be unappreciative!

I know, I know.... all you moms that have been doing this for a while are rolling on the floor laughing hysterically. But look at this face!!!!

Sunday I was trying to plan a fun day in the sun! She has on her swimsuit, her cover up and even sporting her sunglasses that she never wears! While I am running around the house getting HER sippy cup, HER sunscreen, HER diapers, HERS, HERS, HERS.......this is the look I get because mommy is soooo slow! I knew the day would come, but not this early! I thought I had at least a decade!!! =) And yes, those are my keys in her hand! When we are going somewhere this is how I am pushed out the door!

She gets my keys, my purse, my sunglasses, my "ugg" (mommy's drink- we have no idea where this name come from- we aren't coffee drinkers, so it's not from "mug"- who knows???), as well as, her "ugg", her diaper bag, and whatever random toy (or piece of clothing) is the fav for that morning. So of course she never makes it to the door with an arm load of stuff and a purse that weighs more than her. Hopefully by the time she's tripping, falling, dropping things, etc. I am close behind her picking up things in her wake and following her out the door. However, usually this is not the case because I ALWAYS forget SOMETHING! So by the time I have turned around to get something, turn a light off, or lock a door, my sweet angel has lost all patience with Mommy and has thrown herself down on the floor in a screaming, kicking tantrum! God only knows what those screams would mean if they could be translated!

have a green thumb! Or will she?

I HATE WATERING PLANTS! HATE!!! I used to have plants in my office and I would sit and stare at them thinking how they needed water, but I refused to water them. So I got rid of them. Why you ask??? I honestly have no idea! I will mop, do laundry, clean bathrooms etc., but for some reason, as simple as it is, I just DESPISE it! There has to be some deep psychological theory like, I hate the plant because it is dependent on me and I see that as a sign of weakness. I am an extremely co-dependent person and I loathe this about myself. So maybe I secretly loathe the plant!!!! Who knows? Cate on the other hand has really enjoyed watering the plants on our porch. No, I didn't buy them! Nana bought us daisies and I was given tulips that were thrown on the ground in anger, but I am now trying to revive =) Not because I'm not angry anymore but because I just love tulips that much! Cate brings me her watering can and says "mow" for more water. We have no idea why she can say "horse", but says "more" like she is ghetto fabulous....yeah, I just said that. I get to, because it's my blog. So she waters daily, usually several times a day. But I don't worry about drowning the plants. Most of the water spills onto the pavement. Or I guess I should say, is directly poured onto the pavement. After pouring the water out several times, she says "messy". Then she likes to get a towel and try to wipe up her mess. I just wish she would practice this technique after she eats. Why does it only apply to water? Lately, she has gotten interested in the spout of the water can. So maybe my child has hope and won't have resentments towards plants the way I do! Don't get me wrong, I think they are beautiful. Receiving flowers just because is mega brownie points with me! But I love how Cate loves nature and soaks up its beauty. She loves to lay down in the backyard and look up at the clouds. She picks flowers for the people she loves and shrieks with joy to feel the wind blowing her hair. She asks to take walks down the street and dances in the rain with her face towards the sky. She is precious and beautiful and reminds me daily how to enjoy God's simple gifts.

be caught wearing a bicycle helmet!

How many times have you had the conversation that your kid will never wear a bicycle helmet because YOU didn't wear one and YOU are alive! I have said this very sentence a million times, but then picture that tiny precious noggin and think that she WILL wear one whether she likes it or not! Don't worry! I am not so crazy that I make my sweet angel wear a helmet in her "Fintstone" car. My family has taken up bicycling (are you laughing yet? ) and my parents have purchased a bike trailer for my munchkin to ride in behind the bike. So Nana is getting Cate used to wearing the helmet. She gets "nims" (M&Ms) when she is a big girl and wears her helmet =)

This will be Cate's new set of wheels!!!!! It's called the Burley D'lite. For those that know me, you know that Nana and Papa have spoiled my child rotten. And you also know that my parents would have never bought anything like this for me or Amy....only our kids. They searched the internet for the perfect one! It also comes with a stroller kit so it can be used for that as well. It's rather large, so I think it would be a headache in smaller stores and shops, but great for walking and department stores. I'll let you know how it goes when it gets here. In the meantime, if you take a drive down Woodmere and see me or my mother on a bicycle, STAY CLEAR! We haven't ridden bikes since we were 12 years old!

......love ANY show more than Mickey Mouse!!!!

I never would have thought Cate would choose ANYTHING over Mickey Mouse Clubhouse! Why did it take me 2 years to find Noggin? Better yet, my mother found it, not me! This is Oswald and Weinie! Cate's new favorite show. Being a single parent can make getting ready in the morning a bit tough some days so Oswald is now on the DVR. It's hard for a toddler to understand why you can't put on your eyeliner and hold her at the same time. Basically, my mornings are spent showering as fast as I can, praying she won't stick her head in the shower and get water everywhere, while crying that she wants in the "tub-tub" with mommy. Last week she was determined to get in with me. She undressed herself and removed her diaper. I heard the toliet flush which ALWAYS leads me into a sprint to make sure nothing valuable was lost! Usually she is only flushing for the fun sound. (There is about a 5% chance of something actually BEING thrown into the toliet and flushed away. ) Something told me to check this time and sure enough, she had taken the diaper she removed and shoved it down into the toliet. Toliet paper....diaper.... it's all the same to her =) Of course anything that cute gets her what she wants for sure. So into the "tub-tub" with Mommy she went!

p.s. - I bought those color crayons for the bath tub and they are WONDERFUL! For you mommies who let your munchkins in the shower, these keep them occupied and OUT OF THE WAY! Cate no longer lays face down in the bottom between my legs staring at the drain =)

....not know her sister

I swore to myself that I wouldn't get too personal in my blogs, but this is laying heavy on my heart. Cate has a half sister, Alicia. This picture was taken at Cate's first birthday party and it is the last time that Cate or I have seen her. She lives in Mobile and has twin little brothers so it makes it difficult for our families to get together with so many young ones. That's a long drive for toddlers! HOWEVER, on April 25th, Cate and I will be seeing Alicia again for the first time in over a year! I am beyond excited and can't wait to wrap my arms around her and hear her sweet voice in person and not over a phone. Hopefully, with the kids getting older, we will be able to get together more often so that Alicia and Cate will be able to develop a bond. I try not to be unrealistic; I know they will probably feel more like cousins than sisters. Alicia's mother and I can plant the seed for their relationship, but it will ultimately be up to them to make of it what they will. It doesn't matter if she WAS my step daughter and isn't anymore, I will always hold a special place in my heart for her and love her dearly.

.....sleep in her food!

You would think after the first time this happens, that I would never allow it to happen again! WRONG! Sometimes Cate refuses to take a nap, so when she finally stops running around and sits for a moment, she's out! I admit it is funny to watch her little head bob as she slowly tries to get the food to her mouth with closed eyes. But in the same moment, my heart hurts that she's that sleepy and hungry at the same time. If I'm paying attention, then I get her to bed before her head hits the plate. My sweet angel LOVES to take her time eating and can sit in her booster chair for an hour before moving. So sleeping in the plate only happens during these loooong sittings where I try to take advantage and get some cleaning or laundry accomplished before my little tornado is off again!
The other night I put her to bed; we said our prayers and I tucked her in. Before I could even get to the door she sat up on her knees and said "dirty, dirty!" Of course in my head I'm running through all the possibilities...throw up, bloody nose, or an accident from her being "helpful" by taking off her own diaper. Confused, I looked at where she was pointing in her bed, and there were cheese nip crumbs all over her sheets. She had fallen asleep the night before in her carseat while eating cheese nips. So when I put her straight to bed when I got home, the cheese nips stuck in her clothes went "night night" too. At least she wasn't laying in her plate!

.....WEAR THE SAME SHIRT 3 DAYS IN A ROW!!!!

I have heard of children who refuse to wear anything but their favorite shirt or dress, but Cate has never been attached to a piece of clothing in that way before. That was until Aunt Amy and Uncle Jon (Cate's says Don), came back from Disney World with a t-shirt that had EVERY SINGLE Disney character they could fit onto the shirt! My child REFUSED to wear anything but this t-shirt for 3 days straight!

I like to give her the option in the mornings to pick out her clothes (when I actually have time and I'm not running late) and her shoes ( which are usually Mommy's boots). I have to hide this t-shirt in the closet or she would opt to wear it every single day! This is Cate the night she got her shirt while visiting Aunt Amy and Uncle Jon. She is fresh out of the bath and of course watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse! Cate loves going to Aunt Amy's and Uncle "Don's" (we just call them Amy and Jon) If you didn't know them, you would think they have a least one child! One of their guest rooms is decorated like a child's room. They have 3 neices and 1 nephew and love spoiling them all rotten. Cate is never ready to leave when I come to pick her up and clings to Amy like a little monkey around her neck. I hope I will be as great of an aunt one day as Amy is to Cate =)

......wear a leash!

"My child will Never wear a leash like a dog!" I think this is one of the greatest inventions yet! My sister had one when we were little because we lost her EVERYWHERE we went. Of course, back then they weren't so cute and stylish. You can't see it, but on Cate's back is a cute little puppy dog. This is Nana's leash. Mine is a hot pink one with a little purse, but I like Nana's much better. Cate does not mind her leash at all! She is making this face because I won't let her drag me around.
I have a very independent child. She loves to explore the world and wants to know what everything is called and know how it feels and smells. She does not like to be held and only wants to hold your hand if she is unsure of her surroundings. So this has been a great way to let her explore and give her some control, but to do so at my pace. I was very weary at first at putting her on "the leash" in public. But surprisingly, people find it to be cute. It is WONDERFUL in places like the mall. Cate also HATES to be pushed in a stroller. She and Nana take a walk everyday around the neighborhood and when she gets tired, then she will ride in her stroller. So if you have been hesitant about putting your child on "the leash", go ahead! Men tend to be the ones with issues about "the leash". They are no fun to shop with anyway =)

...... watch t.v. before the age of 2!

According to studies, children should not watch t.v. before the age of 2. Yeah right! I would really like to have a conversation with the researchers of this study and ask for alternative ways to distract our children while we shower, get dress, or cook dinner. I guess if you have older children or a spouse to help you, then this would be possible. But I am a single mom of one child, and think Mickey Mouse Clubhouse was sent from above!

This is how I get ready every morning and how I get dinner cooked on the rare occassion that I'm feeling domestic. I have 22 episodes on DVR. Cate is watching Mickey Mouse with Mickey and Minnie and each hand. The baby gate is suppose to block her from pushing any buttons. I don't have to use it anymore, but those plastic covers didn't last a second in my house. If your buttons stick out, you can push the plastic and push all the buttons at once.

In the beginning, I felt guilty for it. But that guilt is long gone! I by no means believe that t.v should be a substitute for teaching our children, but a little distraction each day is ok with me!

.....have a bad haircut!

How many times did we say this before we were parents? "My child will never act like that in public!" " My child will never be spanked!" "My child would never BE that dirty, much less, be taken into public looking that dirty!" The list of nevers goes on and on..... I thought it would be fun for us mommies to share these NEVERS, and then how we became THAT MOM and allowed it =)

My kid will NEVER have a haircut by anyone other than a professional. This is not because I am a snob, but because I can't even draw a straight line, much less cut one. So, my mother (Nana), took it upon herself to do so. This haircut is actually better than the last. Our stylist is very confused about her attempts, being that he is not even 2 miles away. My last conversation with him went like this:

Eddie: Sarah, did you see what your mother did to Cate's hair?

me: Yes, it's been like that for a week. I even took her to church like that.

Eddie: (look of disgust) Oh my God! What did you say when you saw it?

me: Nothing. She keeps Cate for me everyday at no charge. She can pretty much do what she wants. =)