Showing posts with label taking turns. Show all posts
Showing posts with label taking turns. Show all posts

Thursday, April 9, 2009

a few of my favorite things....



So the little one has quite a few interests. Activities that weigh in good and bad (good exercise for some and bad habits for others). The first activity involves getting into my makeup. Yes, he likes to put on my lipstick. He will literally open all the lipsticks he can get his hands on and apply. As you can see he isn't afraid to apply a thick layer (I myself like to combine a bit of gloss to keep it looking natural). If you squint enough you might notice what he is gripping in his right hand. That never leaves his grip and if it so happens to fall to the ground, he about loses his S*** (marbles). Henry is completely infatuated with not only the car, but the movie too (I am wondering why I ever even thought it would be cute for him to see). No we can't go into Target without being overstimulated with all the garb. No I won't and I can't say who this little car is because I will go mad. If I so as whisper the word, I think i might explode. I'm so over it, but I keep saying my mantra, 'it's a phase, it will pass.' Convincing? Not sure. So we'll just keep it at that.



Well his eyes are shut for this one (sorry), but this pretty much sums up what we do most afternoons. On days I pick him up from escuela (school), we must go to the park to ride the bike. MUST! He loves his bike and is very possessive of it. If a kid so much as looks at it, he pretty much tells the kid off with a "No, boy, go away." Ouch, can't say I like this. I usually say to him, "Henry the little boy just wants to look at it. He thinks it is really neat too. He just wants to see what it's all about. Don't worry." Or sometimes I just ignore it and tell him to say hello to the little kid who at one point in the beginning of our meeting was so lit with excitement, is now not so sure (don't blame em). SO we need to work on this. Although when I do talk about taking turns or sharing, he just tells me that this toy is a "special toy." I guess it is ok to have some toys that you might feel overly connected to. I know there are things that I don't want others to put their hands on. Hmm...fine line here. I guess it will get a bit easier with time, I hope. I prefer he shares the love (toys) then be possessive. More often than not, he is a good sharer.



If he could Henry would take himself to the park in the car with his bike and helmet in the back. He would drive himself to North Boulder Park, "the big park" as he calls it, and precede to back into his parking spot, hop out, get on his bike and put on the helmet and ride across the alley way making sure as he goes that he is riding into all the puddles.
How did this infatuation start? 'Driving' was introduced up at the ranch. My husband has a ritual that when we arrive to the ranch seeking solitude to get away from the craziness and hectic monotony of life (can monotony be hectic? YES), he precedes to pull out the ranch vehicles. We have an old Jeep Willy that my grandfather bought, in 1957, off a gentleman who was delivering the vehicle to another client. This man had mistakenly driven to the wrong ranch. We also have an orange (sunkist orange) GMC pick up truck from 1969 (that actually has a lift so you can actually dump stuff out the back). I'd admit they are really cool old vehicles. Will have to post more stories about the Jeep as there are many memories and I could go on!! Any who, Dean is a lover of all things that go. If it is mechanical or electrical or has gears or whatever he's into it (hence all the Land Rovers, road and mountain bikes). So with this ritual of starting up the cars and taking them for a dirt road spin (sometimes off road), Henry has now been initiated into this rite of passage. Now that he can walk, knows what a car is, he is capable of partaking in the ritual. So my child, who is 2, is driving. Hands on wheel, steering. His legs aren't quite long enough to reach the pedals but as soon as he can stretch, he will be on his own. Yikes!

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Yes, take charge mom!

I just got this great article from a friend of mine about becoming a take charge mom, by creating boundaries and setting limits (so that your kids don't walk all over you). We had just been chatting on the phone last week about our 2 year olds. We had a good ol time discussing the whines, screams, and persistence of our toddlers and how we try to handle them. We both seem to be having a difficult time with the play date thing. Having a friend over to play can be such a exhausting endeavor. I'd like to think it will be lots of fun where the mommies can have uninterrupted chat while their children play together like angels. Well, it isn't always like that (sometimes play date ends in tears, mommies can't deal, friends go home).
We are rolling through a phase (and please let this phase pass QUICK as we are just starting to see light at the end of the tunnel). Henry sometimes has a hard time having others over to play as it means they get to play with his toys. Hmm... not always so sure about this, especially when it comes to his 'special' toys!
Sharing is a concept that a 2 year old has a real hard time grasping. After failed attempts with using the word 'sharing,' I've moved onto, "Let's let Bobby have a turn with the tow truck. Taking turns is a lot more fun, isn't it?" I say with a lot of excitement. "Yes!" Henry says with excitement and then starts to show some fear as he hands the toy over to his friend. It starts to set in that he will get the toy back, and this makes this whole stress a little bit easier. Most of the time, he forgets all about the darn tow truck he couldn't let go of and is on to the next big thing. Ah the life of a mommy with a toddler. Wow isn't it so true that our children teach us such valuable lessons? Although the setting is usually a bit hair raising and can really burn your nervous system. Right now, I am on "Patience 101!" How about you?