I forgot how annoying toddlers can be

My little guy is turning the big two in just a few days. He is bursting with new words every day and he is a non-stop ball of inquisitive, noisy energy. I feel like my daughter was a whole lot easier. I mean, she certainly had her awful moments, but I seem to recall that she would sit once in a while.

Maybe I just forgot how annoying toddlers can be. It has been many years since I had a toddler. This recent post on ScaryMommy.com nails it. In 25 things I forgot about having a toddler, the writer hilariously reminds us of the shopping cart Houdini action, never-ending need for door locks, and amazingly destructive powers when it comes to anything the older child holds dear, among others.

She also reminds us that the toddler years fly by quickly. At almost age two, my guy is transitioning to a preschooler faster than I can keep up. He is yelling more and hitting more, but he has decided that chicken is not a method of torture and he will take a bite or three if he feels like it. Progress.

This week? He began an additional day of daycare. He walked into the room on his own today. He grinned at some kids and without tears, turned back to me and said, "bye, Mama!". Progress!

Um... what? That confident little boy walking away from me... when did that happen?

 

I miss going to the bathroom alone.... #parenting

What do you miss from the time before you were a parent? 

There are several things for me.
Well, maybe a lot of things.

A few pop into my mind right away...

For one, I miss taking time to actually taste my food at a restaurant instead of constantly digging snacks and sippy cups and crayons and toys out of my bag while I scarf whatever edible concoction is placed in front of me so we can dash out the door before we hit the child meltdown zone. 

I miss waking on a weekend to see an 8 (or greater) as the first number on the clock. Even a 7 is a rare sight on the morning clock these days. It is sad when a 7:22 Saturday wake-up equates to "sleeping in". Way, waaaaaay back in the day, I remember thinking that ESPN's College Game Day program was on a bit too early on Fall football Saturdays..... it starts at noon. 

I also miss going to the bathroom all my myself. Seriously. I would like to have a couple quiet moments in the bathroom to do what I need to do without an extra body in there. These days, I have a toddler shadow who gets into absolutely everything. In the moment it takes me to try to pee, I take away the toilet brush (this week, he seems to think it is a big hairbrush), roll up at least twenty-two squares of toilet paper that he happily unrolled onto the floor, and pry little chubby hands from my bare legs.

He flushes the toilet before I am done. He plays in the trash can. He tries to climb into the tub and gets frustrated that he can't quite get a leg all the way over.  If I lock him out, my bathroom tasks are serenaded by a screeching wail that could frighten an angry velociraptor. This is paired with frantic door pounding. 

It's no wonder that I generally head to the bathroom the moment I get home from dropping him at his Monday daycare or the church preschool!

Bathroom activities are not a team sport.


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Linking up to Mama Kat's writer's workshop today! 

An unforgettable Cars birthday via #DisneySide Home Celebration (and @MariettaPizza)

I received party supplies and other free products to host a #DisneySide @Home Celebration from Disney Parks and MomSelect. All opinions are 100% my own.

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Our little one is almost... one! He had quite the celebration over the weekend with 40-some guests in our home, Disney Pixar's Cars décor galore, cake, and twelve hot, gooey pizzas from a delicious local shop.

One secret to making your themed party really "pop" is to concentrate all décor in one main area. The teams at Disney Parks and MomSelect generously sent a 20-pound box of #DisneySide Home Celebration goodies which arrived just in time to incorporate into our personal festivities for the little guy. I originally had plans to place decoration in the foyer, basement, and kitchen. I am so glad that I opted, instead, to focus everything in the kitchen area which is really the heart of any home party. It was really quite the Cars extravaganza!

 Some of the party supplies included in my shipment were these themed cups:

Also in the complimentary supplies were the Lightning McQueen cupcake stand and cute little snack buckets. Since I was getting a large sheet cake, I did not have cupcakes to place on the stand. Instead, I filled the treat buckets with candy that served as a little take-home treat for the kiddos.

5 months... did I blink?

This big man turned five months old on the 26th. He joined our lives just before an Atlanta snow and ice storm. Spring has already come and gone, and now we are officially into summer! Every parent says it: time goes by too quickly.



Looking at the world with wonder

He has mastered basic grasping, "plays" with toys, and chews on everything. He is beginning to enjoy the exersaucer. He eats stage 1 baby food, and he is as sweet as can be. I have heard that boys love their mamas and so far, he is definitely a mama's boy. Sometimes, he will only accept me (and I love it).

Sharing his contagious smile

Generous with his cuddles