This and That

A few things to share and sort out in my brain before I forget....


Regarding Adrienne:

-She is obsessed with a toy cell phone and credit card. This makes me nervous for our future, of course. The funny thing about the credit card is that she calls it a "peri-card" ("I have to find my peri card!"), which sounds remarkably like "peri care" to me. If you have birthed a baby vaginally you will know about peri care, and that's all I'm going to say about that subject. I overhear lots of conversations through the monitor as she makes the phone 'ring' and then "Oh hello puppy. I have to go. Bye bye" "Hi Kitty, it's Ay-dee-en. I have to go. Bye bye". The pictures of a puppy or a kitty show up when you open the flip phone, so she is talking to whichever she sees on the screen.

-Everyone or thing is a 'she'. "I love my daddy. She's so silly", or "Georgie is curious. She's a good monkey". This drives Jillian insane as she tries to correct her without success.

-Speaking of going insane, Adrienne is about to officially put me in that category with her potty issues. She is potty trained. Or at least she was. Suddenly this week, she is making ridiculously firm protests about going whenever I ask her (arching back, dropping to knees, pushing off potty, full on tantrums) or even when I set a timer and it "tells" her, and then she will proceed to pee her pants and not tell me. I haven't figured out if it really doesn't bother her, or if she is working me over. She has also pooped her pants three times this week, and tells me she has to go as she is doing it. I  keep telling her that I am going to buy diapers and treat her like a baby and she just says "OK". So that threat isn't going to work. I think we are testing limits and engaging in power struggles, and while I know it will pass, it is maddening. She senses my frustration, I'm sure.

-This child is articulate. She can make a highly detailed request and asks some pretty high level 'why' questions that I don't remember Jillian asking at this age. For example, she has a new book about an owl. In one of the pictures there are moths (that really do look like butterflies) in the sky ascending up towards the moon. She asked, "Why are the butterflies going to the moon?" Other inquiries I've heard are "Why is the baby crying?" when she hears a child cry, and "Why is the goat eating a sock?" (a goat has a sock in his mouth in the Baby Animals book). When she makes her requests, she doesn't mince words. "I want to go outside, Mommy". "I want the banana yogurt". "I want to go to the RAC and see my friends". "I want to get in the car by myself" (she can now. it just takes while). Most of the time she affirms her request by nodding her head as she speaks. It's cute. Except when I deny a request.

-Last night she was up screaming around 12:45. She must have had a bad dream, because she doesn't usually wake. I could hear "I want my lovey" through the sobs, so I went upstairs and found it and was tucking her back in when she says, "I need to close my eyes now, Mommy". I thought that was a pretty good idea. I went back downstairs and was just about to drift off when I heard more screaming. I waited a bit and it didn't stop, so back up the stairs I went. She did not appear ill, despite her frequent "My tummy hurts" declarations. I took her potty and she was happy as a clam. Just as I tucked her in again, she said "My tummy hurts". I told her I thought she was OK, and then she promptly lifted her shirt and said, "See, it does hurt". She is silly. She also told Matt that "Kitties don't have boo-boos" (boobies) as they were reading a book before bed. She still holds the title of resident goofball. No contest.


Regarding Jillian:

-Matt brought the mail inside the other night when he got home and he presented Jillian with a Halloween costume catalog that had her name on it. She quickly selected the costume she insists she's going to buy, because it's the most beautiful--a lollipop fairy. It also happens to be the most expensive--at $125. Ha! Matt keeps trying to explain to her that this is really expensive for a costume and that she will have to work for it if she's that set on it. Mommy over here thinks there's no way she's getting it, regardless of how much "work" she does. At any rate, this catalog is her prized possession and she will show it to anyone who will look at it (and even to someone who doesn't act interested). I am about to poke my eyes out as I explain we have a long time to wait for Halloween, which then prompts a fit of tears because she knows her birthday is right at that time and that feels like "It's NEVER going to happen! Everyone is turning 5 before me!!" Deep breathing is necessary for me. Often.

-After a few conversations last week that led me to believe Jillian needs more alone time with me, I decided to start reading chapter books with her at night. I have always had intentions of doing this, I just thought we'd probably wait another year or so. This seemed an easy way to carve out regular time that is just for us, and we started "Little House in the Big Woods" (the first book of "Little House on the Prairie" series) this week. We read a chapter each night, and while she often looks distracted as I read the 20+page chapter, her recall is really good and she asks appropriate questions. The darling part of all of this is that she is convinced chapter books are "tractor books". So I hear, "Mom, don't forget to bring the tractor book upstairs!" as she prepares to get in the bathtub each night.

-I took Jillian to her early childhood screening yesterday. In Minnesota, each child is supposed to attend a general health/cognitive screening after his/her 3rd birthday before registering for Kindergarten. The appt secretary gave me such a hard time about needing to bring an infant upon scheduling her first appt right after she turned 3, that I canceled it and waited. Almost 2 years. So, Adrienne happily played at the RAC and Jillian and I had a treat at Great Harvest and then headed to the screening. She was beside herself with excitement, as is per usual for her when any form of "school" is involved, and she was eager to participate in whatever Miss Carrie asked her to do. Jillian measured 3'9" (95th percentile) and was 41.2 lbs (68%). She passed vision/hearing screenings, and performed above her age range for the cognitive exam. I had to chuckle that the fine motor portion was toughest for her (primarily in appropriate pencil grasp and her detail in copying forms). It's fine for her age, but definitely her weakness. This OT-by-trade mom is busy being a mom, and unfortunately forgets that she has a bag of tricks to help with this. Jillian gets distracted easily and was quite wiggly during the test--while this is typical for her, I thought she was especially so. After we walked out of the room she promptly ran to the bathroom exclaiming "I have to poop!" Aha. Mystery solved. I thought Miss Carrie gave her a nice compliment when she said, "I can tell you really love life, don't you, Jillian? Everything is fun and giggly to you". Yup. She hit the nail on the head within 5 minutes of meeting her. That has always been one of my favorite qualities of Jillian's--she has always had a noticeable zest for life.

During the hearing exam

Building a gate like Miss Carrie's

-And this morning, Jillian presented herself at my bedside stating, "Mom, aren't I so helpful? I already did my hair, so you don't have to. I'm all ready to go"

The "already done" hair. No combing or brushing involved. She managed to put 3 clips in somewhere on the side of her head. I told her she looked beautiful and we went about our day.