Friday, May 28, 2010

Mommy's in the Doghouse

Oh, sweet, docile child of mine, where did you go? Are you hiding? Were you switched at daycare? Surely the terrible twos CANNOT be this bad...can they?

We'll start with, mommy got a new job and the commute for mommy has tripled. This means no more lazing about in bed until 8:30 am (7:45 am for Toddler in Chief), no more leisurely mornings as mommy putters around the house and even less time to watch Curious George. Kaitlyn is much like her momma in that she likes her sleep. She doesn't like to go to bed on time, but she likes to make up for the deficit on the backend. With mommy's new job, EVERYBODY has to get up earlier, dogs, babies and mommy alike. This has created some epic meltdowns in the house. Mommy's emotions go from smug patience to exasperation to just being emotionally drained. Toddler in chief's emotions range from "I love you mommy, mwah mwah" to "I don't wanna (insert action, article of clothing, food item, really anything here)!" to meltdown of atomic proportions. Monday, my first day of work, witnessed such a meltdown. I knew the cause, worked on the solution and we sailed along fairly well until today.

Kaitlyn doesn't fully know how to express what has upset her. Instead of "Daddy won't let me have another piece of cake", when daddy takes away the desired item, it becomes "MOMMY! Daddy HIT me!" As the other parent is witness to the non-hitting, the statement is generally shrugged off. This morning, my crime in the TIC justice system, was to force her to get dressed. An earlier than normal wake up time threw TIC off her game just enough that we went from Meltdown City to Meltdown Nation.

This is the hilarity that ensued:
I finally got Kaitlyn's last shoe on. To lighten the mood of "I don't wanna", I tickled her. This was BEYOND unacceptable as she dove into the cushions to get away from me. TIC came up for air, crying hysterically. She spies the nearest dog and says "Tinooooooooooooo....mommy hit me!" 'Tino, who is just trying to get comfy for his morning nap, is completely disinterested in the entire exchange. Kaitlyn, seeking any kind of comfort she can get, wraps her arms around 'Tino and hugs him. By this time, 'Tino is thoroughly confused. He's not really sure what he's supposed to do in this situation. Mommy has dissolved into giggles as this is really the cutest thing she's ever seen. I try to give Kaitlyn the comforting hug she seeks and am shunned. She goes back to clutching 'Tino for dear life, which in turn, causes him to shift away from the drama (I would have too, quite frankly). Finally, I'm able to give her a hug and we make our way out the door with more tears and more hysterics.

All this before 8 am! I'm amazed I was able to stay awake after all that! Talk about an energy zap! Mothers of children under 2 let this be your public service announcement. When you look at your angelic child and think NO WAY will the terrible twos be terrible for you, think again. We're living proof! But, we have lived to see yet another day, and all in all, I consider that a HUGE success.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Celebration of Independence

This morning, as with many mornings recently, I casually opened Kaitlyn's door as I went downstairs to let the dogs outside. I heard her happy chatter as she came downstairs and cabe back to the stairs to greet her. What I saw was beyond description. The pajama pants she went to bed with were not in sight. Okay. Not a new phenomenon, we can roll with it. Oh, hey look! Kaitlyn put her shoes on. Awesome, they are even on the right feet! Then my eyes moved up to see that she was wearing her Dora the Explorer bathing suit. Not only was she wearing it, but she put it on the right way. I know grown women who can't even put on their bathing suit and I personally struggle with which side is the front and which side is the back. Kaitlyn's ingenuity is just beyond comprehension....especially at 7:30 in the morning! Seriously, if I could bottle her energy and sell it, I'd be a rich woman!

There are some big changes coming up in the Shoup House. Momma Shoup starts a new job in Arlington next week. I'm looking forward to the new opportunity, but sad about the people I'm leaving behind. I've met and worked with some amazing people who have pushed me to acheive more than I had ever imagined. But ultimately, the title I hold doesn't fit as well as it once did and I'm ready to move my career in a different direction. My greatest hurdle is the three hour round trip commute. I'm definitely not looking forward to that. I'll just take it one day at a time and appreciate the opportunity I'm being given.

The next big change is Toddler in Chief is moving from an in home day care to a day care center. It's a really nice center not far from home. It was not an easy decision to make. She loves Lida, Lida loves her and she's comfortable where she is right now. But the goal was always to transition her to a center and I think it will be really good for her to experience new people, new things and endless learning opportunities. And hopefully, there will be minimal tears shed by me the day she starts her new school.

Finally, Brent is officially done with military duty. He's got a couple of days here and there that he will be doing, but he turned in all his gear last weekend. I know he's happy to be done with it and we're happy with the flexibility of not having to plan around drill weekends. It will be interesting to see how long he lets his hair get. Maybe I'll take a picture each week so we can see the progression. In other big acheivement news for Brent, he completed the Capon Valley 50K a couple of weekends ago. It was a brutal race, but he's got another state done. The next race is currently in the works, so stay tuned for details.

That's all folks...until next time!

Friday, May 7, 2010

Who's in charge here?

Early wake ups. We've all been there. The ones where you groan, roll over and hope the crying baby is either a) a figment of your imagination or b) part of your dream (nightmare, same thing). When you realize that it is a part of your reality and you need to address it posthaste, then there are delusions of delaying the inevitable. This was the scene in my house this morning.

6:15 am Toddler in Chief wakes up sobbing. As she had woken up twice in the middle in much the same state, I got up and rushed down the hall to see what was wrong. No obvious damage to the furniture, so I'm thinking she wants some snuggle time. Trying to delay the inevitable, I enticed her with a "Hey, Kaitlyn, wanna get in Mommy and Daddy's bed?" She snagged her blanket and off we went.

6:20 am Well, that was fun and very short lived. Kaitlyn is no longer content to be in mommy and daddy's bed and would rather be back in her own. Awesome. The sleep fairy smiles contentedly upon us and I look forward to returning to bed.

6:21 am SIKE! We're back in mommy and daddy's room, in mommy and daddy's bed with TIC screaming "DON'T WANT" when I try to cover her up with our covers.

6:25 am TIC has had enough and gets out of bed. I pleadingly ask her if she would like to get back in bed. "All done nigh night, Momma, ALL DONE!" Even I can take a hint. I ask one more time if she wants in mommy and daddy's bed and hold out my hand. At this point she attempts to pull the covers off and pull me out of bed. She gives up and goes to her room saying something about "I NOT!" I groan and sink back into the pillows.

6:27 am "Momma?? Mommaaaaaaaaaaaaa? MOMMA??? 'ere ARE youuuuuuuuuuuuu?? Momma??" I thought this was just a game at first but quickly realized she really didn't know where I was! I mumble "Kaitlyn" and she has just discovered the greatest toy ever!

6:32 am I'm up. I'm done, we're done, we're going downstairs.

So, between this morning and Kaitlyn trying to make sure I got dressed in a timely fashion yesterday, it's clear that if TIC wasn't around, MIC (Mom in charge for those unfamiliar with the "lingo") would get nothing done.

I am happy to report that I completed all 39.3 miles (and then some probably...I think the hills of Georgetown should count for double distance) this weekend. I had some great motivational support from my walking partner. I did not come out of the weekend unscathed...I have a "soft tissue" injury (ie We don't know what you did but we're sure it hurts) that is on the mend. It was a scorcher both days, but it was for an excellent cause and I'm glad I did it. When you walk and you see the survivors of breast cancer walking with you, it's a pretty awesome feeling.

This weekend is Mother's Day. Make sure you give thanks to the good Lord in heaven above for the mother that brought you into this world. She may not be around, she may be in the next town, but no matter what, you wouldn't be here today without her. Shout out to the MOMS!!!