I started cleaning out my office, aka The Library. It’s a major project due to months of neglect and me being too busy to do it. Now I’m finding it hard to find what I need, like my often-used three-holed punch, and pack of index cards, so it’s time I ignore Twitter instead and organize. I’ve implemented a new strategy for teaching the three big ones, adding subjects for Susan, 10, my eldest child. Kitchen transformation crawling due to Doc returning to his real job.
Even my Dell got a tidying. I’d be onto my third cup of coffee before it was ready to come out to play in the morning. Ran Spybot and Registry Fix as per Doc’s instructions, because he knows way more than I about computers. I just want to turn it on and start typing or Twittering or deleting email (Note to self: do something about email, maybe cut a few Yahoo! groups, you wade through too much, Monica).
So that’s what I’ve been doing the first week of the year. All that and Toddler Wrangling. Lucy gets away with more mischief than the bigger three ever did. Back then, when they were little, and I was more of a control freak and paranoid they would chug candy flavored medicine like sweet soda (Oops. One of them actually did), I employed baby gates to prevent them from escaping into No-Toddlers-Allowed Land.
Now with older kids home all day, Lucy has full access to the kid’s bathroom so she can play in the sink with the toothpaste, soap and various other fun playthings.
And can I just share with you something gross? You with perfect children or are easily offended may need to skip this paragraph. She wipes her little bottom on the hand towel kept on the counter top. I’m pleased she’s into bodily cleanliness, but this fanny wiping with the towel meant for clean hands has got to stop.
She’ll be four in April, so Lord willing (please, God!), she’ll outgrow her aversion to toilet paper soon. At least all this is happening in the kid’s bath and not the Master Bath. No, sir. My bathroom is reserved for playing with mommy’s make up or squirelling away the shiny rings mommy leaves next to the sink. Again, I’m hoping/praying/crossing my fingers she gets it together soon because I’m out of practice when it comes to micromanaging a little one. I’ve been spoiled with the bigguns. With them I only have to make sure they don’t burn the house down trying to cook microwave popcorn in a toaster oven.
My daughter is 5 and still doesn’t like to use toilet paper on her behind. We keep a box of wetwipes by the toilet for her to use. Maybe that can help deter your daughter from the hand towel. LOL. Good luck!
I’ve thought of that, Ashley, but, dang it!, do I have to buy one more kid-specific thing?? Aren’t all the Legos, My Little Ponies and Webkins enough?
I may need to rethink those wipes, butt (ha!), I’m I won’t go down without a fight.
I just moved offices, and everything feels shiny new. Isn’t if fun? (Once everything’s found, that is.) Of course, my husband did most of the work (yes, he was procrastinating his stuff by cleaning my new office, but I’m not complaining!)
Heathers last blog post..There, I’ve Said It Again
You know what, Heather? I need more bookshelves!
Love adding more room for books.
It sounds like you are crazy busy!!! Toddler wrangling is exhausting..
Mels last blog post..Dismantling and 17/365
Caught you on twitter. Love your blog.
My daughter turns 4 tomorrow. My two older are 12 (boy) and 9 (girl). I had my 4 year old when I was 40 years old. (SURPRISE!!!!)
I think my youngest might have a touch of OCD. She gets obsessed with small things. She went through a phase where the felt she could not get dry enough after she pottied. Try as she might, toilet paper just didn’t cut it. She would grab the hand towel. Fortunately, she always threw it on the floor, so I found it immediately & replaced it………and a load of clorox laundry was underway immediately. She has overcome that obsession somewhat, but now she must get completely naked to go to the bathroom (when she’s at home). This gives her maximum flexibility to get dry.
Most recently, she decided that bathtime wasn’t getting her bellybutton clean. She insisted that it was dirty…….and dug at it until I had to put a bandaid over it.
All this from a child that climbed the attic stairs at 7 months and can recite the Lord’s Prayer and the entire 23rd Psalm. I guess genius has a downsize.
So, don’t worry about these little growing pains. They’ll go away and we’ll wonder where the fleeting years went. Even now, I dread tomorrow because I know I’ll never see that wonderful toddler three again……..and I miss it already. It could be my age, but I don’t think so. I think life is so fragile that I really enjoy my children’s youth. Being silly, hating each other, and jumping on the trampoline as an olympic sport. There are still so many “first time evers” for all three and I look forward to seeing as many as I can.
When she uses the towel, just remind her the correct thing that a “big girl” does, tell her how silly it would be if everyone used towels on their bottoms, and giggle together. Paint a funny picture in her head. I’m giggling at it now.
Hi, Julianne, had to rescue you from the spam. All your encouragement almost fell victim to my delete button. Thanks for your advice, and it’s so true, I will look back at her third year to marvel where the time went.
This is a great post! I empathize with your slow-going computer (fortunately I have a new one now, but the whole compressing, optimizing registry keys used to happen a LOT).
And the hand towel thing. My son doesn’t so THAT with it, but he does get it wet and wash with it or something. I don’t think I want to know.