Oh. My. Stars.

While we are discussing milestones....

We survived another one around here today.

Today, I witnessed my two-year-old tumbling and bumbling down an entire flight of uncarpeted stairs. It was h.o.r.r.i.f.i.c.

She's fine. I was not!!

In case it's of interest to ANYONE else out there, here is how to survive if your toddler takes a skid down the stairs. :)

What To Do
The one thing you shouldn’t do when your child falls down the stairs is scream, “OH NOOO, OH NOOOOOO!!!, JENNIFER FELL DOWN THE STAIRS!!! OH N.O.O.!!! JENNIFERRRRR!!! Even if your daughter’s name is not Jennifer.

Freaking out like that WILL NOT help the situation.

Scene Survey
As you are running to your child take note of the following:

• Is your child crying?
• Is your child moving?
• Is your child bleeding?

If the answers are yes, yes, and no, then that’s great.

Is your child crying?
Your child should cry after falling down a flight of stairs. Crying means that they are conscious and alert. Hopefully, there’s no serious head injury other than a bump on the head.

Is your child moving?
If your child is moving or can move their arms and legs then we can almost rule out any spinal injury.

Is your child bleeding?
It’s obviously a good thing if there is no external bleeding. If you see blood then chances are likely that they are bleeding from either their nose or mouth. The bleeding would probably be minor.

Examining Your Child
Once you reach your child its important to try to remain calm. Your child may be screaming but its important to examine them properly.

Here’s what you should look for:

• Injury to the head, neck, arms, legs
• If they can move
• If they can feel you touching their hands and legs

It’s good to start by asking your child where it hurts. If they tell you that their head hurts then gently feel their head for any obvious injury and bleeding. A bump is common and is generally no need for concern. If they aren’t complaining of any pain in the arms and legs then chances are they have no injury there. If they do complain of pain to either their arms or legs you can easily examine them for possible fractures by following the directions in this past post.

If you are neurotic and still concerned that your child suffered a more serious injury then you could examine their neck as well. Simply feel along the back of their neck for any obvious deformity. If you are not sure what to feel for then feel the back of your own neck to get an idea of what feels normal. After you’ve examined their neck you could ask them to move their arms and legs for you. You could then touch their feet and ask them if they can feel your touch.

Once you’ve determined that except for a few bumps and bruises your child is fine you could then decide if you want to take them to the doctor for further examination.

Like I mentioned before, chances are slim that your child suffered a serious injury from falling down the stairs. The worst thing you could do in this situation is overreact.

As I was holding Sweet K (and freaking out like a maniac!!), I realized - I've never had to be the responsible one in a situation like this before. What do I do!? What do I DOOOO!?

For some reason, unbeknownst to me, they make you pass tests before driving a car, but nothing is required of you before you handle the most precious gift of all!!!

So I came home, calmed down (sorta - that actually took quite some time!!), called my doctor. Oh yeah. And googled "what to do if your child falls down the stairs." Voila. The miracle of the WWW.

I do need to add at this point that Honorable Mention goes to my friend Pearl, who was by my side throughout the ordeal, and has called me twice to make sure that I am okay (based on our observations, Sweet K was going to be just fine), oh yeah and popped by just to drop off my (prescription!!) sunglasses that I'd left behind in my haste to get home and contact my doctor. I also need to add that this is the same friend that arrived with our 9-1-1 call, just in time to take Little M downstairs while I delivered Sweet K upstairs on the bathroom floor. I am so glad that she'd had her three kids already. I'm not sure she'd want to give it a whirl after that :P.

Life is full of moments. Some of them you just gotta breathe through!!

Information from www.husbandhood.net

Survivor: Motherhood!

Well, it's the survival of the fittest around here some days! Every day it's game on - as we tackle the days together -- with a four year old pooch, three year feisty gal, and two year old sweet-but-teething toddler!

Outwit!

Reverse psychology is far trickier than it first seems :). Little M is quick to catch on when she thinks the wool is being pulled over her eyes. But ahhhh, Mommy can be sneaky too! Like when I get her to agree to something because it is "her idea." Or when I can get Little K motivated to do her development exercises because "they are so much fun"!  

Outplay!

They usually beat me on this one - however, every so often I experience a precious burst of energy and we run and wrestle and tackle on the floor before bedtime. Snack is usually a little later, but the laughter, the shrieks and the sweet sleep is so worth it!!

Outlast!

These kids have more energy than the annoying pink battery bunny, but this mommy has learned the power and beauty of the 20-minute snooze.

And the best part - no one ever gets voted off this island AND, on the days when they've stumped me on all the challenges, there is always tomorrow to try again!!

Caution: Gardening with Kids!

   

   

Kids should come with a warning label.

Such as - warning - we will say all sorts  of interesting things at all sorts of times. Loud enough for the neighbors to hear. In church. During prayer time. We will also repeat all sorts of things out of context. 

Since they don't come with the label attached, I've decided to try to remain... flexible.

Wednesday was a glorious sunshiney morning around here. The birds were singing. The breeze was just a breeze and not a prairie gale-force wind. All was well with the world. Insert song: Louis Armstrong's What A Wonderful World.

A kind friend had borrowed me her tiller and the girls and I had all sorts of fun prepping the garden for our veggies. 

And then, as I am yanking a few large weeds from the garden bed and tossing them aside I hear THIS from across the back yard...

Little M says (with a great amount of concern AND authority)...

Mommy. Your b.u.m. is bigger than the tiller!!

Well. 

Sigh.

Stop the music. Stop the birds.

Such is gardening with kids!

I swear they're gonna give me a complex yet!!!

The end of the day - the end of the "work week"!

I don't think a mamma's work week is every at an "end" - however, there is something about Friday that makes me feel like a "week-end" is in order.

Don't we get to sleep in on Saturdays!? :)

Well, enough about that.

Yesterday Little M made me laugh so hard I thought I was gonna bust. There are a few --- song lines --- that my mother used to sing when I was little. And you know that famous saying that "you're gonna sound just like your mother..." 

And it's true. :)

My mom used to always sing the line "I fall to peeeee-ceeeees" from Patsy Cline. I have no idea why she would sing that particular line, considering she had 4 kids under the age of 8 and we were all highly active, chatty, curious little things :).

Well, yesterday, I had a delightful, raging headache as a result of a "nap" that was actually 4 interruptions in a matter of 15 minutes. Some how, for some reason, I started singing the line from this song.

Little M looks at me and asks why my head was going to fall off.

I looked back and asked would my head fall off?

Because - says she - you said you were falling to pieces.

Ba-dum-bum. 

There ya have it. Humor from our household.

O You, Mighty Little Earthworm!

With all the squeals of delight around here, you'd think it's Christmas ... or Birthday ... or someone bringing loads of candy. Or something.

Nope. Around here, all this excitement comes from the discovery of the ever-lovely EARTH WORM.

Ewww. Is all I can say.

I've been asked all sorts of questions about these squirmy little creations. Like...

Do earth worms have teeth?

What do earth worms eat?

Where do they live?

Why are they all brown and crunchy on our garage floor?

Uh. Biology and dissection seems like a reallllly long time ago (which is a good thing, I am thinking!) so here I am, online, seeking out real answers for my 3-year-old who not only asks good questions, but also has a fabulous memory (and I am motivated by the shudder of the thought of misinforming her, and then her sharing that misinformation with a classroom of kids 5-6 years down the line, and then all of them laughing hysterically over her less-than-educated mother!).

IN FACT, earth worms don't have teeth. Which is a GOOD THING TO KNOW if you are picking up an earth worm with your bare hands (which I d.o.  n.o.t.). It munches its food by sucking it in like a vacuum cleaner (great, so I may not get bit, but I might get a little hickey mark on my hand!).

What does it eat? Wellll, these are efficient little critters, eating - well, pretty much anything they can suck in! Not just dirt (which I told Little M), but garbage, poop and the like. Tasty. They eat pretty much non-stop too. Lovely.

Earth worms live in dirt (mostly!). They are found all over the world, and in a variety of habitats (soil, obviously, but also logs and bogs).

As for death and the cause of the dry crunchy worm, we've saved those conversations for another day, and I just say that the worm ran out of water so he's pretty dried up.

Also good to note (for when you realllly want to impress your youngsters!!) 

 - Earth worms have no lungs. They absorb oxygen through their system.

 - Earth worms produce their very own antifreeze. They curl up in a knot, produce their own antifreeze and voila! They sleep through winter!

 - They can make enough poop in one day to be the equivalent of their body weight!

 - Don't even get into the reproductive conversation. It's a little ... ewww. 

There you have it. Another example of  God's might fine creation at work. Fascinating, providing hours of endless entertainment, and something I don't dare touch without gloves. Or a lonnnnnng stick.

Thanks to Worm Watch for the abundant source of information!!

10 Cent Makeovers :)

Hmmm. Make overs. I envision pampering, spas, hair over-haul and special skin treatments.

But we'll have to save that dream for another day!

Thanks to garage sale wonders, Auntie R and the value of a dime :), Little M got her first make up kit EVER! And she couldn't WAIT to practice. Blue and purple eye shadow, way up into the eye brows. And blush blush blush everywhere.

I have not worn blush since grade seven and that terrible day that one of the grade EIGHT girls smirked, then sneered then asked me if I did my own blush that morning. Yes, I had, which I thought was fine, until I could hear her snickering behind me. After that, no more blush even to this day!! :) 

But this weekend I wore more blush than you can shake a make-up stick at. Even forgot to remove the lovely powder when I ran uptown to grab a movie - thankfully it had faded some by then! And it is so fun to have my little one bending down and carefully applying the different shades. Always entertaining to see what she'll come up with next!

Ordinary Miracle Today

Child development is a per.snick.ity issue. Nothing like the words "normal" or "delayed" or "slow" or "future unknown" to get this mother hen's feathers (completely, utterly, fantastically!) ruffled.

HOWEVER. I am learning learning learning about the beauty of this journey. Things with Sweet K are moving along quite well, actually, and maybe that makes this so much easier (it does). Yet I have the opportunity to see the miraculous unfolding of learning that most of us take for granted because a) it comes more naturally, b) it comes quicker and c) we're never taught to SEE those incremental - yet just as incredible - building blocks of wonder.

When Sweet K was about 3 months old, I heard Sarah McLachlan's Ordinary Miracle for the first time. It struck such a chord in me. The first time I'd smiled, or hoped, or laughed in months.

In church we will be celebrating Child Dedication (May 24), and I contemplate why I want to participate in this occasion. It is my view that children are a precious gift from God, shared with us for a variety of reasons. And it is my desire to nurture and delight and love and learn alongside, and hold that gift with open hands before the One who created her.

Tiny Fashionistas!

Up front, one of my greatest strengths is NOT fashion. Never has been, never will be. When I shop smart, I usually take someone else with me. Saves time, money and tears!

Consequently, I am letting my little darlings experiment with fashion early in life. I figure a) they can start to get it out of their system now (rather than dressing in all black and looking kinda mopey all the time!) and b) it's easier than dealing with tattoos, piercings and funky hair styles (oh my - that fun that is yet to come!)

Here are a few trends that have been spotted around our house lately:

FYI - those fancy little leg warmers actually belonged

to my CABBAGE PATCH DOLL back in the day!

Oh, and there are actually MATCHING partners for those fancy little numbers :).

Really, which gal doesn't LONG FOR a pair of

tight pink hot-pants to lounge around in :)?

Life's Learning Curve

It's been building for a while, this action-reaction cycle between Little M and myself. It's been exhausting trying to sort out the best way to meet my three-year-old where she is at and teach her the more... ahem... appropriate ways of speaking to others (mainly her mother, who birthed her into this world and was sure we had a good TEN YEARS yet before dealing with some of this stuff!) :).

As I took a step back, I stopped asking myself what do I do NOW!? and started asking...

What is she trying to tell me?

What is causing these power struggles to begin with?

Where is her tender little heart at right now?

The answer became clear - I need to learn, again, to let go and give her room to explore her independence; to offer her choices so she can continue to learn to make good decisions. To stay firm, but calm, and allow some of these things to become opportunities for u.n.d.e.r.s.t.a.n.d.i.n.g.

Letting go. It starts so soon (too soon!!), it seems! But the beautiful thing is - the more safe space I release for her to grow into, the more she blossoms.

Fun surprises!

The other day one of my sistas sent over a very fun email....

Here is a toddler bed

In the shape of a house

FREE for the taking!!

WOW! We seized the opportunity and low and behold...

Little M and her brand new-to-us bed!

Ain't it grand :)!?

Charmed, I'm sure...

This week's craft project was a one-dollar-wonder from Dollarama. Ohhhh, Dollarama. The mecca of all earthly $1 treasures. Our last visit proved to be very productive, and we acquired all sorts of useful $1 do-dads like scrapbooking embellishments, NERDS, stickers AND of course - these lovely wonders...

For those of you who appreciate the Shrinky Dinks phenomenon of the 70s and 80s, you will adore these little charms. So fun, so easy, even with a 3-year-old. Color to your hearts content, let mama do the cutting and oven-work, and watch these little creatures curl up, turn around, shrink, flatten out and VOILA! Customized charms for all your toddler-related jewelry! 

So fun, I can't wait to go back to Dollarama to get more! Because I'm thinking - these would work GREAT in K's scrapbook! However, I feel like it is my personal responsibility to mention that Dollarama may be crossing over to the dark side. On my last visit, I noticed some strategically placed signs indicating that "items may be 1.25 or 1.50 or even 2.00"!!! Shame.

On a cheerier note, you just gotta love this sign-off from the head hancho over at Shrinky Dinks!

Shrinkingly Yours,

Betty Morris 
Originator of SHRINKY DINKS
President, Optimist & Determined to encourage CREATIVITY! 

How's that for spunky!!

PomPom Folly

I'm not sure what possessed me...
Was it the glimmering $2.50 walmart price tag?
Was it an eager attempt to bond with my daughters over "crafting"?
Was it madness?

I'm still not sure.

Whatever the motivation, we had a pompom craft factory happenin' over here yesterday morning. Valentines Day crafts. Between the glue gun, the young one pulling on my pants trying to eat the cord, and the older one thrilled because she actually got to sit on the table (consequently a few key pieces were missing!), I'm actually surprised we got all three critters done without superglueing anyone to the floor!

It was an exercise in ... ahem ... patience, to be sure (there's - or mine!?).

Here are our delightful Valentines gifts, all ready to be shared.

As you can no doubt tell, I'm not a stellar photographer. Bear with me. I'm a mom with a digital camera, but I'm shameless in my thousands attempts of learning how to use it! 

The Law of Unintended Consequences

According to Wikipedia, the Law of Unintended Consequences goes somethin' like this :) ---

Unintended Consequences are outcomes that are not (or not limited to) the results originally intended in a particular situation. The unintended results may be foreseen or unforeseen, but they should be the logical or likely results of the action. They can be grouped into roughly three types:

 - a positive unexpected benefit usually referred to as serendipity or windfall? - a negative or perverse effect, that may be contrary to what was originally intended? - a potential source of problems.

This maxim is not a scientific law; it is more a warning against the hubristic belief that humans can fully control the world around them. Stated in other words, each cause has more than one effect, and these effects will invariably include at least one unforeseen side effect. The unintended side effect can potentially be more significant than any of the intended effects.

Possible causes of unintended consequences include the world's inherent complexity (parts of a system responding to changes in the environment), perverse incentives, human stupidity, self-deception or other cognitive or emotional biases.

Robert K. Merton listed five possible causes of unanticipated consequences:? - ignorance (it is impossible to anticipate everything, thereby leading to incomplete analysis)? - error (incorrect analysis of the problem or following habits that worked in the past but may not apply to the current situation)? - immediate interest, which may override long-term interests? - basic values may require or prohibit certain actions even if the long-term result may be unfavorable (these long-term consequences may eventually cause change in basic values)? - self-defeating prophecy (fear of some consequences drives people to find solutions before the problem occurs, thus the non-occurrence of the problem is unanticipated)

?I can assure you, none of this was going through my mind when we purchased ... the scooter.

 

Here, I thought we were selecting a toy used for basic motor skills, and some one-year-old fun.

But no. It was another case of the LOUC in full swing. Imagine that 5 o'clock witching hour (those of you with kids just shuddered, I know) when another rousing round of BAM! ensues.

?What's BAM! you might ask? 

It's this pretty little bad boy...?

?being driven into the kitchen cupboards (and table and walls!) by this little sweet thing....?

?Whilst shouting BAM! at the top of her lungs.

I claim stupidity!!

The sweetest words...

Me - "I love you, babes."

Little M - "I love YOU, babes."

And settling in for a Saturday rest.

Ahhhhhh.

Say it ain't so.

One of the joys - and .... challenges  - of living with a chatter box is the unending amazement at what little M will say next. Really. Some of the things that come out of that little person truly astound me. They make my laugh; they make me think.

This Hallowe'en, we had the opportunity to have "Walter the Jack-O-Lantern" sitting on our table. With Oct. 31 come and gone, it was time to move an old and somewhat moldy Walter to his new and rightful home - the garage. Little M was dismayed with this, but after showing her his lovely green-and-black-collage insides, she agreed - it was time for ole Wally to go. Fast forward. We are sitting at the table, enjoying our gals-only lunchtime banter. I made some unusual sound (which, for me, is not often so unusual ), and Little M asked me what was wrong. Uh - I say - I am getting old. In her sweet 2.75 year old way, she asked, in all seriousness -are you going to get moldy too? Arrrgh.

One day, wilst sitting at the aforementioned lunch table, Sweet K was giving her mama a hard time over her lunchtime menu. Little M asks what is wrong. Your sister - I say - is not cooperating. To which she replies - Why am I not surprised. !!!

On a less-than-stellar day - and I have those more often than I care to admit - I was showing my frustration over some of Little M's theatrical antics. She was lying on the floor, on the narrow path between the kitchen and the dining room table. Mommy, are you mad. No. Are you sad? NO. Are you happy with K? Yes. But are you frustrated with meeeeee? Not anymore .

Mommy, are you talking to me or to yourself? Funny thing - I was talking to myself!

After a long day, I actually made it to the TV. Hey - when that's all the way downstairs, and you're not even sure there's anything good on (we're the only people probably left in North America that don't subscribe to cable OR satellite, but we honestly don't feel like we're deprived!!) - that can feel like an accomplishment. It had been alllll quiet when I left upstairs, but when I turned on the monitor, I could here Little M quietly singing to herself - A waaaay in a maaanger noooo crib for a bed. The little Lord Jesus lay down His sweet heeeeead..." I tell ya, the sweet singing of a toddler can cure just about anything!

Little M's feisty spirit gets her into trouble sometimes. Especially these days, when we're focusing on kindness towards others (especially mommy!) and sharing (especially with sister!). But I love her vim and vigor. It challenges me, teaches me, humbles me. Every day is a day of learning!

Was it only three years ago....

Back on December 21, before the rest of the mayhem of December unfolded, we celebrated M's THIRD birthday! Officially she's no longer a toddler, and in actuality has been a "little girl" for quite some time. Mature for her age, she keeps us entertained with her non-stop chatter and challenged with her ... passionate expressions :). I may have mentioned those before!

But, on Friday, December 19, we hosted her first "friends" birthday party! What fun we had :). As a result of time spent at Sea World, M wanted a DOLPHIN BIRTHDAY PARTY. A quick search of the internet reveals some pretty elaborate festivities! Since I lost my shopping list, since Dollarama was closed (thanks a BUNCH!), and since I didn't want to staple yards upon yards of blue fabric to my walls (yes, some people do that for a dolphin birthday party!!!), I had to be ... innovative. Creative. And quick about it, too!!

Here we are, getting ready for the par-tee! Baking buns (whoever said that many hands makes light work has not worked with kids in the kitchen!!), the mobile from our light fixture and the pretty blue table cloth that Daddy had to pick out (since Dollarama was closed and all!!)

And the cake. Oh the dolphin cake.

Everything has to have a story, right!? Well, it is Thursday night before the party. And time to decorate the cake. And time to finish the laundry and pack the bags to Las Vegas and get the kids in bed and get the house ready for the morning. When, in our balmy MB -40 climate - our furnace breaks. Yup. Stops pumping heat. Quits. Finished. So, whilst placing an emergency call to MB Hydro, I am decorating M's bday cake. Thankfully, I had crafted the sugar-cookie dolphins earlier in the day!! It was a flurry of icing sugar and food coloring, but I finally got it done.

Oh, and the furnace was repaired - but only the NEXT DAY! Thanks GOODNESS for space heaters!!

Right from the get-go, M has been a fire cracker! Wow. There's no wake-up call like that infant crying from the back seat on the way home from the hospital! Somehow, we found our way through those early months, and pretty soon new became manageable,manageable became normal, and normal became -

enjoyable ! She has brought so much joy (and a few tears!!) to our hearts! What a spunky little gal!

Little M - you are such a GOOF! Our lives are so much brighter because of your presence, our prayers so much deeper, our laughter so much more frequent! A bit belated, but then again this December has been a little wonky!

Happy Birthday, little one.
We love you!!