Besides eating ketchup with a spoon, Esther has introduced me to levels of grossness I never knew possible. Last night she pooped in the tub and called me into the bathroom where I saw her holding a large piece of it, saying, "Mommy, poopy!!" Obviously poop is gross, I won't get into anymore of those details. But here are just a few of my surprise gross-outs:
Esther picks her nose and eats what she finds. (I didn't know kids really do this!)
Esther wipes her nose and spreads it wherever she finds (across her cheek, across my cheek).
Esther pulls stuff out of the trash. And eats it.
Esther rubs bananas in her hands like solid lotion. The she rubs it on her face, arms, me, you name it.
She tastes food, chewing it halfway before deciding she doesn't like it. Then she spits it out and hands it to me.
Yesterday I gave her a peanut butter sandwich. She opened it, placed it peanut butter-side down, pushed down on the bread like she was kneading dough, picked up the bread, and started licking the left-behind peanut butter off the table.
This is just the beginning. I am stunned daily.
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Update: she pooped in the tub again tonight. This is not a habit I want her to develop.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Ketchup (catsup?)
Esther loves ketchup. She really likes a wide variety of condiments, but I'm pretty sure ketchup is her favorite. She will eat anything if she can dip it in "dippy-dip."
We went out for Chinese the other night and I got her a child-size portion of sweet & sour chicken. The chicken (originally called "chi-chi," now called "chicky") was more like funnel cake, and Esther wasn't feeling it. But she loved the ketchup I gave her for her her "fize" (fries).
So she ate it with a spoon.
Today we had chicky nuggets with dippy-dip for lunch. Dipping nuggets wasn't enough. Dipping her fingers and licking them clean wasn't enough. She asked for a napkin (nacky) and proceeded to finger paint.
I never realized ketchup was so versatile!
We went out for Chinese the other night and I got her a child-size portion of sweet & sour chicken. The chicken (originally called "chi-chi," now called "chicky") was more like funnel cake, and Esther wasn't feeling it. But she loved the ketchup I gave her for her her "fize" (fries).
Today we had chicky nuggets with dippy-dip for lunch. Dipping nuggets wasn't enough. Dipping her fingers and licking them clean wasn't enough. She asked for a napkin (nacky) and proceeded to finger paint.
I never realized ketchup was so versatile!
Monday, February 4, 2013
Swim Lessons
Esther and I have been taking Mommy-and-me swim lessons at the Y. She loves the water, and has fun, but trying to keep her doing what the instructor wants us to do is tricky! She wants to watch everybody else do the thing she is supposed to be doing. She's a people-person and an observer. When she is willing to relax and do whatever she's supposed to, she's a pretty good little kicker and scooper (make scoop hands and do a forward crawl-ish stroke). She just started blowing bubbles this week! It's kind of a big deal.
I would love to show you a pic of her in the pool, but I'm in the water with her and can't exactly let go to take a pic. There were some super-excited grandparents there the other day, taking pics of their 18-moth-old cutie and her mom in the water. I felt embarrassed-- hello, I'm in my bathing suit here, and I haven't lost all my baby weight (I know, I know, it's probably not baby weight any more if she's 2!). But I talked myself down-- it's not like they give a poop about anyone else in the water except their grandbaby, and they will probably crop me out.
I would love to show you a pic of her in the pool, but I'm in the water with her and can't exactly let go to take a pic. There were some super-excited grandparents there the other day, taking pics of their 18-moth-old cutie and her mom in the water. I felt embarrassed-- hello, I'm in my bathing suit here, and I haven't lost all my baby weight (I know, I know, it's probably not baby weight any more if she's 2!). But I talked myself down-- it's not like they give a poop about anyone else in the water except their grandbaby, and they will probably crop me out.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
GREAT grandparents
One of the best things about moving back to my hometown is the opportunity for Esther to have lots of time with her grandparents, who are great. Yesterday was an especially fabulous grandparent day. After swim lessons, Gram took us to a local pond to feed the geese. Esther had a blast calling the "Quack-quacks" and "Honk-honks" and throwing "bed" (bread) at them.
Later we went over to Grandma and Grandpa's for dinner. This included lots of eating and lots of playing.
After dinner, we came home (Gram's house) and I ran out to yoga. So Esther got to stay up a bit late, enjoying ice cream and an impromptu photo session when Esther picked up a picture frame from one of Gram's art projects.
I am so thankful for great parents turned great grandparents.
After dinner, we came home (Gram's house) and I ran out to yoga. So Esther got to stay up a bit late, enjoying ice cream and an impromptu photo session when Esther picked up a picture frame from one of Gram's art projects.
I am so thankful for great parents turned great grandparents.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Separation Anxiety II
The Switching Hour: Kids of Divorce Say Good-bye Again
This was the book that I thought was going to help me with my separation anxiety during all of Esther's switches back and forth between my home and her dad's home. As it turns out, it is a reminder of all the ways the "shared custody lifestyle" affect kids with divorced parents. The author reminds parents about the anxieties of kids before the switch, during the switch, and just in general-- having a two-part life. She talks a little bit about the ways those anxieties manifest themselves in the kids' behavior, but she's not really talking about toddlers like Esther. For Esther, I know what it is: a hard time saying good-bye the first day back at school, a hard time saying good-night the first couple nights back with me. Her eating is still pretty good, and she still mostly sleeps through the night.
The author also includes some worst-case scenarios which increase my likelihood of not sleeping through the night: suicidal kids and abusive co-parents. Fortunately, I'm not actually worried about any of that right now.
While a lot of the book is guilt-inducing and depressing-- am I ruining my daughter's life here?-- I know that re-reading it every now and again as Esther grows up will be good for me. The reminders of what not to do: don't bug your kid about what the other parent is up to, don't ask your kid to play messenger between parents, don't talk bad about the other parent, etc., are wise. While my most rational self does a good job with these, it can be pretty easy for irrationality to step in with such emotional stuff as my ex and my baby.
This was the book that I thought was going to help me with my separation anxiety during all of Esther's switches back and forth between my home and her dad's home. As it turns out, it is a reminder of all the ways the "shared custody lifestyle" affect kids with divorced parents. The author reminds parents about the anxieties of kids before the switch, during the switch, and just in general-- having a two-part life. She talks a little bit about the ways those anxieties manifest themselves in the kids' behavior, but she's not really talking about toddlers like Esther. For Esther, I know what it is: a hard time saying good-bye the first day back at school, a hard time saying good-night the first couple nights back with me. Her eating is still pretty good, and she still mostly sleeps through the night.
The author also includes some worst-case scenarios which increase my likelihood of not sleeping through the night: suicidal kids and abusive co-parents. Fortunately, I'm not actually worried about any of that right now.
While a lot of the book is guilt-inducing and depressing-- am I ruining my daughter's life here?-- I know that re-reading it every now and again as Esther grows up will be good for me. The reminders of what not to do: don't bug your kid about what the other parent is up to, don't ask your kid to play messenger between parents, don't talk bad about the other parent, etc., are wise. While my most rational self does a good job with these, it can be pretty easy for irrationality to step in with such emotional stuff as my ex and my baby.
Friday, February 1, 2013
Felt snowman
I made this for Esther. It's cut out of white felt (felt by the yard from Michael's) and decorated with black felt circles and an orange felt carrot.
The idea came from a Pin of a felt Christmas tree. I taped it to the back door with painters' tape, and cut out a bunch of felt decorations for it. Just circles in primary colors. Esther had fun decorating her tree whenever she wanted, especially since she wasn't really excited about not being allowed to touch the real tree.
My mom and I figured, you can make anything with this idea. A snowman for the rest of winter, maybe an ocean scene come summer time...
The snowman, as you see, is not taped to the door. One of the advantages of having a mom who has been a teacher/director of a preschool for 25 years is that she >happens< to own a flannel board.
She's not really into it, unfortunately. Maybe next year?
The idea came from a Pin of a felt Christmas tree. I taped it to the back door with painters' tape, and cut out a bunch of felt decorations for it. Just circles in primary colors. Esther had fun decorating her tree whenever she wanted, especially since she wasn't really excited about not being allowed to touch the real tree.
My mom and I figured, you can make anything with this idea. A snowman for the rest of winter, maybe an ocean scene come summer time...
The snowman, as you see, is not taped to the door. One of the advantages of having a mom who has been a teacher/director of a preschool for 25 years is that she >happens< to own a flannel board.
She's not really into it, unfortunately. Maybe next year?
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