Potty time with Olivia

No, this isn't about potty training...we haven't yet ventured down that road.

However, Olivia's fascination with the toilet continues....

Yesterday morning we put her down for an early nap and went outside to do yardwork. We thought (incorrectly) that she was sleeping.

When we finished the mulching and went upstairs we discovered what our little darling had really been doing. Playing in the toilet. The bowl was filled with toilet paper and the walls were dripping wet. And Olivia was very impressed with her work.

I caught her in the act today. I thought I heard her get out of her bed, but when I came upstairs her door was shut. Ok, I thought, I'm hearing things. And then I walked into the master bathroom just as my little darling was walking out...with wet hands and a guilty smile. Real cute.

Very tricky, this one. She shuts her door to make me think she's still in there....and all the while, she's in my bathroom.

Yeah, laugh all you want. My mom thinks it's hilarious.

We're buying locks for the toilets ASAP.

Ch-ch-ch-changes, Part 2

Olivia decided to do a bit of climbing on Thursday...right out of her crib!

She woke up from her nap, I opened her door and said "mommy will be right back" and all of a sudden I heard "thud" and the pitter-patter of little feet. And there she was -- standing in my room with a huge smile on her face. "Hi!", she said.

We figured it was only a matter of time before she figured out how to escape the confines of the crib...but it was still a bit of a shock.

I put her back in the crib and said "show mommy how you got out"...and without a moment's hesitation, she threw her legs over the side and PLOP!...she was out. It was rather hilarious to watch...she was so proud.

So that night, we converted the crib to the toddler daybed...and now we're just waiting to see if or when she is going to fall out. But at least if she does take a tumble, it's only a few inches to the floor...instead of a few feet from the top of the crib.

Sigh...my baby is growing up too fast!

Color me happy

Olivia has found a new outlet for her boundless energy - coloring. I've been trying for months to get her to pick up the crayons and color, but as usual, things have to be done on her time.

She finally picked up the crayons the other night and started to color - on a garbage can. I came downstairs to see why she was so quiet and there she was - sitting on the basement floor, coloring away.

And now, it's all she wants to do. She will sit for at least an hour or two surrounded by her washable Crayolas and piles of white paper, scribbling away.

I am not one to stifle anyone's creativity, so we're just letting her color away. If it makes her happy, we're happy.

In fact, we're going to buy her an easel so she can color more.

I'm actually hoping that the coloring will lead to other forms of expression - such as talking.

Olivia still refuses to talk, more than the occasional word like "hi" or "mama" or "daddy." She has yet to form a sentence, although I'm sure the words are in there. Kevin and I both think that she's being stubborn and one of these days it's all going to come tumbling out. [Hopefully, without all the colorful swear words that I'm always saying].

The coloring took a while, I guess talking will come in time.

In the meantime, I'll post some of her artwork soon.

A few more Disney pics

With Mommy, Chip and Dale...

In front of Cinderella's castle...

Testing the waters in Clearwater

Disney World

Olivia's first trip to the Magic Kingdom was wonderful. She seemed to be amazed every time she met a new character and wasn't scared of any of them.

However, we did have a minor lapse in judgment -- we took her on "Snow White's Scary Adventure" and she screamed thru the entire ride. I mean SCREAMED. Guess the "scary" in the ride's name should have been a tip off that it wasn't suitable for a 2 year old. Oh well, live and learn. At least she liked "It's a Small World."

Ch-ch-ch-changes....

Had to finally take down the pack-and-play today. I probably should have done it months ago (at least weeks ago), but I kept delaying the inevitable. [Plus, it was a nice place to plop the kid when I needed to do something, such as shower]. However, our little angel decided to climb out of her pack and play yesterday.

I was upstairs and suddenly heard a slight "thud" and then crying. As I ran down the stairs expecting the worst, my darling pre-schooler ran into the living room smiling and laughing. She was, I think, rather proud of herself. The crying..well, that was due to the fact that she left her sippy cup of milk in the pack and play. Apparently, this escape was not well-planned.

We're just waiting for her to figure out how to climb out of the crib. When that happens, it'll be time for the toddler bed. Next thing we know, she'll be asking for the car keys.

Kids grow up way too fast.

A minor name change

Decided that I had to make a minor change to the title of this blog.

Apparently, my 2-year-old is no longer a toddler, she is offiically a "preschooler." I suppose that I knew this, but it was confirmed in a monthly email I recieved yesterday titled "Your preschooler this month - 25 months old."

So, it's now Olivia's Timeouts - same content, just a different name.

Enjoy!

Cutie pie

Sometimes it's all about the cuteness.

Pack your bags..it's time for a guilt trip!

Olivia has mastered a new art form: the guilt trip.

As I was leaving for bar review last night she had a complete meltdown - crying, screaming, grabbing at my coat -- it was really enough to garner an Academy Award nomination.

It's not as if she's stuck at day care all day and never gets to see me. Nope, she spends all day with me - unless I have to teach. But almost every night when I get ready to leave for bar review, the waterworks start.

It makes me feel bad. I'm sure it makes Kevin feel bad (as in: "Hey kid, it's your daddy here. I'm gonna be taking care of you tonight...isn't that OK?").

I'm also sure that as soon as I walk out the door, she stops and is happy as a lark. It's all just a ploy to keep me from going to bar review. Smart kid.

Elmo's potty mouth

Olivia and I made the local news yesterday - and no, it wasn't because I finally gave in to my Starbucks rage and changed a poopy diaper in the middle of a coffehouse!

It was all about Elmo (as is usually the case in any household with a 2 year old).

Olivia received this book for her birthday called "Potty Time with Elmo" - it's one of those books with the sound buttons on the side. Well, little did we know what sounds would be coming from the book.

When we opened the book, my brother-in-law said "that's the book people are selling on Ebay for $60", because according to him, Elmo asked if someone wanted to die. I said, "oh sure", thinking that no way could that cute little red monster ever say anything terrible. I was wrong.

Sure enough, when you press the button for "Baby David" (Elmo's doll) it says "Uh oh! Who wants to die!?" -- in Elmo's cute little voice no less. It sounds rather sinister, actually. (It's supposed to say "Uh oh! Who has to go?")

Being the responsible mom that I am, I contacted the publishing company and informed them of the "defect" in the book. Within 5 minutes of my email being sent, I received an email from the company that said this: Thank you for notifying us about your experience with Potty Time with Elmo, We apologize for the inconvenience this has caused we aware of this problem and we are issuing a revised version of the book. We would be more than happy to send you a replacement. If you like please call me direct at 312-649-3619 or e-mail me your shipping information in order to make the necessary arrangements.

Now I'm thinking: ARE YOU KIDDING ME???

This company knows that the book is defective, yet it's still being sold to unsuspecting kids and their parents? Normally, when a child's toy is defective the manufacturer will issue a recall and replace all existing toys with non-defective ones. Not in this case. Rather than recalling all the "Potty Time with Elmo" books and replacing them with books that have the correct phrase, this company is WAITING for parents to contact them.

This is not only LAZY, but it's completely IRRESPONSIBLE.

So, I made a decision - I emailed the local ABC affiliate here in Toledo and told them my story. And yesterday morning a cameraman showed up and did an interview with me and Olivia.

We were on the 5 and 5:30 newscast and as I type, we are still the "top" story on the 13ABC website (http://www.13abc.com/). The headline is: "Elmo book has unusual message." To say the least.

[Continuing my "15 minutes" -- this morning I was a "guest" on a local radio show].

My whole point of contacting the media was to make other parents aware of this book and to maybe make local retailers take notice and voluntarily take the "defective" books off their shelves and get replacements from the publisher. My brother-in-law actually found several copies at a local Wal-Mart, and they all contained the "who wants to die" statement. Seems to me that the company is doing nothing.

Meanwhile, I am going to keep the offending book -- and try to get a replacement from the company.

[Note: As of 1-12-06, there were 4 copies of the "defective" book being sold on EBay. The highest bid as of today was $25.99].

Happy Birthday!!!

Dear Anonymous.....

In response to my recent vent about Starbucks lack of parent-friendly accommodations, someone left this comment on the blog:

Anonymous said...
Gee, I am glad I am not such a bitter person. Sorry everything and everyplace on earth is such an insult to you. Sad, you could probably learn to be a much happier person. But do keep standing up for all those rights you think you deserve! Just found your blog browsing by. I shall look forward to your comments about my reply.

Just to clear things up a bit for this "anonymous" non-parent....

1. I am not a bitter person. I am a parent, which is a full-time job that is hard enough on its own without restaurants and coffee shops making it even harder by not having high chairs, changing tables and the like.

2. I never said that everything and everyplace (which is really 2 words: every place) on earth is an insult to me. Obviously "anonymous" has no kids or he/she would be able to understand the frustration that comes with having to change a poopy diaper in the front seat of a car when it's 35 degrees outside.

3. And yes, I do think that every parent deserves to be treated the same as any other customer at any establishment. Actually, we should be treated better...we're raising future customers. Non-parents just don't get it. Broken high chairs, negative attitudes toward kids, nowhere to change diapers -- things like that MATTER when you have kids.

4. Oh and for the record, I am a very happy person.

So, "Anonymous", I am not a bitter, unhappy person, I'm a parent who is often stressed to the max and annoyed to the point of exhaustion with the stupidity of non-parents.

And it's obvious that you just don't get it. So until the day comes when you have to change a diaper in the front seat of your car in the dead of winter because your local coffee shop doesn't have a changing table, how 'bout if you just shut the hell up.

No kids at Starbucks!

Went to a local Starbucks today, with Olivia in tow (we were waiting for Xmas photos to be developed) and came to the conclusion that the American coffee palace has a secret anti-kids policy.

Sure, they have 8 oz. kid's drinks for a buck. And chocolate chip cookies and rice krispie treats too. But it's what they don't have that makes me think they dislike kids.

First, there are no high chairs. To a parent such as myself, this means: "Keep your kids out of our stores. We sell over-priced coffee drinks and play "cool" music and our non-parent clients don't want your kids interrupting their NY Times crossword puzzle."

I can almost get past the high chairs now that Olivia likes to sit in a regular chair. But still, the lack of high chairs sends a definite message.

It's the other missing necessity that really pisses me off. There are NO changing tables.

I needed to change Olivia's diaper -- but found that there was not a changing table in the restroom. I was THISCLOSE to plopping her down on one of the tables in the store and changing the very stinky poopy diaper right there (that certainly would have made my point) -- but I decided better of it. Instead, I had to change my daughter's diaper in the car, when it was 35 degrees outside. Neither of us were very happy about that. In retrospect, I should have changed her on the table, in front of all the other patrons - it SO would have been worth it to see their faces.

I've made the argument before - if a restaurant or coffee shop does not want kids to come inside, then post a sign on the door that says "NO KIDS ALLOWED." It's really very simple. If you don't have a sign, then you damn well better expect parents to come in with their kids in tow. And if we're coming in, then you damn well better cater to those us and our kids. Whiche means - have changing tables in both restrooms and have high chairs available.

Those eating and drinking establishments who refuse to cater to clients with kids better realize right quick that we are a very powerful and LOUD bunch and we will make your shortcomings known to everyone we know. Hey Starbucks - No changing table? Well, guess what -- a local coffee shop right down the road from me has a changing table. They probably have high chairs too. Guess who is going to get my business? Not you, Starbucks.

Happy Halloween, Part 2

Trick-or-Treat!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!!!

Dining out

Went out to lunch today - which is always something of an adventure with a toddler in tow. It always makes it so much more interesting though when you go somewhere that isn't exactly "kid friendly."

First, the hostess takes us to the table (really, one of those round booths that aren't suitable for toddlers or babies in car seats - we had both in our group), and I say to her, "I need a highchair." To which she responds, "Oh someone is bringing one."

Meanwhile, I'm standing there holding Olivia, who is squirming and irritated because she can't get down and run around. Now, why would it have been so difficult for the hostess to carry a freakin' high chair to the table? After all, she walked right past them. I guess the menus were too much for her to handle, let alone carrying a high chair too. Never mind the fact that I mananged to walk through the entire dining room carrying a 20-month old, a diaper bag and my purse. I probably could have carried the damn high chair too.

Finally, the designated high chair carrier arrives and thankfully, the high chair was in relatively OK shape. That's a huge pet peeve of mine -- high chairs that are well beyond their "use by" date. I have lost count of the number of places I've gone where the high chairs were all in various states of disrepair. Either they are missing part of the lock clip on the safety belt, or the safety belt is tied in a knot, so as to keep it at "one size fits small" presumably, or the chair only has one part of the safety belt, or all the screws are loose and the chair is ready to fall to pieces.

I admit, I get a little pissed off about the high chairs. But really, is it that much to ask to have safe and clean high chairs for my kid? And when you question the owner or manager about the state of their chairs they always look at you as if you had just asked them to end hunger worldwide. I actually had a pizzeria owner say to me that it was "really expensive" to get highchairs fixed. Gee, I wonder how expensive a personal injury lawsuit would be if a child fell out of one of those broken or damaged chairs? When I find a chair that is unsafe, I always request a different chair. I don't care if it makes me look like a crazed mom. I want my kid to be safe.

Another point of contention with me -- kids menus, or the lack thereof. My statement is this: if you don't want kids to eat at your restaurant, then put a sign on the door that say "NO KIDS." Otherwise, have a kids menu. It's that simple. You don't need to have crayons or other fun stuff (although, that's nice too), just have a menu for kids.

I guess my point is this: going out to eat with kids is hard enough - restaurants should make it easier on us by having safe seats, good kids menus and a good attitude about kids. If they can't do that, then just hang up that "NO KIDS" sign and we'll get the message.

An extra hug today...

Spent most of the day watching CNN. The tragedy unfolding in New Orleans and the rest of the Gulf Coast areas affected by Hurricane Katrina is mind-boggling.

I sat here this afternoon, trying to imagine what I would take with me if we had to evacuate our home. Here's my list so far: Kevin, Olivia, the 2 dogs - Jake and Mollie, the 2 cats - Daisy and Gatsby, our photos, my wedding dress, our cameras, clothes, diapers, Olivia's blanket and stuffed toys, food, water, cell phones, home movies...the list goes one and on. Basically, it would take both cars and probably a U-Haul to take it all. But that isn't realistic, now is it?

It is unimaginable to me...what these people are dealing with. Many of them have no homes or belongings to come home to. They have the clothes on their backs and memories. That is what's left for most -- only memories.

I said today that I won't complain anymore about how tough things seem to be. The residents of the Gulf Coast have it much, much harder.

Sure, our gas prices went up to $3.09 a gallon...but at least we have 2 cars to drive. Yes, money is tight right now, but at least Kevin has a job and we have a home to keep us safe and warm. We have electricity, food, water and all the basic necessities that probably seem like luxuries to those living in Katrina's aftermath.

My thoughts and prayers to everyone on the Gulf Coast tonight.

Believe me, Olivia got many extra hugs and kisses today, just because.

Fruit Salad...Yummy, Yummy!

Why fruit salad, you ask? Because I have The Wiggles on my brain. All day, all night. I go to bed at night singing their silly songs and wake up in the morning still singing them. It used to be annoying, now it's just plain weird. Of course, if you spent every day watching at least 2 - 3 hours of The Wiggles with your toddler, you'd probably do the same thing.

Olivia is OBSESSED with The Wiggles. Seriously, I think the girl needs a toddler 12-step program or something. She screeches like a banshee when she sees them on the Disney Channel or on the shelves in a toy store or a bookstore. She even makes a beeline to the Wiggles DVDs at the video store. I'm not sure how or when it happened...but The Wiggles have become a daily part of our routine.

And I hate to admit it, but I'm kinda fond of the guys from Down Under. Yeah, at first they seemed a bit, well, freakish. Four grown men, dressed in knock-off Star Trek uniforms, dancing around with a giant dog, a green and yellow polka dotted dinosaur and a pirate named Captain Feathersword. But they grow on you, like some sort of fun, funky mold.

I can sing just about every song word for word (much to my husband's annoyance) and, as much as I hate to admit it, I actually LIKE some of the songs ("Eagle Rock" comes to mind). And, yeah, a couple of them are sort of cute.

And so, another day of Wiggle-induced mania begins....stay tuned for more fruit salad and hot potatoes! Hoop Dee Do!