The trouble with trash

We have long struggled with our trash can. Mainly that it has a cabinet that it belongs in, fits in perfectly, is wonderfully out of sight, but somehow is never in it's home. I blame the baby locks. In order to open the door, you really have to use 2 hands, and honestly, if you are holding trash in one hand (drippy something that you are cooking with...you get the idea) that is really not possible. So the trash is often pulled out of its handy home to live, and sits conspicuously next to the fridge, one of the counters, the sink...depending on where it is needed. All this hasn't been too big of an issue (other than for my own grumbling that it is never put away) until Miss Cadence came along.

Now, understand that our house is baby proof. There are baby gates, cabinet locks, and plug in covers everywhere. There is a baby gate in the doorway to our kitchen, which often has a hot oven and MANY other dangers. Since Cadence has gotten a tad older (basically not the 9 month old she was when she started terrorizing...I mean, walking) we have been pretty lax with that baby gate into the kitchen. And this is where the trouble with trash comes in. The girl loves the trash can.

She get's that from her father, as I am sure you can imagine. If there is old food in the trash can, she tries to eat it. I can't tell you the number of times she has come wandering out of the kitchen, munching on something, when there is nothing she should be eating available. Gross. She likes to sort through everything in the trash. If not monitored, she will get in there, pull out any paper like product she can find, and then happily hide it around the house. And by hide, of course I mean she makes an easily traceable trail that eventually leads to her like bread crumbs. Clearly it would never be bread crumbs, because she would have just eaten the bread.

You are getting the idea here. A couple of days ago, she and I had a sit down talk, which was as big of a hit as a sit down talk with a 15 month old can go.

Meaning it didn't work. At all. And she basically ignored me the whole time and ended the conversation with a resounding "HI!" as only she can do.

I made the decision to just keep the trash where it belongs, which solves ALL of the trash issues. As I am sure you can imagine, the trash can is currently sitting next to the counter. Happily living outside it's home. I also made another discovery today.

Cadence likes to put things in there. Anything she is done with, she happily walks to the trash can and puts in. Not sure if she is just saving it for later, or if she is FINALLY getting the "Trash is for yuckies" talk we had. This morning, I found her fork from breakfast (obviously she was done eating, and just doing her part to clean up.). After lunch, I had a washcloth that I wiped her face and hands off with, which she then took from me, wiped her face again (cute) and wandered into the kitchen. I followed her, and watched her then put it in the trash. She then turned, saw me, and clapped.

HURRAH for Cadence!!!!

It was actually pretty cute. But just drove home, again, the need to put the trash can where it belongs. That way she doesn't throw away everything she is done with (toys, clothes, Bishop, Etc). So, off I go to put the trash can where it belongs, though a nap would be a nice before I get to that. Hmmmmm

Such a girl

Of course, I am talking about my daughter. Who is, hands down, the girliest little girl I have ever seen. I don't have another to compare her to, but she is the epitome of what you expect a little girl to be like. For example, she has a thing for baby dolls. She takes her baby (which she is the proud mommy to several, since we were inundated with them over her birthday/Christmas), wraps it in a receiving blanket, and carries it around the house patting it's back. Which is actually really cute.

She also loves jewelry. I really can't blame the girl, she has excellent taste, and happens to steal from me (the downside of this cuteness :/ ) on a daily basis. She currently has a necklace that she always wears that hangs to about her knees. She loves it. She was also wearing one of my scarves around this morning with her necklace.

She screams when I cut her nails but adores having them painted and will sit still for as long as it takes to get them all done. She also likes having her hair washed (who blames her?) and brushed, and played with. Makes it handy when I am putting her hair up, since she will just stand for me until it is all done.

Cadence also operates under the impression that she is the family social director. She insists on saying "Hi" to anyone we come across, and needs to get up close and personal with anyone who comes over to our house. She is a champion at giving hugs and air kisses.

I think you get the girl vibe we are dealing with here. It's all pink hearts and flowers. Until we start talking about the drama.

This girl is so over dramatic. I honestly don't even know how to handle her some times. She overreacts to everything. Is she happy? She is SO happy. Sad? She is SOBBING in sadness. Hurt? She is the most injured person on the face of the WORLD!

And often, she is frustrated, which is common for her age developmentally. But she doesn't just get frustrated. She is the kid who throws herself on the floor. Literally, she will just stop holding herself up, and flop on the floor. When she first started, I thought she had maybe tripped, because that's what it looks like. There isn't a lot of thrashing or screaming. She just tosses herself on the floor. And waits for someone to notice. It's when it gets ignored (often) that she flips her lid.

She has also recently started screaming. Not because she is hurt, angry, frustrated, tired...just because she likes the way it sounds. It is more of a squeal than a scream, I guess. Either way, I am going to get a water bottle and start house training her like a puppy if she doesn't stop yipping.

That might actually not be an awful idea...

It is funny to me that both of my children, who are great friends, are the explanation of their gender. Bishop is such a little boy, Cadence is a petite little girl. Makes me wonder if we ever had more, if we would end up with a tomboy or if we would continue with the extremes.

Cadence is currently squealing at me to re-swaddle her baby. Off I go.

Trashy towns and other thoughts

So I have been toying with the idea for about a month now to split into 2 separate blogs. One that is about parenting, and one that is about me...as just a person, not just a mommy. Several things have yet to fall into place for me to do this

1. The "parenting" blog does not have a name...

2. I haven't actually written enough in the last couple of years to necessitate 2 blogs, it just sounds cool.

3. I am not sure that the blog about me would have all that much on it. Because my life is wrapped in my family...so how do you seperate that?

Until I get these pressing matter solved (actually, until I come up with a name I like), this blog will still contain my meanderings about kids, husbands, life in general, and small trashy towns like Wendell, ID.

Which brings me to my second topic of the night. Wendell, ID.

Once Upon A Time, I lived in Wendell. Well, actually I lived just over the county line between Jerome and Wendell. The difference this made was that we would occasionally venture into Wendell for some light shopping. Which brings me to today (for the record, I did not venture into Wendell from Twin for some light shopping. That would be ridiculous.) So this is what happened.

Everyday, before leaving Gooding, I go to the bathroom. My body is trained like that. Well, today, I was sidetracked by the million things that I was in charge of and didn't go the the bathroom. I stumbled out to my car, got in, and by the time I reached Wendell, my body reminded me that I was supposed to have gone before I ever left. So I pulled into what used to be the little grocery store in Wendell, Simerlys. ( The spelling looks WAY off there. But that is at least phonetically correct. ) I found the bathroom after a silly amount of wandering. After getting the job done, so to speak, I decided I was a tad parched, and grabbed a drink for the rest of my drive home. And this is where the real story starts.

The people in front of me were having a dispute over the actual cost of a veggie platter. They were under the impression that it was $3.99 even though it rang up at $7.99. So off the lady and the clerk went to get the real price. Apparently, the people just didn't actually read the sign, and to their embarrassment, as well as with many apologies, they decided to forgo the $7.99 veggie platter that, according to them, they were going to make a salad with (??Don't question the locals??) So I pay for my drink, during which, the previous gentleman came back to request a couple additional bags (??), and as I am walking out, I hear the girl who was in front of me tell the guy that the lady at the deli glared at her when she asked for the price. "She glared at you?" He asked. "Yes, a real mean glare, too" she answered.

"Where is she, I'm going to fight her"

Now, there are several things to just get out of that one sentence. Here is this guy, asking where a girl is that he is planning on fighting. A guy. Going to fight a girl. Who glared at his girlfriend/wife/significant other. Um. Yep.

But really. Coming from a guy, that was one of the most epic lines I have ever heard.

Where is she? I'm going to fight her.

Really I should have followed them back to see what happened. In all reality, the poor clerk that they are talking about probably had no idea that she glared (I often do this, really it is me thinking, but I happen to be looking in the direction of someone, thus, I "glared" at them) at this girl. And I wonder what the guy's plan here was? Walk up and deck her? Just straight punch her in the face? Even writing that feels weird. Anyways, just a note that if you are ever in Wendell, don't look too long at the natives. They don't take too kindly to the "glaring"

Interview with a 3-year-old

Being the ever cool Mommy that I am (Ahem) and in an effort to keep track of how darn cute my children are in their formative years (really cute), I decided to have a one on one interview with Bishop this evening after dinner, but before teeth brushing time. Let the record show that this interview was conducted in the living room, and only included one break out session of running in circles and flipping upside down on the couch. Thus, a very sedate interview.

1. What is your name?

Bishop

2. How old are you?

3

3. What color is your hair?

4, 5, 6. (No. What COLOR?)

Oh..um...black

4. What color are your eyes?

Blue

5. What is your favorite food?

Pizza

6. What is your favorite song?

Ring around the Rosie, and Spidar (the Itsy-Bitsy Spidar)

Because then I fall down.

7. What is your favorite snack?

Pickles

8. What is your favorite color?

Black

9. What is your favorite animal?

Horses...Black horses (aka Black Beauty)

10. What is your favorite book?

Three Piggies...and the Momma Pig

11. What do you like to do with Daddy?

Hm...Daddys names Zach. (but what do you DO with daddy?)

Hm...I like to swing on him. And hit on him

12. What do you like to do with Mommy?

Names Krissy. (DO, Bishop, what do you DO with Mommy?)

I hit on Mommy.

13. What's your favorite movie?

Blues Clues (which we watched earlier)

14. Whats your favorite TV show? (after much prompting on what a TV show is)

Sesame Street

15. Who are your friends?

Robert and Sam. And Jasper. Maci. Diego. Cameron

16. What's your favorite shape?

Doggie. No. Cow.

17. What's your favorite Drink?

Chocolate milk and water. I drink all the water.

The Supermom

I am not a supermom. I am not a slacker mom by any means, but everyone knows a supermom that they someday aspire to be. Or hope never to become. You see, there is this fine line between being a really great mom (easily called a supermom in my book) and a neurotic helicopter mom who constantly flutters around her kids, worrying about every scratch and scuffed shoe. I have it within me to be the neurotic mom. And before having kids, I probably was one. Anyone ever see that book 'I was a really great mom until I had kids"

Because actually having the little boogers...err joys...radically changes your outlook on everything. Take driving. Before I had Cadence, my driving habits were very much the same as before I had Bishop. The reason being that his carseat was safely in the middle of the back seat. A pain to get him in and out of; but very safe in the case of an accident. Now that there are two of them sharing the back seat, there is one on each side...which means there is exactly 3 safe places that my car can be hit in a collision without directly contacting either of them or me. And lets be real honest here, if I got in a car accident with my kids in the car, I would be a mess. Anyways, the fact that I have charted out the 'safe to be hit' zones of my car should be a clue in the neurotic side.

But back to the really great supermoms out there- I think we all know one. You know who I am talking about. The woman who is able to get every one of her several children out of bed, clothed, fed a home cooked breakfast (we are talking eggs here, not cereal), to school, house cleaned, laundry done, errands ran, children home, homework complete, dinner on the table, limited tv time, "quality family time" together, baths/showers, and everyone in bed at a reasonable hour.

I take my proverbial hat off to you. One woman of my acquaintance comes to mind, and really, the reason for this whole blog happened this last weekend at a Christmas party I attended. Her name is Deb Hegman. This woman never fails to amaze me. From my perspective (as neither her child/husband/someone really close to the family) this woman is able to get all of her kids going in the right directions AND she teaches Sunday school to the preschool class. Which, I don't care who you are, takes a very special, patient person. She home-schooled all of her very intelligent, well mannered children. They have a family dinner every night. And she never has a hair out of place.

So, at the aforementioned Christmas party, I was somehow not at all surprised when she and one of her daughters got up and preformed a duet on the piano. My first thought was, "Well of course she plays the piano. What doesn't she do!?" And this was in no way sarcastic. This is the woman who can pull a craft out of the lint of her purse to entertain a toddler at the dentist office. This woman amazes me. And exhausts me. And all around makes me wish I was a better mom to my kids, while still understanding that I am the best mom I can be.

I just will never be a Deb Hegman. Which is ok. At the end of the day, my kids need me to be me, not try to be her.

But Deb Hegman, I salute you!

A house of secrets

As I have told a few of you, Cadence is an expert at hiding things. And often, I will later find a pile of random toys that she snuck into the bathroom, her bedroom, under her crib, behind my bedroom door and so on. Usually I find the pile by tripping over it, or by not being able to open the bathroom door. At that point, I find a pile of random stuffed animals, dinosaurs, horses, guns, and cars. Basically anything that Bishop likes that she can sneak out of his room or the play area without him noticing.

It has recently come to our attention that Bishop is also big into hiding things. Under the dining room table. Usually he sneaks things under there to eat them in secret. He found a bag of candy once, and he took it under the table, and as I was looking around for him, I found him huddled with the bag of chocolate. Yesterday he took the box of fruit snacks off the kitchen counter, and was eating them under the table. The part that I don't understand is that he can have most anything he wants if he eats his lunch/dinner. The only time I really tell him no is if he hasn't had dinner yet, or only ate a little bit. So really, no reason to sneak the food.

And then, the best time was today. Zach was packing for his trip and asked Bishop if he knew where his hacky-sack is. Bishop said, "Oh, yeah." Then promptly went out to the dinning room table, and pulled out the hacky-sack from underneath one of the overhangs. We were shocked that 1. He is for real stashing things under there and 2. that he actually remembers where he put it.

It's like his secret fort that he is taking things to. So bizarre.

He also adores playing Star Wars Battle Station on Playstation. He came and got in bed with us at 6:30 this morning and wanted to play "The game" as he calls it. He doesn't like watching movies, he just wants to play the game. And the best part is? He is actually pretty good. And he actually wins sometimes. It is pretty incredible.

A whole new experience

So I went to the dentist today. Which is never my favorite thing, especially when they are actually doing something to my teeth other than cleaning them, and even then, sheesh. So anyways, I had an appointment to have some work done today after work. This is the 2nd time I have gone to this dentist, the other being a cleaning a while ago. I wasn't super happy with our previous dentist's work, and with Zach's teeth, we really get to know the dentist pretty well.

Anyways, so I get there early for my appointment, they take me right back (ah, prompt service), the dentist comes in, gives me the best shot I have ever had (meaning, I didn't feel it at all), so I am sitting there, thinking that I have a few minutes to wait, when the nurse (dental assistant?) comes in to ask if I would like a magazine or newspaper, which I decline. Then she asks if I would like a heated neck pillow and a paraffin dip.

Uh....what? Am I not in the dentist office? What just happened here?

Apparently the dental office has decided that in order to relax patients, they make it more like a spa day then a dental checkup. I was expecting someone to jump out and give me a pedicure at any time.

So of course I said yes. And did the paraffin dip (SUPER NICE, but really weird looking on your hands), and accepted the neck pillow. And while the dentist was working on my tooth, I thought to myself, this whole neck pillow/paraffin dip thing is nice, but not THAT distracting.

However, though my mouth still feels sore, my hands are so nice and soft, and my neck was pretty warm and relaxed while in the office. My only thought was this-

The paraffin was nice, the neck pillow was super nice and warm, but uh...maybe you could hang a picture to look at while your mouth is super open and head is back. It seems like you are awkwardly staring at the dentist, or averting your eyes to a blank wall.

So my only addition to this spa like atmosphere would be a picture...possibly a TV? Anything to look at so you don't feel like you are looking up the dentists nose, or into those weird glasses/magnifiers that they wear.