No More Little Wings

That's her daycare. I've had serious issues with them as of late, serious enough that I'm willing to pay almost 50% more for another daycare. She's been safe, but somehow I as a mother think that there's more to daycare than being safe. Silly how I think that way. So she and I are leaving bright and early to visit her new place. Kids 1st. I hope they mean it.

She's getting quite the personality lately. She's so much like me that sometimes I can hardly stand it. That little look when she's doing something wrong, she's not sure what she's doing wrong, but she knows it. Then you say, want a time out, YEP. and dang if she doesn't mean it.

I am looking forward to being with her tomorrow. She's been SERIOUSLY attached to her daddy and that's so hurting my feelings. She wants mostly nothing to do with me and has no problem screaming NO MOMMY. I'm hoping tomorrow she'll forget she doesn't like me this week :) Nothing special planned, just the park and the library after the visit and a nice nap. I may even nap with her on our bed rather than doing laundry while she naps.

I'm going to try to get some cool pictures at the park and I'll post them this weekend if that happens.

Keep your fingers crossed that the new daycare is worth the extra money, because if not I'm not sure what we'll do next.

She's a smartie :)

Well we've been working on Abbie being paci free. She still gets it at bedtime, but that's it. This morning she asked if she could go back to bed. This evening we were at Walmart and I was going to let her pick a doll and she picked one with a paci and then stole it from the baby! I know we'll get through this but she's sneakier than I expected she would be.

We've decided to find a new daycare for Abbie too. The one where she is just isn't working out. There's not as much stimulation or attention as I'd like and although I've talked to them about it I get the impression they think I'm one of those nagging moms. I guess I probably am, but the couple of places I've interviewed so far don't seem to think the things I'm asking for are out of the ordinary. Everywhere I'm looking at is more expensive, but I guess right now we are getting what we pay for. Sounds silly, but I expect them to take better care of her than I do. I mean I'm paying them so I just expect they'll do a REALLY great job. So in 2 weeks she'll be at a new school. Not sure which one yet, I've got 2 more to look at, but a new one.

Just a quick update.

We did it

Well sort of. Abbie was paci free yesterday except when she was in her bed. I'm hoping today is a little better. We did our best to keep her distracted and occupied, but there were two HUGE SCREAMING FITS. Both times she ended up being driven all over town. We took her to the Farmers Market in Urbana yesterday morning and wouldn't you know she managed to remember for the ENTIRE 25 minute drive that we were evil parents who wouldn't give her a paci :) Once we got there she only asked for it once. Seemed like everywhere I turned there was another stroller with a baby sucking on a paci. We even took her into the toy store at the mall where there are 2 play tables with trains. That seemed to help. By the time we got home we had just enough time to eat lunch before nap time came. Normally she tells us she doesn't want to go down for a nap, but she was happy to because she knew her paci was waiting for her! The afternoon went much the same way. About 7:00 though she remembered what evil parents we were and threw a full on screaming and kicking fit! I felt terrible, but I know the longer we wait the harder it's going to be. I honestly don't think she'll outgrow it. So Rick took her for a ride while I got dinner ready. She didn't eat much and kept saying she wanted to go to bed so I gave up and just put her in bed! She almost never asks to go to bed.

She did ask for a time out yesterday. Or a naughty rug as we call it. She was climbing on a foot stool by the entertainment center and she knows she's not supposed to. I told her she'd have to get down or she'd have to sit on the naughty rug and she just grinned at me. I asked her if she wanted to sit on the naughty rug and she ran right over and sat down. Go figure! But at least she wasn't climbing on the foot stool!

Cross your fingers that today goes ok with no paci. I know she'll be fine tomorrow because she'll be back at school and they don't use them there. She doesn't even have one there and doesn't ask for it. I guess she knows eventually I'll cave in and give it to her. So I guess it's as much about me not giving it to her as her not wanting it.

Ok, boring post, I know! Have a great day :)

The Party

Whew, it's been quite the week. Cleaning and shopping and working all to get ready for a birthday party. I guess it was good. My parents, sister and grandma showed up. A couple girls from work, one of them with a 2 year old also came. There were people who said they'd show who didn't, you know who you are. So we had too much food, but I'm pretty sure that would have happened even if everyone had come. I always make too much. But we did find out Abbie loves left over guacamole, who knew a 2 year old would like green stuff. Big grin and YUMMY!

I didn't remember to take any pictures, but grandma's camera has some. The cake I made Abbie was really cool. I'll post it later. The carrot cake I made Rick was a hit! I need to make it more than once a year. And Rick and I sort of survived the weekend.

We've decided mommy needs a break. I love him and Abbie, but in 2 years I've only been away from Abbie twice overnight and I could use a REALLY good nights sleep followed by a great nap.

K, I'm actually really tired so that's all you'll get for now :)

Well we made it!

ok the picture is in here twice and I don't know how, but I'm too tired to figure it out, sorry.
She's two, she's two, she's two. I can't believe she's two.

She can say she's two, she can sing Happy Birthday and she can tell you she's a big girl.

It's hard to believe 2 years ago so was just brand new, all red and wrinkly. Including the wrinkles between her eyes.

Today she took cookies to school. Monday she'll be in the big girl room. We all went to Chevy's for dinner. Abbie didn't eat but she was good. There were 2 other birthday's there tonight too. The first time they sang she wasn't sure about it, the second one she though it was cool. When they came for her and Rick she was shy, but after they were gone she was totally digging the hat. I'll have to get pictures of that later. She colored and played with her baby the whole time.

We got home and did cake. She played with the icing on hers, but didn't' really seem interested in eating it so we cleaned her up and did pictures and bed time. Much less excitement than 2 years ago, but somehow I feel almost as exhausted :)

Daddy's 34 today too. It's a tough birthday for him since it's the first one since his mom passed. But he's off to race tomorrow in Wisconsin so at least he's got something to look forward to. Abbie and I are hanging out, maybe going swimming, but most certainly trying to stay cool.

Later.

oh here's a picture of the painting from 4th of July.

How old are you going to be

If you ask Abbie she'll hold up 2 fingers and squeal "TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" If you ask her dad he'll moan and say too old. Yep, it's that time, come Thursday they'll each turn another year older. Just about 8 hours apart. I don't think Abbie understands, but she's excited about the party.

She's also thrilled with the kitchen we got from her Grandma. I'll take pictures and post them just as soon as I remember to charge up the batteries for our camera. Ah the love of digital media :) She stood and played at her kitchen most of yesterday. And everything she made was delicious.

Speaking of delicious. We were at dinner for a friend last night and coming back she finished just about every liquid item in our car. She was screaming, yes screaming for a drink so I broke down and put some of my Sprite in her cup. I would normally NEVER do this, but she was so pathetic and considering the place we went to dinner is the next town in the middle of no where away there wasn't anywhere for a LONG time to stop. So I caved and Sprite she drank. With each swig she would say "mmmmm licious" Which translates to Yummy, delicious, that is if you speak toddler :)

She's getting so big. This week will be her last week in the "toddler" room. The room she's going to has a potty schedule listed. Never occurred to me to have a schedule, I just go whenever :) Abbie's doing the same thing, but in her diaper. I'm trying to decide what I'll stop buying first. Paci's or diapers. We were down to about 3 pacis, pretty good considering our high was probably about 18. Please, if you've ever been a parent to a baby on a paci, you know that's not enough :) We were running errands on Saturday morning and the last one we had with us magically disappeared at the Farmers Market. I have no idea when she ditched it or where it went. When she asked for it we calmly explained to her that it was gone, she threw it, no throwing and now no paci. She calmly explained to us she didn't care and there would be a new paci at the earliest convenience. Now let me translate that to toddler, for those of you who have never met a toddler.

I DON'T CARE WHERE THE HELL IT COMES FROM BUT THERE HAD BETTER BE ANOTHER DAMN PACI IN MY MOUTH IN ABOUT 10 SECONDS OR THERE'S GOING TO BE A SERIOUS MELT DOWN. please and thank you by the way.

Seriously, I'm convinced that's exactly what she was thinking. All I know for sure is that we were running late to drop me off to have lunch with a friend and I had to stop at Hallmark before I could meet her and yet there I was standing in line at the Walgreens with a pack of paci's in my hand. I SWORE I would not buy another package for Abbie EVER FOR ANY REASON and I actually was considering buying every last one they had and it didn't bother me in the least to be paying 5.99 for 2 of them. She's going to be how old? 2 and I figure she'll go to big girl school with one. I've been teaching her about being a "big girl" Here's how the conversation goes.

Say I"m a big girl
abbie "I'm a big girl"
me no crying
abbie "no crying"
me no paci
abbie "no paci" followed by a wicked giggle all without letting her paci slip from the clenched bite she's got on it! Did you know they make paci's for 24-36 months! Thank heavens because the 12 month ones she can fit all the way in her mouth, ring and all.

Anyway, she'll be 2 and I'm pretty sure she'll still be using a paci considering Thursday is just a couple days away. And I'm pretty sure I'll be done buying diapers before I'm done with the paci, much to her grandparents chagrin.

Pass the basket for the paci collection and I'll let you know what it's like to have a 2 year old soon.

OH MY

This was the charming response from my almost 2 year old as we sat watching the fireworks. We had a TERRIBLE electrical storm the night before and with every boom of thunder there was a wail from Abbie's room. She ended up sleeping with us most of the night. I am not exaggerating when I say terrible, our old sitters house was hit by lightning, seriously! There was even one crack that was loud enough to scare Rick!

We did relatively nothing for the 4th. Just hung out around the house. Until I got the bright idea to get Abbie some finger paints. I'd won a patio set at work a couple weeks ago and the HUGE box was still sitting on our porch. So I got some paints and Abbie went to town. I'll upload pictures tomorrow.

At first I was trying to be neat and putting the paints on a piece of cardboard like a pallet, but by the end of the painting session we were just squirting them on the board and Abbie was even dipping her fingers in them. At first I didn't want to "waste" the paint, but what a better way to waste 5 bucks! We really had fun and I highly suggest getting covered with paint even if you don't have a toddler. I was amazed how cool it was to squish paint in my fingers!

They are going to start letting Abbie visit the 2 & 3's room next week. It's just so hard for me to imagine that she's so big. Sitting at fireworks I vividly remember the 4th of July the year she was born. I was so over being pregnant and I was convinced I was going to be the first person to carry a baby for 20 years ;) It was disgustingly hot, it was 90 in the dark I think, at least it felt like it. When the fireworks started Rick and I walked over on the golf course, well he walked and I waddled and watched as we were chewed alive by mosquito's. I had no idea standing there that night that every 4th of July for the rest of forever would be so completely and totally different. Last year we took her to watch them, but she didn't even notice and this year she noticed, but wasn't sure what they were. She would say oh my each time there were colors in the sky, but when we'd hear the sound she'd say oh no. Delight and concern all at the same time. And she made friends with the people next to us. They had a Scion almost like her Grandpas and she was convinced they were hiding him in their car so she kept going over and looking. They were sitting by the tail of it with the trunk open and she just knew if she could get close enough she'd find him hiding just waiting to jump out.

Anyway in 15 days she'll be 2 and her dad will be 34, we've all come a long way and I can't wait to see where we are going.

ps, I did record her talking about the fireworks on my cell phone. I can not figure out how to send it to people so if you see me, I'll play it for ya.

Pee Pee!!

So I brought a little potty home for Abbie today. A Royal Potty, seriously that's what it's called, see.....
It even came with a book called a Throne of Their Own! It makes music when you sit on it and when you go. OR, if you smack it and then stick your hand in it as Abbie has figured out. She's so smart ;) Anyway, when she got home tonight she really didn't want anything to do with it, but then she wanted her diaper off so she was bare running around. Every once in a while she'd sit on it. Occasionally she'd yell "POTTY" and run over to it, but nothing. It's in the living room, ok that may be gross, but she's not a fan of the exhaust fan in our downstairs bathroom and I didn't want it in the kitchen or dining room so living room it is. Anyway after about an hour or so I heard it playing and just assumed she was sticking her hand in it until I looked AND SHE WAS SITTING ON IT GOING!!!!!!!!!!!! I know we've still got a long way to go, but that's the first pee pee on the potty!

Oh and bedtime tonight went a little better. Rick put her down and told her I'd be in shortly. She of course cried, so I went to the door and told her it was time to lay down and sleep, and.................she did! She wanted her paci, but I told her she'd thrown it on the floor we'd get it in the morning! And she's not taking it in the car on the way to school with her anymore. Maybe she'll quit using it on her own. I can only hope

later.

ARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGG!

That's all I have to say. And those of you with toddlers or who have had toddlers stop laughing right now, those of you who haven't had kids yet you just wait!

I love Abbie so much, but whew she's something else. She and I were home alone this weekend. For the most part we had a pretty great weekend. We hung out, went shopping, played outside when it wasn't raining and just had girl time. Her dad got home last night before bed time and from the second he walked in the door she was done with me. Ok, that's ok because I needed a little break. OK A BIG BREAK. Until she went to bed. She screamed, AND I MEAN SCREAMED for me for a loooooooonnnnnnnnnng time. As soon as I went in there she laid down and was right to sleep, but every night it's like that! Ok, I know I should probably stop going in because that's what she wants, but like I said, have toddlers quit laughing no kids just wait :)

This morning was ok, but she didn't want me to do anything for her. So she told me no over and over. I've even taught her to say stop that please, so that if we are tickling or something and she doesn't want to she can say it. Boy that backfired! Stop that please doesn't sound quite so polite when an almost 2 year old is shrieking it at you! Then we got to school and she wouldn't let go of me. We went from stop that please to never stop holding me in 10 seconds flat. All in the time it took to walk from the car to the front door! Go figure. She doesn't do it for her dad, well not nearly so bad.

Sometimes I feel like I'm not spending enough time with her and leave her too much, but then when I go to leave her and she's so cranky I wonder if I don't leave and come back enough! Damned if you do and damned if you don't I suppose.

And since she learned the word no that's all she says! If she wants something she'll say no even if it's the first, third or last thing you ask her about. And then as soon as you stop asking and give up she heads right for it! Laughing again aren't you :) I know I am thinking back on this weekend.

Anyway, Rick is headed for California Wednesday and won't be home until Sunday or Monday I forget which, so cross your fingers we make it with all our hair and a minimum of tears :) I suppose his Father's day present is to go to wake up to an alarm rather than Abbie screaming.

Oh, hysterical story. In the mornings sometimes we'll let Abbie lay with us in bed, sometimes without a diaper. Well one morning last week she was sitting on the pillow next to Rick head and yep you guessed it. All of the sudden I heard the sweetest loudest "OOOOOHHHHH" followed by her daddy yelping and jumping out of bed. Sure enough she about peed on his face. Sorry, I couldn't resist sharing.

We moved

Whew, what a couple of weeks. We are officially moved. Just to another unit in our complex, but moved none the less. Wow did we have a lot of junk to get rid of. If it wasn't such a pain in the but we could move every year to get things cleared out :)

We didn't think it would be a HUGE deal for Abbie because we moved to an identical unit. Well except for the carpet, but we were wrong. I guess we waited too long to get her room back to normal because she hated it. Yesterday as I was hanging pictures and things she was clapping! We still need to paint and get her border back up but for now she's content. I'm trying to decide if I want to keep her baby stuff up or switch to a "big girl" theme. The Pottery Barn catalog has me inspired with lots of tropical themes but for now we'll stay with what she's got.

Her birthday isn't for another month and a half, but she's officially a terrible two. I took her to a friends yesterday for bbq and to play in their bounce house and I was so embarrassed. She had a nice long nap so she wasn't tired, but I've never ever seen her misbehave like that. She was throwing food and cups and wouldn't share. I guess because she wasn't the center of attention her feelings were hurt and man she didn't have a problem showing me how she felt. AND she was afraid of the bounce house! Couldn't even get close to it with her. I finally gave up and took her home and she screamed at me for the entire 30 min drive!

Off to catch the Abbie monster :)

I swear she's not 2

It's been a while since I posted, it's been a busy month. More like insane. Neighbor troubles have led to us moving next month. Same complex just another unit, but that's always fun.As I'm typing Abbie's in the next room letting me know how much she hates that I'm following the rules. I was going to let her lay with me and doze until Daddy got home tonight, but she kept getting down and playing. I told her a couple times that she could lay with me or she could lay in her bed. Well after the 5th time of her climbing down to play I took her in there. I'm sure even her grandma in heaven can hear her screaming. I'm always worried the neighbors will call the cops when she does this, but if any of you have heard the stories about them you'd know they will be the last ones to call :)We got Abbie a tricycle over the weekend. She had the cutest little wooden bike she got for Christmas and she loves to ride it, but her legs are almost too long for it. The tricycle had to be asseembled and she was more interested in dad's tools than she was in the bike. She's quite the little mechanic! The problem is she's about an inch too short to actually be able to ride the trike, so she'll sit on it and yell at us to "push push" occasionally we'll get a "push please"I'm going to attempt to post a picture of her from Easter. She was so funny. She loved finding the eggs until she realized that there was something in them and then the process became painfully slow. She doesn't get much candy from us so she knew she hit the jackpot and wasn't about to let it get away from her. Tootsie Rolls, m&m's you name it she did her best to eat it.







By the way she's sleeping now.

a movie?

So one of the theaters in town has free kids movies on Saturday and Sunday. We decided to take Abbie. One of the guys I work with takes his son and said he does just fine. Nathan is about a year older than Abbie so I thought we'd be fine, but I was WRONG. She love the previews, the bouncy seat and the popcorn. She would have ate the ENTIRE tub of popcorn if we'd have let her, or totcorn as she calls it. She even seemed to like the movie, but about 20 min into Robots she was DONE. I repeat D O N E. She headed for the stairs and was pointed at the door so her dad and I followed her. Guess we'll have to rent that one. Too bad, it was a cute beginning :)

We realized a tooth we thought was through isn't and one that was almost through is covered again by swollen gum, so we are teething again. I wish she had a light that would tell us, you know like a low oil light. I feel so bad getting to the end of the weekend and realizing her mood is because she's miserable and not because she thinks we are miserable :)

On to Easter I suppose. She's got a pretty dress, matches her big sisters, I promise I'll figure out the picture thing so you can see, if anyone is actually reading ;) She does like the giggler eggs, but only if you cut them in little pieces. She won't bite them. Sort of like fudge bars. You have to break or bite off a piece for her to eat. Grandma thinks that's pretty gross and although she'd give Abbie the whole bar, she won't bite off a little piece for her!!! It's late, I'm off to bed because Abbie will be up early!

SHE DID WHAT?

I have sort of been potty training the Great Abbie. Mostly we just let her play without a diaper, which she really enjoys by the way. So Sunday morning Daddy was sleeping and she and I were playing. I went into the kitchen for something and I heard an "OOOOOH" from the living room and when I came around there corner she was sort of hoping around yelling "POOPY, POOPY, POOPY" and leaving a little trail of you know what! I laughed so hard I almost fell over. Course before I was done laughing she was headed back to investigate so I had to grab her fast. All was save, and eventually clean, but now she knows where POOPY comes from. She must have said "mommy, poopy" over and over about a thousand times. So much for a peaceful quite Sunday morning.

Sunday afternoon Daddy took her to the park to play on the swings. He's been out with her before, but it's been cold or rainy or we've been out of town for so long that she hasn't been in quite a while. Well he experienced her rath first hand when he tried to bring her in. I was away from the house so I didn't get to see it first hand, but he said she threw a bigger fit than he's ever seen when they came in. There was much wailing and huffing and puffing, and that was just Daddy trying to get her through the door :)

She thinks she's 2 years old more and more often so I'm guessing these posts will get more and more amusing to those of you who don't live with us. Happy Tuesday!

I thought of something I wanted to add. Rick's been working on Abbie's words, but they aren't the kinds of words mom's work on. Not things like red, blue, up down, dog, cat. He's teaching her is words :) Engine, header, flow master, volkswagen, VW, farfegnugen (or however you spell it) We had the most fun going through a Hot Rod the other night and showing her engines, shocks ... She started picking out the engines after a while and had the most fun looking at the flames. Before you know it she'll be the new host of Overhaulin. Which by the way was on the moment she was born! I remember clearly it being on the tv in my room as they wheeled me off for my c section. If only I had known :)

What a week!

Those of you who know us, know that it's been quite the week. Abbie was out of her schedule and I didn't realize how much she needed that schedule. Towards the end of our time in St. Louis if her Daddy or I walked even close to the door she would come running!

When I picked her up from school yesterday her paper said she hadn't been herself, but who knew what that meant. So I dropped her off this morning and her teacher said that she'd been hitting and biting! Totally not her personality at all. When I asked her about it she squeezed her eyes shut and burried her face in my shoulder. She's a smarty! On the positive side I just called and they said that she's back to her same old self, which is a relief.

She's been such a big girl lately though. Seems like every time she seems her Daddy she'll walk up and just pat him on the arm, it's the sweetest thing I've seen in a long time.

I'm going to try this weekend to figure out how to load pictures and get some current ones of her and Kirk and Sarah up here.

What a big girl!

I remember the first day I took Abbie to Little Wings. It was as bad as my first day back at work. She cried, I cried and she cried some more. It's been about 4 months and I can say we both love it. This morning was a perfect example. I took her in and the class was in the play room so we put away her coat and she ran for the play room. We walked in and she called for her teacher Amber and took off. She ran up the stairs for the slide and when I went over to give her a kiss she blew one over her shoulder and that was it. I know that's how it should be but that was almost as sad for me as that first day, but so much better for her.

When Rick picked her up she was in the "big kids" room, the 3's&4's and the teacher said look at her, she's the youngest one in here and the only one behaving. She's our big girl now.

Abbie's loving Little Wings and growing so much there. She's playing with other kids, who all know her name, loving her teachers and doing so many new things.

K' I'm cheesy, I know and I'm adding more often than I thought, but Abbie does something new every single day.

By the way she LOVES meat loaf :)

Talking

It's really cool how much she's talking. Just one or two words at a time, but every now and then she really surprises me with something she says. This morning we were hanging out in our room and she walked over to the door and clear as day said "downstairs" Even with a paci a stranger could understand her and it occured to me that she's growing beyond baby talk. She counts, well does every other number count? Like I say one she says two... Can't get her to say the same number as me, but she knows what comes next, that's good right? And she says all her ABC's with me. She repeats every single thing I say, good and bad, really bad sometimes :) I't so hard to remember she's right there listening all the time.

She says Come On too. Once I said it to Rick and smacked my leg so he would know I was tired of waiting so now she does it every time. She knows wake up too, smushes it all into one word, but man it's cute.

Some words she refuses to say a Grandma Loeb knows all too well! It's hysterical, we'll go around the room naming people and things and we get to Grandma and she clams up! Course she only growls for Grandpa so I guess they are even. We've got a photo album with pictures of family in it and she's starting to recognize everyone in there, she does say grandma when she sees the pictures though, such a stinker we have.

Oh we got Dunkin Donuts yesterday and we got donut holes, she was scared of them! Wouldn't let me give her one, even said yicky! When I wasn't looking though she took one out of the box and apparently they aren't so yucky! Did you know that they have jelly holes now!

It snowed today so I'll try to take pictures of her in the snow and post them. Well if it doesn't melt too quickly. Hard to believe it wsa 60 on Thursday.

Happy Sunday.

Welcome

Well I promised Abbie's Aunt Molly I'd start a blog so she wouldn't miss any of the cool things Abbie's doing and since today is her birthday I figured I'd better follow through.

I'll try to add as often as I can, but Abbie keeps me pretty busy and she's into just about everything these days.

I guess there's a way to post pictures so as soon as I figure it out I'll do that too.

We're taking her to playgroup tonight so maybe I'll have something interesting to post tomorrow.