Costco is...

Dangerous.

You go inside and you really and truly start to think -- hmmm... I could totally get 30 kiwis.. and my family of 3 could eat them in a week.. and if we don't.. then I'll learn all kinds of kiwi recipes and maybe even make kiwi jam. 

And then you walk outside and you think... hmmm...  I walked all around that big store... I totally earned a churro, and maybe soda, and maybe I should just have a hot dog.... those ice cream parfaits look pretty good..

Regression

We went to Israel... more on that later....

We came back from Israel - and my almost potty trained daughter now refuses to sit on the potty.  She can put on her own clothing.. but, the kid who sat on the potty and peed like a champ is now not interested in being potty trained at all.  I thought I was the greatest parent in the world - that my kid would be super easy to get out of diapers.. but, alas.. she's more complicated than previously expected.


not my kid - but, you get the picture


Her pre-school teacher has recommended the weekend boot camp.  Basically, you strip her down from the waist and in a weekend she learns.  Hmmmm... was thinking of trying it this weekend, but, my husband threatened to divorce me.  I have tech next week - and he's going to be at home with Izz most night.  I think the prospect of urine and feces loose around the house is too much for him alone.  I see his point. 

I was never really all that rushed to see her potty trained.  Having to stop everything because your toddler needs to use the bathroom is not all that exciting.  Imagine standing in line at Target and BAM - you have to rush to the closest bathroom.. yup.. I'm ok with diapers for now.  But, I do think she is ready. so:

Think we are just going to have to wait until after Thanksgiving.  



Y Quirks.

We are no longer Daddy and Mommy - well, we are - but, only when she isn't really thinking about it. When she's really trying to wrap her mind around our names, we are MOM and DAD. (actually we are My Mom and My Dad -- there is a lot of possession here). And our poor dog Petey is now PETE. The Y's have dropped from all our names.

Poor dog - not only did he lose only child status when Isabella was born, now he's lost his name. She's adamant about it too.

"Izz, his name is Petey".

"No, Mommy... Pete... Pete"

sense of humor

I never really thought to myself that my toddler could already be developing a sense of humor. I mean, I know she loves to laugh, and she loves to tickle us and have a good time -- but, make jokes? Real jokes? When does your comedic self come out? Izz has always been funny. She'll make a funny face to try and make us laugh.. but recently she's actually bordering on stand up comedy.

Tonight -- we are at a restaurant and she points to a Halloween decoration and says, "a Mummy"! -- and then turns to me and smiles... then points again and says "Mommy that's MY Mummy"... and giggles.

ok folks - I'm counting on Izz to grow up and be an Engineer... or am I fooling myself and my little girl is going to be doing the stand up circuit.

sigh....

Bad Mother - the West Coast Edition

I read Laura's post and just chuckled... she hit it right on the nail in so many ways. Thankfully, I don't have that day care provider who asks me probing questions and makes me feel like crap. But, I still have the guilt of the long pre-school day.

Our pre-school is amazing. They were really terrific in helping Izz adjust and they are super supportive. I did do my research when picking a preschool, so, I know its good, but, also - in all honesty - also picked this one because it's open until 6pm and because it's close to our house. I had no idea it was a "feeder" school (if you don't know what that means - good for you -- I've just learned the term and it's quite the eye opener). Anyway, the 6pm part is very important because if you look around for a preschool around here you won't find that many open that late (in fact, when looking in La Jolla so Izz could be closer to my work - I found NONE!). Most of the ones near here are open until 12pm.. and if you are lucky, they have after care until 3pm (yes, that's right until 3pm!). ummm... so, how is a working parent supposed to do this? Well, as I've learned... you do it by having a Nanny as well as taking your kid to preschool. It's true! The lovely lady that I thought was little _____ (no need to share names)'s grandmother is actually her Nanny.. and the reason she goes to pre-school is to help her socialize.

Which brings me to the guilt factor. A good percentage of the kids at Izz's preschool only go half day or half day for half a week. Which means, that come 12pm, her class size goes down by a 1/4 and by 3pm by a 1/2! When Daniel picks her up at 5:30pm -- her classroom has usually merged with the other 2 year old classroom AND the 3 year old classroom.. and there are only 8 kids left.

Kind of makes you feel like crap that your kid is one of the last ones left. I start to have images of that Mormon commercial with the kid left alone on the bleachers because his parents forgot to pick him up, so a nice mother takes pity on him and she and her kids sit with him to wait. Sigh.....

I drop Izz at preschool and Daniel picks her up... so, I am constantly calling him and pushing him to try and pick her up earlier... to please please not let her be one of the last group.

Thankfully, Izz seems unfazed by this. In fact, Daniel has had to wait when he picks her up in the afternoon, because he sometimes arrives during the late afternoon story time, and she doesn't want to leave not knowing what is going to happen in the story.

but, her Mother still feels guilty.

Fashion Sense.

I think know my toddler has more fashion sense than I do.   Yesterday morning, she pulled on her socks - and I folded them over.  "NO, Mommy" she said and kept them long. Then she proceeded to pull on the brand new boots that I had gotten for winter over the socks.  They looked adorable on with her dress.   The boots are too big, so I was not thinking of them at all - but, clearly she was.   We had to compromise on other shoes, because the boots were, in fact, too big... but, what a lesson in letting your kids figure out their own style.  I usually let her pick out stuff from a choice of 2-3 outfits -- and so far, she's surprised me with some inventive and really fun outfits. 

Bad Mother

Can i just say that i really can't take the GUILT that gets thrown at you when you pick up kids from daycare. I realize now that it wasn't the lady at the other daycare because i'm getting the same crap from this lady -- who i like a whole lot more -- but still, she had the nerve to ask me what i fed Molly this morning. At pick-up she told me that Molly's poop was black. I asked her if it was very loose or very hard, and she said it was normal, but just black. And I'm like, lady - I have one kid and I've seen every color poop already - how is it that you haven't?? Should i really be alarmed by black poop? What - you think i fed her black licorice for breakfast? But she looked at me like

A) It was the weirdest thing she ever saw and

B) clearly i did something to cause it

So we move on from poop, and she tells me how Molly isn't eating as well as she used to. And i remind her that she's teething now so it's probably that. So that seemed to satisfy. So she tries to find another topic she can nail me on. She tells me about Molly's diaper rash, which keeps coming back, but which, of course i know about - and she tells me "it really hurts her." I tell her we just got new medicine that should hopefully work. But i swear, i feel like I'm on trial defending myself to this lady. As if i don't care or know about her diaper rash! I know that girl's butt better than anyone, trust me.

Uch - is it just that there's no way to ask about this stuff without making it seem like we suck as parents? Or am i just letting my working mom guilt take over? I don't know, i swear there's a way to ask these things without making it seem like I'm a shitty mom.