Parenting gone awry?

I have an assignment for my church titled "Compassionate Service Leader." This means when there is a family or individual in the congregation that is in need, I rally and coordinate service for this person or family. It could be meals brought in after a surgery or a baby being born, or helping watch children so someone can go to job interview, or helping a developmentally challenged person who isn't able to clean their apartment, setting up visits for a widow in a nursing home, the list goes on and the needs vary over time. In our congregation there is a lot of hard stuff going down. This means a lot coordinating. 


This "calling" is incredibly satisfying in that I daily am allowed to see what I otherwise might not: prayers and being met by folks willing to step up. God using people to take care of one another. I have some mighty examples around me in selflessness. I've observed folks who give up their most valubable resource: time for one another. 

And speaking of time: this morning was the last straw for one little girl.



While I was on the phone for the twelfth time this she climbed up on my lap and smacked me a good one in the face. I was shocked because she is not a rough or aggressive girl at all, and so I told her I loved her, that we do not hit, and she popped me again! 

So for the first time in her 16 months she needed and got a "time out." I told her she needed to calm down and that we are kind and gentle, blah blah, who knows if she understood. I stuck her in her crib and walked away.

When I went in two minutes later to talk about why we don't hit, etc., she was asleep!

So, maybe she was annoyed and tired- apparently for Samantha a lethal combo. So much for my first official attempt at discipline.

Unrelated, but also upsetting is her recent trend of calling me "Mom." Um, I am Mama or Mommy. We are not old enough for this.

The toddler's current favs

Samantha loves to read. It is mark of luxury of an only child, I can sit with her for hours and because she has my undivided attention she will do so.


Here are some of her her current favorite picks. It melts my heart when she asks for "one more story" because I know that she isn't attempting to delay bedtime, she really just loves her books. Ahhh, what great satisfaction this child gives me!

Silly Samantha

Until the hilarious video becomes available, I had to put up pictures of S today at lunch.

I do not know what she was thinking but she had to wear this hair band and she wouldn't hear of me trying to put it on the right way.

She clearly felt "pretty" and was content to make a mess of her lunch while donning pink.

What a girl. The emergence of her opinions and personality keeps me on my toes for sure.

TALENTED

Hubs wishes he could do this.

BROWN EYED GIRL

If anyone can spot my DNA in this lovely baby, please let me know. I mean, seriously.

Look at me, I'm dancin'

Rainy days + bored out of my mind but too lazy to get out of the house = lead to more postings. But it's still summer. I am dreading what Fall and Winter will bring...

(Thanks Angela for taking some cute pics with your new sexy camera.)

ONE OF THEM DAYS

While my little girl didn't feel this distressed today, I thought the anguish in her face accurately expresses my own frustration.

Today was one of those days that productivity, sunshine, and even some ice cream couldn't quite cure for me.

In contrast, Samantha was a happy, sweet girl today. She is such a chatter box. Today at the pool a big kid dove in and almost knocked her over.

I said loudly "Dude!" and she copied me in the exact tone "Dude!" It was hilarious, and yesterday at the vet she told the nurse her "cat" was at the "doctor."

In other developments she is constantly asking where Dada is. I love her blossoming relationship with Hubs. She stands at the top of the stairs and calls down "Dada?!" several times a day. It breaks my heart to tell her he's not here. We live for Saturday morning in this house. Saturday morning = Daddy time.

Hmm, based on my own mood today I probably could some time withe Daddy myself.

Private shame, pretty baby and no longer blonde

Mommy with Samantha. In front of unmade bed. Secret shame now public: I never make the bed. But since I no longer live with my Mom I can't be punished for it.

Hmmm, I need to accept that my hair is no longer doing the "blonde" thing on it's own. Well, on second thought, there is nothing wrong with denial.

ITSY BITSY SALAD

Today I wanted to give Samantha's palate a new adventure, so when I made myself a salad for lunch, I threw handful into the good ol' processor. 

A mix of spinach, carrots, celery, cucumber and a little dressing. She downed it! I hope that her love of veggies does not decrease with an increase of attitude as she closes in on two years...

This sick thing is that I, too, really liked it all mushed up in little pieces and threw the rest of the salad in and chopped it to bits for me. It made eating a big salad a lot faster, and I got all the yummy stuff in each bite. We are a little weird around here.

JOINING THE CRAZE...

So, Hubs and I have been holding out on a blog, desperately hoping we could learn some html skills so that we could use the domain name ourlastname.com which we bought years ago.


We own it, and in our ignorance, have done nothing about it, so in lieu we shall join bloggers everywhere on blogspot land.


By the by, all my writing professors in HS and college commented that I over use commas, and it is true. Please forgive me in advance.

Not sure what this blog will entail, though it will certainly be heavily focused on Mommyhood and the brilliance that is my daughter.

Meet the sunshine girl, who on this blog will be known as Samantha. She is sixteen months old and exhibiting glaring signs of girlishness, including but limited to a deep and abiding love of accessories.

She will literally keep hats, sunglasses and necklaces on for hours. For this and many other reasons she is the best baby in the world. 

Welcome to the Scooping it Up blog! Come back, ya hear?