Billy is... not sleeping. It's a game. He simply refuses to go to sleep
Here are some reasons why he can't go to bed:
1.) He needs to pee
2.) He needs to pee again
3.) He's hungry
4.) It's not bedtime
5.) It's too dark
6.) It's too light
7.) One of his seven Pooh Bears is missing
8.) He doesn't like his bed
9.) Disney movies are more interesting
10.) The evil parrots will come and peck at him in the dark
And if I can manage to get him to climb into bed with the lights out, he will refuse to actually fall asleep. He'll get up and wander around the house and continue his insistence on not sleeping.
Here are some reasons why he's up and can't go back to bed:
1.) I want to sing
2.) He wants to sleep in Mommy's bed
3.) He has to pee again
4.) He wants to watch Dr. Who (true story)
5.) The (non-existent) thunder woke him up
6.) He needs a hug
7.) He needs another hug
8.) He wants to change his pants
9.) He wants his blanket. No, the other blanket. No, not that one. The other, other blanket.
10.) Because he doesn't want to
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Memorial Day Weekend 2013
For the long weekend we decided to have a visit with PeePop.
Billy is now too old for a crib and able to climb out AND back in, so he is now sleeping in a big bed. Great for him, much less sleep for me.
We went there late Friday night and he stayed awake for the whole drive asking "why?" Why what is not really important, given that there were about 60 whys per hour. I think that's about his average at the moment.
Saturday we headed down to the beach to see the ocean. It was fairly cold with 30 mph winds, so there wasn't any sunbathing or swimming for us. Some people decided to brave the weather and the water in their bathing suits. Not us.
We walked the boards and checks out some of the rides. Billy got to go on the merry-go-round. This one is historic and original. He wanted to do all of the rides, but it was already nap time. He really wanted to get on the "big" rides- the fast ones for the older kids, but he has several years before he meets the height requirement on those (and before my heart and stand it).
So, we did just the one ride. He wanted to ride the dragon. Who doesn't want to ride a dragon?
And no trip to the boards is complete without a stop in a candy store. I'm pretty sure this was his favorite part of the weekend. We went in looking for a lollipop. With the lollipops were sticks with candies on it that he decided he wanted more than a lollipop. I told him they were chewy candies. "But I like chewy candy, Mommy."
Here's Billy and PeePop having a snack together on the porch.
And standing on the porch steps together.
Okay, that last one is really just for me. Here are the oldest and youngest member's of PeePop's family. Billy makes 6 generations of one family in the same house, which was built by my great-great grandfather.
You might be wondering...what's with the stick? Look closely if you didn't notice it. It's in most of the photos in this post. That would be his new favorite toy. It's a piece of fig wood he picked up at Grandma's house last week. He insists on taking it everywhere. He also uses it as a tool, like for digging in the dirt. It's a multi-purpose toy. It doesn't matter how fancy toys get... in the end the best one is a stick!
Billy is now too old for a crib and able to climb out AND back in, so he is now sleeping in a big bed. Great for him, much less sleep for me.
We went there late Friday night and he stayed awake for the whole drive asking "why?" Why what is not really important, given that there were about 60 whys per hour. I think that's about his average at the moment.
Saturday we headed down to the beach to see the ocean. It was fairly cold with 30 mph winds, so there wasn't any sunbathing or swimming for us. Some people decided to brave the weather and the water in their bathing suits. Not us.
We walked the boards and checks out some of the rides. Billy got to go on the merry-go-round. This one is historic and original. He wanted to do all of the rides, but it was already nap time. He really wanted to get on the "big" rides- the fast ones for the older kids, but he has several years before he meets the height requirement on those (and before my heart and stand it).
So, we did just the one ride. He wanted to ride the dragon. Who doesn't want to ride a dragon?
And no trip to the boards is complete without a stop in a candy store. I'm pretty sure this was his favorite part of the weekend. We went in looking for a lollipop. With the lollipops were sticks with candies on it that he decided he wanted more than a lollipop. I told him they were chewy candies. "But I like chewy candy, Mommy."
Here's Billy and PeePop having a snack together on the porch.
And standing on the porch steps together.
Okay, that last one is really just for me. Here are the oldest and youngest member's of PeePop's family. Billy makes 6 generations of one family in the same house, which was built by my great-great grandfather.
You might be wondering...what's with the stick? Look closely if you didn't notice it. It's in most of the photos in this post. That would be his new favorite toy. It's a piece of fig wood he picked up at Grandma's house last week. He insists on taking it everywhere. He also uses it as a tool, like for digging in the dirt. It's a multi-purpose toy. It doesn't matter how fancy toys get... in the end the best one is a stick!
Friday, May 24, 2013
Sharing
I've decided to start incorporating interesting content from other blogs and sources. I'm sharing the humor.
So, in honor of sharing, a post from The Honest Toddler about sharing.
The Honest Toddler: Sharing II
So, in honor of sharing, a post from The Honest Toddler about sharing.
The Honest Toddler: Sharing II
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
May 21, 2013 ~ Who's Afraid of the Dark?
Monday night Billy refused to go to bed. I'd put him down and 15 minutes he would be back up again, searching the house for me because he "needed to pee." Well, I knew that wasn't really the issue. He peed, he was empty, so there was no reason to get up every 15 minutes.
I thought perhaps it was a fluke. Maybe he just couldn't sleep.
He ended up in my bed with me all night, kicking me and rolling around. At least he got some sleep. More than I can say for myself.
Then last night the same routine started up.
Now, again, I knew that he didn't have to pee. So, something else had to be up (besides Billy way past his bedtime).
He whispered to me, "I'm afraid of the dark."
He's got a night light and it's never been an issue before. But I turned on the bathroom light and propped his bedroom door open so the light would spill in from the hallway. Still, that wasn't enough. He was still scared and again ended up in my bed.
This time, however, he got moved to his own room once it was my own bedtime. Sleep for me, yay!
I thought perhaps it was a fluke. Maybe he just couldn't sleep.
He ended up in my bed with me all night, kicking me and rolling around. At least he got some sleep. More than I can say for myself.
Then last night the same routine started up.
Now, again, I knew that he didn't have to pee. So, something else had to be up (besides Billy way past his bedtime).
He whispered to me, "I'm afraid of the dark."
He's got a night light and it's never been an issue before. But I turned on the bathroom light and propped his bedroom door open so the light would spill in from the hallway. Still, that wasn't enough. He was still scared and again ended up in my bed.
This time, however, he got moved to his own room once it was my own bedtime. Sleep for me, yay!
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
May 20, 2013 ~ One of His Very Own
I promised Billy that if he pooped on the potty at daycare he would get an extra special gift. This is what he wanted. Not a toy guitar. Nope. A real guitar. So, as of today he has his very own guitar, just his size. Yes, it's a real guitar from a music shop and he'll have to learn to play it correctly. I don't know a thing about guitars, but Daddy can teach him.
Future Eric Clapton?
Future Eric Clapton?
Monday, May 20, 2013
The Sunday Post ~ Learning the Hard Lessons
In an attempt to preserve my sanity, I plugged in the VCR this weekend. We've watched the AristoCats over and over, and I needed a break. Besides, it was time to expand some horizons into other cartoons and Disney films. I just happen to have the bulk of the Disney library on tape. I just needed a way to play them.
Billy had already gotten into the tape collection and picked out the Lion King as the first movie to watch. He had seen part of it at the kids' corner in the grocery store and wanted to watch it again. I readily agreed.
So, with the VCR now working and a wealth of Disney movies available to watch, I popped in the Lion King for Billy's first viewing. This is going to be great!
But time does strange things to our memory. I remember the Lion King as being a fabulous film. And truly, it is. But it came out when I was a teenager and it's been over a decade since I've seen the movie. I've never looked at it with a parent's eye. Only as the teen that babysat kids who were obsessed with the film.
And suddenly, I found myself discussing the meaning of death with my two-year-old. It wasn't like a planned to have that conversation on a rainy Sunday morning. I didn't even think about a Disney movie launching such a profound and devastating topic.
But that's the truth about Disney. They don't shy away from the life lessons. Their heroes and heroines suffer devastating loss, face villains of all kinds- even family members- and encounter countless struggles. Along the way they teach kindness, humility and love.
So, here I was discussing death with a two-year-old. Simple. Keep it simple. "He went to Heaven." But then Billy wanted to know when he would come back from Heaven. "You never come back." And at the scene where Mufasa comes down in the clouds to speak to Simba one last time, Billy broke out into tears. As the clouds rolled away and Mufasa was gone forever, he cried. He got it.
Then he looked at me, "Mommy, why am I crying?" He didn't even understand the deep sadness he was feeling. "You're sad," I told him. And then he asked me, "why did he have to die?"
And in, perhaps, the biggest parenting mistake of showing him this movie, he started crying for Daddy- who wasn't home. He became confused that Daddy had gone to Heaven and would never come back.
Daddy, having heard from me about this, placed called us using Face Time (video phone) so Billy could see that Daddy was okay. Then, in words I've never spoken to Billy before, he looked seriously at Daddy and said, "the baby lion lost his Daddy."
Billy had already gotten into the tape collection and picked out the Lion King as the first movie to watch. He had seen part of it at the kids' corner in the grocery store and wanted to watch it again. I readily agreed.
So, with the VCR now working and a wealth of Disney movies available to watch, I popped in the Lion King for Billy's first viewing. This is going to be great!
But time does strange things to our memory. I remember the Lion King as being a fabulous film. And truly, it is. But it came out when I was a teenager and it's been over a decade since I've seen the movie. I've never looked at it with a parent's eye. Only as the teen that babysat kids who were obsessed with the film.
And suddenly, I found myself discussing the meaning of death with my two-year-old. It wasn't like a planned to have that conversation on a rainy Sunday morning. I didn't even think about a Disney movie launching such a profound and devastating topic.
But that's the truth about Disney. They don't shy away from the life lessons. Their heroes and heroines suffer devastating loss, face villains of all kinds- even family members- and encounter countless struggles. Along the way they teach kindness, humility and love.
So, here I was discussing death with a two-year-old. Simple. Keep it simple. "He went to Heaven." But then Billy wanted to know when he would come back from Heaven. "You never come back." And at the scene where Mufasa comes down in the clouds to speak to Simba one last time, Billy broke out into tears. As the clouds rolled away and Mufasa was gone forever, he cried. He got it.
Then he looked at me, "Mommy, why am I crying?" He didn't even understand the deep sadness he was feeling. "You're sad," I told him. And then he asked me, "why did he have to die?"
And in, perhaps, the biggest parenting mistake of showing him this movie, he started crying for Daddy- who wasn't home. He became confused that Daddy had gone to Heaven and would never come back.
Daddy, having heard from me about this, placed called us using Face Time (video phone) so Billy could see that Daddy was okay. Then, in words I've never spoken to Billy before, he looked seriously at Daddy and said, "the baby lion lost his Daddy."
May 18, 2013 ~ Preakness
If you're not from town or not into horse racing, then you probably don't know much about the Preakness (or anything at all). It's the second race in the Triple Crown and takes place here in our town.
Preakness is so much more than just a race, though. It's a week long event with crab racing, frog hopping, concerts, hot air balloons, and a day long party at the race track before the big race.
I wouldn't dream of taking Billy to Pimlico on Old Hilltop for the big race. It's an adult event, let's be honest. And personally, I'm not that big into horse racing. But some of the other events are perfect for him.
I thought he'd love the hot air balloons.
So, I took him to the balloon festival (held in a different part of town from the horse track). We met up with a former coworker of mine, who brought his three-year-old son.
This was the balloon glow, where all of the balloons fire up at the same time. It's really lovely.
Did Billy care? Nope.
He and the other little boy played in the sand the whole time. What sand, you ask? Oh, well they held the event on a golf course, so the kids were building sand castles in the sand trap. I'd post a pic, but blogger is having difficulty with the photos function. My apologies.
This is a really fun event, but I have some major complaints about it.
The Balloon Glow is held at the Turf Valley Inn and Golf Course. They made us park several miles away at the county fairgrounds and bused us over to the event. The buses were loading only one at a time, making the wait to get to and from parking to the event VERY long, especially at an event overloaded with young children.
The glow ended at 8:30. I thought it would be perfect timing to get back to the car and he would sleep on the way home, meaning that Billy wasn't up too late past his bedtime. We got in line for the bus at 8:30. However, by the time we got in our car it was 10:30. That's right. Not just Billy, but the majority of the little kids-toddlers!- were stuck waiting in line for almost 2 hours well past bedtime just to get to the cars.
You have to wonder, since the event does not use any of Turf Valley's facilities other than the golf course, why it's held there. Why not hold it at the county fairgrounds where the parking was? They certainly had the space for it. I could also name at least three other better venues where parking would be on site. I would have to think this would be better, allowing visitors to spend more time spending money at the festival instead of in line for the shuttle bus.
It was fun and I'd go again, but I'd really have to plan next time for the bus debacle.
Preakness is so much more than just a race, though. It's a week long event with crab racing, frog hopping, concerts, hot air balloons, and a day long party at the race track before the big race.
I wouldn't dream of taking Billy to Pimlico on Old Hilltop for the big race. It's an adult event, let's be honest. And personally, I'm not that big into horse racing. But some of the other events are perfect for him.
I thought he'd love the hot air balloons.
So, I took him to the balloon festival (held in a different part of town from the horse track). We met up with a former coworker of mine, who brought his three-year-old son.
This was the balloon glow, where all of the balloons fire up at the same time. It's really lovely.
Did Billy care? Nope.
He and the other little boy played in the sand the whole time. What sand, you ask? Oh, well they held the event on a golf course, so the kids were building sand castles in the sand trap. I'd post a pic, but blogger is having difficulty with the photos function. My apologies.
This is a really fun event, but I have some major complaints about it.
The Balloon Glow is held at the Turf Valley Inn and Golf Course. They made us park several miles away at the county fairgrounds and bused us over to the event. The buses were loading only one at a time, making the wait to get to and from parking to the event VERY long, especially at an event overloaded with young children.
The glow ended at 8:30. I thought it would be perfect timing to get back to the car and he would sleep on the way home, meaning that Billy wasn't up too late past his bedtime. We got in line for the bus at 8:30. However, by the time we got in our car it was 10:30. That's right. Not just Billy, but the majority of the little kids-toddlers!- were stuck waiting in line for almost 2 hours well past bedtime just to get to the cars.
You have to wonder, since the event does not use any of Turf Valley's facilities other than the golf course, why it's held there. Why not hold it at the county fairgrounds where the parking was? They certainly had the space for it. I could also name at least three other better venues where parking would be on site. I would have to think this would be better, allowing visitors to spend more time spending money at the festival instead of in line for the shuttle bus.
It was fun and I'd go again, but I'd really have to plan next time for the bus debacle.
Friday, May 17, 2013
May 16, 2013 ~ Love of Gloves
You would think with the weather turning warm that Billy would want to dress for the season. But, he's two and has no concept of the seasons or how to dress for them.
Nope.
But he does have a love of gloves.
He went to bed with his gloves on and, yes, you guessed it, woke up with the gloves still on. He loves his gloves and he doesn't care if it feels like summer.
Nope.
But he does have a love of gloves.
He went to bed with his gloves on and, yes, you guessed it, woke up with the gloves still on. He loves his gloves and he doesn't care if it feels like summer.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
May 14, 2013 ~ Cold Spring
It's still cold, despite almost being summer. We were over at Grandma's and she was going through her hat/scarf collection. These were in a pile to give to Billy, who immediately decided to wear them. He wore them to play. He wore them to eat dinner. He wore them drinking from his Hello Kitty mug.
With his dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, cap, preppy scarf and a mug in his hand he looked like he was ready for college. Today: daycare. Next stop: Harvard.
With his dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, cap, preppy scarf and a mug in his hand he looked like he was ready for college. Today: daycare. Next stop: Harvard.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
May 13, 2013 ~ Brush Brush Brush
Billy likes to brush his own hair (read: mess it up). But never before has be attempted to brush the hair on any of his toys. Just wasn't interested.
While in Florida Billy witnessed his godmother brushing Baby B's hair.
And at bedtime Billy declared we couldn't go to sleep until he had brushed the "hair" of every stuffed animal he owned that was baby-sized. (We've got some bigger ones).
He only brushed the top of their heads, then laid them down in a row with binkies and blankets.
Pretty sure he's got babies on the brain.
While in Florida Billy witnessed his godmother brushing Baby B's hair.
And at bedtime Billy declared we couldn't go to sleep until he had brushed the "hair" of every stuffed animal he owned that was baby-sized. (We've got some bigger ones).
He only brushed the top of their heads, then laid them down in a row with binkies and blankets.
Pretty sure he's got babies on the brain.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Our Florida Trip 2013
You've probably noticed a lack of posting. We've been in Florida.
Originally, Billy wasn't supposed to go with me. But due to two booked flights and a scheduling conflict (read miscommunication about travel) Billy was going to have to stay home by himself. I tried to talk Buddy into babysitting- hell Nana watched the Darling children (although there was that part where the kids ran off to Neverland), but Buddy had more important things to do like ball chasing and barking.
So, Billy got to go with me to Florida to visit with his godparents and their new baby.
I don't post photos of other peoples' children on this blog, so I won't be posting any photos of Billy with Baby B. However, I will tell you about it.
Billy really likes his new little friend. He tried to give Baby B his own binkies to help sooth him. Of course, Billy's binkies are way too big for an infant, and also Baby B doesn't use binkies. Billy brought him all sorts of toys- even dragged his swing out from another room for the baby. He also got the chance to feed the baby a bottle and hold him at the same time. Billy loved that.
He also got to be a big boy for four days. He slept in a real bed- not a toddler bed- and he had to share it with Mommy (3am: poked in the eye, "Mommy are you awake?") He drank from regular cups and ate off of regular plates and bowls. His godparents aren't toddler ready yet- although they'll get there soon enough.
Billy's godparents also have a community pool that Billy got to swim in. At first he was terrified. Tired is probably a better word. He didn't want in. But finally he jumped into my arms to a round of applause from all of the other people at the pool.
There was a little girl there from Bosnia with her grandparents. She didn't speak any English. But she and Billy swam together in the pool. She shared her pool toys with him. They held hands while I held up Billy and her grandmother held her up.
Billy is certain he can swim now. He kept saying, "Mommy, let go!" He was thrashing his arms and legs in a good rendition of a doggy paddle. However, I was not about to let me toddler sink. So, no. I never let go. He's not quite ready for that yet.
Fear? none. He jumped into my arms from the pool's edge over 20 times. He thinks that's just so much fun. We used to do that last year at the pool. Only, he's a lot heavier now. I don't think my back will ever recover. Ouch!
~
So, there we are in Florida. And Billy's godparents live within driving distance of Disney World. You didn't think I'd fly Billy all the way down to the area and NOT take Billy?
My first memories are of Disney. My parents took me as a toddler, so I already had an idea of what rides would suit a 2 year old and how to plan my day. We got there shortly after the park opened.
Disney was a genius, by the way. You park your car, hop on a tram ride, then take a ferry boat all before you even get to the park. How cool is that when you're 2?
His first ride was the Jungle Boat Cruise.
He liked it okay. Obviously, the humor of this ride is lost on someone so small. But, it was a good way to break him in to Disney.
Next up: Pirates of the Caribbean. Okay, I know what you're saying. "That's scary!" All the parents in line were pointing at Billy and saying to their own kids, "see? He's not afraid!" Billy's been talking about pirates ever since the pirate festival a few weeks ago, so we had to do the ride.
He was cool until the boat drifted into the dark past a couple of skeletons. His little hand shot out to hold onto my knee. "Don't be scared," I whispered. "It's scary because it's dark," he told me. So, I put him in my lap. After that he thought it was really cool. "Yo, ho! Yo, ho! A pirate's life for me!"
Then it was off to the Tiki Room. It helps that they are all next to each other. A lot of people don't know the Tiki Room. I loved this as a child and still love it as an adult. It's very simple. It's a large round Tiki hut and the audience sits on benches around the room facing the center. There are parrots and hanging baskets of flowers in the ceiling and the birds and flowers sing a song to the audience. Then the tikis and the totem poles join in and when the song ends the show is over. Billy LOVED it. (photo is outside the show, waiting in line and watching the talking birds).
It was, as you might imagine, hot as Hades. There's no better way to beat the Florida sun, than with a Mickey Mouse ice cream.
When I was a toddler I made my parents ride the next attraction 13 times in a row with me. I have to imagine there wasn't a line, since a half hour wait for each time would take up the whole day. But it's the perfect ride of a kid- it's about kids from around the world. "It's a small world..."
Oh, yeah. I think the faces and the pointing says it all. "Again, Mommy?" Not with those lines.
Disney has thing thing called the Fast Pass. Basically, you get a ticket to come back to the ride later and not have to wait in line for very long. That works out well, unless you've got a little person past his nap time and you're not sure how long you're going to last in the park. But he really wanted to ride on the flying boats, so I went to get a Fast Pass for the Peter Pan ride. Disney is doing a "Happy Birthday" celebration. When we walked up to get a fast pass for Peter Pan (the standby wait was over an hour... for Peter Pan, really?) A cast member handed me two passes to get on right then and wished us a "Happy Birthday!" Okay, a little weird, but whatever. Billy liked the flying boats. Daddy has yet to hook up the VCR, though, so Billy has never seen the movie and doesn't know the story.
He wasn't going to let me walk past this, so we had to get on. (The merry-go-round).
After this we went over to the Pooh Bear ride. The line was SUPPOSED to be 20 minutes. But, apparently, someone got stuck trying to get off the ride, so they had to shut it down for awhile and it was a very long wait. But we were already half way through the line, so we waited and waiting. Billy waved at every character he saw on the ride, especially Pooh.
The best ride to end on for a toddler?
How about a flying elephant? They have an entirely new waiting system for this ride. You walk into the big top, get a buzzer like from a restaurant, and your kid goes and plays in the indoor playground until the buzzer tells you it's your turn to get on the ride. Cool, huh?
Before we left the park we walked through all of the lands and stopped to have a snack on Main Street. Where better to have a snack, than in the shadow of the castle?
And the last thing to do before leaving the park? A stop in the toy store. Can't go to Disney and not get a souvenir. I told him he could have anything in the toy store. So, he immediately picked up a box bigger than him of a Cinderella's Castle playset. Okay, you can have any stuffed animal in the toy store. Aah... much better! He found a baby Pooh Bear wrapped in a swaddling blanket. That's what he picked.
This last picture is from the tram ride back to the car. I think he had fun.
~
Let's not forget the plane ride. Billy got to fly! Boy, did he love that. He had only one problem with flying- sitting still. Ears- no biggie. Loved the peanuts. Next time, though, I think I need to bring more toys!
Originally, Billy wasn't supposed to go with me. But due to two booked flights and a scheduling conflict (read miscommunication about travel) Billy was going to have to stay home by himself. I tried to talk Buddy into babysitting- hell Nana watched the Darling children (although there was that part where the kids ran off to Neverland), but Buddy had more important things to do like ball chasing and barking.
So, Billy got to go with me to Florida to visit with his godparents and their new baby.
I don't post photos of other peoples' children on this blog, so I won't be posting any photos of Billy with Baby B. However, I will tell you about it.
Billy really likes his new little friend. He tried to give Baby B his own binkies to help sooth him. Of course, Billy's binkies are way too big for an infant, and also Baby B doesn't use binkies. Billy brought him all sorts of toys- even dragged his swing out from another room for the baby. He also got the chance to feed the baby a bottle and hold him at the same time. Billy loved that.
He also got to be a big boy for four days. He slept in a real bed- not a toddler bed- and he had to share it with Mommy (3am: poked in the eye, "Mommy are you awake?") He drank from regular cups and ate off of regular plates and bowls. His godparents aren't toddler ready yet- although they'll get there soon enough.
Billy's godparents also have a community pool that Billy got to swim in. At first he was terrified. Tired is probably a better word. He didn't want in. But finally he jumped into my arms to a round of applause from all of the other people at the pool.
There was a little girl there from Bosnia with her grandparents. She didn't speak any English. But she and Billy swam together in the pool. She shared her pool toys with him. They held hands while I held up Billy and her grandmother held her up.
Billy is certain he can swim now. He kept saying, "Mommy, let go!" He was thrashing his arms and legs in a good rendition of a doggy paddle. However, I was not about to let me toddler sink. So, no. I never let go. He's not quite ready for that yet.
Fear? none. He jumped into my arms from the pool's edge over 20 times. He thinks that's just so much fun. We used to do that last year at the pool. Only, he's a lot heavier now. I don't think my back will ever recover. Ouch!
~
So, there we are in Florida. And Billy's godparents live within driving distance of Disney World. You didn't think I'd fly Billy all the way down to the area and NOT take Billy?
My first memories are of Disney. My parents took me as a toddler, so I already had an idea of what rides would suit a 2 year old and how to plan my day. We got there shortly after the park opened.
Disney was a genius, by the way. You park your car, hop on a tram ride, then take a ferry boat all before you even get to the park. How cool is that when you're 2?
His first ride was the Jungle Boat Cruise.
He liked it okay. Obviously, the humor of this ride is lost on someone so small. But, it was a good way to break him in to Disney.
Next up: Pirates of the Caribbean. Okay, I know what you're saying. "That's scary!" All the parents in line were pointing at Billy and saying to their own kids, "see? He's not afraid!" Billy's been talking about pirates ever since the pirate festival a few weeks ago, so we had to do the ride.
He was cool until the boat drifted into the dark past a couple of skeletons. His little hand shot out to hold onto my knee. "Don't be scared," I whispered. "It's scary because it's dark," he told me. So, I put him in my lap. After that he thought it was really cool. "Yo, ho! Yo, ho! A pirate's life for me!"
Then it was off to the Tiki Room. It helps that they are all next to each other. A lot of people don't know the Tiki Room. I loved this as a child and still love it as an adult. It's very simple. It's a large round Tiki hut and the audience sits on benches around the room facing the center. There are parrots and hanging baskets of flowers in the ceiling and the birds and flowers sing a song to the audience. Then the tikis and the totem poles join in and when the song ends the show is over. Billy LOVED it. (photo is outside the show, waiting in line and watching the talking birds).
It was, as you might imagine, hot as Hades. There's no better way to beat the Florida sun, than with a Mickey Mouse ice cream.
When I was a toddler I made my parents ride the next attraction 13 times in a row with me. I have to imagine there wasn't a line, since a half hour wait for each time would take up the whole day. But it's the perfect ride of a kid- it's about kids from around the world. "It's a small world..."
Oh, yeah. I think the faces and the pointing says it all. "Again, Mommy?" Not with those lines.
Disney has thing thing called the Fast Pass. Basically, you get a ticket to come back to the ride later and not have to wait in line for very long. That works out well, unless you've got a little person past his nap time and you're not sure how long you're going to last in the park. But he really wanted to ride on the flying boats, so I went to get a Fast Pass for the Peter Pan ride. Disney is doing a "Happy Birthday" celebration. When we walked up to get a fast pass for Peter Pan (the standby wait was over an hour... for Peter Pan, really?) A cast member handed me two passes to get on right then and wished us a "Happy Birthday!" Okay, a little weird, but whatever. Billy liked the flying boats. Daddy has yet to hook up the VCR, though, so Billy has never seen the movie and doesn't know the story.
He wasn't going to let me walk past this, so we had to get on. (The merry-go-round).
After this we went over to the Pooh Bear ride. The line was SUPPOSED to be 20 minutes. But, apparently, someone got stuck trying to get off the ride, so they had to shut it down for awhile and it was a very long wait. But we were already half way through the line, so we waited and waiting. Billy waved at every character he saw on the ride, especially Pooh.
The best ride to end on for a toddler?
How about a flying elephant? They have an entirely new waiting system for this ride. You walk into the big top, get a buzzer like from a restaurant, and your kid goes and plays in the indoor playground until the buzzer tells you it's your turn to get on the ride. Cool, huh?
Before we left the park we walked through all of the lands and stopped to have a snack on Main Street. Where better to have a snack, than in the shadow of the castle?
And the last thing to do before leaving the park? A stop in the toy store. Can't go to Disney and not get a souvenir. I told him he could have anything in the toy store. So, he immediately picked up a box bigger than him of a Cinderella's Castle playset. Okay, you can have any stuffed animal in the toy store. Aah... much better! He found a baby Pooh Bear wrapped in a swaddling blanket. That's what he picked.
This last picture is from the tram ride back to the car. I think he had fun.
Let's not forget the plane ride. Billy got to fly! Boy, did he love that. He had only one problem with flying- sitting still. Ears- no biggie. Loved the peanuts. Next time, though, I think I need to bring more toys!
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
May 7, 2013 ~ A Rainy Field Trip
Billy's field trip to the zoo was supposed to start at 10am. Torrential downpours were also supposed to start at 10am today. I thought the school would cancel or schedule. Nope. Field trip started on time. So did the rain.
We got soaked. And I mean soaked. I really don't recommend it. Some of the animals were out, but others were hiding or not even in their pens because of the weather. Billy's heart was set on seeing the lions. And lions apparently hate the rain, so they weren't out at all.
Don't get me wrong, he liked seeing the other animals. But between the rain, the older kids from other schools shoving Billy out of the way to get a better look (at every friggin animal display) and the crowds, we were both done with the zoo for the day. Thank God the school director decided to call off the field trip early so we could all go back to school.
I actually had to take Billy home to towel him off and change every article of clothing he had on. He was that soaked. Me too. I am also in a completely new outfit.
So, if they are calling for rain, skip the zoo and head for someplace dry.
We got soaked. And I mean soaked. I really don't recommend it. Some of the animals were out, but others were hiding or not even in their pens because of the weather. Billy's heart was set on seeing the lions. And lions apparently hate the rain, so they weren't out at all.
Don't get me wrong, he liked seeing the other animals. But between the rain, the older kids from other schools shoving Billy out of the way to get a better look (at every friggin animal display) and the crowds, we were both done with the zoo for the day. Thank God the school director decided to call off the field trip early so we could all go back to school.
I actually had to take Billy home to towel him off and change every article of clothing he had on. He was that soaked. Me too. I am also in a completely new outfit.
So, if they are calling for rain, skip the zoo and head for someplace dry.
Monday, May 6, 2013
Big Spring Camping Adventure 2013
It's hard to believe that the East Coast landscape helped get it's look from a glacier, but it's true. If you need proof, you need only drive in to PA.
We went camping with a bunch of my college friends at a Blue Rocks Family Campground on an ancient rock floe. These rocks were deposited here by a glacier.
For scale, see the little white dot in the back of the bottom photo. That's a person.
We had a large group, which was great. There were a bunch of toddler boys, so Billy had lots of friends to play with.
Personally, I enjoyed the landscape and getting to climb on the rocks and hike. Billy, being too young to care or to be able to do the climbing, really liked the playground. Who can blame him? He does like hiking, though.
We had a new adventurer along for the trip! Buddy got to go camping for the very first time!
I don't think he's too fond of camping. He didn't settle well, didn't like be chained up and unable to wander around to beg for scraps and was definitely not happy when the other dogs walked off with his toys.
Daddy had this big plan to have Buddy sleep outside of the tent in the attached, covered part that was separate from us. He chained Buddy to a tent stake and set up a nice little bed on the ground with water and his toys. Buddy was having none of it. He crawled out of it and was walking around the tent looking for a place to get in and scratching and whimpering. Daddy got him back into his dog bed and stuck his arm out of the tent to pet him and try to get him to settle. But Buddy just took that as an invitation to try and climb into the tent. Daddy relented and Buddy got to sleep on top of Billy. Yep.
Billy was actually really excited about this. He got his own sleeping bag for the first time. He thought that was so cool. And Buddy kept him nice and warm. Although, Billy did crawl into my sleeping bag the first night. But by the second he had this camping thing down, with his head tucked under the bag and his dog sleeping on top. Guess it was a one dog night.
How does Billy like camping? He loves it. He can now get in and out of the tent by himself- yes he can do the zippers. Although, he never zips the tent back up... fortunately the mosquitoes aren't out yet. He has no problem with the fire or finding ways to entertain himself around camp. He even tried to go for his own walk into the woods several times.
He didn't want to leave. "Mommy, we stay here forever and ever?"
Nope. But maybe we can go again.
We went camping with a bunch of my college friends at a Blue Rocks Family Campground on an ancient rock floe. These rocks were deposited here by a glacier.
For scale, see the little white dot in the back of the bottom photo. That's a person.
We had a large group, which was great. There were a bunch of toddler boys, so Billy had lots of friends to play with.
Personally, I enjoyed the landscape and getting to climb on the rocks and hike. Billy, being too young to care or to be able to do the climbing, really liked the playground. Who can blame him? He does like hiking, though.
Daddy had this big plan to have Buddy sleep outside of the tent in the attached, covered part that was separate from us. He chained Buddy to a tent stake and set up a nice little bed on the ground with water and his toys. Buddy was having none of it. He crawled out of it and was walking around the tent looking for a place to get in and scratching and whimpering. Daddy got him back into his dog bed and stuck his arm out of the tent to pet him and try to get him to settle. But Buddy just took that as an invitation to try and climb into the tent. Daddy relented and Buddy got to sleep on top of Billy. Yep.
Billy was actually really excited about this. He got his own sleeping bag for the first time. He thought that was so cool. And Buddy kept him nice and warm. Although, Billy did crawl into my sleeping bag the first night. But by the second he had this camping thing down, with his head tucked under the bag and his dog sleeping on top. Guess it was a one dog night.
How does Billy like camping? He loves it. He can now get in and out of the tent by himself- yes he can do the zippers. Although, he never zips the tent back up... fortunately the mosquitoes aren't out yet. He has no problem with the fire or finding ways to entertain himself around camp. He even tried to go for his own walk into the woods several times.
He didn't want to leave. "Mommy, we stay here forever and ever?"
Nope. But maybe we can go again.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Drawn In Thursdays #60
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Wednesday, May 1, 2013
First Day Home
I had actually planned to write this post for a few days, and what do you know... one of my favorite bloggers posted something similar today. Well, great minds post alike, right?
There is nothing in the world that can prepare you for that first day home from the hospital with your first child. Nothing. Not all the books you've read. Not all the years of babysitting. Not even having friends and siblings with kids. Nothing.
You need a license to drive a car. You have to sign your life away to buy a house. But there you are, being handed your hat, the proud new recipient of, arguably, Earth's greatest creature- all yours to take home. An 18 year commitment (or longer) and all they do at the hospital is wheel you out to your car with your belongings and this brand new life.
The consequences are stunning. You... YOU are solely responsible for every little thing that this little thing needs. This tiny creature, as fragile as a feather, unable to eat, sleep, sooth, smile, hold it's head up, sit up, stand, walk, crawl or run. It's so tiny it probably doesn't even cry the same as you think when a baby cries (that comes later. Billy's first cry was a staccato "ah! ah! ah!" He didn't get the full on wail until two weeks old.)
And you. You've just been through a major trauma, whether natural or C-section, your body is a mess. You're hurting. Your boobs are leaking. And now, on top of recovering yourself, you have to take care of this tiny life. You- you are solely responsible. It's daunting. It's panic-inspiring.
And practically every human before you has gone through it. Consider it a rite of passage.
I remember having Billy home that first day. I was so tired (don't get me started on the hospital fiasco). I checked him every 5 minutes to make sure he was still breathing. There was no sleeping while he was sleeping. I was scared shitless about his well being. I had no idea what he wanted when he cried. I didn't know what to do with the gross stubby thing left over from the umbilical cord. He was constantly shooting hands and feet out in weird, monkeylike ways.
Yes, yes. There's that whole falling in love at first sight thing. But that becomes overshadowed by being sent home from the hospital without a clue of what to do or what you're in for.
It passes- I swear. Or maybe those months and months of sleep deprivation are playing with my mind. Could be either.
But the end result? I got a Billy.
So, don't panic. It's just initiation into the Parenting Club.
There is nothing in the world that can prepare you for that first day home from the hospital with your first child. Nothing. Not all the books you've read. Not all the years of babysitting. Not even having friends and siblings with kids. Nothing.
You need a license to drive a car. You have to sign your life away to buy a house. But there you are, being handed your hat, the proud new recipient of, arguably, Earth's greatest creature- all yours to take home. An 18 year commitment (or longer) and all they do at the hospital is wheel you out to your car with your belongings and this brand new life.
The consequences are stunning. You... YOU are solely responsible for every little thing that this little thing needs. This tiny creature, as fragile as a feather, unable to eat, sleep, sooth, smile, hold it's head up, sit up, stand, walk, crawl or run. It's so tiny it probably doesn't even cry the same as you think when a baby cries (that comes later. Billy's first cry was a staccato "ah! ah! ah!" He didn't get the full on wail until two weeks old.)
And you. You've just been through a major trauma, whether natural or C-section, your body is a mess. You're hurting. Your boobs are leaking. And now, on top of recovering yourself, you have to take care of this tiny life. You- you are solely responsible. It's daunting. It's panic-inspiring.
And practically every human before you has gone through it. Consider it a rite of passage.
I remember having Billy home that first day. I was so tired (don't get me started on the hospital fiasco). I checked him every 5 minutes to make sure he was still breathing. There was no sleeping while he was sleeping. I was scared shitless about his well being. I had no idea what he wanted when he cried. I didn't know what to do with the gross stubby thing left over from the umbilical cord. He was constantly shooting hands and feet out in weird, monkeylike ways.
Yes, yes. There's that whole falling in love at first sight thing. But that becomes overshadowed by being sent home from the hospital without a clue of what to do or what you're in for.
It passes- I swear. Or maybe those months and months of sleep deprivation are playing with my mind. Could be either.
But the end result? I got a Billy.
So, don't panic. It's just initiation into the Parenting Club.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
A BIG HAPPY WELCOME!
Billy would like to say
congratulations
to his Godparents
on their new baby boy
and wish that little boy
the biggest, happiest
"welcome to the world!"
April 28, 2013 ~ Spring Fest
Billy got a special treat this weekend. I've known about it for about a month and didn't tell him. Man, what an experience for him. I real fire truck to go see.
I took him to Spring Fest.
What's Spring Fest? I don't know. It was in a rinky-dink little shopping center by our house. There happened to be a grand opening of a new gym at the same time. I don't know if the gym arranged the festival to coincide with their grand opening, or if they took advantage of an already planned event. Anyways, it's the first time they held it. To be honest, if I didn't have a toddler it would be pretty lame. But Billy loved it. Why?
1. Big Birds!
This owl and black vulture stopped by for a visit. How often do you get to be up close and personal with birds like these...for free?
2. Kids' Activities
They had a moon bounce plus lots of kids crafts. All for free. He was scared of the moon bounce at first- mostly because too many kids were in it. Then he realized he could fall flat on his face and not get hurt. Who doesn't love that?
3. Free Music Lesson
Yes, he got to play a REAL guitar and get a "lesson" from a music professional for 10 minutes. All for free. He really wants that guitar. He'll get it too... if he finishes his potty training.
4. Giant Animals
Billy got to meet the Towson Tiger and some random other people dressed up in animal costumes. He was so excited about them. A little odd, but the kids like it.
5. RAVENS!!!
Talk Ravens to me any day and you can be assured I'll show up. Here's Billy getting his very owned signed copy of the Ravens' 2012 team photo (you know...those guys that won the big game?) That's Jah Reid and Bryan Hall of the Ravens sitting at the table.
6. The biggest and best reason of all!
Forget the other stuff. The local fire truck was there. Not only did Billy get to meet real firemen and see the truck, he got to SIT in the truck. How cool is that? He was allowed to sit in there as long as he wanted and play with all of the buttons and steer the wheel. Here he is sitting in the captain's seat, where he got to flip through the maps of the area and the procedure book.
This, THIS! is why we went. Billy loves fire trucks. And some of Baltimore County's finest brought this big shiny truck over to the festival. Nothing could be cooler to a 2 year old boy.
I took him to Spring Fest.
What's Spring Fest? I don't know. It was in a rinky-dink little shopping center by our house. There happened to be a grand opening of a new gym at the same time. I don't know if the gym arranged the festival to coincide with their grand opening, or if they took advantage of an already planned event. Anyways, it's the first time they held it. To be honest, if I didn't have a toddler it would be pretty lame. But Billy loved it. Why?
1. Big Birds!
2. Kids' Activities
3. Free Music Lesson
4. Giant Animals
5. RAVENS!!!
6. The biggest and best reason of all!
This, THIS! is why we went. Billy loves fire trucks. And some of Baltimore County's finest brought this big shiny truck over to the festival. Nothing could be cooler to a 2 year old boy.
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