Constipation

Give me any amount of space or time and I can fill them up. No problem. This is a gift I was born with, but having 2 children has really contributed to my mastery of it. Case and point:

Do as I say...not as I do.

I've been running into some challenges recently with teaching John the "right" way to do things. He can see with his own two eyes that other people are getting to do things in not-quite-the-right way, so why should he have to do things correctly? Good question. Any answers?

Here are two examples:

1. Annie spits. She's 5.5 months old, and is now at the phase of discovering what her own body can do -- rolling over, reaching and grabbing objects she wants, scooching herself to try to move, and yes...making raspberries. She'll make them while she's eating, while she's resting, while she's whatevering. We've been telling John repeatedly that the only time he can spit is when brushing his teeth, and it must be into the sink. But then why is Annie allowed to spit whenever and wherever she wants? And we just laugh? Hmmmmm?????

2. The waitstaff at Ed Debevic's stand on the tables. My sister takes John on dates on Sunday afternoons, and they often times end up eating at Ed Debevic's. And she's run into this same "rule" issue...why is John not allowed to stand on the booth seat if the waitress is standing on the TABLE?? Now that's just NOT fair.
I am pretty sure that at some point in my childhood I promised I would never say this...but...I'm the mama. That's why.

Snuggle Puppy

Tom and I were getting dinner ready this weekend and he had the book Snuggle Puppy running through his head (it's a GREAT book by Sandra Boynton...one of my all time favorite authors). There's a fun song in the book, so of course I started singing it (I know many of the Boynton books by heart).
The first time I heard this book sung aloud was by my friend Leah. She gave me the book as a gift very early on in my John pregnancy. She presented it to me over lunch, at a restaurant, where she not only gave me the book but proceeded to sing it aloud to me...because that is how the book should be read. I loved it. She didn't care that we were in public. All she cared about was that I needed to hear the book properly, so I could get excited about singing it to my lil snuggle puppy when he was born.

At the time, Leah was the mama of one (Noah). Now she has 4 children, and I have 2. Amazing to think back to that first Snuggle Puppy recital, knowing now what an incredible, giving mother she is, and that she'd still sing Snuggle Puppy to me. Although now it may be interrupted by some diaper changes.