Category Archives: Alethea Margaret

A Battle Won

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Here was our morning:

9:30 – Breakfast is over, Alethea’s diaper comes off

9:35 – I give her a cup of watered down apple juice, which she drinks as she alternates between playing in the living room and sitting on the potty chair

10:30 – Alethea asks for a pull-up and I know we’re getting close as I tell her, “No diapers this morning!”

10:45 – Alethea gets cranky and aggressive and I know we’re getting really close

10:50 – After peeing just a teeny tiny bit, Alethea gets to watch an episode of Clifford, but I refuse her request for a pull-up

11:10 – Alethea starts shouting, “Potty, potty!” and finally manages to really go

11:12 – Alethea enjoys the rewards of her efforts: fruit-snacks and more Clifford!

The war is by no means over, but this was a big battle.  And I won!!!

Extreme Potty Training

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I’ve been thinking a lot lately about when the best moment would be to potty train Alethea.  She recently started showing interest in it again and since that happens to coincide with these few weeks when my piano teaching load is at a minimum, we’re going for it!

Today was day one.  We’ve discovered that Alethea has a bladder of steel.  After breakfast (during which she drank half a sippy cup of milk), I offered her an entire cup of watered down apple juice, which she promptly guzzled.

Then we went to the bathroom were we talked about the garden, looked at flower pictures, played with the toilet paper holder and discussed the fact that if she went potty she would get to eat fruit snacks, use toilet paper, flush the toilet and watch Clifford the Big Red Dog. (Talk about incentives!)

Fast forward an hour!!!! later and that girl still had not gone even one little bit and was showing no signs of desperation.  We heard a knock at the door and put her pull-up on to go answer it.  (I’m sure you can all guess where this is going…)  Within a minute of going to the door, Alethea had wet her pull-up and in the course of the next ten, it was filled to the bursting point.

So, we are officially giving up on the concept that if we just get her to the potty when she needs to go that she’ll will, in fact, go.

New plan (Extreme Potty Training here we come)!

The living room rug is up.  Tomorrow we are going diaperless in the house.  She’s either going in the potty or on the floor.

She will choose the potty… right?!!??!

Age is Just a Number

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Or is it?

Tonight at dinner Peter asked Alethea how old she was.

Her response?

“Big!”

I’m turning 30 years old in just over a month.

Am a little tempted to throw numbers out the window myself and come up with a new answer to the “How Old” question.

Maybe…

“Fabulous!”

Or

“Never been better!”

However, as funny as it was, I don’t think I will be borrowing Alethea’s “Big!”  At my age, that’s just adding insult to injury, don’t you think?

Which Post to Write…?

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I’ve got about half a dozen posts in my head right now and I just can’t decide which one to write.

Decor post?  Handy laundry tip post?  More landscaping photos?  Birthday party planning post?

I know I ought to write Lydia’s 7 month update, because she’s actually almost 7.5 months old, but since I haven’t taken the pictures yet, that post is going to wait another day.

Maybe I’ll just ramble and throw in gratuitous cute kid pictures and hope no one notices my lack of blogging focus.

Here’s a life lesson for you: if you are trying to think of funny words to say to get your kid to smile for the camera, avoid the word ‘booger’ or you might just get a shot like this!

Here’s another life lesson: When going into a ‘pick-your-own’ field with a raspberry-aholic two year old, carry the basket yourself, or it may be empty every time you go to toss another berry in it!

Happy Monday everyone!

Turn Your Back for Two Seconds

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Today during the hustle and bustle of lunch preparation Alethea snuck upstairs and in a matter of a few minutes managed to get her stool out of the bathroom, drag it over to the changing table in Lydia’s room, line up Baby Doll, Dee and Foggy (her new cat) on the changing pad and put a fresh diaper underneath each of her friends.

Fortunately, Peter went to check on her before she got butt paste applied to them all…

Unfortunately, Peter didn’t go to check on her before she got butt paste liberally applied to baby doll…

He then proceeded to have a long conversation with Alethea about how butt paste is only for Alethea and Lydia and not for anyone else, doll, animal or otherwise – a good life lesson, wouldn’t you say?

Guess what We’re Doing this Weekend

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I’ll give you a hint…

Alethea was super excited when we arrived home this afternoon to discover that the people from the “rock store” had been by and left something in our yard.

So, you’ve probably guessed it, but just in case, here’s another hint…

If anyone decides to spontaneously stop by this weekend, you may find yourself becoming a conscripted rock mover.  (However there might also be homemade blueberry ice cream in it for you too!)

So admit it, you want to come over now.  You know you do!

A Refreshing Summertime Dessert

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When we were recently at my grandparent’s house, my grandmother, who is a culinary wiz, whipped up some Blueberries and Cream Ice Cream.  It was TO DIE FOR!

Even better, I realized the recipe was from a Williams Sonoma cookbook that I already own.  But just in case you don’t also happen to have their ice cream cookbook, you can find the recipe here.  And you really should check it out, because if you like blueberries and you like cream, you’ll love this simple-to-make ice cream.  It tastes like a mound of tart berries floating on a cloud of whipped cream.  (And if you don’t like blueberries and cream, then I can only suggest therapy.)

If I haven’t yet convinced you to run out and buy the ingredients, here’s my final sales pitch:

Blueberries and Cream Ice Cream:
Alethea Tested, Alethea Approved

Falling off the Face of the Earth

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No, that’s not what happened to me.  You might think so being as it’s been over a week since I’ve written a post, but it’s not true.  I spent the whole week on the planet.  I was in Iowa some of the time, but contrary to popular belief around these parts, Iowa is not an alien nation.  Here’s a summary of our week, to corn country and back!

Visiting Great Grandma and Grandpa

We spent three lovely days last week visiting my grandparents in Iowa.  Everyone seemed to get along well and it was fun to have Grandpa Jim and Grandma Ruth meet Lydia for the first time.

We took one afternoon to visit the local water park.  The girls thought that was pretty cool.

I jumped at the opportunity to play photographer out in my Grandmother’s garden.  (Someday I hope my yard looks half as beautiful as her’s.)

No wireless for my computer, and lots of nature all around.  Ahh… some rest for my soul…

And Then… Back to Reality

I don’t have any real excuse for why I haven’t posted since our return from Iowa last Thursday.  Just life.  You know, things like dropping a boat load of money on a tent and other supplies at REI so we can take our 2 year old and six month old camping.  (Yes, we might be insane to try it.)

Also, getting my fall registration materials out to my students.  I like being a piano teacher, but typing up forms, writing studio policies and creating a calendar isn’t my favorite part of the job, so at least that’s done for the year.

Got to go downtown and have lunch with Peter today while his mom so graciously watched the girls.  I can’t remember the last time we had lunch. alone. together.  Sort of a weird feeling… but I like it!

Insert various other social engagements, church, errands and assorted things that would not be in any way amusing to read about and that about sums up my week (and a day) falling off and then back onto planet Earth.

Dish Duty

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I have at least one little girl who won’t mind if ‘Do Dishes’ ends up on her chore list.  Any time I tell Alethea, “It’s time to clean up the kitchen!” she eagerly responds, “I help!”  Then she drags a chair over to the sink and begins splashing, scrubbing and making a huge soapy mess.

No, she doesn’t really get anything clean and yes, it would be easier to just do it myself, but seeing her so proud of her accomplishments is definitely worth a little hassle.

Maybe some day Lydia can help too and then I’ll quit doing dishes altogether, but for now, she’s content to sit in her carrier and watch the occasional soap bubble float by.

Scrub-a-dub-dub!

Sentimental or Gross?

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Alethea’s hair has finally gotten long enough that we can start doing updos with it!  It’s especially nice to be able to put her hair in pony and pig tails since we are experiencing an awful heat-wave.  I’m having fun playing Mommy stylist and naturally, Alethea is completely adorable in pig tails.

However, despite the fact that we are both having a good time trying out new styles, I am contemplating giving Alethea a haircut, because when her hair is not contained by clips or bands, it’s pretty reminiscent of Albert Einstein.

And that brings me to my dilemma of the day, should I or should I not save the clippings from Alethea’s first haircut?

In my mind, hair no longer attached to someone’s head is something to be vacuumed up and gotten rid of, so I wouldn’t even consider deliberately keeping hair in the house, except that Alethea’s baby book has a page with a special vellum envelope labeled “First Haircut” (and also one marked “First Tooth”).

The germaphobe in me says, “Eeww!  Why would you want to keep hair and teeth in the same book as pictures of your adorable baby?!?!”

But the rule following part of me hates to have an incomplete baby book and is reenforced by the wants-to-be-a-perfect-mother part of me, who thinks Alethea may wonder some day why I didn’t bother to fill up that empty envelope.

What to do, what to do…

Your thoughts please.  Keeping hair and teeth in a baby book: sweet and sentimental or germy and gross?