Bedtime

What about Bedtime you ask. Surely you don't let your 2 year old decide for himself when he will sleep? Won't he just stay awake all night? And then sleep all morning?

Well. Yes to everything.

I'm not sure if K has EVER been a fan of bedtime though...or sleep really. I mean, he LIKES his sleep in the sense that he GOES to sleep, but he was never one of those babies that takes two and three naps a day and then go down for a 12 hour night sleep. In fact, I distinctly remember sleep as being a huge question mark as far as I was concerned on the parenting spectrum.

There's sooo much hype about the amount of sleep children need. It can get to a person. It had me convinced for a while that I was somehow failing in the mothering department because my kid (if compared with the research, parenting books, and advice I was receiving) LITERALLY never slept.

I distinctly remember it starting back when I was pregnant. As part of our Bradley birth class, N and I were asked to fill out a rough schedule of a day with a newborn. It was supposed to show us that a baby was ridiculously time consuming and to prepare us for what lay ahead. Frankly, it was terrifying. But, what I remember most is that the baby was supposedly doing nothing but nursing, pooping, and sleeping. NOTHING else.

And then we brought K home. *sigh* He didn't really seem to sleep that much. He was wide awake half the night, most of the day, and I remember walking around the block in the snow because there was nothing else to DO with a wide awake infant in the middle of winter.

It wasn't detrimental to N and I at all. I mean, it was unexpected given what we had been told, but I just wore K wherever we went so he slept when needed and watched the world around him when awake. To tell the truth, I didn't give it much thought except to wonder how other babies were sleeping all the time.

When K was around 6 months old, I began to get worried. He was crawling. He was in to EVERYTHING, and he didn't nap. AT ALL. (I'm really not kidding.) He woke between 10-11am, and stayed up wide eyed and bushy-tailed until N and I collapsed around 1am. I had started going to a few Mom groups, making friends, and doing a good deal of parenting research and suddenly it seemed as though K wasn't sleeping enough.

I read a few books on night sleep training.

I commiserated with a fellow Mom friend who's child honest to goodness never ever slept.

I thought that I needed to instigate a  Bedtime.

I started up a routine, warm bath, massage, bedtime stories, nursing, ect...the whole works. But nothing worked. K wouldn't sleep unless we ALL went to bed, and somehow N and I always seemed to stay up late irregardless of the Baby.

We moved to Puerto Rico when K was 12 months old, and suddenly he was taking a nap in the mid-afternoon and crashing for the night at 8pm. Just like that. I didn't change anything. He was walking and running and spending every day at the park, the beach, and out in the hot sun, and he was actually needing more sleep.

Imagine that.

Of course, we weren't unschoolers just yet. We were still struggling with our own hang-ups about parenting without authoritarianism. N and I were, essentially, still deschooling ourselves from what we thought represented a 'good' child.

So, I ignored what was probably THE most obvious indication that my child was perfectly capable of deciding his own sleep schedule and became a bit rigid about bedtime and naptime. I won't lie. It was WONDERFUL to KNOW that the baby would be down at 1pm, sleep for two hours, and then go down for the night at 9pm.

But at some point in those next few months, K stopped needing all that extra sleep. It started getting REALLY hard to get him down for a nap. And 'bedtime' became an unbearable battle of wills that left me stressed out and frustrated at the 'wasted' hour of nursing that resulted in nothing but a recharged toddler.

Even as recent as 3 or 4 months ago, I was struggling with my issues regarding K's sleep.

I was more lax. I 'let' him stay up until I saw signs that indicated he was tired and then I would scoop him up and settle down in bed for a long nursing down. Which, often didn't work.

But, for the past two months or so, we've been trying a less stressful approach. N stays up late. He's just a night owl. I stay up mediocre late...about midnight and then I really need to lay down, chill out for a bit, and go to sleep. K varies. Some nights he's asking for milk and stories in the bedroom at 8pm, some nights he stays up until 5am perfectly content. (TOTALLY not kidding!)

So, now, I go to bed when tired. That's just it. I have released whatever last resolve I had about bedtime for K, and I worry about myself. I respect that he's done NOTHING but show me he can choose for himself when he needs to sleep, and I have stepped back.

Nighttime is a LOT less stressful. I play with K without dreading the hour or two of nursing that may or may not get him to sleep or nagging him about whether or not he's tired. N and I have lost some bit of our 'alone' time, but we can still talk and cuddle. N and K get some quality time together that they both enjoy. We all seem a bit more chill.

And, yes. We all sleep late. It's rare that we're all up before 11am, but we are aware of that and make sure not to schedule anything for the morning.

It's not a bad deal.

It's funny how some of the hardest things I've had to do as a parent involve letting go of my own perceptions of what constitutes a childhood, a 'good' parent, and a 'good' child. Sometimes I wonder if K will have a much easier time of raising his children. Will life be more fun and games right from the beginning because he can't remember or imagine any other WAY to raise a child?

This post was part of Unschooling Monday sponsored by Owlet Designs.Make sure to check out the rest of the participating posts!

My Sweet Boy

Thrifting and Eye Color

 N and I stumbled upon an amazing thrift store in downtown San Francisco a few weeks ago. I love thrift stores. There have been MANY times in my life where I simply haven't had much in the way of spare money. Somehow, the vitals are always covered, but those little splurges on clothing, silly trinkets, and useless pretties can sometimes ONLY exist through a local thrift store.

This particular thrift store is HUGE. It advertises that 4,000 NEW items are stocked each day. Needless to say, the children's section is a thrifting dream. Name-brand clothing for less than a dollar. Ridiculous scores all over the place.

We went back two days ago because there also happens to be an amazing Taqueria across the street. We've been having some chilly weather...nothing unusual for the area, but more than K's wardrobe could handle. So, I was on the lookout for some long pants for K and a sweater or two. When I found the skinny cords in K's size...well...what mother could possibly have resisted? And the train sweater? Found by K in a brief moment of interest in his section. 

 It's always so pleasing when I find clothing that just FITS K's personality to the T. It's really hard to spend money on quality children's clothing when we just spend the day at the park. So, I end up buying cheap t-shirts and sweatpants that don't speak to his individualness at all. Not that I particularly CARE what clothes K wears. It's just that it's very satisfying when I watch him pull together an outfit that clearly pleases him and provides him a true outlet for expressing his individuality.

Also, is it just me, or does he look like he's strutting a model pose?

On a side note, K's eyes are changing color. They used to be a stunning blue. EVERY one commented on them because they were SO gorgeous. These days though, they're edging towards a hazel-grey. N and I both have hazel eyes, so blue always seemed a bit odd, but I'm still surprised to see them changing color at 2.5!

A Disappointing Introduction to Birth

K has a little jeep and trailer that, lately, he's been using to cart around Thomas the Train. His imagination has ramped up in the past few months, and he often plays with this particular jeep while narrating some fantastic little scenario. (loudly...because nothing K does is ever quiet) Which, is all very cute  and disarming until he began to narrates something about 'going to the doctor'.

Well, we don't go to the doctor unless it's a rather dire emergency, so I was a bit puzzled at his continual use of 'going to the doctor' as a scenario for using the jeep and cart. When I finally asked him why he was taking Thomas to the doctor, he responded, "Going to the doctor to get a Baby."


*SHOCK!* (Actually, it was more like total stunned silence while I stared at K with complete and utter disbelief...did that REALLY just come out of MY kid?)

I think I actually had to grit my teeth to refrain from saying something bad.

So, after talking a bit more about it, and digging into WHY exactly he thought one need go to a doctor to get a baby, it turned out that the whole concept stemmed from the movie, Babies.

Seriously...THAT movie convinced my kid that we need doctors in order to bring home babies.

*sigh* He liked the Mongolian birth scene because it involved the woman and bundled newborn riding home from the hospital on a motorcycle. Cool right?

It's not that I've kept any information surrounding birth 'secret' from K, it's just that he's TWO. So, his exposure is along the lines of Big Belly+_____=Baby. Apparently, the blank has now been satisfied by 'doctor' because it all involves the use of an awesomely loud motorcycle.

....

This is all very alarming to me because it's just not how I or N view birth. I don't believe that birth has any place inside a medical establishment outside of life-threatening emergency situations. I think it's a natural bodily process that does not require the 'assistance' of a doctor. (outside of a few emergency situations)

I readily support midwives, doulas, homebirth, and unassisted births and pregnancies.

This is the exposure I want my son to have. It's sad to think that showing him one beautiful movie has already presented birth to him in a way that is just false.

I'm sure his view of things will change as he grows older and his exposure increases, but for now, I'm on the hunt for any and all picture books that illustrate homebirth...or midwifery...or doula work. Any suggestions?

Thinking on the Season

It's a chilly, rainy 58 degrees here...in June. I love the bay area, but with the official beginning of summer just a few days away, I'm wondering when it will start to feel 'proper'. There's no end to delicious summer food fare, tomatoes, watermelons, cuts of meat that just cry out for a good grilling, and, yet, I'm always with a sweater.

I'm originally from the  South, where summer means cicadas, burnt grass, days at the beach, grilling every night, and long steamy nights rocking on the front porch. I always miss it around this time of year because, outside of the mid-south region, there's just no replacement.

We've lived in so many places by now, that it's impossible to keep track without having a long think, but I'm fairly positive that there's no place I more enjoyed summer than back in my home state. There's just something about it that cries out to me once summer comes upon us. Something that is just innately different from everywhere else we've ever lived...or passed through. Strange that one particular season of the year (that, honestly, I didn't really think was my favorite) calls up so many fond associations. And, no, it doesn't have anything to do with school, and breaks, or family...or anything LIKE that. (we were homeschooled, and I have a non-existent adult relationship with my family) It's more the smells of summer nights, the way the cicadas hummed so noisily, and the burnt brown of a dried up earth. Strange.

Here, summer means, lighter sweaters than ordinary, and the occasional sun-dress, heated outdoor pools, and trips to the zoo where no one breaks a sweat.

 It's all very different.

It might have something to do with how N and I met. We were both working at a summer camp. It was love at second sighting (no seriously...I rather disliked him at first introductions) We were outdoors the entire summer and maybe there's some sort of association with those smells, and colors, and the HEAT, and our love for each other.

Or, maybe, my home state isn't as dowdy as I once thought it. Perhaps it really is one of a kind.

Breaking Glass

First, the cute little child with a 'perfect-sized' GLASS drinking cup enjoying a nice little snack.

Nevermind how many times I explained that one might want to be careful with their drinking glass...(100 gazillion!) that's unimportant. Just know that the glass was indeed dropped and shattered into BILLIONS of teeny, tiny, incredibly sharp, bits.

(that's about HALF the pieces)

This is all blog-worthy in the first place because, honestly, it's mind-BOGGLING how a glass would ever manage to break like that. 

I've always given K sips out of our own glasses, so when he started holding his own cups, I naturally offered him whatever we had around. And, mostly, that meant cups made of...well...glass. We even use glass jars as water bottles. So, we've had our fair share of breakage, but NOTHING like this explosive shattering! 

And, did you catch sight of that floor....yeah...it took a good hour to find all the foot-scratching shards and pick them up. Piece-by-piece. 

New Home

After two months of staying in an Extended Stay, after our (slightly) harrowing move from New Hampshire, we've finally taken a rental in our most desired East Bay location. I don't know how many of you really utilize craigslist to its full potential, but N and I have exclusively relied upon Craigslist for the past 2.5 years to supply us with our housing, and, really, it has yet to fail.

We travel a lot. I'm not sure if that will ever change, but at this point in our lives, it's almost an expectation. We EXPECT that we'll grow dissatisfied with our 'home' within a few months, so we stalk craigslist. We have cities in mind, and we scan the craigslist ads for furnished rentals until something extraordinary comes available.Then, we pack everything we own in a few suitcases and move on to some new adventure. Our hope is that someday we'll find "home" whatever that means.

 Our latest find, couldn't have come available at a better moment. After two months of looking, it seemed as though nothing reasonable was ever going to come available. Las Vegas was becoming a stronger and stronger possibility as the time to recommit to Extended Stay approached. And then, we found the most adorable little in-law cottage right next door to a few of our favorite parks.

Well, actually, it's two cottages adjoined by an outdoor patio. One cottage is a bedroom/office combo, while the other serves as a living room, bathroom, kitchen. It's a crazy layout, but absolutely enviable for a Northern California summer. We just leave all the doors open, and K runs wild between the two cottages literally squealing with the excitement of such freedom.

It's just plain relieving to be back to what resembles 'normal' for us, but mostly, I'm relieved to have a working oven. After seven months with just a hotplate in Hawaii, I consider myself a fairly inventive cook with skillet meals, but I'm looking forward to a few roast chickens!

Peers

We met up with an old friend and her 2 year old daughter today, and it was just wonderful to see the two kids interacting so happily together. I almost wonder if they remembered each other even though it's been nearly a year since their last playdate. The fact that K kissed her full on the lips as we said good-bye might be a sign that he favors her company ;-)

These days, K doesn't do to well with kids his own age. I'm not really sure what the hang-up is, but it really seems as though he just can't stand to deal with his own age group. Is that a real thing?

He's SO happy to play with older boys and girls, and all the little sharing issues, and squabbles over who can do what with what that manifest themselves among his peers seem to disappear the moment he finds an older child to play with. He actively engages the older children (ages 4-6) in games of chase and tag, and he'll happily play the role of a baby for the older girls who want to play 'house'. It's super cute, but also a little odd.

I think his preference is so strong towards older children because they lack the 'hovering' parent. They tend to run wild over the playgrounds and engage in imaginative play that doesn't have room for a shadowing adult. So, maybe they seem more free and fun? His age group always seems to be encumbered by an anxious caretaker who steps in the moment one child seems displeased with another. It's frustrating to watch because I, obviously, hold the stance that children (especially those in, roughly, the same age group!) are nine times out of ten, perfectly capable of working out their differences without the assistance of an adult. But, it seems that's a minority viewpoint.

Of course, I might feel differently if my kid didn't know HOW to stand up for himself! A vital skill that is seemingly crushed by mainstream parenting. When did speaking your own mind, and refusing to allow another child to take a thing physically from your hand become punishable behavior! Why do we think that children will learn to share and work together peacefully if they are never allowed the opportunity to discover the benefits of these interactions themselves...and PARTICULARLY in comparison with anti-sharing and fighting...something that's simply not allowed for most children.

Gender Issues

So, N and I have been having all sorts of weird discussions lately because of this article. Basically, the parents of a, now-4 month old, baby have decided to keep its gender a secret so that the child might be raised gender neutral until such time as it chooses to claim some sort of gender.

Gender issues are really not my thing.

I know that they are important, and I certainly believe that a person ought to be able to express themselves in whatever manner they choose, but beyond that, I'll be honest and admit that I really just don't have an opinion.

BUT, this article has led to some interesting discussions. I don't think we ever really pressured K into claiming that he is a boy, but he will assure us at least two or three times a day that he is, "a Big Boy." And, ordinarily, that wouldn't bother me, because as his genitals will tell, he is in fact male...and we call male children boys, so...there. Except that lots of people believe that society has assumed stereotypes of male and female that, maybe USED to be true (so you could associate masculine traits with Male and more feminine traits with Female) but are no longer necessarily applicable. And, some go so far as to call this a damaging part of our society that really ought to be given more consideration...particularly when raising children.

K has long hair...and he doesn't want me to cut it. He likes his hair, he calls it both "pretty" and "neat". He occasionally wears it up high in a pony tail. For this, he gets mistaken as a girl. It really doesn't matter how much his clothes scream BOY!! it's the hair that fools everyone. In fact, it's such a common mistake, that I don't even bother to correct people anymore unless I'm truly engaging them in a meaningful conversation or intend to see them again. K really doesn't mind.

K has been asking for a 'princess dress' by which he means any dress with a twirly skirt. I haven't exactly been REFUSING to purchase one for him, but I have gone out of my way to distract him from his interest whenever I notice him admiring the clothing in the girl section. I've been feeling a bit guilty about it because I really and truly am not bothered by him wearing a dress. But, I dread all the talk among the regulars at the parks we frequent...the ones who know that my child is a boy.

But, now, this article has had me reconsidering my dread about putting K in a dress of his choosing. And, if he wanders over to the girly side and requests a "beautiful princess dress" again, I probably will get it for him. And, if he wants to wear it to the park, well, then, by all means. After all, whoever really decided that dresses are 'just for girls'?

Idk, it's a weird thing because it's one of those topics that I just don't have much of an opinion on outside of, "do whatever you want so long as it doesn't hurt me".

It leaves me fairly passive.

If K ends up gay, or bi, or transgender, or whatever, I really just won't care. I'll still love my baby just for being. I teach him to respect all sexes, all gender associations, and to recognize the marketing that DOES target gender specifics...but I don't think I'm behind the whole disassociating him altogether from his sexual gender.

What do you think?

Of Slides

 We finally made it back out to a park after nearly a week of being shut indoors thanks to this VILE virus that's left us all a bit weak and sniffly. K seems to be completely well while N and I are still struggling just to throw clothes on in the morning. But, sitting on a bench at the park with a bag full of oranges (gotta LOVE that Vitamin C!!!) admiring my strong little boy might have been just the cure.

Perhaps it's all the close space of living in a studio while sick, or maybe it's sure feeling that we'll be sticking around...for a little while...but whatever the case, we have finally begun to look for an apartment. We're fairly particular this go around. We have a certain area in mind, a certain proximity of nearness to public transportation and a favorite park, and an awareness that this will all lend to a lengthy search. It's alright though...the weather is gorgeous, I'm happy enough spending my days at the park, and N is enjoying the live poker scene. We're busy, we're happy, we're back to building up our nest egg, and wishing for more living space seems silly in the face of all that goodness. 

While at the park, I had a bit of a run-in with two mothers who seemed a bit freaked by K's rambunctious use of one of the slides. To be fair, he was sending a plastic replica toy lawnmower down the slide, BUT we were loudly announcing our intentions, and I was keeping a keen eye out for anyone who might get hurt by K's experiment. One little kid came over and 'tattled' on me to his father and announced "Nothing down the Slide!" Apparently, these women were weirded out that I would allow my kid to DO such a thing in the first place, so they stood around loudly saying things like, "YES...that WOULD be a good rule." or "Maybe he doesn't KNOW that's a good rule."

*sigh*

So I stood around saying things like, "Do you want to do it again, K?"

*giggle*

Until FINALLY, this nice dad stepped in and said to both the women AND the little boy who was rather appalled by the whole thing...that "...it might be a good rule to watch out for YOURSELF."

*heheheee*

Seriously people...sending things safely down a slide is NOT going to kill anyone...or hurt anyone...or illustrate some example of astonishing recklessness that will forever scar your child.

Waiting For the Train

 Lately, K has become obsessed with trains. I blame our near exclusive usage of the BART, but whatever the cause, trains have become the most interesting thing since the ABC's to visit our home. So, we expanded K's train set quite a bit, rummaged through some knock-off stores for a few of those ever-popular Thomas trains, and showed K the Amtrack rails that pass right behind our home.

He's fascinated each and every time we ride the BART, and keeps pestering us to ride the Amtrack. It's super cute to watch, and I'm thankful that he's so calm about all the waiting that goes along with public transportation, but I wish there was a better way to expose him to a more future-oriented technology...like spaceships...or robots...or something that might actually still BE around when he's an adult. I mean, trains seem a bit...old-fashioned.

In any case, I'm hoping this all goes away very soon. I'm not into trains...they're awesome when they get me from place to place, but beyond relying on them as a means of transportation, I really have no interest. It's sort of boring. I'm happy to facilitate K's obsession, but I do hope we move on to something more entertaining (FOR ME) soon.

A Toddler Moment

Today, when we woke up, K loudly stated that he was going to "Go pee in my hole in my potty seat!". To which, dazedly nodded my head (it was early). 

As he scrambled out of bed, he pointed directly at me and commanded, "YOU! Go clean kitchen.". 

Is he serious?! I swear, it wasn't THAT dirty.

Where Do Babies Come From

Last night, I asked K where babies come from. After much thought, he replied that they lived on a BIG mountain with a monster. When I asked if the babies were scared, K very seriously answered that they were not, but that they still ran REALLY fast down the mountain to their Mommies.

Interesting...

Toddler Friends

K has begun to grasp the idea of 'friend', and he's been making N and I feel a bit guilty because, frankly, he doesn't HAVE any little friends. He plays with tons of kids whenever we go to the parks, or...anywhere really, which is all good and fine, but it's not the same as a consistent playmate. I don't want to pick his friends for him, but it's INCREDIBLY hard to make playdates when all I have to go by is a few passing words with the mother or father of a little kid he's happened to play nicely with at the park. Maybe I'm just not as forward as I could be, but I always seem to "miss" my chance at arranging a playdate, or K suddenly decides that he hates the little boy or girl he's been playing SO nicely with just five minutes before.

So, I decided that it might help if we got ourselves on more a consistent schedule of whereabouts. As it is, I decide where we'll go each day literally as we walk out the door. That way, I can judge K's temperament for the day, my own preference, the weather, ect...before making anything like a plan. Which, is all fine and good, but means that we're not very consistent at running into the same playmates at the park.

But, that's REALLY HARD. The East Bay area is SO huge, and SO wonderful, and SO much fun to explore that I just can't seem to commit myself to any one area of it.

So, then, I decided that I'd try committing to two storytimes a week that are supposed to be WONDERFUL for kids K's age and super conducive to meeting other parents in a more conversational atmosphere. BUT, it turns out that K has developed an avid hatred for all things pertaining to storytime. The moment I say the word 'storytime', he literally begins to sulk and scream, "Maybe I don't LIKE storytime!".

We got up SUPER early (for us) this past Tuesday to make it to a storytime that I was SURE he would love. It's run by a really fun Dad, involves LOTS of singing, and is filled with 30 or so kids all roughly K's age in a great little neighborhood. While all the other little kids sang songs, listened to stories, and played with toys in a back room designated for storytime, my kid sat in the children's area playing with a puzzle absolutely SCREAMING anytime I mentioned checking out the storytime. *SIGH*

Needless to say, we left once he was done with the puzzle, and I think I'll be forgetting about storytimes for quite a while.

Actually, though, I think his problem with storytimes is the whole stuck in a room thing. He's VERY into open space and free expression right now, and I think that anything structured is just not going to appeal to him for a little while. Which, is fine. It just might make finding a 'friend' a bit harder.

But, as I mentioned to N, clearly he's not THAT desperate for a special playmate or else he would have run right in to a room filled with little toddlers singing songs and dancing!

*A side note here for grandma ;-), We did make playdate arrangements with a little girl we met at the local unschooling group, and I DID catch up with an old friend of ours from our last trip down this way, and we should be playing with her and her little girl sometime next week. Fingers crossed that K still adores this little girl! 

A Day At the Park

As I mentioned before, K and I are choosing to spend most of the day out and about. We leave a little before noon, and with public transportation delays, generally end up wherever we're exploring by half past. We stay out until the high traffic of rush hour is over. So, a lot of time in the sun. Which is great except that we're both burnt a bright red because the weather here in N. California has been to die for stunning as of late. I actually received most of my burn from just an hour spent by the beach!

Today, we took a longer train ride than normal, and went to one of my favorite little villages that has a truly amazing little park. It's got a great water feature, perfect for these hot days, and some lovely shade for us Mamas. At K's request, I sat in the shade with our picnic and knit for...hours.

As for K, well, I don't think he stopped playing longer than it took to shove a mouthful of popcorn or a forkful of strawberry into his mouth.

It's wonderful to have such an independent little man. Not that he's anti-social. Quite the opposite. It's just that if there are children at the park, then K wants nothing further from me, than my passive and unintrusive observation. He prefers to play rambunctiously with older boys, but occasionally, he'll sit for a few moments with another adult and initiate a serious conversation. These normally begin along the lines of, "That's a train." or "That's my Mommy." or "I'm K___". Always cute to overhear, these (sometimes longwinded and intricate) conversations always seem to catch the 'chosen' adult off-guard. They inevitably look around with a baffled look as though to ask permission from me to carry on a conversation. Or, maybe, they're asking me to please come take my kid away and give them back their quiet! lol.

Real Life

I've been hit with the worst stomach bug in my knowledge of stomach bugs. It's been ridiculous. Vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, fever, the whole 9 yards. It struck late in the night on Saturday (thankfully right after N had returned home from the casino AND I had gotten K to bed) and has kept me fairly miserable ever since...present included. The worst of it does seem to have passed, but I'm still weary of straying too far from a toilet...gross.

Naturally, N seems to have come down with some version of my illness...pretty much from the moment I became sick, so poor K has been stuck at home for longer than I care to remember. Normally, we're out the door at noon and spend hours at the local parks, museums, ect... so that we're not home again until 6 or 7! So, today I ventured out to a local indoor play space that's only a short bus ride away...maybe it's all the ginger tea I drank before going out, or maybe it's just the 'newness' of getting out of the house, but I felt well enough to do some grocery shopping and swing by the IKEA before heading home.

Since we're still living out of an extended stay hotel (and will for the next month or so), space has been a bit...smothering? Yes, we're a good family...good dynamics, lots of love and respect, but all of us seem to be a bit short tempered and the limited space available in a hotel Studio can drive one bananas. K is two, with all the energy and LOUDNESS that entails. Additionally, he doesn't go to bed before (gasp!) midnight. So, we've been toying with ways to give K his own space and things to keep himself entertained during the later hours of the evening when I just CAN'T mother with the same empathy and consideration as earlier in the day.  I found a tent...a cheap little $10 IKEA tent with lots of room for a curious little boy.

As I write this post, my little one is hopping around his tent pretending to be a frog...complete with "ribbets". He's pulled his train track inside and refuses to allow the motorized Thomas train engine to 'escape'. Whenever such an attempt is made by the brave Thomas, he is met with an instant attack of toddler frustration and a resounding "No Thomas!" that would cause the most dedicated escapee to reconsider.

It's a pretty sweet show.