Focus
The following transcript is representative of a whole series of conversations we've had w/ Margaret lately (where $donut can represent any item Margaret wants).
Margaret: Want $donut
Mommy and/or Daddy: $negativeResponse
Margaret: Want $donut
Mommy and/or Daddy: $reasonOne
Margaret: Want $donut
Mommy and/or Daddy: $reasonTwo
Margaret: Want $donut
Mommy and/or Daddy: $explanation
Margaret: Want $donut
Mommy and/or Daddy: $redirectionAttempt
Margaret: Want $donut
Mommy and/or Daddy: OK.
Take it From Me, Parents Just Don’t Understand
We've been working semi-casually towards potty training Margaret. It's really been us that have been dropping the ball by not being consistent. Still, every time we have to drop $20-$30 for a new package of pullups, our motivation gets renewed. We have progressed to the point where M will gladly perform her duties on the potty, providing that you prompt her to do so by taking her there. She's not yet to the point of telling you that she needs to go. So unless we diligently take her every 30 minutes or so, we end up changing wet diapers. For the last few days, every time we change a wet diaper, we ask her "Why didn't you tell us you needed to go potty? We would have taken you to the potty and you could have gotten an M&M!"
Last night, while Liz was cooking, M came into the kitchen, clad only in a diaper, and said "Want diaper! Want diaper!" She then took off her diaper, and peed on the floor right in front of Liz. Liz wasn't 100% sure what to think of it. 30 minutes later, Margaret does the same thing, coming into the kitchen saying "Want diaper! Want diaper!". I was there this time, and I replied "You already have a diaper." She ripped it off, and peed right on the floor in front of me.
We discussed it a bit, and determined that, considering our recent requests for her to tell us when she needed to go, and the fact that she did the same thing twice in a row, that she was saying "Want diaper" as short for "I want this diaper off of me so I can go pee pee in the potty and get an M&M."
Headbutting as a Conversation Starter
Tonight was my turn to put Margaret to bed. She was upset about going, so I tried to soothe her by singing a little bit when we got in the bedroom. A little singing turned into a lot of singing. It became apparent after a while that she was making no serious effort to go to sleep. So I started reminding her that it was time to go to sleep, using a firm voice. In response, she butted her head towards mine, not quite making contact. She started to butt again, so I rested my arm over my forehead to act as a buffer. She made contact 3 or 4 times in rapid succession, the first one being soft, and each subsequent one a little harder. When she was finally satisfied that she'd butted me w/ the correct amount of pressure, she said "I sorry. I sorry, Daddy. Are OK? Be careful. Be careful, Daddy."
Margaret singing along w/ the Little Einsteins theme song
She gets a little distracted mid-way through, but you get the idea.
Margaret’s First Real Snow
Family Photo
So we finally did a family photo its the first time in almost two years. To say the least Margaret wasn't really feeling it tonight but we got a few good ones. The plan was to do it outside but with it being so wet out we just did them at home. So for now we have a few things I was happy with and hopefully we will get some more soon. Thanks to Kyla for doing these for us tonight.
Trick or Treat
Last night we took Margaret out for her first trick or treating. Overall she's a happy and social girl, but when new people are around, particularly men, it may take her 15 min or so to warm up to them. Since trick or treating is almost 100% about new, often costumed, sometimes scary people, we really didn't know what to expect.
The plan was to go trick or treating with our neighbors Tommy and Stephanie. We got a little impatient waiting on them to get home from their anniversary dinner, so we went ahead and dressed Margaret up in her bumble bee outfit and did a trial run at our other neighbor's house. We handed her her bucket, and, and waited behind some other kids as the Diemund's handed out candy. Margaret just kinda stood there, unsure of what was going on. As the candy went into her bucket, she saw McKennah, and tried to walk in their house. We had to grab her and explain to her that we'd be going to other houses, and that we weren't going to be staying to play. We went to one other house while waiting on Tommy and Stephanie. This time Margaret seemed to know the drill. She cooperatively carried her bucket to the door, and held it out to receive candy. She wasn't the least bit timid or shy, much to our pleasure.
Tommy and Stephanie showed up while this was going on, and we waited a few minutes for them to get their kids suited up. We trick or treated our whole neighborhood with them, and Margaret was just amazingly awesome. She never fussed at all. When it was time to go to a new house, she'd grab her bucket and head to the door. If she was the first one there, she'd even knock. If she was behind bigger kids, she'd just sidle back and forth looking for a gap so she could get up to the front and get some candy. Never once did she act afraid or timid of anyone. She continued to try to go into people's houses, particularly if they had dogs.
When we got home, we dumped her candy on the floor and she spent a solid 15 minutes just picking up each piece and inspecting it. She played a matching game for a little while where she'd find 2 of the same kinds of candy, and hand them to me. We let her have a few things, trying to limit the sugar as much as possible. A big thanks to the folks who gave out pretzels!
The best part about it all is what happened this morning. I woke up, and laid in bed for a while. Margaret must have woken up w/o me noticing, apparently still thinking about last night, because the first words I hear out of her mouth, at full volume, are "Trick or Treat"
Margaret showing off her complete inventory of skills
We just tried to get Margaret to demonstrate all of the stuff she knows at ~17 months of age. We cover most of it here, including:
- Nose picking
- Some sign language
- identifying body parts
- singing Itsy Bitsy Spider (w/ hand motions, and dramatic Eee-Aye-Eee-Aye-Oh finish)
- Flipping
- Identifying foods
- Animal sounds
About time…
Well about time someone updates this thing. So since Will has done it the last few times I thought it was probably my turn. Normally you have the not much has changed post, but for once I feel like a ton has changed.
First off today we got a new member of the family. I think we have settled on calling her Rocket she's a basset hound somewhere between 1 and 2 years old. So far she seems to really be working out nice for us. But it hasn't even been 24 hours so probably a little early to say. But she hasn't bit Margaret or torn anything up. So that's a pretty good dog in my book. Margaret was running and tripped and fell on her and she barely opened an eye.
Second big thing in our lives is I have started working. Not your average job I will only work a few days out of the month. Which goes great with being a stay at home mom and only having one car. But I am currently training to be a birth assistant with the midwife that helped deliver Margaret. Or I should say I will help assist all the midwifes in the practice. So far I have done two births and am really enjoying it.
Margaret is growing like a weed and learning so much. I guess every parent probably feels like there kid is a genius. But its really amazing hearing her put two and three words together now. She also knows and using a little over 5 signs very well. Margaret is still really into being outdoors, her movies, and of course her new dog. Won't be long and we will already be coming up on her two year birthday.
Will mostly works and plays games 
A few other big things for us are that we are coming up on one year as a one car family. Which means we have had no car payment for a year. Something were both really proud of. Also we have started using cloth diapers and are about to hit the 2 month mark of that. They have already paid for themselves so everything now is just pure profit. Next which just shipped today is our un-paper towels. So all these little changes I am excited to see how they impact our monthly budget. I know just me using the clothesline during the summer dropped our bill $50 dollars a month. We don't have a fancy dryer or anything so I am sure it does suck a lot of energy. I have also started a compost pile for a garden next year and am looking forward to working in it with Margaret.
Unh Unh Unh!
Margaret is to a stage now where she just points at things and says "Unh unh unh!" repeatedly until we give her what she's asking for. Liz and I don't want this stage to last any longer than necessary, so we're teaching her to say or sign "please", "more", or the word for what she's asking for if she knows it, like "water" or "milk", etc. She seems to understand, yet sometimes she's stubborn and resists for a good minute or two before finally breaking down and saying/signing her request. Watching her sign, though, is the cutest thing I can imagine at this stage of my life.