THREE!!

Tomorrow Violet turns 3. Just like her 1st and 2nd birthdays, I have put together a little photo montage of the last year. The photos are set to what is currently Violet's second favorite song (the Darth Vader theme just gave the whole thing a kind of creepy feeling)!

Sprung

I know that it is finally springtime in Indiana because people have stopped moaning about the snow and started complaining about the rain.

In fairness, it has been pretty soggy, but, April Showers=May Flowers, right? And, I am spoiled now that I am working 12 hours a week. When the sun has popped its head out for intermittent hours here and there, and I've been able to catch it. Violet and I dash out the door when the light starts to stream in the window. We take a rag to wipe off the swing, carry out a bag full of chalk to decorate the sidewalks, and wear Hello Kitty rain boots to stomp the wet off the puddles. You'd be surprised how much spring you can fit into a two hour break in the clouds!



Violet has changed so much since November when we had to head in for the winter. She now can peddle her tricycle on her own fairly well and, more importantly, turn it to avoid oncoming cars and ditches. She is beginning to understand the rules of outdoor games like tag, too. She loves digging for worms, and proudly carries around her "wormy c'llection" whenever we do yard work. Violet has been helping quite a bit in the garden, not just finding worms but also watering the broccoli and pepper seedlings she planted in yogurt cups whenever they need a drink. I hope they produce something edible in a few months, because she is expecting big things from those little guys!

5 Days, 4 Nights

At 6am Friday morning, I'll be taking off for L.A. and a long weekend with two of my best and oldest friends. I'll be travelling sans the other Pierces. I have very conflicted feelings about this.

On the one hand, I am clearly excited for this trip. It has been 5 years since the three of us took a trip together and I have no doubt I will laugh almost continuously. Also, we are going to Southern California, so it's going to be really nice. An overnight to Santa Barbara County and some wine tastings are also on the calendar. So, yeah, I'm not conflicted about the company I'll be keeping or the itinerary for the trip. It's who won't be there.

Violet will be 3 in two months. She is such a big kid these days in so many ways. But she is still a baby. She is enough of a baby that she doesn't understand when I tell her that this weekend, her Daddy will be the one putting her to bed. She still has no concept of time. A promise of a Popsicle after dinner, even when dinner is about over, can cause a major meltdown.



I really didn't set out to be an "attachment parent." I don't think either Shawn or I knew what that was when Violet was born. But the more we followed our instincts, the longer we nursed, the more we listened to Violet and ignored the experts, the more attached we got. And I wouldn't change anything about the parenting decisions we have made. Ok, maybe I wouldn't give her nutrient void rice cereal as her first food. But, on the whole, I think we're doing well for her and ourselves.

But being securely attached means that we haven't gone anywhere overnight as a couple without Violet. She's never had a night without one of her parents being with her. And our solo excursions have been pretty limited as well. Leading up to this weekend, I've been away from Violet 3 non-consecutive nights. I think Shawn's total is about the same. So four nights away, really far away, is a huge deal in my journey as a mom.

I think I am ready. I hope Violet is.

Farewell to a Friend

On Friday morning, the mobile vet is coming to our house to put Scout to sleep. Right now, she is resting in my car, parked in the cold garage. The car is the only place where she can escape the anxiety that turns her into a trembling mess more often than not these days.

Violet and I took her for a short walk today. We all enjoyed the cool, fresh, air and Scout's enthusiasm over going for a walk hasn't dampened despite her 15 years. She walked through deep puddles getting her underbelly wet and sniffed the recently revealed grass for signs of other dogs. She was so perky on the walk, in fact, I once again doubted whether or not euthenasia is the right decision right now. But when we got home, the panting and scratching and searching resumed right where it had left off. I know that the kind, responsible, choice is to let her go while there are still good moments. If I wait until she is constanly miserable, I will have waited too long.

So during the next few days, we'll take our walks. Violet will feed Scouty extra treats. We will enjoy the mild February weather outside as much as we can. I may buy Scout a Big Mac. Some extra ear scratches will definitely be in order. And then I'll cry for a long time while I say goodbye to my furry firstborn.

We Have Panties

On Saturday, the 22nd of January, 2011, Violet pooped on the potty, and received her long awaited Dora underwear and chocolate chips. Like a mantra, during every poopy diaper change for almost a year, we have chanted about the exciting day when Violet pooped on the potty and got the grand prize, Dora underwear and chocolate chips. That glorious underwear and chocolate chip day has come and it was worth the wait.

I am so proud of Violet, I could shout it from the rooftops! 'MY BABY IS WEARING UNDERWEAR--NOT A DIAPER! SHE IS REFINED AND BRILLIANT!'

Of course there have been accidents. That's why it is called potty training. But the accidents are few and usually my fault. Like a pants pooping when I am in the shower--who could blame her? And she's learning quickly. Yesterday when I was finished drying my hair, Violet called me down to show me that she had deuced on the big toilet all by herself! I think she was finally ready. And a little friendly competition from her best friend/arch-rival/closest cousin, Charlie, surely didn't hurt the process. Thanks, Cha!

So, while I loved cloth diapering, I can say I did not shed a tear when I washed those stinkers for the last time. When Violet finishes on the potty--usually after requesting a moment or two of 'quivacy'--she shouts, "Mommy, I knew I can do it!" We rush in to praise and ogle and say goodbye to her work as we flush it away. And I am proud.

The Horse That Launched a Room Renovation

Meet Trigger. No, he's not one of Sarah Palin's children, though I can see how the name might confuse people. He's the spring-loaded, Radio Flyer, bouncing horse who inspired Shawn and I to turn our rarely used 4th bedroom into a playroom last weekend. When Santa dropped Trigger at our house on Christmas Eve, he knew that the horse would need to find a permanent home somewhere other than on our main floor living area.

Our pie in the sky playroom would be a finished basement room, but since a couple of gallons of paint are way cheaper than drywalling a humid basement, we decided that we'd go upstairs for now. Violet's bedroom--a good sized room, might I add--is already packed full of toys. So we scrapped our office/guest bedroom/catch all crap room and devoted it to Violet. Now she has an office for her very important work. One wall got the chalkboard treatment and the other three walls took on a robin-egg blue. Shawn and I may love the chalkboard more than Violet does, but on the whole, the girl is thrilled with her playroom. She's had a lot of fun showing her "pwaywoom" to her cousins and her friend Avery. Hopefully, having one room devoted to toys will prevent us from having anymore parades like this one:




The parade in the photo was the result of 4 kids left unattended upstairs at our house during a potluck dinner last week. The kiddos took every single toy out of Violet's bedroom and closet, and then packed our hallway--the parade route, I assume--with said toys. We had a good laugh when they finally called us up to see the spectacle, and since we were planning on moving most of those toys into the new playroom after we finished it up over the weekend, so cleaning up the hallway was a cinch.

The thing about having a devoted play space for a two year old is that it is the playmates, not the room, that make it fun. Duh. Violet's imagination is getting so big and pretending is SO much more fun when you have someone else to dream with you. So, for now, Shawn and I will be spending a lot of time playing in our spare bedroom with Vi. But that's cool. I can't overstate how nice it is to NOT have a 35 lb rocking horse next to my fireplace anymore. Oh, and walking out of the playroom and closing the door on 3 dozen stuffed toys scattered all over the floor ain't too bad either!

Technology Native

I expect to have to negotiate with my husband over who gets to use the laptop. We both have business to take care of, guilty pleasures to feed, and online shopping to complete.

I really didn't think I would have to share screen time with Violet at the tender age of 2 and a half. Her love affair with the Mac started at the hands of my mom who introduced her to YouTube videos of kitties and trains. "Kitty Moobie!" is still one of the most common phrases heard pre-tantrum around here, but Violet's repertoire of computer activities is growing.

After she navigated away from the kitten movies I had pulled up on YouTube and found herself--no kidding--viewing a Dr. Dre video, I asked her if she'd like to look at Sprout Online. Her response: "Spwout Onwine Dot Com?"

It has taken her about 4 tries to learn how to play all of the games on the Sprout website. She is dangerous with a mouse and way more dexterous than I gave her credit for. She will play Barney coloring games for 30 minutes at a time.

I can't decide if this is a good thing or a bad thing. It's like the discussion Shawn and I had in Target as we fretted over whether or not to buy her the claymation Rudolph movie. She saw it on TV and loved it, but we were torn. A big part of what we both remember about the Rudolph movie was that the night it aired became a red-letter day on our calendars. We remember the music, the commercials, the splendor of it all. It was special because it was only available to watch once a year. Would buying the Rudolph movie for Violet cheapen it or lessen her enjoyment of it?

We came to the conclusion that Violet is not going to consume media the way Shawn and I did. Her budding computer literacy is an example of that. She lives in a world of On Demand Calliou and a never-ending stream of kitten movies. We grew up watching television specials once a year (with commercials!) and having posters of kittens (or, in Shawn's case, race cars). There is no way we can make Violet's childhood the same as ours, nor should we.

So we bought the whole damn Christmas Treasury including Rudolph, Frosty, and Santa Claus is Coming to Town.

But I'm not going to let her watch them after New Year's Day or before Thanksgiving.

There have to be some rules, after all.