- We enrolled Becca in the nursery school. One New Year's Resolution I can check off my list! She will start after labor day. I can't believe it.
- Becca seems to be progressing in terms of clinginess (some days). Last night she didn't freak out when she saw the babysitter walk in. It probably helped that I told her the babysitter would give her a popsicle. I've never met a kid so easily bribed by treats. She is also starting to follow her dad around the house a bit more, which is truly a relief, if you ask me. However, she did just cling to us and cry when we went to tour the nursery school. So, maybe we aren't making any progress.
- Another Sunday. Another cold, blah day around here. I'm getting tired of whining about that, but I just can't figure out what to do with ourselves, aside from shopping, which is definitely not an option. I mean, I could definitely figure out what to do with myself [See also: organize photos, clean house, shower in peace], but myself and a toddler is where I run out of ideas. It is like I just can't think of enough activities to fill the day. I need something new. We do the same things all the time. Play dollhouse. Color. Play Doh. Puzzles. Videos. Repeat. Repeat. I'm ready to be able to go outside again.
- Thanks for all the moral support on the "Screw Sears" stuff. I have decided that since money is tight and I definitely can't afford the nice, fancy photographers, and I stand to get a major discount, and I've already put it off so many times..... that I'm just going to get us up and dressed tomorrow and we will attempt to go to Sears first. If that loser/slacker/good photographer/freakboy isn't there, we will just say "goodbye" and drive on down to Picture People. So, tomorrow is the day for pictures. No matter what. Seriously. I mean it this time. I really do. Stop laughing.
- John and I went out for Tex Mex (A poor, but edible imitation) and a movie last night. We went to dinner around 5 p.m. and again it was PACKED. Is it like this where you live? Because I swear this is new to me to have such long lines so early. Anyway, we saw Untraceable with Diane Lane. I am starting to worry about my taste in movies. I seem to like ANY movie. As long as I am in a real theater, eating popcorn in the dark, I really don't seem to care what I'm watching. I just love the experience of movie-going. The past couple I've gone to with John, I keep glancing over at him ready to flash him a big "I'm at a movie! A movie without any talking dinosaurs! I don't have a toddler on my leg right now! Isn't this awesome?" smile and he is usually checking his watch and yawning.
- The movie theater was jam packed. There were multiple lines of "tween" girls, primping and giggling while waiting to see the Hannah Montana movie thingy that sold out months ago. I definitely don't get this phenomenon. I guess I grew up before we had all these teen pop girl idols. We had Madonna, but it wasn't marketed like it is now. I had a couple of her tapes, but that was it. As for movies....no one was buying tickets months in advance or sitting for two hours in line. At least not that I can remember. John and I kind of walked by those lines of girls and cringed. He said, "I don't ever want to chaperone something like that." I looked over at a trio of girls, dressed identically, all standing in cluster flipping their hair back in the exact same manner and said, "Me neither." And we both scurried by to find a nice R rated theater. I'm terrified of what my life is going to be like in 8 (or fewer) years. Terrified. I am sure I will wish we were just playing dollhouse and Play Doh.
One Year Later
6 days ago
15 comments:
My two cents for activites on those cold, blah days. Some involve tuition but are worth it! (I have grandparents, aunties/uncles sponsor activites - we don't need anymore toys, clothes) Becca's well-rounded baby education could include: Kindermusik, gymnastics, swimming -all of which I have found in an mom-n-tot type class - Becca will enjoy more if you are involved too. Also, there are always places like Chuckecheese, a Burger King (not to eat, but to play), Barnes and Noble has free train sets for kiddos to play with in the kiddie section, Jump for Joy (place to go with giant inflatables to jump on), story time at the library, and check the community for classes and events for kiddos (Chloe just finished up really cute art classes for less than $10 a class, supplies included). And for your sake, join a gym and work out while someone ELSE watches your child. (I met some Mom's at my gym and we are all doing a marathon together and I am NOT a runner). Becca will get to interact with other kiddos in that hour too. It's a win, win! Chloe had terrible separation anxiety and the more we did with others the better, one day they just miraculously grow out of it...but in the meantime school programs/group activities REALLY help. Good Luck and Good Searching, I find having scheduled, planned activties keeps me sane and I have met a lot of other Mom's this way! Have Fun!!! P.S. A small enclosed trampoline in the backyard is great for getting the kiddos energy out when you don't feel like going far! Geez, I didn't mean for this to be so long but there is so much for you to do together in the community, I hate for you to be feeling blah! Noelle
Noelle,
Great ideas! I can't believe you're going to run a marathon! that is awesome!
I have always wanted to do KinderMusik. I think it would be fun for both of us. I am going to enroll her in gymnastics starting March.
Burger King? Not to eat? Are you CRAZY? I would have to eat. Yum.
You don't KNOW how much I want to join a gym. I think that alone would make all the difference for me! We just can't quite afford it yet (first year salary is, like, NOTHING and the gym I want to join is, like, not cheap). But soon! Soon I hope to be working about again while someone else watches my kid!
Thanks for the ideas. We may go do Barnes and Noble later this afternoon!
i hear you about the REPEAT stuff. i think your hubby is gone on the weekends ?? is that right ? i have just started to try and do crafts...even as little as stickers on stuff, using tape. i just bough glue sticks. i also started doing an activity book with her, it worked out pretty well and it is educational. she is in preschool 2 days a week, gymnastics one day, but the afternoons are LONG.
i also enjoy any movie these days. a movie theater, sans kids, popcorn...oh the JOY !!!
I love that you post on the weekend. It seems no one else is out there. Noelle pretty much covered the basis, but I think you pretty much do all of the free stuff. I have a book called "The Busy toddler" Remind me to give it to you. It has ALL kinds of stuff to do.
My kids LUUUUVVVV it when I take newspaper, crunch it up and have an indoor snowball fight. It would last for literally hours if I let it. try it. The clean up really isn't as bad as it seems. And you can have her make "baskets" while actually cleaning up the "snowballs"
oh and if you HAVE to get out to keep sane, go to a store like Toys R Us. Explain OVER AND OVER before you go and while there that these toys are for other kids and we are just looking. It will waste a ton of time, you will see what she gravitates to and if you think you aren't going to get out of there without anything, you could always find a $1 or $2 dollar item that she can have in her hand (or better yet, bring a lollipop from home*free* and distract her with that right before you head out the door. Oh did I mention let her walk and just follow her? Remind her to walk, but my girls have a blast.
We once went to a restaurant that was kind of popular, so we got there at 5:10 to beat the rush--and the CHEF wasn't even THERE yet. We had to WAIT. It was crazy.
Do you have a Children's Museum around there? We have one here in St. Louis and we bought a membership. For one year, unlimited, it was $150 (2 adults, any # offspring). Which we thought was awesome, considering how desperate some cold blah winter days can be. We have already gotten our money's worth after one month.
Also, the malls around here have indoor playgrounds. They're small and crappy but Cal doesn't seem to realize that. So we hit those quite a bit too.
Brett & I went out for Mexican last night too. I didn't care WHAT we ate as long as I didn't have to keep saying "get your feet off the table," or "stop feeding the doggies," or "no, you're NOT done yet."
Uff. You went to a movie. That sounds so...relaxing.
You will love having Becca in preschool! Totally love!
Malls! We went yesterday and Kate and Claire both loved playing on the toys and with other kids.
This morning we made a Valentine's Day craft. It took almost an hour, and Kate thought it was SO fun.
Maybe it's just a boy thing, but floor hockey is the best thing I've found to keep my little one busy when we just don't want to go out. A cheap little plastic hockey stick and a dozen or so cheap plastic balls make for hours of fun. Plus, he runs and runs and, did I mention he runs? Hallelujah.
Could the restaurant situation be bothering you because of the huge contrast between the sparsely populated state of Alaska and the density of the East Coast? You lucked out all those years in the Alaskan wilderness!
We get stuck doing the same thing over and over too. We do have passes to the zoo and Sea World and the museum and that helps. As for the teen idols...it doesn't just influence the teens. They influence kids as young as K5!!! We went to a back to school party (back in Sept) and the kids were watching High School Musical and I was FLOORED by how these 5 year olds were acting,dancing, and kissing the TV!!! I tried to get out of these with my girls as quickly as I could! Since then I have been way more strict on what they watch on TV. PBSkids is about it. I don't think Hannah Montana or High School Musical is bad...but I am going to push elmo and Word World for as long as I can!
I know, I don't really understand the whole Hannah Montana craze either. I mean, seriously, What the fuck? If I was a teen or pre-teen again, I hope to GOD that I wouldn't dig such bullshit. Or if I did, I would wish that someone would slap the hell out of me and wake me the fuck up. As you can tell, I hate that shit and would shoot myself if Salem ever "goes there."
Glad to hear you got out of the house on a date, even if the food and movie were just ok. At least it was without the wee one. I got nothing on the activities, but it sounds like the other moms have you covered!
The last time the misses & I went out with no kids for dinner and a movie,we went out with another couple&we never got to the movie just dinner then to the casino instead, and we still walk around lost.
God help you Will Robinson
Post a Comment