There is one mom job that I hate with a passion - brushing baby boy's teeth. Every night (or every second night because hubby and I take turns) it is a horrible struggle to even get him to open his mouth. He struggles and kicks. He whines and cries. He runs away. Those blissful nights when he cooperates nicely are far and few between. Sometimes I feel like throwing in the toothbrush. Throwing it right into his unused potty (did I mention potty training sucks too?).
Does anyone out there have any new tricks I could try? I've already tried the following:
- singing (with limited success)
- hanging him upside down
- acting silly and getting him to laugh
- yelling (which is dumb and I always feel bad about later)
- bribing
- using positive reinforcement
- buying tons of super cool toothbrushes to choose from
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
The whale, the shark and the dolphin
They sleep in his bed, they bathe with him, they join him at the dinner table. The whale, the shark and the dolphin are members of our family in baby boy's eyes. He offers them bites of food, and sips of milk. They are adorned with kisses and snuggles. They are given daily bubble baths. If I so much as touch them, he yells "NO!!!! Don't moving them, Mom!"
*****************************
My cousin in Texas has an outdoor fireplace. When we were hanging out in his backyard last month, baby boy had great fun opening its cover and filling it with pebbles. When questioned what he was doing, he replied "I'm fixing the fireplace."
At home, he's equally as consumed with fireplace repair. One day we caught him sneaking off with an over rack. He placed it on the coffee table and covered it in crumbled up paper and building blocks. Afterwards, he proclaimed "I fixed the fireplace!"
********************************
I love his creative imagination. When we are out in public he is able to turn any object into a toy. At IKEA, he played for over half and hour in one of the kitchen modules. He made rows and rows of pancakes out of hotplates. He pretended that cabinet drawers and shelves were oven racks.
At the coffee shop, he found a metal newspaper stand. Immediately he transformed into a barbecue. He came over and served everyone imaginary "beef."
Bubbles in the sink or bathtub are used to make igloos out of.
His blocks and little dog house are regularly transformed into parking garages. A roll of masking tape around his ankle becomes a pair of skates. His toy vegetable basket works just as well as a hockey helmet. Our coasters are always missing in action and often found sitting inside one of his toy pots and pans.
The crawlspace next to the couch is his cave. "I'm going in the cave mom" he tells me, ducking down out of site.
************************
I asked the little guy if he would like to put his marine animals in the sink, as I pointed to his whale, shark and dolphin. Confused, he replied, "The whale's not green, Mom. He's black."
************************
"I want to wash a sink." Translation: I want to play in the sink. This has become our new routine. While we're cooking dinner, baby boy plays in the sink. Yesterday I caught him slathering dish soap all over his tummy. "I put cream on," he said.
*****************************
My cousin in Texas has an outdoor fireplace. When we were hanging out in his backyard last month, baby boy had great fun opening its cover and filling it with pebbles. When questioned what he was doing, he replied "I'm fixing the fireplace."
At home, he's equally as consumed with fireplace repair. One day we caught him sneaking off with an over rack. He placed it on the coffee table and covered it in crumbled up paper and building blocks. Afterwards, he proclaimed "I fixed the fireplace!"
********************************
I love his creative imagination. When we are out in public he is able to turn any object into a toy. At IKEA, he played for over half and hour in one of the kitchen modules. He made rows and rows of pancakes out of hotplates. He pretended that cabinet drawers and shelves were oven racks.
At the coffee shop, he found a metal newspaper stand. Immediately he transformed into a barbecue. He came over and served everyone imaginary "beef."
Bubbles in the sink or bathtub are used to make igloos out of.
His blocks and little dog house are regularly transformed into parking garages. A roll of masking tape around his ankle becomes a pair of skates. His toy vegetable basket works just as well as a hockey helmet. Our coasters are always missing in action and often found sitting inside one of his toy pots and pans.
The crawlspace next to the couch is his cave. "I'm going in the cave mom" he tells me, ducking down out of site.
************************
I asked the little guy if he would like to put his marine animals in the sink, as I pointed to his whale, shark and dolphin. Confused, he replied, "The whale's not green, Mom. He's black."
************************
"I want to wash a sink." Translation: I want to play in the sink. This has become our new routine. While we're cooking dinner, baby boy plays in the sink. Yesterday I caught him slathering dish soap all over his tummy. "I put cream on," he said.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Going, going, gone?
Here today, gone tomorrow.
I feel like I'm constantly mourning the loss of my baby because he's growing up so fast.
Each time I retire a piece of clothing or a baby toy, I'm overtaken by a mournful twinge. I let out a little sigh. Remind myself that he can't stay a baby forever.
My milk is drying up. When he asks to nurse, I wonder "Is this the last time." Part of me looks forward to this day, but part of me is sad that this special mother-baby bond is coming to an end.
When he sleeps, he doesn't look like a baby anymore. When I hold him in my lap, his long legs dangle down. The towel we used to "burrito" him has been put away because it is too small to wrap him in.
His independence is taking hold. He wants to pull on his boots by himself, wants to brush his teeth without parental interference, wants to be entrusted to carry his glass from the kitchen to the dining room table.
Today, I pulled a pie out of the over and he said "Look, it's beautiful!" A baby wouldn't say that. Yesterday, when Grandma was getting set to leave for the airport, baby boy pretended he was going too. He said, "I have baggage. I'm going to take my luggage to the airport." When did he go from saying suitcase, to baggage and luggage?
I feel like I'm constantly mourning the loss of my baby because he's growing up so fast.
Each time I retire a piece of clothing or a baby toy, I'm overtaken by a mournful twinge. I let out a little sigh. Remind myself that he can't stay a baby forever.
My milk is drying up. When he asks to nurse, I wonder "Is this the last time." Part of me looks forward to this day, but part of me is sad that this special mother-baby bond is coming to an end.
When he sleeps, he doesn't look like a baby anymore. When I hold him in my lap, his long legs dangle down. The towel we used to "burrito" him has been put away because it is too small to wrap him in.
His independence is taking hold. He wants to pull on his boots by himself, wants to brush his teeth without parental interference, wants to be entrusted to carry his glass from the kitchen to the dining room table.
Today, I pulled a pie out of the over and he said "Look, it's beautiful!" A baby wouldn't say that. Yesterday, when Grandma was getting set to leave for the airport, baby boy pretended he was going too. He said, "I have baggage. I'm going to take my luggage to the airport." When did he go from saying suitcase, to baggage and luggage?
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Baby Boy vs The Easter Bunny
It's almost Easter so I thought I'd take the opportunity to write about some similarities I've noted between Baby Boy and the Easter bunny.
1. The Easter bunny's diet is largely composed of vegetables, fruit and pellets. Baby Boy's diet consists mostly of vegetables, fruit and shreddies which are essecially the human form of pellets.
2. The Easter bunny is very interested in eggs. So is baby boy. He loves eating them, helping to cook them, talking about them, peeling them, playing with the cartons etc...If I hid hardboiled eggs around the house next weekend he'd probably think he was in heaven!
3. The Easter bunny likes to hide things. Again, so does baby boy (my keys and phone for example).
4. The Easter bunny is cute and cuddly just like Baby Boy.
6. Hopping is the Easter bunny's preferred method of getting around. Same with Baby Boy. What a coincidence!
5. The Easter bunny leaves little droppings here and there. This morning I found a little puddle in our bed. Where did that come from? Must have been the Easter bunny, I guess :-)
Happy almost Easter everybody!
1. The Easter bunny's diet is largely composed of vegetables, fruit and pellets. Baby Boy's diet consists mostly of vegetables, fruit and shreddies which are essecially the human form of pellets.
2. The Easter bunny is very interested in eggs. So is baby boy. He loves eating them, helping to cook them, talking about them, peeling them, playing with the cartons etc...If I hid hardboiled eggs around the house next weekend he'd probably think he was in heaven!
3. The Easter bunny likes to hide things. Again, so does baby boy (my keys and phone for example).
4. The Easter bunny is cute and cuddly just like Baby Boy.
6. Hopping is the Easter bunny's preferred method of getting around. Same with Baby Boy. What a coincidence!
5. The Easter bunny leaves little droppings here and there. This morning I found a little puddle in our bed. Where did that come from? Must have been the Easter bunny, I guess :-)
Happy almost Easter everybody!
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
People suck
A couple of posts ago I commented on the snow situation, and how awful it would be to be a parent without a car. Well, things haven't improved much and the city still hasn't plowed the sidewalks. So you can imagine how pleased I was when I came home after work to discover that hubby had taken the car.
I can now tell you firsthand what it was like to be a parent without a car coping with record amounts of snow. It sucks!
I was forced to walk on the narrow roads, veering off into snow piles every five feet or so to wait for cars to pass (only slightly exaggerating here). I had three (yes three) people honk at me and give me the stink eye. One guy purposely splashed us, and a pedestrian reamed me out for pushing a stroller on the road. This was pretty funny considering that he was also walking on the road.
You know what I have to say to all of those nasty people? You suck! I have some other words I'd like to say but this is a clean, family-oriented blog so I'm not going to go there.
I feel much better now that I got that off my chest.
I can now tell you firsthand what it was like to be a parent without a car coping with record amounts of snow. It sucks!
I was forced to walk on the narrow roads, veering off into snow piles every five feet or so to wait for cars to pass (only slightly exaggerating here). I had three (yes three) people honk at me and give me the stink eye. One guy purposely splashed us, and a pedestrian reamed me out for pushing a stroller on the road. This was pretty funny considering that he was also walking on the road.
You know what I have to say to all of those nasty people? You suck! I have some other words I'd like to say but this is a clean, family-oriented blog so I'm not going to go there.
I feel much better now that I got that off my chest.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Yellow teetee
Yellow teetee (blankie) goes everywhere with baby boy. It gets dragged in and out of the house, in and out of the car, on and off the table. If there was a first class seat for blankies, yellow teetee would be riding in it.
We do have some other, lesser teetees. These are usually only used in emergencies (i.e. yellow teetee is in the wash), or at the same time as yellow teetee. Baby boy's philosophy when it comes to fuzzy blankets is the more the merrier.
A couple of months ago, one of my friends called me from Toys r' Us to say that she found yellow teetee. She asked if we'd like her to pick up a backup. "Yes!" I said. I've always secretly worried about what would happen if yellow teetee got lost or damaged beyond repair. A second one, I thought, we be just as much of a security blanket for me as it was for him.
Baby boy's eyes lit up when we unveiled "new yellow teetee". He was delighted until he realized it didn't quite smell or feel like his other blanket. So, I threw it in the wash a few times in a row. Dragged it around the house. Rolled it in the dirt. Sent it off to daycare. But it will never hold the same status as his original yellow teetee.
If anything, adding a second yellow teetee to the mix has complicated matters. When I hand him the newer model he says, "No, I want old yellow teetee." If I give him the old one, he demands the presence of the new one as well. He's also become ultra protective of his old friend -- like he's afraid we're trying to replace it.
Old yellow teetee is sitting in the car right now. I forgot to bring it in earlier, and somehow this escaped baby boy's notice. Or at least until bedtime. He wailed and cried from the room "I want the other yellow teetee." Call me a monster if you like, but there is no way I'm putting on my boots and heading down to the garage to fetch it. He has three other teetees with him in the bed keeping him company.
So a word to the wise. New doesn't necessarily mean improved.
We do have some other, lesser teetees. These are usually only used in emergencies (i.e. yellow teetee is in the wash), or at the same time as yellow teetee. Baby boy's philosophy when it comes to fuzzy blankets is the more the merrier.
A couple of months ago, one of my friends called me from Toys r' Us to say that she found yellow teetee. She asked if we'd like her to pick up a backup. "Yes!" I said. I've always secretly worried about what would happen if yellow teetee got lost or damaged beyond repair. A second one, I thought, we be just as much of a security blanket for me as it was for him.
Baby boy's eyes lit up when we unveiled "new yellow teetee". He was delighted until he realized it didn't quite smell or feel like his other blanket. So, I threw it in the wash a few times in a row. Dragged it around the house. Rolled it in the dirt. Sent it off to daycare. But it will never hold the same status as his original yellow teetee.
If anything, adding a second yellow teetee to the mix has complicated matters. When I hand him the newer model he says, "No, I want old yellow teetee." If I give him the old one, he demands the presence of the new one as well. He's also become ultra protective of his old friend -- like he's afraid we're trying to replace it.
Old yellow teetee is sitting in the car right now. I forgot to bring it in earlier, and somehow this escaped baby boy's notice. Or at least until bedtime. He wailed and cried from the room "I want the other yellow teetee." Call me a monster if you like, but there is no way I'm putting on my boots and heading down to the garage to fetch it. He has three other teetees with him in the bed keeping him company.
So a word to the wise. New doesn't necessarily mean improved.
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Snow day!
This morning our snow what as high as the fence in our backyard. 51 cm of the white stuff fell within the last 36 hours, right as the city was just finishing the clearing from our last storm. This winter has been just on snowstorm after the next. Will it ever be spring?
There is literally nowhere to put the snow. If it snows again, I don't know people are going to do.
I know that the city has been doing the best it can to clear the snow. Even so, I can't help be more than a little frustrated these days. Normally, I pick up baby boy in the chariot stroller, rain (snow) or shine. But for the past month or so this has been impossible. There are huge snowbanks at every corner. Or, these days, the sidewalks haven't been cleared at all meaning that we'd have to walk on the road. Walking on the road just isn't an option. There is barely enough room for one car to drive down most streets because of the masses of snow. Thank goodness we have a car. I honestly don't know how families without cars are coping right now. They must all be pulling toboggans down the middle of the street.
And what about older people and persons with disabilities? I can only imagine that they are captives in their own homes right now.
When it isn't snowing (and it's mostly always snowing), we get freezing rain. I can tell you that there is nothing like walking to work on a skating rink!
Will it ever end? If spring doesn't come soon I think I'm going to go insane.
There is literally nowhere to put the snow. If it snows again, I don't know people are going to do.
I know that the city has been doing the best it can to clear the snow. Even so, I can't help be more than a little frustrated these days. Normally, I pick up baby boy in the chariot stroller, rain (snow) or shine. But for the past month or so this has been impossible. There are huge snowbanks at every corner. Or, these days, the sidewalks haven't been cleared at all meaning that we'd have to walk on the road. Walking on the road just isn't an option. There is barely enough room for one car to drive down most streets because of the masses of snow. Thank goodness we have a car. I honestly don't know how families without cars are coping right now. They must all be pulling toboggans down the middle of the street.
And what about older people and persons with disabilities? I can only imagine that they are captives in their own homes right now.
When it isn't snowing (and it's mostly always snowing), we get freezing rain. I can tell you that there is nothing like walking to work on a skating rink!
Will it ever end? If spring doesn't come soon I think I'm going to go insane.
Friday, March 07, 2008
Shaping up
On Wednesday I had another session with my personal trainer. He set up a workout plan for me which is either going to kill me, or get me in kick ass shape. As he was going through my workout plan for the next nine weeks, he made me try out all of the exercises to make sure I had the proper form etc. I felt like I was at boot camp.
At one point he told me to drop and give him ten push-ups. Real push-ups not the lady kind. If my nose didn't completely touch the floor, he told me it didn't count and made me do it over again. Oh the pain!!! And the sit-ups were even worse. They had to be full sit-ups, not those little crunches that I usually do. My abs are stiff beyond belief. And so our my arms and shoulders from all of the weightlifting he made me do.
I have three workouts that I have to follow per week. They are circuits that I have to do three times in a row as quickly as I can with no breaks in between exercises. Today, I completely workout 1 on my own. It's only supposed to take 20 minutes. It took me close to 25. And I cheated. Instead of doing 15 reps of some of the weight exercises, I only did 10. Frankly I couldn't handle more than that. Even with my corner cutting, I barely had the energy to walk out of the gym.
And did I mention that these workouts are only to supplement my runs? Yes, in addition to going through hell 3 times a week, I'm going to have to go out running. The trainer told me if I followed his plan, I'd cruise through my 10-km race with no problems.
On Wednesday we also talked about nutrition. I had to log everything I ate for a week and he reviewed it. Overall he was pleased with my eating habits, although he wanted me to add more veggies to my dinnertime menu and cut back on the bread and grains. The veggie part surprised me because I already eat lots and lots of fruits and vegetables every day. My favourite quote from the session was, "Don't think about it as feeding your body, but rather as fueling the machine."
Right now I'm fueling up on gin and 7-up. It's helping to sooth my sore muscles.
One day down, about a million more to go. Good lord what have I gotten myself into?
At one point he told me to drop and give him ten push-ups. Real push-ups not the lady kind. If my nose didn't completely touch the floor, he told me it didn't count and made me do it over again. Oh the pain!!! And the sit-ups were even worse. They had to be full sit-ups, not those little crunches that I usually do. My abs are stiff beyond belief. And so our my arms and shoulders from all of the weightlifting he made me do.
I have three workouts that I have to follow per week. They are circuits that I have to do three times in a row as quickly as I can with no breaks in between exercises. Today, I completely workout 1 on my own. It's only supposed to take 20 minutes. It took me close to 25. And I cheated. Instead of doing 15 reps of some of the weight exercises, I only did 10. Frankly I couldn't handle more than that. Even with my corner cutting, I barely had the energy to walk out of the gym.
And did I mention that these workouts are only to supplement my runs? Yes, in addition to going through hell 3 times a week, I'm going to have to go out running. The trainer told me if I followed his plan, I'd cruise through my 10-km race with no problems.
On Wednesday we also talked about nutrition. I had to log everything I ate for a week and he reviewed it. Overall he was pleased with my eating habits, although he wanted me to add more veggies to my dinnertime menu and cut back on the bread and grains. The veggie part surprised me because I already eat lots and lots of fruits and vegetables every day. My favourite quote from the session was, "Don't think about it as feeding your body, but rather as fueling the machine."
Right now I'm fueling up on gin and 7-up. It's helping to sooth my sore muscles.
One day down, about a million more to go. Good lord what have I gotten myself into?
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Baths are back in style!
After a year of crying and screaming at the very mention of baths, baby boy has decided he likes them after all. So much so, in fact, that he is having his third bath in a row this week! He didn't even mind it when I washed his hair the other night. In fact, he grabbed a bucket (the orange one, always the orange one) and helped to pour the water on his own head. I'm crossing my fingers that this is a permanent change of heart.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Don't catching me!
If I so much as move in his direction, baby boy now says, "Don't catching me, mom!"
**************
He eats all fruits and vegetables as though they are orange wedges, carefully avoiding any skin. Even if I peel the skin off of an apple wedge, he still won't eat down to the bottom.
***************
His favourite vegetable right now is "cubabare" (cucumber).
I've just added kiwi to the menu, now that his not so pleasant allergic reactions to fruit have subsided. He gobbled down his first kiwi and then proclaimed enthusiatically, "I love it, mom!"
***************
Blowing out candles is not just for birthdays anymore. At my cousin's wedding, baby boy blew out the candles on every single table. And, once they were re-lit, he went around and blew them all out again. At restaurants, he doesn't understand why we ask him to leave the candles on.
I had this great idea that we could use blowing out candles as a reward for good behaviour. To some extend it has worked, but not with potty training. Surprise, surprise. Back to the drawing board on that one!
*****************
Top 10 things that are hip and cool to a 2-year old:
10. Pockets. Baby boy has taken to shoving coins and credit cards into his pockets. Very cute but rather annoying on laundry day.
9. Going to school. He drags a knapsack around the house and says, "I going to school now mom." He hasn't got the foggiest idea what school is, but he sure knows that it's where he'd like to go.
8. Wearing sunglasses (now he's on to something!)
7. Sticking out tongue and spitting (not so cool to use older folks)
6. Wearing clothes with pictures of animals or vehicles on them (in his opinion, it is better to wear no clothes at all than to wear something plain)
5. Hiking up socks to the knees (we might have to have a talk about that one!)
4. People who operate cars, heavy machinery, emergency vehicles and power tools. I should add that he thinks I'm cool when I operate the vacuum or the washing machine.
3. The entire cast of Hi-5, Thomas the Tank Engine and Whinnie the Pooh.
2. Anything that the other kids are playing with at this moment.
1. Drawing with a real pen, rather than crayons or markers. Evidently, crayons and markers are for babies and not big kids like him.
**************
He eats all fruits and vegetables as though they are orange wedges, carefully avoiding any skin. Even if I peel the skin off of an apple wedge, he still won't eat down to the bottom.
***************
His favourite vegetable right now is "cubabare" (cucumber).
I've just added kiwi to the menu, now that his not so pleasant allergic reactions to fruit have subsided. He gobbled down his first kiwi and then proclaimed enthusiatically, "I love it, mom!"
***************
Blowing out candles is not just for birthdays anymore. At my cousin's wedding, baby boy blew out the candles on every single table. And, once they were re-lit, he went around and blew them all out again. At restaurants, he doesn't understand why we ask him to leave the candles on.
I had this great idea that we could use blowing out candles as a reward for good behaviour. To some extend it has worked, but not with potty training. Surprise, surprise. Back to the drawing board on that one!
*****************
Top 10 things that are hip and cool to a 2-year old:
10. Pockets. Baby boy has taken to shoving coins and credit cards into his pockets. Very cute but rather annoying on laundry day.
9. Going to school. He drags a knapsack around the house and says, "I going to school now mom." He hasn't got the foggiest idea what school is, but he sure knows that it's where he'd like to go.
8. Wearing sunglasses (now he's on to something!)
7. Sticking out tongue and spitting (not so cool to use older folks)
6. Wearing clothes with pictures of animals or vehicles on them (in his opinion, it is better to wear no clothes at all than to wear something plain)
5. Hiking up socks to the knees (we might have to have a talk about that one!)
4. People who operate cars, heavy machinery, emergency vehicles and power tools. I should add that he thinks I'm cool when I operate the vacuum or the washing machine.
3. The entire cast of Hi-5, Thomas the Tank Engine and Whinnie the Pooh.
2. Anything that the other kids are playing with at this moment.
1. Drawing with a real pen, rather than crayons or markers. Evidently, crayons and markers are for babies and not big kids like him.
Monday, March 03, 2008
I take it back
Can I take back all of those words I said the other day about baby boy and the terrible 2s? Tonight my angel came back to me. We had such a nice evening together, just the two of us. We played games, read books, and lounged on the couch together talking about interesting toddler stuff like flying airplanes. He asked me what black cats say. I said "meow". He asked me what orange cats say. I said "meow". And then he asked me what blue and green cats say and I said, "I don't know. I've never met a blue or green cat before."
As he nestled next to me on the couch, I held his little chubby little hand and admired how dimply they still were. I sniffed his head and took in that lovely baby smell that he still emits. I gently stroked his hair and ran my fingers over his face like he was a newborn baby again.
These are the moments that every mother lives for.
As he nestled next to me on the couch, I held his little chubby little hand and admired how dimply they still were. I sniffed his head and took in that lovely baby smell that he still emits. I gently stroked his hair and ran my fingers over his face like he was a newborn baby again.
These are the moments that every mother lives for.
Saturday, March 01, 2008
The terrible 2s set in
It's going to be a long ride.
When baby boy turned 2 I thought he was impervious to the terrible twos. "Not our baby boy," I told people. "He's so good natured and easy going."
Sure he's had his moments. But on the whole he's always had a positive, carefree nature.
Well, something changed when we were on vacation last week. All of a sudden he's become bossy, demanding, whiney, and negative. When we're in public he runs away and hides. When we stop him, he screams and freaks out, creating embarrassing scenes. I'm pretty sure that if we bumped into Super Nanny she'd follow us home with a camera crew.
Normally he is a near perfect angel at restaurants. People from other tables often compliment us on how well behaved he is. Last night that changed. Our meal out was a disaster. He whined and yelled, bossed and demanded. We ate quickly and got out in record time. Not only did he ruin our meals, I'm quite sure he ruined a few others. I'm crossing my fingers that this was only an isolated incident.
At the airport last week he poured water all over my computer's keyboard (didn't work for a day afterwards). Yesterday he smacked it with a hockey stick.
And the spitting. Oh how I hate the spitting! He had just got over the sticking out his tongue, spit phase and now it's back again. When we were on vacation, one too many people in Texas thought it was cute the first time he did it. He's now convinced that he's Mr. Funnyman. I'm not sure how many weeks (and eyeglass cleanings) it's going to take to rid him of that habit again...
What happened to my gentle sweetheart? Is it something we did in Texas (i.e. letting him stay up late and eat fries?) Is it something he's going to snap out of soon, or is this just the inevitable stage everyone has been warning me about?
When baby boy turned 2 I thought he was impervious to the terrible twos. "Not our baby boy," I told people. "He's so good natured and easy going."
Sure he's had his moments. But on the whole he's always had a positive, carefree nature.
Well, something changed when we were on vacation last week. All of a sudden he's become bossy, demanding, whiney, and negative. When we're in public he runs away and hides. When we stop him, he screams and freaks out, creating embarrassing scenes. I'm pretty sure that if we bumped into Super Nanny she'd follow us home with a camera crew.
Normally he is a near perfect angel at restaurants. People from other tables often compliment us on how well behaved he is. Last night that changed. Our meal out was a disaster. He whined and yelled, bossed and demanded. We ate quickly and got out in record time. Not only did he ruin our meals, I'm quite sure he ruined a few others. I'm crossing my fingers that this was only an isolated incident.
At the airport last week he poured water all over my computer's keyboard (didn't work for a day afterwards). Yesterday he smacked it with a hockey stick.
And the spitting. Oh how I hate the spitting! He had just got over the sticking out his tongue, spit phase and now it's back again. When we were on vacation, one too many people in Texas thought it was cute the first time he did it. He's now convinced that he's Mr. Funnyman. I'm not sure how many weeks (and eyeglass cleanings) it's going to take to rid him of that habit again...
What happened to my gentle sweetheart? Is it something we did in Texas (i.e. letting him stay up late and eat fries?) Is it something he's going to snap out of soon, or is this just the inevitable stage everyone has been warning me about?
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