Parenting "Thought of the Day" #6

Anyone who has shown up at my house and found a half-naked toddler running around knows that we've been subscribing to the no-pants-at-home method of potty training. Things have been going well.

Is it strange that I'm really excited that we decided to try out big girl underpants for the first time today?

...

Wonder Baby Wednesday #27

Wonder Baby Powers, activate! Form of...a girl who is ready for anything (including a blizzard in June).

Why she wanted to wear both her sunglasses and winter gloves defies my ability to reason, but I think in toddler-land the fact that they were both sitting on the table in plain sight is reason enough.

Yes, the one glove is backwards. Yes, they are on the wrong hands. But she put them on "all by self" -- yay, Eme!

...

Redefined

[Wouldn't it be cool if, just once in a while, I actually posted something other than a picture? Well, here you go. I've been meaning to post on this topic for a while, so it's both of our lucky day; I get to post it, you get to read it. :)]

It's amazing how I've learned to redefine things now that my life has changed so much. A few examples:

A good day:

• Used to mean I got out of work early, or got to spend a whole day doing fun stuff that couples do with Andreas, or got a bunch of tasks done that I'd been meaning to do.
• Now it means that Eme took her nap (so that I got to do some work, or could spend time with Andreas, or get a few tasks done that I meant to do).

A clean house:

• Used to mean that I'd cleaned top to bottom, vacuuming every room and swiffering the linoleum, got the laundry and dishes done, counters cleaned, paraphernalia put away.
• Now it means there aren't toys EVERYWHERE, and the counter is relatively clean-ish.

Sleeping in:

• Used to mean cuddling in bed with Andreas until 9 or 10 in the morning on Saturday, usually followed by a leisurely breakfast.
• Now it means Eme doesn't wake me until 7:30, instead of at 7.

Watching a movie:

• Used to mean Andreas and I would sit down for the full length of a film we, as adults, wanted to see.
• Now it means watching any of a number of Disney films that I've now seen multiple times each (skipping over any "scary" parts as defined by Eme), or watching part of a movie with Andreas after we put Eme to bed (only part because we're often too tired to finish in one sitting)

The list could go on, but the important thing is this: it is our capacity to redefine ourselves that allows us to grow and change, and it is through change that we experience more of the world than we ever knew existed. It is through change that we remain alive, and avoid becoming stagnant.

Therefore, while all of these redefinitions may sound like complaints, the truth is that they're my life and I love my life. With that in mind, I offer one final redefinition:

Love:

• Used to mean the way I feel about my family, and the special bond I share with Andreas.
• Now it means all of those things, plus the way my heart fills when I see/think about/teach something new to/learn something new from Eme.

Thank goodness for the change that brought me, along with everything else that I've redefined, this amazing connection, which I wouldn't trade for anything.

Not even for Saturday mornings.

...

Wonder Baby Wednesday #27

Wonder Baby Powers, activate! Form of...a chipmunk!

Only instead of having nuts stored in her cheek pouches, they are baby tomatoes--one in each cheek. As I have already mentioned a while back about her love of tomatoes: she's her mother's daughter.

...