I'm Happy. That's Nice.

When Andrew doesn’t immediately get his way, he starts crying. Red, scrunched face crying. It often goes something like this, “Do you want to go for a walk? Yes! I head off in the opposite direction to get a coat or the keys. He starts crying, repeating “walk” and pointing to the door.

We’re told that is normal behavior for his age. Still, I am trying to break him of that habit by threatening–suggesting–time-out. Seems to work. Doesn’t prevent the next occurrence yet, but usually stops the one in progress…better for him and for us.

We try to decorate the kitchen table nook for each holiday. We were quite cheery with the Christmas decorations. One was an electronic table display with a little decorated tree, a snowman and three wrapped packages. Press a button and the packages open as if slow jack-in-the-boxes, with a little snowman peaking out and a light in each, while a vocal recording of Jingle Bells is played. That has become a great amusement at each and every meal and snack time. By command performance, it is repeated over and over.

All the other decorations were put away last weekend, including others that sing and light up, but we kept that one for a few days to transition away.

Also kept the battery operated train set out on the dining room table. We had set it up after they went to sleep on Christmas Eve. They were thrilled to see it in the morning.

< A couple of pictures from last Spring. Oldies, but goodies. >


There are lots of new toys in the house now; and much less floor space available for walking. More for the kids to play with…you’d think. One of their favorite gifts was the flavored lip balm. Another was a pen that lights up. When they got bored with those, they played with a laundry basket, blankets and toy broom. (The toy broom long ago became a constant favorite.)

But what about all those gee wiz toys? Well, they do play with them, at times, for short periods; often just to spread the parts around. We encourage them to pick up their toys, but if they do it, these multi-part toys are dumped in different storage bins, or otherwise separated from the main toy, rendering the main toy less useful and therefore less played with. I then have to track down all the parts and put them back together. Part of the out of control, disorganization sorrows mentioned in the last posting.

Years ago I heard Paula Poundstone as guest on the A Prairie Home Companion radio show tell Garrison that she was amazed at how many books he had written, and that her kitchen floor was never clean long enough to write a book. (Hope I got that right, Paula.) That’s how I feel.

Bethany loves to write, not draw, but write. She has drawing pads and coloring books, but usually just makes little squiggly marks and says that she is making shopping lists and other things. When we first took her into daycare one of the teachers commented that she was advanced in the way she held a crayon like a pen, instead of with the whole hand.

Bethany has been going to sleep in her own bed for over a month now. She was falling asleep on the couch. Then we would carry her into bed when she was fast enough asleep not to wake up ; sometimes we would leave her on the couch. It was less traumatic for all us that way.

A little headway was being made in getting her to fall asleep in her own bed. Then, we got an ironic boost. The unlikely source was a rough patch in the potty training road. Bethany wet the couch while sitting on it one day–a less than happy moment in our household. I took the cushions off to try and treat them. That did not go well, so we had to call the rug cleaning folks. While waiting for all that, the cushions remained off the couch. We told Bethany that the couch was broken and that she could not sit or sleep on it. Her only alternative was naps and bedtime in her own bed, which she did without much fuss; just needed that extra push. Yeah!

Andrew is part way transitioned from the Toddler room to the Twos room at KinderCare. The Twos room has an aggressive potty training routine, so Andrew has moved up to pull-ups and is sometimes using the potty at home too. All right Andrew!!

Bethany appears to understand her potty training well, but still has accidents. The accidents are understandable, but in addition there are times when she appears to willfully be peeing in her pants, mostly right in front of us. We assume it is a grab for attention or just to get a rise out of us. She usually laughs just after she does it.

One of her favorite things to say now is, “I Happy.” Often said when we are not, so it comes out sounding a shade patronizing.

They do know how to push those parent reaction buttons.