Last Night's Bath Time Adventure

***Warning: Not for those with weak stomachs! This post is definitely a TMI post, but hey - it's my blog. :) Read at your own risk! Seriously, it's gross.***

Recently I altered Tree Faerie's bedtime routine to include a bath every night, especially since she gets a little wild and crazy with her food. Since making this change, bedtime has actually been a little easier. Sometimes she is too fussy to make it through a story, but the bath and bed routine really helps mark it as bedtime.

Last night after dinner I got Tree Faerie in the bath. We were playing with her bath toys and flinging them off the side of the tub back into the bath water, when all of the sudden she takes a dump. Not a nice solid dump that could easily be scooped out. Oh, no. She had a loose one - with corn! I have to assume she had corn at daycare, because I didn't feed it to her!

My first thought was, "EW! GROSS!" My second thought was to scoop it out, so I grabbed a wipe and tried to capture some of it while trying not to gag. Um, no. Did I mention it was loose? Well, Tree Faerie thought that capturing it was a good idea, so she tried to catch some. More gagging ensued while I snatched her out of the tub, wiped her bottom with a wipe, and then quickly scrubbed her down with a clean wipe or two or three. I deposited her on the floor on top of her towel so I could figure out what to do next.

Besides gag.

Or puke.

I hit the drain for the tub but decided the drain plug thing might catch some of the feces, so I unscrewed it and set it on the side of the tub. I threw all the toys in the sink and turned the hot water on full blast. When the water had mostly drained out of the tub, I turned off the sink and turned on the shower head, which thankfully we have one of those hand-held ones. I rinsed everything out of the tub and then threw the toys back in the tub for more rinsing. And spraying of Lysol. And gagging.

All the while my child is sitting naked on the floor having a grand time pulling each and every wipe out of the container.

I swear I washed my hands over a dozen times, and every time I thought about it, I wanted to gag. I still want to gag a bit. And tonight I will probably scrub the tub before her bath.

So, if you actually made it through this tale, please, please tell me I'm not alone in this!

Wandering Wednesday 1

Military Mom tagged me with a meme that I have already done (see here), but I figured I would make an addendum: Random now has a blog I can actually access!

So, since I've already done the meme, I figured I would go ahead and try to implement a weekly column that I've been pondering. I visit so many wonderful blogs that definitely deserve recognition, I figured I would spotlight a few of the blogs I visit. And since I've already mentioned Military Mom and Random this week, we'll move on from there.

If you head over to Confessions of a Coal Miner's Granddaughter, make sure to bring a box of tissues. Today she talks about the death of her father, and it will definitely pull at your heartstrings and make you mourn lost loved ones. If you don't want to sniffle, you can head over and read her latest post at Burt Renolds' Mustache. She is the lucky blogger who was assigned the 28th day of each month as her posting day. Many of the posts will make your sides hurt, and you may still need the tissues for the tears of laughter. (Oh, and I found out last night that DTTF thinks the pic of her in the Catholic school-girl outfit is HOT, to which I replied, "You know I asked her to marry me, right?)

Today Manic Mommy addresses a form of peer pressure with her daughter. I love how she explained to her daughter how some people dump their garbage on other people to try to make themselves feel better. She's also extended her I Donate Blood - Will You? Contest through Valentines Day, and there will be cash prizes!

Not Afraid to Use It participates regularly in Wordless Wednesday, however yesterday's post is the one that draws my attention. Her daughter's birthday party over the weekend sparked social etiquette epiphanies. While we all do our best to teach our children how to behave in public (and private), sometimes we just can't cover all the bases until we're actually in the situation. As long as we're trying and the kids are trying, a little "wiggle room," as she puts it, is allowed.

Finally, if you decide to meet for a drink over on the Patti-O, she's just finished her red-pen edits on her latest book. WooHoo! The past couple of weeks have been a bit rough for her due to the illness and then passing of the family pet, but she's "pulling up her bootstraps" and arming herself with mascara to trudge forward. My heart certainly goes out to her.

Thus ends the first installment of Wandering Wednesday, because I can never remember to upload the pictures from my camera often enough to stay involved in Wordless Wednesday. Please tell me whether you think this idea may prove to be interesting or if it just blows.

For Fun - Wuzzles & Puzzles

Over at The Mom Blogs, I read this post about Wuzzles & Puzzles. I love puzzles, so I checked it out. Since I didn’t know what a Wuzzle was, that was the first thing I checked out. This is a Wuzzle:

I LOVED doing these types of puzzles when I was a kid! These and logic puzzles were my favorite. We used to do these a lot in the Gifted & Talented class. They’ve got all kinds of different printable puzzles on the site (but I didn’t find logic puzzles). If you have a bit of time to goof off (which I really don’t), go check them out! I’ve bookmarked the site so I can go play when I have a bit of extra time.

Zenni Optical

A couple of weeks ago, the screw on the right side of my glasses came out. I got this pair for next to nothing in July. Since then, I’ve worn my glasses as often (if not more often) than I’ve worn my contacts, something I haven’t done since I started wearing contacts 13 years ago! Apparently I abused them, because the screw decided to bail on me. I picked up one of those little repair kits for glasses to replace the screw, but it turns out that the pair I have needs a special kind of screw. Because I’m cheap and didn’t pay but about $20 for my glasses, I found an alternative method to hold the glasses together. I took heavy duty black quilting thread and whip-stitched my glasses together.

(You may laugh, but you can’t tell they’re actually held together with thread without actually inspecting my glasses. I may be a nerd, but at least I'm a creative one!)

Since then I’ve kept my eyes open for an inexpensive way to replace my glasses. Enter Zenni Optical: Sells Rx Glasses for only $8 with case! They have a flat shipping rate of $4.95 no matter how many pairs you order, so I could get a brand new pair of glasses shipped to my house for about $13! Plus, the anti-scratch coating and the UV protection is free. The anti-reflective coating is only $4.95, which the place I got my current glasses wanted to charge me $40 to add the coating (I declined THAT offer). They can also add sunglass tint for $4.95.

The only thing I’m apprehensive about is not being able to try them on first, but they have a partial-refund return policy. If I don’t like them I can return them for 50% of the cost of the glasses. Seriously, for this price, I think I can afford to take the chance. I may even go a little funky!

Then again, maybe not. This whole glasses thing is still a little new to me, especially since I hated them so much when I was a kid.

Mental Health Monday

Today I decided to stay home for a mental health day. I took Tree Faerie to daycare and came home, intending to cry a bit and clean. Instead I exercised, which was absolutely wonderful. I still haven't cleaned anything yet, but I feel much better.

This weekend we bought a couch and love seat. DTTF and I have always had futons for furniture. In fact, our bed is still technically a futon. We have been looking for an affordable yet nice couch and love seat set. The other day, DTTF found a used set on Craigslist, so we went to take a look.

I LOVE this set! It is dark red, a color I wouldn't have automatically gone for, but it's gorgeous! And soft! And snuggly! And it has already made it through the life of one toddler without permanent damage, so that gives me hope!

While we were trying to decide whether or not to buy the set, we went to Ashley Furniture to talk things out and see if buying a brand new set would be affordable. We found a couple of sets we really liked, but in the end we decided to go ahead and purchase the used one. Part of the reason for this decision is that if we bought it new and something happened to it before it was paid off, we'd be really upset. Buying the used one allows us to relax a bit, especially since we have a toddler and furniture-abusing friends (a story for another day).

The other thing that happened this weekend is DTTF finally put a piece of drywall over the hole in my closet. Yay! Hopefully soon I'll have my own closet back! I know DTTF is tired of Tree Faerie and me taking up space in his closet. While he was preparing the wall, I heard the quote of the weekend:

"No, baby, don't! You're rusting my tools!"

A Bully in the Making

Tree Faerie is cutting a new tooth - the front upper right tooth. There is an obvious bump on her gums, but the tooth hasn't quite broken through yet. She hasn't wanted to chew on anything cold this time, though, only cool, room temperature, or warm (like ME!). Once this tooth breaks through, that will give her a total of 3 teeth.

I am certainly not complaining, though, especially after the week we've had. Tree Faerie has bit my nipples multiple times, which is to be expected since I'm still nursing her. What wasn't expected was the hair-pulling and pinching she's started doing. The only thing more irritating than being pinched is having my hair pulled (all sexual comments aside). Nothing irritates me more than her grubby little hands reaching out and grabbing a handful of hair. I don't mind if she gently strokes my hair or lets it flow through her fingers, but when she grabs a handful and yanks, I really want to do terrible things! Instead I just scream, which she finds hilarious.

Wednesday night, however, I finally started fighting back. When she grabbed the first handful of hair, I pried her fingers open and told her to stop. The second time, she grabbed two fistfuls and hung on for dear life! So, I did what my mother told me to do - I pulled her hair! Needless to say, she wasn't too thrilled with her hair being pulled, which I didn't do very hard. She didn't let go of my hair, though, so I did it again. We got into a little hair-pulling battle for a few minutes, during which she sat on my face and farted, but she finally let go of my hair.

And proceeded to pinch and scratch me repeatedly.

By this point, the pinching didn't seem so bad. At least for the first minute and a half. I finally started pinching her back! I didn't pinch her hard enough to make a mark, but hard enough to let her know how annoying it felt. She finally stopped and we moved on to tickling and kisses.

I know Tree Faerie knows the meaning of the words No, Stop, Don't, and Gentle. Since she's choosing not to heed these words, she's now learning what the phrase, "If you don't stop, I'm going to do it to you and see how you like it!" I know I'm supposed to be the adult in this relationship, but sometimes you have to talk to them on their level, right?

Though if I ever wished to be one year old again, I don't think hair-pulling, pinching, scratching, and biting would be on my list of things-I-want-to-do-again.

Tweeking the layout

Please bear with me! :)

Female Pattern Baldness

A long-time friend of mine suffers from Female Pattern Baldness. Her natural hair color is a very dark brown, but she highlights her hair because she thinks this helps keep her hair from looking so thin. Her hair just keeps thinning, however, and as she’s gotten older, it’s more and more obvious that she’s losing her hair. She’s tried a couple of products with varying results, but she quit using them either because her sensitive skin had a reaction to the products or she couldn’t justify the cost based on the results.

She considers me an internet guru (I hear some of you laughing), so she asked me to do a bit of research. I found a review of several hair loss products on TrustedSource.org that I found particularly helpful, especially the Provillus review. After researching this product more extensively, I found quite a bit of positive feedback, but very little negative.

I passed along the information to my friend, and she decided to give Provillus a try. Right now they offer a 2 month free supply, so she figured it was worth a shot. If she sees results, she’ll keep using it. If she doesn’t, we’ll move on to something else.

(When I told her this, she laughed and said, “Or buy a wig!” I’m glad she’s still got a sense of humor about it.)

Teleportation Device vs. Time Machine

Heather over at Confessions of a Coal Miner's Granddaughter has decided she needs a time machine and knows exactly what she would do with it. Personally, I'm too afraid of messing things up if I was able to interact with my surroundings. I mean, look at what happened in The Butterfly Effect. A time-viewer would be interesting to have, though. It would certainly give a whole new twist to history class. That's another topic for another day.

I'm holding out for a teleportation device. Actually, I've decided I need a minimum of 4, and that doesn't include one for work and one for daycare. No, I need 4 personal teleportation devices. One will of course be at my house. I want one at my mom's house so that when she's having something delicious for dinner I can just pop in. Living 4 hours away from her does not allow me to just pop in anytime I want. This would also give me the opportunity to work on craft projects with her without trying to cram it into a weekend. I miss doing craft projects.

I want one at DTTF's mom's house, too. While she only lives about an hour away, I still have to prepare to go down there. I have to pack up the car to make sure I have everything I might need while we're down there. It would be great if Tree Faerie and I could just pop in to Nana's and maybe go horseback riding or help her build a fence or something. Having a teleportation device at her house would also make us feel a lot better about her living there by herself. While yes, I know she's a strong and competent woman, a lot can happen and has happened before. Thankfully she has neighbors within shouting distance, but only if you shout loudly and only if they're home.

The fourth teleportation device would be at DTTF's sister's house. Not only do I consider her a great friend, but she lives in Florida, has her own pool, and doesn't live too far from the beach. We could pop down there just for a margarita or a splash in the pool (or both). Even better, on days like today where the high is only 36 degrees, we can pop down there and thaw out. Of course, I might not come home very often...

When I was telling my mom about my little fantasy, the Floo Network from the Harry Potter books came up. She said that wouldn't work because not only does she not have a fireplace, none of her neighbors do either. A couple of them have wood-burning stoves, but not actual fire places. So, we'll have to stick with the teleportation device idea. I could get a lot more done in a day if I could cut out travel time. Or at least I might not feel so rushed, and it would completely eliminate the need to control my road rage.

Anyone already have one in the works?

Ashop Commerce

In my former life, by which I mean life before I became a mom, I dabbled in graphic design and web design. I helped a friend set up her internet shop to display her home-based business. I’m not going to link to the site right now because it’s currently going through changes.

One of these changes we’re currently looking at is the shopping cart program she’s currently using. She’s currently using the cart program that came free from the web host. The program gave me a headache when I first tried to set it up, but once I got it going, it wasn’t too bad. Changing the layout is a nightmare, though. A NIGHTMARE.

Recently, I discovered Ashop Commerce. While it is not a free shopping cart software program, the price really isn’t bad, especially considering how user friendly it seems to be. I’ve only tried the demo, but changing the layout was a breeze, creating new products was simple, and setting up the categories and sub-categories was a no-brainer.

Does anyone have experience with this program? Is it as divine as it seems?

Stretch Marks Study

When I got pregnant, I was not surprised when the stretch marks started to appear since I had gotten stretch marks at every growth spurt throughout my life, whether in height or width. I did a bit of research but lost hope when I kept reading that stretch marks were not preventable or treatable. I found a lot of ads for stretch mark creams. All of the “testimonials” raved about how wonderful these creams were, but I couldn’t find a third-party comparison or consumer review site for the creams.

I tried Palmers Cocoa Butter, but I was so sensitive to smells that I couldn’t even have the lotion out on the counter, much less use it. Thus, the only treatment I lathered upon my rapidly spreading stretch marks was an unscented off-brand Vitamin E lotion. I can’t tell if the lotion helped with the stretch marks, but it did relieve the itching. I now have stretch marks curving over my hips, around the front of my abdomen and down my thighs.

Diva over at Diva’s Skin Care Blog decided to put the stretch mark cream leaders to the test. She put four stretch mark creams to the test on 10 different people, some who were trying to prevent stretch marks and some who were trying to erase old stretch marks. Revitol Stretch Mark Cream came out on top, and she even posts photos of the participants who had the best results.

I wish this post came out a couple of years earlier when I could have used this information to help me decide which cream to use. I’m considering trying one of the products mentioned in her post to help diminish or erase my battle scars stretch marks. While they look better than they did a year ago, they’re still not pretty.

Smorty.com

Since I have a hard time keeping information that may help others to myself, I had to share my new finding. As you know, I'm open to opportunities to make a bit of income from my blog as long as it doesn't damage the integrity of this blog or conflict with my values. I refuse to lie or blog about things I don’t have any interest in just to make a few bucks. However, as I’ve said before, if I can get paid to blog, why not, especially since I’m going to be blogging anyway? Enter Smorty.com a program that pays $6 - $60 per opportunity, and they pay weekly to PayPal.

Dear readers, if any of you have a problem with me accepting money for some of these posts, please let me know. Maybe you have a perspective I haven’t heard yet. If, however, you’re interested in trying it out yourself, either click on the link in this post or, even better, click on the link in the sidebar under the stat counter. (And to answer a common question, yes, this service has certain restrictions regarding crude or adult content. Sorry folks.)

While I have your attention, are you interested in me keeping you updated on the research I’m doing regarding making money with blogging?

Uproar at Daycare

After I picked Tree Faerie up from daycare last Thursday, I noticed she had a huge knot and bruise on her forehead. I didn't notice this until we got to the grocery store, which is only about 5 minutes away from the daycare. While I know kids get bumps and bruises, the daycare has always been very good about providing an incident report. Based on the size and color of the bump, I figured I had just missed the incident report or that it was still in the main office and hadn't been returned to the teacher for me to sign.

Friday morning I inquired about it when I dropped Tree Faerie off. The head teacher, Ms. J, did not know what happened but mentioned that yesterday was a rough day. The normal assistant teacher was not in the classroom at the time, so I couldn't ask her. There was a "floater" teacher assisting Ms. J, however I didn't think anything of it because sometimes teachers need to take off. Since they were trying to get the kids seated for snack time (yes, at 9 AM), I didn't stick around to find out more information.

When I went to pick Tree Faerie up on Friday afternoon, Ms. J was still there, which is unusual. Usually the assistant teacher (or floater when the assistant is out) is the one there in the afternoon. Since there weren't many kids left and no other parents present, I asked if everything was okay in that magical way of mine that says, "Please, pour your heart out to me! I'm here to listen!"

Turns out the assistant teacher left for lunch on Thursday and decided not to return. According to Ms. J, the assistant teacher was unhappy there, but not with the kids or Ms. J. What is odd is when I dropped Tree Faerie off on Thursday morning, I asked the assistant teacher if she was okay because she looked upset. She said she didn't feel good, so I left it at that.

So, now they are looking for another assistant teacher for Tree Faerie's toddler room. Meanwhile, floaters and teachers from other classes are covering the toddler room. What makes MY life a bit more difficult is that the time I normally drop Tree Faerie off in the morning is the same time the head teacher is driving one of the buses. She's only gone for about 30 minutes, but I usually drop off in that 30 minute window. Every day this week, I've had to hand Tree Faerie off to someone she's not as familiar with, resulting in an upset child. It breaks my heart! This morning I almost went back in to get her!

Because she did the same thing when I left her with DTTF last week when she was sick, I know she is not upset for long after I leave. This knowledge does not make walking away any easier, though. I'm very thankful that I can also call and check on her during the day, which I just did, of course. She's fine, and since I actually got to talk to Ms. J, I feel much better. My heart still aches for her, but now it's a dull throb instead of a wrenching feeling.

*sigh* On with my day...

If the Fey Family were a band...

I got this from Heather, who got this from Avitable, who got this from... oh, well, you get the idea. I just couldn't pass it up because hers turned out so awesome!

All you have to do is follow these 3 easy steps to come up with your imaginary band's first album cover and title:

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random The first article title is the name of your band.
2. http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3 The last four words of the very last quote is the title of your album.
3. http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days/ The third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

Take the picture, add your band name and title, then post it so that we can all see how it turned out!

Here's mine:

And you know what? I'd be okay with that! Your turn!

The Weekend My Mom Turned 50

Friday evening we were in no hurry to head out because I planned to leave around Tree Faerie's bedtime in hopes that she would sleep the whole way. I have to pat myself on the back for that one because it worked! She slept the whole way! I drove straight through without stopping because I didn't want to chance waking her up. Since my bladder wasn't yelling at me to pull over, we just decided to keep driving.

We got to my parents' house around 12:45 AM, and as expected, Tree Faerie woke as soon as we turned off the car. She was in a good mood, though, and wanted to play for a while. We visited for a little while and finally headed to bed around 3 AM. I know this only because while I was trying to nurse Tree Faerie to sleep, the clock chimed and did its little song. Thankfully it didn't wake her back up, but I was holding my breath just in case.

The next morning she decided 7 AM was a good time to get up. Mom made scrambled eggs with cheese and toast, which was Tree Faerie's first time trying scrambled eggs. She seemed to like them okay, and she really enjoyed throwing them in the floor. My parents have a little dog that did not mind her sharing breakfast.

After breakfast, Pop brought Tree Faerie's late birthday present in. They crafted a Rocking Harley for her! It's absolutely adorable! And PURPLE! I promise to post pictures soon.

We left DTTF there sleeping while Mom, Tree Faerie, and I went to the store. Since Tree Faerie fell asleep on the way, I sat in the parking lot and waited for Mom to pick up a few things. As I sat there watching people come and go, I realized that I could have a 10 year old child right now if I hadn't been so careful. I started adding it up and figured out that one of the girls from my graduating class now has a 15 year old. I'm really glad I waited as long as I did because I'm ready to enjoy being a mother without feeling like she's holding me back or like she's a burden.

After we got back, we had lunch and made cheese dip, and I swept and mopped Mom's kitchen floor for her. My Upward Bound friends showed up just as I finished, and they brought home-made strawberry cheesecake. We all visited for a while, and I must say I'm really glad kids start small and work their way up, because if I was just handed a 3- and a 5-year-old, I'd probably pull my hair out. But the kids were cute, and we had fun talking.

That night after Pop went to work, we took Mom to dinner at her favorite Chinese restaurant where they serve crab legs and shrimp. I quickly discovered my kid can really make a mess. Between the crackers, the fortune cookies, the chicken and then the jello, I practically had to bathe her with baby wipes.

Sunday morning, Tree Faerie got up with Mom and let Mom change her diaper and play with her for a while before waking me up, which was a perfect birthday present for "Grams". We had biscuits and gravy for breakfast, then we finished making the crescent rolls Mom started when she got up that morning. The crescent rolls were delicious!

When I asked Mom how it feels to be 50, she said, "Oh, about like 49." We discussed that it wasn't as bad as she thought it would be when she was my age, and that 30 was the hard birthday for her. My mom is a pretty amazing woman and has been through a lot. I really admire her in a lot of ways.

We headed back a couple of hours later than I had intended, but Tree Faerie decided to take a nap before we left, and Mom fell asleep, too. We got back to Memphis around 8 on Sunday night, and I only had to ride in the back seat for the last hour of the trip. Before Tree Faerie was born, I never even considered the possibility that I would be breastfeeding in the backseat of a car doing 80 mph down the interstate. And before you ask, yes, Tree Faerie was still buckled into her car seat. I was practicing my contortionist skills.

It was a wonderful weekend. While I'm sure we'll head down there several times over the next few years, I look forward to taking her down there sometime when she's older and telling her the stories from when I was growing up. I just hope she's interested in hearing the stories.

I am alive...

...but swamped at work. We had a great weekend with my mom. More to come... Just popped in so no one would worry. :)

Coupons for Cupids

My mind is stuck on Valentine’s Day today, even though it’s almost a month away. Since we’re also trying to recover from Christmas, pinching pennies is also at the forefront of my thoughts. Since I’m going to buy Valentine’s gifts anyway.
coupons help me feel just a little better about spending money in the wake of the holidays.

I found Illuminations coupons and Barnes & Noble coupons that will be put to good use. I also found Target, Wal-Mart, and even Zales coupons that are hard to resist!

I must stop shopping on the internet before I go broke!

Heading to Arkansas

Sunday is my mom's 50th birthday, so we're going to pack up and head down to southern Arkansas for the weekend. It's a 4 hour drive, and I'm just a little nervous about it. Tree Faerie is not a fan of being in the car for long periods of time.

Of course, now we have the new car seat - a Costco Alpha Omega Elite - and I installed it forward-facing because the seat just laughed at me when I tried to install it rear-facing. Tree Faerie has enjoyed being able to see the world from a new perspective, so maybe the trip won't be so bad. I'm also going to try to time it so that we're leaving around her bedtime tonight in hopes that she'll sleep most of the way. One can only hope.

This will be Tree Faerie's first visit at my parents' house because of the distance. My parents have come to Memphis or met us at my grandma's house every time we've seen them in the past year. I figure Tree Faerie is due for a visit. Mom is really excited and can hardly wait. I'm sure Pop is, too, but he doesn't get giddy like Mom does.

Since we're going to be near by, my two best friends from Upward Bound are going to stop by tomorrow afternoon. One I haven't seen for 8 years and keep trying to meet up with, but something keeps coming up every time. I talk to her through email quite often, though, so we're up-to-date on each other's lives. The other one I haven't seen for 9 years, but I've talked to him on the phone a couple of times in the past year. These two friends are also still friends with each other and still live in the same town. I'm really excited about seeing them.

Have a great weekend, Bloggerland! See you Monday!

Valentine's Day Approaches

Everywhere I turn lately I see another reminder that Valentine’s Day is approaching quickly. I am even wearing Valentine’s socks with lipstick kisses all over them for my Funky Sock Friday. When I saw the socks for only $1, I just couldn’t pass them up.

While DTTF usually has no problem finding a gift for me regardless of the holiday, I have a hard time finding a valentines gift for him . Since he really doesn’t care much for candy and doesn’t wear boxers, which seem to be the most common V-Day gifts out there, I’ve had to be rather creative in the past, from t-shirts or coffee mugs to coupons for “special” treats.

Since everyone needs a bit of pampering every now and then, I think this year I’m going to go with a spa set like this. I love the chest, and amber spice-type scents smell really good on DTTF.

Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day? If so, what are you getting for your special someone?

Back to Daycare

Since I had the doctor's permission for Tree Faerie to return to daycare, I got us both ready and took her up there. While I was signing her in, I discovered the daycare thought they had a Rotavirus outbreak, not RSV - Respiratory Syncytial Virus. I corrected her teachers, then talked to the assistant director. I just emailed them a fact sheet as discussed with the assistant director this morning.

I wonder how big of scare this miscommunication caused? Tree Faerie has all of her vaccinations up to date, which includes the inoculation for the Rotavirus. With more and more parents choosing not to vaccinate their children, at what point will an outbreak of a commonly vaccinated disease cause panic? I chose to have Tree Faerie vaccinated because I knew if she became very ill or worse from something I could have easily protected her from, I would not forgive myself. And because we have people immigrating from countries where vaccinations are not required, how can one be sure their child will not come into contact with that virus? We live in a world where a highly infectious disease could spread to all the major populated areas of the world within 3 days. It's kind of scary when you think about it.

I remember the first time I read The Stand by Stephen King. I couldn't decide which would be better - to be one of the few immune to the disease or to be one of the many to die quickly.

On to find happier thoughts...

Over the Hump

(What an appropriate title for Hump Day, right?)

Tree Faerie's RSV seems to be clearing up. She still has some rattling and wheezing, but she slept better last night, which means I slept better last night. Of course, DTTF fell asleep on the couch, so I put Tree Faerie in bed with me at midnight, put her back in her old car seat at 2AM, then back in bed with me at 4AM. She slept pretty well next to me. DTTF said he tried to come to bed but there was no room for him. Since I'd turned off the lights at 2AM while he was still crashed out on the couch, I know it had to be after 4AM when he tried to come to bed. Thankfully he enjoys sleeping on the couch, so I don't feel too bad about us taking up the entire bed.

Tree Faerie has been sleeping in her old infant car seat for the last few nights to help keep her more upright. She could breathe a lot easier when she wasn't laying down flat. When I tried putting her in her bed a couple of nights ago, she kept waking up coughing and choking. At least when she's in the car seat she can catch her breath during her coughing fits.

I took her back to the doctor this morning as scheduled to get clearance to return to daycare. She'll be going back tomorrow since she was still running a fever last night. I really appreciate DTTF taking the time off to stay with her. He's handled it beautifully, and this has given them plenty of bonding time. He really is a great daddy.

While we were at the doctor's office, Tree Faerie was practicing toddling in her shoes. She does most of her walking barefoot, and up until this morning she had not built up the confidence to try it in shoes. When we go to the doctor, I sit in the floor of the examination room while we're waiting so I can more easily field what Tree Faerie plays with. Toys and books are okay, but I don't want her tearing up the books or playing with the trashcan or its contents. This morning I was sitting in the middle of the floor while Tree Faerie checked out the room and rearranged the books. After a few minutes, she crawled over to me and used me to help her stand. When she let go, she stood there and gave me a look that seemed to say, "Do you think I can do this? I'm not so sure about these shoes..." I encouraged her and told her she could do it. She took a couple of shaky steps, then plopped down giggling. For the next 5 minutes or so, she would hold my finger while she walked to the end of my reach, then she would let go and toddle back to me, collapsing into a giggly hug.

This is just one more thing that convinces me I really do have a wonderful daughter. I've decided I'm really not in a hurry to have another. I do still want another, but I'm really enjoying this time with Tree Faerie.

I think our next adventure will be to break out the crayons Grams got her for Christmas. I just have to find my big drawing pad. I also have a plan for broken crayons now, because I know we're going to have broken crayons. I came across this post over at Peapod Squad Stuff about melting down the broken crayons in a muffin tin and love the idea! The woman has triplet toddlers she calls the Peapod Squad - Sweet, Snap, and Split. Their antics and dialog are absolutely adorable! And they have plenty of broken crayons, of course. I'm wondering if I could melt down crayons and pour them into chocolate candy molds to make cute shapes. I'll let you know if I try.

The Business of Being Born - Movie

Folks, 3 hours of sleep is simply not enough for me to function as a normal human being! Since I don't have the energy to complain, let's talk movies and birth. Disclaimer: The following post is my perspective and my opinion. It is not meant as an attack on the experiences or choices of others.


I received an email a few weeks back a documentary called The Business of Being Born. Here's the synopsis from the email:

Birth is a miracle, a rite of passage, a natural part of life. But birth is also big business. In the new documentary THE BUSINESS OF BEING BORN Executive Producer Ricki Lake and Director Abby Epstein question the way American women have babies, and explore this fundamental question: should most births be viewed as a natural life process, or should every delivery be treated as a potential medical
emergency?

THE BUSINESS OF BEING BORN makes a compelling argument for more humanistic approaches to birth, challenging the ideals of our technocratic society which places absolute faith in machines and technology. It is a must-see for anyone thinking of having a baby.

More information: http://www.thebusinessofbeingborn.com/

I checked out the website and am highly intrigued because of my own views of labor and birth. Yes, I believe that medical intervention has saved the lives of many babies and mothers who might have died in childbirth a century ago, however I also believe that the Western culture has gotten a bit too far away from the natural process. People schedule their inductions like they schedule play-dates. Women choose to have cesareans so they don't have to go through the whole labor and pushing ordeal.


Inductions and cesareans were meant to step in where the natural process of labor and birth failed, but only if the natural process fails in some way. They do make life more convenient, and in the world we live in today, convenience is something we expect and take for granted. It really irks me, though, when I hear a mother say, "Oh, we scheduled the c-section at 38 weeks so that Little John would be here before we take our cruise."

To me, pregnancy and birth is a rite of passage, and I treated mine as such. Due to our finances (or lack thereof) when we were pregnant with Tree Faerie, we could not afford to go to a midwife instead of a traditional OB. So, I chose an OB, prepared a birth plan, and proceeded to have as natural of a birth as possible in a hospital setting. Memphis has one of the highest c-section rates in the nation, so I was just a bit nervous.

(Everything turned out fine, of course, and we had a natural birth. Tree Faerie is healthy and beautiful. I also know that if things had not turned out "fine," I was already in a place where they could provide the best care in Memphis.)

I know there will always be those who prefer convenience over letting nature take its course, but I wonder if more women are educated about the natural process of birth, would more women be willing to follow that natural process?

Relaxed and Prepared for New Stress...

...or not.

Saturday morning I indulged in a bit of pampering by getting a massage when I went to pick up the gift certificate for my mom's massage. Oh, my! I love this woman! A friend sent me to her for Mother's Day, and I decided then that I really needed to indulge about every six months. I'm running a little late, but I think it will be easier to get a massage in January and July instead of May and November. DTTF watched Tree Faerie while I was indulging, and she even took a nap for him! She snuggled on the couch with him and dozed off. He took pictures because he knew I'd be hesitant to believe that she was actually asleep.

The daycare provided us with a Parents Night Out on Saturday night. The last 3 times we had a PNO, we went to the movies and saw something action-packed and stressful. This time I decided I needed a social night, so we called up some friends and headed to the Flying Saucer. I feel just a little guilty for going to a beer emporium that houses over 200 different types of beer and only getting one type, Woodchuck Amber, but I don't really like beer. I tasted several different things, but every time I ordered, it was a Woodchuck Amber.

The drink was great, the food was good, and the conversations were great! I really needed to hang out with adults. We also played a game of darts, which I love and can usually win. DTTF won, though, because I let him win kept wracking up too many points.

When midnight finally approached, we headed to pick up Tree Faerie. The daycare was only about 3 minutes away from the Flying Saucer, and as we pulled up, I could see that I was one of the last parents to pick up. Turns out I was the LAST parent to pick up! Apparently I was the only one milking every minute I could.

The teacher told me Tree Faerie was running a fever of 100 degrees, not enough to warrant a call to me but enough to take note of and keep an eye on. I gave her Motrin before putting her to bed to make sure the fever didn't decide to skyrocket during the night. She had developed a cough on Thursday after getting a clean bill of health on Tuesday.

Yesterday her fever came back and stayed around 101. I didn't give her Motrin immediately because I believe that a fever is beneficial to a certain extend. I just tried to keep her as comfortable as possible. She kept coughing and her nose was running. She was pretty lethargic, and I knew she didn't feel well. After a rough night, I went ahead and called the doctor first thing this morning and got an appointment for 9AM.

Turns out she has RSV again. Last year she contracted RSV just after I returned to work from maternity leave. We spent the weekend in the hospital because she was under 3 months old, and then I had to keep her home for a week. This time I just have to keep her home for a few days. We will go back to the doctor Wednesday morning to check it, but if everything is better and she is fever-free, she should be able to go back to daycare on Thursday. DTTF is home with her today since I have no sick/vacation time left.

The good news is that the daycare director offered a 50% discount for the week since she'll be out for three days.

The other good news is that DTTF has called me twice already, and both times Tree Faerie was doing fine. I hope my baby feels better soon. Thankfully I was fairly well-rested and relaxed, so the sleep deprivation from only sleeping four hours last night isn't so bad.

Not a Normal Woman

After a conversation DTTF and I had on Wednesday night that was later hit home by this post by Heather at Three Boys and Me, I have no choice but to admit that I am not a Normal woman. Here's why:

• I do not wear make-up. In fact, the only make-up I own is mascara and eyeliner. I have these items around JUST IN CASE the need to feel a little extra made-up arises. I honestly can't remember the last time I wore actual make-up all over my face. I recently read an article that stated that the average woman absorbs 4 lbs of chemicals from make-up a year. I absorb my 4 lbs from chocolate instead.



• I do not regularly use hair products besides shampoo and conditioner or spend much time on my hair at all. I don't even own hair spray. I know I have mouse under the bathroom sink, but I've only used it a few times in the past 6 years or so.



• I do NOT wear perfume. I'm allergic/sensitive to most of the perfumes on the market. I even sniff the shampoo and conditioner before I purchase them just to be sure they aren't overly scented.



• I rarely shave my legs. Granted, I am not a very hairy person. The hair on my legs grows in very fine and blonde. I do shave my pits once a week or so, and I keep certain other areas trimmed and neat, but I definitely count myself lucky.



• I don't get manicures or pedicures. In fact, I've never received a pedicure. On rare occasion I paint my fingernails or toenails, and when I do, it's always either a light color or a shocking color. If it's a shocking color, I usually take it off after a day or two. If it's a light color and it's on my toenails, it may wear off before I get around to taking it off.



• I don't sacrifice comfort for fashion. I own one pair of heels, and I can't remember the last time I wore them. I won't wear an outfit that is uncomfortable in any way. Before I purchase clothing, I always check the tag. If it is not machine washable, I put it back, no matter how cute I looked in it.



• The only "hose" I own are fishnets. I don't wear hose. On the off-chance that I must dress up and wear heels and hose, I'll go out and purchase a cheap pair. Because they're cheap, they usually have holes in them before the end of the night. I'll buy thigh-highs or knee-highs if I can get away with it.



• I don't buy cute bras. First-off, they usually don't have any in my size, either because everyone is that size or no one is. Second, see the comfort comment above. Once I find a bra that is comfortable, I usually buy at least 2 - one beige and one black. I wear them until they're practically falling apart.

That's just the list of appearance items we could come up with! We didn't even discuss my affinity for fart jokes and innuendos. I play video games, know the rules of football, and can skin dead animals properly. I don't watch chick-flicks because I really don't need a reason to cry.

My husband concurred that while I may not be a "normal" woman, I'm a real woman, and this is part of the reason he loves me so much. (insert the "awww" here)

So I took a test:

Your Brain is 60% Female, 40% Male

Your brain is a healthy mix of male and female. You are both sensitive and savvy. Rational and reasonable, you tend to keep level headed. But you also tend to wear your heart on your sleeve.

What Gender Is Your Brain?

Rainy Day Snuggles

As you all know, I love my daughter dearly. I love her kisses, her hugs, her snuggles, and even her abuse, even though I don't necessarily enjoy the abuse.

When Tree Faerie wakes up in the morning, I put her in bed with me for a few minutes for snuggles before we start our day. I change the TV channel to Disney, and we watch Playhouse Disney. This snuggle time usually doesn't last very long, maybe 10 minutes at the most, because Tree Faerie usually wants to climb off the bed to go chase the cat or DTTF or something.

This morning was different. She called to me from her bed just a few minutes after 7, so I grabbed her and put her in bed with me. DTTF made his coffee then headed to the bathroom. I flipped the channel to Disney and started watching My Friends Tiger & Pooh. Tree Faerie snuggled against me, and while we snuggled there watching TV, I heard thunder. I couldn't think of a more perfect place to be at that moment, except to have DTTF join us.

My wish was soon granted, even though I knew he didn't really have time to snuggle. Tree Faerie was just being so cute and lovable that she was impossible to resist. We could have stayed that way all day if given the opportunity.

Of course, after about 20 minutes, Storm came in, so Tree Faerie wanted down to go chase the cat. We got up and about after that, but my entire day has been absolutely wonderful because I had extra snuggle time this morning.

Pay Per Post

I’ve decided to try my hand at a new endeavor to help alleviate my stress regarding my finances. We’ve all heard about someone supporting their family by blogging, but most of us figure it is way beyond hope. A few months back, I heard about a site called Pay Per Post while bouncing around Bloggerland. I can’t remember where I found it, but I was immediately intrigued. I checked it out and discovered that my blog wasn’t quite old enough. I didn’t really think much more about it until I recently received an email from the parent company, Izea. Izea hosts several things, including the Blogger Choice Awards and Pay Per Post.

I blog to help streamline my thoughts, to touch base with other parents, and to practice my writing. If I can make money while doing so, why not give it a shot? I mean, if you were given the opportunity to make money while breathing, would you say yes? My answer will always vary based on the circumstances involved and the fine print. If none of my values are compromised and I’m sure I’m not being scammed, then my answer would be, “Yes! Bring on the money!”

I read all the fine print. Payment is based on opportunities you select to write about, and you know how much you will be paid for that post up front. Pay Per Post holds the money until all terms have been met, which usually includes a time period that the post has to be active, then pays via PayPal. So the turn-around time may not necessarily be lightening fast, but all the research I’ve done points to this being a good opportunity.

I’m going for it. I’m willing to be paid to blog. For those of you who don’t really care about my Pay Per Post posts, I’ll make it easy on you – all my Pay Per Post posts will be blue, like this post, so you have the choice. Don’t worry – I’ll still keep posting my regular brain-dumps and exciting news here on a very regular basis. So, keep the comments coming! I’ll still be making regular visits to your sites, too!

Spoiled My Child

I'm guilty. I'll be the first to admit that I spoil my child, at least according to "the experts." I still have not night-weaned Tree Faerie. I also still nurse her to sleep. She still wakes up in the middle of the night to nurse. She still sleeps in my room. Sometimes she even sleeps in my bed, though only for short periods of time. I only bring her back to bed with me if I'm extremely tired or if I'm having a hard time getting her to go back down. I only keep her there until she starts moving around, a sign that she wants to be on her tummy instead of her side, at which point I can usually put her back in her own bed. My reason for putting her back in her own bed are completely selfish, though. I put her back in her bed so that I can sleep better.

Last night I actually put her to sleep in my bed by side-nursing. Tree Faerie just DID NOT want me to put her in her bed! Lately there have been several nights when she didn't want to nurse to sleep, so I put her in her bed, where she would fidget (but not fuss) around until she got comfortable, then she went to sleep. Last night was not one of those nights. She apparently wanted me to hold her.

Once I finally got her fully asleep, I put her in her bed, and she slept for 5 hours. Of course, when she woke up to nurse she didn't want to go back to her bed. She wanted to be held again, so I held her until she was fully back asleep, then I put her back in her bed. She slept for another 2 hours and woke up happy.

The more mothering experience I get under my belt the easier it is to not badger myself with what the experts think. Plus, there's always at least one expert out there that agrees with what I'm doing, and if I look hard enough, I can find that expert. Dr. Sears would tell me I'm a good mother.

Tree Faerie's pediatrician told me yesterday morning that I was made to be a mother. I was half expecting a lecture about not night weaning when I admitted to it, but none came. Of course, this is the woman who talked me into co-sleeping because I wasn't getting any sleep. I really need to stop beating myself up over other people's opinions, especially when I find what works for us.

It may take a while to change that habit...

12 Months - Happy Birthday, Tree Faerie!

Dear Tree Faerie,

It is so hard to believe that an entire year has gone by since the day of your birth. We made it! One of your daddy’s favorite stories to tell is of being discharged from the hospital with you. I don’t think he believed the nurse when she first told him he could take you home. We were nervous and scared yet excited and overjoyed. I cried all the way home because all the cars were entirely too close to us. Your disapproval of your first car ride was not helping matters any. When we finally got you home, I unbuckled you from the seat as quickly as possible so I could hold you close, comforting us both. I am sometimes still surprised by how much love I have for you. It doesn’t seem possible for one person to contain this much love (which may be why I feel on the verge of exploding sometimes)!

You finally got to meet your Aunt T, Uncle M, and your two cousins, CRK (2.5 years old) and CSK (2.5 months old). You and CRK had a great time playing together, though you are exhibiting signs of being a bully. You kept forcefully taking CRK’s pacifier away. The first time I saw you do it, I had a plate of food in my hands and was sitting next to your Nana. Your Nana just sat there and laughed while watching you try to take CRK’s pacifier while he tried to gently prevent you from doing so. I must admit that it was kind of cute, but I really don’t want you to grow up and be a bully. You can’t always have things just because you want them.

We do a great job of spoiling you, though. You came away like a bandit for Yule and Christmas. Tearing paper is now one of your favorite pastimes. There are more toys than I know what to do with. I’m still feeling a little overwhelmed about that right now, but I’ll have it figured out soon. You love having your choice of which toy to play with, so you certainly don’t mind the abundance.

One of your favorites is Lavender, the purple hippo you and Nana built at Build-A-Bear. It’s so cute to watch you hug and kiss Lavender. You even hug her close and pat her back, just like I do to you. Another favorite is your push-buggy shaped like a VW Bug. When you’re not being pushed in it, you like to push it yourself. Grams got you a gift that clearly shows what we have to look forward to in the future. She got you a cell phone toy that talks and plays music. It’s absolutely adorable to watch you walk around with the phone up to your ear and hear you just jabbering away – or at least it’s adorable at the moment. When you’re 14 it may not be so adorable…

You’ve completed your transition period into the toddler room and have now been in the toddler room a whole week! The teachers just love you, of course. I’m amazed by how well you follow directions and behave! I must be too lenient on you, because you don’t mind what I say as well as you do for your teachers. Even so, you’re a great kid at home, too. I have no real complaints.

Your First Birthday was this past Sunday, and Grams and Papaw drove up to spend it with you. I’m glad they decided to drive up the night before so they could be here when you woke up, because you had a surprise for us all after you woke up on your First Birthday. You took your First Steps! Not just one, but 4 or 5! You were standing up in front of Grams and you just toddled right to me! Daddy missed the first time, so of course I had to go get him up. When I told him, I could tell that he thought I was exaggerating, so after he got up I stood you in front of him. He held out his hands and you toddled to him. The look on his face was priceless! You’ve practiced off and on ever since then, but only if you’re not wearing shoes. If you’re wearing shoes, you still prefer to hold on to a finger.

Grams and I installed your new car seat while you were napping. The weather was perfect for it – 70 degrees and breezy. For January, that is unusual weather! We couldn’t get the seat installed rear-facing, which is how I would have preferred to install it for just a little while longer. Instead, we installed it forward-facing. The only thing that kept us from testing it out right then was you being asleep.

Later that afternoon, Nana came for our little party. We had fish sticks with macaroni and cheese because you LOVE macaroni and cheese. Then we opened presents, which of course means more toys, including a piano, a Mickey Mouse, and a pull-along puppy. Finally, we were ready for your first cupcake experience. I stuck a “1” candle on top of your cupcake and lit it. We turned out the lights and sang Happy Birthday to you, then I helped you blow out the candle. When I set the cupcake in front of you, you had a confused look on your face. I finally convinced you that it was okay to play with it, so you proceeded to remove all the icing and squish it. You finally put your fingers in your mouth and immediately decided you did not like icing and tried to wipe it off your tongue with the other hand, which also happened to be covered in icing. Thankfully you didn’t throw a fit, but the look on your face clearly said, “I am not thrilled with this!” You continued to play with the frosting and tried tasting it a time or two more, but you still weren’t crazy about the taste and refused to try the actual cake part.

After you put the icing in your hair, I gave you a bath, and then we saw Grams and Papaw off. You’ll get to see them again in a couple of weeks when we go visit Grams for her 50th birthday. I’m really glad they came up to see you for yours.

This past year has gone by so quickly, and you weren’t the only one growing. You have brought about a lot of good changes in me. Thank you for being so wonderful, Tree Faerie. I look forward to what the next year will bring.

Hugs, Kisses, and Lots of Love,

Mama

I have a Toddler!

Some people view the 1st birthday as the gateway to toddlerdom. Others view it as the moment the child takes his or her first steps.

My child experienced both on the same day, so I guess there's no question. I have a Toddler!

Now what do I do?

1st year letter coming soon and will contain a few more details about Tree Faerie's first steps.

Too Busy

January is ripening up to be an extremely busy month. We're only on Day 4, and I've put something on the calendar for EVERY weekend!

This weekend is Tree Faerie's birthday. We're just going to have a small party with us and the grandparents. Saturday I'm going to get the oil changed in the car, and to make things easy, I'm going to Wal-Mart so I can shop to my heart's content pick up a few essentials, maybe a small present or two for Tree Faerie, and hopefully her big Christmas/Birthday present - her car-seat. Every time I've been to Wal-Mart and tried to get the seat we want, there were not any on the floor and I was either in a hurry or couldn't find anyone to help me and gave up. I guess I should probably call and find out if they have any before I go again, right?

Next weekend does not hold any permanent plans, however the daycare has offered up another Parents Night Out. How can I pass up free child care from people my child already knows in a safe environment while I don't feel like I'm putting anyone out by asking them to watch my child? Granted, we usually go to the movies, so we end up spending between $20 and $40 while we get free child care.

The weekend of the 18th I would like to go to my mom's. Her 50th birthday is January 20th, and while the gift she's getting from us has to be taken care of in Memphis, I figured taking her granddaughter to see her would be a great additional present. We have yet to make the trek to her house because I'm a little afraid of the 4 hour drive with Tree Faerie. Maybe with her new car seat, she'll be happier. My two best friends from high school are talking about coming down to her house on Saturday. I haven't seen one in like 7 years, and the other in 8 or 9.

The weekend of the 25th, one of my best friends from high school (yes, one of the ones from the previous weekend) will be in town. She and her new beau will be in town Friday afternoon and will leave Saturday afternoon. We are making plans to meet up a couple of times while they're here.

At some point before the weekend of the 18th, I need to get my mom's present. I'm giving her a gift certificate for a massage from the wonderful massage therapist that I got a massage from in May. When I pick up the gift certificate, I am also going to get a massage for myself. I'm way past due for one, and when I got the $100 Christmas Cash from work, I knew I was going to use most of it for mom's gift. When I told DTTF about it, he told me to go ahead and get one for myself, too. Now I just have to make time for it.

Hopefully February will be a slower month to give me time to rest and possibly get some things off of my To Do list. I'm not holding my breath, though.

Not My Place

When I entered Tree Faerie's classroom this morning to drop her off, the little girl that transitioned to the toddler room with Tree Faerie (let's call her L)was sitting in the floor screaming. I asked the head toddler room teacher, we'll call her Ms. J, if she was okay. Ms. J said she didn't know what was wrong with her and that she'd tried several things to comfort her, but nothing was working. Ms. J said when she tried to hold her to comfort her, L pushed her away and didn't want anything to do with Ms. J.

I felt bad for both of them, but I know that all babies have days like that. While I was snuggling Tree Faerie before leaving, I saw the head infant room teacher, Ms. D, looking in through the window.

Since I also know L from Ms. D's infant room, I know she has always taken a little longer to be comfortable with changes. She is 3 days older than Tree Faerie, however she's consistently hit all her milestones 2 months later than Tree Faerie. I thought that maybe L may need a bit more help transitioning.

I stopped by Ms. D's room before leaving, and Ms. D was really upset that Ms. J wasn't trying to comfort L. I came to Ms. J's defense by repeating what Ms. J had said to me when I asked, but Ms. D was still unsatisfied. She said that Ms. J doesn't like for them to peek in the windows or get involved with the care of the toddlers. From the way she was talking, it sounded like Ms. D was continually dissatisfied with the way Ms. J comforts the toddlers. Ms. D suggested that I say something to the director.

I refused for several reasons. 1) I'd much rather discuss things with the teacher first before taking it to the director. 2) I didn't actually see anything WRONG today. All babies have bad days, and Ms. J's assistant was running late this morning. Ms. J still had to take care of the other babies. 3) Since my first suggestion would be to possibly extend the transition period for L, I can't really make that suggestion since I'm not the parent.

On my way out the door, I stopped and peeked in the window. Ms. J saw me and gave me a look that I read to mean, "Is something wrong?" I gave her the biggest smile I could and waved.

I told DTTF about the encounter this morning, and he had pretty much the same perspective I had. While we were talking, it also occurred to me that part of the problem MAY BE the infant room teachers peeking in, especially in the first few weeks after transitioning. Maybe L is having a bit of separation anxiety from the infant room teachers, so when she sees them peeking in, she immediately wants to go to them. When that doesn't happen - meltdown. Part of the reason I think this may be a factor is because when Tree Faerie saw Ms. D this morning through the window, she wanted to go to Ms. D.

I will not be discussing this with the director at this point, though if I continue to see this happening with L, I may mention my thoughts to Ms. J, specifically the part about the infant room teachers peeking in. If Ms. D brings it up to me, I will definitely tell her my thoughts on it. I know the infant teachers love those babies, but when it's time for them to move on, sometimes distance is best after the child has transitioned to the new room, at least until the baby has adjusted to the new room.