Adventures in Toddler Land

Thanks to Derek Harland I have been filling most of my time exploring momversation.com. I bet you would have never guessed a guy turned me on to momversation.com. I have enjoyed watching all the videos, blogs, and articles that fill the site. Yesterday I came upon a great article about 10 ways you know you're parenting a toddler.

I found myself going though the list shaking my head. Number ten you eat animal crackers and fruit snacks on a regular basis. Oh yeah, I would also like to add Nilla Wafers, goldfish, and cheese. Now I am not really complaining because all of these foods are yummy. The real adventure is how many of these items are you going to find scattered across your living room floor. When Virginia was younger it was Cheerios. Now she has graduated to goldfish and waffles.

Number 9 was about how you schedule your morning routine around cartoons. I don't have this problem so much. I have found that certain shows allow me more freedom to get up and do things. Sesame Street, Curious George, and Caliou are just a few that keep her attention for longer then ten seconds. I was amazed the first day that I actually managed to take a very quick shower while she watched Super Why on PBS. UNC KD has become the main channel in our house. It is non stop PBS kids shows. I find myself singing along and answering the questions.  Oh yeah that college education is paying off. I know my abc's and I can count up to ten now.

The rest of the list is as follows:

8.  You've said, "No, No." more times in the past month, than you previously had in your entire life.

     ( I would like to add that yes I think I say No, No like ten thousand times a day with no real success most of the time. I just can't wait til the day comes that she actually listens. She is getting better.)

7.  You devote time each day to practicing your "animal sounds"....Moooo!
     ( I am getting really good at singing Old MacDonald had a Farm)

6.  You speak in the third person.  "Mommy wants Gianni to eat all of his dinner and then go to sleep like a good boy."

 5.  You have played "Hide and Seek" or "Peek-A-Boo" at least six times today.....(and probably will at least two more times--same hiding spots everyone!.)

4.  You now appreciate the power and brilliance of Chicken Nuggets.  Thank you Costco for your extra-large bags of Disney, whole wheat nuggets.  We will be forever grateful for getting us through many-a-dinner.

3.  You know the words to the opening song for EVERY show on [fill-in-the-blank].  PBS, Nick Jr., Disney, Sprout etc.  (We are on a Nick Jr. kick.  Gianni's girlfriend has her show on that channel, so we really can't betray her.)

2.  If you are missing something (i.e. keys, remote control, wallet, cell phone, hair brush), you automatically look in the toilet, trash can and toy box. 

( So far keys are the only items that she likes to take and usually she doesn't take them far.)

1.  Your heart melts when your crazy little toddler comes running for you when you get home from work.  (But you are ready for a break after 10 minutes.)

Reading this list made me think of my own top ten list of ways you know you are parenting a toddler.

10. You find yourself browsing every mom website you can find for play dates and new recipes to try to get your child to eat something other then cheese, waffles, and chicken nuggets.

9. When at Walmart or Target you can't resist going to the baby section and toy section even if you will need to add a wing onto your house to hold all the clothes and toys you already have.

8. Going to the Consignment Store and browsing Craigslist for the cheapest baby items you can find is exciting.

7. Sleeping past 8:00am is sleeping late now. 

    (Virginia's wake up time is 7:00am now. I don't think I will ever get use to this wake up time.)

6. Going to the bathroom by yourself is a rare occasion. 

5. You find yourself talking about your child and what they did more then yourself when you are talking to adults. Also taking one million photos of your child is not to many and you love posting them all on facebook for your friends and family.

4. Leaving the house takes a little longer then 5 minutes now. 

( I am getting better at this now. I try to limit the amount of cloth diapers I put in my diaper bag. But you still have to make sure you have everything and manage to get it all to fit in your bag. I no longer am the crazy lady that brings along 20 diapers, 10 outfits, and 10 toys.)

3. You find yourself hating certain books because you have read them 10 million times in one day.

( Virginia's favorite books at the moment are Old MacDonald Had a Farm, Disney lullaby songs, and The Berenstain Bears Bedtime Story.)

2. Going to the grandparents house is pure joy and excitement! It is like a vacation during the week or weekend. Also you don't understand why your dad gives you a strange look every time you stick your nose up to your child's butt to see if they have pooped in their pants.

1. You start worrying more about that little child that has stolen your heart then anything else in the world.

( I am a major worry wart sometimes. I am always thinking Virginia has a fever or I am having a heart attack every time she falls.)

But really all of these things make parenting a toddler the best adventure I have been on so far. I look forward to watching Virginia grow up and seeing her discover new things everyday.