La Chancla

So I've never used this particular child-rearing technique myself, but I am familiar with it and have considered it upon occasion.  Like when the kids are being especially ornery (i.e. bratty)

Fortunately, I'm pleased to report that I have managed to keep my cool the last couple of times my kid(s) have acted up.  Naturally, it always seems to happen at the end of the day when I have zero cool left in my system so this is a momentous development for me.  I'm either finally maturing as a parent or I've been secretly lobotomized.  Either way, it works for me!

Last night, Giggles threw a tantrum in the middle of dinner.  Crying, kicking, screaming, etc.  For people who are used to watching kids melt down, it probably didn't even register that high on the tantrum Richter scale.  Heck, she didn't even throw herself on the floor, and her screaming barely even carried past the bedroom (which is where we ended up).  Nevertheless, it was loud and startling.  But rather than reach for my chancla (or my Croc) or my preferred method (yelling), instead, I gently picked her up, soothed her, and carried her to the bedroom, where I had to wince against her little screams in my ear and bob and weave around her little kicking feet to get her into her jammies.  Then, I held her close and hummed her a lullaby until she calmed down.  Then, I laid her down and told her a story about a beautiful little princess named "Giggles."  My storytelling being what it is, she promptly fell into a fit of giggles, and we had a really nice time finishing the story together.  Then, we hugged and kissed and said "I love you" to each other one or ten times. Then, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.  As most parents can attest, nothing is sweeter than watching one's child sleep.  I could have watched all night and still have begged for more.  Ahhh...

The North Pole

Last year, just before the holidays, I opened a Lowe's catalog/magazine that had come in the mail, and Giggles immediately fell in love with a darling picture of a snow-covered house with a cute porch decorated with twinkling Christmas lights.  She insisted that the picture in our Lowe's catalog was of the North Pole (which she'd just learned from watching Dinosaur Train), and that Santa Claus lived there (this was not from Dinosaur Train).  She took to carrying that magazine around with her everywhere she went and consulting it often throughout the day.  I'd find her sitting at her little Mickey Mouse table just looking into her Lowe's Christmas picture or playing with her stuffed animals with the picture propped by her side.  Even now, the memory of that is still bittersweet enough to make my heart catch just a little.

Naturally, Giggles asked me to take her to the North Pole.  She asked every single day, and twice on Tuesdays.  Each time, I was able to put her off by saying that we had to wait for Daddy and/or Pumpkin to get home because we couldn't go without them.  And she was satisfied with that.  Eventually, her picture of the North Pole got lost.  Perhaps thrown in the trash or simply disintegrated from overuse.  She continued to ask me when we were going, but once the holidays came and the traveling and the gifting began, she seemed to forget about it.  But I didn't.  And I wanted to make my little girl's dream come true.

So when the opportunity to re-visit Denver during Winter presented itself a couple months later, I jumped on it.  I didn't even care very much that Pumpkin was going to miss more school or that the school district had already sent me a vaguely threatening letter about his absences.  My little girl was finally gonna get to see her North Pole!  (or as close to it as I care to get in the Winter anyway, haha).

Our trip was great.  Lots of fun.  Unfortunately, Pumpkin woke up sick with croup and chest pain on our first morning in the mountains, and we were forced to cancel some of our planned outdoor activities.  But, he was feeling well enough by midday that we were still able to play in the snow at the park for a bit before heading back to Denver.  And, even though it was frigid cold (for us) that weekend, both kids were absolutely delighted with the snow.  Watching them play with such joy and abandon was truly a wonder to behold.  Back in Denver, we visited the Mint and the Federal Reserve.  At the Fed, Pumpkin got a bag of shredded money valued at over $100!  He was so excited that he picked up an extra bag to give to his teacher (since they were studying money).  All in all, it was a good trip.  I was even able to attend a baby shower for a good friend of mine while in town.  Sadly, I have no pictures to commemorate that occasion.  But here are some others to enjoy....oh, and please pardon the sleep-inducing music on the slideshow.  There weren't very many options.

Doggie doo

Last night, the kids and I went to pick up dinner. In my zeal to get back home before either of them fell asleep in the car, I completely forgot to pick up the dog from the vet's. I was literally pulling into the driveway when I realized my oversight. It was 5 pm.

So off we went again. By the time we made it home again, our food had gotten cold, and Pumpkin had fallen asleep. But Giggles and Kiko were happy to be together.