The Bad Attitude Turn Around

Do you know hat happens when you teach a child to be independent?  They become independent!  They will no longer accept your help for most anything, and they want to try doing all kinds of new things... all by themselves.  As such, Collin and I have been battling lately!

We have soooo much to do, I have a really hard time waiting and letting him do things by himself. Followed up with him wanting to do absolutely everything!  He wants to close surya ons, shut off lights, feed the fish, open the garage door... all of which he takes ten times longer and needs my help to accomplish. 

He also does not want to go to sleep. Ever. 

Every bedtime is a battle. He won't say in bed, and easily opens the door, so we added a baby gate. Then two baby gates. And he'd still be in his room for at least an hour before he fell asleep.  Went have changed tactics a bit and ditched the midday nap. It makes bed time so much better!  He is tired during the day, but it has eliminated the two biggest battles. Now that he's adjusted, we've been having better days.

Let's hope the better. Days stick around a little longer. 

Are You Kidding Me?

Here is my rant:  I spent the last several months slowly working on making My neices silky blankets like Collin's. Then I found out about a new niece and nephew, and I got more fabric for them and Ethan. I finally got them finished, but had yet to make it to the post office.

So I went online, printed the label, and scheduled the pickup. Having no idea when the mail person would arrive, I out them out at nine, and they were still there at 12:30.

The mail person just came to get them and yet ARE NOT THERE!  What is there, you ask?  A pizza place flyer. Mail carrier says a lot of people "pass out cards" so they have an excuse to be on your portch if they get caught.  I called both numbers on the card, neither of them had people canvassing today. 

The carrier also gave me the direct number or my local post office, and I called them to say what was going on. I knew they couldn't/wouldn't do anything; but just as an FYI. Her safe advice?  Call the police regarding mail theft. What on earth are the police gonna do?  We are so cut back; unless you are dying, they aren't coming. 

I am so angry, I don't even have words!

Not Such a Baby Anymore

My baby is growing up so fast; he turned seven months old this week!

He's about to cut his left front tooth, bringing the count to five in the last three weeks.  The other front tooth will follow very shortly, I can see it already.  I can't believe how happy he still is through all of this. He's still cranky, of course, but he's happy as a clam when he held or cuddled. 

He's not crawling yet, for which I'm a little thankful for at the moment.  He does scoot around quite a bit. When he wants to move somewhere he wiggles side to side (a lot like a fish flopping) to wiggle himself where he wants to go. He has even started sitting up this week, largely without help.

Ethan also started screaming. I mean screaming!  Top of his lungs, blood curdling screaming!  Not because he's upset, or really happy, or in pain, or not; he does it because he can. I feel like the biggest idiot telling him "no screaming!" (and, also, "no bite").  He seems to understand the stern voice combined with touching his mouth, so I'm optimistic we can stop it before it gets bad.

Is it possible of a child to intentionally give kisses?  I'm going to say yes. Ethan intentionally leans his open mouth onto your face, leans back as closes his mouth, then repeats. I'm not a fan of drool, but I love the kisses!

He had a check up last week, he's in the 86% percentile for his length!  I knew he was big, I had to start putting him in 12 months clothes already. My little monster weighs 18 pounds, and he's solid every inch. 

He's a great smuggler, too. I love it!  I wish we could just snuggle all day. We do lots of tummy time, he plays with toys and I read a law book. Ony six weeks of school left before I can devote some solid bonding time before Bar Exam Prep madness starts in. (Nt tht I'm counting, or anything...)

The Trade

Sharing is a difficult concept for small people to learn; and for adults to understand that it is difficult for small people to learn.  Manipulation, on the other hand, is an instinct that is honed to perfection before words are ever uttered from the babe's mouth.

Collin has been getting some help from a speech therapist and an infant teacher these last few weeks, and trees already been some improvement. Thank goodness!  Taking turns has been especially useful. It helps me get trough brushing his teeth every night without holding down the flailing screamer!

But in true master-manipulator style, he's using his knowledge of sharing, and turns for his benefit. This afternoon, Ethan was playin with one of Collin's alphabet, electronic something-or-others, and Collin wanted it. He went an d found one of Ethan's toys, gave it to him, then proceeded to take the something-or-other. Daddy saw all and prevented Ethan's deprivation. Mama, however, got caught unawares.

We were windig down before bed, and Collin was stopped playing in the tablet to go do something else, and I picked up the tablet. He threw a fit!  How dare I touch a toy that he was going to want at some unknown point in the future!  That wasn't going to stand, and he was told he couldn't have it right now, because Mama was playing with it. 

A few minutes went by, I had checked my email and caught up on Facebook; when Collin wandered back over. He picked up my phone from the coffee table and handed it to me. Much thanks, and I went back to it. Then he picked up my water bottle, and smile sweetly while he gave it to me, too. Many more thanks and a hug. Then he asked me please (one of the big successes we are rewarding with positive feedback), and pointed at the tablet. I sat him on the couch next to me and we started up a game.

At that moment I realized he'd outsmarted me!  I seriously traded my own phone and water bottle for the tablet I was in the middle of using. I didn't even know he knew about trading!

If he's so darn smart, why on earth isn't he talking?  We'd both be much less frustrate and stressed out!

On another note, potty training is progressing. He can take himself to go pee, but then has an accident when he gets distracted by the sink. He loooooooves water. It's obnoxious the things he'll do to get to water. Today he even took himself and went poop, our first success.

To repeat the line from Family Circus "it's apparent you're a parent when..." poop becomes a socially acceptable subject.