Mommy and Mean Group

So I thought "Mommy and Me" groups were supposed to fun?

Then why did I leave so stressed out?

A neighbor of mine invited me to join her at her "Mommy and Me" group. It consists of a group of a dozen or so moms from her church that bring their children ranging from 1 - 5 years old and let them play at a park. My understanding is that the moms get to socialize and the kids run themselves ragged on the playground.

Nice in theory.

Then Grace and I show up. And it looks to all like I raise my daughter in a cave. Any socialization she had disappeared.

She didn't want to play independently on the playground. She needed "mama, mama, mama" (her repetition, not mine) with her to hold her hand.

She didn't want to go down the slide.
She didn't want to play with the other kids.

Oh, but wait, she spotted a boy with a ball. She wanted the ball. But, she didn't realize that might involve approaching the boy. "Mama, mama, mama" wasn't going to get the ball for her. Then the boy dropped the ball seemingly more interested in another activity. "There Grace, there's your chance." But, my daughter moved too slow and soon the ball was swooped up by another youngster. "Sorry kid, that's the way it goes. You snooze, you lose."

That pep-talk didn't work so well. Now we have tears, my little red-headed, red-nosed pill daughter wanted the ball. Sigh. I try to get her to calm down trying to look like a calm mother myself all the while I want to crawl into the nearest jungle gym and hide. I haven't learned to take childish fits in stride. I haven't learned to accept that my child won't always be well-behaved.

So we forget about the ball. The tears dissipate. For now.

Later on, she wants something. What? I still don't quite know, but it warranted tears again in Grace's world. This time I told her to learn some words and then I could help her out. Okay, maybe I just thought that. But really, the pointing gets old sometimes. I feel like I live in a game of 20-Questions.

So fortunately, she calmed down again. Long enough this time I was able to make a polite exit without carrying a screaming child under my arm like I had envisioned earlier.

We get buckled in the car and head home. Grace is asleep in two minutes flat. I sigh. I shed a tear or two. A fun-filled morning I tell you.

Just a Game

So, because I don't feel like writing a real post, and nothing all that exciting happened today, and because I was tagged by Lyndsay, we're going to play a game. A get-to-know-me game - cause that's what everyone wants to do - get to know me.

Rules of the game:1. Post these rules of the game first.2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.3. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names. Then the tagger goes to the blogs of those who have been tagged & leaves a comment letting new players know they’ve been tagged. The tagger asks them to find the memo and instructions back at his/her blog.

And on to the fun...

What I was doing 10 years ago: Going to college and participating in the swing dancing craze

Five things on my To Do List today:
1. Thursday AM Bible Study Group
2. Make dinner
3. Clean upstairs bathroom
4. Pay bills
5. Take Grace to the park

My Favorite Snacks
1. Ice Cream
2. Wheat Thins
3. Peanut Butter & Honey Sandwiches
4. Popcorn - air popped
5. Homemade cookies

Things I would do if I were a billionaire: Travel with my family. Create/Support a charitable cause - there's so many in need that I don't know what my cause would focus on - but it would help someone, somewhere.

Five of my bad habits:
1. Worrying what others think
2. Snacking
3. Watching stupid TV (those reality shows suck me in) too often
4. Staying up too late when I know I need my rest
5. Talking too loud (I'm just going to leave Lyndsay's answer - it fits me too!)

Five places I have lived:
1. Anaheim, CA
2. Corona, CA
... and that's all folks

Five jobs I’ve had:
1. Waitress
2. Student Office Assistant
3. Teacher's Assistant (for all of about 2 months.. and then I changed my major!)
4. Administrative Assistant (for a now debunked e-company)
5. Marketing Manager

So that's me in a nutshell.
As far as tagging - I don't really have any blogging friends, so I'll leave that part out!

My Fruitless Efforts

My dear little Grace.

My dear little girl who will not eat fruit. Will not touch it. I've snuck mashed bananas into her breakfast yogurt, but that's as close as I can get it to her. I don't suppose fruit flavored yogurt counts.

Whole fruit? Forget about it. Other than avocado - which she would eat for every meal if I let her - she won't eat other fruits. I've offered grapes, bananas, apples, strawberries to no avail... and that's just in the past two days.

I've recently become aware of how bad the situation has become. So I must spring into action and get this baby some fruit. Stat.

I've tried to be sneaky. Yesterday I took out the peanut butter to Grace's excitement. However, instead of putting it on the usual cracker, I put it on some apple pieces. She looked at the pieces, touched the peanut butter (to make sure that's what it was I suppose?), picked up the piece, put it to her mouth. "Yes!" I thought. "I did it."

Then little miss realized that it wasn't a cracker or rice cake underneath, spit it out and refused to try it again. Grr. Baby: 1. Mom: 0

Today I diced up some fresh strawberries nice and small. I asked Miss Thing if she wanted cottage cheese. Big surprise, she did. I mixed in the strawberries. I thought this might pass. She picked up her spoon, enthusiastically dug in. After one bite, she realized something wasn't right and pushed it away. Baby: 2. Mom: 0

So my next plan is to go back to basics. I'm going to go buy my almost 2-year old some baby food. Maybe this is where I went wrong. In my attempt to bypass jarred baby food altogether (which I was quite proud that I did), I don't think I put enough emphasis on the fruit. She does well with other foods, but I guess I didn't puree up enough peaches, pears, and all the other p-foods babies eat.

So I'll try it now. Hopefully that might be something new and she might be intrigued enough to give it a whirl.

She eats her other meals with gusto though.

Saved by the Beep

I'm going to go crazy soon if Mr. D doesn't get home from work and help me.

It's driving me mad. Slowly. Soon you'll find me sitting outside in my backyard in the dark with my dog. Just sitting and waiting.

The battery in our smoke detector is going bad and its letting me know. Every minute or so. Every high pitched beep. Reminding me to change the battery.

It's driving me crazy. I can't do anything about it. The smoke detector is at the top of our vaulted ceiling some 15 feet up or more. Mr D forbade me (via my whiny telephone call) to try to get up on the ladder to try anything. One look up there and don't worry, my two feet will remain on the ground.

But he's gotta get home and do something!

I am so thankful that my friend invited me out tonight to shop and have dinner. If not, I would have sat in the house and been a raving lunatic by this hour.

However, my daughter, the one who wakes up if I type breathe too loud in the next room, she's sound asleep. Not a peep. I'm shocked. I thought it would keep her up. Or at least wake her up after a short while. Thank God for that.

So he should be home soon. (beep) Any minute now. (beep). Any minute now.

Her Mama's Hair

I know that I've neglected my hair for too long when the comments go from:

"Oh, look, she's got her mama's hair"

to

"So where does the red come from in your family?"

Not good. Plus, the ash-brown roots sneaking in are a big warning sign.
Well, a visit from my friend Loreal fixed it tonight.

Gracie's back to having her mama's hair color.

_________________________________

So, its been a long time. Honestly friends, Grace has been putting me through the wringer these past few days. She has been testing if the word "no" really has any meaning in our house. I keep hearing my mom's words ringing in my ears "Be consistent and firm."

Mom, I'm trying.

Little Blonde Girl

Grace was adopted by a 2nd grader at the park today.

When we arrived to play (read: burn off energy before dinnertime), there was a group of young girls involved in an elaborate make-believe game in the playground. It was cute to listen to them - reminded me of my years of imaginary play.

They took a break at one point and the group scattered. These young-women-in-training already knew the ropes, and a group of them went to the restroom together. A couple remained and Grace decided to make some friends.

She went up to them and starting babbling away in her own special language she has. They seemed interested. One little blonde girl in particular. She wanted to pick Grace up. (Don't tell Mr. D, but I let her). Then she asked if Grace could play with them. I said she might be a little young still for that. So instead little blonde girl hung around us. She helped Grace slide. They played on the teeter-totter together. She told me about 2nd grade, about her mom having a new baby, and how she knew Grace was a girl because she was wearing pink. (I guess the mullet is still asexual).

We were having a pretty good time. Then little blonde girl told me that I looked like her grandma.

Say what?

I told her that her grandma might be a little older than me. She asked me how old I was.

Pause. So I think, "do I lie to her", knowing full well that when I told her 30, I might as well tell her 101.

I can't lie to a little girl. I tell her 30.

She looks at me and smiles, "my grandma is 30 too."

I kept waiting for her to say "April's Fools."

She didn't.

Well that little girl must have a great looking grandma.