The thing about mothering a toddler is that they go from this precious little being completely reliant on you for all things, to this precious little being who wants nothing to do with you, thankyouverymuch, unless there is food to be eaten, or a back to climb on.
Madness says "busy busy bear". Or something that sounds like that. Big M and I are puzzled as to what it could actually mean, as he says it often in all contexts. It's dead cute, though. And English! YAY! With a little bit of an accent.
Maybe it's Madness' way of saying "Mummy, you are a busy, busy bear. You just had to go and join a gym, and you're learning Spanish until June, and you're getting your licence and having to have lessons. You work. You're in the middle of decluttering our house to get it spick and span forever, and when are you going to find time for me? Busy, busy bear."
Poor little neglected bunny. He's all right, really. We have lovely afternoons of doing something outside the house, so that's fun (and necessary, as a Banshee has come and replaced my son with itself, and screams the house down if I don't go out RIGHT THIS MINUTE!). I do try to make Mad-shee ask nicely, but its hard when it's pretending to be a 17-month old. Humans are so volatile at that age!
Apart from me being a busy, busy bear, there is not a lot to report. Madness is going to become quite the artiste and as soon as I can breathe again and cut down on my extracurricular activities, I will teach him all kinds of fun things.
Not that I can draw. I'm pretty much only capable of teaching him clever things like swear words, which is less fun when you're the mother, and not the cousin/aunty/babysitter.
Fun tip: Hand your Madness to a complete stranger on the street, mid-tantrum, and scream "It's your turn!"
Serious tip: Don't give in! You're the Mummy, that's why!
April 27, 2008
April 7, 2008
Baby nap times... or lack thereof
Madness had a 45-minute nap today. Forty-five minutes. As opposed to 2-2 1/2 hours! So this afternoon was fun. He was fine as long as I was doing exactly what he wanted me to do... like letting him throw his lunch on the floor.
Despite me telling him no twice.
Madness went to his bedroom for the first time today. Aww, my baby's growing up! Good times at Casa Madness! I counted to 45 before letting him out again. Tough love, baby. Tough love.
Today, I also discovered two fantastic resources for Madness Mums everywhere. One, Saving Mum, is Australian, but can be adapted to any country. You can always Google names of things you don't recognise to find out the translation. Sure bet is if you live in a western country, there aren't many things in Australia that you don't have in your country. It's generally just called something else.
Also, and the one I'm maybe even more excited about is FlyLady.net. Oh my! So very Organised and Efficient. If you feel overwhelmed, rundown and a little out of control because you're living in clutter and don't know where to start fixing it, then this site might just be what you're looking for. I've put both links in my resources, on the right-hand side of this blog.
After the short nap and the crazy overreactions, I was more than grateful when Dimples's Mum called to say that we could meet this afternoon, after all.
Big M was also grand when he got home, sweeping the kitchen and the soil that had mysteriously fallen out of the plant pot (I wrote power plant just then, so is my day!) onto the lounge room floor.
Fun tip: Let your Madness do whatever they want. Actual parenting is tiring, and a pain in the butt.
Serious tip: Count on the people around you, seek help from them, let someone know you're struggling. If you pretend you're efficient and coping, they won't know to offer help, so you have to ask them to, instead. Do it. Even if it means asking for an afternoon of You Time.
Despite me telling him no twice.
Madness went to his bedroom for the first time today. Aww, my baby's growing up! Good times at Casa Madness! I counted to 45 before letting him out again. Tough love, baby. Tough love.
Today, I also discovered two fantastic resources for Madness Mums everywhere. One, Saving Mum, is Australian, but can be adapted to any country. You can always Google names of things you don't recognise to find out the translation. Sure bet is if you live in a western country, there aren't many things in Australia that you don't have in your country. It's generally just called something else.
Also, and the one I'm maybe even more excited about is FlyLady.net. Oh my! So very Organised and Efficient. If you feel overwhelmed, rundown and a little out of control because you're living in clutter and don't know where to start fixing it, then this site might just be what you're looking for. I've put both links in my resources, on the right-hand side of this blog.
After the short nap and the crazy overreactions, I was more than grateful when Dimples's Mum called to say that we could meet this afternoon, after all.
Big M was also grand when he got home, sweeping the kitchen and the soil that had mysteriously fallen out of the plant pot (I wrote power plant just then, so is my day!) onto the lounge room floor.
Fun tip: Let your Madness do whatever they want. Actual parenting is tiring, and a pain in the butt.
Serious tip: Count on the people around you, seek help from them, let someone know you're struggling. If you pretend you're efficient and coping, they won't know to offer help, so you have to ask them to, instead. Do it. Even if it means asking for an afternoon of You Time.
April 6, 2008
Advanced baby milestones!
I was just reading the milestones on babycentre.de (the German version of the UK/US site) and found out that Madness is advanced. I am one of those mothers who says her child's intelligent, I openly admit it. I do temper it, though, with saying I have to wait till he's a little bit older before I can really be sure.
Heh. That's why I check the milestones on Babycentre... suuuuure. (Well, really, it's because I don't want to clean, proofread, work on my novel or nap, but that is not the point here!). Anyway, all the three things in the "advanced" column of the 17-month babies Madness can do. He's been brushing his teeth for months (after we do, obviously) and has been dancing to music for months. He's been kicking a ball for months. He's not yet 17 months old. Again, heh.
Anyway, if I keep thinking like this, I'm going to convince myself that Madness is a genius and enrol him into University for his second birthday. So, time for a topic change.
Travelling on my own was challenging. Once I actually got to England, and home, everything was fine, but wowzer. Carrying my hand luggage, our coats, my laptop and my baby through an airport was quite the adventure.
I'm pleased to say that when I had to drop something, it was the luggage and the coats that copped it, rather than the baby. He walked everywhere but where I wanted him to walk, making me glad we had 50 billion hours to catch our connecting flight.
The 50 billion hours we had on the way back weren't as adventurous. In England, I got a wrist holder thing, kinda like a friendly, child-safe set of handcuffs. Okay, okay, I'll say it: I put my kid on a leash.
Turns out he didn't need it, because right on our gate was a child's play area. Pretty funky thing to have in an airport, actually. Only there was nowhere for the Mummys to sit down. Woe.
We met a two-year-old there that was a whole head shorter than Madness.
Also, whilst in England, not a day went by without the word "Papa" being mentioned at least a dozen times, making me feel horribly, horribly guilty for separating them for the week. Well, not really, but I did feel a bit bad.
Then I ate some Cadbury chocolate and knew the trip had been worth it.
Fun Tip: If you're travelling alone, make sure your carry on luggage is big enough to fit your baby in it. Kinda like Paris Hilton and her silly little accessory she tries to pass off as a dog. Only bigger and more whingey.
Serious Tip: If you're travelling alone, make sure your carry on luggage is big enough to fit your baby in it.
Heh. That's why I check the milestones on Babycentre... suuuuure. (Well, really, it's because I don't want to clean, proofread, work on my novel or nap, but that is not the point here!). Anyway, all the three things in the "advanced" column of the 17-month babies Madness can do. He's been brushing his teeth for months (after we do, obviously) and has been dancing to music for months. He's been kicking a ball for months. He's not yet 17 months old. Again, heh.
Anyway, if I keep thinking like this, I'm going to convince myself that Madness is a genius and enrol him into University for his second birthday. So, time for a topic change.
Travelling on my own was challenging. Once I actually got to England, and home, everything was fine, but wowzer. Carrying my hand luggage, our coats, my laptop and my baby through an airport was quite the adventure.
I'm pleased to say that when I had to drop something, it was the luggage and the coats that copped it, rather than the baby. He walked everywhere but where I wanted him to walk, making me glad we had 50 billion hours to catch our connecting flight.
The 50 billion hours we had on the way back weren't as adventurous. In England, I got a wrist holder thing, kinda like a friendly, child-safe set of handcuffs. Okay, okay, I'll say it: I put my kid on a leash.
Turns out he didn't need it, because right on our gate was a child's play area. Pretty funky thing to have in an airport, actually. Only there was nowhere for the Mummys to sit down. Woe.
We met a two-year-old there that was a whole head shorter than Madness.
Also, whilst in England, not a day went by without the word "Papa" being mentioned at least a dozen times, making me feel horribly, horribly guilty for separating them for the week. Well, not really, but I did feel a bit bad.
Then I ate some Cadbury chocolate and knew the trip had been worth it.
Fun Tip: If you're travelling alone, make sure your carry on luggage is big enough to fit your baby in it. Kinda like Paris Hilton and her silly little accessory she tries to pass off as a dog. Only bigger and more whingey.
Serious Tip: If you're travelling alone, make sure your carry on luggage is big enough to fit your baby in it.
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