Uncle Paul

Lydia has a new favorite person. Uncle Paul. We went to the park last week and she was convinced that Uncle Paul would be at the park. I really don't know where this idea came from. We had not talked about Uncle Paul nor had Uncle Paul ever been to this particular park with us. But none the less, she was very disappointed when after running through the park looking for Uncle Paul he wasn't there.

To help us move past this disappointment I told her to pose and we would send Uncle Paul a picture. She posed:

"Hi Uncle Paul"

We sent the message. Two minutes later, Uncle Paul texted back a hello to Lydia. I showed Lydia the message and she looked at me "who uncle Paul"?!?!

The mind of a 2 year old!

Two Favorite Babies

Lydia received a dearly loved Baby doll for Christmas. Grace. Grace went every where. Did everything. Grace was loved. ALLOT!

For her birthday, Lydia received another baby doll. Faith. I thought that Faith might not be as loved as Baby #1, Grace. But Baby #2, Faith, is just as loved.

What has been funny to watch though is that both babies have to be equally loved in Lydia's mind. If one baby gets a bottle, then both babies must get a bottle. If one baby takes a car ride, then both babies must take a car ride. If one baby sleeps with Lydia, then both must take a nap! Her cute little stroller is no longer really played with because both babies can not ride. BUT the play shopping cart is dearly loved. One baby sits in the seat of the shopping cart and the other in the basket. The high chair - well you betcha both babies sit in the high chair at the same time (good thing they are not real because there would be some quarrels going on with that scenario!).

Moral of the story: A mommies heart always has enough room for just one more baby ;)

Oh, Dear Lydia

I love you. You are a precious little girl. Today I put everything aside to just spend time with you. Stay home and PLAY. Sit in the floor and dress the babies, cook, play puzzles, color, well a perfect toddler morning! Dad was working from home and he was hoping to join in the fun.

You however, woke up on a mission. Chick-fil-A. A bad mission. The morning started off with "cow place". I said nope not today and told you of our day's plans.

A few minutes later you said "cow place please" while shaking your head YES. Cute, but still no.

Later you did a very dramatic show for me "cow place, cow place, cow place PLEAAAAASSSSEEEE". Still, no (by this point it is the principle - sometimes Mom says no and means it!).

Still later, your antics escalate to a chicken dance. As you flap your wings and waddle through the basement saying "chick chick chick" and as an after thought you add a smile and a please. Cute but still no. I offer you chick chick chick peas. You are not impressed with my thoughtfulness.

You know how Mom loves the cookies. You suggest a cookie treat. No luck little girl.

You know how Dad adores the milkshakes and tell me "Dad neeeeeeeeeds milkshake". Is kindness that is self serving really kindness? Hmmmm, I decide nope and stick to my guns.

I did decide we needed out of the house after all, we make a quick trip to the grocery. Your mission for the car ride - convince mom to stop at Chick-fil-A. I purposely did not drive near a Chick-fil-A as we went to the grocery store. Your singing/screaming only got louder. Not endearing my dear child!

Thankfully you fell asleep for a few minutes in the car. Your power nap was like a big giant RESET button. Mom won and you learned that sometimes no means no - even if you are being cute. And wasn't your nutritious lunch of peaches, grean beans, and pasta yummy???

Lydia's Declarations - Just Want Dad!

Sometimes when you are playing in the floor with your toys you feel a burning desire to just sit there and moan about "where is Dad?". I know that most days he gets up and goes to work but maybe it is just Mom telling me lies. Maybe Dad is really playing outside. Or maybe he is pretending to sleep. Maybe he took his car to the park and he is playing. Or maybe he is playing a giant game of hide and seek.

On this particular day I would do my happy dance, cheer for Dad's car, and then watch out the window for him to appear. That technique did not work.

Asking Mom 1000 times "where is Dad" also did not work.

Playing with Dad's favorite toys, did not work.

But just like Mom said after nap time, he was there! He just appeared and he was ready to play with me.

So Dad, where do you really go all day? Where is this place where you can not take a nap? Where is this magical play place that you go??? Can I go tomorrow???

Magical Motrin

Lydia has a new trick every single night before she goes to bed, her nose, knee, toe, etc... hurts and she NEEDS pink medicine. Thankfully pink medicine is kept way far out of her reach!

But every night I listen to her long list of ailments (you would think she was 102 and not 2!) and then use my best judgement if there is a real need. 9 nights out of 10, I send her to bed with a tear filled eye because she just needs pink medicine. And I tell her she is perfectly healthy little girl who just needs sleep.

Last night, she was awake. Allot! All night. Finally at 4 AM, when I was out of ideas and so tired I relented and let her have pink medicine. But we were almost out of pink medicine and there was not much left of Motrin. So I added water. She licked the cup delighted that she got the pink medicine. Would you believe before she had even had the water - I mean Motrin - in her body for less than a minute she already felt SO much better.

Motrin and water is a magical combination!

Today I took the old bottle of Motrin, mixed up sugar water, a little food coloring, shook the bottle up, marked the bottle "Magical Motrin", and put it high on the medicine shelf. I am guessing that we might need some additional magical Motrin one night/early morning. Because some nights all the ailments in the world are really just mental and a little water - or ummmm "Magical Motrin" - helps you go right to sleep!

Re-Motivating the Little Girl!

After loads of laundry and a little girl convinced that "pee pee hurts", we have had to encourage Lydia to pee in the potty. Our beds are cheering because apparently when one doesn't want to sit on the potty  that person should just go to the bed to potty!

Lydia's Newest Sticker Chart

Lydia's new toy for when her sticker chart is full! 

Our Week....

Yes, my child is screaming as she tries to potty. 

Which led to laying in the floor screaming. Refusing to be consoled. And miserable. 

Which then led to a call to the doctor's office and taking a screaming little girl to the doctor's office. I would have pictures of the car ride but A. I was driving and B. I think we can all see she was miserable.

Lydia thoroughly enjoyed getting stickers from Cousin Grant at the doctor's office. 

The doctor really wanted Lydia to pee in a cup at the doctor's office. We needed a positive urinalysis in order to get antibiotics. However, Lydia was refusing to pee in the potty. So after 2 hours of playing tea party with Lydia in the doctor's office, Lydia peeing every where BUT the cup, we took the cup home to pee in.

As we are riding the elevator in the doctor's office Lydia announces that she has to pee. NOW! Not feeling real hopeful I take her to the bathroom to put a diaper on her and go home. Lydia refused the diaper. So I put her on the potty and she proceeds to pee. After 2 hours of dealing with trying to get Lydia to pee and then she pees in this public bathroom, I cry. After all that, we drive to Chick-fil-A and go home.

Sometimes a little girl just needs her dad and they stayed cuddled on the couch for a long time! 

After a rough over night, Lydia wakes up with a smiling face, no tears at potty time, and is in a good mood. But James and I still felt like we should follow through with this pee in a cup. So Lydia proudly took her treasure to "Miss Sharon". I am sure that Miss Sharon, the doctor's office receptionist was thrilled to see a 2 year old handing her a cup of pee!

And after all that, no urinary tract infection. Although I really think Lydia's body had just fought the infection and we should have skipped the doctor's office because that was traumatic for all of us!

25 Months

13 Months Old, July 2011

First Pigtails 

Just Learning How To Get Into Things! 

25 Months Old, July 2012

Mom, who needs hair bows when I can wear doll clothes on my head???

Still fascinated with in and out of things but getting into way more things now! 

Screen Time

Lydia up until a couple weeks ago did not care about TV. Wasn't at all interesting to her. She could care less. Then she turned 2 and decided that she liked "shows" after all. 10 minutes of a show. 

And now she LOVES all things tv. James and I however do not. So we have set some limits to this wonderful invention. James then decided that she would like her own computer. He dusted off an old laptop, set the parental controls, and gave the toddler her own computer. 

I think she likes it! And is pretty good at controlling the mouse (after she learned that the laptop doesn't have a touch screen!).

Birthday Dinner With Dad

Yes, we took our daughter to a nice restaurant and then put her in THAT bib! Then she decided that she was a big girl and put a napkin in her lap too. 

We thought that going to an Italian restaurant and giving her pasta (her very favorite thing) she would eat. But nope, she marveled over the fact that the ceilings were big and the air conditioning was cold. Her tuna fish sandwich, rasins, and sweet potatoes at home were a tastier dinner apparently. 

After being stuck in a restaurant we took her to the play space at the mall and she forgave us for trying to feed her tasty food in a building with big ceilings and cold AC!

Potty Training Adventure

Lydia: Need to potty (while doing a potty dance)
DeAnna: ok. (gets child ready to potty)
Lydia: Nope Mom no pee (walks away)
DeAnna: Well, why did you tell me you needed to pee?
Lydia: (with a sweet smile and a hug) lied!


So I guess she knows what a lie is... Good to know!

Free Lunch

 The things we will do for a free lunch ;) 

Base to our Costume

Our Signs (according to Lydia she wants to eat more of other things too...)

Getting our Cow Costume On:

Check out the TAIL!!!!!! 

POSE!

North Carolina Cousins and Aunt

Ordering a FREE Lunch ;)

(I Think Lydia is positive that her mom is INSANE!)

Meeting the Cow and Playing After Lunch:

Check out those tails! HAHAHA

Playing Afterwards:

I think the cousins might be plotting something... 

A pretty perfect toddler morning!

A Day in the Life of...

(written by Lydia)

Inquiring minds want to know how I spend my days now that I am two and potty trained. And I will fill you in!

In my old age I have realized that I CAN get up before Dad leaves for work. Some mornings he sneaks out without saying hi but I am always knocking on my bedroom door by the time his car starts. PEOPLE, door knobs - anybody have a trick on these things? I really want to escape but I don't know the magical trick!!!!! 

After Dad leaves, I go potty, get dressed, make my bed, and eat breakfast. I was in luck this morning. Mom had eggs in the freezer, fruit salad in the fridge, AND ice cold milk! The perfect toddler breakfast. 

After breakfast, I am theoretically supposed to play by myself and let mom clean the kitchen. HAHA - I had other plans for mom. I needed to go potty, made a toilet paper project, and basically distracted mom from the kitchen clean up. After Mom was successfully distracted, I asked sweetly and she happily played puzzles with me.

Hard at work

We made FOUR puzzles!!!!!

After puzzle time, Mom reminded me that we needed to clean the house today (we usually go take our walk after mom cleans the kitchen and we play for a bit!). Apparently the bathrooms were filthy! Mom said we were going dirties to cleanest. First up was my bathroom - I think I should be offended.

I am in charge of floors and mirrors. Mom didn't take a picture of me walking on the counters and cleaning the mirrors - no clue why! 

Next chore to tackle was Mom and Dad's bathroom and LAUNDRY! I was so exhausted from sweeping that I needed a break. After a potty break and putting on shoes, we ran out the door for story time!

Oops! Forgot to put pants on. Mom had to turn around and come home! 

Please please story time doors open soon. We are ready to PLAY! 

After story time, I am so tired Mom and I took a little break to read a few stories.

The good news about this special day - POOL Day! Mom said all week that on Thursday we could play in the pool. After story time we sang all the way home because it was pool day :) 

Hurry, hurry, hurry Mom the water is getting HOT! 

All done! 

After a busy morning, Mom said it was sandwich day (but I talked her into pineapple and cheese too!).

Chick, chick, chick peas! 

After lunch, Mom says I need to play alone. She always says this. I decided after getting high fives for putting my poop in the potty, I would give mom time to clean up that mess. 

So I gathered books to put under Mom's feet - she loves this game!

Sorted puzzle pieces because Mom would return eventually.

Put together puzzles but needed a bit of help and called for Mom. 

She helped! 

AND THEN, drumroll please!!!!!! The most amazing part of my day occurred. The UPS MAN!!!!!!!!! Life stops when the big brown truck pulls into the neighborhood. And today, one of my neighbors got a package. WOW! I watched the UPS man deliver the package and waved frantically at the delivery man. Which reminded me:

"Mom when do I get a package?"Mom and I talked about when I might get a package. 

As the truck was pulling away - Miss. Vickie opened her garage door. So I just had to do a Mr. Wade and Miss. Vickie dance. Which reminded me: 

"Mr. Wade mow grass?" Mom and I talked about when Mr Wade might mow his grass. Which reminded me:

"Outside" Which reminded Mom: 

"It's almost naptime!!!!!"

After all the excitement of the morning, Mom thought I would take a good nap. But haha - I tricked her again. Short nap for a short little girl! 

With all the extra time we had in the afternoon, we folded laundry (my task is to fold washcloths and wear the underwear on my head - apparently Mom prefers to do this chore while I sleep!), put sheets on Mom and Dad's bed, read books, and Mom needed to do "dance stuff" so I worked on collecting books to pile on my bed!  

After Mom finished her work, we counted blocks. When I want, I can count to 5. When I don't want to play that game I count 1,2, 6!

We played play-doh.

We made our cow costume for our free lunch at Chick-fil-A!

We even made noses! 

My photographer fell apart during dinner prep time. But after Dad comes home, we sneak to the basement and watch Blue's Clues together. Dad loves hanging out with me and Mom enjoys fixing dinner in peace! 

After I decided to only eat green beans for dinner, we head outside to PLAY! Mom gave me a cup of milk before bath. Apparently she doesn't think green beans will fill my tummy for the entire night - proved her wrong! 

Dad gave me a bath while Mom put away all the clothes we had worked so hard on ALL day long! 

Played in the basement. Read stories. And I fell asleep on the floor in my bedroom. Because big girls some times just need to show how independent they really are!