Ours is a Forbidden Love

Mr. Monkeysparkets walks into the kitchen while I am Swiffering and wrinkles his nose.


“That stuff stinks”

I blink fast.

“What did you just say??”
“I said that stuff stinks. It smells like rotten oranges.”


A few moments of stunned silence go by. Eventually I ask in a small voice,


“Does it bother you?”
“What?”
“The Swiffer. Does the smell really bother you?”
“Nah. It goes away after a while.”
“Oh, good.”


He raises an eyebrow.

“Honey, if you had to choose between me and the Swiffer…”
“Never ask me that question.”
“Fine. But if I come home and find it in the bedroom, I am not going to be OK with that.”

Adventures in Lesson Planning

I’ve run across a few great preschool activity websites that I’d like to share.
Most of these were recommended to me by our neighbor, who is a former preschool teacher. I am hoping to get a home daycare business off the ground in the next few months, and am beginning to experiment with lesson plans and schedules and such. I hope to follow more of a structured routine when I start doing daycare, and we are beginning to ease ourselves into that routine now so it won’t be too big of a change for any of us.

I have started off with very simple themes. So far we have done a different letter sound every day. I will print out a few coloring pages that correspond to that letter sound, and pick two crafts that correspond as well. I usually only get to one of the crafts, but I’ve found it’s best to have one in reserve just in case. You never know whether something will capture their attention for twenty minutes or two minutes!

So far I haven’t done very much planning in advance. Usually the night before I will spend about ten minutes printing out what I need; then do all the cutting and prep work for the various crafts while Isabel is working on the coloring pages. That will have to change when I have more kids. I also hope to have my themes and activities planned out a month in advance. It will all depend on the ages of the particular kids I get.

I’m also trying to build up my repertoire of indoor fitness activities. This site had some neat ideas. A few days ago we had an all-day deluge and I got to test out a bunch of them. I was surprised at the ones that held her attention. Paper plate skating was fun, but it only lasted about two minutes. Ribbon dancing, however, got her moving for an entire Raffi album. It got me to work up a sweat as well-bonus!
All in all, I am really excited about this opportunity. Isabel is having the best time with our new routine. I wish I had started doing more of these types of activities with her earlier. It always seemed a little overwhelming. But having a few good websites with free printables has made it a breeze. If you’re thinking about starting a home daycare, or if you just want to spice up life with a preschooler, I can’t recommend them enough.

I found these duck templates on the First-School site. They are meant to be used on a felt board, but I attached magnets to the backs and stuck them to a cookie sheet. She loved it. We used them to act out the Five Little Ducks song, practiced counting forward and backward, talked about Big versus Little...you get the idea.

Here are sites I've been using the most often:

• http://www.first-school.ws/ I particularly like the alphabet worksheets on this one
• http://www.dltk-kids.com/ Great Bible themed crafts. They also have good ideas regarding taking a paper craft and making it appropriate for different age groups.
• http://teach-nology.com/ I actually haven't explored this one too much, but they have some unusual coloring pages I am looking forward to trying.
• http://www.kinderart.com/ A little more commercial-y (does that make sense?). But has some neat project ideas.

That's about the it. If anybody out there has any good ideas, I'd love to hear them. Enjoy!

Letters to Isaac, Month 9

Dear Isaac,

Today you turn 9 months old. Holy smokes, little one, how did that happen? All of a sudden you are a Big Baby. I’ve had to get all of the Big Baby toys out of storage. Of course, you still prefer your sister’s toys over those boring baby things. Or better yet, finding practically invisible dirt on the floor and eating it. Lately that particular activity has become your reason d’etre. I vacuum every single day, yet you always manage to find a spot I’ve missed. The other day, I swear, you crawled to the edge of the area rug, lifted it up, found a clump of dirt underneath, and had it halfway to your mouth before I could get to you. How do you do it, buddy?

Sometimes I feel bad that I tend to describe you by comparing you to your sister. It just amazes me how different you two are. Where she has always been a thinker and a plotter; you are a go-er and a getter. While she tests out new experiences with one toe before jumping in; you shut your eyes and do a cannonball. You have picked up the army crawl with lightning speed. You barrel around the house with little to no caution and an alarming excess of curiosity. I have no idea what I am going to do when you are faster than I am.

It’s hard to believe that you are going to be a year old in three months. Your dad and I are really looking forward to the big Family Birthday Bash we are going to throw. I have a feeling that you are going to rock it out, little man. We had so much fun with you on Christmas. Your sister was a bit overwhelmed by it this year, and treated us all to a healthy dose of two year old temper. But you? You squealed appropriately at all your presents, didn’t eat too many pine needles off of the tree, and even obligingly sacked out on your great grandma’s lap toward the end of the morning.

All in all, you are an absolute delight. I am so enjoying watching you discover the world. You take such unbridled pleasure in each and every new experience. You absolutely love solid food, and are chomping at the bit to try finger food. Quit growing up so fast, kiddo! You are beginning to babble, and whenever you see your Daddy, you break into an ecstatic “Da da da da!” You have that man wrapped around your little fingers. And you are so much like him already, it’s uncanny. Not only are you his spitting image, but you are very alike in temperament. Ninety nine percent of the time, you are two of the most easygoing, laid back people I have ever met. That other one percent of the time, when you have really set your mind on something, God help anyone who stands in your way. I’ve never met anyone more stubborn!

Speaking of which, little man, can we just talk about the sleep thing? Because seriously, I am getting tired. You are still pretty much up every two to three hours all night. Sleep training has been an unmitigated disaster. Your Dad and I are gearing up for another desperate attempt, as we really don’t want to be doing this when you are two. So have a heart, honey. I can promise you a much happier, more patient Mommy once we get this thing figured out. With that being said, I have really been enjoying our mornings together. You are up between five and six, while your sister usually sleeps until seven or eight. It guarantees me a little precious alone time with you every day, and I wouldn’t trade that for anything. I can’t wait to see what next month will bring us, and though I can’t imagine you being any more delightful, I’m sure you will be.


You are the heart of my heart,

Mama

Letters to Isabel, Month 33

Dear Bella Boo Who,

Today you turn 33 months old. I can’t believe it has been this long and I have yet to write you one of these letters. You have grown and changed so much, and the time has just flown. I wish I could go back and write you one for each precious month. There is already so much I’ve forgotten. And sometimes it’s hard to realize that you won’t remember any of this. The hours we spent pacing the floors together when you were tiny, those two weeks when you would only sleep on my chest while I sat in the rocking chair, the way your sharp, clever little mind takes in everything around you.

But let’s just stick with this month, eh kidderino? You continue to be one of the smartest, most verbal two year olds I’ve ever met. Your new favorite word is “acceptable”. I have no idea where you picked it up, but you actually use it properly in sentences. Any time you ask for anything now it’s, “is that acceptable, Mommy?” Hilarious. You still mix your pronouns up most of the time (“You” means “Me” and vice versa) but you are starting to change that. Thaaat’s a little confusing. But we will get there.

You also continue to be obsessed with cars and ducks. You’ve displayed a passing interest in the Disney Princesses, but you still prefer Lightning McQueen. And that’s cool. I love that about you. But I get so frustrated about how kids’ things are so polarized by gender these days. Cause you know what? You also really dig tutus, ballerinas, and make up. In fact, a few days ago I saw you trying to put a tutu on one of your trucks. When I tell people about your love of all things wheeled, they tend to nod knowingly and say “Ah, a tomboy.” And I usually don’t bother to reply. Because when I explain that your intensely unique personality just can’t be summarized by one word like that they usually nod again and say, “Don’t worry, she’ll grow out of it.”

I hope you never do, darling. Because what I see in you is a determination not to be a cliché. You like what you like, whether you are supposed to or not. Good for you. I hope you never feel like you have to fit anyone else’s mold. You are an amazing little person, and every day that I get to know you a little better is a privilege.

This month we’ve seen you get back on the potty training horse. I am still determined to not turn this into a power struggle (cause let’s face it, I’m not sure if I would win). But I’m also looking forward to preschool next year, and if you are not potty trained you won’t get to go. And I think you are going to love it. Well, that’s a lie. You are going to hate it. Let’s face it; you are not crazy about most other kids. And large groups of kids your age tend to send you into paroxysms of anxious fury. After which you cling to the nearest adult like a life buoy in a sea of rabid sharks. With laser beams attached to their heads. Therefore, darling, you must go to preschool. You will adjust. Then you will love it, I promise.

You are getting along a little better with your brother this month. You still treat him as though he were a dangerous type of snake. But every now and then you psych yourself up and lean over and touch him. Carefully. While keeping your torso as far away from him as possible. Then you look up and wait for the Big People to go “Aww!” It cracks me up that he terrorizes you so much already. If he gets within a foot of you, you start shouting “He doesn’t want to get you!”
Here’s a tip, honey. You can run. He can’t. Enjoy it while it lasts. He’s crazy about you, though. And I know that when you are ready, you’re really going to have fun with him too. You’re just going about it the way you go about everything else. In your own sweet time.

I love you,

Mama

Bleeeeech

Dear Mouse In My Laundry Room,

OK, I am only going to say this once. Get. The. Hell. Out. I am not kidding, dude. You are grossing me out and causing a major laundry crisis in our house. Because every time I go into the laundry room I have to clean up a big pile of your crap. Then I have to take a shower. And taking four showers a day is getting old. And expensive-my shampoo isn't cheap!
So have a heart, little furry dude. It's the holidays. My husband is out of clean underwear and I am seriously considering heading to Target to buy him more just to avoid having to deal with any more of your fecal matter. Consider this a warning. I've called a professional and put a hit out on your ass. I had no choice. My sheets are starting to smell.
Don't look at me like that. If you had stayed outside where you belong, none of this would have happened. But you had to come inside and crap all over my linoleum. God help you if you manage to make it past the impenetrable barrier I have constructed out of rolled up towels and into the rest of the house. God help us all.

Die mouse die,

Monkeysparkets

People? I am in loooooove.

I know it’s wrong, but I just couldn’t help myself. One look at this shiny purple paragon of cleanliness and I was smitten:












Am I the only one out there that gets inappropriately tingly when presented with a new cleaning gadget? No? That’s OK. If loving my Swiffer is wrong, then I don’t want to be right. I've put off buying one of these babies for a long time because I heard that rumor about the cleaning solution containing antifreeze. Snopes says that this is false. I just hosed down our silverware and all the kids' teething toys with it, so I'll let you know.


For those of you who don't know me, I tend to get a little obsessive when I really like something, so you'll probably be seeing more that a few future posts dedicated to this sweet magical contraption. Swiffer fanfic, anyone?



Oh my gosh, I will give a bright shiny nickle to anyone who can come up with a Swiffer fanfic. Bonus points for incorporating any of the following:

Let's Dish!
Joss Whedon or any element of any of the Whedonverses
the dancing old guy from the Six Flags commercials
Jon and Kate Plus 8
Jordan Catalano

Ready? Set? Go!

Merry Christmas!

It has been a busy holiday season, but I hope to get back in the blogging groove soon. Hope you all are well and getting your yule on!