7 Quick Takes Friday, #32

1. While I made dinner yesterday, the girls were in the living room playing and watching Caillou (that bald little dinner-prep savior). I was concentrating on what I was doing and not really focused on the general chatter and tv noises coming from the other room. I vaguely registered hearing what sounded like a ringing phone, thought it came from Caillou, and disregarded it before I really even knew I'd thought about it at all.

Then I heard a male voice say, 'Hello?' and the tone didn't match up with anything I'd ever heard on a children's cartoon, so I started to wonder what was going on. Before I could clean my hands off and move towards the living room, Lauren started babbling like crazy: "Ah-heyo! Wisibissi a MAMA eet bajinna DADA it HEYO! Isss mussinuff unnuh HONE! Itickitickiticki HEYO!"

It suddenly clicked what had happened. She'd gotten my cell phone, dialed a contact, and put it on speakerphone (something I don't even know how to do, by the way) - then she'd begun conversing. Animatedly.

I jumped across the room, dodging toys to grab the phone from her hand. Poor thing; she was so excited to have been really using the phone, and the look on her face was precious - excited, awed, proud. I put the phone to my ear (stupidly - speakerphone virgin here.) and asked, to whom did I have the pleasure of speaking?

It was my handyman. (I believe Lauren's also texted him some random strings of letters in the recent past. I've GOT to figure out how to lock the keypad. And how to work the speakerphone. Among other things.) I apologized profusely for the mixup; he was probably in the middle of his day job, not wishing to have been bothered by an ecstatic toddler's happy-dialing.

But really, wouldn't you always rather hear the barely intelligible chatter of a toddler over just about any other noise?

No?

Huh.



2. I've been noticing something lately: I get very sleepy in the car. Not just on long drives, either. I'm talking about an 8 minute jaunt up the road to the library or the grocery store. It's all I can do sometimes to not turn the car around and go back home to curl up in bed. But with the kids in tow, that's not likely. All I can do is turn the music up and try to slap some sense into my sleepy brain. What is this? Am I not getting enough rest? Actually, I already know the answer to that - NO I'M NOT. But is that enough reason for me to get unbearably sleepy on short drives across town? Is it just the vibrations of the car and the happy talk coming from the backseat that lull me into drowsiness? This must be what babies feel when they're on car trips. However, they have no pressing responsibilities like not wrecking the car to keep them from closing their eyes.



3. And in the interest of randomness (because QT Fridays are so beautifully random around here, I feel like I can unleash the full power of my disturbing randomness - lucky Friday! Lucky you!), I find it terribly vexing that neither of my daughters have ever been those pleasant car-sleeping babies. I think Mia's only fallen asleep in the car around 5 times. Lauren was a bit better; she's slept in the car maybe 8 times. This makes for loooooong road trips. Not that we go on many, and for this very reason. Although I think we're slowly breaking out of our mold, and starting to venture further away now that the girls are getting older. Knowing that, I'd bet I'm due to get pregnant any time now just to throw us back to square one. Except, maybe the next Heavenly baby will be a car sleeper and...

I'll stop now. My train of consciousness was starting to derail. And I'd hate for you to witness such a thing.



4. I'm always on the lookout for cute crafts and activities to do with Mia. In preschool, they are always doing something fun and creative, so when she's home with me and we get bored, I like to have a few ideas handy with which to fill our time. Not that I've been very good about implementing the ideas, but sometimes it's nice to know that if we're pulling our hair out in boredom, there are things that can be done.

I happened across a new-to-me blog this week called Real Life. Sarah has the cutest little pumpkin craft posted that looks adorable for little hands to work with. I hope to try this soon. Mia's thrilled with all the pumpkins decorating every store we enter lately, so I think she'll LOVE this.

Any more good fall preschooler activities up your sleeves?



5. We've been having some issues around here lately with offensive words. One in particular. Do you care if I go ahead and write it out loud? Ok. Here goes.

Boobies. Eeeeek!

Now I know that's not really a bad word, but it just seems all kinds of wrong to me to hear my 3 year old say it. I've explained to her that it's not a polite word, and we've discussed other options for referring to body parts that are more respectful. I thought we'd nipped it. (Sorry. I shouldn't do that, I know, but it's funny! Puns are hilarious!) (Clearly I'm not very mature, myself.) (Moving on.)

However, a conversation yesterday reminded me that this battle will not be won quickly. She was telling me that her baby doll couldn't eat grapes because she was just a 'brand new newborn', and I - of course - asked what a newborn could eat.

"Well, she can only eat cereal....and....juice...and stuff like that," she answered primly.

"But," I encouraged, ever the lactivist, "Doesn't she also get to drink mommy's milk?"

"Oh!" said the tiny mama, "Yes! She can have milk from her mommy's....her mommy's..." At this, she looked down at her shirt with such concentration that I knew whatever she said next would be good. "Her mommies, um, zoobies. Mommies have zoobies."

I stifled my reaction, so that instead of seeing me slapping my thighs and sobbing with laughter, she saw me nod in understanding. "That's right," I said, closing my eyes for just a split second to keep my composure, "But that word that you can't remember, so you said (*deep breath*) zoobies instead? That's not a word we want to say anyway, ya know? But you're right - newborn babies get their milk from their mama's chest."

And I left it at that.

Zoobies. *chuckles*



6. Over the past week or two, when Lauren's gotten in real trouble, we've taken her away from the activity and placed her in a sort of time out. Not that it's really a time out, but that's the language we use with her big sister, so it seems natural. I think she's really too young at 17 months for a full-on time out, but the distraction and loss of interaction for a moment seems to mean something to her. Plus, she sees Mia going to time out occasionally, and she seems to understand that it's not a desirable consequence. She often gets a concerned look on her face and points to Mia's room saying, "SISSY!! TY-MOW!!" So I think she already knows what it's about. Plus, I've seen her putting her baby doll into time out for some imaginary infarction. Cute stuff.

Further evidence that's she's understanding it came today when she got scolded for purposefully dumping out a cup of snacks onto the living room floor.

"Lauren!" I said sternly. "No dumping! We don't dump snacks! Pick them back up, please."

Her face started to crumble into sadness. I hate that part. It's why I've become such a successful discipline dodger. The lower lip and the downturned face make me want to cuddle her up and apologize for daring to scold her so freely. Yes, I know. I'm in trouble.

But, the most surprising thing happened next: She looked to the edge of the hallway - an occasional time out spot for Mia - and walked herself over while saying, "Dump cack-uhs, ty-mow. Ty-mow." Then she sat herself down, and stayed there - peeking over her shoulder every so often at my reaction. Which was dumbfounded.

My 17 month old is disciplining herself. Can I get an AMEN?!



7. One of my very first blog friends, Lenae, welcomed a new baby boy this week! Stop by and wish her well, wouldja? She's such a good mother and I know I'll miss her around the blogosphere while she's settling into raising 3 boys, but that doesn't mean we can't inundate her with blessings, right?!

Congratulations, Lenae, on your beautiful new sweetheart. We can't wait to hear all about him. (And by we, I mean I. And by all about him, I mean THE BIRTH STORY! HIS PERSONALITY! HOW YOU'RE FEELING! WHAT HIS BROTHERS THINK!)


Have a wonderful weekend, and thank you for subjecting yourself to my Quick Takes! Be sure to check out the rest of the Quick Takes at Conversion Diary.