Kim’s post about Bear having a best friend at 2 years old made me stop & think. Does PP (who is also 2) have a best friend? Not really, but what she does have is a boyfriend (aka childhood crush). Of course I use that term affectionately (and not realistically) but there is a boy at her daycare that she is really sweet on. Whenever I ask PP who her boyfriend is, she shyly smiles & says, “Michael.” She will even pick up her play phone and pretend like she is talking to Michael. When she arrives in the morning at day care, Michael happily runs over to her & they hug (have even shared a few smooches, too!). Michael & PP have become the “it” couple in the toddler room at daycare.

Of course, I have talked to his mother about this. Apparently Michael has been bitten by the love bug just as much as PP-at home he stares at her picture & gives it kisses. When PP is not in daycare, he asks for her. I wonder if they will remember each other as their first childhood crush?

I have stumbled upon some very interesting & hysterical posts about childhood crushes. If you have a good one, send my way!

Before I had my daughter, I would watch Supernanny & think about how bad these kids were behaving and who are these parents that let their kids get away with it? Well, last week at my cousin’s birthday party held at a family fun center, I felt the Supernanny hidden camera on me.

I went to the birthday party by myself since my husband was working that day and knew that I was getting into a potentially dangerous situation since the party was during naptime. I was hoping that PP would sleep on the ride down, but no such luck (actually she got up pretty early that day too).  So, after going on the Shuttle Train ride for the second time (PP called it the Rocketship from Little Einsteins), I knew that we were in trouble. When the woman unfastened her seat belt, PP quickly refastened it saying, “No, again!” I obliged, giving the woman my two tickets again–what’s the harm, right?  Well, after the third time, it really was time to get off the ride. So, I had to deal with PP kicking & screaming, “No!” as I lifted her out of the ride.

We played a few more games & went on the “rocketship” a couple more times again. The big issue came when we had to go upstairs for lunch. When PP realized that she wasn’t going to be able to play anymore, she began to kick & scream hysterically, yelling “Play, Play!” I put her down for a second & she took off down the stairs & made a beeline for the rocketship. I corralled her back & sat down long enough to shove a slice of pizza in my mouth. I then took PP to a quiet area of the room & explained to her that we need to sit down & have lunch & cake for the birthday party, then we could go back downstairs and play. I asked her if she understood and she replied “yes.”  When we went back to sit down, I was met with the same frantic reception. So, I removed her from the situation and tried again. Same thing happened.

In order to avoid listening to my screaming daughter the whole time (me and the other guests), I decide to leave. I channeled the Supernanny throughout the experience asking myself, “What would Jo do?”  I thought I had it covered, but in any event, I had to leave early (sans cake).

I having been looking online for tips on temper tantrums & have learned some interesting things. Do you have any tips that worked for you?? Send them my way before my next birthday party meltdown!

I fell in love with a post that I read about a mother writing a birthday letter to her daughter. Then I came across two other touching birthday letters. Seeing these letters, made me reflect on the past two years of my exciting & rewarding journey with PP. I keep a journal with letters to PP so she can read when she is older so I thought this was a good way to bring one of the entires to life.

Dear PP,
Two years old! How time flies. I remember when you were a few weeks old & all you could do was eat, sleep, poop. I loved how I could hold & cuddle with you (you were such a snuggle bunny). You were a very good baby.

Fast forward two years, you are a vibrant and happy little girl. You have such a great personality & love of life. You are super funny (which I have to believe is inherited from me) and you love running around & playing. I love how you jump into things & aren’t afraid to try new things (except when it comes to food). You also have a wonderful love of animals. You are so kind to our little Peaches–giving her “treats” and sharing your goldfish & cheerios. You give Peaches kisses goodnight & get so excited to see her in the morning.

But I think what I love most about you is the way you make me feel. You make me feel like a million bucks when you run into my arms & yell out excitedly, “Mommy, Mommy.” You are truly one of the most spectacular things to happen to me. I look forward to the many experiences we will encounter together.

I love you, PP. Have a wonderful second birthday!
All My Love,
Mommy

This past Monday, some of my fellow bloggers, Kim and Kristin, and I were discussing discipline. We joke that Kim and I are completely opposite when it comes to discipline. I am very, very lax and Kim is structured & planned (she has a discipline meter…). I have to admit, that I was inspired by her. That night, PP, once again, would not sit down to dinner without a fight.  Once she did sit down she said, “NO” as soon as I placed a plate of food in front of her. I told her that she needs to eat dinner or NO TV that night (that was the first time that I ever said that). She didn’t eat anything & I warned her again. PP then proceeded to throw the dish of food onto the floor (this is a normal occurrence) and said to me, “No.”

So, I unhooked her from her seat and told her that she cannot watch TV since she didn’t eat her dinner. PP whined at first then went right to her toys & started to play. Then we played house in her Rose Petal cottage and had a tea party. PP wanted to read some books, so we read about three Curious George books and played with her flash cards (which have really helped her learn new words). Before we knew it, it was bathy bath time. If we hadn’t instilled NO TV night, then we would have missed out on some quiet family time.

We actually survived a night without TV! Who knew we could pull it off and actually enjoy it! My husband was the one struggling that night - he tried to negotiate watching a hockey game since PP wasn’t allowed to watch her shows (I didn’t give in–no TV means no TV for everyone!).

This happened again last night. I stood strong & said “no TV” again.

My parents were watching my daughter today & she ate some of her lunch & my dad said to her, “Do you want to watch TV?” Her reply was, “Can I?”

Maybe I can discipline her….

I was recently inspired by a post I read in which the blogger’s daughter was found lovingly holding her stuffed animal that was originally placed on a shelf high above the chair that she was now sitting on. The post really made me laugh out loud since this is what I encounter with PP on a daily basis (and it is good to know that there are other kids her age that are balls of energy too!).

PP enjoys reaching new heights–literally. She cleverly places her toys in order to create a makeshift “ladder” to climb onto the family room chair then onto our half wall that separates our kitchen and family room. Instead of quickly running to her & telling her “NO,” I admiringly observe her problem solving skills & perseverance. Then she proceeds to backflip off of the chair & onto the floor. In my mind, I am helping her hone her developmental skills and possibly encouraging her to be the next Olympic star (did Mary Lou Retton’s mom stop her from doing gymnastics as a young child??).

I really appreciate & try to nurture PP’s free spirit. I admire her confidence and proudly observe her as she gleefully tackles new and exciting challenges. But… will my admiration lead to more headaches?  Have a similar challenge (and Olympic hopeful)?  What’s your approach?

As a child, I was a very picky eater (I have to say, I still am). When I wouldn’t eat dinner, my mom used to say, “I hope you have a daughter that is just as bad as you.” Well, what goes around comes around. My daughter Pudding Pop is an extremely picky eater (or has “discriminating taste” if you want to be PC).  This has become a big source of stress for myself & my husband. Not only do we worry about PP not getting enough nutrients, but we are concerned with her not developing table manners.  

We started doing some research on this subject & talking to other parents with picky eaters. My husband told me that he read about some good tips on creating a meal routine, not giving snacks, etc…. So now the fun begins!  I wouldn’t say that Rob and I are particularly strict parents, so this is going to be an interesting journey.   If you have a story, a tip, words of advice, or even just to tell me that this too shall pass, I’d love to hear it.   

Every time my daughter throws a bowl of food at me or turns up her nose in disgust when I try to feed her green beans, I silently thank my mom…

My latest wondrous moment? I wonder if a 21 month old can fake sick.  I have decided that they can. I had a haunting feeling yesterday (I guess you can call it mother’s intuition) that I was going to receive that fated phone call from day care that says “your daughter is sick and you have to pick her up right away.” Once lunchtime rolled around, I thought I was in the home stretch. I went out to lunch with some friends from work and then I received the CALL. Pudding Pop had a 100 degree temperature. So I had to go over and pick her up after her nap. When I got there, I have to admit, she looked pretty bad. I carried her out to the car and we headed for home. As soon as we walked in the front door, she realized she was home free and she was off.

What happened here??

PP ran up & down the hallways joyfully screaming then ran right over to the TV & said “Care Bears.” So I, still feeling bad for the little “sickie,” ran to the DVD player & put her favorite movie in. She grabbed her blanket & pillow & chilled on the floor while watching her beloved Care Bears. She didn’t look so sick after all…

I guess Mama & Care Bears was all the medicine that she needed.