Toddler Trials

I always felt like my son and I had an unspoken
understanding.  I like to imagine that in
the final seconds before he was born God sweetly whispered to Oliver, “be good
for your mommy, she needs your help.”

Throughout the past three years my husband was more of the “mama
bear” in the house since he had to carry him and help with the things I couldn’t
do.  Oliver tends to give him a hard time on
things that he easily does for me.  I’m
not sure why but it gets frustrating.  

Last Friday my husband had a fairly serious ear surgery – removing
a cyst/tumor-like growth and rebuilding bones, using a drill, etc.  You can imagine how his head and ear felt
after all that. As we came home from the hospital and he landed on the couch, I
began my brief journey with solo parenting.

Let me start by sending any single moms out there a hug..and
a nap…it’s exhausting!

My husband was around but he was in pain, tired, medicated
and under strict orders to rest and not lift anything.  

One night Oliver asked my husband to lift him and he said he
couldn’t. Then Oliver said, “mama you can’t carry me, you’re too short.” This was the first time he verbally recognized
that I don’t carry him. His reason behind it still makes me grin…I know I’m no
giant but sheesh, 5’1 isn’t THAT short…

Since he turned three it seems as if he has learned a few
new tricks.

He likes to negotiate.

He knows he can out run me.

He knows I can’t grab him and carry him away when he’s
acting up.

Day one of getting him ready for daycare involved major
drama getting him dressed.  He wanted to
chill in his jammies and stay home with dad. 
Once we got outside to the car, he ran to the other side of the car wanting
me to chase him around the car.  Knowing
it was a battle I’d never win, I just opened his door and stood there surfing
Facebook on my phone until he got bored.

The next day came with an instant replay of getting
dressed.  My husband was trying to help
which just made it worse.  By the time it
came to the final battle of getting on his jacket, I was feeling like a sweaty
mess. I threw my coat on the ground while trying to put on his coat.  After getting him set, he managed to trip on
my coat…fall…hit his head and major waterworks followed. 

Shoot me now.

I was insanely happy to go to work.  Almost giddy. 

That night when I picked him up I was hoping for a clean
slate and some much needed mercy.  He
followed me to the car like an angel. He climbed in great.  After that it all went downhill. He refused
to sit in his car seat.  In the awkward
cramped car I didn’t stand a chance of pulling him up into the
seat and buckling him in without his cooperation.  It was dark, cold and I just wanted to go
home.  So I stood there in his door while
he sat in the front seat refusing to get buckled up.  I have no idea how long it took but
eventually I outmatched him and he made his way back to his seat.

As time passes the challenges change.  The days of dealing with carrying a car seat
are gone. No more changing diapers.  The
new battles are totally easier on the pride because in the end I WILL win but
are emotionally exhausting.

AMC mommies out there…what have you experienced? 

Dear lady with the big SUV…

My day at work was long. We turned back the clocks – it’s dark and I
was feeling cranky.  I pulled onto the street by daycare and saw your
big gas guzzler parked in the handicapped spot. I parked on the street
and walked past your car on my way in.

No handicapped sticker hanging from the mirror…

Just an oversized black purse spilling out on the passenger seat.  A
purse no girl in a chair or using crutches would want to haul. No way.
 I could have curled in a ball and climbed inside that thing.

I started to feel really mad.

After greeting my son and making our way back outside, there you were.  Strong legs.  Big boots.  Young and healthy.

Maybe your day sucked too.  Maybe you were feeling lazy or had to go to the bathroom really bad.  Perhaps you were conserving energy so you could Drop It Like It’s Hot and rock it Gangnam Style at the club this weekend.

I don’t know your story.

I do know that you quickly shut your door and wouldn’t look me in the
eye.  So I knocked on your window.  I thought I should point out how
you were illegally parked.  You played dumb so I felt inclined to point
out the large handicapped sign
about five feet from your face.  If I had guts I would have also
pointed out that I confronted you on this same thing like 6 months ago.

You just shrugged and shut your door.

I walked away and was mad.  I went from mad to steaming.  On my way
home it morphed into a wave of embarrassment over the reality that I
just confronted a fellow mom at my son’s school.  This was quickly
replaced with disgust.

Your laziness and lack of compassion for others leaves me speechless.
You are teaching your son to break laws, bend rules and put his needs
before others.  

It’s been three days and I’m still fuming.  So I’m writing you this letter.

Until we meet again {with you illegally parked},
Rachel

pillowcases in the sky

My flight was eventless – the walking around the airport portion is
not really an issue – I actually prefer it. I want my Nike Fuel points.
{wink}

The tricky part for me is how to get my suitcase from my car to
check-in and then from baggage claim to my taxi. I know I could ask for
help but it’s totally on my bucket list to figure it out on my own.
Even if I only do it once and then ask for help for the rest of my days.

I think I can…I think I can…I KNOW I can!

I’ll test out the suitcase gadget soon and report back.

After boarding my plane which was open seating (that was new to
me…) a man plopped down to my right. He was carrying his items in a
new twist of a man purse….a pillow case!

A trendsetter? A terrorist?

I am the queen of over thinking, the nancy drew in me went into high
alert. So I did the normal thing to do, ya know… Read all of his texts
out of the corner of my eye as he juggled his collection of phones.

Not sure if his phone collection depleted his bag budget… However, he was harmless. I’m still alive. Life is good.

Luggage Hitch

I’m traveling next week.  I am super thankful to have an awesome
colleague on my flight that is willing to help with my bag.  However,
this is something I need to master so I can travel alone and still use a
suitcase. It’s on my bucket list.

In the past I’d cram everything into a huge duffel bag so I could
sling it over my body. It works…but the bag ends up weighing almost as
much as me and it is brutal.

I noticed this gadget
on the website of my beloved crutch tip designer.  I am completely sold
on his crutch accessories so I’m dying to know if this would work for
me too. I’m going to add it to my “Christmas wish list” so I’ll let you
know how it works.

Anyone have any tips on what you do with hauling luggage when you are
also maneuvering crutches or a chair? Have you ever tapped into the
airport assistance? Was it a hassle?