Husband recently pulled Baby onto his lap and gently explained why so many of the toys and clothes are being packed away.
"See, we're going to get in our car -Momma, and Daddy, and Kitten- and then we're all going to drive for a long, long time. Many days!"
"Bye-bye? Cah?" She confirmed.
"Yes, we'll go bye-bye in the car! And then, one day, after lots of driving, we'll get to a new house! And you'll have a new bedroom! And a new, big yard, where you can run, run, run on lots of grass - and you will have so much fun there! And the clothes and toys will come with us, inside the boxes. They'll ride to the new place, too... ok?"
Rianna quizzically considered this, glancing down at her lap, while we waited to gauge her reaction. (I still wasn't sure she could process all that.) But, seconds later, she lit up, and rapidly signed/said,
"DIFFERENT?!"
Yes, Little One. That's exactly it.
#waytolevelwithaoneyearold #couldnthavesaiditbettermyself#toddlerspeakftw #militarykid
Tonight, after Little One touched a forbidden object and was corrected, Daddy cuddled and prayed with her:
Daddy: Dear God...
Her: Dee Deed
Daddy: I'm sorry...
Her: I saw.Daddy: I sinned...Her: I do it. *soberly*Daddy: And touched the No-No...Her: Bah. Nah-nah!Daddy: Help me to try again...Her: Tie agin.Daddy: And give me strength to make good choices...Her: Me... ta-da!!! *triumphantly*Daddy: In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.Her: A-MEN! *kiss*
Little One just announced that it's time to "go bye-bye," and excitedly presented her purse to me for inspection.
She'd packed the essentials: Coupons, vitamin C powder, alphabet magnets, a toothbrush, crayons, washcloth, book, hair bow, and a spare pair of shoes.
I've been compiling my own list of how to maximize time and energy as a young mom. Here's what I have so far:
- Before clipping their fingernails, let child play in mud. The filth makes it super easy to see where their tiny nail meets the skin.- It's much easier to clean *dried* food off floors/walls. Don't even bother (perpetually) wiping up the wet stuff. Leave it for at least half a day. (Exceptions: Egg, milk, potato)
- Or buy a dog.
- Let the dirty, cloth diapers stack up a bit. Trying to wash every one, real time, is silly. And annoying. Do them in batches. Seriously. It helps morale.
- Or use disposable diapers.
- Pausing to drink tea and breathe deeply is worth the delay in productivity.
- Always make eye contact with them.
- Fishsticks for dinner.
