School memories

Today it was back to school for many of the kids in the area. My base works with an elementary school in the area as a community partnership thing. Some of the staff were at the school greeting kids bright and early this morning... me included. I saw one little girl with blue eyes a lot like Elly's. She was clinging to her mother's hand as she walked up the steps. I can't remember her name, but I remember the look on her face... pure fear. She was about to start kindergarten. She looked like she was on the verge of tears. And that's when my waterworks started. I swear, I'm the biggest freakin' baby I know. Who in their right mind cries when they see someone else's kid going to school for the first time? Ugh. I'm ridiculous. So anyway, I spent a lot of today thinking about school memories. I tried to think back to some of my most memorable moments as a kid at school. It's amazing to me what stands out. I'd say the most random thing is the homonym wall in 4th grade. It totally tops the weird list. Anyone who could think of a homonym could write(/right) it down on a Christmas ornament and stick it on the paper trees out in the hallway. To this day (nearly 20 years later) I still think of homonyms I can submit to Mrs. Kish for extra credit (too/two/to; him/hymn; sexts/sects... possibilities are endless!). I remember playing huckle, buckle, beanstalk in Mrs. Light's young-5s class. The more people I tell about this game, the more I realize Mrs. Light' totally made that shit up! No one knows what the hell I'm talking about when I find what I was looking for and yell out HUCKLE, BUCKLE, BEANSTALK! But I swear it's an actual game I was taught in school. It had to of been legit because I remember also coloring the state bird and state tree in her class. I don't remember much from middle school, but I think I've just completely blocked that crap out. Other than the awful hair and socially awkward moments, there's nothing good that came from 6-8th grade. And high school... yeah, let's go ahead and try to forget that stuff too. All I know is that I don't remember for one second ever crying or being afraid to go to school. I'm sure my mother will read this and point out the fact that I was as scared as that poor little girl with braides in her hair this morning. I have no idea if my mom cried like the woman did after she dropped her daughter off (and like I will when it's my turn to drop off Elly.) But it's one memory I don't have. What I do remember, is that I colored a lot and got in trouble for talking. Oh, and I was a planet in 3rd grade. :-)

What's that smell?

I find as a parent, I have a whole lot more conversations about poop than I ever thought possible.  Today's poop conversation started when a friend of mine posted about her son having some seriously bad smelling poo.  So bad that she could smell it down the hall with his door shut as she was headed to pick him up from the crib after nap time.

There have been more than a handful of times in my life that I could smell Elly before I could see her.  It's amazing to me how someone so small can make something smell so bad.  Poor kid... we call her "Smelly Elly" those days. 

I'm pretty sure today will be one of those days. 

This weekend I made healthy bran muffins for breakfast.  She's on a muffin kick, which is likely due to the fact that I'm on a baking kick.  Rather than give her muffins full of crap, I figured I'd try to work in some healthy options.  Hence the bran muffins.

Except, I didn't really do my input to output calculations correct.  For the last couple of mornings, Elly has been double-fisting bran muffins and blueberries.  Serious poor planning on my part.

This can't possibly end well.  Someone get me a nose plug.

Potty Etiquette

I've been reading up lots on potty training lately.  I know, most people think I'm nuts to consider my 17 month old ready to start the next major phase in her life.  Let me just tell you one thing... I don't care.  I'm so sick and tired of diapers.  I'm ready!

The number one concern obviously is whether or not Elly is ready.  God knows she's so damn head-strong that if I try to force it before she's ready I could be changing diapers for the next 10 years just so she can prove that she's more defiant than me. 

The other big topic in the world of potty training is how to get your kid excited about the whole process.  People recommend making it a game, giving rewards, singing songs, clapping, whatever.  Also included in the game is the washing your hands portion.

This is a crucial lesson for kids.  Because we all know it's tres gross to not to wash your hands after the bathroom.  Or so I thought everyone knew that.

Maybe my fascination of all things bathroom related has gotten out of hand, but I had another GTS moment in the bathroom at work today.  First of all, I can't stand small talk while I'm in there doing my thing.  It's my time, not your time.  I don't care if it looks like it's going to rain.

Second, don't stand in my way primping while I'm trying to get to a stall.  We're all in there for a common goal.  Just get out of the way already!

And third, and this is the most important one, WASH YOUR HANDS FOR GOD'S SAKE!!!!  This lady did her business and just as I was walking out of the stall to the sink, she just used a squirt of hand sanitizer and walked out.  SERIOIUSLY? That's all you've got? 

Sure, hand sanitizer is important and great.  And I'm happy I have it around to use in a pinch.  But when you're standing next to an operating sink and plenty of hand soap, you lather up! 

How am I going to be able to get my kid on board with washing her hands after every potty break if there are so many other people out there doing gross and disgusting things?  Yuck! 

It makes me wonder whether this lady's mom taught her the right way or if she just got busy and couldn't be bothered by doing the encore "wash your hands after every potty break" song way back in the day.  Or maybe we've gotten so accustomed to cutting corners in life that this is just one more way to shave a few seconds off your day for more "important" things like checking email.   

If that's the case, I obviously have a long road ahead of me in training Elly in all things potty etiquette.

Easily entertained

Elly is pretty easily entertained. It's really endearing to watch. Playing with an empty creamer bottle and some fuzzy Pom Pom balls is all she needs.




It probably says something about me that I'm just as amused watching her play with a dollar's worth of toys as she is playing with them.

Oh good. She just figured out how to get them all out of the bottle.




Looks like the fun is over and it's time to clean up all those little buggers.





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Lessons for my daughter

As a parent, it's obviously my job to teach Elly some important life lessons. My mom taught me some good ones that have stuck with me for the last 30 years.

Things like- "boys are bad, stay away from them," getting hit by a baseball/softball only hurts for a little while, and understanding the rules of sports will help you out later in life.

These are all true. (Don't worry, she taught me more than that!)

But what I realized last night while I was running day one of week two in my couch to 5K program is that I need to teach Elly a few important lessons as soon as possible. (I still hate running by the way. I have no idea why I thought this would be a good idea.)


They are: don't get fat and don't wreck your credit. Both completely suck to work your way out of. Both are painful and both take forever to see positive results.

Oh, and one more thing Elly, Boys are bad, stay away from them!


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