Ups and Downs and the hardest part of the day
The day starts when mama begrudgingly gets out of bed and stumbles toward the bathroom (.. never been a morning person)...but as of lately this sour grump has an off switch called "Mama! Morning!" whenever those sweet exasperated words are heard leaping through the air like the little size five feet springing up and down on a crib sized mattress.
When the morning starts with hugs and giggles and a chipper almost 21 month old...life is pretty grand.
That is until he throws his breakfast on the floor and demands for "Hummus" without a please and when you fail to get it within 30 seconds and he has a toddler sized meltdown...Who eats hummus for breakfast anyway?
My child does.
The same almost 2 year old who eats like a bird. Refusing most offerings unless they are: "hummus", "yo"-gurt, the occassional "beans", or peanut "butter sammich"...or the ever loved "packet" of baby food.
Once breakfast is through he's all fun and giggles again. Just the thought of going to the gym seems like a chore when its so beautiful outside. So instead we opt for a walk to the beach...its only a mile away these days and its quite peaceful.
Mama does yoga on the lighthouse pier while toddler laughs from his stroller clapping his hands and singing "joy like a fountain"...its the highlight of our day. Waves and water all around and joy like a fountain in our souls...Gunnar gets a visit to the "dolphin park" climbing through tunnels and sliding down slides before heading home for lunch and a nap.
Lunch goes about the same as breakfast...only half way through Gunnar gets really sad when he realizes we never saw a "choo choo" on our walk...mama might have made it sound like we'd see one for sure...(we pass the Metra and the El on the way to the beach...really thought we'd see one coming or going)...sad baby tears start flowing "choo choo...go?" "choo choo....Nap...nap...choo choo"
It's helpful when your child never fights nap time...and instead tells you he needs one. Even he knows when tears start flowing its because he's over tired.
Mama gets some things accomplished during nap time but not as much as she had hoped...and when he wakes she feels ill-prepared for what to do with the rest of the day.
A trip to Target to get a few things turns into 45 minutes of "ELMOELMOELMOELMO! COOKIECOOKIECOOKIECOOKIE! GEORGEGEORGEGEORGEGEORGE! THOMASTHOMASTHOMAS! CATCATCATCATCAT! POOHPOOHPOOH!" Why, oh why do they have to put up my sons favorite characters all over the store? Everytime we turn a corner there is another character he knows and loves...please tell me this broken record excitement will go away sometime soon.
A quick stop at our new library to check it out and maybe snag a Museum pass on the way out...and Gunnar spies a book about sharks...which he thinks are "DOLPHINS!!" (his current favorite animal) So we decide to look for a book about dolphins to bring home too...and a pass to the Brookfield Zoo...win win.
And when we arrive back home this mama's beat...and there are still 1.5 hours before daddy walks through the door. Unstructured play time as mama tries to check email and get things done results in food and dishes sprawled across the floor, two time outs, a poopy diaper and one exhausted mama. And when daddy shows up to the tornado house, a crabby kid and a tired mama...I don't blame him for wanting to take a break on the couch. But that undoubtedly IS the hardest part of the day. When mama just wants a break...relief arrives...and it poops out before he even starts...must go on...don't start a fight...feed him dinner...make a bath...bedtime is near.
And finally relief steps in...to put on jammies and read some stories. Of course there was the pee on the floor that needed cleaning while that was happening...but mama did get 3 minutes to herself before the day is through. And then its time for lullabies, "love you's", milk and kisses "night night"...the best reward for day's end.
When the morning starts with hugs and giggles and a chipper almost 21 month old...life is pretty grand.
That is until he throws his breakfast on the floor and demands for "Hummus" without a please and when you fail to get it within 30 seconds and he has a toddler sized meltdown...Who eats hummus for breakfast anyway?
My child does.
The same almost 2 year old who eats like a bird. Refusing most offerings unless they are: "hummus", "yo"-gurt, the occassional "beans", or peanut "butter sammich"...or the ever loved "packet" of baby food.
Once breakfast is through he's all fun and giggles again. Just the thought of going to the gym seems like a chore when its so beautiful outside. So instead we opt for a walk to the beach...its only a mile away these days and its quite peaceful.
Mama does yoga on the lighthouse pier while toddler laughs from his stroller clapping his hands and singing "joy like a fountain"...its the highlight of our day. Waves and water all around and joy like a fountain in our souls...Gunnar gets a visit to the "dolphin park" climbing through tunnels and sliding down slides before heading home for lunch and a nap.
Lunch goes about the same as breakfast...only half way through Gunnar gets really sad when he realizes we never saw a "choo choo" on our walk...mama might have made it sound like we'd see one for sure...(we pass the Metra and the El on the way to the beach...really thought we'd see one coming or going)...sad baby tears start flowing "choo choo...go?" "choo choo....Nap...nap...choo choo"
It's helpful when your child never fights nap time...and instead tells you he needs one. Even he knows when tears start flowing its because he's over tired.
Mama gets some things accomplished during nap time but not as much as she had hoped...and when he wakes she feels ill-prepared for what to do with the rest of the day.
A trip to Target to get a few things turns into 45 minutes of "ELMOELMOELMOELMO! COOKIECOOKIECOOKIECOOKIE! GEORGEGEORGEGEORGEGEORGE! THOMASTHOMASTHOMAS! CATCATCATCATCAT! POOHPOOHPOOH!" Why, oh why do they have to put up my sons favorite characters all over the store? Everytime we turn a corner there is another character he knows and loves...please tell me this broken record excitement will go away sometime soon.
A quick stop at our new library to check it out and maybe snag a Museum pass on the way out...and Gunnar spies a book about sharks...which he thinks are "DOLPHINS!!" (his current favorite animal) So we decide to look for a book about dolphins to bring home too...and a pass to the Brookfield Zoo...win win.
And when we arrive back home this mama's beat...and there are still 1.5 hours before daddy walks through the door. Unstructured play time as mama tries to check email and get things done results in food and dishes sprawled across the floor, two time outs, a poopy diaper and one exhausted mama. And when daddy shows up to the tornado house, a crabby kid and a tired mama...I don't blame him for wanting to take a break on the couch. But that undoubtedly IS the hardest part of the day. When mama just wants a break...relief arrives...and it poops out before he even starts...must go on...don't start a fight...feed him dinner...make a bath...bedtime is near.
i got tired just reading that! hang in there!!!!
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