Me vs. The Sweet Mommies

I learn so much from watching fellow mommies at Target and Wal-Mart. It's my classroom, in fact. I observe things I want to try with my son and things I want to avoid. I try desperately to keep judgment out of my heart and mind, (that's very important or the baby gods will hear me and punish me for my know-it-allness...), because I truly believe that all mommies are trying their best.

On to my life-lesson at Target: Sweet Mom vs. Mom-That-Means-Business

I heard the following while trying to find a shirt that hid my problem areas:

"Now, sweetie, what did Mommy tell you? You need to sit down in the seat, don't you? Mommy said she would strap you in if you didn't sit down. Do you want Mommy to strap you in? Please sit down now. Please sit down now. Please sit down now. I'm going to strap you in. I mean it. I'm going to strap you in. Sit down."

I wondered if she would actually ever strap him in and go back to her shopping. It took several minutes of reasoning, being patient and maximum sweetness before she finally strapped him in. The kid was about a year old.

I don't think of myself as a sweet person, (sugary people make me suspicious), so I know that will transfer to my parenting-style. I have to will myself to be patient, and I think reasoning with a one-year-old is stupid. Yep, stupid. I don't expect too much sugar sweetness will go into my approach when my son needs to be corrected.

So, about 5 minutes after that exchange, my little punkin' tried to stand up in the cart. This is how it went:

Me: "Sit."

Him: Looks at me to see if I'm serious. Sees that I'm serious. Slowly lowers himself to the seat. Tries again.

Me: "Park it, NOW."

Him: Sighs. Sits down. Goes back to sucking on his pacifier.

We had a lovely Target experience after that. I just don't think reasoning with a toddler will get me anywhere but frustrated.

Of course, now the baby gods will read this post and my son will be standing up in the cart next week. Feel free to come observe the consequences of my know-it-allness.

Friday, I'm in Love with...Silk Infusion

If you want to avoid the "winter fro" brought on by dry weather and even drier hair, I enthusiastically recommend "Chi Silk Infusion." It makes your hair soft, silky, and fro-free. It's a wee-bit expensive, but I've had the same little bottle for two years. It also protects your hair from curling irons, straighteners, blow-dryers and other such hair torture devices. Smells yummy, too!

Rethinking the Day O'Love

I used to hate Valentine's Day. It reminded me that I was single and the only valentine I would get would be from my parents and the boy who ate glue in class.

Then I met him.

I know that you'll hate me when I say that my husband makes a huge deal out of anniversaries, Valentines Day, birthdays, ect. He always plans a surprise and then tortures me with the secret. It usually involves dinner, something sparkly in a little box, something sugary and a card that makes me blush.

Yeah, I don't know where he came from, either.

It reaffirms that although I may have made some bad choices in the dating season of life, I got it right when I married him. He's my very own tall, Texas boy that makes such a fuss over me that I didn't believe it at first, and now I am completely and irrevocably spoiled. So spoiled, in fact, that I don't mind that he ate all of the Valentine sugar cookies.

Nope, I won't mention it at all...

Dealing with Emotions

It's never a good thing when your one-year-old son gives his friend a bloody lip. Let me give you the play-by-play: she can walk, he can't, so he headbutted her in a fit of frustration.

My Mother-in-law thinks it's God's sense of humor that I had a boy and ALL of my friends have girls.

Freaking hilarious. I'm going to be the Mom that's not invited to playgroup anymore.