My Little Shadow

...and that is an understatement.  Ryann has been attached at my hip for weeks now and it is getting progressively worse.  Here is a sampling of our daily conversations.

Ryann-"What you doing mama?"
Me-"Getting some coffee."
Ryann-"Coffee too?"

R-"What you doing mama?"
M-"Just gonna go potty."
R-"Potty too?"

R-"What you doing mama?"

M-"Just putting on my shoes."

R-"Shoes too?"

R-"What you doing mama?"

M-"Just gonna take a quick shower."

R-"Shower too?"

So you get the point. She wants to do EVERYTHING I am doing.  While I always enjoy a little attention, I can't help but feel a LITTLE frustrated as I usher my daughter into the bathroom with me for the tenth time and beg her to keep the door closed while I am in there, lest my neighbors get a free show.  

Short of hiring a slightly more mature 2 year old to keep her occupied, I don't know how to cut the cord-which is becoming more important as my due date draws nearer-I can't be bringing two kids in the shower/bathroom/bedroom with me every time I go!  What to do?

Come ON, Trenton Business Owners!

As a Trenton resident, I really do love my city.  I was, however, a little disappointed today at the Memorial Day Parade.  The parade itself was AWESOME, and Ryann really enjoyed it.  We were set up at a great spot by Keck Hardware-in perfect view of the Trenton Ice Cream Shoppe.  So of course, once the kids got a look at that they were promised ice cream after the parade.

The parade ended at 10:45, so we walked across the street to get the kids the ice cream as promised.  However, the ice cream shop WASN'T OPEN.  As a matter of fact, it didn't look like many stores were open.  One would think that in this economy, having a ton of people hanging out outside of your store on a Saturday morning would be all the more reason to be open, having a sale, handing out coupons.  I think we would have loved to hang out on West Rd. for a bit, had there been anything to do.  Matt and I were BOTH disappointed.  I hope that they can do better next year...

My little brother

I have an 11 year old brother who has Down's Syndrome.  He has had pretty rough luck in the health department, and this last week has been especially tough.  Today he is having spinal surgery to hopefully fix a problem that should have been diagnosed last August.  Thoughts and prayers are appreciated.  Here is a little something written by another one of my five brothers, entitled "Superman."

Shameless Book Plug

I just finished reading the book "Naptime is the New Happy Hour" by Stefanie Wilder-Taylor and really enjoyed it.  One of the things that really struck me is in the book she mentions that having a toddler in the house is like having a houseguest 24/7.  They constantly need to be entertained.  

Ryann is not TOO high maintenance, but I can tell when she is getting a little bored with our routines and we need to get her out more.  We've done the zoo, gymnastics, parks, shopping, Jungle Java, and other "seasonal" activities like visiting Santa, etc.  

But with baby coming soon I know its going to be harder.  I need some ideas and I need them fast, or we risk really getting sick of each other this summer! 

You ARE what You EAT

Okay, so I know no one is going to be knocking down my door for the Mother of the Year award anytime soon, but I would like to reminisce about what a good mother I was planning on being. Is it the thought that counts?

For instance, I nursed Ryann for almost an ENTIRE year-11 months to the day, to be exact, and then she was over it and I didn't want to put any pressure on her because I was kind of over it too.  I followed the doctor's instructions TO A TEE about what she should be eating and when.  I printed out a toddler food pyramid so that my husband and I could make sure she was eating a balanced diet.

Over the last year, we've slipped up.  I now count SpaghettiOs as a vegetable serving (it says right on the label!) and she probably has M&Ms more than she should.  But today I hit an all-time low.  She woke up all excited about having cereal.  The entire time she was in the bath "Cereal? Cereal? Cereal?" and I promised her she could have some.  Until we got downstairs and I realized we were out of MILK.  This is an important component to her bowl of cereal.  We did, however, have some half and half.  So I watered it down and added it to the cereal.  She ate it up like I gave her a bowl of chocolate ice cream.  So I am wondering, how bad could it possibly be?  What is the wierdest thing you fed your kid in a pinch?

High Maintenance

So Ryann has a few picture books with pictures of friends and family in it.  She loves going through them and pointing out people and telling me their names.  Last night she pulled out the picture below, taken of her and me last summer at her grandparent's place in Gladwin, MI.

She shows it to her dad and starts to get up set, telling him that it is a "mess!"-but when he asks what is a mess, she responds "my hair!" and looks like she might start to cry.

I take the picture and explain to her that the wind is blowing through our hair and we both look really happy-but she is not buying it.  She tries to fold the picture up.  I cannot BELIEVE that I am already dealing with these issues, especially since I am not a woman who spends a whole lot of time worrying about my looks.  How do I fix this?

Happy Mother's Day

The story below came from a e-mail forward I received back when I was pregnant with Ryann-reading it can still bring me to tears ;)  Have a great Mother's Day!


We are sitting at lunch one day when my daughter casually mentions that she and her husband are thinking of "starting a family."
"We're taking a survey," she says half-joking.
"Do you think I should have a baby?"
"It will change your life," I say, carefully keeping my tone neutral.
"I know," she says, "no more sleeping in on weekends, no more spontaneous vacations."

But that is not what I meant at all. I look at my daughter, trying to decide what to tell her. I want her to know what she will never learn in childbirth classes. I want to tell her that the physical wounds of child bearing will heal, but becoming a mother will leave her with an emotional wound so raw that she will forever be vulnerable.  I consider warning her that she will never again read a newspaper without asking, "What if that had been MY child?" That every plane crash, every house fire will haunt her. That when she sees pictures of starving children, she will wonder if anything could be worse than watching your child die.

I look at her carefully manicured nails and stylish suit and think that no matter how sophisticated she is, becoming a mother will reduce her to the primitive level of a bear protecting her cub. That an urgent call of "Mom!" will cause her to drop a soufflé or her best crystal without a moments hesitation.

I feel that I should warn her that no matter how many years she has invested in her career, she will be professionally derailed by motherhood.  She might arrange for childcare, but one day she will be going into an important business meeting and she will think of her baby's sweet smell. She will have to use every ounce of discipline to keep from running home, just to make sure her baby is all right.

I want my daughter to know that every day decisions will no longer be routine. That a five year old boy's desire to go to the men's room rather than the women's at Mc Donald's will become a major dilemma. That right there, in the midst of clattering trays and screaming children, issues of independence and gender identity will be weighed against the prospect that a child molester may be lurking in that restroom.

However decisive she may be at the office, she will second-guess herself constantly as a mother. Looking at my attractive daughter, I want to assure her that eventually she will shed the pounds of pregnancy, but she will never feel the same about herself. That her life, now so important, will be of less value to her once she has a child. That she would give herself up in a moment to save her offspring, but will also begin to hope for more years, not to accomplish her own dreams, but to watch her child accomplish theirs.  I want her to know that a cesarean scar or shiny stretch marks will become badges of honor. My daughter's relationship with her husband will change, but not in the way she thinks.

I wish she could understand how much more you can love a man who is careful to powder the baby or who never hesitates to play with his child. I think she should know that she will fall in love with him again for reasons she would now find very unromantic.

I wish my daughter could sense the bond she will feel with women throughout history who have tried to stop war, prejudice and drunk driving. I want to describe to my daughter the exhilaration of seeing your child learn to ride a bike. I want to capture for her the belly laugh of a baby who is touching the soft fur of a dog or cat for the first time.
I want her to taste the joy that is so real it actually hurts.

My daughter's quizzical look makes me realize that tears have formed in my eyes. "You'll never regret it," I finally say. Then I reached across the table, squeezed my daughter's hand and offered a silent prayer for her, and for me, and for all the mere mortal women who stumble their way into this most wonderful of callings.

Please share this with a Mom that you know or all of your girlfriends who may someday be Moms.


May you always have in your arms the one who is in your heart.

Have a great day!

The Zoo

Ryann LOVES the zoo.  We went to the Toledo Zoo a few times last year and she wasn't really into it, but since Matt and I are both off of work, we took her back a few weeks ago.  This is a trip that can be done relatively cheap-admission is free for kids under 2.  If you can keep your kids away from the snack stands and direct their eyes away from the souvenir shops-you can have a great day ALL day for cheap.  Matt and I bought a membership this year because its cheaper to buy it than to visit the zoo twice, which I am sure we will do.

Here are some tips and hints for those who have never been:

1.  Pack some "cool" snacks so kids are less tempted to want to go to the concession stands. You can bring in your own cooler.

2.  GO EARLY.  I would suggest getting there right as it opens, walking around and seeing all the animals, then going to Nature's Neighborhood (awesome for kids 0-8) breaking for a picnic lunch and spending the afternoon letting the kids play on the playscape.  This way they have seen all the animals and you have a chance to relax while they burn off the excess energy.

3.  Be prepared to walk slowly behind people who have no consideration-EVERYONE has a stroller or wagon, so traffic will get a little congested as the day wears on.

4.  Be patient and enjoy watching your kids get excited.  It is going to be a little crazy.  That saying "this place is a zoo" had to come from somewhere, right?

Enchanted Princess Ball

Ryann is REALLY into princesses right now-despite the fact that she has never seen any of the Disney movies that have the princesses in them-although she does have a few Disney books, cups, and other assorted princess memorabilia.  Trenton had their prom on Saturday and when Ryann woke up from her nap I showed her the "princesses" that had lined up at a neighbor's house to get their pictures taken before the dance.  She immediately insisted that we head over to check up the princesses up close.  I felt awful sorry for her as I tried to convince her to leave, explaining the the princesses needed to go to the "ball"-she looked up at me, pointed to her chest, and says "ME GO?!"-and I told her no, she was too young, but she was going to get to spend the night at Grandma's house-so that is just as exciting to her right now anyway so it worked out.

I am considering registering her for the Enchanted Princess Ball on May 15 in Trenton-any moms out there ever gone?  What can I expect?

Is it too much to ask?

Ryann and I got ready this morning to run to the mall and get her uncle Andrew a Tiger's shirt.  She was in an especially good mood all day-cuddly and happy-and was even MORE excited that she requested to wear jeans today and I let her.

I thought she looked especially cute as we were walking to the car so I thought I would take a picture of her since it was her first time wearing flip-flops.  She was all smiles until I got the camera out.  And then this is what I got from her...

And another one for her graduation board.

Mix one part Jekyll with one part Hyde...

So Ryann has been very odd these last few weeks.  On one hand she continues to be my little shadow-always doing things like me and wanting to help me whenever I am doing something.  On the other hand-I can see previews of her "terrible twos" approaching.  For example, I took her out to eat with my mother and sisters and while she is normally VERY well behaved in a restaurant, she wanted nothing to do with sitting still.  Then when we went to leave she tried to dart away from me in the parking lot.  This behavior is VERY unlike her.

We have only one more month until she is 2 years old, and only a little over 2 months until she is no longer the only child.  I am hoping she can get a reign on her temper and turn back into my sweetheart before then-but am not too encouraged!

Priorities...

So today we are going to see my cousin and her new baby.  I went upstairs to take a shower, and per usual, Matt brought Ryann up to join me after I was finished so that she could get cleaned up too.

Once Ryann was all washed up, I let her play in the bath while I got out and went through my lotion/toothbrush/hair routine (which I have condensed down to about 5 minutes).  I get her out, slather her with lotion, brush her teeth, blowdry her hair, clean out her ears, and then she sits on top of the toilet while I go through the routine of clipping off any sharp nails and then touching up her toenail polish.  As I send her back downstairs to her dad, I catch a glimpse of my own hands and feet, which look like they have been sent through a meat grinder.  The truth is, by the time I get done doing all of her grooming, I am too tired to put a lot of effort into my own.  I will take any ideas that will help me put myself first-even it is just every so often...

Sunday Funday

Yesterday Matt and I hosted a "Sunday Funday" at our house-basically just an excuse (yesterday it was the wings game) to get friends together to visit and give the kids someone their own size to pick on ;)

It was a ton of fun and we had about 20 people or so (I come from a family of 7 kids, so if even HALF of us show up it is a party).

When we host these parties, we usually tell people to bring a snack to share-Matt grilled a few hot dogs, burgers, and chicken breasts, and I made some baked beans and put out cheese and crackers.  Then my brother and his wife basically brought a burrito bar from Mexicantown, and my girlfriends and their hubbies brought hummus and some buffalo chicken dip.  As usual, way too much food-but a good time nonetheless.

What kinds of snacks do you always have on hand to feed guests-whether suprise or invited?

What's good in the wood?

Please ignore my Winnie the Pooh reference-My Friends Tigger and Pooh is one of Ryann's favorites (she has even created her own dance to the hit song "You Can Do It If You Try.")

I am always looking for ideas for low-cost things to do with Ryann during the day (in the downriver area).  If any of you moms out there know of cool stuff going on-could you email me the info? downrivermom1@yahoo.com

Thanks!

"Oh Sh_t *-Where'd Mama Go?"

So for 8 weeks I was doing a long term substitute job for a woman on maternity leave.  I think since I have been laid off for 10 months, Ryann (my daughter) has finally gotten used to me always being around-especially when she wakes up in the morning.  She has even adopted the use of one particular swear word that starts with an S.  I don't normally swear, but sometimes it squeaks out. Now I hear Ryann using this word in the exact same context that I would, but in a toddler's voice.  I am trying to ignore it and hope it goes away soon.


When I first started subbing, Matt (my husband) was laid off so he was home now with Ryann in the morning and on one of the first mornings he tried to grab her out of her crib when she woke up and put her in our bed-it was still dark but I was up and getting ready for work.  He succeeded to get her to lay down for a few minutes, and then she starts reaching around to my side of the bed.  After not being able to find me, she sits straight up and says to him "Oh sh_t-Where'd Mama go?"-which made me feel appreciated and missed.


Since my long term sub job ended, the first few mornings that she woke up she was calling for Matt- "Dada!"  "Daddy" as soon as she woke up.  This hurt my feelings because I know she wasn't used to having me around any more.  So you can imagine my heart swelled with pride this morning as I heard her in her bedroom calling "Mama!"-I went right to her bedroom to get her out of bed and said "Yes baby?"  to which she immediately responded "I poo-poo."  At least she still wants me for all of the important stuff.  :( 

Sleep Appreciation

Since I am now entering my third trimester, I am REALLY starting to enjoy any chance that I get to sleep-especially since my caffeine intake is seriously limited while pregnant. The other morning I woke up and realized that I didn't have to get up once in the middle of the night to go to the restroom (which is UNHEARD of). This instantly put me in a better mood.

I took Ryann and the neighbor to open gym yesterday-"McLunch" at Mills gymnastics. They do this every Wednesday and it is a great energy burner for the kids-they run around the gym like maniacs playing on the trampolines, etc. and then when they get home they are ready for a nap-yesterday Ryann's lasted 2 hours. I am not sure if this was from all the fun and excitement or from the races I had the kids run carrying medicine balls. Either way, it did the trick and I had two hours of quiet time to relax. As the pregnancy progresses I know those moments are going to be fewer and fewer, so I will take them how I can get them. Thank you Mills!

Welcome!

I am starting this blog as a way to connect to the outside world from the comforts of my own world. I am a stay at home mother of one and one on the way in July. Staying at home with my children was something I always thought I would like, but seemed like a silly thing to do since as a teacher I had a great schedule that allowed plenty of time for enjoying my family. However, due to the economy, I was laid off last summer and have been off all school year and at home with my daughter (turning 2 this May!).

This blog will create a space for me to blow off some steam as well as maybe connect with other parents in my area (Trenton, MI) that are looking for fun things to do with their kids-hopefully that don't cost an arm and a leg. Maybe I'll even make some new friends (not that there is anything wrong with the old ones). Please feel free to contact me! I look forward to getting new ideas for things to do and to build a new network of parents in the Downriver area!