THINKING ABOUT: In one of the parenting books I've been reading, the author compares the strong-willed child to a shopping cart with a crooked or bent wheel. You know the one I'm talking about. It ominously awaits your arrival at the front of the store and when you push the cart forward, it has a mind of its own and tears to the left. Refusing to be outmuscled by the pesky cart, you throw your weight behind the handle. Desperate to keep the ship on course, the next thing you know you've knocked over a display of spices. Yep, this control freak speaks from A LOT of experience! As I read through Dr. Dobson's analogy last Sunday morning, I had a good chuckle and nodded along in agreement. Next page, puh-leez! I just wasn't prepared for life to imitate art later that afternoon when we made our way to HEB and I ended up with THAT cart. Are you kidding me?!? It was almost as though the universe wanted to really hit home on the topic and subject me to some sort of parenting pop quiz. I'm proud to tell you that I successfully navigated our way throughout the supermarket without knocking over an abuela, but we did come close to hitting a parked car.
THANKFUL FOR: Tuesday was a particularly long day. It was cold and rainy and very little could appease Max. So after I cooked dinner, we put on our raincoats and walked to our mailbox for some fresh air and a change of scenery. The babe typically looks forward to our quick errand because he knows he gets to walk home, which is a really big deal for this independent toddler. As we made our way back to the house, I crouched down and held his hand with the mail in my Baggu. Max's face was puffy from all the crying, and I looked like I didn't have anything left in me to give. We were quite the pitiful pair until we heard a vehicle slowly follow behind us. We stopped and pulled to the side to let the car pass by, but when we both looked up we were surprised and elated to see it was Flyboy in his truck with the window rolled down. I don't think I'll ever forget the goofy smile painted on his face at that moment. I'm ever so grateful for those kinds of simple and dear moments that offer a pick-me-up whenever we need one the most.
FEELING: I'm all about encouraging Max's curious and creative side, but I draw the line here! You see, our wild and woolly tot has taken up a new hobby this past week. He's decided it's fun to lick his index finger as though it's a paint brush and use his saliva as paint. And since every "artist" requires a canvas, Max has opted for any/all glass surfaces in our house. Erm, gross! Conveniently, he always opts to create quickly when I'm not looking. You say crafty and I say crappy! You guys, there's not enough time or Windex in the world to keep up with this kind of nonsense. Just when I thought I'd successfully nipped this new hobby in the bud, I caught the little sneak doing it AGAIN. Needless to say, I'm really looking forward to the day we replace our current media console with something that doesn't have a lick (see what I did there?) of glass. It will be one less "canvas" for our little Picasso Baby.
EATING: In case you're looking to mix things up in the meal department, here are a few recipes I tried recently and loved...
LISTENING TO: Over the holiday break, my dad introduced us to Captain Smile's catchy dental ditty that's intended to make brushing your teeth a blast. It was an immediate hit for Max, so we adopted the song as part of our nightly routine. While the babe gets down with his pearly whites, we make sure the video is queued up on YouTube. Inevitably there's a lot of singing, dancing, and clapping that goes on in my bathroom. Did somebody say par-tay?!? After weeks of listening to this tune several times a day, I decided it was time for me to personalize our evening ritual this past Saturday and drop the dental beat sans video (my phone was dead). I mean, I've listened to the song enough times to have a decent grasp of the lyrics. I really thought I was doing an admirable job, until I looked down to find Max laughing AT me and shaking his head no. Is it normal for kids to mock their parents this soon?
READING: I recently picked up The Sense of Style because I loved the book cover (real talk) and I liked the idea of making improvements to my writing. When I purchased Pinker's guide to writing in the 21st century, I was pleasantly surprised by the book's panache and wit. I must admit that I'm only a third of the way through the book, but it's been a nice break from the parenting reads on my nightstand. From time to time, it's fun to geek out about topics like grammar and punctuation. I know, I know, NERD ALERT!
LOVING: I apologize for all of the Max-tastic thoughts in today's posts. I wish I could shake it up for you, but I'll save more of what I lurve in tomorrow's Love List. Deal?! Now let me drone on about my kid some more. Ha! Max recently started passing out dog treats to Tripp and Beesly and it might be the cutest thing ever. It took him a few days to grasp the idea that the Milkbones weren't for him, but he's totally got it now. He takes his new job VERY seriously and the pups are even more smitten than before. Be still my heart.
Enough about me. How are you feeling today? What are you up to? Thanks for stopping by!!
P.S. I know I'm behind when it comes to replying to blog comments. I promise to get my act together and soon.
