Not another laundry post!

Oh yes, it is yet another post about how much I HATE having to use a public laundry building. Tonight only reinforced my not-so-wonderful opinion of this process.

I do my laundry every Wednesday night. I know there are people around here who like to truck everything to the laundry building more often, but I think that's a waste of time, so I only do ours once a week. Plus, it's nice to get it all done in one shot and not think about it for the rest of the week. (If there is one little thing that I even could possibly enjoy about the laundry building situation, it's that--I can get all 4-6 loads done in 2 1/2 hours.) I have never had a problem with the washers being full on Wednesday night. Tuesday night, I always had TONS of problems finding an open washer. That's why I switched to Wednesday.

It worked really well, until tonight. Last Wednesday, the smaller, closer laundry building I usually go to was completely full. So, I packed the few loads I had carried with me back into the car and drove the the much larger laundry building that was completely empty last week. When I arrived, I saw that several washers were full, but one couple was moving their 15 loads, so I figured something would open up pretty quickly. (And, unless the couple got a baby sitter so they could BOTH go do laundry together, it's just them. Don't even ASK me WHY a couple with NO children has 15 loads of laundry! Maybe they haven't done laundry all summer? That's the only thing I can think of...)

Anyway--I quickly unloaded my 4 1/2 loads of laundry from the car and took it all inside. When I walked back in, I realized that there were literally 2 open washers, besides the 2 HUGE washers at the back. (I think the 15 load people started second loads in some of their original washers.) So, I piled 3 loads into one of the industrial sized washers, then added baking soda on top of the clothes and put 3 cupfuls of detergent into the detergent receptacle at the top. I would have used the other ginormous washer, but it required cash, and I use my BYU Signature Card because it costs half as much as cash. I sorted my other 1 1/2 loads into the 2 smaller washers on the complete opposite side of the laundry building.

I ran my card through the card reader to start the 2 washers and then went back to run my card through the card reader attached to the HUGE washers. I punched in the number without any problems and went to start the washer. I pushed the "warm water" button and started looking for the "Start" button, when I realized the display was flashing E. Thank goodness there's a handy little menu on the washer...otherwise I would not have known that E means "ERROR, (See attendant)." Since there are no attendants in the Wymount Laundry Buildings, and the office was WELL past closed at that point, I had to retrieve my three loads of laundry and forage for other open washers in the building. In the process of digging my clothes out, about 1/2 of the 2 cups of baking soda I poured onto the clothes ended up on the floor.

I headed back into the seemingly endless rows of full washers to begin my search. I really hoped that someone would walk in RIGHT THEN and take their clothes out of one of the washers that was just sitting there flashing "0 Minutes." No such luck. The washers had been sitting there for at least as long as I had been in the building, which was right around 15 minutes at that point.

I headed back to the front where there were a few finished washers with laundry baskets sitting on top of them. I figured if I was going to take clothes out of the washer, at least I could put them in a basket. Miraculously, one of the basket-topped washers was completely empty. So, I moved the basket and popped 1/2 of my 3 loads in the washer. I went around the corner and found a washer that said $2.00, (which is what is displayed when the washer has been opened after a wash cycle completes), so I checked it...full. Since I knew I hadn't been the first to check it and I'd been there for quite some time already, I decided that I was just going to have to pile the wet load of jeans on top of the washer and put my load in. In the process, the other 1/2 of the 2 cups of baking soda from the huge load ended up on the floor as I made the transfer. So, finally, after spending WAY too much time in the laundry building, I FINALLY had all of my loads going. Whew!

Just as a side note, when I went back to put them in the dryer, the jeans were STILL sitting on top of the machine. So, I transferred all my loads to dryers and put the jeans back in their washer. Really, if you're going to leave your clothes in the washer for over 2 hours, WAIT and do your laundry later! I'm sure this is only one very small irritation that I have yet to discover at the laundry building over the next 18-24 mos. of grad school.

101 Posts

Sometime today, I saw my blog entry count and realized that the post before this one was my 100th post! In the words of Kallie, "Ta-da!" (She says that any time she does something and she wants me to notice.) I should have had a party or something. Oh well. Hopefully, there will be a lot more where those first 100 came from.

Whitney's Accomplishments

This past weekend was a big one for Whitney. To start with, she finally got the hang of army crawling on Friday. I think she took advantage of the fact that Kallie wasn't bugging her every 10 seconds and decided to finally take off. It's a good thing it's still warm here because I've decided to keep her in onesies as long as she's army crawling. That way, she won't ruin her cute clothes...and we can replace the onesies, (which after the second kid probably need replacing anyway!).

Then, if that wasn't exciting enough, she started eating those Gerber puffs. (I can't remember what they're called.) She has been eating solid foods for a few months now, so I decided that it was finally time to try out a few finger foods. She had a great time learning to pick up the little stars with her thumb and forefinger. Now, when I get out the container, Whitney practically jumps out of her seat with excitement for them. I sat for quite a while on Saturday evening just watching her figure out how to get them from the tray into her mouth. I realize that's probably not too fun for anyone else but mom to watch, but it is such a miracle to see what these little ones learn in such a short amount of time!

Kallie's Cuteness

Today was one of those days. I would explain more, but I think that says it all. Anyway--I was so excited when Ryan got home because there was finally someone else to handle Kallie's boundless and unfailing energy. And, of course, as soon as he came home, she starting doing the cutest things!

Tonight, after dinner, we offered Kallie some watermelon. This sweet, red fruit is heavenly food for her--she just can't get enough. So, as soon as we mentioned it, she immediately said, "Ooooooooooo! Watermelon! Yummy!" And then she deliberately licked her lips, all the way around. It was totally hilarious and Ryan and I were totally cracking up.

Then, for the activity portion of Family Home Evening tonight, we played "Go Fish" with Kallie's Crayola Mix-n-Match game cards. She has been begging to play Go Fish for a while now, so I knew she would be excited. She was actually so excited that she started stamping her feet really fast. When I told her she needed to sit with Daddy to play the game, she informed us, "I shaking my booty!" Once again both Ryan and I completely cracked up!

Kallie is much too smart for her own good--but just funny enough that it makes the frustrating times worth it!

The Trouble of a Little Tooth

Whitney is teething. And, actually, it's not just one little tooth, but FOUR little teeth coming in at the same time. The only problem is that they're coming in one at a time. So, just as one breaks through, the next one is at the painful part of cutting through the last little bit. Whitney is such a mellow baby that teething really hasn't been much of a problem for her. In fact, teething has been much harder on Kallie than on Whitney! Let me explain...

Since Whitney's first tooth began the cutting process last week, she has not wanted to eat as much. Can you blame her? Since they are her front teeth, she doesn't like to suck on her bottle for very long. As a result, she's been eating a little less than normal this past week. Well, when she doesn't eat as well, she doesn't sleep as long. So, instead of getting up around 7 or 8 like she's been doing for a couple of weeks now, she's waking up around 5 or 6. And, because she's awake and making noise, Kallie wakes up. When Kallie wakes up early, she is incredibly grumpy and fussy all day long...and, honestly, listening to a whiney 2-year old can really grate on your nerves after a while. So, Kallie has been spending more time sitting on her bed as she learns how to use a happy, sweet voice to her mom. (Is anyone else thinking of "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie"?)

Hopefully, the teeth break through quickly and we can stop the sleepless cycle and get back to normal soon!

Teaching Tomorrow!

Tomorrow will be my first teaching opportunity in my new ward. I was called as a Relief Society teacher a little over a month ago--and I'm finally teaching! I was actually supposed to teach 2 weeks ago, but the sister who normally teaches on the 4th Sunday got to take her husband back to where she served a mission. (I'm totally jealous of that! I can't wait to take Ryan back to the Baltics!)

Anyway--I'm teaching on President Faust's and Elder Uchtdorf's talks on forgiveness. I feel like I've worked hard to prepare, so I hope the lesson goes smoothly. Last week, we were in the Bishop's office and he asked if I had taught yet. When I told him I was teaching this Sunday, he said that he might just have to attend Relief Society tomorrow. Talk about pressure! Hopefully, I'm able to be calm and relaxed and just enjoy teaching like I usually do.

Tuddle Mommy

This morning, Kallie woke up with a fever. At first, it wasn't too high...but as the morning progressed the fever did, too. When it got to about 101.5, I gave Kallie some Children's Motrin, after which she immediately fell asleep. About 45 minutes later, after the Motrin kicked in, she decided to get up and play. Keeping a 2-year old down when they feel well enough to be up and around is quite a challenge. So, she played for a bit and then wanted to "tuddle mommy" while we watched Sesame Street.

After her afternoon nap, her fever wasn't too high, so I held off on the Motrin for a while. I figured that not feeling well was a signal for her that she needed to rest. And, rest she did. Her only request was, once again, tuddle mommy--so I sat on the couch with her for the rest of the afternoon. Once again, as the afternoon progressed, her fever followed. After dinner, (and right before bed), I gave her another dose of Motrin and continued to tuddle her on the couch. She finally fell asleep in my arms. My mom told me that the only time she got to hold and snuggle me when I was little was when I was sick...and Kallie is the same way. The fact that she fell asleep anywhere that wasn't in her bed is a definite sign that she's not feeling well. I have to admit, although I don't like her being sick, it's nice to be able to tuddle and hold my very busy 2-year old. Those kinds of moments are only going to become fewer and further between as she grows--so I'm trying to enjoy them while I can.

The Weekly Parade

Every weekend since we moved in, starting about Thursday afternoon, moving vehicles begin parading up the street. The large trucks from various moving companies can be seen throughout the weekend dotting the streets and parking lots. It seems as though someone is always moving in or moving out of somewhere. I presume since the BYU Housing website has no available apartments listed, the trail of moving vans will trickle off and become very scarce during the semester. Right now, though, moving season is still in full swing at Wymount!

Fall is in the Air

Tonight, I went grocery shopping pretty late...not as late as I did when I was a student, but later than I normally do. Anyway--as I walked into the store, I smelled that distinctly Fall smell in the air. I don't know what it is, really, but it took me back to many previous Fall seasons and reminded me of watching football all day on Saturday, driving on the Alpine Loop to see the changing colors, driving with my windows open, and various other Fall memories. I honestly have to say that Fall is my favorite time of year. I used to say Fall and Spring--but that smell and those feelings tonight made me realize that it's just Fall. I am so excited that all of my favorite Fall things are just around the corner.

Two months...

...Is how long we went without having upstairs neighbors. But, just as we thought would eventually happen, a couple with 2 boys moved in last Friday. I've talked to the wife a couple of times--and she seems so nice! The boys are 3 and 5, and she explained that some of the "thunder" we hear from upstairs is due to the 5-year old's autism. Her husband is starting law school in a week or two. Although we were really used to having upstairs neighbors in our condo, it's strange to have them here now. Just today, I heard some noise that I thought was thunder, but it was coming from the upstairs family room. I think they were moving furniture. Even with the new noise, I think it's fun to have another family up there. It's nice to see the lights on in the window and I'm looking forward to getting to know them better.

Sleep Separation, Day 7...and more

I realize it's been a few days since Day 7 actually occurred. My sister-in-law and niece have been staying with me while our husbands are camping with the boys in their family. So, I haven't had as much time to blog at night. On to the progress...

Day 7 was a break through evening for Kallie. Because I had a lot to do after she went to bed, I couldn't sit in her room anymore. So, I asked if she wanted the door open or closed before I left the room. She requested for it to stay open--and she only got out of bed twice! The second time, I told her that she needed to get back in bed and go to sleep. And, she went right in and did just that!

The next night, she again requested the door stay open. I think she would have stayed in her bed with no help, but Whitney is teething and was a bit fussy while she was trying to fall asleep. So, Kallie came out a few times, but went right back in and went to bed when she was told.

Tonight, it has been absolutely miraculous. I put her in bed and reminded her that big girls stay in bed--and left the door open. She hasn't gotten out of her bed ONCE tonight! WAH-HOO!!! I was putting her to bed at about 7:30 before this week--and because of our crazy week, her bedtime has been moved back to 8, which I really feel is a better bedtime for her. Between a little later bedtime AND leaving the door open, I think we've found the magic combination! She's doing great.

Oh--and I should also mention that she's been sleeping in until 7 a.m. for the past few days. This is absolutely wonderful for me, as I'm supposed to be sleeping in--and with Ryan not being here, I was dreading getting up around 6 with her every morning. Maybe the later bedtime is helping? I have no idea--but I am NOT complaining one bit!

Mildred Tanner Pettit

Tonight, we went to a reunion for the descendants of William Alfred and Mildred Tanner Pettit--they are my dad's grandparents, so my great-grandparents. For part of the evening, the "grandkids"--my dad's cousins and siblings--told stories about their grandparents.

The story that I most loved hearing was about Grandma Mildred. Most of you do not recognize her name, but she wrote the music to "I am a Child of God," as well as the music for several other songs in the Primary Children's Hymnbook. It was really neat to listen to the inspiration process that she went through as she wrote the music for "I am a Child of God." They told about how Naomi Randall, (the sister who wrote the words), and Grandma Mildred were able to collaborate and separately come up with the exact same ideas for that song. The first time the song was sung was at a Primary Leadership Conference, and Grandma Mildred was in the hospital. When someone visited her in the hospital and commented that she hadn't been there for the presentation of the song, Grandma commented that it was OK because the Lord knew what she had done.

What a great example Grandma Mildred is for me! I hope that I can develop such humility in me own life--so that I will know that the only person my actions really matter to is my Heavenly Father.

Sleep Separation, Night 6

Tonight went really well. It has actually given me hope that I shouldn't give up on this technique. Granted, Kallie was EXTREMELY tired tonight--but she was extremely tired last night and still wouldn't go to sleep.

For the last few nights, I have sat in the same place in her bedroom. The girls' room is VERY small, so by night 3 I would have been out the door if I had moved much. Anyway--tonight, I moved a little closer to the door. Kallie only got out of bed 4 times! I was really impressed. Ryan and I have decided that when we put her in bed the first time, (and the first time we put her back in bed), we need to remind her that big girls stay in their beds. And then, ask her if she can stay in bed by herself or if she needs help. She is so independent and determined that we can offer that choice on just about anything and she will choose to do whatever it is all by herself about 99% of the time. I didn't keep track of the time tonight, but I know that it was definitely shorter than the past 5 nights I've been in there. I am really, REALLY hoping that she will learn to go to sleep from this method.

Sleep Separation, Night 5

So, it's actually not working any better yet. I was SO ready to give it all up last night. Kallie was incredibly tired yesterday--she fell asleep while eating lunch and took a 2 1/2 hour nap. We even had to wake her up to go to my mom's house, which NEVER happens. So, we knew that she was running on not enough sleep. Therefore, I thought that this was going to be a cinch! Put her back in bed 2 times and be out of there in 5-10 minutes. Boy was I wrong!!

I only had to put her back in bed 10 times...and then she finally settled down and went to sleep. It still took about 30 minutes, but at least she was sleeping. So, I left her room. A few minutes later, she came out of her bedroom! I was really surprised because I was pretty sure she was sleeping. I think she saw that I wasn't there when she half-woke up and rolled over. So, I quietly put her back in bed two times. The third time, she was standing right outside her door and I, from the other end of the hallway, said, "You get back in your bed RIGHT NOW." And, she cried, but she went back in her room, shut the door, and went to sleep! I think I'm going to continue doing this for another few nights and see what happens--but at the same time, Ryan and I are brainstorming ways to help her WANT to stay in bed by herself. Because we all know that no 2-year old will do anything if they don't want to in the first place!

Sleep Separation, Night 4

Tonight almost turned into just Sleep, Night 4--as I was so tired, (we spent the day at Lagoon without the kids!), that I almost fell asleep while sitting in Kallie's room. But, I managed to stay awake. Kallie only got out of bed four times tonight! And, it only took 20 minutes for her to fall asleep. I'm not sure if that's because she was as tired as I was and didn't want to think about outsmarting mommy, (which she may have actually pulled off tonight), or if it's because this is actually working. Either way, I am NOT complaining!

Sleep Separation, Night 3

Tonight was a definite improvement over last night! Kallie only got out of bed 17 times--and I realize that's more than twice what she did the first night--but that's still 12 times less than last night. And, it only took about 20-25 minutes for her to settle tonight. Plus, she didn't throw anything off her bed. I think she's catching on!

I do have to note, though, that she tried a couple of new tactics tonight. The first several times that she got off her bed, she covered her eyes as soon as her feet touched the floor. I think she thought that by doing so, I wouldn't see her--and therefore, wouldn't put her back in bed. When that didn't work, she tried burrowing, feet first, under her comforter down to the foot of her bed. Then, she would toss the covers back and slip out of bed, then cover her eyes. Once again, it didn't work and she finally gave up on it. However, a couple of times before she finally gave up, she would yell, "NOOOOOOO! Nooooooooo!" when I put her back in bed. I'm getting pretty good at stifling laughs now, thank goodness!

This may be a long and arduous journey--but hopefully it will just get better from here!

Mee-Mo Bishy

Lately, there has been a commercial on every morning about the Living Planet Aquarium in Sandy. Of course, since Finding Nemo came out, it seems that every fish-related business has cashed in on the "Nemo" and "Dori" type fish. LPA is no exception. Every time the commercial shows, Kallie shouts, "Mee-Mo bishy!" (We're still working on the "f" sound...) So, it was completely natural that today, when Kallie got up grumpy from her nap and still needed some "sit still quiet time" that she selected Mee-Mo as the movie of choice. It's not my favorite movie, but listening to Mee-Mo for even 15 minutes is much more bearable than listening to a whining 2-year old for the same amount of time.

As I did the dishes, Mee-Mo began. I listened to the happenings and ever so cynically decided that such stories could NEVER happen--after all I'd seen Planet Earth and now know what really happens in the ocean. But, that got me thinking. I love watching Planet Earth. Ryan and I ended up getting the 5-disc Planet Earth set for our anniversary gift because we enjoy it so much. Every time I watch it, I cannot help but think about a loving God who created all of these beautiful and amazing plants and animals in motion. And, He did it all for US. He wanted us to be happy and enjoy our surroundings--and so all of the tiny details, all of the intriguing animals, every amazing plant is just for us. It made me think of the verse in the Book of Mormon where Alma is "contending" with Korihor and he says, "The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which do move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator." (Alma 30:44) It certainly refreshed my view of my surroundings. Isn't it strange how a little Mee-Mo can make you think of God?

Gotta Love A Good Deal

I just went to Mervyn's to buy Kallie's winter clothes. I like to stock up when they have their 50% off sale on their Sprockets clothes. I find that they're cute and durable, so hopefully, they will last through a few kids. Anyway--when I was looking at the sale information on-line, I happened to find a 20% off coupon that didn't have any "not for use with other sales" kinds of restrictions on it. So, Kallie's winter wardrobe was 70% off! I saved $102.00 and didn't spend anywhere near that much. Especially when Ryan's starting school in a couple of weeks and our spending is going to have to go WAY down, it makes me feel so great to get deals like that!

Sleep Separation, Night 2

Earlier tonight, while I was in the thick of Night Two of the Sleep Separation Technique, I was thinking, "Man, I don't want to bore people with the details of our bedtime struggles with Kallie." And, then I thought, "You know what? It's my blog--and I'm going to write what I want!" So, if reading about our attempts at an easier bedtime are boring you, then stop reading and check back every other day or so for something more interesting. For those of you who are still curious, read on! :)

Before putting Kallie to bed, I thought that she would react one of two ways to the repeated events of last night. Either she would catch on and stay in her bed and I would be out of there sooner. Or, she would catch on and push the limits to see how serious I really am about this new technique. Kallie, being the smart, curious child that she is decided to push the limits. She is, after all, a little scientist by nature. Aren't all 2-year olds?

Tonight, I put her back in bed TWENTY-NINE times! For those of you who are following the saga, that's just over 4 times as much as I put her back in bed last night. She also jumped on her bed three different times and tried to make me think she was going to look out the window, (she gave up on that after she realized it wasn't catching my attention). She threw her pillow on the floor 3 times. The first two times, she jumped out of bed and picked it up before I put her back in bed. The third time, I grabbed the pillow and threw it into the hall before she could get it. She cried for her pillow for a little bit, but hopefully she'll learn not to throw her pillow out of bed anymore. It was after this that she finally told me, "Go away mommy! Go see daddy!" a couple of times. I seriously had to bite my lip to keep from laughing! Once agian, it took about 30 minutes for her to fall asleep. Now, I'm wondering how long it will take for the behavior and time to peak before it will start to improve. I'll keep you posted...

SUPERNANNY...

...Is my HERO! I used to love watching her show, but got out of the habit because it came on right when we were having Family Home Evening. But, now that Kallie is involved in our FHE's, we have it earlier and it's a lot shorter--so I'm getting back in the Supernanny groove. What I seriously wouldn't give to know what she knows about dealing with kids. I'm just glad she's sharing some of the wealth and providing me with a few tools to deal with my 2-year old.

Along with all of the fabulous tantrums Kallie has been throwing the past few weeks, she has also decided that she doesn't like staying in bed. We always thought she was such a good sleeper--but it turns out she appeared to be so because she was contained. Lately, it seems like getting in and out of bed are a new sport in our home. We have tried what seemed like everything to get her to stay...from not talking to her and not making eye contact when we put her back in bed, to taking away her stuffed animals one by one, to sternly telling her that it's bed time and she needed to go to sleep. NOTHING WORKED!! So, I finally remembered a Supernanny episode that I saw a long time ago about getting your kid to go to sleep. As a last ditch effort, I looked it up on her website, http://www.supernanny.com/.

Tonight was the first night that we tried what is officially called the "Sleep Separation Technique." You do the nightly bedtime routine and then sit in their bedroom in the dark so they can see your profile but aren't making eye contact and wait for them to fall asleep. When they get all the way out of bed, you pick them up and put them back in, still no talking and no eye contact. Each night you do the technique, you move closer and closer to the door until you no longer have to sit and wait for them to stay in bed.

It took Kallie 30 minutes to fall asleep. She got out of bed 7 times, threw her 5 stuffed animals, blanket, and pillow on the floor, (she managed to pick up a few without getting out of bed--the rest will have to wait until tomorrow), provided 3 "sessions" of poking mommy--either with her hands or feet, stood on her bed to open her blinds and look out the window, and pulled a pair of pants out of the drawer on the bottom of her bed. And, she tried to fake me out more times than I can count by dangling her legs over the side of the bed and kicking them to see if she'd get a reaction. But, I was strong! I didn't even flinch, (except the times when she was making me smile--and I had to try to keep a straight face), and she finally got the hint.

Kallie's a pretty smart cookie...so hopefully that means she'll catch on quickly. But, part of me knows that because she's so smart, it may take a little longer since she's going to try every trick she can imagine. So, Supernanny, I hope this works!!

You never know what you'll find at a yard sale...

Every first Saturday of the month at 8 a.m. during June, July, and August, Wymount has a "yard sale." They designate an area for everyone to display their junk and see what other people are willing to buy. Since we moved, we realized there were several things sitting in storage or in our house that we weren't going to use. OK--and I'll be honest, while some of it was junk, most of it wasn't. So, at 7:45, I started trucking our stuff across the street.

There were a lot of people that came by--and we sold a lot of stuff. In fact, we made $80 selling mostly things we got for free. I have to admit, we did spend a little on other people's junk. We bought Kallie 2 books and a Clifford ABC Bingo game, (which she LOVES), for $0.70! You can't beat that! I also bought one of those toys where you push beads around on metal "tracks," (for lack of a better word), from one side to the other, and I got a barely used breadmaker.

But, I think the greatest find of the yard sale was reconnecting with a friend I haven't seen since high school! Janae Hunt was a sophomore when I was a senior and she, her sister, and I used to hang out at the seminary building after school while we were waiting for our rides. She was setting her stuff up next to mine when we realized that we knew each other. We spent the time between "shoppers" catching up on the past 10 years, which was so fun. It's always amazing what you can find during a Saturday morning yard sale!

Recovery

I feel like this weekend, with all of Kallie's tantrums and injuries completely wore me out! On top of it all, Sunday we went to my parents' ward for my neice's baby blessing. Kallie did NOT want to come home--instead, she wanted to go straight to Maa-Maw's house to play with her cousins and hang out with Maa-Maw. Even reminding her that we were going over after naptime for dinner didn't help much. And, because she was so excited that we were going, she didn't want to take a nap. Ryan and I both desperately needed naps...so, you can imagine how wonderful and relaxing our Sunday afternoon was. :)

But, today has been a good day. My friend called around one to invite us to go to the pool with her and her kids. I was a little apprehensive to take my girls to the swimming pool without Ryan there to help supervise Kallie, (especially when Whitney needed me), but it was so much fun! Whitney was definitely not a fan of the water...she started fussing the minute I put her in. So, she spent a lot of time in my arms or chilling in the stroller. Kallie is like a little fish when she gets in the water. She can't get enough swimming time! She had a blast with her friends and I enjoyed hanging out with the other moms.

Tantrum, etc., Part II

Let me start off by saying I HATE the tantrum phase. We usually try to ignore them, but, obviously, from what happened to Kallie last night, even that isn't going her safe when she throws them.

So--on to part two of this whole tantrum saga. (I really hope this is the last installment!!) Today, we were finishing up our shopping at Wal-Mart when Kallie decided that she wanted to go look at something in the opposite direction from where we were heading. She had been a pretty good little girl all the way through the store, holding Ryan's hand and walking everywhere because she insisted that she was a big girl and wasn't going to sit in the cart. So, when she decided to go the opposite direction, Ryan was still holding her hand. Once again, because Kallie did not get what she wanted, she threw her weight down on the fabulously gross Wal-Mart cheap-tile-covered cement floor. Only, this time, she didn't hit her face. Ryan felt a distinct POP! in her wrist and her right arm was rendered useless.

She fussed and complained a little and we even bribed her with candy, telling her that she needed to hold the m&m's in her right hand--just so we could see what the damage was. It didn't matter what we tried, she would NOT move her arm/hand. So, after unsuccessfully trying to call Kallie's pediatrician (again!), and unsuccessfully trying to find an urgent care place Ryan's friend told us about, we headed over to the emergency room to have them fix Kallie's arm. I was pretty sure it was just the Nurse Maid elbow that I had heard so much about--but I wanted to make sure that was all it was. After a 2 hour wait, we finally got into a room...and about 20 minutes later, the Dr. showed up. He examined her arm and confirmed that it was probably Nurse Maid elbow and then left again for a few minutes. When he came back, we laid Kallie on the table and I hugged her tight while he twisted and prodded her little arm back into place. Once it was back in, it took Kallie about 3 minutes before she started using it like normal again. Thank goodness it wasn't anything worse than that. It was a bummer that we spent 3 hours at the hospital tonight, but well worth knowing that she was OK.

I will admit, I feel somewhat at fault in this situation. Before you jump all over me and say that I had nothing to do with it, let me explain. Last night, after her little frenulum incident, I was so worried that her little lip was going to look funny for the rest of her life. So, I prayed that it would be OK and that it wouldn't affect her appearance. (I know, I know, DUMB! But, I'm a mom--what can I say?) Tonight, while we were waiting at the hospital, a mom from Moab, UT who was also in the waiting room started talking to me. Her 16-year old daughter had broken yet another bone at a cheerleading camp in Ogden, so she met her daughter at the hospital in Provo to get it taken care of. As we talked, I told her about the great frenulum incident from the night before and showed her Kallie's lip. She told me that the exact same thing happened to one of her kids! And, her EMT husband assured her at the time that it was nothing to worry about because it grows back. (She bolstered this assurance by telling me that her kid's frenulum had grown back also!) What a blessing for me to know that! Heavenly Father sure answers our prayers in strange ways...but I am so grateful that He has been able to provide these blessings and reassurances throughout these awful tantrum ordeals.

Tantrum, Tantrum, Tantrum!

Kallie has most certainly been two in attitude and personality for a while now. She owns the toddler catch-phrase, "I do it mysewf!" As part of the attitude, she has decided that throwing tantrums are a good way to tell mom and dad that she does NOT like the way things are going--especially when she's tired.

Today was no different--except I was babysitting my friend's kids during naptime, so I let Kallie miss her nap. I pretty much knew I was asking for trouble. Except for a few little "sharing" squabbles, she did great while her friends were here. As soon as they left, she turned into a crying mess. I got her to take a short nap before dinner, but the damage had already been done...or had it?

After dinner, Ryan started Kallie on her normal bedtime routine. Of course, the crying, complaining, and tantrums were not the usual tonight. Every little request and comment we made was met with a seismic response. Then, it was time stop brushing her teeth and head into her bedroom. To let us know that she did NOT like this course of events, she threw herself on the linoleum floor in our hallway. I went to pick her up and carry her into her room and realized she was gushing blood from somewhere around her nose or mouth. She knew something had gone wrong with the tantrum because she was telling me so!

As I cleaned her up, I realized that she had somehow split her frenulum, (the little piece of skin that connects your gum and lips). It wasn't completely split, just more so than it ever has been for Kallie. I have never encountered a split frenulum before! I put pressure on it with a damp paper towel to stop the bleeding. I called our pediatrician's office to find out what needed to happen and they said they generally don't put stitches in the mouth. And, since it stopped bleeding right when I called them, they didn't have us come in.

Taking a good look at it, neither Ryan nor I know how in the world Kallie did what she did! Her little frenulum was attached a bit lower than what I've seen, but now there's no problem with that. The only thing that makes me sad is that the frenulum affects how the lips are when you smile--it kind of holds them in place. So, now, my sweet little Kallie's smile is a bit different tonight than it was earlier today. I just hope it heals well and that, after a while, you won't even be able to tell it happened!

UNDER CONSTRUCTION!

I'm trying to figure out how to make my blog look like I want it to. In the mean time, things seem to be very out of order. Hopefully, it won't take too long for me to get it all figured out!