My Eden

I've put off my yard work long enough. I've completely ignored my backyard for almost three years. First I was pregnant--that's a good excuse , right? Then I had a little baby. Then, when I finally got into a situation that I could go out in the yard and clean it out, I realized it was too overwhelming and I ignored it. Well, the day of reckoning has come. The weather is finally mild and Kate is old enough to play while I work so I got started Saturday.

Since then, except Sunday, I have spent hours every day working in the yard and LOVED IT! I'm addicted to it. I can't get enough moments in the day to run out there and do the little I can before I have to attend to other matters. All I'm doing is tearing up all the dead growth and piling it up, but I've already learned so much.

I really thought I would have to go to the library and research all the stuff about my yard. I was surprised to find the keys of how to work the land were just sitting out there waiting to be discovered. Just looking at the bushes, I could see how they liked to be pruned. After looking at all the dead ground cover shoots and runners underneath a layer of new growth, I knew how I was supposed to trim it in the fall.

As I tore up my yard, analogies came to my mind. I could relate my yard work to spirituality, sin, and repentance. I was having "ah-ha" moments!

I thought my siblings and parents were insane for wasting so much of their precious time here on earth working in the yard. But now, I see that it really is a way for us to communicate with nature--it's exercise for mind body and spirit! They all told me it was, but now, I know.

Happy Easter!

What an exceptionally gorgeous couple of days! Easter was a wonderful day of reflection and rejoicing. I took this picture of Kate after church and after her nap. My family came to dinner at my house and it was fun, as the youngest, to play the hostess. Of course, it was nothing because everyone brought great food and helped with cleanup.

The swelling from my bruised nose has gone down. I still have a bruise. No biggee. Poor Kate woke up last night piping hot with a fever and a runny nose. We're hoping it's just a little bug and will soon pass. Watching Beauty & the Beast is keeping her spirits up for now.

Today, at Kate's behest, we went outside before we got ready for the day. With her dress-up pumps and frilly PJ's, she clip-clopped beside me for a neighborhood stroll. This turned out to be exactly what we needed. We wattered the tulips, chatted with neighbors, played with a puppy, listened to the quail, and saw some friends who invited us on a "real" walk. Spring is here and it's so refreshing after a long, cold winter. I think my face is even a little sun-kissed.

Brown-Noser

So, I think I broke my nose. As I daintily lifted the crock pot to it's resting place on an upper shelf, the glass lid slipped loose and clogged me right between the eyes. The bridge of my nose swelled instantly. For three days I've been walking around with a bruised-up nose. Plus, I had my first cavity filled last week and all went well but now my jaw or my teeth hurt like crazy. So, I don't really have much else to say but, "OUCH!" I don't like to take ibuprofen but I think I'm going to. Even ice cream is miserable to eat right now. I tried calling my dentist but he is, of course, out of the office for the holiday. HELP!

"Eat Poop!"

We were finishing up dinner and Scott had just rinsed his plate and decided to indulge in a treat before hopping in the shower. When I realized he put something with peanuts in the cupboard where Kate could easily get into it, I asked him to store the contraband treat on the top shelf of our closet. Scott seemed to think Kate was allergic to peanut butter, but not peanuts.
I tried to explain her allergy and with all the mention of it, Kate chimed in, "Peanuts!" I reminded her, as a mother--always training--that she can't eat peanuts because they make her sick. I said, "No peanuts. right Katie?" She said, "No peanuts, no peanut butter, eat poop!" And she took a swig of the juice from the chicken noodle soup left in her bowl.

Kate Turned TWO!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATIE!

This picture is of Kate after she tried on the princessy PJ's Nana and Papa B gave her. She twirled and put on a show until the camera came out, of course.

Today, Kate spent time with Aunt Jeni, Uncle Cameron, and Samantha making cupcakes. She had fun playing with Grandparents and this evening, Scott and I took Kate out on a "date" for fries and a hamburger. Scott and I love to watch her eat--how she delicately dips each fry in ketchup and takes little bites and dips again.

She celebrated with extended family on March 2nd and she'll have one more celebration with her other extended family on St Patty's day. So, hopefully it will feel like a birthday month to her.

Supernanny Knows Her Stuff!

We really weren't intending to say goodbye to Binky so soon. I thought it would take Kate a few months before she was ready to let it go but one thing led to another and the Binkies are all gone, just like that.

It all started with the garbage truck Wednesday morning. Kate ran to the window and watched the garbage truck do its job and move along. Later in the day, she was playing while my niece, Samantha, and I videotaped all her funny little words. She ran to the window and started asking us, "Trash man go?" with her hands up. We told her he was probably home with his family. We asked her how many children she thought he had. She said, "Two." As the conversation went on, we found out from Kate that the trash man had a puppy, two girls named Pink Girl and Boy and that they had Pizza for dinner.

In hopes of getting a reaction out of Kate on video, I asked her if she was still planning on giving her Binky to the trash man on her birthday. She looked unamused and just started at me like, "I'm not falling for that one again." So, the Supernanny thing came to me and I ran to the office to grab a cute card. I filled it out and read it to her. It said, "Dear Trash man, here is my Binky for you to give to your new baby. Love, Kate." I asked her if she could give her Binky to the trash man's baby and we could mail it to her in the envelope. She put it in there without a second thought. We all marched to the mailbox and she put the puffy, Binky-filled envelope in the mailbox and I helped her lift the flag.

When Daddy got home around 8:00 pm, he has the habit of checking the mail and he brought the envelope in. Luckily, Kate was in her room and didn't see. I quietly explained the goings on and got a second Supernanny inspiration. I ran to my stash of new toys that I keep for desperate times and filled out a card from the Trash man thanking Kate for the Binky. I set it on the door mat and rang the doorbell two or three times.

"Katie," I said, "The door is for you. Come. Look." She pitter-pattered down the hall. And looked out the door cautiously. I read her the card and we opened the gift--New, princess, dress-up shoes!!! How did the trash man know? Kate bought right into it. She put them on to show Daddy. She told him who gave them to her and why.

She really didn't have trouble going to sleep without it. When she asked for her Binky, I just reminded her that she gave it to the trash man's baby and asked her what the trash man gave her. She exclaimed, "New shoes!"

When she woke up at 2:00 am and asked for the Binky, I reminded her again and she let out a sad, "NOOOO!" in recollection and then talked about the new shoes. She's mentioned binky a few times but then she talks about the mailbox, the trash man, and the new shoes. Who knew it would be this easy. I was preparing for an all-out battle! I guess I should have more faith in my little one.

"Binky, Two Minutes?"

Kate has what I call a little bit of a Binky problem. She LOVES her Binky. I've tried a lot of Binky removal tactics. First I tried snipping the end of her Binky. She took it right out and let me know that she was on to me. A few months ago, Scott and I had a talk with her and explained why the Binky was not the best thing for her anymore and that we should limit it for nap time and bedtime. We used all the keywords, "big girl" and "baby" in hopes to instill a sense of pride in quitting the Binky. She handled that well, until she got the flu. We tried storing the Binky up high and she just learned how to stand on the counters and get the Binky out of the cupboard. We started keeping the Binky in the fridge because she hasn't learned how to open it yet. Every time she asked to have the Binky, I told her she could have it for five minutes and set a timer. That worked for a little while. But now she just comes to me all day and asks, "Binky, two minutes?" as if she is bargaining with me and I feel so sorry for her.

A day or so ago, I let her know that when she turned two on Saturday, it was time to put the Binky in the trash (hey, it was worth a try). As soon as the word "trash" left my lips, tears ensued. Kate screamed in terror, "No, NO, NO!" She immediately asked me to sing the "Binky song" in order to calm down.

The Binky song is something I invented when Kate was inconsolable on a drive home when we didn't have the Binky. I asked her is she wanted to sing about her Binky and that calmed her right down. I clap my hands on my legs and then together and sing what we're doing: we're heading north... we're going north on fourth east... We're turning right... We're going home to the Binky..." When we're on a long stretch of road, I ask her as part of the song, "What are we going to get?" then Kate says, "Binky!" I continue the song, "Where is the Binky?" then Kate says, "Fridge!" Then I'll sing the question, "What else is at home?" and she'll say, "puppy!" Somehow this song takes her focus off how much she misses Binky. She starts clapping at the first sight of our house. She asks for the Binky song regularly and every time Scott tries to discourage it because everything about it drives him nuts but Kate loves it and Scott admits the song is slightly better than Kate bawling so he tolerates it.

I am completely aware that the reason all my attempts to oust the Binky have failed is because I have no backbone. I can't handle her crying for something that I really didn't have to take away. I feel so mean when I just say, "No you can't have it." Because really she can.

In a few months, I plan to give her the "a baby needs your Binky" speech and ask her to put the Binky in an envelope addressed to the Binky Fairy. Then the following day she could get mail from the Binky Fairy thanking her for the Binkies and telling her she did a good thing. The technique worked great for Supernanny. I guess it's worth a try.