Nor can I go #2

Toddlers know exactly when you are unavailable. It’s like they have innate radar that alerts them to do something naughty when you’re at your most vulnerable. How are they so smart?

This morning while pumping (clearly a case when I’m not able to jump at the drop of a hat), Eliza managed to find the small shells I had hidden from her in the bathroom drawer and do - I can only imagine what - with. I have found two of the five, and the other three? I honestly would not be surprised to find them come out the other end in her diaper tomorrow.

Which leads me to poop. Here’s another example of her craftiness, fresh from this morning. I sat Eliza down at the dining room table with her oatmeal, set Zach on his play mat in such a way that if he rolled 3 times in any direction he’d be relatively safe, and took the moment to head to the bathroom. Of course, tonight I’m supposed to make a French side dish for a fun girls dinner party, so I grabbed my “Art of French Cooking” masterpiece and sat for what I hoped would be 4 or 5 uninterrupted minutes to flip through the vegetable chapter. Not so. One of Eliza’s current annoying habits is calling my name over and over and over until I respond. I chose to ignore it (again, if she doesn’t get what she wants, which is a response, perhaps she’ll stop), but after about 25-30 “MAAAAAAA-MEEEEEEs” I finally got up and went to look. She had punished me. Her oatmeal was everywhere - on her clothes, the rug under her, her cloth-padded chair – and she was standing up in a pretty precariously dangerous position. She then proceeded to require me to feed her, probably because I started Zach on solid foods yesterday and she wants the attention.

The point is that I have to start giving her more credit than I do, and I must begin anticipating her antics. Both of these situations, at least to some extent, were avoidable. I have a child lock on the bathroom doorknob, but I had failed to close the door before sitting down to pump. Likewise, Eliza has this week decided to refuse sitting in her high chair anymore. It’s a timely choice because I now need it for Zach, but the only alternative we currently have is for her to sit in the Bumbo on a dining room chair. It’s not safe, for one, and she can’t be strapped. She’s also not tall enough to reach her food easily, which is part of why she threw the oatmeal everywhere. (Thank goodness we have the dog. In fact, I’m sure I will complain inexorably about Abbey, our mutt, so this is a good time to remember why I keep her around.) So I could have asked Greg, my husband, to sit with her and help her eat while I went to the bathroom, or I could have brought her to the bathroom with me before sitting her down to eat. Or I could somehow make the time to get to the store for a proper booster seat.

Part of being the parent of a toddler is accepting a lack of control. Things are going to get messy and that’s part of the fun. But another part is realizing she is learning how the world works, and because I already know the answers to that, I can prevent a lot of frustration. The best offense is a good defense, right? Eliza might have stealth radar, but I have the atom bomb.

Why I can't pee in peace

As a mother of two children younger than two, I find that many days I can't even pee in peace. (In fact, sometimes I end up holding it far too long for the right moment when my 22-month-old daughter, Eliza, won't try to shove something into my 6-month-old son, Zach's mouth; I am convinced I will be in Depends in my 50s, and I will blame it on my children. But I digress ... )

This blog is going to be about sharing successes, failures, and tips - from me to you and you to me. I know I am not the only harried, at-home mother living in madness on this block. Before I became a mom, and then one who quit her job to stay home (wait a minute, why did I do that again?), I had my good days and bad days at work. But my life was my own. I made most of my decisions based on what I wanted to do. Things completely changed, and I know everyone warns you they will, but there is really no way to prepare for motherhood. Especially if you are a Type-A personality whose:

- idea of chaos was not having the laundry caught up (LOL!);

- concept of lack of sleep was based on going to bed at midnight and having to get up before 7; and

- idea of "put-together" changed overnight from having a pedicure, makeup applied, nice clothes, strapless bras, and 3-inch heels (I don't know how anyone finds anything taller than that comfortable) to feeling pretty decent if I've managed to brush my teeth, get a shower and change out of my pajamas.

I could go on and on. But I won't. (At least not in this first post.) I hope that if you visit, you will be affirmed, inspired, and perhaps learn something. But I must go - BOTH kids are napping at the same time (hallelujah!) and nature calls!!

I know why they call them the "terrible twos"

How is it possible that every request requires some combination of squealing, crying, whining, and jumping up and down? Eliza is 22-months-old and knows how to ask for things appropriately. (For example, she knows how to say, "Apple juice, please," "shoes, please," "crackers, please," etc.) Yet despite all my teaching, she generally scream-whines "AP-PAL-JOOS, AP-PAL-JOOS!" or "SHOES ON! SHOES ON!!!" or "GODEFISH, GODEFISH, GODEFISH!!!" Where did she learn this? Please don't say from me, because although I do raise my voice sometimes, I don't jump up and down or scream requests and then continue to "fake cry" to try to get what I want. Not only that, but every time she behaves this way, I either 1) ignore it until she calms down, 2) correct the behavior by getting her to calm down and ask the way I'd like her to ask, or 3) ask her to grow up. (Okay, maybe the third approach won't work.)

So, if I didn't teach this to her, and it doesn't work to get what she wants, why on earth does she continue to act this way? Is there an innate truth here about her age? Is she just in her "terrible twos" and there's nothing I can do? I believe she is trying to learn boundaries and she is also constantly testing me to see how much independence she has. I personally think the behavior continues because she is incredibly strong-willed, so it will take some time to break the habit. But if I've missed something, can you point it out? If you have any suggestions, I'm all ears. Because I can't wait until she's three to get through this. "HELP ME PLEASE!!!" (I'm stomping up and down.)