Cameron quirks

Cameron has been doing a few things lately that are alternately cute and annoying. Let me share....

Cameron is using her potty training as a weapon. Every time we put her into time out she pees herself. It's totally deliberate and has left a faint smell of urine in her time out spot despite multiple scrubbings.

Aside from a few accidents (or not so accidents per above) here and there, Cameron is officially potty trained. True she isn't consistently going #2 as regularly as pre-potty training and she needs constant reminders and forceful trips to the bathroom but she stays dry all day. Of course I did not anticipate the pooping in her pull up at nap time. More importantly I did not anticipate that she wanted to "help" and decided to change herself while in bed. I was greeted to a nice smell of poop and lots of clean up activities when I went to check on why she was being so noisy, mid nap. Lovely.

Cameron wants to make sure that Santa brings presents for me and DH too. How freaking cute is that? She has a Santa list made out and it includes things like: paint my toes pink & green, new underwear, an Oso toy and a Backyardigans toy. I think Santa (or family) will be coming through on that.

A friend graciously burned several of the classic Disney movies like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Little Mermaid, etc. Damn Disney for their stupid "vault"! I would pay for the DVDs if they just offered them retail like a normal company. But I digress. Last night Cameron was watching Sleeping Beauty and was very upset at the scene where the prince was attempting to rescue Aurora. She demanded that I turn off the movie and put on a Winnie the Pooh instead. I had forgotten how scary some of those older Disney movies are!

Cameron is really starting to rub along with Charlie. It's taken longer than I thought but now she regularly gives him kisses and pats and tells him that she loves him. She also imitates us and tells him "You are such a good boy." If we can get Charlie and Cameron to cooperate one of these days I'd like to get a great photo of the two of them.

What cute or annoying things has your kid(s) done lately?

Potty training bootcamp

Edited to say: Cameron stayed dry all day and came home in her original clothes. Go, Cameron!!

It is fitting that we put Cameron through a potty training boot camp during Veteran's Day weekend, don't you think?

DH and I met with Cameron's teacher on Thursday for a parent/teacher conference. So cute! We learned, not to our surprise, that Cameron can be a little aggressive with other kids. She is certainly bossy with me and DH and that has resulted in some time outs at home. Her teacher is also using time outs (not that they are allowed to call them that) so we will just continue to reinforce that Cameron needs to be nice to her friends and that they don't have to play with her if they don't want to. Considering that Cameron comes through her bossiness naturally (I'm referring to Grammy, of course) we'll just have to keep an eye on it.

During the discussion we broached potty training. For the past few weeks Cameron has consistently been using the potty at school and at home. However, she has this habit of only going a little bit so she either needs to pee again in 15 minutes or she has an accident. But trying to explain to a 2.5 year old how to fully empty her bladder is an exercise in frustration. Plus Cameron wouldn't poop in the potty. She's gotten to the point when she's wearing underwear of asking me to put her in a diaper so she can poop in it. If she's asking that then clearly she is ready to use the potty instead.

DH and I concurred in the car on the drive home that the order of the weekend is underwear and nothing but underwear. For 3 days (she didn't have school on Friday) we hung out at home and watched a lot of TV. We limited liquids and made sure she was on the potty every 45 minutes or so. And we had success! She even pooped on the potty a few times. We still kept her in diapers for nap and bedtime but that was it.

We ran a few minor errands (groceries, Target, library) and she did great. It helps that she likes to try out bathrooms in public places. There was one major accident last night right before bed but I blame myself for not being as insistent as I should that she at least TRY to use the potty. Lesson learned.

So for the first time ever, Cameron is in underwear at school. Along with 3 changes of clothes. DH bet me a million dollars that she would not come home in the same pants she left with. Needless to say, I am no fool and did not take the bet. But I'm still secretly hoping Cameron kicks ass. Wish her luck!

The Pacifier Plan

Over the past year plus we have made major modifications to when Cameron can have her pacifier. First it was not during the day except car rides or naps/bedtime. Then it was not in the car (except for long road trips that incorporated nap time). Then at age 2 she moved into the 2s room at school and she was not allowed to have her pacifier at school. But we did still let her have it for naps and bedtime at home.

Now that Cameron is over 2.5 years old it is time to start weaning her completely. If we let her keep having the pacifier then she is more apt to sooth herself back to sleep when she needs to get up and go to the bathroom, thus halting our potty training efforts (which are not going well, which is a whole other post). So the pacifier must go.

It's a rite of passage for many toddlers, I know, and it's something that has to happen sooner rather than later. But a part of me is sad. Not so much that it reflects on my baby becoming a big girl, but more about how we are removing a comfort from her and telling her that she can't have something precious to her because it's somehow "wrong." Intellectually I know as she gets older it is bad for her teeth (although given our family histories Cameron will not be able to avoid braces), and I'm sure there are other psychological impacts that I'm not willing to troll the Internet to look up and depress myself with.

So here's our game plan. For the next 6 weeks we will be prepping Cameron for the final removal of pacifiers. Friends of our recently had a second baby and we are leveraging him like crazy to bring Cameron into compliance. We are doing this gradually with a lot of talking and prepping because that's how Cameron rolls. She is not a "rip the Band Aid" kind of kid. She needs to know exactly what is happening and why or she goes ballistic.

We are telling Cameron that she is a big girl now (she agrees) and that Gabe is a baby (she agrees). Only babies need pacifiers (no real agreement yet). And Cameron has to give her pacifiers to Gabe because he is a baby and needs them (sometimes agreement, sometimes wailing "NOOOOOO"). We have 6 weeks to prepare her and the pacifiers will be officially given to Gabe after our trip to Florida in early December.

So, what do you all think? Do we have a chance of success or is dragging it out that long too painful for all of us? What did you do to remove the pacifier from your kid(s)?

2.5 is kicking my parenting ass

Warning: Brutally honest parenting post lies ahead.

I completely lost my shit this weekend several different times with Cameron. I am not alone because DH did as well (we seem to trade off being the "calm" one) but it is making me feel like a parenting failure.

Cameron just won't listen. She also displays Jekyll and Hyde tendencies which doesn't help things. Perhaps if she was being a little brat all the time I could handle it. But she swings widely from happy, helpful child to willful, screaming, crying beast.

We can't take Cameron out for more than 15-20 minutes or a tantrum will result. I feel like any of the progress we've made over the past year has disappeared. The thing that really drives me batty is that Cameron knows better. She is old enough, verbal enough and cognizant enough to understand that she is being bad.

I feel like I tell her to do things fifteen hundred times before she'll do it. She just doesn't freaking listen. And yes, I wanted to use the non-PC word in that previous sentence but I'm trying to increase my willpower. We were in Target yesterday and I told Cameron that I was sick of her shit. Yup, I swore at my child. I then bodily picked her up and carried her out of the store and threw her in her car seat. And of course, because I wouldn't let her buckle her own belt I had to hear Cameron piss and moan and cry all the way home. Which was an excruciating 15 minutes.

I'm kind of at my wits end because I feel like this behavior has just kind of sprung on us the past few weeks and I am not handling it well. None of my normal parenting tactics: reasoning, time outs, bribery seem to be working. So, any advice for me? Or commiseration? At least tell me this is just a phase!?!

Cameron being helpful in one of her increasingly rare "nice" period.

We see this expression a lot. Cameron saying "no", sneer of disdain on her face.

This might be the photo I use when put up a "For Sale" sign for her. Kidding. Kind of.

How did this happen?

How exactly did this baby

Turn into this little girl?

As of today, Cameron is 2.5 years old. And she is growing up far too fast for my taste!

The rules go out the window

This past weekend I was solo parenting while DH was in Connecticut for a college friend's wedding. I had 48 hours to fill with Cameron. Normally that's not a problem but we are between kid activities, I'm a bit depressed post BigFinance layoffs and all I wanted to do was veg out around the house. My solution? Throw out all rules and get through the weekend.

Here are some snippets from our time together:

• Lots and lots of television. I think we watched Tangled about 8 times and I even let her pull out her travel DVD player so I could watch football and HGTV yesterday. OK, you got me, it was more like watching Millionaire Matchmaker and occasionally checking in on the score.


• Let her eat crap. I dug into the "only once a month" type of snacks and drinks and let Cameron go wild. She even had two juice boxes yesterday (the horror!).


• Convinced a friend (begged really) to come over for a many-hour play date on Saturday. It resulted in every single toy being pulled out, played with for 5 seconds and discarded but at least Amanda and I got to catch up.


• Put a pillow over my head. Cameron decided on Saturday that 6 AM was a good wake up time. I managed to hold her off until 6:30. On Sunday it was 5 AM when she started calling for me. I closed my door and put my pillow over my head. We had breakfast at a much more respectable 7 AM.


• Bribery. I had to do a Target run for essentials. So naturally I stooped by the One Spot and picked up a few things for Cameron to keep her entertained.


• Forgo bath time. Typically we bath Cameron every other day but somehow I missed Saturday's bath. I took her to McDonald's (or as Cameron calls it, "Old McDonald's) and by the time we got home all I wanted was to put her to bed and pour a glass of wine.


• Didn't push potty training. Ironically this stance kind of backfired on me because she ended up going like 10 times over the course of the weekend which was good because we've had a regression lately with the training efforts.


• Let the house become messy. I did pick up post play date (only because otherwise I couldn't have walked through the house) but otherwise I did the minimal amount of housework I could get away with.

We survived and Cameron was very happy to see her daddy on Sunday evening. He even did bath time and bedtime for me so I could relax. And now we are back to our normal routine. So, what do you do to cope when your partner in crime is away?

Nothing like a little love to make you feel better

I am working from home today recovering from a 24 hour bug that laid me low all day yesterday. This is the first time I've been sick since Cameron has become so aware and so verbal. I will detail a two of our exchanges below.

Me: Mommy's not feeling good so why don't we watch some TV? (Desperately keeping her occupied while DH took an evening work call.)
Cameron: Your tummy hurts?
Me: Yes, my tummy hurts.
Cameron: I give you hug!
She proceeds to give me a big hug and put her hand on my forehead to check and see if I have a fever (DH had done the same thing earlier).

This morning I had enough energy to drive her to school. As we were getting in the car:
Cameron: Your tummy hurts?
Me: Mommy is feeling much better and I will be going into work tomorrow.
Cameron: You wear make up and go to work?
Me: Yes, I will weak make up and go to work.
I just about lost it. Apparently sick, plain faced Mommy offends her aesthetic senses.

Is there a child in that bed?

As I mentioned in my last blog post, Cameron has been in a toddler bed since we returned from vacation. It was an easy transition for us since she got used to it at Grammy's house and she absolutely loves her "big girl" bed.

The only thing that has me scratching my head is how the removal of 1/3 of a rail has somehow resulted in the accumulation of objects in her bed that Cameron.cannot.do.without. Nothing can be removed and every item must have it's special place before she is put into bed with a last kiss goodnight. I don't mind Cameron's OCD tendancies. Hell, I have a few myself! But I worry we are rapidly running out of room for her among all the stuff.

Here's what she is currently hoarding:

• Two blankies (made curtesy of Mimi)
• One lovie
• 3 pacifiers (don't judge, she only gets them at home for sleeping)
• 1 Raggedy Andy, 1 Raggedy Anne doll (handmade by a family friend)
• Two stuff dogs (named Buddy and Doggie respectively)
• A camo bracelet (one of those "Live Strong" type bracelets I got from work for a training bootcamp and I have no idea why she is obsessed with it)
• A medal from her last day at Little Gym
• One baby doll (named baby, natch)
• A random McDonald's Happy Meal toy (BTW, what is up with paper bags instead of boxes for Happy Meals? Total rip off.)
• Elmo doll
• Elmo figure from her BFF Holden
• Pillow
• Big blanket

So far DH and I have just kind of rolled with it but I see that list in black and white and I kind of cringe a little. What things do your kids bring to bed? Are your lists as ridiculously long as ours? I will note that Cameron is content to stay in her bed playing until past 7 on weekends so perhaps there is a silver lining to this?

Things I'm learning about my child

I don't regularly do updates on Cameron's development but a few things have surfaced over the past few weeks that I just had to share with my Internet friends.

Cameron likes to talk....a lot. My daughter has always been very verbal. But over the past month she has taken it to new heights. Every car ride is her chatting away with us. We are having real conversations with decent grammar and correct use of pronouns (mostly). It's no longer just DH and I repeating things back to her. Now we can ask Cameron about her day and be reasonably sure we understand (and believe) what she is telling us.

Cameron is bossy. Wonder where she gets that from? I think this is partially related to how verbal she is. When I picked her up from daycare last week I could hear her from down the hall (bossiness = loudness, I guess). She was in the bathroom sitting on the potty. There are two and Cameron was insisting that her friend go potty RIGHT NOW. It was very cute but has reinforced our perception of her demanding nature. We have had to do a lot of correcting (use the word please, don't talk to mommy/daddy that way, etc.) to try and nip the negative bossiness behaviors in the bud. Our success is mixed so any advice is welcome.

Cameron's favorite color is blue. I had hoped that she would follow in my childhood footsteps of loving purple (that is the primary color in her room) but she has shown no real interest in that color. At first it was pink she gravitated to, due in part to the over abundance of pink related toys she has acquired (damn that gender profiling!). But over the past two months she has been consistently asking for blue things. Go on potty successfully? She wants a blue M&M. Time for her vitamin? She wants a blue one. DH and I keep trying to explain to her that if she takes all the blue ones there won't be any left but apparently we have not done a good job of getting through to her.

Cameron has decided to be a big girl. Even last month when I would ask Cameron if she was my big girl she would shake her head and say, "Not big girl, mommy. Cameron is mommy's baby." Cute right? Although we need to work on the third party references. Cute but also a bit demoralizing because I couldn't manipulate her into doing things because she was a big girl. However, ever since we changed her crib into a toddler bed Cameron has been super excited about sleeping in her big girl bed and now wants to be a big girl. While I'm glad to have another weapon in my parenting arsenal I am also a little misty-eyed over losing my baby. Sniff. Sniff.

What new things have you discovered about your child(ren)?

Food Battles: The Toddler Years

For months DH and I have been engaged in food battles with Cameron. It was been a soul sucking experience that has resulted in parental disagreements, tears (on Cameron's part) and zero desire to approach the dinner table (all of us).

Part of the fault rests with us, I know. We can't get our crap together and have regular family dinners. Cameron does better with eating when we eat together but we typically serve something we know she will eat (pasta) and we have only been able to manage it 1-2 times a week. Even when we don't eat with her we are in the kitchen and usually at the table with her interacting and talking about our days.

I get it, I really do. Cameron is a picky eater. And I've struggled with food issues all my life so I can appreciate rejecting food for texture or appearance issues. But I want her to at least try the food before declaring she won't eat it. The crazy thing is that she eats a much wider variety of food at daycare but even if we serve her the same exact thing at home she rejects it. There are maybe 7-8 foods she will eat for dinner (aside from fruit). The lack of variety is frustrating and makes me feel like a parenting failure.

DH and I have been struggling with the appropriate tact to take in dealing with this issue. And it is an issue because instinctively Cameron knows that food equals control. Her rejection of new foods keeps us essentially fawning over her trying to get her to eat it. So my mindset now is that we just prepare the food for her (with 1 or 2 new foods mixed in with the standbys) give it to her and then refuse to engage. She doesn't eat it? Then it stays on her plate and she doesn't get dessert (we don't do dessert every night but have been using it as bribe lately which has been wildly unsuccessful). We haven't caved and cooked or given her alternate food in many months so that isn't a problem for us. It's more about curbing our impatience with Cameron's approach to food.

I would never punish Cameron for not eating because I know that leads to more food issues and frankly she is far too young for the whole "if you don't eat something then it's time for bed" type of discipline. But where do we go from here? Do we just grit our teeth and continue with the plan mentioned above? Are there other things you recommend we try?

Cute things Cameron has said lately

There has been a definite language explosion for Cameron over the past few weeks. She is basically speaking in complete sentences and can comprehend almost anything we say (I think). This has the added benefit of cutting down on the temper tantrums. However, Cameron has continued to pick up some not so great habits from daycare. We have managed to mostly wean her off of "Ye-ah" although for some reason she's transferred that Southern accent to the word "there." Another habit? Adding "ie" to the end of words which confuses us. Cameron has this habit of repeating what she says until we say it back to her. This is good because it gives us a chance to correct her pronunciation but bad because if we can't say it back to her because we don't understand her then Cameron gets mad. She was saying "dolly" this morning and I couldn't tell if she meant doggie, Charlie or daddy. I had to run through that entire list before I figured it out. In addition to dolly she is also saying birdie and doggie and a host of other words.

Here are a few cute things Cameron has said over the past week.

• "School! Almost there! I love school!" (as we pull into the parking lot of the daycare)



• "I love you, Charlie!" (an unprompted declaration of love)



• "We go to McDonald's and I get french fries!" (a special treat with DH out of town. Cameron basically just eats the fries.)



• "Bedtime soon." (we "prepare" Cameron for bedtime by counting down from 5 minutes. It has worked well and reduced temper tantrums. Plus she is definitely at the 7:30 bedtime now. I miss that 1/2 hour!)



• "I watch Oso!" (Cameron's new favorite show is Special Agent Oso)



• "Not hot now." (Sometimes her dinner is a little too hot so Cameron will blow on it and keep touching it until it is the right temperature for consumption.)



• "No, other baby" (Cameron has 2 real baby dolls and named them baby and other baby. We've tried to name them with real names but I suck at being inventive and never remember what we settled on. So baby and new baby they will continue to be.)



• "Do it again!" (A favorite refrain)



• "Yes, not ye-ah" (Cameron tells this to Jeremy when he accidentally said it. So funny!"



• "I baby." (when asked if she was a big girl or baby. Looks like we can't leverage the whole "a big girl does XYZ")



• "Off mommy's plate."

The last bullet point refers to an attempt (an inconsistent one) for family dinners. I cooked up some pasta and sauce for us last night and we sat at the kitchen table. I have learned that Cameron must have her plate look exactly like mine in order to eat her food. Otherwise she just wants mine. So I made sure that our plates looked the same and even cut up my pasta so I could cut hers (Giada would be appalled). She did pretty good for a while eating off her own plate but then it started. Cameron wanted to eat off of my plate. She still likes for us to feed her occasionally although she has mastered the eating with utensils (kind of).

We've limited "family" dinners to stuff I know she will eat. Anything pasta related, basically. I know I need to expand her palate but she is so damn picky! And she gets that from me. I'm better now (mostly) but I'm a big texture eater and I think that's what is holding Cameron back.

On a some what related note, we purchased a new booster seat. Our existing one was a travel one and folded up but accumulated crumbs like crazy. I love the one we picked up at Buy Buy Baby. There aren't straps but she is old enough now that we don't need them. It is a very simple design and can be easily cleaned. I highly recommend it and you can find it here.

I love the fact that I can interact with Cameron on a much higher level. We talk about our days (me asking her questions, her answering sometimes accurately, sometimes not) and she can clearly articulate what she wants. We are making a point of explaining things to her and validating her feelings which is what is ultimately driving this good behavior period. I'm sure it won't last long!

Monday Hodgepodge

Summer has really sprung in Charlotte. We have already been battling 90+ degree weather, lots of humidity and little rain. But, in good news, we have our first official tomato from our tomato plant. I was warned that squirrels stealing tomatoes is a real issue. But a colleague recommended soaking a rag in amonia and putting it in a plastic bag with holes. Tie it to the tomato cage and it will keep the squirrels away. I haven't tried it yet but plan on executing this weekend.

Cameron has been loving the pool and splash park at the JCC. We've been 3 times in the past two weeks and it's a great time suck on the weekend. A plus is that I am developing a nice little tan (with sunscreen - stay safe!) in preparation for our big upcoming vacation to Maine. The downside is that Cameron is not a fan of sharing her toys. We usually bring a few buckets and shovels and she will use them with the water sprays at the splash park. It is physically impossible for her to play with all 3 buckets but she won't let anyone else play with them too. DH and I are being diligent but it appears as though sharing is a concept that will take some time for her to understand and do.

Speaking of toys...we have hit the stage where Cameron isn't playing with any of her million toys. I'm not sure if it is because she prefers to be outside or helping us in the kitchen or watch TV but she has only really been playing with her arts and crafts. Play-Doh is still a big hit.

Cameron is now displaying a tendency to slip into a Southern accent. Gah! I managed to avoid the Boston accent growing up and I insist that Cameron be accent neutral or at least not sound very Southern. DH is on board too but we are finding it difficult given her exposure at daycare. I only have approximately 48 hours to undue the 45 hours of daycare influence each week. Lately Cameron has started saying, "Yeah" with a very Southern accent. Somehow the one syllable word has turned into 3: "Yeh-yaaaaah". Every.single.time she says it like that DH or I correct her. "Cameron, we say 'yes' not 'yeh-yaaaah.'" It's gotten to the point that when we start to correct her she repeats that sentence along with us. I know that I have a few readers who are transplants to the South. How are you handling the accent?

Lastly, I have been playing Words with Friends for a few weeks. DH convinced me to hop on the bandwagon. Is it wrong that I find it to be stressful? I am a competitive person (I'll pause there while you gasp in shock) and I lose at this stupid game 90% of the time! I kind of dread when a game is over and I'm asked for a rematch. What is the etiquette here? Should I just disappear and delete the app off my phone? Is it possible to get a big point word when 6/7 letters are vowels and 4 of those are Es? How can I lose a game when I get a 102 point word? This is the stuff that keeps me up at night.

Adventures in Play-Doh

Cameron has a new obsession: Play-Doh. The only problem? She doesn't have the dexterity to manipulate the material. So her solution is to have me or DH translate her wishes into Play-Doh.

We picked up a few more containers of Play-Doh this weekend along with a 30 piece cookie cutter set and a little rolling pin. Cameron hasn't quite grasped how to use the rolling pin but I'm sure she will figure it out soon. I hope she doesn't figure out what a handy weapon it can be.

I like Play-Doh except for a few things. First, little pieces of it get everywhere, especially under my nails. Then I smell like Play-Doh for the rest of the night despite numerous hand washings. Second, we have a dog who sheds which means a lot of dog hair that can get trapped in the Play-Doh. Gross. Third, maintaining separation of colors is extremely important or you end up with an amalgamation of colors that are not pleasing to the eye. Finally, we have yet to not have a meltdown when it comes time to put the Play-Doh away. There is a lot of screaming, crying and "mine" thrown about liberally. I've started the count down (you have 5 minutes, 4 minutes, etc.) which seems to help.

Here Cameron insisted that DH create a little Cameron holding hands with her BFF, Holden. Charlie was added in for good measure.Cameron models a necklace and bracelets created by DH. He's handy with the Play-Doh! The shirt is courtesy of Target and already Cameron's favorite.

DH is traveling this week so I better sharpen my Play-Doh skills fast! Are there any Play-Doh accessories that your kid(s) really like or am I better off with the cookie cutter route?

The post where I spend too much time analyzing a TV show

Cameron has joined the ranks of the TV obsessed toddlers. Two weeks ago she started showing a marked interest in one particular show. I admit I encouraged it. She had shown minimal interest in the show 4 months ago so I taped a dozen episodes in the hope that one day she would be content to sit and watch it by herself while I got things done around the house. Well, the interest level is there but she insists I watch the show with her so I haven't been able to realize much gain yet.

We are limiting her to one show a day and sometimes two on the weekend. But the constant refrain of "Minnie Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Minnie Mouse" is starting to get on my nerves. We don't give in but I have to face it, my child is obsessed with the Mickey Mouse Club. She loves Minnie the most which surprises me because I figured Mickey or Pluto or Goofy would be the main attractions. But Cameron is living up to my prediction that she will be a girlie girl with her Minnie love.

I find myself spending far too much time thinking about this stupid show as I sit with Cameron and watch it. The show is very well done. Aside from a few minor tweaks (Mouska Dance vs. Hot Dog Dance) it hasn't changed in the four seasons I've taped episodes from. I can't imagine that it takes much effort to produce an episode so it has to be a serious money maker for the Disney corporation. Story lines are formulaic and many of the scenes can be recycled (hot dog dance, mouska tools, etc.). There is a lot of "interaction" where the characters talk and expect responses which Cameron loves. She eagerly says, "Oh Toodles!" upon command. I saw one extended episode where the writers made Toodles into a true character. He was like the Jar Jar Binks of the Mickey Mouse Club and I'm glad I have yet to see his return. See? Far too much time spent thinking about this show.

I am a TV fanatic so I don't begrudge my daughter a TV show of her own. I like that it is 25 minutes and commercial free. A DVR lets me even skip the before and after ads. I'm sure she has already been sucked into the commercialization but she has yet to ask for any toys related to the show. And hey, at least she'll recognize characters when we go to Disney next year!

So, what other shows so I consider adding to our DVR list over the next few months? I can't imagine I'll avoid repeat episodes of the Mickey Mouse Club forever. And the show is annoying enough that I would prefer not to see any repeats. What do your kids love and you can tolerate?

The Contrary Miss Cameron

We have hit the wonderful stage of contrariness from Cameron. Give her options for what to wear, what to eat and what to do? She wants none of them!

Ask her if she wants milk she whines, "No milk!" emphatically. Say, "OK, no milk, do you want juice instead?" "No, juice! Milk! Milk! Miiiiiilk!!"

Picture that exact conversation with different nouns occurring at least a dozen times a day. DH and I can't help but laugh at it because it's so crazy she changes her mind a second later. We are working to give Cameron choices which has helped to lessen some of the battles but they still happen on a different level.

The new weapon in my arsenal? This statement: "Well, Mommy has XYZ, so do you want it too?" That's right, Cameron has decided she wants to be just like me in every way possible. I have my hair in a ponytail? She must have it also (although she rips it out a minute later).

Walking into school this morning I noticed the sleeve of her too big rain coat was not rolled up. I went to roll it up and she said, "No, mommy!" I left it alone but told her, "Mommy has her sleeves rolled up, see?" and pointed to my own too big rain coat. 5 seconds later Cameron tugs on my hand and says, "Sleeve, Mommy, sleeve!"

So this is how I now win my battles with Cameron. I just have to do whatever I want her to do and she'll do it too. I wonder how long until that backfires on me? Perhaps when she wants to start drinking out of my wine glass?

Basking in the parent-to-be glow

No, not me!!

A guy got on the elevator with me and he was practically grinning from ear to ear. It was just us on the ride up and he blurted, "I just got to see my unborn baby for the first time and it was incredible!"

I congratulated him on his impended fatherhood and he went on and on about how amazing it was to see the heart beat, etc. Now call me jaded but here was what I wanted to tell him:

• Prepare for lots of sleepless nights


• Find a good babysitter now and schedule your date nights a year in advance. And have date nights.


• I'm two years in and the toddler stage is way more exhausting than the infant stage. Just so you have something to look forward to.

Perhaps I'm settling more into the idea of one and done? I'm not sure but either way that parent-to-be glow did not rub off on me. Anything else you would have said inside your head to this guy?

A wonderful drama free weekend

DH and I were afraid that speaking it out loud would jinx it. But Sunday afternoon while Cameron was napping he turned to me and said, "Hey, we haven't had to put Cameron in timeout once this weekend!" I quickly knocked on wood, rubbed a rabbit's foot and threw salt over my shoulder. The man who obsesses about baseball should know that you never, never talk about a perfect game. But despite his misstep Cameron triumphed and we avoided all tantrums and timeouts.

There are a few reasons I attribute to our tantrum and timeout free weekend. The first is that Cameron was finally over the ear/sinus infection that had probably plagued her for weeks. The kid doesn't complain so identification of an illness is usually pure luck. She was also well rested. Daycare was closed on Friday (which means our drama free weekend was for 3! whole! days!) so we let her sleep in a little and she had a great nap. Cameron has also had another language explosion. It is rare that we don't understand what she is saying and her sentences are approaching 5-6 words. She can also clearly understand what we are saying and we've made more of an effort to explain things to her, instead of just telling her to do something.

On Sunday the Taylor family hosted us for a BBQ. Good food, sangria and deep frying experiments were all on the menu. Amanda had an Easter egg hunt set up around the yard (hunt is a bit of a misnomer since the eggs were in plain sight). DH and I had been "practicing" with Cameron all weekend when she brough 4 eggs home from daycare so Cameron totally kicked ass. She even ended up transferring Holden's eggs into her basket but he didn't seem to mind.

A picture post to come tonight!

I just want a grocery trip without the tantrums

Even though technically Cameron isn't two yet her precociousness has resulted in us labeling her behavior over the past two months as "terrible" and unfortunately indicative of many more months, I'm sure. The battles are constant. The whining kicks in without warning. The crying over every little thing that isn't perfect in her eyes. Gah. It makes me want to run away for a day.

The grocery store is a prime example. DH and I usually go together and it's a good thing because for the past 3 trips I've had to take Cameron out of the cart and twice out of the store entirely. It's frustrating because I am so distracted the entire time trying to placate her and keep the other patrons from wanting to kill us that I can't focus on what we need at the store. I've been relying on DH to pick up the slack and he is good but a few things fall through the cracks. Plus, it's just generally frustrating for me because Cameron always wants mommy. Isn't it time for a daddy phase to kick in?

I know, you're probably thinking, why not grocery shop while Cameron is napping? Because I don't want to, dammit. Nap time is better spent exercising, getting a pedicure or maybe even a nap for me. Grocery shopping is one of those things (typically takes us 30 minutes) that Cameron should be able to endure.

During today's trip she got the special car cart, one of the free cookies, two balloons (one got away from her) and DH and I interacting with her. But she protested DH pushing the cart instead of me. Or she wanted to sit in the basket part rather than the seat. Or she wanted to wear the balloon and then didn't. The list goes on and on. And the latest trick is for her to stop and drop if she's not happy with what's going on. So Cameron will lay on the ground...anywhere.

I'm at a bit of a loss with how to deal with it and I'm feeling like a bad parent because I don't know what to do. I don't want her to have a temper tantrum when we are out running errands. But I also don't want to cater to her which is what I find myself doing far too often just to keep the peace. For experienced parents out there please help! Am I doomed to keeping Cameron in the house for the next 6 months? Are there good books to help with this?

Cameron's latest "smiling" face when I take her picture.

Wearing DH's disgusting hat. Mental note: run it through the dishwasher.

Overcoming another traumatic experience

We have had another traumatic experience in our household. Unlike last time I thought it was hilarious when it first happened. But now repercussions have reverberated through our household and I am turning to my Internet friends for advice and sympathy.

DH and I had a wonderful day with Cameron on Saturday. We went to Holden's birthday party at Monkey Joe's and then out for a relatively (for me) healthy lunch. Cameron napped until 3:30 PM and then our amazing (and moving to California BOOOOOO) babysitter came over at 4 PM and DH and I went to the movies and then dinner. Date night was delightful (I recommend the movie The Adjustment Bureau) and DH and I returned home around 9 PM.

I expected the normal "she had a great time" report from Amy but received a different one entirely. 99% of the time Cameron did have a great time. The remaining 1%? Not so good. The reason? Cameron pooped in the tub. Apparently she freaked the hell out and screamed and screamed. Poor Amy had to manage Cameron and clean out the mess at the same time.

A huge part of me is relieved to have been spared the pooping in the tub incident. DH and I laughed and laughed about missing this parenting milestone and gave Amy some combat pay for her troubles. But the incident has spawned a new behavior that reared its ugly head tonight (we bath Cameron every other night). I put her in the bath and everything was fine for approximately 90 seconds. Then she stood up and started screaming about a "bug" in the bath water and how I needed to get rid of it RIGHT NOW. I removed the offending bit of something floating in the water but that wasn't good enough. The problem was that Cameron had food in her hair so a bath was necessary and non-negotiable.

I quickly soaped Cameron down while she screamed her head off. As soon as possible I removed her from the tub. While drying her off and getting her dressed Cameron kept telling me "Poop in tub" so clearly she remembers the incident from Saturday evening very well. For the rest of the night I told Cameron that the poop was all gone and that bath is fun. I'm not sure I got through to her, however, so I am already anxious about what will happen during bath time on Wednesday.

So my Internet friends, has this happened to you? Will this incident be long forgotten by Wednesday? Am I going to have to strip down and bath with Cameron to make her comfortable and not worry about poop in the tub? Eek!

Starting our potty training journey

I’ve written before about not being ready for the potty training to commence in our household. Unfortunately my disinterest did not communicate itself to Cameron. It is with a medium level of enthusiasm (and it’s that high only because Cameron is so excited about it) that we start our journey towards a diaper free future.

I had been planning to wait until Cameron transitioned to the Twos room (T-minus 1 month!) and let daycare take the lead as I do for so many other things. Cameron had other ideas. We’ve had a potty in our ½ bath downstairs for about 2 months. Every once in a while she would ask for a “diaper change” which was her code phrase for using the potty. I would strip her down and hand her a book while she sat on the toilet. She would always insist that I sit on the toilet next to her which is freaking adorable but grew old quickly.

Cameron also loves to give “diaper change” to her “babies”. I picked up a Circo set for her and we spend far too much time performing diaper changes on a monkey, creepy Little Pony doll and some kind of fairy doll. Sometimes her Santa doll (there’s a story there, and I’ll tell it one day) even gets into the act. The cheap Circo set is no longer available from Target but here is a link to a similar one.

When we were out two weeks ago I came across an Elmo potty insert (to be used on a regular toilet). I thought that Cameron would respond well to it so I picked it up and took it home to be used in my bathroom. Side note: I use the “guest” bathroom in our house because the master bath has a shower so small it is impossible to shave in. Essentially Cameron and I share a bathroom. It is fairly small so I didn’t want to add a potty. I need that space for my scale because I still have 2.5 pounds to lose! Another reason is that Cameron wants to do whatever I do. Which means she doesn’t want her own potty, she wants to sit on the regular toilet.

Picking up that $12 toilet insert was what really kick started the process. Cameron wanted to sit on it right away. And then she started asking regularly for a “diaper change.” On Saturday afternoon after nap she peed on the potty for the first time. DH and I made a big deal out of it (of course) and she repeated the feat before bedtime. Sunday morning she wanted to get on the toilet right away and again we had success. That was followed by 2 more successful (pee only) events.

Monday during my day off (I love a BigFinance holiday while daycare is open!) I bought some training underwear (Target only had the boy ones in her size) and some regular underwear. We have now incorporated potty trips for first thing in the morning, after school and before bed. Cameron still gets the order of the code phrase wrong. Sometimes she says “diaper change” after she pees/poops but about 50% the time she gets it right. Another advance is that when she poops in her diaper she now wants to be changed immediately and walks funny to keep the poop away from her skin.

Cameron has yet to have any success using the potty at daycare (they ask, she says no) but it’s only been 3 days. I’m sure peer pressure in the Twos room will accelerate the training. In the meantime I am happy that we still use diapers (for ease) and I haven’t had to go to pull ups yet for daycare. Those things are freaking expensive. Now, since I’ve done little/no research, what else should I be doing? Please keep in mind that I’m not ready to do cold turkey training, or anything like that.