwards, kiddo.  And thanks.  Thank you very much.