The weirdos come out at 5:00

Okay, so maybe weirdo isn't the best (or nicest) choice of words. But let me tell you about our adventures at the mall yesterday evening...

I'll start by saying that Amelia and I go to the mall quite a bit. It's our no-cost indoor option when the weather isn't cooperating. Our mall has a children's soft play area, a choo-choo, and a pet store with bunnies, birds, and dogs. Oh - and a Disney store. And Build-A-Bear. It's Amelia's dreamland.

We usually go to the mall on weekday mornings with all the other moms and kiddos (and a few old ladies). Yesterday, Steve was coming home late and it was near 90 degrees outside, so we went to the mall in the afternoon. Talk about a strange feeling - it was a totally different world.

First was the family in the play area. A mom, dad, teenage daughter, and a toddler. The toddler was starving for attention, and coming up to all of us for some conversation/affirmation. The teenage girl would jump up, yell at the girl, smack her arm, and drag her back to the mom who then also hit her. The teenager was bossing this poor child around every second and hitting her every other minute. And get this... at one point she told the toddler not to hit! Ummmm, where do you people think she learned the hitting? It broke my heart and made me nauseous to see such horrible a horrible example of poor parenting. I hope that little girl gets through life unscathed, but more likely she'll become a good-for-nothing bully herself. Very, very sad.

Then came the guy on the cell phone. He walked through the mall literally screaming on his phone. Yelling at some unfortunate fellow on the other end of the line, I guess. He was threatening and downright mean. And did I mention LOUD? I've never heard someone so loud in public, nor seen such blatant disregard for their effect on passersby. Amelia grabbed my hand because he made her so nervous.

And finally, we made it to the food court. Amelia and I sat down to eat our dinner next to a mom & her kids at the next table. The mom's back was to us, but she clearly did not care to feed her kids. Or keep them contained. Or actually look at them. The younger of the two boys decided to come over to our table. He placed his little folded arms on the table, approximately 3 inches from my food. Then he stared at us. He wanted Amelia to look at him. He jumped up and down, making our table shake. His mom didn't care or even bother to turn around. At one point, I told him, as nicely as possible, to please leave because we needed to eat dinner. He took 2 steps away, then came right back 45 seconds later. And was joined by his older brother, who managed to immediately cough on our table! I've never experienced anything like it. I probably should have asked the mother to please collect her rude children, but I tend to shy away from conflict. So I ate as fast as I could, encouraged Amelia to hurry up as well, and got the heck out of there.

Weird, weird mall experience.

I think we'll stick to weekdays at 10:00 a.m. from now on.

Helloooo, attitude

How many times per day can an almost-two-year-old say, "No Way!"?

If that kiddo is my Amelia, I'd say at least 27 times a day. This is her favorite new phrase. It is useful in many different situations - deciding what to wear, which shoes to put on, what to eat for snack, what to eat for lunch, which direction to walk when we go outside, which slide to go down at the playground....

We have no idea where it came from. I'm guessing school, since school pretty much accounts for anything she learns outside of our house. We don't particularly like this new phrase, and we especially don't love the toddler attitude that goes with it.

I think Amelia is in full-blown terrible two's at this point (at least I hope so... please don't tell me it gets worse!!!!), and she is asserting her independence whenever & wherever she can. Don't think you can put her in her car seat. Oh no, she has to struggle to climb up into it herself. Same with the highchair or her "big girl" booster seat at the table. You'd better think twice before mandating which snack she should eat. It's all about choices.

EVERYTHING is about choices. And only Amelia's choices. She is the queen bee around here for sure.

Yesterday she completely freaked out when Steve was rinsing the shampoo out of her hair. She told him to stop ("No, Daddy!"), but he had to keep rinsing to get all the shampoo out. Amelia was not having this. So she screamed, and fought, and pushed, and spit. Then she did not want to get out of the tub. Then she did not want a diaper. And she certainly did not want her hair combed. A 30-pound child can be surprisingly strong when she wants to fight.

It was quite the performance, for sure. So far we haven't experienced and encore today... but it's only a matter of time. She is a tantrum time bomb.

Amelia's prayers

On this Good Friday, it seems appropriate to share Amelia's favorite prayer. She says her prayers over and over again, all day long. I think we must all be extra blessed by now.

Amelia:

"God bless Mommy, God bless Daddy, God bless A-ma-ma (Amelia), God bless Nina, God bless ma-moo (Grandma), God bless ga-da (Granddad).... eventually naming every family member she can think of .... Thank you Jesus. Aaaa-MEN!"

Happy Easter!

My little April fool...

She'll be two years old in one week!

"Life isn't measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away."