Finally remembered to post some cuteness, hope you enjoy!
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Friday, August 22, 2008
First bee sting, hopefully LAST bee sting
Poor Silvia. While playing outside at my mom's house yesterday, she decided she wanted to go back in and we headed up the steps to the side porch. What I didn't realize was that the porch was full of bees that were not happy to have us walk right into their new territory.
They angrily swarmed right at my head level, several tangling in my hair. I eeked and jumped back, hitting at my hair- and, like a total idiot, left my baby standing right under the buzzing cloud. As I headed quickly back to grab her, they descended and several settled on her head, one stinging her right on her ear.
She shrieked and grabbed at it just as I swept her off the porch and swiped the other bees away from her. We ran from the furious swirling mass, quickly moving away and inside using the BACK door. We had come out that way and I felt like a moron for trying get back in another way. Ah, maternal guilt, how well I know thee.
Silvia's ear doubled and tripled in size in just a few moments, throbbing a painful red as she wailed and squirmed. Thankfully, she didn't show any signs of an allergic reaction, though we gave her some Benadryl just in case. She calmed down after a bit sucking her thumb and then asking for some chips.
God bless Frito's.
They angrily swarmed right at my head level, several tangling in my hair. I eeked and jumped back, hitting at my hair- and, like a total idiot, left my baby standing right under the buzzing cloud. As I headed quickly back to grab her, they descended and several settled on her head, one stinging her right on her ear.
She shrieked and grabbed at it just as I swept her off the porch and swiped the other bees away from her. We ran from the furious swirling mass, quickly moving away and inside using the BACK door. We had come out that way and I felt like a moron for trying get back in another way. Ah, maternal guilt, how well I know thee.
Silvia's ear doubled and tripled in size in just a few moments, throbbing a painful red as she wailed and squirmed. Thankfully, she didn't show any signs of an allergic reaction, though we gave her some Benadryl just in case. She calmed down after a bit sucking her thumb and then asking for some chips.
God bless Frito's.
Locked in or trapped out?
Anna knows how to open doors. She knows how to close doors. And as of this week, she knows how to lock doors. The trick here is that she hasn't figured out how to unlock them. Following several spectacular and Oscar-worthy tantrums one day, I sent her to her room to cool down. Silvia and I settled in the front yard to wait, playing with rocks and barking back at the neighbor's dog. You know, the usual. After the allotted time, I scooped up my littlest and headed back up the porch to reclaim her impressive sister.
The sister who we found looking in the window next to the door, face pressed to the glass, Joey the Bunny clasped tightly in her hands, serious expression on her face. "Come in, Mama," she said through the glass. I clasped the door knob, exasperation sinking in my stomach. The door refused to cooperate.
"Anna, were you playing with the lock? Turn the lock, honey. Go put it back like it was. Turn the lock, ok?" Her serious expression turning to grief, she fumbled at the door and the burst into hysterics, falling down on the carpet and gasping between cries, "Come IN, mama!"
Oh, dear. Instantly sympathetic, I tried to calm her down through the glass while Silvia watched, waving cheerily at her sister and repeating her favorite words, "Anna sad. Anna sad, mama."
Thinking quickly, (or actually, thinking without a clue), I called Anna over to the back door windows, which were open. Here we could touch hands through the screen, which I discovered where very sturdily installed. This would have been a comfort to learn at another time, but had me cursing under my breath at that moment. After I had her calmed down, I told her to wait for me at the window and ran across the street, knocking on doors for a phone.
Thankfully, one neighbor works from home. I quickly called the Bearer of the Spare Key, who headed over with this magical object. Running back to Anna, all this time with Silvia in tow, I kept her entertained at the window.
Briefly calm, she smiled and announced, "Mama, I'll let you in! Let me get Silvia's keys!". She picked up the plastic rainbow keys and desperately hit them at the front lock. I was trying not to laugh but then she burst into another bout of hysterics when her scheme failed.
And then, Murphy's Law in full swing, she fell and hurt herself as I watched helplessly, calling out comfort as well as I could. Poor baby. Eventually, I talked her in to waiting on the couch. After that, Anna declined to meet me at the window anymore, instead reading her workbook, cuddled into the couch pillows, a bookworm in her element.
After the door was finally opened by Terry, Anna calmly told me not to trap myself outside again, with an air of responsibility-free condescension. Note to self: give spare key to neighbor.
The sister who we found looking in the window next to the door, face pressed to the glass, Joey the Bunny clasped tightly in her hands, serious expression on her face. "Come in, Mama," she said through the glass. I clasped the door knob, exasperation sinking in my stomach. The door refused to cooperate.
"Anna, were you playing with the lock? Turn the lock, honey. Go put it back like it was. Turn the lock, ok?" Her serious expression turning to grief, she fumbled at the door and the burst into hysterics, falling down on the carpet and gasping between cries, "Come IN, mama!"
Oh, dear. Instantly sympathetic, I tried to calm her down through the glass while Silvia watched, waving cheerily at her sister and repeating her favorite words, "Anna sad. Anna sad, mama."
Thinking quickly, (or actually, thinking without a clue), I called Anna over to the back door windows, which were open. Here we could touch hands through the screen, which I discovered where very sturdily installed. This would have been a comfort to learn at another time, but had me cursing under my breath at that moment. After I had her calmed down, I told her to wait for me at the window and ran across the street, knocking on doors for a phone.
Thankfully, one neighbor works from home. I quickly called the Bearer of the Spare Key, who headed over with this magical object. Running back to Anna, all this time with Silvia in tow, I kept her entertained at the window.
Briefly calm, she smiled and announced, "Mama, I'll let you in! Let me get Silvia's keys!". She picked up the plastic rainbow keys and desperately hit them at the front lock. I was trying not to laugh but then she burst into another bout of hysterics when her scheme failed.
And then, Murphy's Law in full swing, she fell and hurt herself as I watched helplessly, calling out comfort as well as I could. Poor baby. Eventually, I talked her in to waiting on the couch. After that, Anna declined to meet me at the window anymore, instead reading her workbook, cuddled into the couch pillows, a bookworm in her element.
After the door was finally opened by Terry, Anna calmly told me not to trap myself outside again, with an air of responsibility-free condescension. Note to self: give spare key to neighbor.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Anna is a velociraptor
Remember that scene from Jurassic Park? The one where the raptors are in their cage, throwing themselves at the electric fence in search of weakness?
That's Anna right now. I kid you not. That child is testing her boundaries like nobody's business. Back-talk, rudeness, defiance, tantrums, pushing/tackling Silvia while pretending she's just "playing". Heaven help me, I'm about to lock her up. Or even better, lock myself up- with a good book and cup of hot cocoa. And earplugs.
Kurt and I are seriously struggling to keep our tempers in check, trying to either simply ignore the obnoxious attitude or respond calmly and promptly to the rude behavior. We know she responds better, and calms down quicker, when we are calm.
But calm is a distant place, a happy island of sunshine and clear blue water. A place far, far from our living room and perpetually OUT OF REACH. I spend much of the day fighting the urge to scream my head off. Which I can report from personal experience, doesn't work at all.
We love that little angel, but if she gives me any more diva-tude this week, I'm going to lose my mind. And my cool. And probably all my hair.
That's Anna right now. I kid you not. That child is testing her boundaries like nobody's business. Back-talk, rudeness, defiance, tantrums, pushing/tackling Silvia while pretending she's just "playing". Heaven help me, I'm about to lock her up. Or even better, lock myself up- with a good book and cup of hot cocoa. And earplugs.
Kurt and I are seriously struggling to keep our tempers in check, trying to either simply ignore the obnoxious attitude or respond calmly and promptly to the rude behavior. We know she responds better, and calms down quicker, when we are calm.
But calm is a distant place, a happy island of sunshine and clear blue water. A place far, far from our living room and perpetually OUT OF REACH. I spend much of the day fighting the urge to scream my head off. Which I can report from personal experience, doesn't work at all.
We love that little angel, but if she gives me any more diva-tude this week, I'm going to lose my mind. And my cool. And probably all my hair.
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