Crib Tent

Callen takes these really long naps which I love.  He wakes up very happy after a good long nap and I am a very happy Mother when he has had a good nap.  For some reason lately he hasn't wanted to settle down.  He also has this obsession with water.  We typically go through 3 outfit changes in one day because he has found water in some form and dumped it all over himself.  Today Taylor came in and told me that she heard water coming from Callen's room.  When I went back there he had flooded the bathroom and was drenched from head to toe.  I was not a happy Mom and when I walked in and he saw me he started to cry.  I hope that is a good sign that he recognizes that what he did was wrong.

He also went through a whole bottle of soap and a whole tube of toothpaste.

We have the crib tent on but I don't always zip it I just use it as a little threat that I will zip it if he gets out.  It generally works but today he was quite sad when I actually followed up on my threat and zipped him up.  He was not happy.  I have to admit I felt a little happy knowing that he wasn't going anywhere soon.  Thank you to whoever created crib tents.  You should be given the Nobel Peace Prize because it sure brings peace to my household. DISCLAIMER - when I first posted this post I put Pulitzer Peace Prize instead of the Nobel Peace Prize.  While Callen could have earned the Pulitzer for his marker writings on the walls the inventor of the crib tent deserves the Nobel Peace Prize simply because if Al Gore can get it for the global warming hoax then surely the tent inventor should get if for truly bringing peace to many households around the world including mine.

Storytime

One of my favorite things to do is to read to my kids.  I pretty much love ANYTHING involving reading but that is the subject of another post.  I really love when my kids have a favorite book and they ask for it over and over again until they could read it to me.  My kids favorites have been varied, from Goodnight Moon (Kaden), Goodnight Gorilla (Tanner), My First Animal Book (Taylor),  Brown Bear (Lexie) and My First Big Counting Book (Callen).  I just might be able to recite any of those books at will if asked.  Or I might be able to recite them backwards.  You never know - it all depends on if my brain cells are firing and to be honest at the moment all my brain cells are on strike.  For anyone that knows me, you know that I am fairly cheap yet I will spend money on books.  Our playroom has no room for toys because it has been overtaken by books and that is the way I want it to be.  Having said that the book needs to be on it's last leg before I will buy another one.  Callen's favorite book had been taped together quite a few times (note to self - do not let your toddler's favorite book be anything involving real paper instead of cardboard).  It was still fully functioning but needed a "handle with care" sticker on it.  Travis being the great Dad he is put Callen down for a nap one day and I hadn't let him know one of the cardinal rules of parenting.  NEVER PUT A PAPER BOOK IN THE CRIB OF A DESTRUCTIVE TODDLER - BOARD BOOKS ONLY ALLOWED.  I came in to get Callen after his nap and this is what I found.


At first he didn't have the appropriate reaction....

After a little shameless mother "coaching" he looked appropriately shocked.  I have to admit I tried piecing the book together until reality set in and I admitted that some books are beyond salvageable.  Plus I looked it up on Amazon and I could get another one for about $7.99.  I just have this feeling that this book may be the first of many things that Callen will destroy......Knock on wood.

Obsession

Callen has this problem with Obsessions. Now at first I oohed and ahhed and asked him to repeat all the names of the Cars in Disney's movie "Cars". They I would get him to sing the songs on cue for other people all the while thinking how bright my child is (note to self, maybe I should be putting movies on that teach real life values and having him repeat that - Maybe if I have baby #6 I will finally get it right). I think it was when I was on the ground of the library taking all of the books out of the shelves looking for the elusive Guido car. Or when I got home from Costco and realized we had left a car and drove back (yes I admit I am certifiably insane) to find the car only to realize it was gone for good. That was when I realized this obsession was no longer cute. His obsessive nature started when he was about 6 months with a monkey. At the time I thought "on how cute! He loves this little monkey". Hindsight is 20/10, not 20/20. Later I had daydreams of burning that monkey. He had to have the monkey EVERYWHERE he went. Genius mother that I am I scoured for duplicates of this monkey. Luckily Taylor and Natalie were willing to part with their EXACT same monkeys only to find that he could tell the difference between the monkeys because they were slightly "puffier" than his original monkey. I then decided to wash the other 2 monkeys repeatedly and throw them around the house to try to get them to be less "puffy". After about 15 washes, and a lot of raining monkeys it worked! Then we had 3 monkeys to choose from. The problem then was that he now needed ALL THREE monkeys at all times. Moving on to stage 2 in his obsessive history we found CARS. Again I was thrilled that he would sit still for about 30 minutes and I could get a shower. It is amazing to see what you can get done in 30 minutes! Then I realized that he needed to have his cars everywhere we go. Not one, oh no that would be WAY too easy. No, we have to have the whole cast of CARS with us wherever we go. At bath time, at bedtime, at mealtime at errands time and even at church. Now the practical parents out there might say - just take them away. I have to just chuckle to myself when I think of that "practical" advice. If you have seen Callen's temper tantrums you would realize that we are just making it through the day around her and we will re-instate practicality and sane parenting when he is 3. Now I am realizing how expensive replacing lost and forgotten cars are. Again, genius that I am I decided to introduce more Disney movies to him in the hopes that he would lose the Obsession with his favorite toys. Guess what? It worked! Unfortunately it worked a little too well. Now wherever we go Callen brings the following" 3 monkeys, Buzz and Woody the entire collection of CARS Anyone have a straight jacket I could borrow size Women's Medium?

What a patient Dad!

The collection