Yummy!!!

My work sponsors the local Rib Fest every year & it's a tradition for my coworkers to go. I missed last year since I was on mat leave so the last time I went, I was pregnant. It was fun to bring Elena this year for her 1st taste of ribs, which she gobbled up plus she had her 1st carousel ride!

Girlie As Shit

BU,

I "met" you during my first ICLW back in 2010...I was new to the blogosphere & following few other blogs but when I read your profile & learned you said fuck a lot, I knew yours was a blog I needed to follow! And I haven't regretted it for a minute...well okay maybe slightly with the vagina fart stories but it passed ;)

It brings me great joy to now be able to honour you & your Tiny Dancer! I am so happy that you're adding some estrogen to that brood of yours...even tho you'll still be outnumbered, you're chicks so you know the boy's vote doesn't count, lol!

Congratulations on your daughter, I can't wait to "meet" her too!

Girls Rock!!

Tiara





Opinions

Elena has a lot of them these days…It’s both fascinating & frustrating at the same time. She will express her displeasure if she doesn’t like the outfit I choose to dress her in. She seems to have realized there are drawers full of clothes & wants to have a say in what she wears. She will throw a fit if I choose the wrong blanket for bedtime…she doesn’t have any one particular blanket she loves so it’s a crap shoot from night to night. What might have been The Blanket last night may not be the one she wants tonight. She’s even gone so far as to completely meltdown when I didn’t slip on the shoes she had (unbeknownst to me) decided she wanted me to wear out.

It’s absolutely fascinating…seeing her have opinions & preferences, choosing one thing over another for reasons very meaningful to her…watching her discover that she possesses the power of choice & how she decides to use this new found power. To me, her choices seem very arbitrary but they are obviously very significant to her. The things she is choosing don’t seem to matter as much to her as the fact that she gets to make A Choice.

The frustrating part is that she doesn’t have the language skills to express her choices & opinions clearly (I’ll have to explain this further in a future post). So when I inadvertently pick the “wrong” outfit or blanket or shoes, Elena stamps her feet, screeches, screams, cries or any number of other reactions & I am left clueless as to why she’s so upset.

I am catching on tho…I show her a chosen outfit & ask her if it’s ok or I’ll just open the drawer (I removed the handles long ago to prevent her from emptying them for fun) & tell her to pick something. This has its downside since when faced with so many choices she inevitably chooses inappropriately, like 3 tops & no bottoms.

I do endeavor to give her as many choices & opportunities to express her opinions as reasonably possible tho because there is so much that is regulated & chosen for her. I want to teach her early that her opinions matter & that her choices have consequences. I want her to know that I value her opinion & will respect her decisions, even those I don’t agree with. (‘Cause you know those will come!) I want her to be strong minded & confident & hope that by giving her these opportunities for choice early, those traits will become part of her personality.

I have found that the more choices I give her, the more opportunities she has to express her opinions, the less frustrated she is in general, the fewer complete meltdown tantrums she has, thus resulting in me not being such a ball of stress & anxiety. That has to mean we’re on the right track, doesn’t it?

All Gussied Up...

...for the Ice Cream Festival

My Future Olympian?

Dreaming of a future gold medal?

The Zoo, Booked & a Scare

Elena & I joined my good friend & her family for Elena's 1st trip to The Toronto Zoo...We had a blast...

Elena's Ride

Elena had no fear sticking her hands in to pet the stingrays & sharks!

We just loved watching this guy swim!

Then Elena fell asleep...

...we saw the lions...

...and the penguins...

...and she slept...

She did wake up in time to hear the tiger roar!



It was such a great day!!! I can't wait until next year when the Pandas are there!!

In other news, today I booked Elena & I for our 1st trip! We're going to Huatulco, Mexico in November!!! I am very excited to spend a week on the beach with Elena...but I am just a little intimidated by the 5 hour flight, airport transfers, etc...so all you SMC travellers, I'll be seeking your best advice!!

Lastly, we had a scare tonight...my stomach is in knots just thinking about it again...Elena choked on a cracker...usually a good whack on the back does the trick but this time, even after several good whacks, it didn't work! The look on Elena's face is seared in my brain & the way she was grasping at her throat...it was awful & I was on the verge of panic...I flipped her over with her head down & gave her another good what on the back & thankfully it was followed by a hearty wail from Elena & the cracker chunk on the floor...then I fell apart...Elena & I had a good cry...she's fine but if we never have to go thru that again it'll be too soon!

That's what's going on with us...



The Good Times...

I'd like to post that our little (read ginormous) hitting issue resolved...but of course somthing like that isn't solved so easily or quickly...however, I do feel better equipped to handle the instances thanks to the advice & support I received on my last post. I'm not sure I can express exactly how much your comments & support means to me. Aside from the excellent techniques posted...that are really making a difference...it was knowing that this wasn't an Elena & me issue as a result of my bad parenting but rather a phase so many go thru...and like all phases, this too shall pass...to be replaced by another, probably equally difficult, phase...sigh...

In the mean time, we really do have more good times than bad...and today is a good example. We spent the day with my Mom & Aunt taking in the beautiful sun & swimming in my aunt's pool...it was just a really great day...

And my little water baby!! Elena is really coming along with her swimming & we bought a really great floaty while in the US & she's just loving it...as you can see: