The Day We Left a Man (Blanket) Behind

Today we almost had a disaster. We left church without "Bankie."

Let me introduce you to Bankie. Bankie is a homemade, blue blanket that Client Two takes pretty much everywhere with him. This blanket is fairly big and is much bigger than Client Two. When he carried Bankie around, he has to gather it all up into a ball or he will trip over it.

 


He's not quite as attached to Bankie as his sister is to her bear, Bo, but Bankie is still pretty important. He makes car rides and new experiences and visits to the doctor easier. He helps to comfort Client Two when he gets upset. And Bankie helps Client Two sleep. In fact, Client Two cannot and will not sleep without his Bankie. We have, on occasion, tried a substitute and they did not even almost work. When it comes time for bed or nap, all we have to say is "Go get Bankie!" and Client Two runs off and returns with Bankie balled up in him little arms and a big smile on his face.

Today, when we got home from church, it wasn't quite naptime, so Client Two scampered off to play with his sister. After about 30 minutes of play, I said, "Go get Bankie!" and Client One started to scamper off but stopped and looked around the room. Bankie was nowhere in sight. My heart stopped. While Client Two began wandering around the house looking for his little companion, I rushed out to the car to double-check if Bankie was there. He was not. Usually, after church, I pick up Client Two from his class while hubby gets Client One from her class. Today, we had switched. Hubby isn't used to double-checking that Bankie is in tow before leaving the pick-up area, so he didn't notice that a man got left behind. Once we realized where Bankie was, hubby rushed back to church and returned a little while later with Bankie in his hands. With a sigh of relief (me) and cries of joy (Client Two), Client Two went down for his nap.

Bankie makes my sweet boy happy!

Not every kid needs a security item and for awhile, we thought Client Two was going to avoid having one. After all, since I'm a SAHM, he doesn't often get left with people he doesn't really know. He's rarely ever apart from me. But, little by little, he did become attached to his blanket. Client One became attached to her bear, Bo, when she was pretty young. She was probably only about six months old at the time. Bo goes with her everywhere. We can't even leave him in the car when we run into the store. She also needs him to sleep. When we first realized she was getting attached to Bo, we bought a backup, but by the time the backup arrived, it was too late. She could tell the difference.

Bo and Client One enjoying their bottles.

We have forgotten Bo a couple of times. He even got left at church once before, but we caught it before we actually left the building. Once, poor Bo got dropped and left in a store. I can remember running back in and frantically searching the aisles for the ragged bear, with a crying toddler by my side. A sweet little, old lady brought him up to us with a smile and we thanked her profusely. In a year, Client One will go off to kindergarten and will have to leave Bo behind. I am not looking forward to that day. I'm sure there will be tears- from her and from me.

Bo loves trips to the zoo.

So, today, we checked off another milestone. We forgot the lovie. A small, often forgotten milestone, but a milestone nonetheless. Let's just hope it never happens again. I'm good with this being a one-time thing.

Bankie works well as a teether.

Client Two crashed in a restaurant one day and Bankie made it possible.

One Small Snip for Toddler, One Big Step for Mama

So, it's happened. My little baby boy has taken one more step further from that baby stage and another big step towards being a big kid. Last week, he got his first haircut.

I honestly thought when this moment would come that my eyes would be filled with tears as those sweet little curls fell to the floor, but I didn't actually cry. I was actually a little relieved. In the weeks leading up to his first haircut I went through the stages of first haircut grieving.

STAGE ONE: Getting weepy-eyed at the mere thought. I would watch his little golden curls as they bounced along with him and he bounced through the house. I loved their little spring, no matter how girly they looked, and they reminded me of the baby he was. I loved those crazy curls and I wanted them to stay forever. A kid can have his first haircut at 21, right?

STAGE TWO: Getting used to the idea. After about the third person says, "Isn't she adorable?" I started considering that maybe a haircut wouldn't be so bad. And then the next time I had to dislodge food from those curls, I considered it again. (Especially when little chunks of hair came away with the food.) And little by little, they grew longer and longer and crazier and crazier and they slowly started to look a little less adorable.

STAGE THREE: Desperation. The cuteness of the curls started to turn into just crazy wisps. In fact, these wisps could hardly be called curls. His hair began to look more like Einstein's after sticking a paperclip into a light socket. Most days it was just wild and crazy and it started to drive me crazy. It was time.

Since by the time I finally caved I was fully into Stage Three, I did not cry. I wasn't exactly dancing with joy, but I wasn't weeping. His aunt, my sister-in-law, usually cuts our hair and she had been out of the country on a missions trip for a couple of months. Once she came back, I let her know that we had waited for her return so she could do his first haircut and he was available whenever she was ready to cut it. So, one day when we were over at her house, she pulled out her comb, scissors and a little hair-cutting cape (I'm not sure if these actually have an official name or not). At first, Client Two just sat in the chair wrapped in his cape looking up at me with his big, killer blue eyes. I quickly snapped a couple of "before" shots.

Then, his aunt began brushing his wispy little hairs with her comb, which he loved. Once she started snipping, he kept turning his head to try to see what was going on (He is way too curious and nosey for his own good), so his other aunt jumped in and distracted him by combing his hair with another comb.

I stood by at first, snapping pictures and catching hair wisps to save in a plastic baggie (I'm quite the sentimentalist) but eventually, I had to take turns holding him so he could get a decent haircut. In the end, the crazy, Einstein wisps were gone and in their place was a nicely cut, toddler do.

Now, as I watch him bounce around the house, he looks older. It's like he grew up over night. He looks neat and collected (at least, until he smears food all over his face). A little more of that baby look is gone, but it suits him. With the curls gone, the hair that actually is on top of his head seems more prominent so he looks less bald than before. Now, he's my little man. He's growing up way too fast, but I've made my peace. We are taking him out tomorrow to buy his first car.

I Can Moo, Can You?

Boy! The things I will do for free food! Today, I dressed up like a cow.

In case you did not know, today was Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-Fil-A. Anyone who came dressed from head to toe dressed up like a cow got a free meal. So, what did we do for lunch today? We dressed up like cows from head to toe. Yep. Even me. I dressed up like a cow. Did I feel ridiculous? Oh yeah. But I wanted free chicken and Chick-Fil-A chicken is some of the best in the fast food world.

Last night I raided everyone's closets and started putting together cow outfits. Luckily, Client One and Two each had a white t-shirt. Personally, I think white t-shirts for little kids are annoying because they are so easy to mess up and stain. In fact, the two shirts I found for them actually had a few stains. I also managed to dig up a pair of dark brown shorts for Client Two and a sparkly black skirt and white and black leggings for Client One. Next, I had to attach spots, cut from construction paper, to their clothes. Last year, I tried double-sided tape and glue dots. These worked somewhat effectively, but spots started falling off while we were standing in line. This year, I used a handy, dandy gluestick and it worked like a charm! Now, I haven't actually tried to take the spots off the clothes yet, but I'm hoping they do, in fact, come off. We shall see. Next, I made cow tails. We have several of those rag-like cloth diaper things that Gerber makes in those big packs hanging around the house, so I grabbed one and cut it into a few strips. I then colored an inch or two (or three? How big is an inch exactly?) with a black marker, tied a knot above the colored part and cut in three little strips to give it that tail look. I then added some black spots to the tail with the marker and tied the non-colored end to the inside of the their shorts and skirt via the tag. And, last but certainly not least, I made us some ears. I cut the ear shape from black construction paper and left a little tab at the end of the ear to attach it to something to wear on our heads. Client One got hers taped onto a headband. That was easy and obvious. The headband even had a big, super cute black and white plaid bow on it. Client Two's was a bit tricker since he doesn't usually wear headbands, so I had to construct him a little band from the cloth rags I used for the tails. In the end, it ended up being pretty cute.

This morning, I had everything lying out on the table, ready to go. This meant that I had to hear Client One ask all morning when she would get to wear her cow costume. And when I say all morning, I mean all morning. Finally, it was time to get ready. I had fashioned myself my own cow costume from a white tank top and white shorts in the same manner I had made the others. I even had a knitted hand band (which I totally stole from Client One) that I put ears on. Once we were all dressed, we were ready to go. A couple other family members joined us, also dressed like cows. Last year, we got there a little after 11:30 or so and the line was out the door. This year, we arrived pretty much at 11:00 on the dot and we walked straight up to the counter. A few minutes later, we were seated at a table, happily munching away on free chicken.

We chose a booth next to window, so we got to see everyone's cow costumes as they came in. Some were just plain adorable. I swear, you could probably dress a little baby up as poop and they would still be adorable. There's no way to lose when you dress up a baby. Some were ingeniously simple. One teen guy tore holes in a white trash bag and wore it over a black shirt to give the illusion of spots. Most people were dressed like we were- basic white and black clothes with simple spots and a headband or hat. And then there were the people who spent more on the cow costume than 20 meals would have cost. Hey, to each their own, right?

When we got home I immediately changed into a comfy shirt and maxi skirt. Client Two was just so darn cute as a cow I let him run around in cow costume pretty much all day. (The ears didn't last long, though). I actually taught him to moo, or at least something very much like a moo, just to add to the cuteness. Client One was as happy as a cow as a kid can get. She had absolutely no desire to change and, had she not been going to a movie this afternoon, would have remained a cow until bed time. Honestly, she probably would have slept in her cow clothes.

All in all it was a fun day at Chick-Fil-A. We may have looked a little silly, but we got a free meal and walked away full and happy. Plus, my kids looked pretty cute as my mini moos.

Dang You, Movies!

There were several movies that I loved when I was a kid that I didn't fully understand. I can remember sitting in the floor, with my parents chuckling behind me at a joke that had just flown miles above my head. Now, I'm the parent, so I get to enjoy the hidden little innuendos stuck into kids' movies. Now, I'm the one laughing while Client One stands there demanding to know what's so funny. But with the understanding of the humor in a good children's movie comes the understanding of the sad things. I have to sit next to the box of tissues now when we pop in a Disney movie just in case I have a breakdown. Some movies are, of course, worse than others. Some pull at the heartstrings just enough to give me those sentimental feelings whereas others have me blubbering like a preschooler who just discovered that Netflix is down.

Up
Oh my word, Pixar. Really? The first few minutes of this movie start me out in tears! It's just one thing after another. First, you have this sweet little matchup of friends. Then, you have a wedding. Then, the wife, who've you've amazingly grown seriously attached to in two minutes, has a miscarriage. She's sitting there in her doctor's office crying into the arms of her husband who is standing there clearly heartbroken. And if that wasn't enough, cue the next few minutes which show them slowly giving up on their traveling dreams as they get older and older. And then, the wife dies, leaving behind her sweet husband. This is a whole Nicholas Sparks level romance movie all hurled at you in ten minutes. You don't even have time to adjust to all the emotions! It's crazy. My mistake was watching this movie for the first time on my honeymoon. It had just come out in theaters and we thought it would be a fun movie to watch. WRONG. I have only watched this movie maybe twice since then and it's been six years. And we own it. It's sitting right there with all our DVDs and blu-rays. Client One begs to watch it. She likes the silly dog and the crazy bird. Thank goodness she can watch it in her playroom where I don't have to see it. I just can't handle the feels!

Dumbo
I'm going to be honest. Dumbo has never been one of my favorite movies. I've just really never been much of a fan, but I never really knew why. Now, I know. The movie starts off with a wonderful theme! The circus! Come see the elephant parade! Oh, look! A fun circus train! Then, a mother elephant dares to defend her sweet baby from a mean bully and they abuse her and lock her up in a tiny little prison. Her misfit baby with the big ears is then left to fend on his own against the cruel world. And, just in case that whole concept isn't enough to break your heart, how about we have the little baby Dumbo visit his mommy in elephant prison while a sweet lullaby called "Baby of Mine" plays. My eyes are filling with tears even thinking about it! My kids have never seen this movie and they probably never will, at least not when I'm within crying distance.

The Rescuers
As far as Disney movies go, this one isn't too bad, but it still gets to me. A poor, little, unloved orphan girl is kidnapped by a twisted lady and her obnoxious sidekick to go into a dangerous, life-threatening situation to get a stupid jewel and the only people helping her are two tiny mice. Every time they send that little girl deeper into that hole, my mommy-heart contracts. Are people really that evil? Why didn't anyone adopt this sweet little girl before? It makes me want to run out and gather all the unadopted kids into my arms and take them home with me. I don't even care that we don;t have room for them. That scene where she's talking to that cat and wondering why no one wants her and wondering why they picked the other little girl is just such a tearjerker! My mommy heart just can't handle it!

Monsters Inc.
I actually like this movie pretty well. It came out when I was in highschool (maybe Junior High) so I understood what was going on but it didn't give me the feels until I had kids. Sweet little Boo has to go home without Sully. She loves Sully. She adores Sully. And she has to say goodbye. I mean, the way she runs into his arms for that big hug and then has to leave... And he has to say goodbye. I've been around kids a lot before through teaching and working at a daycare. There are some kids that you are glad to see go. You practically throw a party when you realize you never have to see them again. But then, there are the kids you love. The ones that make you laugh. These kids you will miss so much and you kind of want to keep in touch to see how they turn out. This is the relationship between Boo and Sully. You want them to be best friends forever. You don't want that door to be shredded. and then, when Mike puts the door back together and you hear Book shout "Kitty!"... Please pass the tissues.

Once Upon a Forest 
This movie freaked me out when I was a kid. I mean, seriously, who thought about putting a poisonous gas that kills of the families of woodland creatures into a kids' movie? The little girl (badger?) runs into her house to find her mother and father dead. I get that they were trying to show how humans are bad and polluting the world and blah, blah, blah, but this went over the top. Now, as an adult and a mother, it's even more powerful. What would happen to my kids if I died from a toxic gas that came pouring unexpectedly into my home? What would my kids do if they found me freaking dead? How upset that poor little furling must be! She needs a hug and so much love! This movie is horrible and tears me up in so many ways.

The Little Princess
The movie starts out so great! She's a wonderful little girl who has an amazing relationship with her father. He encourages her creativity and they clearly love each other very much. But then, her daddy gets called off to war and she has to go to a boarding school controlled by an evil, money grubbing woman. Despite the lack of creativity, all goes fairly well until the little girl's daddy dares to dies in the service of his country and can no longer pay. (Or at least is thought to be dead for the sake of the story.) The matron, or whatever she is called, decides that losing her father is not enough to make the girl miserable so she locks her in the freezing attic, practically starves her and forces her to do manual labor to earn her keep. And anytime the "princess" tries to turn it around and make a happy experience, it's torn down. And the thing is that her father is actually alive and across the street the entire time! I know this is a great, classic book but something about seeing it in movie form just pulls at those heartstrings.

Bambi
One of my favorite quotes from FRIENDS is when they are discussing Bambi and Chandler says, "Yes, it was very sad when they stopped drawing the deer." (Or something like that.) I always chuckle but it really is sad when they stop drawing the deer. My mom has informed me that when I was little (about two) I used to watch Bambi all the time. It was my favorite movie for awhile and every time I watched it, I would hide under a blanket when Bambi's mother died. Even as a toddler that scene had an impact on me. Now, as a mom, I watch it and all the feelings of leaving my children alone swell up inside me. It's such a simple scene but somehow it has such a strong impact. The mother dies while making sure that her only son gets to safety. This is motherhood!

The Fox and the Hound
Okay, whoever decided to put animals in movies alongside humans only to have those humans abandon them later was an evil, evil person. First, this poor little fox pup is hidden by his mother while she runs off in the opposite direction to save his life. Then, this sweet little pup is adopted by a dear old lady who names him Todd. They bond and she becomes his mother. He even gets to make best friends with the hound puppy next door, Life is good until the pain in the ass neighbor gets to be an even bigger pain in the ass. He shoots off his loud mouth and his gun and forces the poor old woman to take drastic action. So, once again for his protection. Todd is abandoned in the middle of a strange forest to fend on his own. Every time she takes him and starts driving in that car I start bawling. I mean, he's sticking his head out the window and smiling. He's all happy and has no idea what's going on. It's just so emotional!

Toy Story 2 & 3
The first Toy Story isn't too bad as far as the feelings go. It's funny and quippy and rather quite enjoyable. But Toy Story 2 is just too much for me to handle. The part that gets me, just in case you had any doubts, is when Jessie, the cowgirl doll, sings her little song. What is it with these movies and abandonment? I mean, for real! Did all these animators have parents who abandoned them or died when they were small children? This segment makes me want to dig out every old toy that I have and just hug them all and cry. It also makes me never want to throw out another one of my kids' toys ever again. And on top of all of those feelings is the major reminder that one day, my kids will be all grown up. One day, that ragged, old bear that Client One carries everywhere will be sitting on a shelf, alone and forgotten. I don't want my babies to grow up and I don't need a movie to remind me that they are. But, just in case you manage to gloss over those feelings in Toy Story 2, the threw in Toy Story 3 to really rub it in. I swear, I cried like 10 times in that movie. Andy is all grown up and going to college. He has no need for his toys anymore. They aren't even sitting on his shelf anymore or buried in a closet. He gives them away. He has moved on. When he gives his toys to that little girl and then walks away... Dang.

Charlotte's Web
I loved this book as a kid! And the movie was amazing! But as an adult it totally makes me cry. But not until the end. Up until the end it's all happy. I mean a tiny little spider, who is not creepy at all, saves the life of her pig friend. She even helps him win a prize at the fair! What are best friends for? But then, the end comes and she dies. But before she dies, she lays her eggs. She doesn't even get to meet her babies. Nope. She kicks the bucket while Wilbur is sitting there begging her not to go. But she just grows weaker and weaker until she dies. And then her babies come along, never knowing their mother. Luckily for them, they have a fat pig to tell them all about her.

So, now I hesitate every time it a new movie comes out and Client One wants to go see it. I have to sit back and consider whether or not I'm willing to risk bursting into tears in the middle of a crowded theater. I used to only have to worry about that when the movie was featuring an animal you know was going to die (Marley and Me) or a romance/drama where someone was bound to die, usually in a very tragic way. Congratulations, children's movies. You now have me blubbering into a tub of popcorn and making it all soggy. I hope you're happy because I'm obviously not.

Why We Need Nap Time

Ah, nap time. Sweet, sweet nap time. Of course, my kiddos both disagree. To them naptime is a means of torture. They must put down their toys and lay still, not talking for an hour or more. Can you even imagine? Silence.

Of course, right now there is no silence even though it is nap time. Right now, Client Two is standing up in his crib, clutching his blanket and screaming "Mama!" at the top of his little lungs. I know he's tired. He has to be. He's been awake for a good six plus hours and has had a busy day playing. We even went outside for a little bit today. Our thirty minute trip outside on this 90+, humidity drenched South Carolina day was enough to make me want to curl up in a ball and go to sleep. But apparently it only energized him.

Client One is actually the quiet one right now. She's curled up in her bed with her bear, listening to a story on tape. (Yes, tape.) When it's over, if she's still awake (and she almost always is) she will saunter out, demanding a snack and continue resting by watching a movie in her playroom. Right now she is obsessed with Homeward Bound:The Incredible Journey. And by obsessed I mean she's watching it like five times a day for the past week. I don't really dislike that movie but if I hear the theme music come streaming from her playroom again any time in the next 24 hours I'm likely to go crazy.

Nap time is important for the whole family. Trust me. Nobody wants to see mommy on a day when nobody took a nap. It's not pretty. Nap time is IMPORTANT. Here are just a few reasons:

• I need to eat food. Not mashed up, leftovers from my kids' plates, but real, hot food.
• I want to enjoy some ice cream without sharing. Or a cookie. Or brownies. Or cake. Call me selfish, but it's true. Some snackage is just too precious to share. Plus, sugar makes my kids go crazy which does not help my stress level.
• I need to recharge. Kids zap my energy faster than just about anything and I need every possible second to recharge.
• They need to recharge. As much as I would love for them to lay around watching an endless stream of TV all afternoon, the so-called experts advise against it. And if they don't recharge, they get grumpy. Then I get grumpy. Not pretty.
• The cats want to go into their room. Well, it's not their room, per se, but it's where their food dish and litter box is. During the day, thanks to Client Two trying eat the contents of both, the bedroom door has to stay closed. This makes me the kitty door opener and by nap time, both the cats and I are tired of this arrangement.
• I need to watch TV geared towards adults. This is TV that is not starring a talking animal, cartoon character or an over energetic real-life person with so much unnecessary pep that I want to slap them. Give me a show with a  couple of adult-level jokes, some wit, a good-looking man (BBC, anyone?), a bit of drama and maybe a curse word or two. 
• I need to do chores. Hahaha! Like I actually do these at nap time! Well, sometimes I do, but only when I'm really desperate or in a really weird, rare, cleaning mood.
• I need to make a phone call without screaming kids in the background. Sometimes, I need to hear things and actually communicate effectively with someone on the other end of the phone. This cannot be done when the children are awake and scampering around. It is pretty much a documented fact that a child does not need you until you are busy. Phone call are one of those times.
• I need to pee. Technically, I can pee pretty much anytime during the day, but it's nice to do it without holding a conversation about unicorns or holding someone in my lap.
• I need to shower. Sometimes, I take a shower during nap time even if I have already managed to sneak one in earlier in the day. It's just nice to be able to enjoy the shower without a head or two popping in. Some days, I really need to shower because I haven't have a chance yet.
• I need a few moments without someone climbing on me. Client Two thinks I am a human jungle gym and if he's getting attention then heaven forbid that Client One gets left out.

So, it's nap time. Client Two is still crying and I think (fingers crossed) that Client One is asleep. It's peace time, for me though. But it will be over all too soon. Soon, chaos will reign once again.