Should've Named Her Ivy

Call me Mother of the Year.

I've been reliably informed that a toddler gets bored easily when all she's doing is chasing Big Brother. Therefore, new activities must be presented or discovered.

Miss Tula has taken matters to her hands and knees. She's climbing every surface in this house. Her adventures began as she figured out how to climb up on the couch- which is deeply cute. Then came climbing down safely, which I appreciated. Next was the leap onto the end table. I could have done without this as everything on said end table hit the floor in record time. Tula understands that this form of mischief means certain thwarting, so she's moved on to bigger and better things. After using the dog bed (and, consequently, the dog) to get onto Mommy and Daddy's bed, we needed more of a challenge. Luckily, there was one begging to be conquered.

She figured out that climbing onto kitchen chairs equals climbing onto the kitchen table. Tula was kneeling on the table, scribbling away on scratch paper. Be still my heart. She was most displeased when I unceremoniously removed her from the table, but I still hold that she shouldn't have been up there in the first place. She holds that she's cute and wants it.

Boomer and I have now learned that we need to keep chairs flush with the table or our little Miss Adventure will attack. This also goes for my desk chair- Tula has her big brother's sense of excitement with my computer. She'll understand that scaring her mother is a bad idea one of these days- like when she's a mommy herself.

Call me Mother of the Year.

The Phone Wars

Call me Mother of the Year.

I freely confess my glee in part of this debate, but the rest just has me shaking my head in disbelief- and Boomer is laughing.

Nana has a new phone. It's cooler than mine. She now has an iPhone. I'm annoyed.

It's not merely phone envy, although that's infuriating enough. No, my issue is more the fact that my mother is completely technologically illiterate. Plus, she never turned on her old phone. This phone is totally wasted on her. Thus the obvious question from her (utterly jealous) daughter:

"Why on earth did you get one?"
"Well, all my friends have one!"
"That's peer pressure. And peer pressure is wrong. You shouldn't have given in."

(Yeah, that's where I'm gleeful. It's quite delightful when her lecture comes back at her.)

"Well, I need an iPhone."
"WHY?????!!!!!"
"I need to learn about the texting so when Peanut gets his cell phone I can keep up with him."

At this point in the conversation my head was in my hands. My mother just used my six-year-old as an excuse to get an iPhone. Yes, she did.

However, I am able to see the humor in this. After all, it's not every day my mother tries (and fails) to send a text message. I'm waiting to witness this. And pat her on the head when she succeeds. And pray she hasn't written me (or texted me) out of her will yet.

Call me Mother of the Year.

Snow Days and Birthdays and Sick Days, Oh My!

Call me Mother of the Year.

This particular Mommy Moment has been lasting for a month. Thus the lack of writing- I've been waiting for the finish to tell you what's been happening here.

We begin on February 1. The snow was starting and I was snickering at the forecasters who enjoy predicting big snows and getting only a couple of inches. The snickering turned against me fairly quickly as we got nailed with approximately seventeen inches. School was canceled in the afternoon for the next day. And Peanut was thrilled because there was snow for his birthday.

For a certain young man's sixth birthday, he got a massive amount of snow, all his class's cupcakes, a sled, and his own camera. Kid's got some talent, and I'm figuring out how to post his stuff. Boomer took a few shots of our backyard, to the dismay of the dog. It's a bit difficult to heave a seventy pound mutt through a snowdrift. Just sayin'. Once the roads were opened and school resumed, he had quite the fuss made over him by Kindergarten Teacher, which he loved. All things considered, a good birthday.

Later that week, Peanut started going to sleep at 7:00 at night. For those rare few who have seen my child at bedtime, you're aware this only happens when he's sick or in major trouble. In this case, it's the former rather than the latter. Thus began our first trip to the doctor. It hasn't been our last.

After a false alarm, Peanut was diagnosed with strep throat. Bad enough for him, but now Boomer and I are tasked with keeping it from Tula. This wasn't easy or quiet, but it was accomplished. Then came Round Two.

Peanut was sent home from school with a hundred degree fever. Figuring it was just a virus, Boomer and I kept him quiet and away from his little sister. Again, we're just the most awful parents EVER. A trip to the doctor let us know it was the flu and pneumonia. Good times. The follow up with Peanut's regular doctor showed an ear infection. At that point, Peanut had been quarantined, I had a nebulizer for the kid, and his ears hurt. Yay Mom.

So Boomer and I were busily congratulating ourselves in keeping each other and Tula safe from this... right up until I caught the flu and bronchitis. At this point, the nurses know me by name and I'm getting sympathetic chuckles. Oh, and I haven't seen my kids in five days. I want my life back, thank you very much. Poor Boomer needs a vacation now.

I'm just about over this nonsense and ready to disinfect my house. The good news is that so far, Boomer and Tula have escaped this. Right now, I'm off to see if I can end my reign as The Ghost of Mommy.

Call me Mother of the Year.