Potty Training

No, not Jaden :) She's still just playing around. But as Jaden continues to play around with this potty idea, I am realizing that a blog titled "Love and Diapers" will soon outgrow itself.

It's okay, though. Change and growth is good, and while there was a time when I felt my life FULL of both love and diapers, maybe it's time to move on.

I have some ideas for a name change, but I'm not sure if I want to mess around with the whole URL change and importing process too. We'll see. To anyone who likes reading my little blog...don't worry if you come and find changes. It's still me :)

So long, Jumperoo :)

It's with bittersweetness that I announce the end of the Jumparoo era. I woke up today and realized that Caitlyn hasn't jumped in a week. And she hadn't jumped for a week before that. It's time.

Even more than their infant swing, these two little girls have adored their Jumparoo. It's been the one thing I could count on to amuse them and help me get little things done. It was the best investment we ever made on any baby contraption, and it's been a constant in our living room for the last two years. We have several toys waiting to claim the space, but it's going to be a while before the living room feels "right."

Jumparoo---I'm going to miss your bright colors and springs, and silly music. Thank you for the many hours of enjoyment you gave my girls! I hope you go on to provide pleasure to many other babies :)

Hostage Situation

It went down last night about midnight. I heard Jaden crying in bed, rolling back and forth and thumping herself into the wall. Hoping that I might get to her before she woke Caitlyn, I ran to their room, opened the child proof door handle, and went in. I knew, knew, KNEW it was a bad idea, but my sleepy knee-jerk reaction was to climb in her bed, hug her and try to soothe her back to sleep.

Big mistake. Big. That's how they suck you in. As soon as she felt me by her side, she wrapped her arms around me and there I was...trapped. She opened her eyes, and in her not-very-sleepy voice said, "Go night-night, Mommy. Pillow, blanket, Night-Night." She gently but firmly pushed my head onto the pillow and held me there with her chubby little arm.

Oh, she was calm...as long as I obeyed the rule of staying by her side and NOT moving an inch. The threat hung heavily in the air. If I even dared to kiss her and leave...there would be screams. There would be thumping and crashing and wailing as she kicked her little toddler legs against the closed door. I knew it, and she knew that I knew it.

I was being held hostage by my two-year-old. And I swear I could hear the triumph in her baby voice as she kissed me and told me "Night-night."

I racked my tired brains for a plan. I thought about calling for back-up, but Craig was down the hall in bed. I thought about calling her bluff, but although I could technically have left her to pitch useless fits, then Caitlyn would wake up, and I'd have HER to contend with. I knew I couldn't fight them both.

So I did what all hostages do...I did what I was told, and to hell with negotiating. I laid my head on her pillow and I went NIGHT-NIGHT, by god. I went night-night.

Honey, Honey

Jaden thinks Caitlyn's name is Honey. I mean she really, really does. I guess we said "Hi, Honey" to Catie so many times that it must've stuck in Jaden's head that way. When she started talking, she called her Honey. "That's Honey's blanket." "Shhhh...Honey's sleeping." "No, no, Honey!!"

Jaden was so delighted when she first heard the music to Mama Mia. Someone was actually serenading her sister on TV! We sing and dance to "Honey, Honey" which, come to think of it, is actually pretty funny since those lyrics are a little PG13. I baby them up a bit..."Now I know what they mean, she's a POOP machine!" Yeah, yeah, no critiques, please. JADEN thinks I'm a riot!

I admit I wasn't terribly worried. I just thought it was one of those kid things. But now Honey is stuck in MY head too. What's going to happen to this kid when she goes off to Kinder and has to write her name? Or when she's in middle school and I let a few "Honey's" slip in front of her friends while driving them to the mall?

I suppose it is no secret that I am in complete denial about my little Honey growing up. So I'm just going to keep calling her my Honey and let that cement even further into my toddler's vernacular. And if Caitlyn grows up to be a stripper, I'll find some way to pin it on Craig!

Goodbye

I blog a lot about the kids, chronicling my thoughts and memories and sharing them. This one's for me, though.

A friend died on Friday...Mary, a teacher I work with. We weren't super close, but I really liked her, she liked me, and we enjoyed each other's company when working together. Her passing was a shock to everyone, and she really never had a chance to say goodbye. So, in case there are blogs in heaven, Mary...here's what I wish I'd blogged last Thursday.

You're one of those honestly nice people. I know they say being nice doesn't get you anywhere, but I disagree. I'm a big fan of "nice" and you're at the top of my list. You are one of the friendliest people I know. My favorite thing about you is that you are always smiling. You are sensitive and kind, and yet you don't go around blowing fake sunshine up people's rear ends all day. You have a way of staying grounded in a positive way, and I dig that about you.

I don't think I ever told you how much I appreciated you advice and help during my second year, when you and Judy were part of my mentor circle. I hadn't made many teacher friends yet, and I was going through a lot of personal things. Your encouragement meant a lot to me, and I wish I'd thought to thank you before now.

It's been nice these past few months seeing the extra light your kids brought to your life. The fact that they're close to Caitlyn and Jaden's ages has made me feel we have a connection outside of work, and I'd been looking forward to swapping pics and potty- training stories, and us getting to know each other in a different way. You really would have been a GREAT mom, Mary. I'm sorrier than you know that you had so little time to enjoy motherhood.

I know you weren't ready to leave yet, and it's left an emptiness in the hearts of your friends and loved ones. Any trivial little platitudes I could think of would not ease anyone's grief. So I'll just say goodbye. I'm going to miss you, but I believe we'll meet again someday. Will you save me a place at your lunch table in heaven?


And that's all I have to say.

Life's What You Make It

Jaden has started singing. Not just following along with me, or singing while being prompted, but spontaneously singing to herself the songs she knows. Sometimes her context is a little off. This morning in the car she broke out into our goodnight lullabye, "Goodnight Daddy, goodnight Daddy, goodnight Daddy, time to say Goodnight!"

Recent favorites are "Elmo's World" (obviously), "Twinkle, Twinkle", "You Are My Sunshine", "Honey Honey", "You can't Stop the Beat" and the ever popular "ABC's". She also sings bits of songs from all the Fisher Price musical toys laying around everywhere. Which is nice, because really...what mom of a toddler DOESN'T want those little ditties stuck in her head?

Last night out of nowhere she belted out, "Life's what you make it, so let's make it ROCK! Come on, come on, come on..." Complete with head bop and a little bootie action.

Jaden's got it figured out...life IS what you make it, and it rocks!