Posts Tagged Parenting

Inhibition…or the Lack Thereof

August 23, 2008 at 4:30 am · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged , , , , ,

One of my favorite things about being a mother is watching my kids experience the world without inhibition. Of course, there is a point where one might ask where the line is drawn between the innocent lack of inhibition and just plain manners. One thing I do appreciate the most from my kids is that they are young enough to see truth in the world and feel confident enough to speak what the want. Regardless of who is around.

When I caught my son fishing for something up in his nose, examine it, and then decide to taste it, I had to figure out a catchy way to nip that habit in the bud. Now, I’m sure, as a kid, we all were intrigued by the crunchy, salty taste that comes out of our noses, but there are a few people in this world that still, as adults, search for the perfect bite. At that moment, when I saw him go for the mouth I shouted “Shyel, dude, just pick and flick it!”. I figured the rhyme was catchy enough for him to rethink his booger eating attempts in the near future.

A few weeks later, during circle time at his preschool, his teacher was reading a book called “That’s Disgusting” by Francesco Pittau and Bernadette Gervais. As soon as she got to the part about how eating boogers was disgusting, my son raised his hand passionately in the air and said to the whole class that, “My mommy said you shouldn’t eat your boogers, just pick it and flick it!”. Although I am a huge supporter of the 1st amendment, I made a note to myself to figure out another rhyme that would remind my son of “time and place”.

The lack of inhibition is a glorious thing and as I look at my kids, I envy the newness and the innocence behind it. A few days ago, at the beach, my son and his friend managed to get everything wet. As we were changing them, they took off running in the sand, free as birds, butt naked. I watched them both, screaming with delight, sand in every crevice, pure, unadulterated joy shining off their beautiful 3 year old faces. I noticed that other people on the beach were watching our boys. I wasn’t sure if they were thinking “ok, that’s cute enough, now, get their clothes back on” or, thinking what I was thinking…I wish I could be that free. The total, innocent, beautiful, lack of any type of inhibition. I thought to myself, enjoy it now kid, because with each passing moment, the world finds ways to inhibit us. Be free little man.

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My Little Screamer

August 18, 2008 at 3:33 pm · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged , , , , , , ,

My daughter shot into this world in less than three hours. After that brief second of silence, she let out the most delicious, life-filling scream I had ever heard. At that moment, I felt so relieved because in my arms was an 8 lb. 5 oz. ball of soul. And, she kept on screaming.

Don’t get me wrong, she was never colicky, or a difficult infant, but her major form of communication, even when she was 1 day old, was through her passionate screams. Now, exactly 16 months later, the screams are still there, but mixed in with a fiery little personality. She screams when she’s pissed off, hungry, scared, fired up, happy, excited, and even when she’s just loving life. She screams with delight when she hears Alicia Keys, and screams with anger as soon as I turn it off.

Her screams are so dramatic. My husband says she gets it from me. Probably. Sometimes when she gets really pissed off, she takes a deep breath, and no sound comes out…and her face freezes, and we wait. We hold her at an arms length from each eardrum, turn our heads, and just wait for the storm to hit.

When I’m on a plane, or in public, I forewarn all about her innate talent of screaming. A few months ago when I flew with her from Oakland to D.C., I told everybody around me that my daughter was a screamer. They took one look at her smiling face and decided it couldn’t be that bad. I even took measures prior to the flight to try and prevent this screaming. I ran her, fed her, kept her up from her morning nap, in hopes of her just passing our on the plane…which she had done in the past. I brought toys, books and all her favorite snacks. And sure enough, as soon as the flight took off, she passed out. I was so proud of myself, I settled back, waited to order a glass of wine, pulled out my book “Killing Pablo” and figured I had about 3 hours of chill time.

I was so wrong. Stuck in the middle between her car seat and a rather large woman’s breast, I could barely move. My daughter, whose world had expanded exponentially due the newly acquired trait of walking, wanted to move. I felt bad trying to get her out every 30 minutes, because the lady next to me was having a hard time moving, and I didn’t want to burden her as well. So, to make a long story short, she pretty much screamed the entire way. And, I admit it, I was praying a bottle of Benedryl would magically drop into my lap so my kid could pass out…because the looks I got from people were straight from hell.

I was SO “that mom”. The one that is dealing with her screaming child, as you are looking at yours thinking “Thank god that’s not me!” as you hug your calm, sleeping child overwhelmed with gracious love. Well, here’s the thing, I was always the mom who was grateful her kids were pretty chill on the plane. The mom who would drink up compliments from other passengers who commented on how well her kids behaved. Let’s just say, if there were anybody on that flight who was thinking about having kids…my daughter just made them rethink the whole idea.

Now, I’m about to travel 23.6 hours across the globe, with both of my kids, alone, and I feel like after that flight, it really couldn’t get much worse…and if I have to, I’ll deal with being “that mom” for the plane ride, because, after my kids get a chance to experience two months in India, I’ll be that other mom…the one who gave them a chance to see the world. When I look at it like that, her screams don’t seem all that bad…because the other screams she will grace us with, as soon as she touches foot in India, will be unforgettable.

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Welcome to my blog.

August 2, 2008 at 1:48 am · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged , , ,

So, I finally sat down to do this blog thing. After 3 years and 4 months of joining the club they call motherhood, I decided that I should throw down some of the most interesting things I have seen or done in the last few years with my kids, plus, a few of my friends kept nagging me about starting a blog. Hopefully people besides them will read it.

Before becoming a mom, I just loved having fun in the city…now with kids, much has changed, but I find that there are so many different ways to still have a good time and enjoy the city you live in…for me, it’s Oakland, CA. Motherhood does not equal the end…although, as most of you Moms know, it certainly brings forth a HUGE change in the definition of “fun”.

I have two little ones. A little boy who just turned 3 a few days ago, and a little girl who is almost 16 months. I have to say, the first year of having kids this close in age was extremely difficult, but now it’s, as we say it Oakland, “hella” fun. Don’t get me wrong, there are days when I’m seriously contemplating scotch taping signs on their shirts saying “FREE” and putting them outside on the curb, but those moments of craziness usually curb pretty quickly.

I thought I’d throw down some really fun things we have been doing since my kid’s preschool went on summer break. A few days ago I took them to Children’s Fairyland just to get them out of the house. You know that lull time between 3-5 where you are just running out of energy and the witching hour is quickly approaching?? My daughter had received a 12 pass gift card for her first birthday and I have to say, it was the best present that she received. I threw them both in the car, armed with a Diego Sippy Cup filled with some orange juice, string cheese and raisins stuffed in my purse, and an extra diaper and shorts (3 year old is potty trained, but tends to have a few accidents when he’s fired up). It was the perfect way to end an extremely long day. The kids hung out, said hi to the donkeys, rode a few rides, played in sand, and ended the day watching a great puppet show.

Then, after all the fun was done, the Fairy Land people decided to open one exit…through the gift shop. A brilliant marketing scheme, but for me, a nightmare. We were approaching a 4:30 meltdown, and right there, in the middle of the gift shop, my usually calm and sensible 3 year old “Linda Blair-ed” me. I’m talking about full on floor rolling, tears spurting out mixing with crying drool, speaking in tongues…I mean the full package. I actually found myself laughing as I was walking/dragging myself out of the store, trying to figure out who the genius was behind this exit strategy. I mean, for a long 7 minutes there, I was “that mom”. And I know you all know what I’m talking about.

In the car I told him how you really can’t always get what you want…and I just happened to have my rolling Stones Greatest Hits CD sitting in my car. And, I had Mick tell my son the truth about life…and it worked. He stopped crying.

Later.

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